Good day for the Advanced Hunters.

[luvtohnt]

I am a Master Hunter and I live in Eburg. The MH program is a good program but the idea is still fairly new. It is working because it keeps the elk off of private property and on state land. The state land portion defiantly needs to be removed from the 3911 area, and the boundary need to be set along the private property discluding the Elkhorn Ranch. The Hunt Master in Ellensburg from my experience does not really care about the condition of the herd it is all about harvesting some cows. Yes it is the colockum herd and as far as I can tell the killing of a few cows in the winter helps balance the bull to cow ratio and reduce some competition on winter range for the bulls that do make it to the winter. They have now changed your master hunter certification to a Master hunter Permit so when you violate a rule they can immediately revoke your permit. Good move!! One issue I really have in the Ellensburg area is they don't just take one MH out to try to pressure the elk off of the property, they take lots of people at once. One person can be very effective in moving the elk off of private property without lethal force. I have a couple of friends that own property on Colockum Rd. and they are OK with me harvesting an elk off of their property. I have been out there a couple of times and pressured the elk off the property, and they never returned. I will only harvest a cow on my permit if the herd returns to the property multiple times. That is how it should be done. One last thing is that everyone complains about the rate for tags, and then they complain about things like this. If you have a problem with the way the WDFW resolves a problem with little to no cost then maybe you should fork out some money to help build that fence!!

Brandon

[Bob33]

According to WDFW representatives, total cow elk harvest in 3911 by Master Hunters for the 2010 season is expected to be around 100.  If there were really hundreds of elk running around in their winter range getting shot by road hunters until December 31, I suspect the number would be much higher.

[kirkl]

good info bob, i was wondering what that number is and was gonna try and get last years number. ive been up there quit a bit on the state land and have yet to see an elk which to me means there doing a good job of keeping them up the mountain higher and from getting down into the fields. just the people driving up there are keeping them away. there pretty leery.

[Bob33]

The number has been in the low to mid 100s (around 150) for several years.  It declined two years ago when the eastern boundary was moved.  It is expected to decline further this year for three reasons (1) only one elk can be killed in 3911, versus in prior years a second elk could be taken with a second elk tag; (2) no hunting allowed during the general season starting this year; and (3) the season was shortened to end in December.

I have the data at home.  PM me and I'll forward to you.

[WAcoyotehunter]

I am a Master Hunter and I live in Eburg. The MH program is a good program but the idea is still fairly new. It is working because it keeps the elk off of private property and on state land. The state land portion defiantly needs to be removed from the 3911 area, and the boundary need to be set along the private property discluding the Elkhorn Ranch. The Hunt Master in Ellensburg from my experience does not really care about the condition of the herd it is all about harvesting some cows. Yes it is the colockum herd and as far as I can tell the killing of a few cows in the winter helps balance the bull to cow ratio and reduce some competition on winter range for the bulls that do make it to the winter. They have now changed your master hunter certification to a Master hunter Permit so when you violate a rule they can immediately revoke your permit. Good move!! One issue I really have in the Ellensburg area is they don't just take one MH out to try to pressure the elk off of the property, they take lots of people at once. One person can be very effective in moving the elk off of private property without lethal force. I have a couple of friends that own property on Colockum Rd. and they are OK with me harvesting an elk off of their property. I have been out there a couple of times and pressured the elk off the property, and they never returned. I will only harvest a cow on my permit if the herd returns to the property multiple times. That is how it should be done. One last thing is that everyone complains about the rate for tags, and then they complain about things like this. If you have a problem with the way the WDFW resolves a problem with little to no cost then maybe you should fork out some money to help build that fence!!

Brandon

I think the boundary as it is now is pretty fair (at least in the e'burg area)  The elk are moving from the canyons south into the ag areas.  The elkhorn ranch portion of the unit is really just a sliver along the power lines, and any elk you get their are coming over the ridge from ag fields.   The elk that hang out below the power lines but still in Cooke or Schnebley canyons are probably moving into ag areas below.

[CP]

I am a Master Hunter and I live in Eburg. The MH program is a good program but the idea is still fairly new. It is working because it keeps the elk off of private property and on state land. The state land portion defiantly needs to be removed from the 3911 area, and the boundary need to be set along the private property discluding the Elkhorn Ranch. The Hunt Master in Ellensburg from my experience does not really care about the condition of the herd it is all about harvesting some cows. Yes it is the colockum herd and as far as I can tell the killing of a few cows in the winter helps balance the bull to cow ratio and reduce some competition on winter range for the bulls that do make it to the winter. They have now changed your master hunter certification to a Master hunter Permit so when you violate a rule they can immediately revoke your permit. Good move!! One issue I really have in the Ellensburg area is they don't just take one MH out to try to pressure the elk off of the property, they take lots of people at once. One person can be very effective in moving the elk off of private property without lethal force. I have a couple of friends that own property on Colockum Rd. and they are OK with me harvesting an elk off of their property. I have been out there a couple of times and pressured the elk off the property, and they never returned. I will only harvest a cow on my permit if the herd returns to the property multiple times. That is how it should be done. One last thing is that everyone complains about the rate for tags, and then they complain about things like this. If you have a problem with the way the WDFW resolves a problem with little to no cost then maybe you should fork out some money to help build that fence!!

