Cow Hunts After Jan 1st. Why?

[Rainier10]

My assumption without looking at the regulations is overpopulation, winter ground and conflict management in very specific circumstances.

Last year 407 was open until mid January

To reduce the population or modify elk behavior (like keep them out of agriculture).

[b0bbyg]

There are also a few master hunter tags out there intended to target Hoof rot Elk.
Guessing easier to find the limpers when they come down to winter ranges ??  at least that is a theory in my head why they picked the late dates.

[Encore 280]

Why not have an antlerless harvest during the regular season (archery, muzzle loader and modern) rather than later in the year?

[HikerHunter]

Wasn't there a Meateater podcast where he talked about a guy that bbq'ed or somehow cooked up an elk fetus after a late season cow hunt?

[NRA4LIFE]

Please, let's not go there.

[JimmyHoffa]

Why not have an antlerless harvest during the regular season (archery, muzzle loader and modern) rather than later in the year?

My guess is people would hold out for a bull and save cows for the last day. Then not enough see cows the last day, missing harvest objective.

[blackveltbowhunter]

I would try to avoid seeing fetuses if involved in these hunts and personally think there is no need to have them in any herds in wa as currently all are below objective in my opinion.

But optics aside, taking of cows has never bothered me a bit. Along a good life a cow MAY produce 8ish calves? A bull could sire that many in a single week likley more, yet we place our focus on them. Its no wonder we have three months of rutting activity.

[HikerHunter]

Please, let's not go there.

It may not be palatable to all, but I applaud for making good use of what he killed.

[Dan-o]

Why not have an antlerless harvest during the regular season (archery, muzzle loader and modern) rather than later in the year?

You can't do late season agriculture conflict during the regular season.

How would you tell who the offending elk were?

[nwwanderer]

Though there are a few conflict hunts in place most of the January and beyond harvest is unlicensed concolor and lupus and it is big, real big

[Stein]

By having it late in the season, they can target the specific area where the elk are a problem for one reason or another.  Earlier in the season, you don't know where that particular cow will winter, maybe it's in the problem area or maybe it's a mile over in a nice national forest meadow.

[pianoman9701]

You all have given me a better understanding of the practice. Thanks!

[meatwhack]

It’s hard for me to believe that the elk population anywhere in the state is in such a state that it’s beneficial to kill two elk with one bullet. On the other hand maybe they do it so there’s less calf kills to report from predation.

[Stein]

Anytime you kill a female elk, you eliminate that animal, the one it may be carrying and any future offspring.  It doesn't matter what day of the year, same effect.

As far as I know, all cow hunts are designed to manage the herd where the goal is to reduce herd size in a given area for one reason or another.

One can argue on the wisdom of the specific herd objectives, but cow hunts are an effective way to manage herd size.