Yakima Canyon Sheep

[sako223]

The sheep culling is going on. They have bio's/spotters along the road looking for sick animals with binos and scopes. They have a shooter and a boat to cross the river with w team. They can't deny what is going on but are Very Very tight lipped about even the smallest detail and act like they don't even hear a question. At this point it appears there may be less culls than projected. But we still have the same people managing that got us to this point.

[WDFW-SUX]

sweet.

[huntandjeep]

i know one of the spotters hes not saying much either.

[norsepeak]

The game dept. could have handled this whole fiasco a lot better, and WFNAWS should have been proactive in the mgmt. too.  They really let us members down on this one.  All the money that has been raised and donated thru WFNAWS for the sheep in the canyon is completely waisted...they should have just thrown it in the river, would have done the same good....

[gramps]

I drove thru' the canyon Sat. AM and they were set up toward the south end with a spotting scope along the road and 2 pickups.  They were looking west across the river.

[andrew_12gauge]

The game dept. could have handled this whole fiasco a lot better, and WFNAWS should have been proactive in the mgmt. too.  They really let us members down on this one.  All the money that has been raised and donated thru WFNAWS for the sheep in the canyon is completely waisted...they should have just thrown it in the river, would have done the same good....

what in your opinion could they have done differently? just wonderin because to me what they are doing seems like the best plan short of wiping out the herd and starting over

[norsepeak]

I agree with the action of removing the animals...but I think that they should have made the "job" available to the hunters with max sheep points.  I know of several guys with max points who would have been more than willing to give up their points and probably pay a lot of money for the chance to harvest their sheep.  I know one guy personally who has max points and only needs his bighorn to finish his grandslam.  He told me he would give up all his points and pay 10K to finish his slam.  This would have done two things: one selling these opportunities would have more than paid for the task of removing these animals...who do you think is paying for them to sit on the hiway with spotting scopes and fool around trying to kill the sheep that we have payed thousands of dollars to grow.  We are.  Second, it could have been a big win from a public relations point of view with hunters if the game dept would have allowed hunters to do the harvest.  Instead the game dept. came out in the local new paper saying they didn't think that hunters could handle the "steep terrain" in the canyon.....but a fat, lazy, game dept. employee can?  Are you kidding me?  Then the game dept said in the paper that they didn't think hunters could shoot well enough to harvest the right animals even with a game dept. spotter standing right next to them.  What a joke.  It's typical of our game dept.....you hunters pay and pay and pay, and we still won't do the right thing for hunting in this state...

[BC CHASER]

I agree with the action of removing the animals...but I think that they should have made the "job" available to the hunters with max sheep points.  I know of several guys with max points who would have been more than willing to give up their points and probably pay a lot of money for the chance to harvest their sheep.  I know one guy personally who has max points and only needs his bighorn to finish his grandslam.  He told me he would give up all his points and pay 10K to finish his slam.  This would have done two things: one selling these opportunities would have more than paid for the task of removing these animals...who do you think is paying for them to sit on the highway with spotting scopes and fool around trying to kill the sheep that we have payed thousands of dollars to grow.  We are.  Second, it could have been a big win from a public relations point of view with hunters if the game dept would have allowed hunters to do the harvest.  Instead the game dept. came out in the local new paper saying they didn't think that hunters could handle the "steep terrain" in the canyon.....but a fat, lazy, game dept. employee can?  Are you kidding me?  Then the game dept said in the paper that they didn't think hunters could shoot well enough to harvest the right animals even with a game dept. spotter standing right next to them.  What a joke.  It's typical of our game dept.....you hunters pay and pay and pay, and we still won't do the right thing for hunting in this state...

So if we give everyone with max points the option of shooting one which guys get ewe's and which ones get rams?  If some pay for it does that make it fair to everyone else who has max points but cannot afford it?  Do you know if they have even harvested rams yet?  Are you sure it is WDFW guys sitting on the roads looking for the sick ones or could it quite possibly be volunteers from FNAWS or SCI?  Is it even the WDFW who is doing this?  I think anyone who is not involved should do some investigating on this situation at hand before complaining about it.

[jackelope]

How many sheep that are getting killed are even rams and who would want to burn their sheep points to kill a ewe?
I'm gonna guess that when the spotters find a sheep that is sick it gets dead right now, ram or ewe doesn't matter. I'm not gonna burn my sheep points to kill a ewe...I don't think any of the guys killing the sheep are holding out for a trophy...just a hunch.

