wdfw To slaughter mt saint helens elk herd

[yelp]

There are federal programs available for these types of projects..

No *censored*, whats a couple more earmarks on top of the 8700+ already proposed I mean do they really need 7 Million to study pig flatulence.

There are positive federal programs out there...Federal money is already available.

Here is one example of a program that private timberlands could use to enhance properties for wildlife...Any landowner in washington can apply for this money to improve wildlife habitat on their property. 

http://www.wa.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/whip/WHIP08/index.html

Also with partnerships you can have a greater impact. 

[Alchase]

No *censored*, whats a couple more earmarks on top of the 8700+ already proposed I mean do they really need 7 Million to study pig flatulence.

They study it so they can tax it. As stupid as this sounds, they are already considering carbon taxes on cow flatulence. 

[logger]

I would like to think that maybe thinning some of the forest service ground would lure them into somr other units like the lewis river perhaps. That way there would be no fedreral money being spent and not to sound to overly optimistic but maybe they could make a buck on it to boot.

[billythekidrock]

I would like to think that maybe thinning some of the forest service ground would lure them into somr other units like the lewis river perhaps. That way there would be no fedreral money being spent and not to sound to overly optimistic but maybe they could make a buck on it to boot.

But I also notice that elk will be where they want to be. Sometimes for no rhyme or reason.

[logger]

truer words were never spoken billy, I remember when i was about 8 or 9 just before the mountain blew, my dad was working all over the gifford pinchot and the elk were everywhere. they quit logging up there and now aleast for the most part the elk have moved on to greener pastures. but you are more than correct they will do what they deem neccessary. trying to figure them out is like trying to push a chain.

[Snapshot]

I saw BBarnes there but I didn't see him testifying.

DS

[jackelope]

if this goes by standard operating procedure, bbarnes won't be back anytime soon.

[D_morg]

Hey BBARNES,
No one on here still knows what the reference to this thread is.

How about en lighting all of us on the topic at hand instead of letting the thoughts run wild.


Are you trying to "stir the pot" because you have contributed nothing to this thread?
 
Isn't he the guy that said whee the hunters are to blame?

[bbarnes]

I would like to "Thank You" all for you comments and suggestions. On Thursday night I drove up to Ellingsburg to attend and make a public comment at the Friday meeting, then turned right back around and drove back to my job to work Saturday & Sunday. 

I understand some people might assume I would be stiring the pot by helping you all become educated and look further into things that are going on here in Washington State.  I also have a full-time job, volunteer for Mt. Saint Helen's Rescue, go to all of the public meetings on the Mountain turning into a National Park, visit with our local Legislators and most importantly have a family to run.  As an avid Hunter and Mt. Saint Helen's enthusiast I am very passionate about the Mountain and try and post comments for us all to become involved in what is going on in our state.  My main objective is to educate you all by providing a different point of view and information for you to research.

Information on the proposals can be found at the WDFW website http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/game/seasonsetting/index.htm#recommendations
My concerns from the report are:
1. The excessive issuance of Cow Tags continuing through 2011, only to create INCOME, which in turn is not used to sustain the longevity of the Herds for us to hunt for generations to come. 
2. No extensive studies done to understand the impact of the herbicides and pest controls done on the vegetation. The signs of sickness to elk and deer in our state all point to Disease, one the WDFW does not talk about called Necrotic Stomatitis, also called Fusobacterium necrophorum,  it produces, hoof rot, calf diphtheria, oral cavity infections and can affect almost any body organ or joint.  It is caused from animals being in poor health.  Most of Washington elk are in poor health due to poor winter and summer habitat combined with over population.  The disease stays with the animals all year, they never get well.  The cure is Penacilen/Triamenic, or by increasing dietary protein levels to increase body condition.   It was first discovered in Washington State, in Roosevelt elk, in the Olympic Peninsula in 1945. At that time they concluded that losses to this disease resulted both directly and indirectly from overpopulation and poor habitat.   I urge you all to google Necrotic Stomatitis and learn for your self the symptoms and relate it to the elk dying in your area.  We need to urge the WDFW spend some money to conduct a detailed study on elk an deer, before they are gone.
3. There seems to only be two sides to the argument on this site or when I speak with people either hunt them all off or no hunting.  Where is the managed hunting group and why isn't that what we as hunters are requiring from our WDFW?
4. Living in the greatest hunting grounds on Earth we all should be concerned with the treatment and sustainability of these herds.

