An elk cow takes her turn getting food from a bucket. She is one of 19 elk living on Fannin’s Elk Farm in Rochester. Photos by Joe Siciliano.

By Joe Siciliano
InkFreeNews

ROCHESTER — You’ve probably never heard of it, but Fannin’s Elk Ridge farm is really something to see. It’s a whole different world to discover right here under our noses.

Save yourself a trip to Yellowstone and check this place out; it’s a breathtaking representation of true nature. The farm is home to 19 elk that wander the property freely and proudly. They are truly majestic animals.

Brandon Fannin started his farm in August of 2018. He purchased two elk cows with the best genetics he could afford from a farm just south of Kokomo owned by Chuck Cannedy. Fannin didn’t own a bull at that time, so the cows were left at Cannedy’s farm to be bred. After breeding season in late November, the cows were transported to their new home in Rochester.

Now, the farm is a bustling center of activity. What started as a two-cow operation, is now home to nearly 20 elk.

Fannin spends his days tending to the herd and getting ready for the elk competition.

“The competition is in the last week of July, and it’s always a year behind, because in July the bulls are still growing their current set of antlers, Fannin explained. “So, the antlers you take to the competition, are their set from last year.”

Now, as we near September, antler-trimming season is upon us. The antlers are trimmed in late August when the bulls’ testosterone levels are peaking.

Aggression within the bullpen is a sure sign that this has been achieved. Their attitudes begin to change and they challenge each other constantly. Confrontations between them are inevitable, and the elk with the largest “head-gear” tends to be the boss. Trimming the antlers reduces the risk of the bulls harming each other while sparring. It also tames their attitude a bit.

“When you cut them off, it kind of calms them down a little bit.” Fannin said. “It doesn’t lower the testosterone levels, but they know they don’t have the headgear on top of them to be able to back-up that attitude.”

There is a thin layer of fur on the antlers called velvet. The bulls will rub most of the velvet off themselves by scratching their horns against trees. Fannin says he cuts down some trees in the forest on the property, and places them in the pen to facilitate the process.

“If they’ve got a lot of velvet left on them, and we’re taking them to the competition, then I’ll finish stripping what velvet they didn’t get off.” Fannin explained. “If we’re not taking them to the competition, then I’ll cut the antlers up into dog-chew-size pieces and sell them for dog chews.”

Fannin has won a few awards already in his brief time in the business.

“In 2022 we won the two-year-old, non-typical, international champion with a bull named Timber. And, this year we took Timber’s three-year-old set out, and he placed second in the three-year-old category.” said Fannin. “We also took another bull’s set, his name was Billy, and he placed second in the two-year-old non-typical category.”

So what is difference between typical and non-typical bulls? Typical bulls have symmetrical antlers, meaning they match on both sides. Non-typical bulls antlers don’t match.

The location of the conference fluctuates, with most of them being held out west. However, much to Fannin’s delight, next year’s conference is in Lafayette.

Tours are available for $7 per person with children ages 5 and under free. It is located at 8582 E 300N, Rochester. Visit their Facebook page or call (574) 551-0782 for more details.

Brandon and Amanda Fannin, owners of Fannin’s Elk Ridge farm in Rochester, each hold a set of antlers trimmed from bulls in their herd.

Nineteen majestic elk roam freely in the pastures of Fannin’s Elk Ridge farm.