Free: Contests & Raffles.
I have been a firm that the amount of pressure on the elk in this area has more effect than anything. The fish and game has set seasons from August to January. The elk here are literally hunted for half of the year. The article today in the Daily News talks about these January cow tags, and the fact that these tag holders are taking cows with fetus's. I think there is a way to thin the herd without having such a dramatic effect on the animals themselves. There is no lax time for them to forage and conserve much need energy. I think they should lengthen the general seasons we have and do away with stretching out the total numbers of months in the field.
Quote from: furbearer365 on January 13, 2012, 05:55:38 PMI have been a firm that the amount of pressure on the elk in this area has more effect than anything. The fish and game has set seasons from August to January. The elk here are literally hunted for half of the year. The article today in the Daily News talks about these January cow tags, and the fact that these tag holders are taking cows with fetus's. I think there is a way to thin the herd without having such a dramatic effect on the animals themselves. There is no lax time for them to forage and conserve much need energy. I think they should lengthen the general seasons we have and do away with stretching out the total numbers of months in the field.I could'nt agree any more with this statement. The constant pressure and stress that the pressure puts on the elk will lead to more disease. I can't quote studies but I know there has been studies on elk from hunting pressure of wolves in other states and how the constant pressure from not being able to relax all year leads to malnutrition and illness.IMO there needs to be some consideration that the added pressure from the cow permits may be a leading cause of the spread of HOOF ROT.
I dont believe that the increase of cow tags are needed in some units. And if they are worried about the elk starving why do they pick a time of the year when increased stress will do more bad then good?
I am not sure how WDFW correlates some elk starving in the mudflow a few years ago to needing to kill cows in the Winston unit. It is probably more timber company browse complaints that spurred these January tags. What I want to see if this is a one time deal to reduce herd numbers or if we will see these late cow tags year after year. My guess is they are a money maker for WDFW and we will not see them go away. A good example is the Wildwood and Boistfort units, these late Jan. cow tag #'s keep increasing along with the cow tags in the general seasons as well. Elk numbers in these units have dramatically dropped due to the elevated cow harvest and I am sure the hoof rot issues have contributed as well. Is WDFW doing any management on these units that is best for the herds or is it their typical maximize the income to the department approach.
I think they should give more tags for the environmentalist. It's sickening to watch the National Forest to go to hell.. They need to log that sum biatch! No kitchen=no food=no elk..Otherwise, I agree with more cow permits.. Higher the Bull to Cow ratio the healthier the herd. I hunted my arse of this last season. Every timber stand, every creek bottom and swamp, hrs glassing in a gated unit. End Result this year, 19spikes, 85 cows. Not how it should be.. Had I not spent so much time in the brush the spike and cow numbers woulda been alot higher.
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