Is there an elephant in the room

[Mtnwalker]

The tag reduction started about 5 years ago with no real explanation.

I last drew a bull permit in a Yakima unit in 2017 with over 125 archery permits.  This year there is 4 permits. Yet the over all herd numbers have barely budged.

North of a 95% reduction.  They still have the 2 quality rifle permits for the same unit.  Makes you scratch your head more than a little.


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I sent them an email last fall asking what the justification for 90%+ bull tag reductions was in the Yakima units and the bio responded to me citing the bull to cow ratios being slightly below objective and having to err on the side of caution. Absolutely ridiculous

[hughjorgan]

The tag reduction started about 5 years ago with no real explanation.

I last drew a bull permit in a Yakima unit in 2017 with over 125 archery permits.  This year there is 4 permits. Yet the over all herd numbers have barely budged.

North of a 95% reduction.  They still have the 2 quality rifle permits for the same unit.  Makes you scratch your head more than a little.


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Is this not the same year they took cows away from us as well?

[Special T]

5-6 years ago we had a drought and bat winter that caused winter loss and recruitment problems. That was the source of the elk cow tags for archery. 

[NOCK NOCK]

I have my own thoughts on all this, and they don't really align with what I'm about to say,    I just always try to look at issues from multiple Perspectives.

Many deer herds are at critical levels, and we complain about WDFW management.
Yakima/Colockum elk herds appear to be doing fairly Ok, and we complain about WDFW management. (Even though they may be doing something we dont like...in trying to maintain a stable population)

Thats all!

[Slamadoo]

Bear Management Unit 6

Harvest represents the areas of BMU6 that overlap the Yakima and Clockum Herds.

[Slamadoo]

Statewide Bear Harvest

[dreamingbig]

5-6 years ago we had a drought and bat winter that caused winter loss and recruitment problems. That was the source of the elk cow tags for archery. 

And they have trended down since.  Shouldn’t they come back with herd recovery?


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[dreamingbig]

Statewide Bear Harvest

But a lot of factors to bear harvest.  More people are hunting bears given loss of other opportunities.

Cougar harvest chart?


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[Karl Blanchard]

I have my own thoughts on all this, and they don't really align with what I'm about to say,    I just always try to look at issues from multiple Perspectives.

Many deer herds are at critical levels, and we complain about WDFW management.
Yakima/Colockum elk herds appear to be doing fairly Ok, and we complain about WDFW management. (Even though they may be doing something we dont like...in trying to maintain a stable population)

Thats all!

If by fairly ok you mean the Yakima herd is the largest its ever been since re-introduction then you are correct

[Slamadoo]

Most bear harvest is incidental according to the department. We have fewer deer and elk hunters killing more bears.

[dreamingbig]

I have my own thoughts on all this, and they don't really align with what I'm about to say,    I just always try to look at issues from multiple Perspectives.

Many deer herds are at critical levels, and we complain about WDFW management.
Yakima/Colockum elk herds appear to be doing fairly Ok, and we complain about WDFW management. (Even though they may be doing something we dont like...in trying to maintain a stable population)

Thats all!

If by fairly ok you mean the Yakima herd is the largest its ever been since re-introduction then you are correct

Yeah that!  My conspiracy theory hat says they were requested to leave the bull harvest for other user groups but I don’t have any proof.  Either that or the biologist/department doesn’t want to increase permits.  Because the herd size says it would be supported.


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[Slamadoo]

Elk Harvest. All methods.

[Slamadoo]

@ Tbar

I got all this data from the department. It took me a while to find some of it, but that's where I got it.

[Slamadoo]

@ dreamingbig

Here is the statewide cougar harvest data I dug up.

[Tbar]

I have my own thoughts on all this, and they don't really align with what I'm about to say,    I just always try to look at issues from multiple Perspectives.

Many deer herds are at critical levels, and we complain about WDFW management.
Yakima/Colockum elk herds appear to be doing fairly Ok, and we complain about WDFW management. (Even though they may be doing something we dont like...in trying to maintain a stable population)

Thats all!

If by fairly ok you mean the Yakima herd is the largest its ever been since re-introduction then you are correct

Yeah that!  My conspiracy theory hat says they were requested to leave the bull harvest for other user groups but I don’t have any proof.  Either that or the biologist/department doesn’t want to increase permits.  Because the herd size says it would be supported.


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Cool story bro!  You realize there are unlimited otc bull tags right?  Again it comes back to harvest schemes. If you want long term stability bull harvest is always a preference.