Elk Herds Still Not Recovering

Thu., Sept. 21, 2000

Fenton Roskelley Correspondent

The fall hunting picture isn’t rosy for Eastern Washington elk hunters.

Unless a hunter has a special permit, he or she may have to hunt long and hard to tag an elk.

Of course, luck is always a possibility.

Elk herds have declined significantly in Washington the last few years and they show few signs of recovering. Once one of the better states to hunt for elk, Washington no longer attracts good numbers of out-of-state hunters and many Washington residents have given up elk hunting in the state.

For the first time in many years, elk hunters can hunt throughout Eastern Washington. The five-tag system which limited them to hunting a specific region of the state, has been abolished and a two-tag system adopted, one for Eastern Washington and one for Western Washington.

When the change was made by the state Fish and Wildlife Commission a few months ago, tags had already been printed. But any Northeast, Blues, Colockum or Yakima tag will be legal in Eastern Washington.

Continuing low calf survival apparently has kept elk herds in the Blue Mountains from recovering. The elk population has dropped from about 6,500 in 1989 to 4,300 now.

A five-year study showed that predation from bears and cougars in the Blues is a big problem. However, biologists also are concerned about the quality of forage.

State biologists says most elk herds in the Blues have increased slightly. The herd in the Wenaha-Tucannon Wilderness is the exception. Biologists believe the hunter success in the Blues will be about 5 percent, compared to 10 percent in the late 1980s.

The Selkirk herd in northeast Washington has continued to increase, the agency says. The big problem for hunters is that the cover is dense in most areas, making the hunting of elk very difficult. Fresh snow enables hunters to find and track elk during the season.

Several dozen elk were trapped in the Hanford area of Central Washington and released in Northeastern Washington last year. But most of those animals were antlerless, and won’t provide much benefit to hunters this season.

The Yakima area probably will be the best area to hunt elk. The herd numbers about 13,000. The outlook is poor for the Colockum herd. Calf production and bull ratios are below normal. As a result, the department has discontinued the issuance of branched antler permits.

This sidebar appeared with story: HUNTING SEASONS Elk

Washington

Any Weapon: Oct. 28-Nov. 5

Archery (late): Nov.22-Dec. 8

Muzzleloader: Oct.7-13 and Nov. 22-Dec. 8

Local journalism is essential.

Give directly to The Spokesman-Review's Northwest Passages community forums series -- which helps to offset the costs of several reporter and editor positions at the newspaper -- by using the easy options below. Gifts processed in this system are tax deductible.

Meet Our Journalists

Jesse Tinsley

Meet Jesse Tinsley. As a certified drone pilot, this veteran Spokesman-Review photographer often can be seen capturing beautiful aerial photographs of our region. Sometimes though, the job requires getting down with the dogs.
Jim Meehan

Jim Meehan is no stranger to Zag Nation. As the lead writer covering the Gonzaga men’s basketball team, he tells the stories behind the game and gets fans a bit closer to their favorite players.
Molly Quinn

There is no artist in Spokane like Molly Quinn. Her whimsical style is instantly recognizable to readers of The Spokesman-Review. She has painted gorgeous illustrations that instantly elevate the journalism accompanying it. She brings to life the stories that defy photography. She makes our pages better.
Rob Curley

Spokesman-Review editor Rob Curley loves to talk with people and learn about their lives, whether it's a best-selling author or a stranger he meets downtown on his walk to lunch. It's that inquisitive nature combined with a playful sense of storytelling that helps make our newspaper different than most.