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Published January 30, 2009 State officials recommends bigger elk hunting range in Toutle areaTom Paulu Department of Fish and Wildlife officials are recommending that elk hunting in the Margaret and Toutle game units west of Mount St. Helens remain open only to a few lucky permit-holders. But the size of a permit-only elk hunting area in the Toutle River valley should increase, according to a list of recommendations released last week.The DFW also proposes increasing the number of cow elk tags in the area around Longview to reduce the size of the herd that ambles around Columbia Heights.Last fall, the DFW floated 40 proposals for changing hunting regulations over the next three years. After a series of public meetings and a period for public comment, DFW officials have decided to proceed with some proposals, though many have been eliminated.The latest recommendations will be considered by the Fish and Wildlife Commission, with final action scheduled for April 3-4.Margaret-Toutle elk huntingSince around 1984, elk hunting in the Margaret and Toutle game units has been allowed by special permit only.The Margaret unit is generally between Spirit Lake Memorial Highway and the Green River. The Toutle unit extends from the Toutle River south to the Lewis River on the west side of Mount St. Helens.Permits for the areas are hard to get, but those lucky enough to draw one have a much higher chance of getting an elk than hunters do during the general seasons.Some hunters suggested opening the Toutle and Margaret units for general season hunting. And Weyerhaeuser, which owns much of the land, wants more hunting because elk are damaging the company’s trees, said Sandra Jonker, the DFW’s regional wildlife manager.The proposal to open the Toutle and Margaret generated dozens of mostly negative comments from hunters. “Don’t screw up the few trophy opportunities in this state,” one hunter wrote.“Changing this area to general hunt will only bring in bad hunters that would kill anything with horns,” another hunter commented.Several hunters suggested changing at least part of the Toutle unit but leaving the Margaret as it is. Others asked for more permits, which the DFW is doing gradually as part of its goal to reduce the herd size.Overall, 18 percent of people who commented favored changing the units, 29 percent wanted regulations kept the same and 39 percent didn’t have a preference.The DFW opted to keep both units the way they are.“We felt the feedback was that people did not want it to change,” Jonker said. Toutle Valley elkSince 2004, the DFW has offered a relatively small number of permits to hunt in the Loowit game unit in the upper Toutle River valley. Hunters have complained that the hunting area is too small, so even a few hunters can spook the animals.The DFW is going ahead with its proposal to more than double the size of Elk Area 5099. The expanded area would extend up the south side of the Toutle valley to the ridge between the north and south forks of the Toutle, and also farther downstream.“We had a lot of support for that,” Jonker said.Longview huntingElk have become so plentiful in Longview’s hillside neighborhoods that the DFW asked for comments on whether hunters should be allowed to kill them.Biologists are recommending that during the general elk season, hunters in the Stella unit, which surrounds Longview, be allowed to shoot antlerless animals in addition to those with at least three antler points.Jonker said state and city officials will see what effect the increased hunting has on elk in the city before considering the next step.Longview would have to change the municipal code to allow any hunting within city limits.Cowlitz Valley elkElk are munching crops in the upper Cowlitz River valley between Morton and Packwood, according to the DFW.The agency originally proposed creating a special elk hunting area between the towns, with a season to reduce the herd size.However, “people just didn’t like the concept,” Jonker said.Instead, the DFW now proposed creating an opportunity for graduates of its master hunter program. Master hunters would shoot animals causing crop damage on a case-by-case basis.Gorge elk huntingA proposal to change the Washougal, Wind River, West Klickitat and Grayback game units from any elk to 3-point minimum is unchanged. So is a boundary change to the units to make them less confusing.General elk seasonThe DFW proposes increasing the general modern rifle elk season in Western Washington from 10 to 11 days.Next year’s season is scheduled to run Nov. 7-17.Hunting hoursA proposal to take half an hour off legal hunting hours, in both the morning and afternoon, wasn’t popular. So hunting hours will continue to be from one half hour before sunrise to one half hour after sunset.The public may comment on the latest round of proposals through Feb. 20 to wildthing@dfw.wa.gov or mailed to WDFW-Wildlife Program, attn: Hunting Season Comments, 600 Capitol Way North, Olympia, WA 98501-1091Final action by the Fish and Wildlife Commission is scheduled to take place at the April 3-4 meeting in Olympia. All the proposals are posted at http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/game/seasonsetting/ .
