BANCROFT — Once upon a summer about 10 years ago, the troops at the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, brought Elk into the Bancroft area. The herd grew fat and prospered, grew to 300, the point where MNR thinkers said they should be capped. The numbers were not capped. The elk were good for the tourist industry and town’s people loved to watch them.

The herd grew to 500. The town’s people still loved them but farmer David Parks did not.

Before he knew elk were a problem, he planted 30 acres of oats. He planted 45 acres of clover. The elk ate 12 to 15 acres of oats. They ate and slept and chewed their cuds in the clover fields.

MNR thinkers harkened to the complaints of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture. MNR troops fastened a battery-operated coyote caller to a tree in a small hardwood bush in the middle of Parks’ farm. The battery-operated caller made the sound of a coyote for seven minutes. Then it ceased for 45 minutes. Then called again for seven. It worked 24/7. Progress, science and technology had combined to work magic, so they thought.

One evening, a curious David Parks, and wife Penny, sat in a truck a field away from the coyote caller.

They watched four mature Elk cows and a calf. They heard the coyote caller switch on. They waited for the elk to flee in fear and panic. The elk didn’t flee. They ambled over to the coyote caller, as curious as David and Penny Parks.

Coyotes and wolves heard the call from Parks’ hardwood bush. They too were attracted and came in droves. Parks’ neighbours began losing sleep and sheep.

Lyn Davis, nearby, lost 14 sheep last year, this year 18 so far.

Parks had enough of progress and technology. He bred a hound dog to a Labrador. Three offspring yapped through the fields of elk throughout the nights. The elks couldn’t take the nagging and left the field.

MNR troops have now put a fence around the oat field.

Parks says MNR is "hair-brained". They created a monster.

Parks is no longer happy. He only wanted to grow some crops and raise beef and draught horses. Parks and his neighbors are considering a class action suit against the creator of the monster, the Ministry of Natural Resources.