So WDFW does chase the elk around... UPDATED

[lokidog]

I think after all this I'm just gonna go to Ellensburg with a box of apples and try my hand at one of those field elk that will walk right into my horse trailer! To me this was about them saying one thing and doing another and not getting straight answer's. It shouldn't be that I have to make a big stink to get an explaination for why it happened this way and then find out they told someone else a different story...

Come to Idaho, no helicopters here and you can actually shoot a branch antlered bull elk with a rifle!  It's weird at first,but you get used to it, I have! 

Sent from my HTC6525LVW using Tapatalk

When do we leave?   

And, Ha ha idahohuntr....

[LDennis24]

I actually made a call 2 yrs ago when I witnessed some guys shoot an elk on private ground and knew the landowner didnt allow hunting and the LEO arrived in camo and an unmarked vehicle and drove by the crime as they were loading the elk and pretended to be a curious hunter. They told him they just shot it on the private ground and not wanting to blow his cover he sent another warden to the hunter's home to wait for him and write him a violation. They fined him for tresspassing for something around $120. That's ridiculous! That's cheaper than driving to the blue's for an elk! No punishment there...

Trespass isn't a ticket with a fine on it. If your charged with trespass you must be arraigned in court before a judge.

I understand that,Tex. What I meant was, that was the ridiculous explanation I was given.


The game warden who hunt's at my brother's house saw the article and he said he doesn't blame me for being pissed off. My dad got several reports from people who said they saw 2, yes 2, helicopter's running the large herd of elk that was in the area a week earlier, back to Turnbull. One group of guys saw them doing it about 8 miles south of the lake and the others saw it happening North of the lake.  I have lived around Cheney most of my life and have heard over and over again that if too many elk leave the refuge they will push them back to Turnbull. Well guess what, Lander's also wrote a piece recently about elk numbers being down on Turnbull. Coincidence?

[SeatoSummit88]

  Late to the thread...but interested!  I appreciate this topic, it is good to know hunters within our state take the time and means to try and resolve an issue in a smart and appropriate fashion. The best way to win is to justify with enough evidence and facts!

  I am no expert when it comes to WDFW surveys and data reports, but when I was studying Fish and Wildlife Management in College at Montana State, our surveys on elk, moose and bear populations were conducted outside of hunting seasons (that is if the area was hunting permitted).  A lot of studies are done in protected federal lands and units that are closed.  However herd/group/individual counts are ever-so important in order to increase success rates of future offspring and overall balance of that region.

It would seem as though counting wildlife should be done well before hunters begin to encroach on the targeted species. It takes only a couple of people to disrupt normal patterned behavior.  Collecting data and researching is not something that should be done when hunters are already pushing game.  I would believe a strong count could be taken a couple of weeks before the first season begins, then intermittently between seasons, and again after all seasons have been closed.  It is too bad you were unexpectedly surrounded by a helicopter during your hunt.  I have been out when tree surveyors were doing tests and surveys on foot, and that itself irritated me, because I was the said hunter!  good luck to you

[LDennis24]

Seeing the hornet's nest this has stirred up and reading other people's comment's on here and the facepage website is interesting. It bring's up more questions. Why doesn't the game deparment use drone's? Seem's like everyone else is buying one. Why can't they count animal's during June, July or August? Why not in January? If they didn't intend to spook the elk I was following why did they need to fly so close to them? I can count a herd of elk and see how many cows and bulls there are from a half mile with the naked eye! I've seen border patrol on tv and they can count illegal immigrant's running through the brush from hundreds of feet above the ground!

[lokidog]

It is puzzling, seems like a mule deer survey would be better done when the animals are bunched up on their winter range, after the hunting seasons are done.   

The problem I could see with drones is that they are somewhat limited in their range from the operator, so in a roadless area, they might not be able to cover it completely.

[Ridgeratt]

WDFW have been antagonizing the elk for many years. When Officer Holden was in Pend Oreille county he was in a twin engine plane that flew a buddies place the weekend before Elk season. When the season opened he showed up and his wife walked on the porch and id him as being in the plane the week before.

[VarmintVentilator]

When the elk and helicopter were first spotted, till Levi's wife got the photo, the elk and chopper covered 5 different land owners.  My ground alone was over a mile stretch.  Circling to try and get a photo?  I doubt it.  The whole thing is bogus.  Nice photos by the way.

[grade-creek-rd]

I would suggest filing a formal complaint about the incident and include the conversation with the bio, I would even file a criminal complaint (make a police report to WDFW) about wildlife harassment as the bio was not technically doing his authorized job if he decided to fly over the elk and chase them/photo them while doing deer surveys. Then keep tabs on the complaint and when it is completed the internal process with WDFW then file for a public disclosure request to review the complaint and how it was handled...then, if the bio admits in the complaint process what he did (fly over th elk, take pictures...deny chasing them away from you) then file a request for damages and get your money for your tags and licenses back, stating that the bio's actions took away from your hunt that you paid the state to obtain ther correct tags (permits) to do the hunt...if they deny the request for reimbersment then hit them hard in the media and if you really want to, file a lawsuit.

The government pays for stuff all the time, like tow bills when the tow was not legal to do...this Bio was not supposed to fly over the elk and in doing so took away your opportunity...this might be one way to get an internal memo inside the WDFW about policies...I know where I work that if I go outside policy I get into trouble...

Oh, and of course, everyone has learned now to use the video feature on our phones instead of just taking a photo...could you image if you posted a video on facebook showing the helicoptor and how low it was and chasing/harrasing the elk...heck, I bet PETA would have even got involved if the elk looked tired!

Winter stress on wildlife...not a good idea!

Grade

[buglebrush]

This is infuriating, but not surprising.  This state had the most ridiculous game management I have ever witnessed.