Is Eastern Washington Elk Hunting dying?

[borntoslay]

This not only applies to Elk.  It is all of hunting and most of recreational fishing dying in this State. 

Too many people and urban sprawl (not talking I5 look at the Spokcomton Valley, the West Plains, The TriCites, Moses Hole..plastic house after plastic house. 
 
Poor science or not at all with very poor leadership since the 1980's at WDFW.
 
 To many Cats, bears due to I5 corridor law passage and wolves.

Ignore science, over populate predators and double the human population and any game species will suffer.

The spokompton valley?  Not sure im following the urban sprawl comment 😂

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[D-Rock425]

The number of cow permits in 2016 and before had a huge influence of where we are now.

[borntoslay]

This not only applies to Elk.  It is all of hunting and most of recreational fishing dying in this State. 

Too many people and urban sprawl (not talking I5 look at the Spokcomton Valley, the West Plains, The TriCites, Moses Hole..plastic house after plastic house. 
 
Poor science or not at all with very poor leadership since the 1980's at WDFW.
 
 To many Cats, bears due to I5 corridor law passage and wolves.

Ignore science, over populate predators and double the human population and any game species will suffer.

I think it's more about the science as you stated, plenty of land out there to maintain healthy populations in my opinion.

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[Ridgerunner]

I'd say with the exception of predator hunting, the deer and elk hunting in this state is on a downward slide, with more and more wolves each year I dont see that trend changing unfortunately. 

[Henrydog]

[/quote]I think it's more about the science as you stated, plenty of land out there to maintain healthy populations in my opinion.

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[/quote]

I agree borntoslay in general, but prior to all the new houses in the last 20 years between Spokane to Cd'A a lot of game has been displaced.  I used to see elk and whitetail with in a mile of my house and I had Huns and Pheasants flush weekly going to the mail box.  Ducks and Geese used to hit all the fields along the Spokane River daily.  Now that area is houses and strip malls.    I think only 2 species are adapting and prospering in a more urban Eastern Washington...Quail and Coyotes.  Just my personal observation.  Wolves are prospering as well...but that I think we all agree that is just an agenda

[Rainier10]

The number of cow permits in 2016 and before had a huge influence of where we are now.

The company line was "herds are over objective" and everyone cheered at the increased opportunity.  3 years later, a bunch of fires and a hard winter or two you have low numbers and nobody is happy. 

Of course the other side of the coin is had they not reduced the number of animals in 2015 and 2016 people would have been screaming at the fact that we lost 100's of animals due to the hard winter that could have been harvested by hunters.

Darned if you do and darned if you don't.

Hind sight is always 20/20.

[2MANY]

I think it's more about the science as you stated, plenty of land out there to maintain healthy populations in my opinion.

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[/quote]

I agree borntoslay in general, but prior to all the new houses in the last 20 years between Spokane to Cd'A a lot of game has been displaced.  I used to see elk and whitetail with in a mile of my house and I had Huns and Pheasants flush weekly going to the mail box.  Ducks and Geese used to hit all the fields along the Spokane River daily.  Now that area is houses and strip malls.    I think only 2 species are adapting and prospering in a more urban Eastern Washington...Quail and Coyotes.  Just my personal observation.  Wolves are prospering as well...but that I think we all agree that is just an agenda
[/quote]

Henry of course you are 100% correct but mankind never takes the blame easily.

[jstone]

Yep all those cow permits they gave out for a few years screwed the Hurd up. Anyone could have seen this coming.

[ljsommer]

Can i ask a hopefully not too derailing question?

Are things to the point where people who usually hunt E. WA for elk are now opting to hunt W. WA elk? Or are the east siders just planning on going to Idaho?

[Rainier10]

Yep all those cow permits they gave out for a few years screwed the Hurd up. Anyone could have seen this coming.

I agree.  They did the same thing with Methow doe permits a couple years ago.

What kills me is they gave us a free ticket to overharvest cows and does.  Very few passed on the opportunity most took it.  Why?  Because they could.  Did it hurt us down the line?  Looks like it.

