I thought there was more elk in yakima than wdfw thought!

[400out]

Don't know if any of you guys seen the numbers for cow tags in a couple of the yakima units  Bumping! 5 cow and 77 bull! So much for meats tags in that area! I would love to have been a fly on the wall when they talked about that one  Is this going to change any of your guys hunts this fall?

[boneaddict]

no

[Wenatcheejay]

There are a few animals taken out of there without WDFW purchased tags every year

[hughjorgan]

They eliminated all the cow tags for archery in 352(except in the late season) and 356 last year and opened up 346 for us. I believe they were only counting the animals that came down to the winter feeding stations and that is how they conducted there surveys of how healthy the herd is. I would guess that would skew there survey quite a bit.

From the 2010 Status/Trends Report...

A post-hunt aerial survey was conducted over 100% of
the Colockum winter range in March 2010. In the
Yakima herd, ground counts were conducted on feed
sites in early February. No aerial survey was
conducted because a light snow pack concentrated few
animals on the winter range, making aerial surveys
ineffective. The population was indexed using ground
survey and harvest data.

[dreamingbig]

They claim PMU 35 is below goal and thus needs the restrictions while there are too many north of hwy 410 and south of hwy 12.  Archery hunters get to harvest zero cows while their are still cow permits for mf and muzzle.

Look at the increased permit levels for cows in little naches and rimrock.  You should be happy.

[Killmore]

I find it interesting that the game department say's the yakima herd is above there objective number of 9500 head. (they claim 10550 head know) How can they claim that number only by what's at the feed station,low harvest could be because of less elk? Just because there's supposable more elk at the feed station one year, maybe that has to do with above average snow pack.  I  think they feed something like 3000 head between all the feed station's so that would put something like 7500 head that don't show up. But heck they do need to sell license's and  permit application...

[rtspring]

The Yakima herd is in really good shape from what I have seen the last few years/ I could care less what the WDFW says, I don't think they really know when it comes down to it.   I hunt one of the most crowded areas and have been in the ELK every single day...  Gotta find the little holes they hide in.

[Killmore]

RT, what bothers me is that hunting gmu 340-336 for 35+ years  and seeing how it's changed is what concerns me. Am i getting older,YES, have i changed my hunting habits, NO.. I guess i should not worry about the department either because i think they like to mess with the number's..

[YoterHunter]

like i tell people the game department do anything other tell us when- where and how  much we will pay they dont manage any game. or fish.they manage us.

[STIKNSTRINGBOW]

RT, what bothers me is that hunting gmu 340-336 for 35+ years  and seeing how it's changed is what concerns me. Am i getting older,YES, have i changed my hunting habits, NO.. I guess i should not worry about the department either because i think they like to mess with the number's..

20+ years there myself, used to see a lot more Elk, matter of fact used to see a lot more hunters too.........
at least there are a lot more branched bulls......
spikes can be pretty few and far between 

[rtspring]

any of you guys remember the late 80's early 90's  you could barely find a place ot park on the sides of any road. Man there were a ton of people. I think alot of people hate the SPIKE rules, but it sure has given us the chance at some monster bulls....   

[STIKNSTRINGBOW]

any of you guys remember the late 80's early 90's  you could barely find a place ot park on the sides of any road. Man there were a ton of people. I think alot of people hate the SPIKE rules, but it sure has given us the chance at some monster bulls....

I remember when if you saw a spike, it was running with its tongue hanging out of its mouth, there were guys all over the place.
All you had to do was sit still and the elk would run past you eventually.

[brianmtsinc]

The Yakima herd is in really good shape from what I have seen the last few years/ I could care less what the WDFW says, I don't think they really know when it comes down to it.   I hunt one of the most crowded areas and have been in the ELK every single day...  Gotta find the little holes they hide in.
 

[rtspring]

The spikes look like this