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Legal Document

Terms of Service & Privacy Policy

Last Updated March 2026
Version 3.1
Jurisdiction The Field

Version 3.1 supersedes v3.0, which superseded v2.7. Versions 2.8 through 2.9 were skipped for reasons Gary cannot recall. He believes he was renumbering something else at the time.

Contents

  1. Definitions
  2. Acceptance of Terms
  3. Permitted Use
  4. Prohibited Activities
  5. Limitation of Liability
  6. Privacy Policy
  7. Cookies
  8. Changes to Terms
  9. Governing Law
  10. Contact
Section 1

Definitions

For the purposes of this agreement, the following terms shall have the meanings set out below. Gary has tried to be precise.

"The Platform" The elk. Collectively, the elk. Not a software platform. If you have arrived here expecting a software platform, please review our homepage more carefully. It is all there if you read it in the right spirit.
"Organic Node" An individual elk. Each elk is an Organic Node. They have names. The names are: Gerald, Kevin, Brenda, and Derek. Derek is new.
"User" You. The person who has entered or is considering entering the enclosure. By reading these terms you have already begun a relationship with ElkScale whether you intended to or not.
"Customer Success Wrangler" Gary. There is one. It is Gary.
"Session" Your visit to the enclosure. Sessions are 45 minutes (Standard), 90 minutes (Professional), or all day (Enterprise, subject to availability and Gerald's mood).
"Pellet" The small, compressed feed pellets available from the vending machine at the entrance. Pellets are sold in portions of 50g, 100g, or 200g. The vending machine accepts coins and contactless. It does not accept the £50 note, a situation Gary has escalated to the manufacturer twice.
"The Rutting Node" The pub at the bottom of the lane. Not affiliated with ElkScale. Gary is, however, a regular. You may see him there.
Section 2

Acceptance of Terms

By accessing the ElkScale platform — that is, by entering the enclosure — you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service in their entirety. You are deemed to have accepted these terms at the moment you step through the outer gate, regardless of whether you have read them. The outer gate is the one with the yellow sign.

The elk have not been made aware of these terms, and their behaviour does not constitute acceptance, waiver, or endorsement of any specific clause. The elk are not party to this agreement. The elk are simply elk.

If you do not agree with these terms, you may exit through the outer gate. Please ensure the outer gate is closed behind you. Gary cannot stress this enough.

Note: If you accessed this document via the ElkScale website and have not yet visited the enclosure, these terms apply prospectively and will take full effect upon your arrival. If you are currently inside the enclosure and are reading this on your phone: please look up. Gerald is behind you.
Section 3

Permitted Use

Subject to these Terms, ElkScale grants you a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable licence to interact with the Organic Nodes during your Session. Permitted activities include:

  • Observing the Organic Nodes at a respectful distance, which Gary defines as "further than you think but closer than you're probably standing."
  • Feeding Pellets to Organic Nodes, provided said Pellets were purchased from the vending machine. Gary will know if you brought your own pellets. He always knows.
  • Light tactile interaction with willing Organic Nodes, including but not limited to: ear scratching, flank patting, and accepting a nuzzle if one is offered. A nuzzle may not be solicited. You must wait for it.
  • Photographing the Organic Nodes for personal, non-commercial use. You may post these photographs. ElkScale requests, but does not require, that you tag us. Gary enjoys this.
  • Remaining on the designated pathways and in the observation area. If you are not sure if you are on a designated pathway, you are probably not on one.
Section 4

Prohibited Activities

The following activities are expressly prohibited during any Session. This list is not exhaustive. Gary reserves the right to identify new prohibited activities in the field, in real time, as they occur.

  • Bringing your own food for the Organic Nodes. This includes apples, carrots, bread, or anything purchased at the farm shop up the road. The farm shop does not carry approved pellets. The farm shop is not affiliated with ElkScale. Gary has spoken to them.
  • Attempting to make Gerald do anything. Gerald does what Gerald does. This has been the case since 2022 and the situation has not changed.
  • Flash photography near Kevin. Kevin is not frightened, he is simply critical of it. Two consecutive flash photographs will result in Session termination at Gary's discretion.
  • Bringing a dog onto the premises, regardless of size, breed, temperament, or the confidence with which you describe your dog as "very good with animals." The elk are also animals. They are larger animals.
  • Calling Gary's personal mobile number during a Session. The number has been redacted from this document. If you have it, you did not get it from us. Gary would like it back.
  • Attempting to extend your Session beyond its scheduled end time by remaining in the enclosure, hiding behind Derek, or claiming you "just want five more minutes." The elk have a schedule. Gary has a schedule. The schedule is the schedule.
  • Attempting to mount an Organic Node. This is prohibited. This has always been prohibited. It is in the FAQ. It is on the sign. Gary did not think he would have to put it here as well, yet here it is.
  • Attempting to rename an Organic Node. Their names are Gerald, Kevin, Brenda, and Derek. You may have opinions about these names. Those opinions are not actionable.
  • Attempting to reboot an Organic Node. This is not a thing that means anything. Please do not try.
Section 5

Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, ElkScale and its operators (Gary) shall not be liable for any loss, damage, injury, or incident arising from or in connection with your Session, including but not limited to the following, which are offered without ranking and with genuine affection for all parties involved:

