(poll added) Management input on Colockum Elk

[bearpaw]

I hear a lot of talk about the Colockum elk herd, the problems it faces, and how managing this herd like the rest of E. WA doesn't seem to work. A few of you guys know this herd intimately, if you could change the management to try and improve this herd, what changes do you think would work the best to improve this herd?




I added a poll to gather your opinions before the upcoming commission meeting!

[colockumelk]

Dale I wrote a paper on this exact subject last year. Complete with graphs. I compare it to another elk herd. If you want I will email it and the newspaper article written about it. I can do it as soon as I get to work in tje AM.

The basic issue is this. Yearling bull recruitment is extremely low. Only about 20% live through the general season. A large increase in tribal hunting and poaching is having a growing impact on mature bulls. Cow harvest has been eliminated since 2004 so the harvest has been completely focused on bulls. So tje cow population has increased and the bull population has decreased. The bull:cow ratio is 5:100 which is 4x lower than what it should be. The low bull to cow ratio significantly increases the bull populations natural mortality rate and also decreases the calf:cow ratio which is 27:100, which is 2x lower than it should be.

The reason for the low spike recruitment is a couple of things. For one the herd is not migratory. Unlike other herds which stays high far away from roads until tje snow flies, the Colockum herd stays low amongst the roads all year long. Speaking of roads the Colockum has a lot of roads and coupled with tje open terrain makes it so the elk don't have many places to escape hunting pressure. The area is open so there isn't a lot of places to hide. Also tje area is extremely popular so a lot of people hunt it.

This part might be getting into the weeds a bit. There is a game preserve called the Arthur Coffin Game Preserve. The elk know they are safe there so by the time the hunting season rolls around 50% of the elk herd is in or around the preserve. There are a lot of roads around the preserve. So it makes these elk very susceptible to poaching and tribal hunters. During the general season the place is literally ringed with camps. Since the place is so crowded with elk the least dominant elk get kicked out. The less dominant being spikes. So they hang around the outside of the preserve and are very vulnerable to licensed hunters. 

What needs to happen is this. Start with antlerless tags given out. Try to cut tje cow population from 3,690 to 2,700. This will focus some of the harvest off of yearling bulls creating some escapement. Start some road closures to provide escapement. I suggested to the WDFW to create a roadless area around the game preserve of 1 mile. This would create the most amount of escapement for the most amount of elk for the cheapest. Them they need to close off a lot of the spur roads on the Naneum Basin. Again creating more escapement. In the Quilomene they need to continue with road closures during the winter to protect wintering elk from harassment, poachers and to decrease tribal harvest during the winter months.  All of the road closures I mentioned would not only create escapement for the elk during tje general season nut it would also protect them from poachers and reduce tribal harvest.

Road closures would create escapement for yearling bulls and mean a higjer bull recruitment. The cow permits wpuld also raise bull recruitmemt by focusing some of the harvest on cows. A decrease in cows due to harvest and increased bull recruitment would double the bull to cow ratio in 3 years. GUARANTEED!  No matter what we do we are still not going to fix the herd unless the Yakamas do the right thing and restrict their harvest or at the very least start reporting harvest. The Colockum has become very popular amongst the Yakamas and is a trophy hunt for them. They have a significant impact on the herd. In 2006 it was estimated ny tje WDFW that they harvested 40 bulls. That number is definately higher since more of their members hunt the Colockum. The only thing the WDFW can do is close roads to restrict road access.

The WDFW could give out 225 cow tags to archery, 90 to muzzle loader, and 230 for rifle. These numbers would harvest about 300 cows a year.  A last resort would be to go permit only for bulls. If this happened the WDFW could hand out 150 any bull tags to archery, 60 to muzzle loader and 160 to rifle.

Hope that answered your question Dale.

[bobcat]

No more general seasons.

Use SCIENCE and manage the herd by issuing the appropriate number of special permits for both antlerless elk and bulls. Eliminate tribal hunting or at the least, reduce it by 90%, which probably means gates on most roads.

Pretty simple really. I'm sure the WDFW knows what needs to be done. They just don't know how to do it without losing money.

[Wenatcheejay]

No more general seasons.

Use SCIENCE and manage the herd by issuing the appropriate number of special permits for both antlerless elk and bulls. Eliminate tribal hunting or at the least, reduce it by 90%, which probably means gates on most roads.

Pretty simple really. I'm sure the WDFW knows what needs to be done. They just don't know how to do it without losing money.

 

[gotshot]

Heck, Just let me hunt it, I am sure I could increase the herd just by being in the unit.

[GoPlayOutside]

Put up gates on roads.  (This will allow the elk to have a little peace during the calving and summer months.  This will also limit the Tribal hunting).

I hate to say it, but go to draw only for Any Bull.  Make it so you can draw the hunt every 2 or 3 years.  Hopefully, this would limit the hunters, and make it more of a quality hunt.

Possibly make it so there is no vehicle traffic within 3-5 miles of the Game Reserve on top.  This would make it so you had to hike your spike camp in to stay on top.  This has worked pretty well in Idaho.

[huntergreg]

No more general seasons.

Use SCIENCE and manage the herd by issuing the appropriate number of special permits for both antlerless elk and bulls. Eliminate tribal hunting or at the least, reduce it by 90%, which probably means gates on most roads.

Pretty simple really. I'm sure the WDFW knows what needs to be done. They just don't know how to do it without losing money.

