Blues Elk Substantial Decline and the Root Cause

[Rainier10]

Calf elk are basically the same size as an adult deer.  It would make perfect sense that after the deer were depleted the cougars would shift to eating calf elk.

[nwwanderer]

No shift needed, per WDFW study cats kill elk all the time and most of those areas have met quotas and are closed to further cougar take.  How worried about the elk is WDFW?

[huntnnw]

Anybody know the specifics in the calf mortality study they did? such as did they collar random calves in all of the Blue mountain units? Ive been in Mt view and the calves there are not hurting. Lots of calves, hundreds of deer, most whitetails Ive ever seen on the river. The deer in the breaks of that area have never been hurting.Quality is the only thing lacking in that country in the mule deer

[elkchaser54]

Anybody know the specifics in the calf mortality study they did? such as did they collar random calves in all of the Blue mountain units? Ive been in Mt view and the calves there are not hurting. Lots of calves, hundreds of deer, most whitetails Ive ever seen on the river. The deer in the breaks of that area have never been hurting.Quality is the only thing lacking in that country in the mule deer

If you scroll back in this post you will find the link to the article, it showed nearly 80% of calf elk were killed by cats and the overall mortality was almost 90% of the collared calfs died .

[nwhunter]

Anybody know the specifics in the calf mortality study they did? such as did they collar random calves in all of the Blue mountain units? Ive been in Mt view and the calves there are not hurting. Lots of calves, hundreds of deer, most whitetails Ive ever seen on the river. The deer in the breaks of that area have never been hurting.Quality is the only thing lacking in that country in the mule deer

Majority of the calves captured were in Dayton area I believe

[Landowner]

Quick update. WDFW staff on the elk calf mortality committee said last year  plan to help mitigate impact on elk mortality from predators would include going after and killing cougars, etc  with hounds.

But now staff with advice of AG says RCWs don’t authorize killing predators with use of hounds to help protect other wildlife populations like elk and deer. See RCW 77.15.245

So, absent a legislative amendment, the cats and bears will run free unmolested to kill large numbers of  ungulates, except during authorized hunting seasons.  Too late this year for any attempt to get favorable legislation, not to mention the problems in getting any passed with the makeup of the legislature. 

Another mortality study on elk calves will be done in May-June. Not sure where this ends up. I can say the County Commissioners and stakeholders on the committee will try our best to make a difference.  No guarantees. The predator advocate groups are well funded and organized to fight for predators at every juncture.  Stay tuned. 

[Tbar]

Quick update. WDFW staff on the elk calf mortality committee said last year  plan to help mitigate impact on elk mortality from predators would include going after and killing cougars, etc  with hounds.

But now staff with advice of AG says RCWs don’t authorize killing predators with use of hounds to help protect other wildlife populations like elk and deer. See RCW 77.15.245

So, absent a legislative amendment, the cats and bears will run free unmolested to kill large numbers of  ungulates, except during authorized hunting seasons.  Too late this year for any attempt to get favorable legislation, not to mention the problems in getting any passed with the makeup of the legislature. 

Another mortality study on elk calves will be done in May-June. Not sure where this ends up. I can say the County Commissioners and stakeholders on the committee will try our best to make a difference.  No guarantees. The predator advocate groups are well funded and organized to fight for predators at every juncture.  Stay tuned.

@Saylean
This was info I referenced in pm that you said you knew about. Unfortunate but these are the cards in play.

[elkchaser54]

Yea I ran in to a couple of the locations where they collated the calfs and both location were in the Dayton unit. Having hunted mtn view and Dayton , I would definitely say Dayton has been hit harder in the recent years vs mtn view.

[huntnnw]

Yea I ran in to a couple of the locations where they collated the calfs and both location were in the Dayton unit. Having hunted mtn view and Dayton , I would definitely say Dayton has been hit harder in the recent years vs mtn view.

from what I have heard dayton has been hit the hardest. There never seems to be a shortage elk when I m down fishing and glassing hills.

[sixgun_symphony]

The reason why the urban Left was able to abolish bear baiting, trapping, and hunting with hounds is that most sportsmen and most gun owners don't vote. We get too many of the "leave me alone" personality types that will not participate in the political process. What they do not comprehend is that they allow others to rule over them by not voting.

[dvolmer]

The reason why the urban Left was able to abolish bear baiting, trapping, and hunting with hounds is that most sportsmen and most gun owners don't vote. We get too many of the "leave me alone" personality types that will not participate in the political process. What they do not comprehend is that they allow others to rule over them by not voting.

I totally agree that we all need to vote!!!  But sadly, we just don't have enough votes in this Lib-Tard state to do any good.  This state is Baked! Done!! Doomed!!!  Only chance we have is to split off Eastern Oregon and Eastern Washington and make our own state.  But that will never be allowed.  Washington isn't the only state going to Hell and a Handbasket.  Even a lot of the big boy states when it comes to hunting are in trouble in the near and distant future.  Colorado, Montana, Idaho etc etc are having Lib-Tards leave the states they have destroyed and moved in.  Sad part is they still vote the same (Liberalism is not a political stance, it is a mental disorder).  These states are behind us but in 20 years they will be where we are now.  I have seen Washington State going down hill for 50 years.  I just never dreamed it would accelerate at the rate it has in the last 2-4 years.  Unbelievable total destruction.

[Jimmy33]

The reason why the urban Left was able to abolish bear baiting, trapping, and hunting with hounds is that most sportsmen and most gun owners don't vote. We get too many of the "leave me alone" personality types that will not participate in the political process. What they do not comprehend is that they allow others to rule over them by not voting.

I totally agree that we all need to vote!!!  But sadly, we just don't have enough votes in this Lib-Tard state to do any good.  This state is Baked! Done!! Doomed!!!  Only chance we have is to split off Eastern Oregon and Eastern Washington and make our own state.  But that will never be allowed.  Washington isn't the only state going to Hell and a Handbasket.  Even a lot of the big boy states when it comes to hunting are in trouble in the near and distant future.  Colorado, Montana, Idaho etc etc are having Lib-Tards leave the states they have destroyed and moved in.  Sad part is they still vote the same (Liberalism is not a political stance, it is a mental disorder).  These states are behind us but in 20 years they will be where we are now.  I have seen Washington State going down hill for 50 years.  I just never dreamed it would accelerate at the rate it has in the last 2-4 years.  Unbelievable total destruction.

Agreed...not sure why an self respecting American who loves freedom votes Democrat these days