Selkirk GMU 113 Elk

[Bango skank]

113 is a sad thing to me.  In the last 9 years I've killed 3 bulls in 113, but none in the last 5 years.  I have many cameras in my good spots in there.  7 years ago I would get hundreds of elk photos on my cameras every summer.  In the summer and fall of 2018 I got more mountain lion and bear and wolf photos than I did elk photos.  Only a handful of elk photos in my "honey holes."  A mountain lion also killed one of my pack goats, and state houndsmen wound up killing the cat. 

The elk are fewer than ever in 113.  The cougars and wolves are stressing them badly.  I now hunt Idaho and Montana and only elk hunt Washington as an afterthought every fall.  This year I was lucky enough to draw a Quality elk tag, but otherwise, Idaho would be my primary elk hunt.  Idaho is 10 times better elk hunting than any OTC Washington area.

Its not just the cougars and wolves.  Bears are the big killer of elk calves.  We need a spring hunt in 113

[Shooter McBobcat]

Absolutely.  Also if hound hunting and bear baiting were legal, we might have game populations more like Idaho.  It's definitely not rocket surgery. 

[Bango skank]

Still a couple elk left in 113, but probably not for long.

[Shooter McBobcat]

Yep, big herd for 113.  I haven't gotten a pic of that many elk at once in 113 in probably 5 years. 

[cmiller85]

It peaked 7-10 years ago (I'd say) before the wolves took hold. I use to get on herds of up to 20-30 head, hearing bugles every 2-3 days. It was a lot of fun back then. Now they are all busted up in small little groups. I haven't heard a bugle in years. Still see them and get on them though, just super frustrating to hunt for 5 days straight to find them and then they just vanish. I still wouldn't trade it in to hunt spikes, but it is very sad what has happened up there.

Moose have been devastated too. I use to trip over them. They were a nuisance while trying to hunt elk. I hunted for 7 days up there last year before hearing the first bull moose grunt. Wolf sign is everywhere though. There are either lots of wolves up there or they really get around. I see sign in every drainage near about. Usually right after I find elk sign.

[buglebrush]

Yep.  113 is swirling down a predator pit so hard it's crazy.  My experiences mirror you guy's. 

[nwwanderer]

Bango,
Was that your best Christmas present, thanks for the share.
And yes to both on the wolves, numbers up and those little pack areas shown by WDFW should be one big smudge extending far beyond state and international boundaries.
The bears are extremely efficient with the calf kill, starting the cow/calf ratio disaster.

[jstone]

Not for long

[huntnnw]

not just wolves and cougars are effecting the elk in those north units black bears to me have a far greater impact. I have spent over 30 years in those units,hunting,scouting,fishing and camping. The bear population in those units is unbelievable most my cams I have more bears than deer! I rarely get wolves on cam and maybe 1-2 cats a cam a summer. Study in ID estimating bears were eating 40% or more of elk calves and I am pretty sure the blues had similar or higher numbers lost to bear predation. Ill be bear hunting this weekend and I expect to see 10-20 bears on the hills I glass and Ill be lucky to turn up a hooved animal in what should hold lots of deer and elk.

[buglebrush]

not just wolves and cougars are effecting the elk in those north units black bears to me have a far greater impact. I have spent over 30 years in those units,hunting,scouting,fishing and camping. The bear population in those units is unbelievable most my cams I have more bears than deer! I rarely get wolves on cam and maybe 1-2 cats a cam a summer. Study in ID estimating bears were eating 40% or more of elk calves and I am pretty sure the blues had similar or higher numbers lost to bear predation. Ill be bear hunting this weekend and I expect to see 10-20 bears on the hills I glass and Ill be lucky to turn up a hooved animal in what should hold lots of deer and elk.

This is true.  We need to put a serious hurting on the bears.  Really really wish people weren't repaired to harvest the meat.  Whether we agree or not, most people have no desire for bear meat.  Idaho understands this, and doesn't require the meat to be taken.  The goal in killing bears is simply predator management.

[trophyhunt]

Well I’ll be out there this weekend as well scouting moose and hoping my daughters boyfriend who’s new to hunting gets to kill his first bear. I imagine those woods are going to be crowded, hopefully a lot of bears hit the dirt and or other predators.

[Skyvalhunter]

They will be walking on the dirt alright

[huntnnw]

Well I’ll be out there this weekend as well scouting moose and hoping my daughters boyfriend who’s new to hunting gets to kill his first bear. I imagine those woods are going to be crowded, hopefully a lot of bears hit the dirt and or other predators.

I always think that every year and rarely see anyone

[Bango skank]

Well I’ll be out there this weekend as well scouting moose and hoping my daughters boyfriend who’s new to hunting gets to kill his first bear. I imagine those woods are going to be crowded, hopefully a lot of bears hit the dirt and or other predators.

I always think that every year and rarely see anyone

Hopefully this new august opener will get more people out hunting bear, but i have a feeling a lot of folks dont even know about it.  I think most people arent signed up for the right emails.  Would be nice if wdfw emailed a notice to everybody with a wild id #

[huntnnw]

I know several hunters who had no clue, but they dont hunt bears either. Then you get the guys who wont hunt in 90 deg weather too