 

[colockumelk]

I am alel for permit only.  So please don't take this the wrong way.  One thing that you have to consider is that if it goes to permit only you are going to be displacing 3,500 hunters (500 bow, 3,000 rifle).  So the question becomes if you do this so save and protect the Colockum elk herd, how big of an impact will this be on the Yakima elk herd?  This is why I think that permit only should be used as a last resort.

I forgot to mention one thing.  We need to restore alot of the habitat up there.  Like Elkahawlic Dawg has said time and time again.  DNR has gone in there and removed WAY too much timber and hasn't restored any of it.  Alot of places that once offered cover and concealment (aka escapement) is now bare.  We need to work with the RMEF and start planting some trees.  If I lived there I would volunteer my time.  Maybe some of you Master Hunters could do this?  Or anyone that loves the Colockum?  So habitat restoration is also key.

I think in the next three years if we do some road managment, habitat restoration and cow harvest the elk herd can recover.  But I do think that after three years of this we should take another serious hard look at the Colockum elk herd and if bull recruitment has not improved by at least 15% then yes I think it is time for permit only. 

[leed]

I already said it in public and private conversations with WDFW. Permit only. I'd rather have a nice shot at a bull or cow tag every three or four years than aggrevating combat hunting that brings every road hunting idiot to the Colockum.  Suppose I'll get backlash on that.

[idahoelkhunter300wby]

I have an idea about the permit only idea. Im not recomending it or disagreeing with it. That being said, do you all think it would be feassable to come up with some sort of system where a hunter would be guaranteed to get to hunt every other year or maybe every 3 years.  Maybe if your wild ID number ends in an even number, you are eligible to hunt the colockum on even years? Odd year numbers get odd years. If not wild id maybe use SS#?
As far as saving the herd, its not gonna happen until the tribal poaching is stopped. I have said it repeatetly but ill say it again, you all have no idea how many animals are being brought off of that mountain. I do, and if you did, it would make you all sick and pissed off.
Somehow Phill Lancaster from East Wenatchee has got to be stopped. If anyone would like to stop by and talk to him about it, his home address is 45 south June, East wenatchee.  This guy is single handidly destroying the herd.  He isnt helping the deer herds around here either.
Thats enough to chew on for now. Im curious to hear other's thoughts on my toughts.

[Elkaholic daWg]

I'll have mine up in the next couple days.......

[provider]

No more general seasons.

Use SCIENCE and manage the herd by issuing the appropriate number of special permits for both antlerless elk and bulls. Eliminate tribal hunting or at the least, reduce it by 90%, which probably means gates on most roads.

Pretty simple really. I'm sure the WDFW knows what needs to be done. They just don't know how to do it without losing money.

This is the solution.

[colockumelk]

  No matter what we do we are still not going to fix the herd unless the Yakamas do the right thing and restrict their harvest or at the very least start reporting harvest. The Colockum has become very popular amongst the Yakamas and is a trophy hunt for them. They have a significant impact on the herd. In 2006 it was estimated ny tje WDFW that they harvested 40 bulls. That number is definately higher since more of their members hunt the Colockum. The only thing the WDFW can do is close roads to restrict road access.

I agree idaho. 

[colockumelk]

I already said it in public and private conversations with WDFW. Permit only. I'd rather have a nice shot at a bull or cow tag every three or four years than aggrevating combat hunting that brings every road hunting idiot to the Colockum.  Suppose I'll get backlash on that.

So something along the lines of this. We could afford to harvest 300 cows a year and 200 bulls a year from that herd. And the herd would stay at 4,500 elk which is the WDFW objective.   These numbers would also bring the bull:cow ratio up to 15:100 within 5 years.  This is a total of 1,155 total permits.  So in this instance we would only be displacing 1,855 hunters from 328/329.  Also you would be pulling 205 Muzzle Loader guys from the Yakima herd, so really we would only be displacing 1,650 hunters each year.  Since there is 12,500 hunters that hunt the Yakima herd every year 1,650 really isn't all that much more and I don't think would impact the Yakima elk herd like some seem to think.  Especially since 10 years ago 23,000 hunters hunted the Yakima herd for elk.   Currently there are only 7 Any Bull tags given out in the Colockum so the 475 that could be given out would be an increase of 68X more than what is currently given out.  So you would be 68X more likely to draw a Any Bull tag.  Tell me what you all think.  I will write it up if you all want and send it to the WDFW.  Again displacing these elk hunters is not going to affect the Yakima elk herd.     

Rifle: 228 cows x 85% success rate equals 270 cow permits
ML:  52 cows x  40% success rate equals  permits 130 cow permits
Archery: 70 cows x 25% success rate equals 280 cow permits
Total Permits 680


Rifle: 130 bulls x 65% success rate equals 200 Any Bull permits
ML:  30 bulls x 40% success rate equals 75  Any bull permits
Arhcery: 40 bulls x 20% success rate equals 200 Any bull permits.
Total Permits 475

[pat2bear]

No more general seasons.

Use SCIENCE and manage the herd by issuing the appropriate number of special permits for both antlerless elk and bulls. Eliminate tribal hunting or at the least, reduce it by 90%, which probably means gates on most roads.

Pretty simple really. I'm sure the WDFW knows what needs to be done. They just don't know how to do it without losing money.

This is the solution.

Yep. I suggest they do the same thing with the deer in some of the 300 gmu's. But I doubt it will ever happen because they'll loose too much $$$. Which boggles my mind why they want wolves here so bad.... They don't buy tags.