ELK SEASON CLOSURE

[EMPyre]

Why are we discussing this?  Seriously, if there was enough concern about the elk populations to shut down hunting to let them 'rebound' why hasn't there been any discussion about shutting down salmon and steelhead harvest.  We KNOW those sepcies are hurting, and in a bad way, look at California and Oregon last year.  Elk numbers would need to be low enough to get the concern of the Federal governement through ESA listing before we would need to concern ourselves with the statewide closure, and even then, as I said above, look at salmon and steelhead.

[billythekidrock]

Hey all, a few guys I work with have mentioned that they heard that all elk hunting may close in the state of washington in a few years to help build up the herds again. Has anyone else heard of this? I'm not sure of their source so it could be just a rumor. I sure hope so!!

Never gonna happen. You can't stock pile game, it just won't work.

[bearmanric]

only place that is hurting is the northing coast.WYNNOOCHEE AND SKOKOMISH TO.Rick

[HawkenBob]

they might close certain areas...but they dont have the balls to just close it all the way.
its our right they are there to manage it thats all.

Actually its a priveledge for us to be able to hunt and fish. Its only a "right" of the native americans. If they decided to quit managing it they could close it altogether. This would never happen but WDFW is there to manage our privelidge and the rights of treaty natives...

[Bob Williams]

Here's something to 'chew on' a bit, and this isn't meant to cause hysteria because with a few of the posts i have read on here in the past this may not be an isolated case...But maybe it is.

Anyway- I ran into some hunters (elk/bear/cougar) yesterday at this little cut off hwy.18 we talked for awhile about the dismal seasons that have been happening not just for elk, but for just about every species in the forest. I mean just pick a topic in this forum and they're filled with disappointing stories of low success rates or nothing at all.

So we wondered if the wild life management folks could even remotely be close to annual harvest numbers especially if folks don't report their kills or those that have different "rights" blatantly abuse their rights and kill everything.

So one of the three proceeds to tell me that last year, i believe he said, they were at elk camp and a car load of native americans drove by near the end of shooting light. They got about a mile up the road passed camp and it sounded like shoot-out occurred. Awhile later they drive by on their way out and in the morning there were 8 dead elk... cows, calves and bulls and the only thing taken was the back straps. If indeed that did happen... Do you suppose they were tagged and reported so the management folks can record the takes? If that truly did happen, how many other times has it happened and how many more times to come will it happen.

 I'm here to tell you.. as a guy who has just got back into hunting after a bunch of years off, i'm ticked...I have spent many many hours in the woods, on ridge tops, pounding brush, soaked to the bone and sleepless for a 9 or 10 day opportunity and don't see *censored*.. That's east and west side!

 I mean hell if the general  population who receive no special priveledge only get 9 or 10 days total to hunt at least give us the best season...Let the others who hunt under different laws have the other days!

If i sound bitter, i am If anything that you just read is true "Special interests hunters" are raping the woods with zero accountability. It will become a disasterous situation for all big game species in every GMU if something doesn't get done.

[stumprat]

How about closing the reservation down, that would improve the elk herd 
[/quo

Best idea so far

[Slider]

I received a call last night from WDFW. It was for a survey about the decreasing numbers of young bulls in the Clockum. The questions were should they close general season hunting and make it draw only? Should they make it spike only on both sides? And many more questions!!!

[grizzlygibbs]

only place that is hurting is the northing coast.WYNNOOCHEE AND SKOKOMISH TO.Rick

I beg to differ, the colockum elk herd has dropped in big numbers through the years taken from the WDFW Colockum elk herd plan "the current bull to cow ratio is currently at 12-20 bulls: 100 cowswith 2-10% of bull sub-population made up of mature animals, and total bull mortality of less than 50%. "

Im sure that is not counting, the bulls taken by tribal members

This is extremly hard to do when there are indians that come and shoot 5 branch bulls, 2 cows and a 24 inch wide 4x4 mule deer that i witnessed 2 years ago during my time working with the DNR as an Engine Supervisor.  The guy laughed at me and said, just try to turn me in...  Later the same day i was outraged and found 2 other dead bulls, one spike and one forked horn with the velvet scraped and the ivories pulled out.  they were both gut shot, had about 4 bullet holes in them, I immediatly called WDFW who investigated but could really do nothing as to the man/truck i described as being a member of the tribe. 

