Colockum Elk E-Mail!!!

[Slider]

I received this in an E-Mail today!!!


>
> Long time readers know that I elk hunt in the Colockum Wildlife Area.
> My family settled in this area around 1880.  At one time my
> grandfather owned or leased in excess of 3,500 acres, and along with
> two other families, was in the process of purchasing all of that and
> more.  His untimely passing at a young age resulted in my Grandmother
> selling his holdings to the state.  My Uncle Neil owns the section of
> land that rema ined.  It is the Colockum Ranch.  The road from the
> Wenatchee side accessing the Colockum, runs past his and my cousins
> property.  They see what goes up and down this road.
>
> What they saw a lot of this summer was truck loads of dead elk.
> Starting at the end of July, as soon as antlers mature and harden,
> Yakima tribal hunters are decimating the Colockum elk herd.  On the
> last Friday of deer season in the area, my dad and brother saw Indian
> hunters with a very large 7 point bull in the back.  Nothing was open
> at the time for elk, but the elk was dead, none the less.  Relatives
> have seen truck loads of spikes, the only size bull us non Indians are
> allowed to shoot.  The man in charge of running the area has been told
> by his superiors, "hands off".  It is estimated by people in the area
> that the tribes killed 48 large bulls during the summer of 2008.  My
> Uncle works very closely with the Game Department in the area.  He
> tells me the Colockum elk herd is down by 1500 animals.  All rules for
> this herd will change for the 2009 season. 
>
> I really have a hard time comprehending the greed in these hunters.
> They are absolutely classless as far as hunters go.  For my lifetime,
> the top of the mountain in the Colockum has been an elk preserve.  It
> was donat ed land from one Arthur Coffin.  He donated the land for the
> preservation of elk.  Non-tribal hunters cannot access this land at
> any time.  Absolutely no trespassing.  Doesn't apply to the tribes.
> They not only kill elk in the preserve, they camp on it.  This year it
> was estimated that over 40 hunters made up this camp at one time.  The
> elk have had decades of conditioned learning that they are safe in the
> preserve.  Not any longer.  And if tribal hunters can't kill their elk
> by hunting on a game preserve, they spot light at night, and it is
> legal by their rules.  Amazing.
>
> What is even more amazing to me is the fact that the Colockum elk herd
> was started by non-Indians around 1913.  Elk were introduced to the
> area from the Yellowstone herd.  Why do the tribes get to hunt for elk
> that weren't there prior to our putting them there?  I asked this
> question and was told they have found drawings on caves near the
> Columbia River showing elk.  According to the powers that be, this was
> enough to give them elk rights on the Colockum herd.  I say it is
> shady closed door decision making at its worst. 
>
> I have two references in my collection that state elk were not readily
> available in Washington, except for the Roosevelt's.  In the diary of
> Lewis and Clark, Le wis wrote that the tribes on the Columbia River
> really liked elk meat and were quite willing to trade for it, as they
> didn't have a successful means of killing them unless one stumbled
> into a bear pit.  I have read that the Nez Pierce traveled to Idaho
> for their elk hunts.  In another publication I have, written by R.
> Roundtree about himself, he describes how he and his brothers had to
> travel to Idaho for elk.  They settled the Pe Ell area prior to the
> Civil War.  But, because they found a drawing, all the history goes
> aside.
>
> Unless I am very mistaken about Indian traditions, they drew pictures
> of animals for reasons other than they were in the area.  They would
> draw them to gain power over them for the hunt.  They drew pictures in
> thanks for a successful hunt.  Those pictures they found could have
> been elk killed in Idaho, which everything I have read shows both
> tribal hunters and non-tribal hunters went for Rocky Mountain elk,
> prior to their introduction here.
>
> Non-tribal hunters have to draw a permit to shoot a branch antlered
> bull.  In 2004, when my dad and brother were drawn, 28 permits were
> issued.  This year 3 were issued.  Just when we thought the practice
> of not shooting big bulls was starting to pay off, the Yakima tribe is
> decimating them.  Plus, they ki ll spikes and cows also.  I would like
> to see the spike only rule go away.  All it is doing is giving
> classless tribal hunters carte blanche on big elk.  Another item I
> intend to pursue is getting my hands on the paperwork that had to have
> been drawn up when Mr. Coffin donated all the land to the state for
> the elk preserve.  It has to contain language pertaining to
> preservation.  Allowing tribal hunters onto that land is not
> preservation.  I am thinking someone could take that information and
> make the state nervous. 
>
> Hunting in this area has been going downhill for the past 3 years.
> Now we know why.  When TRN sent out the questionnaires to the
> gubernatorial candidates, one of the questions was whether they
> supported these closed door secret meetings.  Our newly re-elected
> governor chose not to respond.  Guess what?  We already knew the
> answer.  Soon, elk in the Colockum will go the way of salmon, crab and
> the Nooksack elk herd, which was nearly wiped out by tribal hunters.
>
>
>
>

[dbllunger]

Slider thanks for more frustration.

[270Shooter]

Glad to somebody else is pissed about this .

[Guy]

So... What can be done about it?

Anything? I know a few have tried to at least raise the issue and have been largely shut down. Frankly, I don't have an answer.

[Head-shot]

Need to send the Liberals after them. Maybe send them a copy of the email.

[heavy hauler]

 

[TheHunt]

What can we do?  Nothing!   We could not buy any licenses and hunt out of state to take all the money out of their hands.  But what would that do?  I do not think enough people would not hunt in Washington to make enough of an impact.

So there is nothing we can do...   

[saylean]

start protesting with signs to get media attention would be about the only thing I can figure.

[BENCHLEG]

i have given my idea on another post. on this site we have many people so band together and hit them where it hurts. do not buy a hunting license this year. send an e-mail with all members participating in the boycott to wdfw and involve a lawyer, maybe i am ranting but screw this crap we need to STAND- UP-OR-SHUT-UP.j

[dreamingbig]

Need to show some anti-hunters where this is going down and let them protest up there!

[bobcat]

i have given my idea on another post. on this site we have many people so band together and hit them where it hurts. do not buy a hunting license this year. send an e-mail with all members participating in the boycott to wdfw and involve a lawyer, maybe i am ranting but screw this crap we need to STAND- UP-OR-SHUT-UP.j

Sorry but I need my fix and can't go a year without hunting. And with two young children I can't afford to do all my hunting in other states. So count me out on that idea.

I just forwarded this e-mail to PETA.......lol....it is lighting up there forum like you would not believe!!! They all seem to be in agreement that sportsman follow rules and these tribes are just doing what they want.....I hate being on that forum......but I will keep everyone posted if they decided to go all ANTI HUNTER ON THE INDIANS!!! LOL

Do you have a link? I'd like to check that out. Sounds like fun.   

[Guy]

Now that's thinking outside the box. I like it.

[NWTFhunter]

just type in the web address.  We can go from there.

[alecvg]

Found it here ya guys go:

http://www.peta.org/forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=13122

[NWTFhunter]

There are NO replies to your topic there !!!!