Elk lure Washington hunters
Northeastern Washington’s elk population continues to grow and expand. Although the number of elk killed is low in this generally thickly vegetation country – only 388 last year in all of Ferry, Pend Oreille, Spokane and Stevens counties even though “any” bull can be taken in some units – elk continue to spread to new areas.
“In 1978, the only elk in the northeast were around Sullivan Lake,” said Steve Zender, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife biologist in Chewelah. “Now the elk have really taken hold in the 49 Degrees unit and you can see them just about anywhere.”
Good elk hunting can be found from Calispell Peak south through Flowery Trail, 49 Degrees North Ski area and Cliff Ridge to the private lowlands in the Cottonwood Creek drainage, he said. “You’ll find them in LeClerc Creek through Browns Lake, as well as near Deer Park, Hunter-Springdale Pass, and up north around Colville and Northport.”
An increase in forest thinning for fire control has improved habitat, he said.
Hunters in units 101-124 bagged 166 bulls last year compared with 118 in 2005. Modern firearms hunters took 103 elk.
Muzzleloader success in the northeast corner has improved from only 4 elk taken in 2002 to 33 elk taken last year. Smoke-pole shooters benefited from an early-October any-bull season that expanded in 2003 from unit 111 into unit 113 and then into 117. Muzzleloaders can kill any elk in units 101-108 and 121-142.
“But we know this is still tough country to hunt because of the low success rate we have on our cow permits,” Zender said. “In 49 Degrees North (unit 117) last year we gave a total of about 50 either-sex permits to modern rifle and muzzleloader hunters and only one of those hunters reported filling a tag.”
Mount Spokane’s herd totals about 250 elk in eight groups ranging from 15 animals in the Thompson Creek area to 35 around Peone Prairie and Forker Road, said Howard Ferguson, agency biologist.
“The trick is finding a place to hunt and then finding the elk on the place before they run a short ways an onto somebody else’s place,” he said.
Even with the state’s most liberal hunting rules – general season modern firearms hunters can shoot any elk – 691 hunters killed only 42 elk last year in unit 124.
South of Interstate 90, the Mica Peak herd numbers about 75, some of which venture in and out of Idaho. These elk are doing well, except that a few hunting groups seem to have pegged the big-bull hangouts. “We’re seeing a low number of mature bulls,” he said.
By far the best hunting in this area is in unit 130, targeting the 400 or so elk that move in and out of Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge. Both the success rates and the number of elk bagged are at least two times better than any other unit in Northeastern Washington.
Problem is, almost all the private land in this unit is leased.
Next year, however, Ferguson said there’s a good chance Turnbull Refuge staff will complete a management plan that will allow the state to offer a few special permits for hunting within the refuge.