Letter to the Editor: One less bull in the Tieton Dr. herd...

[buckmaster_wa]

We need to get a group of us together at all of the WDFW meetings and voice our concerns at the meetings. I am starting to think that we would be better of opening up the elk hunting to 3pt min. This way there wont be a bunch of big bulls on the wintering range for the natives to shoot. Besides in a few years when the wolves show up they will kill all the elk anyways. We may as well get to shoot a few of them before the wolves get to them.

[boneaddict]

They need to extend the boundary of the feed station.   They aren't supposed to shoot in the station.....supposed to

[logger]

ya, i know what you saying , It just pisses me off , We might as well go up and shootem all and just get it over with, I was up there christmas day and found a big blood trail going up the hill. The elk sure weren't hangin out in the open that day, I believe a couple bulls were shot out of there  a day or two before.

[norsepeak]

I've seen that rule violated many times bone....

[Tman]

I say they have all the right they want to hunt year round in ancestrial hunting grounds... WITH ANCESTRIAL EQUIPMENT.   Their ancestors never had scoped rifles or any modern equipment, and the equipment should've been limited in the treaties and other legal decisions.  Make them treat their ancestrial hunting grounds/ways the way they used to and guys like those wouldn't even bother. 

[Coastal_native]

These animals were shot 200 yards above the hay piles in the Nile feeding station.  The guys who did this were quite proud of there accomplishment. I told them how worthless they were and how any retard can go and shoot elk in a feeding station. The one laughed and said " Isn't it great." My buddy and I stuck around for a few minutes and voiced our opinions and the three of them just laughed it off.

Buckmaster,

This one has the potential to get even more heated down the road...so I thought I'd express my distaste for your actions now in order to get a head start .  I don't agree with harassing the two men or posting their pics online in attempt to discredit them.  If they were outside of the feeding area (I think you said they were?) and were not violating any game laws under their jurisdiction, I don't understand your actions.  I don't agree with killing animals when they are that vulnerable or doing it in the manor it was probably done, but i also don't agree with killing deer out of a treehouse over a food plot either...I try to keep my mouth shut though because I understand my idea of hunting is different than others.  It's also typical of hunters to kill animals outside the edges of areas that are closed to hunting, so I don't necessarily understand the problem with the Yaks taking advantage of the feeding stations.  They could probably use a little harassment this time of year anyway to prevent them from congregating in large numbers and spreading disease.

I personally don't like the idea of hand feeding "wild animals", but I understand why it is done.  IMO, if the habitat base and population size is such that you have to supplemental feed why not just take the surplus animals that would likely die in the woods of starvation and put them in your annual harvest quota for peoples freezers.  Big game mgmt must be difficult over there regardless of the treaty hunting.

Lastly, and probably the most disturbing to me...Most people are going to look at those pictures and use the following observations to base their anger: The two guys are Indian, they aren't wearing camo, they have multiple animals in the back, they have a tribal sticker in the window, they are overweight.  All these things, although irrelevant to the treaty hunting discussion on this forum, will invoke emotion out of people involved in the discussion.  This is no different than the tactic enviros use to push their agenda.

Sorry if I sound like an ass.  Feel free to rip my post appart. Happy New Years.

[logger]

Shooting elk in the nile feeding station is like shooting beef cows at a auction. Or should I say in or around the nile.

[ICEMAN]

I think the posting of the pictures is exactly what is needed. These are the faces of the people who we have talked about alot here. It is what it is, tribal members shooting elk at a feeding station.

[Coastal_native]

I think the posting of the pictures is exactly what is needed. These are the faces of the people who we have talked about alot here. It is what it is, tribal members shooting elk at a feeding station.

That may be the opinion of most on this forum, but I still don't see why it's "needed".  To take a very serious and controversial topic and project all the hate onto a few individuals...I don't think this solves anything, especially if these guys weren't doing anything illegal.  There are some pretty extreme people that view and post on this site and it would be unfortunate for anyone to recieve any undeserved backlash. 

If you disagree with treaties and tribal regulations don't attack the individuals who are working within the system.

[logger]

I think the posting of the pictures is exactly what is needed. These are the faces of the people who we have talked about alot here. It is what it is, tribal members shooting elk at a feeding station.

That may be the opinion of most on this forum, but I still don't see why it's "needed".  To take a very serious and controversial topic and project all the hate onto a few individuals...I don't think this solves anything, especially if these guys weren't doing anything illegal.  There are some pretty extreme people that view and post on this site and it would be unfortunate for anyone to recieve any undeserved backlash.  

If you disagree with treaties and tribal regulations don't attack the individuals who are working within the system

 It's how we play the game, I think it's great, It's all part of what's called repurcussion, this area is not like the quinalt area, the elk are pretty much on the winter range, basically the same as shooting fish in a barrel, the yaks have probally the best rez. in the state for wildlife yet they whack the piss out of it then move onto the winter range on public ground. To me it's the same thing as property rights, my opinion stops at the line, therefore on the rez, do what ever makes them happy, step off it and they are subject to backlash for the raping of OUR  resources, it's not working within the system, it's abusing within the sytstem, as I have always said just cause they say it's so dosen't make it so.

