Year round Bull Elk season

[idaho guy]

Its kind of shocking to hear about all this rampant poaching going on in Washington. I have mainly hunted Idaho and Montana my whole life and I don't really know of anyone that even wants to poach or would consider it. The few I know that got pinched were honest mistakes and the game warden gave them NO leniency. To the point I felt it was unjustified. I will take your word for it but where I hunt they cant wait to write a ticket even when it probably doesn't make common sense. The difference  is pretty baffling. Sounds like you cant get them to do anything and we have a bunch of Barney Fifes just living to write tickets. Maybe between the 2 states we could get some officers in the middle  I don't know  maybe we have some big time poaching going on around here and I just dont know about it.

I've witnessed spotlighting in N Idaho multiple times but who knows how much it stacks up alongside Washington. I'd guess there is a lot of illegal take in Idaho, particularly if baiting is taken into account.

   

  I didn't really think that post through. I just got a pm that reminded me of 1 specific user group that is pretty bad in the game violation department. I just have kept my distance from that type for a long time but I basically didnt think through all the people I have known in the past. I think every 5 acres parcel might have a corn pile in the panhandle  I had not thought about that one either. You guys are right on this one. I still think some of our game wardens seem overly agressive on technicalities but thinking way back there is a lot of stuff going on never gets caught or prosecuted. They say ignorance is bliss ha ha but I was just thinking about the hunters I associate with now. I have known some real dandys in the past but just decided real quick not to hang around them at all. 

[Platensek-po]

Exactly multiple deer and elk a week for two years and he gets house arrest monitoring.  That's one guy responsible for hundreds of animals poached.

How many others are out there only taking a couple deer or elk a year?  How many farmers are taking a few deer and elk that are eating their crops and giving them to their friends and family?  How many spike by two elk or how many 2 point deer are being  shot and snuck out of the woods or left to rot?

And are those guys worried about prosecution?  It is only a slap on the wrist for hundreds of deer and elk. What could they possibly do to a farmer who shoots 4 deer and 3 elk a year on his property that are damaging his crops?

I am here to say it is a huge problem.

You have the natives that have treaty rights saying they can harvest what they want.

At the same time you have non natives poaching knowing it is illegal but also knowing if they get caught nothing significant is going to happen to them.  If something significant happened to them you would fix half of the problem, the half that you legally have control over.

Unfortunately you have people complaining about the half that you have no control over and doing nothing about the half that you can control.

Like I said before people have this attitude because native or not there are certain people who will rape the resource till it’s gone. And using the wolf and fox analogy again, keeping the wolves out of the chicken house does no good when the fox is let in. So that is why people keep bringing up natives, because if we do away with all non native poaching(another major issue that needs to be heavily prosecuted)we still have a major 2 legged predator that may or may not be  decimating our elk and deer herds because there is no way to track or regulate them. Let them hunt but if the natives want anything left to hunt they better wake up and start issuing tags, even if they can get a ton of them, at least they will have numbers to make decisions off of to help the herd. Now all that matters is if there is a jerky order to fill or not. If tags are required wdfw can now enforce, even if it is to see that they have tags for the velvet bulls they are killing in June. Yes that’s right I said it, off the Rez be held accountable by our police, much like when we are on the Rez. Don’t know what’s stopping me from throwing a native pride hat on and killing anything anytime because I can’t say  I’ve ever seen wdfw checking for validation of tribe and hunting rights, unless they just know them all by name and vehicle description so there is no need to contact. I would be concerned about this if I care about the resource and was native.  I would want wdfw making sure I was legit and there wasn’t a bunch of us non native people slaying elk with Yakama nation bumper stickers.

So you think the number one priority is to revise the treaty and take away the natives rights, put rules in place for them to follow before we enforce the rules that are already in place for non natives and are being broken by non natives on a regular basis at an alarming rate?

How do you think you are going to enforce these new rules and limits you put on native harvest if you already can't enforce the rules that are in place for non natives?

