Blue mountain calf survival study!

[HntnFsh]

 Do they really need to spend a ton of money and waste a bunch of time to figure out what is obvious to a lot of people!


May 12, 202
Contact: Staci Lehman, 509-710-4511
WDFW begins Blue Mountains elk calf monitoring project
SPOKANE —The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) announced today that it will begin a multi-year elk calf survival monitoring project in the Blue Mountains. WDFW biologists will attempt to capture and radio-collar 125 elk calves, starting in mid-May, to monitor their survival and determine causes of death through the following year.
“This is a unique project to help us determine the primary causes of death for elk calves in the Blue Mountains,” said Anis Aoude, WDFW game division manager. “When a radio collar puts out a mortality signal, it’ll serve as a trigger for our biologists to quickly get out and determine the cause.”
The Blue Mountains elk herd plays an important role in this region’s ecosystems and provides the public with hunting and wildlife viewing opportunities. It initially declined below the population objective of 5,500 elk following a harsh winter in 2017 and was still estimated at 25% below objective in 2019. The population trended upward the following year but was found well below objective again in 2021.
WDFW reduced antlerless hunting opportunities beginning in 2017 to aid in population recovery, but department biologists believe a low number of calves surviving to one year of age may be the primary factor limiting population recovery. The study will help determine if this is the case, and if so, what is causing it. 
The elk calves will be captured and radio-collared using veterinarian-developed guidelines. The operation will take place in the northern Blue Mountains between Dayton and Asotin Creek.
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife works to preserve, protect and perpetuate fish, wildlife and ecosystems while providing sustainable fish, wildlife, and recreational and commercial opportunities.

[emac]

Hopefully they can find 125 calves. 

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[Caseyd]

Hopefully they can find 125 calves. 

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Could become a challenge.

[Rainier10]

Mid May?! Those calves are going to be awfully small. Someone might get a good to face from a pissed off cow.

[nwhunter]

Its good they are doing something but …. we have been telling them for years the predators are out of control in the Blues so now they will study and spend a few years figuring out that wow the guys with boots on the ground were right we need to raise the cougar quota and maybe add some bear tags and kill a few wolves... Too little too late I am afraid

[huntnnw]

  we all know why calves are not surviving and it doesnt take rocket scientist or a ton of money for this study to figure out. Cats, bears and wolves are all out of control. Stupid how many cats I got on camera and bears in the blues

[stickbuck]

we all know why calves are not surviving and it doesnt take rocket scientist or a ton of money for this study to figure out. Cats, bears and wolves are all out of control. Stupid how many cats I got on camera and bears in the blues

There’s no doubt the predators are the problem. It’s too bad it’s taken this many years for them to get this study going. A biologist told us in the early 90’s that elk calves were already seeing a mortality rate of almost 30 percent due to cats and bears. Has to be worse than that now.


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[lewy]

You keep loosing calves every year and before to long there won’t be hardly any breeding age cows, then the herd is really in trouble

[huntnnw]

there was a study just a few years ago up the lochsa and clearwater rivers on calf mortality and that study had a 46-48% loss due to bears!

then WDFW gives out some measly few spring tags is a joke, yet its open Aug 1 to november makes 0 sense. Should be a statewide spring general season

[MR5x5]

Maybe they should study the previous Blue Mtn studies of the exact same purpose. 

Let me guess....  1) Bears 2) Cougars 3) Wolves

[Fishmaker57]

Really? Again? WDFW did this study in the mid to late 90's!!!! They first thought it was bears doing the killing, then figured out it was cats, and the bears simply chased the cats off after the kill. I am sure they will find that some of it is wolves now, but does it really matter what predator is doing it? Talk about a giant waste of time and money....guess they must have lost all the data from the previous study!!!!!!

 

[idahohuntr]

there was a study just a few years ago up the lochsa and clearwater rivers on calf mortality and that study had a 46-48% loss due to bears!

then WDFW gives out some measly few spring tags is a joke, yet its open Aug 1 to november makes 0 sense. Should be a statewide spring general season

x1000

The number of bears in the blues is staggering and it is beyond belief, even for the joke that wdfw is, that they have highly restricted spring permits.  It's the one predator they could probably actually manage.

[jstone]

How many of these calves will die in the process? Do you think that they are to young to be chased around and stressed?

[timberfaller]

Maybe they should study the previous Blue Mtn studies of the exact same purpose. 

Let me guess....  1) Bears 2) Cougars 3) Wolves

Kinda like not wanting to study THEIR Mule Deer study from the 70's!   Already had my rant to one involved with the present "study" done in the same area!  Hint: common sense doesn't work with these "biologist" running the WDFW.

Oh ya, Bears love tender fawn's too!!