Game Dept. screwed up ELK season

[PA BEN]

I think this is BS. Why would the Game Dept. screw up archery season? When I was out scouting elk for my permit tag (Sept. 20th to 24th) out west by Forks, (I was in unit 607 at the time) I heard a helicopter flying around for a long time. I heard from a lot of bow hunters that this was the hardest season ever. The elk were very spooked. I didn’t see a lot of elk during my scouting.  Come to find out, the Game Dept. hired people from Idaho to collar elk. I heard this and wasn’t sure if it was true but when I was in a store in Port Angeles I was talking to a worker there and he said three of them were in there buying rain gear. WTF    

[Lowedog]

That is some bad timing!

[bearhunter99]

Sometimes they do that crap on purpose.  I know back in the day they used to use helicopters to push the elk into areas  that were closed.  We even caught them doing it one year while scouting up the Colockum using helicopters to push them into the reserve.  I was told by a gamie that someone had decided after all the drawings that they had given out too many special permits and wanted to limit the harvest.  I don't know if that is true or not but WTF? 

[klickriverchromer]

I haven't heard of them doing anything good.. EVER!!!  THEY SUCK!  AND THERE LEADER IS WELL A JOKE @ BEST!

[grundy53]

That's f'd  up. Fricken game department. it would be more productive collaring elk in the summer so you know they did it on purpose.

[JimmyHoffa]

PABen,
Here is a link to the 'elk census'.  I think this may be what you are referring to:
http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2010309199984

Also, a few roads in there are either closed or are closing tomorrow for 'culvert replacement'.

[Magnum_Willys]

15 years ago when elk hunting was good in SW Washington the Game Dept. would routinely disrupt the herds with firecrackers, pistol shots or helicopters in the couple days leading up to the season.  That's just the way it was.  No need for that now - there aren't any big herds to scatter.   

[Jellymon]

some timber lands are putting chemicals on the trees right now. They use helis, maybe that's what it was?

[Kain]

Hmmm I had two small planes fly over me at low altitude while calling for elk this season in SW.  At the time I thought I had really bad luck now im not so sure.  What are the odds that right when Im getting an answer back from an elk (or another caller) two small planes fly directly over me?  The planes were the same model and only a couple hundred yards apart.   

The thread where I mention the planes.
http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,56796.0.html

[PA BEN]

The helicopter I heard was during the first week of archery season and no where near the Park. When I heard what I heard at the store was that they were done w/the low lands and heading up higher.

[coachcw]

thats why I pretty much dont waste too much time scouting any more , why bother if they are gonna get pushed . I allso think that there's alot more hunters out pushing and so called scout in the pre season spooking elk wtf.

[yelp]

I found this online at WDFW website.. It looks like they have pre and post season survey money for aerial population surveys??? That is probably done with helicopter.  Also budget for the mark resight method..which is probably trying to located collared elk.  It is explained I believe in the Olympic Elk herd plan.. The timing of these activities maybe driven by budgetary or biological reasons too.   

http://wdfw.wa.gov/publications/pub.php?id=00774


"Spending priorities for Olympic Elk Herd recovery have been identified for the first year and next five years. Achieving spending levels will be contingent upon availability of funds and the creation of partnerships. The recommended annual prioritized expenditures for the Olympic Elk Herd are as follows:

Prioritized Expenditures   1st year   5 years
Aerial elk composition surveys (Pre and post season)   $21,000.00   $105,000.00
Population estimation using mark-resight method   $0.00   $60,000.00
Elk mortality monitoring   $0.00   $60,000.00
Green forage habitat enhancement program   $20,000.00   $500,000.00
Road management partnerships   $20,000.00   $420,000.00
TOTAL   $61,000.00   $1,145,000.00"

[pods8]

That's f'd  up. Fricken game department. it would be more productive collaring elk in the summer so you know they did it on purpose.

They may be doing it all year (other than birthing time which actually is the summer so they definitely wouldn't be doing it then) which if that was the case it would at least be consistent. 

[yajsab]

They're purposely chasing the elks away.

[swanny]

My wife and I were camping at the Elwha the night of the 24th, we left around 10:30am on the 25th and a helicopter fly over at least 3 times, if not 5. I figured it had something to do with the dam project on the river.