Nobody wins in elk/rancher conflict When Moffat County rancher Rodney Culverwell was convicted last week for his illegal killing in February of 16 elk that were feeding on his haystack, it’s hard to say who won and who lost. Culverwell, who maintained during his trial in Craig that he was acting to protect his property and his cattle from the hungry elk, certainly lost in the eyes of court and faces some pretty stiff penalties. He could be sentenced to three years in jail and up to $100,000 for each of four felonies along with miscellaneous fines and penalties for other less-serious wildlife crimes. But his conviction carries a bitter-sweet note, even for those who feel he over-stepped his rights. The fact Culverwell even had to appear in court, or decided it necessary to kill the elk after he felt the Division of Wildlife wasn’t doing enough to protect him or other ranchers, bespeaks the long-standing conflicts between ranchers and elk in northwest Colorado....