   

   I dont think we should change treaties or try and dictate rules for tribes they are sovereign nations. With that said what some of these tribal members are doing is absurd and wanton waste of a very valuable renewable resource. There are tribes selling elk tags to white guys for 20k and up because they manage their game. They require an enrolled member to guide you on your overpriced elk tag providing valuable employment to tribal members.  It would be good for the tribes AND everyone else if they cooperated with state wildlife agencies and actually managed the herds for a better future. Most importantly it would be WAY better for those elk herds. You are right I cant control the abuse but I wont condone it either . The tribal hunting discussed here has no affect on me at all but its wrong in todays world of more people and less habitat. Just because I have a right does not mean I should exercise it. I have lots of rights I choose not to exercise because doing so is a bad idea.  Truth matters and saying "I cant control it" so I will deflect the blame at other bad actors will not solve the problem. You have to speak up and address the problem and encourage the tribe to come to the table with other state wildlife agencies. It is better for the tribe,every other hunter and most importantly the ELK. Some of these posts seem to have some kind of white "guilt"  or whatever you want to call it. Call a spade a spade and address the problem-ignoring it because you dont want to offend some group is not the answer. Address all the problems-tribal over harvest,poaching and predators and your elk might stand a chance.  Or you can ignore it and focus on 1 or 2 of the other issues and your elk are screwed.If nothing changes at least you can tell your grandkids you tried not that you just ignored it because you had no "control". You have a voice and I am not talking about bashing anyone. Actually controlling harvest BENEFITS the tribe more than anyone since they have the most opportunity to actually hunt the elk.

Sure. I also grew up with guys whose favorite saying was “closed waters are the best waters”, and poached deer like crazy with crossbows from their pickups. Some had lost fishing and hunting privileges and still did it. I was young and thought they were cool. Now I think they were just dumb crooks who basically never got
Punished and didn’t care. So if you aren’t going to punish the people who wantonly break the laws how are you going to encourage people who have the right to do it to
Stop? Basically the government has told them they don’t care and aren’t going to protect the resource, many on here say the same. So how can you come to the table and say you need to stop
Legally harvesting these animals but we are unwilling to stop
Illegal harvest?

   

Wow you grew up with some real losers  I said address ALL the problems. I doubt poaching takes anywhere near unlimited tribal harvest but doesn’t matter what I think. You can address ALL the problems or you can focus on one exclusively and you will be guaranteed to fail. The elk lose

Oh for sure. Those guys were losers. But you know what. They are still out there fishin closed waters and poaching animals. Cause year after year nothing happens to them. It’s just one of those situations where if you live in a glass house... props to rainier10 for fighting the good fight and doing the right thing and setting a great example.

Maybe you can collect 10 points sounds like you know where to start looking 

 

  why don’t you turn them in ?

Who says I haven’t? These guys know all game wardens on a first name basis and have had their licenses revoked yet are still out there. I haven’t seen these guys in like 15 yrs either. They do in and out of jail likes it’s their second home. Last time I talked to a sheriff about them he just said “yeah we know but we will wait till we can nail them for something stronger. Can’t revoke their licenses a second time.” These were dudes I knew through working construction a long time ago. I remember one of them was out fishing in his jet boat with an ankle bracelet on. Nothing says house arrest like fishin on a river right?

   

 Thats a bummer-but if you have not seen them in 15 years how do you know they are still actively poaching?   

