Colockum Elk Herd (UPDATED)

[colockumelk]

Idaho and Loki thank you. Idaho I don't let them bother me. It only stiffens my resolve to continue to do what I believe is right by that herd. I appreciate tje support guys I really do.

[Karl Blanchard]

Last year was my first year hunting the colockum and I could not believe what goes on up there!  I am a yakima native and have hunted white and chinook passes all my life and I have never seen elk herds in september like that.  Groups of 50-100 cows and 1 herd bull with maybe 1-3 satellites!  We saw 3 different groups of elk on that hunt and 2 of the three had no spikes of any kind in or around them.  The last group (the biggest) had 4 spikes and only one was a true spike (see dead elk picture on previous page )  It was constantly frustrating to start hiking only to hear a truck and then stumble into a road.  It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what is wrong up there.  Anyone who thinks that there should be a road in every drainage and ridgetop obviously is more concerned with not having to break a sweat than the well being of an elk herd.  I am constantly amazed at the atv guys that just out and out don't care about a closed road sign and just drive right on past in plain view of the world!  I have no attachment to the colockum like my brother does and I won't be hunting it unless with him,  but if I can see the writing on the wall and others who have hunted it for years still refuse to see it than in my eyes they are selfish and ignorant.  Just my 

[idahoelkhunter300wby]

BLRman, you said it all rite there! Its to bad the officials in Olympia ect, can't see as clearly as you can what is happening up there!

[Krawdaddy20]

You seem to forget why the game department went to the true spike bull restriction. Genetics. It is proven that bulls from the colockum herd will not be true spikes but 1x2's or larger. They are culling out the bulls with poor genetics. The biggest problem is the tribal hunters, they shoot only bulls. The Yakima's have no policing of themselves. They do what ever they want and there is no way to prevent it. The treaty of 1855 and the State vs Buchanon fixed that. But while everybody is having a debate, I will spend my time hunting and harvesting elk in the colockum; like I did this year and have in years past.

[Krawdaddy20]

If there is anything I would like to see is a brow tine restriction. Just like Montana. No different than the 3 point or better where the point has to be an inch. 4" brow tine.

[colockumelk]

The easiest way to decrease tribal harvest up there is road closures. But that impacts other people too.

[PlateauNDN]

Colock, you're doing a fine job keep it up, don't let them get the best of you.  ROAD CLOSURES.

[Elkaholic daWg]

You seem to forget why the game department went to the true spike bull restriction. Genetics. It is proven that bulls from the colockum herd will not be true spikes but 1x2's or larger. They are culling out the bulls with poor genetics. The biggest problem is the tribal hunters, they shoot only bulls. The Yakima's have no policing of themselves. They do what ever they want and there is no way to prevent it. The treaty of 1855 and the State vs Buchanon fixed that. But while everybody is having a debate, I will spend my time hunting and harvesting elk in the colockum; like I did this year and have in years past.

WDFW created this mess in  94 (or thereabout) when they went Spike only and  CREATED the Native (bad apple)and poacher Bull farms up there.

[colockumelk]

Elkaholic I agree but what was the alternative? The bull to cow ratio was even worse. It was 2:100.  The alternative was permit only. The WDFW was between a rock and a hard place.

[coachcw]

one in three spikes are true spikes . that why they went true spike to even further limit harvest . one fact we cant deney is that there is way to many hunters in the two units . go draw only and road clossures . limit the total harvest and manage the tribal kills aswell . without all asspects of management you cant manage the herd . if you build the bull to cow ratio back up it will only mean more bulls for the tribes to harvest !

[huntnnw]

Close the roads!!! will help dramaticaly..keep the lazy asses up there from shooting elk in the winter, cause by god they would want to leave the truck to get the bull they shot

[winshooter88]

You guys talk about the good old days 10 years ago, we've hunted the Colockum for over 40 years. If you really want to see the good old days go back 25-30 years, then you could see what things used to be like. The Tekison & Stray Glutch road closures are because the WDFW does not want to maintain the roads where they wash out. Parts of both of these roads either run right next to the creek or in the creek bed in some places. Pete Lopushinsky has been the Colockum Game Range manager for at least 10 years, this is not a new position. Ken Kilgore was the previous game range manager and held that position for over 25 years. So maybe you should get at least those facts straight. I know this because I have worked on habitat projects and filling game feeders with both of these men. As for roads in the Colockum more than you can guess have already been closed, and the gates that Pete has are probably going to be used on roads that are already closed. Also at the meeting in Ellensburg on the 11th there were only a few comments against the winter road closures. most of the people either didn't comment or supported the current or even more widespread closures. The WDFW is working on a program to facilitate more road closures in the 328 area at this time. 

[JJB11B]

The good ole days? Yall are livin em! you guys have one of the best elk hurds in the Country!

[winshooter88]

JJB, that's OK you just keep living that dream. It doesn't matter if you believe it or not, the Colockum herd is in trouble. And if these are the good old days like you say, then 25 years ago must have been a taste of heaven.

[alanger]

there are alot of roads already closed but i have a couple more in mind that it wouldnt hurt to shut down. .02