You can find additional information by:
#1 coming to the meetings
#2 reading the information on the WDFW website
#3 come to the rally March 13, 2009 at the State Capitol for information can be found at
www.wohva.org.The washington off highway vehicle alliance and many other user groups will be gathering on this day,to let state law makers know we want to use are state and Federal lands.Please join us and let your voice be heard, because we want to be part of the solution not the problem.
#4 researching the differences between a National Park and a National Forest
#5 volunteering to help on the Mountain to help create habitat for the animals

I again appreciate everyone's comments and concerns.
Thank you,
Bruce

[banannaclip]

READING ALL THIS NEGATIVITY MAKES ME WANT TOO  JUST  HANG UP THE SHOOT "IN IRON AND GIVE UP.

[bucklucky]

READING ALL THIS NEGATIVITY MAKES ME WANT TOO  JUST  HANG UP THE SHOOT "IN IRON AND GIVE UP.

Thats the kind of negativity that comes from the mis-management of game in Washington for umptene years. Its gota come out sometime Right or wrong at least someone has the balls to try and do something about it! 

[bbarnes]

Thanks Bucklucky for acknowledging my efforts.

I pride myself on not concelling my name or contact information, I have laid it all out there for others to research and help in the efforts to make a positive change.  I am in no way trying to be negative, however just trying to give an additional idea and bring awareness to my concerns.

The WDFW won't be selling tags if there are no Elk to hunt, an example of what can happen on Mt. Saint Helen's is the Colockem Elk herd. Please read the post Permit Only in the Colockum.  He puts it very plain and simple for all to see.  An excerpt:
In the past 5 years the branch bull population in the Colockum has been absolutely decimated.  Currently the branch bull to cow ratio is 5:100.  In 2002 there were 391 branch bulls in the Colockum and as of 2007 there are only 116 branch bulls left.  This is a decline of 70%.  LET ME REITERATE THAT.  That is a decline of 70%.  That is a decline of 14% a year.  If this trend continues by 2011 there wont be any branch bulls left in the Colockum. 

 You need to act now, now 3 years from now.  You need to go to permit only now.  The elk need a stimulus package worse than our country does.  There are various reasons why the branch bull population has been decimated.  They are poaching, tribal-hunting, and far too much road access.  Some of these are out of your hands and others will take alot of time and resources to change.  Time that the Colockum elk do not have.  You need to control what you can which is spike recruitment.  You have the power to make things happen now which is what you need to do.

 The main problem with the Colockum elk herd is spike recruitment.  In the Colockum the average harvest is 135 per GMU.  In the Yakima herd the average spike harvest per GMU is only 57.  The Colockum has a spike harvest average per GMU of almost 3 times that of the Yakima Guns.  85% of all yearling bulls in the Colockum are killed every year.  Only 15% of yearling bulls in the Colockum survive their first two years.  In 2005 only 46 spikes made it through the hunting season in the entire Colockum.   

The best course of action is to go to Permit Only now, not later.  Do what is right even if it is unpopular.  Sometimes the right choice isn't the popular choice.  Often the popular opinion isn't always an ethical one.  In any case during the surveys over the past year the public favored permit only over the "True Spike" proposition.  So why did you not go to permit only like the public wanted?  For those that oppose this what many people don't realize is that every year in the Colockum 300 or more spikes are harvested by hunters.  If it were permit only this would mean 300 more spikes would survive to become branch antlered bulls every year.  With special permit success rates being about 50% this would mean you could give out 600 branch bull permits in the Colockum every year instead of the 6 that were given out last year.

For the sake of the elk in the Colockum please do the right thing.  True Spike might have been a good idea ten years ago but right now the True Spike concept would be too little and too late.

Thanks Again,
Bruce 

[bucklucky]

No problem bbarnes, your about the only one actually trying to do something positive. I may disagree with alot of things but I'm not taking any of my time to do anything about it. Its too easy to sit back and post my opinions and bitch about what is wrong with everything wildlife in Washington. Keep doing what you are doing.

[saudog]

bbarnes, what did you here in Ellensburg that made you state that the wdfw is going to slaughter the mt stn helens elk here?  What happened at that meating that is a change?  Is something changing in any of the GMU's around the mountain?  I've looked over the wdfw statements but can't find what triggered this latest concern.  Please reply.  Thanks,

Cory

[heavy hauler]

i think st helens will only get worse.there was some land sold to developers  just north of hwy 504. by all those little lakes.  i am not sure if anything has gone in yet , but i cant see it helping the elk.