Post by: Elkaholic daWg on January 13, 2012, 11:21:00 AM
WDFW NEWS RELEASE
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
600 Capitol Way North, Olympia, WA 98501-1091
http://wdfw.wa.gov/
January 13, 2012
Contact: Kevin Robinette, (509) 892-1001
Three meetings slated on draft northeast
Washington elk management plan
SPOKANE-A draft plan for managing elk in northeast Washington will be the subject of three public meetings Jan. 26- Feb. 2.
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is holding the meetings to discuss and take public comment on the plan, which has been revised in response to hunter input regarding elk numbers in northeast Washington.
The proposed elk management plan is referred to as the "Selkirk Elk Herd Plan" because it includes elk in the Selkirk Mountains of Pend Oreille County. Under the plan, the elk are considered as two distinct sub-herds-the Pend Oreille sub-herd and the Spokane sub-herd. The plan covers elk management in Pend Oreille, Spokane, Stevens, Ferry, Lincoln, Whitman, and eastern Okanogan counties of northeast Washington (Game Management Units 101 - 142 and 204.)
The meetings will take place from 7-9 p.m., on the following schedule:
* Jan. 26, at the Okanogan County Public Utility District (PUD) #1 Main Office, 1331 2nd Ave. N., in Okanogan.
* Feb. 1, at Center Place, 2426 N. Discovery Place, in Spokane Valley.
* Feb. 2, at the Northeast Washington Fairgrounds Building, 317 W. Astor Ave. in Colville.
Sportsmen's groups and others have long expressed an interest in elk numbers in some parts of northeast Washington, said Kevin Robinette, WDFW's regional wildlife manager in Spokane.
"We have managed elk in this part of the state-where elk groups are small and scattered-with liberal hunting rules to keep elk numbers low and minimize agricultural damage," Robinette said. "But we have heard from hunters that they want to see more elk."
Robinette said game managers are trying to address hunters' interest through the proposed plan, which should result in greater elk numbers by shifting from 'any elk' hunting seasons to restrictions on antlerless elk hunting in the Pend Oreille sub-herd areas, including units 101, 105, 108, 121 and 204.
"If agricultural damage problems should arise, we would address them through a variety of tools we use throughout the state," Robinette said.
The draft plan is available for review at http://wdfw.wa.gov/publications/01350/ , where a link provides opportunity to submit comments through Feb. 10.
The elk plan must be finalized before changes in Selkirk elk hunting seasons and regulations could be made. The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission is scheduled to review proposed new hunt rules in March and to consider adoption in April. If adopted, those rules would become part of 2012-14 state hunting rules package.
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Post by: dreamingbig on January 13, 2012, 01:35:44 PM
"In recent years, gray wolves have recolonized a portion of the range of the Pend Oreille elk sub-herd. How this will impact the Selkirk elk population is yet unknown. Work done in Idaho found that wolf-caused predation on radio-marked cow elk reached as high as 20%, although in most zones it was lower (1-5%; Idaho Fish and Game 2011)."
Post by: whacker1 on January 13, 2012, 01:57:34 PM
Post by: walt on January 30, 2012, 11:02:35 AM
Post by: Elkslayer on January 31, 2012, 10:52:54 PM
Post by: bearpaw on January 31, 2012, 11:12:38 PM
I am all for building the herds and have been an outspoken advocate for this, but it makes me mad with the timing. I honestly think they know they need to do this to try and save the herd so it doesn't make the wolves look bad.
I should be back in Colville by Thursday and hope to attend the meeting, I will likely support it, but if I get a chance to talk I am going to blast them about these wolves and their lack of monitoring. :bash:
Post by: Archeryoutfitters on February 02, 2012, 06:56:28 PM
We've got wolves in every GMU up here now and we have the pics to prove most of them.If you make the meeting let me know how it goes Dale i wont be able to get there. Thanks Brian
I am all for building the herds and have been an outspoken advocate for this, but it makes me mad with the timing. I honestly think they know they need to do this to try and save the herd so it doesn't make the wolves look bad.
I should be back in Colville by Thursday and hope to attend the meeting, I will likely support it, but if I get a chance to talk I am going to blast them about these wolves and their lack of monitoring. :bash:
Post by: bigbucks1985 on February 03, 2012, 10:22:03 PM