Is there a need for the cow hunts in SW WA?

[WSU]

WDFW has stated that the increase in cow tags is due to the St. Helens herd out-growing its winter range.  Specifically, WDFW has said that the increase was due to the recent winter mortality in the Toutle Valley.  I presume these elk are those that live up around St. Helens itself.

I find myself questing whether hundreds of cow tags in the Coweeman, Stella, etc. are going to eleviate the problem. Killing elk west of I-5 seems unlikely to affect elk living at Johnson Ridge.  Shouldn't the harvest be concentrated in the handful of units right around St. Helens, or perhaps in an elk area created for that purpose? 

[Huntbear]

With Weyerhauser logging practices (not a bad thing)  elk populations have exploded in the low country around SW Washington.  To keep the bull to cow ratio in place then yes, there needs to be a certain percentage of cows taken every year.   Even west of I-5 this is an issue.

Also, with the lack of logging.. ie lack of grass and forage in the Nat'l. Forest, due to logging restrictions, the elk will migrate down to lower elevations for feed.  So yes it is a BIGGER issue around the volcano, but not restricted to that specific area.

[WSU]

I realize that killing cows is necessary to a degree.  But is the Weyerhauser land really over capacity?  While I'm not a biologist, there appears to be a big plenty of feed (and healthy, fat elk) in the areas around longview.

[wrongway]

I do feel that our WDFW has gone over board with the killing of cows in SW WA, I live up here in Toutle and there has been a big drop in the elk population, the herds are gone in some areas. Yes I agree that we need to manage the elk, but in some of the areas they are killing lots of cows that do not have a food problem. The elk that are starving are the mud flow elk and I would guess that some of the ones that they are finding dead is from old age. Sad to see this going on with all the elk.

[Huntbear]

After all the bad press they received after all the elk were starving on the mudflow a couple years ago, they decided it would not happen again.  So they increased the cow tags to reduce the herds in case of another bad winter.

Do not complain, as soon as the wolves get to capacity, there will not be any elk to hunt anyway....

[Arteman]

I don't see the harm in it, and I haven't seen a decrease in Elk population anywhere tremendous enough that it shows, and I get around a lot  .  I only think that they should allow more hunts in the mud flow, and Margaret to deal with the problem, let the youth hunt it a LOT more, give these kids the best opportunity to harvest their first elk.

[wrongway]

The Mud Flow elk are the ones that are starving or dying of old age not the ones in the other local units, but they are the ones that are being hit hard, they need to increase the tags in the mud flow not the other areas.

[Arteman]

The Mud Flow elk are the ones that are starving or dying of old age not the ones in the other local units, but they are the ones that are being hit hard, they need to increase the tags in the mud flow not the other areas.

but a lot of Elk drop down out of the Margaret, Winston, and Toutle to winter there late in the year after general seasons are over, and then starve.  So they need to conduct these hunts in those areas earlier.  The gripe is to many wintering elk on the flow are starving and competing for food.

[Huntbear]

The Mud Flow elk are the ones that are starving or dying of old age not the ones in the other local units, but they are the ones that are being hit hard, they need to increase the tags in the mud flow not the other areas.

but a lot of Elk drop down out of the Margaret, Winston, and Toutle to winter there late in the year after general seasons are over, and then starve.  So they need to conduct these hunts in those areas earlier.  The gripe is to many wintering elk on the flow are starving and competing for food.

Not to mention the Coweeman, and Lewis (the old Marble portion anyway) contribute to the issues.   It is still a bull to cow ratio plan when it comes to other units.   I am not sure that the ryderwood or stella units benefit or not, since I have yet to see an elk in these units.  In the Washougal unit, dominated by the Weyerhauser tree farm above Yacolt, it is either sex for elk (has been since I can remember) and there are not that many there.     the locals all get into elk though every year.

[HntnFsh]

 I think WDFW has gone way overboard on these cow tags. For 1.there are probably just a small handfull more than 0 elk that head into the mudflows from the Winston. And those would be out of the newer part of the Winston.So killing more Winston cows isnt going to help the mudflow issue.I do agree with some of the ways that have already been mentioned for handling that.

I think I counted a total of 690 cow tags available for the Winston and Toledo units this last season.Which all come out of Winston.Beings Toledo is just an area of Winston.To me its way overkill. One of the reasons for such a high # of tags.According to WDFW is landowner damage complaints.My guess is Weyco,who has made great strides in allowing access during big game seasons.And a very small handful of farmers.The problem with the farmers is that they complain like crazy.But very few allow hunting or harvest of elk on their property.So they are also a part of the problem.

I think that WDFW has to find a better way of targeting small,very specific areas.And getting greater support from the farmers with damage complaints.

I hope that the cow permits available next year are a fraction of the ones they allowed this year.

[STIKNSTRINGBOW]

I feel that they could add a week to all seasons, same restrictions.
Increase harvest reduces total herd numbers, yet allows cows to survive and produce calves for future seasons,
if you reduce a herd from 13000 to 9000 by harvesting cows, you lose more elk than 4000, you lose elk for future seasons, and it will take the herd several years to recuperate.
If you increase harvest on legal bulls, and allow hunters more time afield, the antler restrictions will help with recruitment for next year (s) and keep numbers in acceptable levels for hunters to feel they have a reasonable chance of success, it is SUPPOSED to be a renewable resource, if it was a cornfield, would you kill half your seed before planting ?
Or would you lower your prices on your harvest to sell more ?
  Oh, I figured it out... 

[furbearer365]

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.

[elksnout]

I for one do not object to the controled hunting of cows. It has it's place to help maintain healthy herds. Just the over hunting of  entire herds. This bothers me greatly.

[BOWHUNTER45]

I was very surprised to see no fat at all on my sons elk ... plus there was hardly any meat around the neck ...if I shot one up here where I live I know I would of been carving fat off of it by the bucket loads ....

[Arteman]

I was very surprised to see no fat at all on my sons elk ... plus there was hardly any meat around the neck ...if I shot one up here where I live I know I would of been carving fat off of it by the bucket loads ....

Welcome to the Weco tree farm BowHunter, should have seen it in its glory about two months ago.