Natives are given free ticket to overharvest and everyone is pissed that they do but when we are given a similar opportunity that they have we do the same thing and think it is okay.

[borntoslay]

I think it's more about the science as you stated, plenty of land out there to maintain healthy populations in my opinion.

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I agree borntoslay in general, but prior to all the new houses in the last 20 years between Spokane to Cd'A a lot of game has been displaced.  I used to see elk and whitetail with in a mile of my house and I had Huns and Pheasants flush weekly going to the mail box.  Ducks and Geese used to hit all the fields along the Spokane River daily.  Now that area is houses and strip malls.    I think only 2 species are adapting and prospering in a more urban Eastern Washington...Quail and Coyotes.  Just my personal observation.  Wolves are prospering as well...but that I think we all agree that is just an agenda
[/quote]

Henry of course you are 100% correct but mankind never takes the blame easily.
[/quote]Agree on all this, I grew up in Spokane and have witnessed it too. I just think the urban sprawl displacement is minuscule compared to what's going on out in our forests.

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[logger]

Anyone that thinks elk hunting is getting better didn't hunt 40 years ago.

  couldn't agree more, hunted all that country from the late 80's till the last few years, don't even bother anymore. qaulity is pretty important to me.

[stlusn30-06]

Just doing some quick internet research:

1.) Hoof disease has taken a heavy toll over the last decade
2.) Winter of 2016 took out 30-35% of the St. Helens heard. Assume winter 2016 had impact on most of the eastside heards
3.) Natives take ~8% of the annual deer and elk harvest state wide. According to facts, they are not out slaughtering entire heards as other have indicated.
4.) Increased predator pressure is impacting elk numbers, and maybe more importantly, changing heard behavior. They are moving into heavier cover, more remote, and rugged country.
5.) While some areas are hurting, others are complaining about how big the Colockum herd is and how much damage it is causing.

Montana and Idaho have more wolves, bears, and around as many cats as Washington. Their Elk/deer pops are doing alright. It's fairly consistent on here that the same people that hate the idea of predators talk of going to hunt states with larger predator populations. Just an observation. It's ironic.

[borntoslay]

Just doing some quick internet research:

1.) Hoof disease has taken a heavy toll over the last decade
2.) Winter of 2016 took out 30-35% of the St. Helens heard. Assume winter 2016 had impact on most of the eastside heards
3.) Natives take ~8% of the annual deer and elk harvest state wide. According to facts, they are not out slaughtering entire heards as other have indicated.
4.) Increased predator pressure is impacting elk numbers, and maybe more importantly, changing heard behavior. They are moving into heavier cover, more remote, and rugged country.
5.) While some areas are hurting, others are complaining about how big the Colockum herd is and how much damage it is causing.

Montana and Idaho have more wolves, bears, and around as many cats as Washington. Their Elk/deer pops are doing alright. It's fairly consistent on here that the same people that hate the idea of predators talk of going to hunt states with larger predator populations. Just an observation. It's ironic.

Thanks for that, although I think the wolves in Idaho (panhandle) are destroying game herds they worked 50 years to restore

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[borntoslay]

Just doing some quick internet research:

1.) Hoof disease has taken a heavy toll over the last decade
2.) Winter of 2016 took out 30-35% of the St. Helens heard. Assume winter 2016 had impact on most of the eastside heards
3.) Natives take ~8% of the annual deer and elk harvest state wide. According to facts, they are not out slaughtering entire heards as other have indicated.
4.) Increased predator pressure is impacting elk numbers, and maybe more importantly, changing heard behavior. They are moving into heavier cover, more remote, and rugged country.
5.) While some areas are hurting, others are complaining about how big the Colockum herd is and how much damage it is causing.

Montana and Idaho have more wolves, bears, and around as many cats as Washington. Their Elk/deer pops are doing alright. It's fairly consistent on here that the same people that hate the idea of predators talk of going to hunt states with larger predator populations. Just an observation. It's ironic.

Thanks for that, although I think the wolves in Idaho (panhandle) are destroying game herds they worked 50 years to restore

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and that's with open wolf season

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