Elk Study Explained

Blue Mountains

Results from eight years of research on Blue Mountains elk will be explained by Washington Fish and Wildlife department biologists at public open houses scheduled this week.

The meetings will be held:

Tuesday, Inland Northwest Wildlife Council Building, 6116 N. Market St. in Spokane.

Thursday, Columbia County Fairgrounds Youth Building off Pine Street in Dayton, Wash.

Both sessions will run 5-9 p.m. An informal presentation will be made at 7 p.m., but interested persons can stop by at any time throughout the evening.

The agency’s researchers began studying adult elk in 1990 to learn more about where and how they live and die, particularly in respect to private agricultural lands where they cause damage.

With an apparent population decline, a spike-bull-only hunting rule was initiated in 1989 to increase the number of mature, branch-antlered bulls for better breeding of cows and improved calf numbers.

But calf elk survival appeared to remain low, so the state started a study of calf elk in 1993 to find out when and how they were dying.

The research found that bears and cougars take a high toll on elk calves each year. But research leader Woody Myers said wildlife managers must use caution in translating the research findings into policy.

Both studies used radio telemetry monitoring of elk, which concluded this year.