[sako223]

So if we give everyone with max points the option of shooting one which guys get ewe's and which ones get rams?  If some pay for it does that make it fair to everyone else who has max points but cannot afford it?  Do you know if they have even harvested rams yet? Dunno  Are you sure it is WDFW guys sitting on the roads looking for the sick ones or could it quite possibly be volunteers from FNAWS or SCI?  Is it even the WDFW who is doing this?  I think anyone who is not involved should do some investigating on this situation at hand before complaining about it.

Well if you know what you imply maybe you could enlighten us. It is difficult to get any answers and who knows if the few we get are true. WDFW certainly has the numbers at hand but won't tell. It's our resource but Top Secret.
Yes I believe there are volunteer spotters, yes the USDA is involved with shooting, Yes WDFW is involved and present.
How much do sportsmen/taxpayers have invested in the sheep program? Millions? This has not been managed well. They supposedly had too many sheep previous to the sickness and gave some to a tribe. Those sheep, about 25 I believe were reduced in a matter of days by predators. Two legged and four legged.
Why weren't there more tags offered then, rather than taking them and dumping them off to be wiped out.
Pneumonia in sheep is no surprise, it has happened in this state and surrounding states and Canada many times previously. When this episode started locally the WDFW attributed it to poaching, yet I knew people that had seen sheep laying appearing exhausted. It seems this should have been high on the list to recognize.
WDFW could have had a draw program for outbreaks. The rules could have been in place so you get what you get ram or ewe. Who says you would be required to burn points, the sheep are going to be shot anyway. If most guys came across a set of horns while shed hunting they would like to keep them, same difference. So what if someone complains, lots of people are complaining now and getting nothing but still paying for it, the sheep the program, the management, and the culling.
If we make a mistake while hunting WDFW happily fines us but they get a free pass for just about anything.

[BC CHASER]

You know a great way to gain info on all sorts of things that happen with our wildlife and other resources is to join organizations such as FNAWS, NWTF, SCI, DU, MDF, RMEF and such.  They are always looking for volunteers for all sorts of things, hell even the WDFW needs volunteers all the time for all sorts of things.  The WDFW gets only a percentage of what should go to them and the rest goes to the general fund.  Its other organizations that raise money through auctions and fundraisers that fund quite a bit of this stuff and it is all done by volunteers.  Its good to give back especially in times like now where wildlife will be on the bottom of any states lists.  So I would urge you to start giving back a little and I'm not talking about just buying a license or putting in for your special permits, in the long run that money doesn't go very far.  Volunteer!

[andrew_12gauge]

How many sheep that are getting killed are even rams and who would want to burn their sheep points to kill a ewe?
I'm gonna guess that when the spotters find a sheep that is sick it gets dead right now, ram or ewe doesn't matter. I'm not gonna burn my sheep points to kill a ewe...I don't think any of the guys killing the sheep are holding out for a trophy...just a hunch.

agree 100% jackelope, not every sheep thats up there is a ram most of the sick sheep are probably ewes, the only thing i could see them doing with hunters is a huntmaster type deal where they call you up when its your turn and you go sit on the side of the road with a wdfw spotter until they find a sick sheep and then you get to kill that one be it a ram or ewe, not much of a hunt if you ask me and not something id like to be involved in especially if it comes down to points(and losing them)

[Dipsnort]

I drove thru' the canyon Sat. AM and they were set up toward the south end with a spotting scope along the road and 2 pickups.  They were looking west across the river.

That's where they were yesterday afternoon as well (right at mile marker 5).  They were scoping a herd of about 25 ewes on the hill West of the river.

[norsepeak]

I agree Sako.  As far as burning points or paying to shoot these sheep, who knows, they were just suggestions based on first hand conversations with a couple of max point guys who would have more than happy for the chance.  Maybe they could have done a draw for the max points guys and asked them if they wanted to shoot a ram and burn there points.....the point is we as sportsment weren't given any options execept keep paying and get nothing in return.  Is that selfish from the sportsman's point of veiw?  Ya, maybe, but how long are we willing to keep getting the short end of the stick before say it's time for the sportsmen to get something?  As far as volunteering...I'm a member of RMEF, WFNAWS, and WSF....I have asked these three organizations and the WDFW reapeatedly for opportunities to volunteer with hands on help, and all I get from them is "we will call you when we need some help".  Well that went of for several years with no calls, that's what gives me the right to complain.  So that tells me all they want is my money.  Well if they are spending my money and I don't agree with how they are spending it, I'm gonna tell them about it....

[jackelope]

the other risk you run in a scenario like this if allowing hunters to kill the sheep is a re-enactment of the skagit elk cluster---k.