RTSPRING"S thoughts on the Yakima elk herds.

[rtspring]

There has been alot of chat on here lately about the 342,346, 336 and 340 elk herds..
I will say this once just like I told my hunting partners during this Modern Season. Elk are being hunted, they sure as heck won't stand on the side of the road to be shot at everyday...  Our elk numbers are not decreasing due to hunting, predators or indians. Anyone who states different I would love to debate you any day of the week. Our elk numbers are as strong as they have ever been since I started hunting in 1985. I truly believe there is no accurate count on the elk, no way can that be done in my opinion... 13,000 to 15,000 would be my best guess...

I see more elk in a year than an average guy has seen maybe in his lifetime. From May until November I pretty much live in the mountains. There are tons of elk and I mean a bunch.. I have photos and trail cam photos to prove the fact the herd is doing great. Just because you drive up the night before the opener of Modern and can't find any elk does not mean they don't exist, THEY ARE HIDING!!!!

One thing is bothering me, I know the quality of animals in this unit and to see ANY BULL tag holders taking a spike is very sad to me. Do the tag some justice and kill a branched antlered bull!!! Not a SPIKE!!! that rule should be changed.......... in my opinion of course..

I love hunting more than most, I like hunting spikes every year! I would fight the good fight if others push for a draw only hunt!!! If you don;t like hunting in Washington go somewhere else and leave the rules the way they are.  Spikes are plentiful, you just have to find them..  No way in heck will you kill a spike every year!!! that just doesn't happen.  So take hunting for what it is, good memories, good friends, and living in Gods Country. Killing an animal is a bonus!!!!!!  You can't always win..............

Migration??? I think that is WAY WAY WAY over blown in this state! Snow fall does help hunting a bunch but is not critical to the taking of elk on a regular basis. I find elk all summer long under 2000 feet and all the way up to 5500...  they are where the food is and will stay there until pushed by hunting or other means....

I am no fan of the natives hunting as they please! Not when they shoot spike deer and we have to shoot three points!!!! How is that game management??? But I refuse to let tribal hunting be the reason for me not getting an animal...  We have debated tribal hunting to heck and back!!!
laying the blame on them is just another excuse for us hunters...

Gate off roads??? uh heck no, only during the hard winter months would I support such an idea.. We pay taxes and therefore should have access to all lands by vehicle if there is a road. You can always hike away from roads!!  Elderly and handicap people should have access to all roads on state land!!!

I have seen hunting back in the 80's where you seldom seen a branched bull, let alone  340 PLUS BULL!!! Since the start of spike only hunting in these units I see a big bull pretty much any time I want. If you are not seeing them, put more boot leather on the ground because they are there!!

My season this year sucked!!! I seen 6 elk in 7 days of all day hunting and that really goes to show you how well they can hide. I had elk all around me prior to the opener that included 6 different spikes... Guess what? they vanished......... But I got to enjoy the great outdoors with great friends and my father... No way will I let not getting an elk throw dirt on my party....

Mark my word, those that keep fighting for a draw only state. You will be sad the day you cannot go elk hunting because you didn't get drawn...  enjoy it for what it is. this is the state we live in where WDFW wants money over hunter satisfaction.... They will never be able to please all of us because of the numbers of hunters far outnumber the number of animals...

Our herds are doing great, one last word!!!! SCOUT SCOUT SCOUT and SCOUT some more........

KURT

[cryder]

seeing that many elk really is a privilege,i,m thinking your a local to that area,if those spikes disappeared ,makes me think your a missile silohe hunter,if you are I would love to try to get you to bow hunt,it really is being part of the mountains for 15 days,obviously you know how to find them,next step,is rubbing shoulders with them,wow its cool !!! :chuckle:sorry !!!after further review I see you are a bow guy to me since the day I was almost killed in 364,5 years ago I will never go back to the pumpkin patch ever again,for some reason that area will not leave me alone ! I,ve been hunting there for the past 12 years and cant give it up,you are absolutely correct about the elk there ,I,m only there maybe 25 days out of the year and I see elk almost every time,in scouting and hunting. I swear if I could stand Yakima I would be living there,but in order to hunt man must also work, or at least pretend to until hunting season comes around 

[HUNTINCOUPLE]

Very well put sirs!!!!

