skokomish unit

[PlateauNDN]

Just some info. in regards to the Skokomish Tribes efforts in preservation of elk.

http://nwifc.org/2010/03/skokomish-elk-survey-brings-home-a-lesson-for-kids/

Skokomish Tribe Elk Survey Brings Home a Lesson for Kids
Mar 29th, 2010 • Category: News

MATLOCK – A group of homeschooled siblings got an unexpected lesson in wildlife biology outside of Shelton recently.
Skokomish tribal natural resources staff were out on an elk collaring survey when they spotted an uncollared herd in a private pasture.  With permission from the property’s owners, the tribe was able to track, capture and collar a female from the herd. The Global Positioning System (GPS) collar allows the tribe to follow the herd’s movement for the study.
 
The herd is a regular visitor to the Hager family, which owns the 41-acre pasture. But being able to witness and participate in a real-life science study opened up the eyes of the five homeschooled Hager children. The two oldest boys, 13 and 11, helped administer medicines given to the elk while she was sedated.
 
“That was pretty interesting,” said Tomokazu Hager, 13. “It felt like we were kind of part of Animal Planet.”
 
“We’ve never seen an elk that close before,” added Wes Hager, 10. After the elk was collared and released, the kids received a quick lesson in elk behavior, as well as a tour of the helicopter that was used to track the herd. The family also decided to name “their” elk Sacajawea and will integrate their observations into their studies.
 
Since 2008, the tribe has been tracking the herds within its primary hunting area, Game Management Unit 636, counting only about 150 elk.
 
“That is way too low – the herd population needs to be up around 500 elk or so,” said Bethany Tropp-Brinkerhoff, the tribe’s wildlife biologist. “We have several herds that we’re focusing on, trying to mark their foraging ranges and population growth.”
 
The tribe’s goal is to collar several elk in each herd so movements can be tracked year round. The tribe will also enhance elk foraging areas this fall with the Olympic National Forest by planting native trees and plants, such as dogwoods, snowberries and willows in areas where the elk are known to feed.
 
“Preserving the area’s elk population is key to supporting the tribe’s treaty-reserved right to hunt elk, which contribute to the tribe’s subsistence and ceremonial needs,” said Joseph Pavel, the tribe’s natural resources director. “Elk is a traditional food that is low in fat and a good source of protein.”
 
The tribe is partnering with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife on this project.
 
END

Another story in regards to their efforts for preservation and restoration.

http://nwifc.org/2011/01/skokomish-tribe-forest-service-collaborate-on-elk-habitat-restoration/

Skokomish Tribe, Forest Service collaborate on elk habitat restoration
Jan 4th, 2011 • Category: News

The Skokomish Tribe and U.S. Forest Service collaborated this fall to plant native trees and shrubs on 30 acres of previously pre-commercially thinned stands in the South Fork of the Skokomish River to improve elk habitat in the Olympic National Forest.
 
Plants included red elderberry and snowberry bushes and willow and red osier dogwood trees. During the fall of 2009, cuttings of the four species were obtained from the watershed and the plants have been growing for the last year with Sound Native Plants of Olympia, Wash.
 
The native plants make for good habitat because they appeal to the animals and are highly nutritious, said Bethany Tropp, the tribe’s wildlife biologist. She hopes the herd of 43 elk that live in the area, State Game Management Unit 636, will use the area more now that there is better habitat.
 
“These plants also provide food for a number of other mammal and bird species,” said Betsy Howell, an Olympic National Forest biologist who worked with Tropp on the project. “We know these stands that have been clearcut generally have lower plant species diversity. Augmenting what is there with nutritious wildlife forage is one way to improve that.”
 
Slash in the stands was cut and piled to make planting easier and eliminate migration hazards for the herd.
 
“Elk won’t enter areas full of brush because they can break their legs easily,” Tropp said. “They are more likely to go through areas with easier access such as clear cuts, but those areas may have lower quality nutrition. Hopefully they’ll utilize these improved areas more.”
 
