DEFINING THE BLUE MOUNTAINS ELK MANAGEMENT PROBLEM

[Rainier10]

Can someone tell me where in Washington the RMEF has secured critical habitat for elk or done some serious improvements to a specific area in terms of something more than a rain guzzler? I don't know of anything.

They negotiated a huge land swap in the colockum, consolidated a bunch of DNR land and turning land locked DNR land into private.

If you want to get into that further it is probably best to start a new thread rather than derailing this one.

[elkchaser54]

A lot of RMEF land purchases get turned in to national forest land or state land upon the sale. They also buy small parcels to improve access to bigger chunks of land . In the blues they purchased land and now it's just part of the Wooten Wildlife area

[nwhunter]

I wasn't meaning to derail the original thread and I agree RMEF does some good things and acquiring critical land is important. My point was its an existing  huge organization with lots of members and money and whats the point of buying up land if we aren't taking care of the herds we bought the land for..? Guys were talking on here about maybe we need to get together and sue the state for piss poor management and bios and commissioners not wanting to support predator control .. Seems like its something RMEF could get behind and they have people who could get the ball rolling or at least put some pressure on the state much easier than a group of hunters. If I got a mailer from RMEF asking for a donation and the money was for individual state predator control programs I would send them a check...
 I still remember in 2007 when I drew my Wenaha archery tag and talked at length with Pat Fowler and he basically predicted this demise of the Blue Mtn herd although he thought it would be more caused by increased tag numbers after he retired than anything but the point is that its a herd that can't sustain overhunting or excessive predation .. Glad I got to see it at the pinnacle because of great management and now what we've seen is what a  huge turnaround bad management can do to a world class herd...

[LDennis24]

Yeah I wasn't trying to derail either. Just wasn't aware of what they had done and was curious if anything East of the river would come up basically. I was wondering if something was gonna come up in the blues that I was unaware of. I guess I had heard of guys packing in salt to fill hollowed out logs in order to develope mineral licks in the Blues in the past but am unaware if that was funded by RMEF.

[Special T]

Critter organizations wont get political which is why you should join one that will. I am a member of several different organizations that fight for sportsmens rights. In washington i belive that fighting for sportsmens rights is a higher priority since for a variety of reasons.

[bobdog86]

Problem with land (habitat) acquisitions whether WDFW purchases of private land for public, etc.....the harsh reality is it just gives the Native Americans more land to hunt, where we are given less in some instances (land acquired but only special permits to hunt). At least when it the land is private, the owner has the ability to control access for any demographics....

[Maybach Outdoors]

Recruit more hunters from Seattle *gasp* you'd be surprised how many people come around to the idea of hunting. I make it a point to expose people to the topic of hunting in every day conversation. Stop being a bunch of ********

Hunters are a dying breed. Without out serious financial backing there isn't any way to win. You need numbers. There need to be more tangible actions to recruit hunters in the cities. That's the only way... obviosuly it would require you to step out of your comfort zone. Take one from their playbook, "allies". 

[Special T]

Recruit more hunters from Seattle *gasp* you'd be surprised how many people come around to the idea of hunting. I make it a point to expose people to the topic of hunting in every day conversation. Stop being a bunch of ********

Hunters are a dying breed. Without serious financial backing there isn't any way to win. You need numbers. There need to be more tangible actions to recruit hunters in the cities. That's the only way... obviosuly it would require you to step out of your comfort zone. Take one from their playbook, "allies".

I agree with what I highlighted in red, however you may need to verify your statement depending on how you take his response.

Sportsmen give plenty of $ and so do corporations, but only to critter habitat groups, not sportsmen advocacy. Giving $ to RMEF, MDF, DU, NWFT or nearly any other critter org isn't going to solve problems in this state. I'm not saying you shouldn't belong to one but if you don't belong to an advocacy group then you wasting your $. The best known national Org is SCI. While I'm not a member I am a member of 2 state organizations that advocate for sportsmen.

[Maybach Outdoors]

Recruit more hunters from Seattle *gasp* you'd be surprised how many people come around to the idea of hunting. I make it a point to expose people to the topic of hunting in every day conversation. Stop being a bunch of ********

Hunters are a dying breed. Without serious financial backing there isn't any way to win. You need numbers. There need to be more tangible actions to recruit hunters in the cities. That's the only way... obviosuly it would require you to step out of your comfort zone. Take one from their playbook, "allies".

I agree with what I highlighted in red, however you may need to verify your statement depending on how you take his response.

Sportsmen give plenty of $ and so do corporations, but only to critter habitat groups, not sportsmen advocacy. Giving $ to RMEF, MDF, DU, NWFT or nearly any other critter org isn't going to solve problems in this state. I'm not saying you shouldn't belong to one but if you don't belong to an advocacy group then you wasting your $. The best known national Org is SCI. While I'm not a member I am a member of 2 state organizations that advocate for sportsmen.

Hmmm intersting prospective. I would think that "critter organization" and "sportsmans advocacy" was the same thing. What sportsmans advocacy groups are there? I'd be intersted in learning how sportsmanship is promoted

[Special T]

Recruit more hunters from Seattle *gasp* you'd be surprised how many people come around to the idea of hunting. I make it a point to expose people to the topic of hunting in every day conversation. Stop being a bunch of ********

Hunters are a dying breed. Without serious financial backing there isn't any way to win. You need numbers. There need to be more tangible actions to recruit hunters in the cities. That's the only way... obviosuly it would require you to step out of your comfort zone. Take one from their playbook, "allies".

I agree with what I highlighted in red, however you may need to verify your statement depending on how you take his response.

Sportsmen give plenty of $ and so do corporations, but only to critter habitat groups, not sportsmen advocacy. Giving $ to RMEF, MDF, DU, NWFT or nearly any other critter org isn't going to solve problems in this state. I'm not saying you shouldn't belong to one but if you don't belong to an advocacy group then you wasting your $. The best known national Org is SCI. While I'm not a member I am a member of 2 state organizations that advocate for sportsmen.

Hmmm intersting prospective. I would think that "critter organization" and "sportsmans advocacy" was the same thing. What sportsmans advocacy groups are there? I'd be intersted in learning how sportsmanship is promoted

I just posted in the RMEF thread, but the short and sweet difference is critter orgs only do warm and fizzles, advocates wade into the politics.

RMEF didn't address the wolf issue because it affects elk... but it is political to engage over predators so they don't.

DU did a bunch of the engineering on many of the salmon habitat enhancement projects. Most of these took away opportunity for those with out boats. Also eliminating groceries from the local areas.

[Rainier10]

link to advocacy organization thread.

https://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,262201.msg3557355/topicseen.html#new

[Caseyd]

Fire near table rock lookout.

[LDennis24]

Your talking table rock East of the Watershed? How big is it? Moving East? My wife's cabin is up by Twin Buttes. 

[trophyhunt]

Sorry off topic but the fire by Asotin is called the Asotin complex fire, it is estimated 300 acers and growing. Towards the Wawawai rd, lightning caused.

[Timberstalker]

There's also a bad fire in Lick Creek.

https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7615/