  • Nuzzling. If an Organic Node places its head against your person, this is a positive outcome and not a basis for a claim. It is, in fact, what you came for.
  • Hat removal. Brenda has taken four hats in the past 18 months. All were returned. ElkScale is not responsible for transit time.
  • Prolonged staring. Gerald will stare at you. This is not directed. Gerald stares at everything. Gary has tried to address this with Gerald. Gerald has not engaged with the feedback.
  • Sneezing in your direction. The Organic Nodes are healthy. The sneezing is incidental. Gary recommends a change of outer layer if required; spare fleeces are available from the office at £2 a day.
  • Kevin. Kevin is a listed exclusion. Kevin is covered separately by a rider that Gary is still completing. If you have a Kevin-specific concern, please contact Gary directly and describe the incident in writing.
  • Loss of personal items to Brenda. As noted above. Brenda is curious. Keep your pockets fastened.
  • Emotional responses to Gerald. Several visitors have experienced unexpected emotional responses when in Gerald's presence. Gary does not fully understand this but he respects it. ElkScale is not liable for feelings.
  • The fence. Gary knows about the fence. Gary is handling the fence.
Important: Nothing in this clause limits liability for death or personal injury caused by the negligence of ElkScale or its operators, as required by applicable law. Gary wants to make clear that in 11 years of operation, no such incident has occurred and Gary takes safety seriously. Gary just also takes elk seriously.
Section 6

Privacy Policy

ElkScale collects and processes a limited amount of personal data in order to operate the platform and provide an effective Session experience. This section describes what we collect, how we use it, and where it lives.

Data we collect: Your name and email address are collected at booking. Your tier selection is recorded. Gary also manually observes and notes which Organic Node you spent the most time with during your Session. This observation is made by Gary, with his eyes, while he is doing other things. It is written on a clipboard. The clipboard is on a hook in the office.

How your data is stored: Your data is stored in Gary's Google Sheet. The Google Sheet has been password protected since the incident in March 2025, which Gary would rather not go into. There is a backup. The backup is a printed version of the Google Sheet, which is kept in the filing cabinet. The filing cabinet does not lock but is very heavy.

Retention: Your data is retained for as long as Gary has not accidentally deleted the row, which has happened twice. If you believe your record has been deleted, you are welcome to rebook and Gary will add you again.

Third parties: Your data is not shared with third parties, sold, or used for advertising purposes. It may, however, be mentioned by Gary at the Rutting Node if the conversation turns to interesting visitors, which Gary's conversations occasionally do. This is not a formal data transfer. Gary means well.

Your rights: You have the right to access, correct, or request deletion of your personal data. To exercise these rights, please contact Gary. Gary will look in the Google Sheet. Gary will try his best.

Section 7

Cookies

The ElkScale website uses cookies to improve your browsing experience, remember your session preferences, and gather anonymised analytics about which pages are visited most. You can manage cookie preferences through your browser settings. Refusing cookies will not affect your ability to book a Session but may affect certain site features, such as the button that pre-fills your preferred node.

Separately, the Pellet vending machine at the facility entrance occasionally dispenses a pellet that has fractured during storage and is, in Gary's words, "more crumb than pellet." These are different types of cookies. Both exist. ElkScale is responsible for the website ones and is actively working with the analytics provider to ensure compliance with applicable data regulations. Gary is working on the vending machine cookies and has contacted the supplier. The supplier has not responded. Gary will contact them again.

Cookie Policy Summary: Website cookies — managed, tracked, compliant. Vending machine crumbs — not cookies in the legal sense, not tracked, not compliant with anything, but Gary is on it.
Section 8

Changes to These Terms

ElkScale reserves the right to update, amend, or entirely rewrite these Terms of Service at any time and for any reason, including but not limited to: new elk, new behaviours exhibited by existing elk, changes to the pellet formulation, regulatory developments, Gary having a new opinion, or the discovery that a previous version contained an error that Gary is embarrassed about.

When these terms are updated, the version number at the top of this document will change. Gary will not notify you of the change by email, push notification, or in-person announcement. You will not notice the version number has changed. This is, Gary acknowledges, not ideal, but changing it requires updating the sheet and Gary has other things on.

Your continued use of the Platform following any update to these Terms constitutes your acceptance of the revised Terms. If you have not visited since the last version was published, your acceptance is deemed to occur at the moment you next step through the outer gate. Please close the outer gate.

Section 9

Governing Law

These Terms of Service and any dispute arising from them shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the jurisdiction in which the Organic Nodes are resident, which is a field. Specifically, it is the big field behind the access road, not the small field to the left of the car park, which belongs to someone else and is not part of ElkScale's operations despite what the signage may imply. Gary is dealing with the signage.

In the event of a dispute, the parties agree to first attempt resolution through good-faith discussion, ideally not during a Session, as Gary finds it hard to concentrate when Kevin is nearby. Formal legal proceedings may be initiated in any court of competent jurisdiction, though Gary respectfully notes that the cost of doing so will almost certainly exceed the value of the claim unless your hat was very expensive.

Section 10

Contact

For general enquiries, booking issues, complaints, or feedback about the Organic Nodes, please visit the Contact Gary page. Gary will respond when he is able. Gary is often not at his desk, in the sense that his desk is a folding table in the office next to the pellet shed and he is frequently not at it.

If you wish to raise a formal legal matter — a contractual dispute, a data subject access request, a query about liability — please direct your correspondence to Gary via the same contact page. Gary will receive your message, read it carefully, and then refer you to Callum.

Callum is not a lawyer. Callum is Gary's brother-in-law. Callum did two years of a law degree in 2003 before switching to sports science. Gary acknowledges this is not ideal. Gary is looking into it. If you are a solicitor and you are reading this and you are interested in a retainer that partially involves elk, please do get in touch.

ElkScale Inc. — The Big Field, via the access road, past the farm shop that is not affiliated with us. There is no postcode that works reliably. Gary recommends what3words. Gary does not know which three words. Gary will meet you at the gate if you call ahead. Do not call Gary's personal mobile.
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