Elk article in Yakima Herald newspaper

[buckmaster_wa]

Fellow hunt-wa member and hunting partner (Colockumelk) got some recognition to his Colockum elk research paper today in the Yakima Herald Republic. The story is pretty good but its funny to see the responses that WDFW had on the topic. Good job Aaron.      Keep up the good work.

[Skyvalhunter]

DO you have an online link?

[Buschingc]

Good read, makes sense....

[Skyvalhunter]

http://sportsyakima.com/category/outdoors/

[whacker1]

It is amazing that when you get the media involved that you begin to draw additional attention to a subject.  Well written article showing both sides of the conversation to the public and will continue to get additional attention from WDFW, because the public has now been exposed to a different point of view.

 

[C-Money]

Interesting!

[bearpaw]

Clausing said a permit-only system would mean losing about 75 percent of the elk hunters who typically work the Colockum.

This wording tells me they are more worried about losing the hunters (dollars).

“If we have 4,000 out there right now, we’d totally displace 3,000 hunters … that will have to find somewhere else to go. And every hunt camp would be disrupted,” he says. “We’re trying to get to the same objective without disrupting the greatest number of people. If you displace these hunters, you’re just going to move your problem somewhere else.”

This admission is confirmation that the problem exists. I agree whacker1, this will get people talking and it has exposed them to another viewpoint which in the longrun will most likely be good for the elk herd.

[General Disarray]

must've missed the part of the article mentioning the poaching of branched bulls by Native Americans...

[colockumelk]

For a reference here is a link to the paper that I wrote.

http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,47084.0.html

 General D. In the paper I wrote about the the Yakamas.  It's just a part of the problem, its not THE problem.  I explained it to the reporter like this. 

I like to use the river system in Central Washington as an example of how one or two problems combine to create on big problem.  The overall problem is bull elk recruitment.  AKA more bulls are killed than are produced every year.  This will be the end point/The Columbia River.

The Bumping River/Openess of the Terrain and the Tieton River=Large amount of road access flow into each other and become the Naches River/Geographical Advantages to Hunters.  Meanwhile the Cle Elum River/Herd migration (or lack thereofe) flows into the Northern Yakima River/Large amounts of hunters.  The Northern Yakima River/Hunter success is not weather dependent-large amount of hunters is combined with the Naches River/ Geography of the area contributes to likelier hunter success which becomes THE Yakima River/Spike survival %.  Now the Yakima flows happily along and just as it hits the Columbia River/Bull Recruitment the Snake River/Poaching and Tribal Hunting is brought into the equation.  So all of these factors/rivers flow into one another and add onto each other to give you the overall problem/Big Huge River.  Again the Tribal Hunting does NOT help out but it's not the ONLY problem. 

[Elkaholic daWg]

must've missed the part of the article mentioning the poaching of branched bulls by Native Americans...

 True Colockumelk, but it seems no one wants to touch that subject.

[colockumelk]

No one wants to touch that subject because no one has the balls or the determination to take this head on.  If people on here or as the hunting community would be willing to come together and collect evidence on how immoral and unethical the Tribes really are when it comes to their unrestricted hunting, and then started a media campaign using those pictures and video and the researched facts the Tribes COULD NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT!!!!!!!!!!!  What are they gonna do?  There's a reason why they never talk about it.  Because they know if what they do was brought to the medias attention they would be screwed.  WE HAVE THE POWER not them.  They can not and will not control their hunters.  We are in the right they are in the wrong.  If we would raise awareness about what they do in the media and in picketing Olympia doing anything and everything to bring the truth to light SOMETHING WOULD BE DONE!!!!  Its a PR campaign and when the truth comes out they will LOOK LIKE CRAP!!!!  They sit there HOPING and PRAYING that nobody does that.  Why do you think a bunch of Yakamas came on here last year when I started talking about what they do? Because they know how much damage can be done by speaking the truty.  Now that no one talks about it where have they gone? 

No if those of you who live in Washington want to change how the tribes are allowed to do business you CAN do something.  And don't play nice.  Go for the jugular.  YOU are right not THEM.  I get sick of people thinking nothing can change.  Public perception is a very powerful thing.  Right now the public is on their side.  You show the truth and people will jump ship to your side.

PS Elk Dawg this isn't directed at you.  Its directed at all the people who have said we can't do anything.  I'd do what I just said in a heart beat however Im in Alabama so I can't do it.

[Ridgerunner]

now that the article was published someone needs to write an editorial piece talking about the other big pieceof the puzzle that was left out of the article, start the PR campaign that way.

[grundy53]

now that the article was published someone needs to write an editorial piece talking about the other big pieceof the puzzle that was left out of the article, start the PR campaign that way.

 

[Special T]

I think that was a fair writeup by the Yakima herald. Atta boy from a fellow wildcat... I especially like the last line from the article.  “Guys just aren't seeing legal animals,” Blanchard says. “And if you're not successful, after a while you take up golf, you know?”
That parting shot should be a wake up call for anyone at the WDFW... Hunters have other opportunities for their time and $$$. Many of those options have nothing to do with spending their hard earned $$$ with the WDFW. 

[runamuk]

good article...I posted a comment alluding to the useless nature of a management plan that allows one user group to continue to harvest unchecked.....might make it in might not.  I may end up on a hit list but I keep saying something needs to be done to stop this be it elk or fishing or any other use that is excessive where we are restricted to supposedly help management.