I knew these guys through my old
Manager at the company I worked at. He was a good guy who had a wild youth and these were his old fishing hunting buddies. He is a straight shooter now but still knows these guys. They haven’t changed a bit from what he tells me. When I was young I didn’t really think much of it. As I got older and more involved in hunting and conservation it really hit me what these guys were doing. I’m amazed about what people will do in the woods and get away with while
I constantly am checking to
Make sure I’m doing the right thing. It can be hard to hold the line but having kids made the choice easy. I felt I had to teach them the right things and to do it the right way or it’s all gunna be lost. So
Much is wrong with our wildlife management here. Heck I reported 2 cow elk poached to wdfw in April and never heard back from them. I’ve fished in Washington my whole life and never been asked for
My license. Neither has my dad. I’ve had my boat checked and my boaters card asked for but not my fishing license. Plus hunting and fishing violations are not the only things happening out there. Illegal dumping, illegal harvest of trees (especially before Christmas), drug use and manufacture, illegal off-roading, guns fired in occupied campgrounds, the list is enormous. We need stupider penalties and more nforcement.

[trophyhunt]

Its kind of shocking to hear about all this rampant poaching going on in Washington. I have mainly hunted Idaho and Montana my whole life and I don't really know of anyone that even wants to poach or would consider it. The few I know that got pinched were honest mistakes and the game warden gave them NO leniency. To the point I felt it was unjustified. I will take your word for it but where I hunt they cant wait to write a ticket even when it probably doesn't make common sense. The difference  is pretty baffling. Sounds like you cant get them to do anything and we have a bunch of Barney Fifes just living to write tickets. Maybe between the 2 states we could get some officers in the middle  I don't know  maybe we have some big time poaching going on around here and I just dont know about it.

I've witnessed spotlighting in N Idaho multiple times but who knows how much it stacks up alongside Washington. I'd guess there is a lot of illegal take in Idaho, particularly if baiting is taken into account.

   

  I didn't really think that post through. I just got a pm that reminded me of 1 specific user group that is pretty bad in the game violation department. I just have kept my distance from that type for a long time but I basically didnt think through all the people I have known in the past. I think every 5 acres parcel might have a corn pile in the panhandle  I had not thought about that one either. You guys are right on this one. I still think some of our game wardens seem overly agressive on technicalities but thinking way back there is a lot of stuff going on never gets caught or prosecuted. They say ignorance is bliss ha ha but I was just thinking about the hunters I associate with now. I have known some real dandys in the past but just decided real quick not to hang around them at all.

Hunted southeast Idaho a few years ago, by Paris, Utah boarder.  Couldn't believe the crap we saw, hiked in the dark to get to the top of a mountain, in the valley for half my hike I could see trucks turning off/on headlights as they were driving in the woods below me.  Having people leaving the woods every morning as we were going in to hunt, I went to the local police dept but they said there just isn't enough wardens around and shrugged it off. I always thought when I was younger that poaching would go away as people grew up and got wiser, makes me sick to think adults are out there teaching young hunters how to poach.

[Stein]

I think I've seen a poor display every year in Montana for at least the past 5 years or so.  Last year some guy shot two different antelope and lost both of them.  Year before a big group from Wisconsin started shooting 30 minutes before legal and ended up with more bulls down than tags.   
 Same year saw several guys wounding antelope, having them run off and then just shooting another one that also ran off.  At least 4 wounded that got away that I saw.  Year before that, a group of four put about 20 rounds into a huge herd densely packed together about 600 yards away, only one retrieved and it was shot in the hind quarter, wonder how many died in the coming hours and days.

Last year I didn't have an unpunched buck tag and was working on filling my doe tag and one night four wounded bucks wandered by.  All four limping on one of their hind legs.

Go watch a shoulder season shootout, plenty of ugly stuff to go around unfortunately.  That's just the wasted animals during legal season.

In my book, if you shoot more animals than you have tags for it's poaching.  The two area wardens always seem to have at least one animal in their truck.

Unfortunately, it's everywhere from every user group.  We're all people and there are x% of bad apples in every group.

[Rainier10]

https://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,261899.0.html

The above thread is about the blues but the same thing is true everywhere.  25 years ago bear baiting and hound hunting were banned massively increasing predator numbers.  Those are making a huge impact on our deer and elk herds everywhere.  This is another one that is not the natives fault, we did this to ourselves.  It would be great if the tribes were willing to come to the table but why would they help us provide more animals for the predators to eat?

