Firecrackers used to disperse elk grazing on ranches

From the Durango Herald:

In an effort to help ranches co-exist with large populations of elk, the Colorado Division of Wildlife has issued firecrackers to some landowners to scare away herds. Elk, in large numbers, have the ability to destroy crops and eat food that otherwise is intended for cows, costing ranchers and farmers thousands of dollars every year. "We love to see them, but we can't afford to feed them," said Tim Karl, who has 200 head of red Angus on his Pine River Ranch north of Bayfield. The firecrackers are a hazing tactic used to scare away the elk. They look like shotgun shells and are fired from a special handgun or a shotgun. The rounds make a loud crackling noise in the air. They are fired whenever elk are caught feasting on a rancher's property, including during the middle of the night, which has upset some neighbors...