Brandon

Not sure that follow that.  3911 is not Hunt Master controlled.  Any MH with an East side tag can show up anytime during the season and hunt.  You don’t need to be called by the HM.

[Bob33]

CP you are correct.  The general 3911 season is not hunt coordinator controlled.  Perhaps a landowner is taking out multiple hunters at the same time; if that's the case, there is nothing that can be done other than talking to the landowner about it.

FYI there is also a permit hunt in 3911 ("Fairview") that occurs after the general season, and that is a hunt coordinator type situation.

[flyguide]

I live in Eburg and have seen the AHE hunts going on, while I can't say anything bad about the hunters - most I have seen are nice guys, but the boundary is BS.  A lot of the elk are shot on historical winter ground in the pines and sage.  I would be in favor of confining it to private lands based on direct damage.  I am not sure that the current program is working correctly.  If landowners complain, then they need to let the hunters onto their property and ONLY their property where the damage has occurred. 

[Bob33]

Could you please be more specific about the areas that are considered wintering grounds inside the 3911 boundaries?

[fishunt247]

I don't have a game pamphlet in front of me, but for the last three years when I lived in Ellensburg, Lookout Mtn. (pretty classic wintering ground) got POUNDED by master hunters. Those elk aren't moving to ag ground either. Is this out of the unit now?

[SpotandStalk]

I agree with much of what has been said regarding certain portions of 3911.  The area described below, primarily the large chunk of historical winter and calving grounds between Parke Creek and what is now the wind farm boundary, needs to be addressed.  I would certainly agree with the MH program as a useful tool and am an advocate of its use in many areas of the valley, but the poaching that occurs east of Parke Creek is ridiculous.

south on Colockum Pass Road to BPA power lines
in T18N, R20E, Section 6; east and south along power
lines to Parke Creek; north on Parke Creek to Whiskey
Jim Creek; east on Whiskey Jim Creek to the Wild
Horse Wind Farm Boundary; south and East on Wild
Horse Wind Farm boundary to the Vantage Highway;

[luvtohnt]

  What spotandstalk said

In that portion of the 3911 there is 4+ sections of state land and a couple small sections (2 1/4 I think) BLM sections if I remember correctly. I think the elk are fine if they stay on state land. As far as the HM if you read the rules as a MH you have to call the HM for the 3911 area and inform him you will be out so he is aware of it, and he is also supposed to pass any information along he may know about where the elk are hanging out at. However just like any other new program it takes some time to get all the kinks worked out.

Brandon

[RUTNBULL1]

I am a Master Hunter and I live in Burg. The MH program is a good program but the idea is still fairly new. It is working because it keeps the elk off of private property and on state land. The state land portion defiantly needs to be removed from the 3911 area, and the boundary need to be set along the private property disclosing the Elkhorn Ranch. The Hunt Master in El lensburg from my experience does not really care about the condition of the herd it is all about harvesting some cows.for the bulls that do make it to the winter Yes it is the colicky herd and as far as I can tell the killing of a few cows in the winter helps balance the bull to cow ratio and reduce some competition on winter range r. They have now changed your master hunter certification to a Master hunter Permit so when you violate a rule they can immediately revoke your permit. Good move!! One issue I really have in the El lensburg area is they don't just take one MH out to try to pressure the elk off of the property, they take lots of people at once. One person can be very effective in moving the elk off of private property without lethal force. I have a couple of friends that own property on Colicky Rd. and they are OK with me harvesting an elk off of their property. I have been out there a couple of times and pressured the elk off the property, and they never returned. I will only harvest a cow on my permit if the herd returns to the property multiple times. That is how it should be done. One last thing is that everyone complains about the rate for tags, and then they complain about things like this. If you have a problem with the way the WDFW resolves a problem with little to no cost then maybe you should fork out some money to help build that fence!!

Brandon

It's just amazing, lets kill a bunch of cows after they have been bred, and this is supposed to help the bull to cow ratio.Huh.  :dunno:How the heck do you or anybody else know if that cow was pregnant or not with one or possibly two calves and possibly could have two bull calves ready to increase the bull to cow ratio in the spring. If your going to harvest cows lets do it before the breeding season , not after which can possibly hurt that bull to cow ratio. And these Lengthy elk season's one after another into the areas of the wintering grounds are not great for the overall health of the herd either, wether they are trying to reduce the herd or damage control for agriculture, any disturbance affects all the elk and their health, that's why in the spring they have imposed restrictions upon shed hunting upon the wintering ranges , due to the fact of the overall health condition of the herds with the disturbance of people in their winter range. Hey guys and gals we the sportsmen/ hunters are the ones in this era that are going to have to make the move and be sensible about our decisions for future generations , lets make common sense decisions and suggestions not only for hunting but to help build healthy  populations of animals for decades to come. 

[Bob33]

My understanding is that the elk primarily winter east of the windfarm.   That area was removed from 3911 two years ago.  If the elk indeed are wintering in the Parke Creek area and can be legally shot, I haven't heard of that. The total harvest numbers do not appear to support that.

[Bob33]

 I would certainly agree with the MH program as a useful tool and am an advocate of its use in many areas of the valley, but the poaching that occurs east of Parke Creek is ridiculous.

Are you intentionally linking the two?  I hope that's not the case.  Any poaching done by an MH would be cause for his immediate removal from the program for life.