NM landowners battle state over hungry elk

The elk in New Mexico are big and beautiful - a hunter's dream, a landowner's nightmare. Property owners across the state long have complained about wildlife overrunning their private land and destroying crops. But the problem is boiling over in the Cuba area, where ranchers say they're being ignored and wildlife managers aren't doing enough to curb the damage or compensate them. Starting tomorrow, the state Game and Fish Department is holding a series of public meetings. The department will consider proposals that would change the area's hunting unit boundaries and how hunting tags are allocated to landowners who allow elk on their property. Currently, the formula doesn't take into account agricultural damage. Another proposal calls for giving more tags to private landowners as a form of compensation for elk damage. AP