Funding for this project came from the tribe and the Olympic National Forest.

Sounds like they're doing a lot more than what some might think for their area.  A pile of bones on the side of the road could have came from anywhere and who's to say it was the Tribes pile of bones?  Did anybody witness the incident?  It could have been a number of things and unless somebody actually witnessed the event nobody will know for sure. 

[Tbar]

Thanks for posting that.  Their  biologist is one of the best in the west.

[DIYARCHERYJUNKIE]

I never said I knew hence the  in my previous post and the natives I seen said the bones were way to clean to be natives  so must of been dumped from another area or poached.   

[bobcat]

What is needed is some logging and some fires to increase the feed for elk in the area. A lot of that area was logged back in the 80's and there hasn't been much logging since. So mostly it's 30 year old reprod, kind of like the Mt St Helens area where the elk are dieing off in the winter due to a lack of quality feed.

[dreamunelk]

Green Diamond has logged a lot of land with the home range of many of the marked groups.  Unfortunately soil conditions are not the most favorable to good forage for elk.  However, black-tailed deer do well on the forage.  hence more deer than elk.

[dreamunelk]

I believe you are more than likely correct that it was the Skok tribe, however there is a good chance that the elk could have been harvested outside of that unit (636). Their ceded area encompasses the hood canal area all the way up to the north side of the OP. I don't have any first hand knowledge of their workings, however I do know for fact they along with several other tribes on the Westside have become more proactive in resource management.  The helicopter sightings lately were probably doing a spring survey on the elk, weather it was wdfw or nwifc I have no idea, but the timeframe for a survey would make sense.

Depending on the time in the Archery season he was hunting it could also have been state hunters.  Many harvest and elk opening day, Cut and wrap the next and dump the bones soon after.  If it was not close to the rez it was not likely tribal because they have lots of place close to home to dump the bones.

Also I am pretty sure almost 100% the Skoks did not do a comp flight during state archery season. 

[Tbar]

I was referencing a recent late winter early spring flight not during state season.

[dreamunelk]

My bad!  Should have read a couple of times so it would sink into my over worked brain.

[bryg_12]

I had this particular tag last year for rifle. This Unit is by far one of the hardest Unit to hunt this side of the mountains, due to the overall terrian. Dont get me wrong their are elk, but its not easy. This hunt was a great experiance, but it did have its downfalls. 1) the first 5 out of 6 bulls i saw had their horns cut off, 2) After i found some really nice bulls, OUR  wonderful WDFW was up their pushing the elk with helicopter and plane towards the park. The closer you get to matlock and shelton, their is alot of poaching that transpires.

What a bunch of BS!  It is post like this that makes us hunter look stupid!  1) No one cuts the horns off bulls!  Why would they?  If you new anything about elk you would know that this would hurt the herd and not help the.  2)  The WDFW does not herd elk with a helicopter into the park.  Actually they very seldom and almost never fly a helicopter during an established season for obvious reasons.  Again if you new anything about elk especially Rosies then you would know that you can only herd for short distances with a helicopter.   Also show me an area in the skok that a helicopter could move elk any real distance at all.  Way to much cover. 

Shameful!

The truth is that the forage base in the Skok unit favors elk over deer.  It has never help high number of elk.  Both the tibe and the state hunt elk only by special permit in the unit.   Yes, there are some monster bulls in the unit.  Just have to work for them.

DREAMUNELK. If you don’t think these acts transpire, then you are mistakenly wrong, this not some crazy conspiracy. I know exactly what I saw and experienced, I saw multiple bulls with their horns cut flat above their eye guards. I have witnessed this firsthand two years ago, in a different unit also. Lastly In regards to helicopter and plane, whether they were pushing the elk or taking a head count, still didn’t help my situation. I didn’t say they were pushing the elk into the park, I said they were pushing towards the park, which would be NORTH.   Please see the link below where another individual posted basically the same thing I saw on my hunt a week after. Kinda weird?

http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php?topic=87345.0

Before you judge, you should probably get your facts straight.