[DBake]

I don't think we are to far from a complete big game drawings.

[funkster]

The elk number's in this state are unmanageable now (except the clock um),the wdfw are trying to decrease the numbers all over the state it seems with the number of special permit tags handed out.

"Anyway- I ran into some hunters (elk/bear/cougar) yesterday at this little cut off hwy.18 we talked for awhile about the dismal seasons that have been happening not just for elk, but for just about every species in the forest. I mean just pick a topic in this forum and they're filled with disappointing stories of low success rates or nothing at all."

I don't know about everyone else but are crew was into elk everyday and a few to many blown encounters. One of are crew bagged his first elk. It was awesome to witness! With the number of 300 + bulls coming out of the state I would say it's thriving!

[boneaddict]

The elk are hurting on the Clockum for only ONE REASON.  YOU KNOW WHAT IT IS.   MAKE IT DRAW ONLY SO THEY CAN SHOOT MORE!!!  Come on WDFW.  I HOPE YOU ARE READING THIS and pull your HEADS OUT OF YOUR ASS.   If tnothing else. CLOSE ROADS to help curb the TRIBAL HUNTING. 

[270Shooter]

The elk are hurting on the Clockum for only ONE REASON.  YOU KNOW WHAT IT IS.   MAKE IT DRAW ONLY SO THEY CAN SHOOT MORE!!!  Come on WDFW.  I HOPE YOU ARE READING THIS and pull your HEADS OUT OF YOUR ASS.   If tnothing else. CLOSE ROADS to help curb the TRIBAL HUNTING. 

[long-shot]

Bone hit the nail the head!!!  the only way they are going to get the friggin indian"s out,  they are going to have to lock all the roads down,  so if you want to see elk  you are going to either ride your horse or walk, we all know that if they can't shoot from the truck then they ain't going to bother,    TO MUCH LIKE WORK!!!!!!

[grizzlygibbs]

Bone hit the nail the head!!!  the only way they are going to get the friggin indian"s out,  they are going to have to lock all the roads down,  so if you want to see elk  you are going to either ride your horse or walk, we all know that if they can't shoot from the truck then they ain't going to bother,    TO MUCH LIKE WORK!!!!!!

I honestly dont believe that this would keep them out, they believe they have the right to be there and they would do anything they could to be there.  Im sure they dont stay out of all closed areas.  I even heard a rumor, correct me if I am wrong, that they can hunt on the Game Reserve up there.  Is that true or hearsay from disgruntled hunters?

[fumanchu]

http://http://www.wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/game/management/2009-2015/final_game_management_plan_2009-2015.pdf[ftp]
 I skimmed thou their plan. And from what i got out of it they want most elk populations to stay the same or increase with the exception of St. Helens
Table 1. Population estimates and population objectives with (+/- 10 %) acceptable range for 10
elk herds in Washington.
ELK HERD CURRENT POPULATION
ESTIMATE
POPULATION RANGE
OBJECTIVE
Yakima 9500 8,550-10,450
Olympic 8,620b,c 10,215-12,485
Colockum 3,900 4,050-4,950
North Rainier 1,845b 2,520-3,080
South Rainier 2,100 2,700-3,300
North Cascades 600b 1,755-2,145
Selkirk 2,400 2,160-2,640
Willapa Hills 7,600 7,200-8,800
Mount St. Helens 12,000d 9,000-11,000
Blue Mountains 4,400 4,824-5,896
a: Does not include GMUs 372 and 382
b: Estimate made in 2007.
c: Does not include Olympic National Park.
d: Mean estimate from 1996 to 1999.