[Maverick]

I don't think it is right but it is their right.  (See what I did there?)

I will say that I think there is just as big of a problem from the non native side.  I think if you stop illegal harvest by non natives you would see game numbers increase.  Once we get people to follow the rules and seasons in place we can look at the abuse by tribal members exercising their rights.

I look at it this way.  Everyone says our moose populations are hurting and yet every member on here that draws a moose tag this year is going to do everything they can to harvest a moose.  Every permit holder last year and the year before did the same thing.  Why?  Because they had a tag, they had the right and they wanted to fill that tag, exercise that right before their were no more moose to hunt or the opportunity was taken away.

Our elk are in the same spot.  Is it because of tribal overharvest or is it because everyone that has an OTC spike tag or special permit bull or cow tag this year is going to do their best to fill it?  If people feel so strongly about the numbers of elk and moose we have don't fill your tag.  People that are against hunting do it all the time. They buy tags they never intend to use.  Control what you can.  Right now there is nothing that you can do about tribal rights. ( I did it again) 

You can control what you do, make the personal decision to not exercise your right to harvest an elk OTC or with that coveted special permit but don't hunt and then complain that someone else is exercising their right.  Don't exercise yours and someone should exercise theirs less so you can enjoy yours more.

You're joking right? Are you seriously trying to compare tribal hunters having an open season on elk all year to a once in a lifetime moose tag?  You really think more elk are poached by non natives then what natives shoot? The only thing you've said that I agree with is people will hunt because they can. Exactly why tribes need stricter seasons. It takes a non native years to draw a tag and a native can shoot big bulls every year. Non natives are restricted so we have elk to hunt for future generations.  Doesn't work when another group of people slaughter them.

[trophyhunt]

Yakama tribe= ZERO limits, a few very bad apples= more bulls killed by the tribe than non natives.  We will never know, but I’d bet on it!  Not including other tribes that harvest in that area, like the mucks!!

[johnbmyersii]

Yakama tribe= ZERO limits, a few very bad apples= more bulls killed by the tribe than non natives.  We will never know, but I’d bet on it!  Not including other tribes that harvest in that area, like the mucks!!

I couldn't agree more. When I went out on the firing center last march, the sign-out sheet for the past week showed 3 mule deer and 5 bull elk, in one week alone. The signatures on the signouts were all from the same 3 people, and makes we wonder how many animals actually get taken out of there throughout the year. With all this, us locals to the area suffer because we got Alkali changed from general branched bull to a quality hunt so lose out on that category.

One thing people never talk about and I'd like to have a better understanding of. The elk were introduced here in Kittitas county in the 1910s and 1920s for hunting, how can tribes claim tribal hunting rights to a species that is not native and people paid to introduce? Not saying its wrong they have the right, just wondering how is works since the elk are not native.

[Rainier10]

I don't think it is right but it is their right.  (See what I did there?)

I will say that I think there is just as big of a problem from the non native side.  I think if you stop illegal harvest by non natives you would see game numbers increase.  Once we get people to follow the rules and seasons in place we can look at the abuse by tribal members exercising their rights.

I look at it this way.  Everyone says our moose populations are hurting and yet every member on here that draws a moose tag this year is going to do everything they can to harvest a moose.  Every permit holder last year and the year before did the same thing.  Why?  Because they had a tag, they had the right and they wanted to fill that tag, exercise that right before their were no more moose to hunt or the opportunity was taken away.

Our elk are in the same spot.  Is it because of tribal overharvest or is it because everyone that has an OTC spike tag or special permit bull or cow tag this year is going to do their best to fill it?  If people feel so strongly about the numbers of elk and moose we have don't fill your tag.  People that are against hunting do it all the time. They buy tags they never intend to use.  Control what you can.  Right now there is nothing that you can do about tribal rights. ( I did it again) 

You can control what you do, make the personal decision to not exercise your right to harvest an elk OTC or with that coveted special permit but don't hunt and then complain that someone else is exercising their right.  Don't exercise yours and someone should exercise theirs less so you can enjoy yours more.

