Elk in the Columbia River

[bobcat]

My wife saw this picture on Facebook. All I know about it is what the photographer posted:

"Roosevelt Elk attempting to cross the Columbia River today with the Astoria–Megler Bridge in background"


Did anybody else see them?

[sled]

Saw on fb also.

[Soady]

Gonna need another punch card and a bigger net 

[Sitka_Blacktail]

Looks like a couple legal bulls survived hunting season.

[mkcj]

Hope they caught an incoming tide.

[rasbo]

we had a bull on the farm this year,not sure where he crossed the river at....so does this mean the Indians can start netting for elk

[Eli346]

Those elk are lucky they weren't up in the Sound. The Squaxins would have shot them with a .22 and taken an oar to their heads.

[grundy53]

I saw it on Facebook too.

[headshot5]

More hoof rot headed to Oregon... 

[boneaddict]

That's one heck of a swim.

[pianoman9701]

Would you use a grim reefer and a coyote flasher trolling, or is snagging legal?

[h2ofowlr]

I saw this on FB as well along with all the clueless remarks from the tree huggers.  I have seen elk crossing the Skagit river several times, but not near the swim.

[Encore 280]

Look's like the picture was taken from a boat too. I would hope they herded them back to the Wa. side where there's timber. No place to go in Astoria other than hang out in town.

[Gringo31]

Seems to me they are wading.  Looking for a little brackish water to help treat their foot rot 

[JimmyHoffa]

Maybe something chased them out there...
Not unheard of, they swim the straits to Canada or even the San Juans occasionally.  In Alaska, they swim out to remote islands.

[Mike450r]

Those elk down there are swimmers for sure.  I have never seen them in the Columbia but have seen them swimming in Willapa Bay a few times.

[Encore 280]

Do they have hollow hair like deer so they float a little better?

[ELKBURGER]

Last summer a freind sent me a picture of a 4x4 bull, floating dead 14 miles out of warrenton.

[headshot5]

Do they have hollow hair like deer so they float a little better?

Yeah they do.

[deerhunter_98520]

How do I get a catch card for those 

[Sitka_Blacktail]

Seems to me they are wading.  Looking for a little brackish water to help treat their foot rot 

They aren't wading. The deep channels at the bridge are right off the shore. Both ends are green metal spans. These concrete pilings are well out in the river. They are definitely swimming. They'd have to get out a couple miles from shore to get to any bars they might wade on. I know this from many years of gillnetting right there.

[jeffitz]

We were dredging in Willapa Bay and the locals workin with us said the elk occasionally swim from Long Beach peninsula to Washaway Beach on the north side and yes they have seen them drown when they dont make it!

[Pete112288]

Makes me think of a story I heard, or maybe it was an article I read but cant quite remember. Said that there was a collared mt goat that was collared by mt hood then a couple weeks later they couldnt find it. Turned out they found it in Washington. That would be a crazy sight, see a mt goat crossing the columbia.