[colockumelk]

Finally some pictures to bring to light to the general population about what goes on up there.  I'm sick of American hunters being blamed for this.  Everytime people drive up there and see a gut pile or a blood trail they instantly think that it is us that is doing this.  No one thinks its the Yakamas doing this.  So finally now people will start to find out who is REALLY to blame for the poaching that goes on up there.  

Coastal the Treaty Rights never gave them the right to shoot elk at a feeding station that is funded by the WDFW.  The treaty says nothing about American Sportsmen paying and funding a feed station so the Yakamas could drive up to the feeding station in vehicles invented and made by Americans/Japanese, on roads made by Americans, and then shoot the elk using modern rifles, scopes and range finders made by Americans/Europeans/Japanese.  The treaty mentions nothing about State Hunters paying for hay to feed the elk in the winter so the Yakamas could shoot them from the road. When the treaty was made there was not an elk herd in Yakima County.  There were a few elk near the Pacific Crest Trail but as far as the herds go like they are today like it was mentioned before those elk were introduced by us.  Those elk were planted by  American Sportsman and funded by American Sportsmen.  So the treaty has nothing to do with this.  Its about what is right and what is wrong.  Its about how there are some rules and regulations that are being taken advantage of.  It is about discrimination.  Your right not every Yakama goes up there and does this but...... they also don't punish those that do.  Their silence in this matter says everything.  So we are going to do what we have to do to bring this BS to an end. I don't care what you say it is discrimination.  Websters says discrimination is

 treatment or consideration of, or making a distinction in favor of or against, a person or thing based on the group, class, or category to which that person or thing belongs rather than on individual merit: racial and religious intolerance and discrimination.


This is the only way to put a stop to this.  This isn't hunting this is killing.  If I were to do this I'd lose everything.  But these guys can do it day after day and its okay.  Pictures speak louder than words.  If these pictures make these individuals look like a Piece of trash well.....  I guess then the Yakamas need to police their own and clean up the trash.  Until then if it looks like a piece of trash, acts like a piece of trash then it probably is a piece of trash.  If this pictures pisses the general population off oh well then the picture did its job because that's what it was meant to do.  To bring to light amongst non hunters what exactly goes on up there.

I know this strikes a deep chord with you but I remember when I used to be able to go up in the Mud Lake area and look at the deer, elk and sheep with my family.  Now its closed down to keep the natives from killing them on their winter range.  This was a right that was taken from me.  Every year we lose more and more hunting rights while the Yakamas conntribute nothing and gain more and more.  Its time things were fair and hopefully this is the frist step of many to equalize things.

Buckmaster keep up the good work.  Its people like you and me that will change things.  Hopeffully more people like you will follow suite and go up there and take pictures of this kind of stuff.  So we can get photographic evidence so we can start letting the public know what goes on and how our state refuses to do anything about it.  

[boneaddict]

I want to quote that second paragraph and have it published in the herald along with buckmasters pics.   Well Said.

[colockumelk]

I forgot to mention that you can't compare food plot hunting to what they Yakamas do.  They are two completely different things.  Lets compare the two.

Here is the differences.  Food plots for many people is the only way they can harvest a deer.  Everyone with property has food plots so if you want deer on your property and a chance to shoot them then you have to have a food plot.  Whereas shooting an elk over a hay pile from the road during the winter at the feed station is not the only way you can shoot an elk.  Lets face it the people that do this are not hunters.  They are extremely lazy and they do it because they can and its the easiest way to get an elk.  

Food plots are almost always on private property.  Anybody can hunt from a food plot.  If they have property they can make their own food plot.  If a food plot is on state land then anyone can hunt off of it.  It isn't restricted to a certain race of people.  There are hunt clubs that have food plots that pretty much anyone can join you just have to pay club fees.  Whereas the bulls being shot over a hay pile are being killed on public and state land that is paid for and owned by the state, its taxpayers and the people who buy hunting licenses.  The Yakamas don't contribute to this land, they don't own it.  They just take from it.  It would be like if I went to a hunt clubs property and hunted off of their food plot and killed one of their bucks.  I didn't pay to hunt that property or to be in that club, I didn't help cultivate the food plots.  No I just went over and reaped the benefits of their hard work.  The Yakamas can join our hunt club, they just have to buy a hunting license.

People who have food plots also spent alot of time and money making those food plots so that they could have a quality deer hunting experience.  It was also on their property.  What did the Yakamas do to help out so that there are elk that they can shoot off of hay piles?  The Yakamas didn't do anything.  

Finally you don't see a guy with a food plot harvesting multiple animals off of it every day.  He doesn't have half his village come over and hunt off of his food plot harvesting as many deer as they can off of his property.  No most people only harvest what they need, and practise Quality Deer Management.  Meaning they harvest a specific buck to doe ratio for the best results for their property.  Whereas the Yakamas don't do anything related to Quality Game Managemnt.  They just go up and shoot what they can shoot.  Heck they don't even have harvest results.  Thats basic to any managment.    

[colockumelk]

I want to quote that second paragraph and have it published in the herald along with buckmasters pics.   Well Said.

I'd be honored bone if you'd do that. 

[BlackRidge]

I agree things need to change with native American hunting off the reservations to equality for all.

Keep in mind, you piss the members off too much and they could increase the harvest and number of hunters just to spite you (us)!!!

A thought out, respectful, factual discussion/letter goes a long ways.

 

....because its been so successful so-far