You're joking right? Are you seriously trying to compare tribal hunters having an open season on elk all year to a once in a lifetime moose tag?  You really think more elk are poached by non natives then what natives shoot? The only thing you've said that I agree with is people will hunt because they can. Exactly why tribes need stricter seasons. It takes a non native years to draw a tag and a native can shoot big bulls every year. Non natives are restricted so we have elk to hunt for future generations.  Doesn't work when another group of people slaughter them.

I'm not joking at all.  If everyone that had a moose tag this year passed the number of moose would go up as long as the habitat could handle it.  I 100% believe that just as many elk are shot by poachers as by the few tribal members that shoot multiple elk.  There are those tribal members that only shoot one a year and many tribal members that never shoot an elk. If we are comparing natives that overharvest and non natives that overharvest I am positive the non native over harvesters take way more animals.

If you truly think our deer and elk are on life support quit hunting deer and elk.  Spend your entire season shooting predators.  You can kill two bears, one cougar and as many coyotes as you want in this state.  If every hunter that thinks our deer and elk are on life support just took a couple years off hunting deer and elk and only shot predators we would have tons of wildlife.

[trophyhunt]

Yakama tribe= ZERO limits, a few very bad apples= more bulls killed by the tribe than non natives.  We will never know, but I’d bet on it!  Not including other tribes that harvest in that area, like the mucks!!

I couldn't agree more. When I went out on the firing center last march, the sign-out sheet for the past week showed 3 mule deer and 5 bull elk, in one week alone. The signatures on the signouts were all from the same 3 people, and makes we wonder how many animals actually get taken out of there throughout the year. With all this, us locals to the area suffer because we got Alkali changed from general branched bull to a quality hunt so lose out on that category.

One thing people never talk about and I'd like to have a better understanding of. The elk were introduced here in Kittitas county in the 1910s and 1920s for hunting, how can tribes claim tribal hunting rights to a species that is not native and people paid to introduce? Not saying its wrong they have the right, just wondering how is works since the elk are not native.

Even the jerky guy (yakama member) was complaining about fellow natives on the YTC last year, lol.  I'd like to see your question answered in court!!!

[trophyhunt]

I don't think it is right but it is their right.  (See what I did there?)

I will say that I think there is just as big of a problem from the non native side.  I think if you stop illegal harvest by non natives you would see game numbers increase.  Once we get people to follow the rules and seasons in place we can look at the abuse by tribal members exercising their rights.

I look at it this way.  Everyone says our moose populations are hurting and yet every member on here that draws a moose tag this year is going to do everything they can to harvest a moose.  Every permit holder last year and the year before did the same thing.  Why?  Because they had a tag, they had the right and they wanted to fill that tag, exercise that right before their were no more moose to hunt or the opportunity was taken away.

Our elk are in the same spot.  Is it because of tribal overharvest or is it because everyone that has an OTC spike tag or special permit bull or cow tag this year is going to do their best to fill it?  If people feel so strongly about the numbers of elk and moose we have don't fill your tag.  People that are against hunting do it all the time. They buy tags they never intend to use.  Control what you can.  Right now there is nothing that you can do about tribal rights. ( I did it again) 

You can control what you do, make the personal decision to not exercise your right to harvest an elk OTC or with that coveted special permit but don't hunt and then complain that someone else is exercising their right.  Don't exercise yours and someone should exercise theirs less so you can enjoy yours more.

You're joking right? Are you seriously trying to compare tribal hunters having an open season on elk all year to a once in a lifetime moose tag?  You really think more elk are poached by non natives then what natives shoot? The only thing you've said that I agree with is people will hunt because they can. Exactly why tribes need stricter seasons. It takes a non native years to draw a tag and a native can shoot big bulls every year. Non natives are restricted so we have elk to hunt for future generations.  Doesn't work when another group of people slaughter them.

