oak creek

[logger]

Went to oak creek today and was wondering if anybody else noticed the lack of spikes, I only found three,I am sure I probaly missed some but there weren't that many elk to sift through. The board said 485 and I know most aren't down yet but with the yakama herd supposedly 9000 they sure are not showing themselves.

[D-Rock425]

I was thinking about bringing my girls over to look at the elk sometime next month.  I know a few spikes made it through the late archery season in the Nile.

[huntergreg]

Did you see the cow elk without a leg? I was there on the 24th

[huntergreg]

more

[logger]

I did see that cow, was up in the nile and found a helluva blood trail coming out of the feeding area it went up the hill with boot tracks in it, looked to be atleast a day old. I know everybody has an opinion but I have worked and hunted that area[bethel, gold creek, nile, little naches] since 88 and I just am not seeing the elk we used to. Am I wrong?

[gasman]

I don't kno wLogger, I se more elk this year then in years past 

Especially durring late season.

[ICEMAN]

Wow, hate seeing that. Too bad someone with the proper tag did not harvest that cow....

[huntandjeep]

i agree logger hunted up around there since early 90s and am not seeing as many as i use to.

[STIKNSTRINGBOW]

this has been talked about on here before, but considering that the Yakima herd was at an all time high in 2000 at almost +/- 14000 animals, the WDFW liberalised antlerless harvest to reduce, and now it is around 9000 +/-, is it any wonder you are seeing fewer animals ?, at least the Bull/Cow ratio is +/- 15/100..... 

[Shed Stud]

Looks like that legless cows shoulder is real infected. Damn shame to see her go to waste. Doubt shell make it through. Elk are tough!

[logger]

I could be wrong, that's only happened once before, but I would dispute the 9000 head.

[carpsniperg2]

I plan on getting up there this year. Seems like i never make it, but this year i am going. Shame about the cow, but elk are tuff critters. Hope she makes it threw.

[STIKNSTRINGBOW]

I could be wrong, that's only happened once before, but I would dispute the 9000 head.

In February/March 2009, the Yakima
herd was estimated at 9,133, according to the WDFW
.............................
The survey data for the Yakima herd matches the
harvest data fairly closely. A high antlerless harvest since
1999 has probably reduced the population. Historic
harvest indicates the Yakima population has gone through
cycles. Relatively low cow harvest in the mid-1980’s
resulted in an increasing population that was reduced in
the early 1990’s. The population likely peaked 1999-2000
and decreased in recent years.

[logger]

I could be wrong, that's only happened once before, but I would dispute the 9000 head.

In February/March 2009, the Yakima
herd was estimated at 9,133, according to the WDFW
.............................
The survey data for the Yakima herd matches the
harvest data fairly closely. A high antlerless harvest since
1999 has probably reduced the population. Historic
harvest indicates the Yakima population has gone through
cycles. Relatively low cow harvest in the mid-1980’s
resulted in an increasing population that was reduced in
the early 1990’s. The population likely peaked 1999-2000
and decreased in recent years.

    I could be way off the mark here, I am going off my exp. only of spending a fair share of my life there. Looking at the data they use the words probaly, fairly closley, likely, doesn't seem as if their too sure of their numbers either. Another thing I wonder about is when the herds are down for the most part and you add up all the feeding station numbers as I have in the past, I come up with 3500-4000 head in a good year, so less than half of the herd is accounted for. And how many that come off the rez that go down into the klickitat valley are actually part of the yakima herd? if any at all.

[STIKNSTRINGBOW]

Surveys
Post-hunt aerial surveys were conducted in February
and March 2009. Survey units were stratified and
randomly selected. About 100% of the Colockum and
70% Yakima units were surveyed. Surveys were
weighted toward high-density units so >95% of the herd
was surveyed. Feedlots for the Yakima herd were ground
surveyed. PMU 34 was surveyed as a separate area inJanuary. All survey units on the Hanford ALE site and a
random selection of units on the Central Hanford,
southeast Yakima Training Center and surrounding
private land to the south and west of ALE were surveyed.
Calf recruitment in both the Colockum and Yakima
herds was down substantially from the previous year
(Tables 2 and 3). Historical harvest data has not always
followed trends seen on surveys. When dramatic shifts in
calf ratio were observed in the 1990’s, harvest often
showed the opposite trend. There is some late spring
mortality after surveys are completed but
misclassification is also a potential problem, especially in
large groups. In recent years, no attempt has been made
to classify calves from large groups, during aerial
surveys. Ratios from ground counts and smaller groups
are applied. This change has increased confidence in the
ratios and appears to be a better indicator of recruitment.
The observed bull ratio in the Yakima herd was
within the objective of 12-20 bulls per 100 cows. There
are a large number of raghorns from the large yearling
bull recruitment in 2007.
The high 2007 yearling bull
recruitment did not show up as raghorns on the winter
range in 2008 or 2009. Some aerial and ground surveys
have been conducted outside normal winter range, but
significant numbers of young bulls have not been found.
Bull recruitment has not been keeping up with mortality.

Of course this is only in their report, things are never as good as they say.....