[Naches Sportsman]

agreed 100% Rt. YOu have got to know the unit well and not just show up the day before or day of. 

[adamR]

I'll have to agree with rt!  I don't get out nearly as much as I used to which sucks but when I do I put some EFFORT into it and it pays off i fill at least one tag every year.  I get tired of everyone wanting changed rules.  I've killed small bucks and spikes/cows and that made my 340 bull pretty dang special.  I love the draws the way they are and enjoy the challenge of finding a spike. I've never killed a big buck and I'm fine with that because when my 11 points finally pays off I'm going to do it justice and kill a trophy.
I knew a hunter during modern with a bethel bull tag that didn't want to hunt that hard so I chose not to point him in the direction of a 6 point I knew of. He ate his tag because he didn't do it justice and then had the nerve to tell me how terrible the hunting was this year... Get off your butt and work for the animal or don't complain when you don't get one!

[muleyslayer]

 

[elkfins]

I've hunted the area for about 30 years...  this pretty much sums it up.
For me, the rush is the quality encounters with big bulls and by quality I mean up close and personal.  Since the spike only restrictions were put in place, these quality encounters have increased for me tenfold. The herd is healthy and the genetics are good.  I may not get a spike each year but I do see lots of big bulls and that is the draw for me.

[Huntboy]

RT, 

[summertime blues]

Well said RT.....man someone is going to have to come on here with some negativity. It is rare to see that many positive posts in a row.

 

[coachcw]

No doubt it's about the memories! often how much time you put into it directly affects your success , but as RT has proved some years it just doesn't come together no matter how hard you work , that's just hunting . Don't worry buddy there's next year only six months intill your back at it . thank's for all the good times this season ! now it's your turn to draw a tag ...Coach !

[brutus1]

You summed it up 100% get out and enjoy your self. If you don't scout don't gripe about not seeing anything..If you want to change rules do it by zip code or by the county you live in. If you want change then have a limited amount of people who can hunt in your county by draws.This would limit the amount of people each year and then people would squeal even more about one thing or another..I think this will start a chit storm..good idea or a bad one?

[rtspring]

No doubt it's about the memories! often how much time you put into it directly affects your success , but as RT has proved some years it just doesn't come together no matter how hard you work , that's just hunting . Don't worry buddy there's next year only six months intill your back at it . thank's for all the good times this season ! now it's your turn to draw a tag ...Coach !

We had a blast!!! I will let you hold my bullets when I draw that tag!!  PS, Big Nasty has a brother in the Meadow... He will be a stud next year..  I will send pics when I get them loaded up...

[D-Rock425]

The only part I'm going to disagree with is the part about shooting a spike with a bull permit.  If that guy wants to tag a spike with his bull permit go ahead.  I'm not ever going to tell a hunter what he should or shouldn't shoot with his own tag.  That's his decision and his alone.

[334OKH]

This is a good thread! I see things very similar to everyone else, "hunters" don't scout. Many see it as a chore instead of a fun summer and fall experience. If you scout your area and don't see Elk is it a failed, wasted trip? There is so much more to experience, just like the hunt itself. I've had many hunts and never had to get my hands bloody to enjoy them.

[D-Rock425]

Scouting is huge this year during archery season we scouted all summer had cams out got a ton of pics then when hunting season hit very few elk around.  With the fire in the area we had added hunting pressure from guys that could not get to their normal hunting grounds.  So we adapted found some elk in the deep dark stuff and I was able to kill a elk.  I think people get stuck on one area and miss their chance.  If the elk aren't there you must go find them they will not come to you.