I'm not joking at all.  If everyone that had a moose tag this year passed the number of moose would go up as long as the habitat could handle it.  I 100% believe that just as many elk are shot by poachers as by the few tribal members that shoot multiple elk.  There are those tribal members that only shoot one a year and many tribal members that never shoot an elk. If we are comparing natives that overharvest and non natives that overharvest I am positive the non native over harvesters take way more animals.

If you truly think our deer and elk are on life support quit hunting deer and elk.  Spend your entire season shooting predators.  You can kill two bears, one cougar and as many coyotes as you want in this state.  If every hunter that thinks our deer and elk are on life support just took a couple years off hunting deer and elk and only shot predators we would have tons of wildlife.

My idea is wdfw grow a pair and match the seasons with all the tribes in our state.  That way when everything is gone, maybe the tribes will have a reason to come to the table, and yes, I'm 100% serious. 

[johnbmyersii]

I don't think it is right but it is their right.  (See what I did there?)

I will say that I think there is just as big of a problem from the non native side.  I think if you stop illegal harvest by non natives you would see game numbers increase.  Once we get people to follow the rules and seasons in place we can look at the abuse by tribal members exercising their rights.

I look at it this way.  Everyone says our moose populations are hurting and yet every member on here that draws a moose tag this year is going to do everything they can to harvest a moose.  Every permit holder last year and the year before did the same thing.  Why?  Because they had a tag, they had the right and they wanted to fill that tag, exercise that right before their were no more moose to hunt or the opportunity was taken away.

Our elk are in the same spot.  Is it because of tribal overharvest or is it because everyone that has an OTC spike tag or special permit bull or cow tag this year is going to do their best to fill it?  If people feel so strongly about the numbers of elk and moose we have don't fill your tag.  People that are against hunting do it all the time. They buy tags they never intend to use.  Control what you can.  Right now there is nothing that you can do about tribal rights. ( I did it again) 

You can control what you do, make the personal decision to not exercise your right to harvest an elk OTC or with that coveted special permit but don't hunt and then complain that someone else is exercising their right.  Don't exercise yours and someone should exercise theirs less so you can enjoy yours more.

You're joking right? Are you seriously trying to compare tribal hunters having an open season on elk all year to a once in a lifetime moose tag?  You really think more elk are poached by non natives then what natives shoot? The only thing you've said that I agree with is people will hunt because they can. Exactly why tribes need stricter seasons. It takes a non native years to draw a tag and a native can shoot big bulls every year. Non natives are restricted so we have elk to hunt for future generations.  Doesn't work when another group of people slaughter them.

I'm not joking at all.  If everyone that had a moose tag this year passed the number of moose would go up as long as the habitat could handle it.  I 100% believe that just as many elk are shot by poachers as by the few tribal members that shoot multiple elk.  There are those tribal members that only shoot one a year and many tribal members that never shoot an elk. If we are comparing natives that overharvest and non natives that overharvest I am positive the non native over harvesters take way more animals.

If you truly think our deer and elk are on life support quit hunting deer and elk.  Spend your entire season shooting predators.  You can kill two bears, one cougar and as many coyotes as you want in this state.  If every hunter that thinks our deer and elk are on life support just took a couple years off hunting deer and elk and only shot predators we would have tons of wildlife.

My idea is wdfw grow a pair and match the seasons with all the tribes in our state.  That way when everything is gone, maybe the tribes will have a reason to come to the table, and yes, I'm 100% serious.

thats probably the only way the problem would get fixed....

[Maverick]

I don't think it is right but it is their right.  (See what I did there?)

I will say that I think there is just as big of a problem from the non native side.  I think if you stop illegal harvest by non natives you would see game numbers increase.  Once we get people to follow the rules and seasons in place we can look at the abuse by tribal members exercising their rights.

