Huh.......Thanks I never seen that info. It is my opinion and has always been my opinion that the WDFW cannot handle the situation. The best things that happen in this state are because of good people trying to do the right thing, from poaching to land conservation we (sportsmen) are the answer. There is no way we can rely on the state to fix these problems and the fact is that we shouldn't. The state needs to find out what the problem is and then publish a quality artilcle written on what us private landowners can do to help or try to help. I've got a pile of elk burger in my fridge and want to keep it that way. These animals are part of my life and diiet. After December 15, I become more of an elk/deer farmer than a hunter guaranteed, and I've never taken an animal from this herd. Look at the deer mange problem we were having....The WDFW is happy to see that residing, so they don't look even more incompitent.
I've got plenty of questions........Should I hunt this herd? Should I be gentle and let them feed or push them off my grass and what about apples? Is there feed or salt I can give them to help? Where is all the copper? Why are elk in lowlands suffering more than elk up high? What is the WDFW doing and is it working? How much does the WDFW even care....I mean we see them running pontoon boats down the river regularly to check the fish that they can't figure out, but how much time is being devoted to an obviously suffering animal? Why has the WDFW never got back to me with any info what so ever? These answers should be obvious and easily found on the WDFW site......Heck I didn't even find this last article posted.......Should have spent more of my personal time I guess.
Sorry to be ranting but I just spent 6 hours looking this herd in the face and hoof. A WDFW reprsentative with answers is harder to hunt down than a trophy bull. I tell you what. I like to corner them at sportsmen shows and such where they have booths, but they just give me the run around. And another thing...this study sites the front or rear legs, but I seen several that had one bad front and one bad rear, on opposite sides, but I'm no biologist, just a *censored* with a pair of binoculars and a herd of elk in my yard 50' away. I need a better camera.