I look at it this way.  Everyone says our moose populations are hurting and yet every member on here that draws a moose tag this year is going to do everything they can to harvest a moose.  Every permit holder last year and the year before did the same thing.  Why?  Because they had a tag, they had the right and they wanted to fill that tag, exercise that right before their were no more moose to hunt or the opportunity was taken away.

Our elk are in the same spot.  Is it because of tribal overharvest or is it because everyone that has an OTC spike tag or special permit bull or cow tag this year is going to do their best to fill it?  If people feel so strongly about the numbers of elk and moose we have don't fill your tag.  People that are against hunting do it all the time. They buy tags they never intend to use.  Control what you can.  Right now there is nothing that you can do about tribal rights. ( I did it again) 

You can control what you do, make the personal decision to not exercise your right to harvest an elk OTC or with that coveted special permit but don't hunt and then complain that someone else is exercising their right.  Don't exercise yours and someone should exercise theirs less so you can enjoy yours more.

You're joking right? Are you seriously trying to compare tribal hunters having an open season on elk all year to a once in a lifetime moose tag?  You really think more elk are poached by non natives then what natives shoot? The only thing you've said that I agree with is people will hunt because they can. Exactly why tribes need stricter seasons. It takes a non native years to draw a tag and a native can shoot big bulls every year. Non natives are restricted so we have elk to hunt for future generations.  Doesn't work when another group of people slaughter them.

I'm not joking at all.  If everyone that had a moose tag this year passed the number of moose would go up as long as the habitat could handle it.  I 100% believe that just as many elk are shot by poachers as by the few tribal members that shoot multiple elk.  There are those tribal members that only shoot one a year and many tribal members that never shoot an elk. If we are comparing natives that overharvest and non natives that overharvest I am positive the non native over harvesters take way more animals.

If you truly think our deer and elk are on life support quit hunting deer and elk.  Spend your entire season shooting predators.  You can kill two bears, one cougar and as many coyotes as you want in this state.  If every hunter that thinks our deer and elk are on life support just took a couple years off hunting deer and elk and only shot predators we would have tons of wildlife.

I actually spend a ton of time predator hunting. You're an idiot if you think tribal hunting isn't an issue in the blues. They shot more bulls in there last year than we are even given permits for in the short seasons we have.

[idahohuntr]

One thing people never talk about and I'd like to have a better understanding of. The elk were introduced here in Kittitas county in the 1910s and 1920s for hunting, how can tribes claim tribal hunting rights to a species that is not native and people paid to introduce? Not saying its wrong they have the right, just wondering how is works since the elk are not native.

Elk are native, they certainly existed at the time the Treaties were signed, and so my guess is people don't talk about it much because there is no legitimacy to suggest tribes shouldn't kill elk. 

[johnbmyersii]

One thing people never talk about and I'd like to have a better understanding of. The elk were introduced here in Kittitas county in the 1910s and 1920s for hunting, how can tribes claim tribal hunting rights to a species that is not native and people paid to introduce? Not saying its wrong they have the right, just wondering how is works since the elk are not native.

Elk are native, they certainly existed at the time the Treaties were signed, and so my guess is people don't talk about it much because there is no legitimacy to suggest tribes shouldn't kill elk.

Disregard, I had always known they were not originally native to central WA, not re-introduced per the below snippet from WDFW. Due to the supreme court decision from Herrera v. Wyoming, tribes do have hunting rights to re-introduced/recovered species

"Zooarchaeological evidence suggests elk historically inhabited the arid shrub steppe habitats of the
Columbia Basin, but were hunted to extinction by 1850 (McCorquodale 1985, Dixon and Lyman
1996). Elk were reintroduced to various locations throughout the state. In 1913, 50 elk from Montana
were released in the Naches River area of Yakima county, resulting in the reestablishment of the
Yakima herd (McCall 1997a). Additional transplants between 1913 - 1930 into the Blue Mountains
and the Colockum area resulted in the reestablishment of these major elk herds in eastern Washington
(Appendix E)."