Idaho Elk

K

king

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Anybody know how the elk are doing in Idaho? With the wolves and the snow its probly another tough one.
 
Not good... Fish and Game is talking about cutting tags WAY back next year. I guess they finally have to admit the wolves are a problem. Snow in the southern portions of the state are not an issue this year, not sure about up North, they got a bunch more of the white stuff than we did.
 
In my 20 year younger days, used to hunt the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness outta Paradise Ranger station and up Bad Luck Cr draw to a drop camp....on foot.....always took last hunt of season....if there was heavy snow, we whacked them!!
 
shoots-straight said:
Meaning, we've had winter kill, or predation? Please fill me in.
Click to expand...

What do you think, SS. :D

I went to check out my Turkey spot last weekend. It used be full of whitetail and wolves through the winter. It also looked like a battlefield, with carcasses everywhere. 5 mile loop yielded no wolf sign and only a handfull of whitetails. They've cleaned up and moved on. Only one turkey spotted as well.....but it's early still.

Seeing a lot of dead mule deer on the east side this year......hard to say what % is from cats and what % is from wolves.

A fresh dead bull I came across a couple weeks ago had wolf tracks all around it. Someone already took the antlers, though. I've heard that "shed hunting" has been good in the West Fork this winter.......have you heard the same SS?
 
we have hunted the freezeout drainage for 20 years and there isn't near the elk that there used to be. Sad deal..not only that, but all those boys running hounds have to be careful too. Hopefully somebody will realize what the hell is going on and do something about it.
 
Sad article in one of the Banana Valley papers this week----don't remember which---Missoula, Hamilton---about guys losing their hounds to wolves after they had treed a cat but before they could get there in the snow.....and they checked for wolf prints before turning the hounds loose on a cat track....fugging wolves!!
 
Idaho mulls shorter elk hunting season
by The Associated Press Wednesday March 11, 2009, 1:51 PM
COEUR D'ALENE -- State wildlife managers are considering shortening the elk hunting season in northern Idaho to allow herds to recover from last year's harsh winter.

By shrinking the general rifle season by up to 10 days, the Department of Fish and Game hopes to reduce the cow elk harvest by 50 percent and the bull elk harvest by 15 percent for herds in the Panhandle Region.

Higher elk death rates are common in the winter, but state wildlife biologists say they are alarmed that they counted only 12 calves per 100 cows during recent aerial surveys. Biologists prefer a ratio of at least 30 calves per 100 cows to provide an adequate pool of younger animals to replace older ones that are killed by hunters or die of other causes.

Jim Hayden, the department's regional manager, told about 40 hunters during a meeting this week in Coeur d'Alene that there aren't enough calves to replace those taken by hunters unless the state acts.

Fish and Game officials are holding meetings around the region to discuss the proposed shorter elk season and other possible changes to big game hunts. The department is also suggesting a shorter doe season during fall deer hunts.

The Fish and Game Commission will make decisions on hunting seasons when it meets in Boise later this month.

A draft of the proposal suggests running the general rifle season from Oct. 10 through Oct. 24. In recent years, the season has started Oct. 10 and extended to Nov. 3 for the Panhandle Region, which spans most of the northern counties of Boundary, Bonner, Kootenai, Benewah and Shoshone.

The commission will also consider changing seasons for other hunting regions across the state.

The agency has been studying declining elk numbers in northern Idaho for several years.

Hunters have blamed growing numbers of wolves. Hayden acknowledged that wolves are a factor, but he said the winter of 2007-08, which was colder and longer than normal, was the primary reason for the low calf numbers.

"We're seeing lower calf ratios in every unit," Hayden told the crowd. "Where we don't have wolves, we're in trouble. Where we have wolves, we're in more trouble."

At least 135 wolves live in the Panhandle, according to Fish and Game estimates. Thirteen wolf packs have been identified in the region, along with one suspected pack and other wolves that aren't part of a pack.

Wolf numbers are highest south of Interstate 90, where their presence is influencing elk behavior.

During the aerial surveys in the St. Joe River drainage, Hayden spotted elk in herds of 100 or more -- apparently a defensive tactic. A wolf was watching one of the herds from about 75 yards away. Another herd of nearly 200 elk was bunched together across a ridge from five wolves.

Hayden said a shorter elk season is likely to frustrate many of the 20,000 hunters who buy elk tags to hunt in northern Idaho each fall.

Still, some hunters said they are willing to compromise now if it means improving the health of the elk.

"I'd rather take my hit now for better hunting opportunities in the future," Darren Vanhorn, of Coeur d'Alene, told the Spokesman-Review.
Click to expand...
 
...blog from BHR's link

Jackie wrote on Mar 16, 2009 9:37 PM:

" Look whose afraid of the big bad wolf. Never realized hunters were such a bunch of whiners and sissies. Dont want to lose your dogs to predators? Stop sending them out to chase big wild animals! Hunt with your own two eyes and your own two legs. "
Click to expand...
 
BigHornRam said:
What do you think, SS. :D

I went to check out my Turkey spot last weekend. It used be full of whitetail and wolves through the winter. It also looked like a battlefield, with carcasses everywhere. 5 mile loop yielded no wolf sign and only a handfull of whitetails. They've cleaned up and moved on. Only one turkey spotted as well.....but it's early still.

Seeing a lot of dead mule deer on the east side this year......hard to say what % is from cats and what % is from wolves.

A fresh dead bull I came across a couple weeks ago had wolf tracks all around it. Someone already took the antlers, though. I've heard that "shed hunting" has been good in the West Fork this winter.......have you heard the same SS?
Click to expand...


BigHorn,

I'd like to see were such carnage exits. I've been out almost all winter running cats, trapping , and hunting coyotes. I've seen 3 dead deer, two fawns that were killed by coyotes, and one that the wolves got. I've seen about a dozen elk killed mostly cats early on, but as of lately half have been wolf kill. No winter kill from otherwise natural causes.

The deer counts are lower, (bucks in 270 and 250 in the toilet) Only 1 1/2 bucks per 100 does in 250. Fawn recruitment is higher though. I know that the elk will tank. Lets not forget most of the kill can be attributed to our either sex seasons. Multi region deer B tags that were unlimited. Also seasons that have lasted 3 weeks longer than normal. Houndsman protecting lions only allowing 13 cats valley wide. As of this post only half the tags have been filled and most of those were since February. Usually the cats are killed in December but this year the one's that usually die have been killing for another 3 months more than normal. Predators are to blame for a lot of lost animals, but lets put blame where blame is due. That's on our opportunity hunters that are happy as a pig in chit getting a chance to kill anything they see. Good thing Vore left, as he was due for a tar and feather bath.

Look's like Obama needs a new Interior Secretary....
Click to expand...

I read the link, where did it say he was either fired or resigned?
 
If you really want to do somthing positive call this number: I took this from another post on bowsite:

[QUOTEThe Out-of-State Defenders of Wolves at the Expense of all Other Wildlife Organization [they refer to themselves as Defenders of Wildlife] is urging a call-in campaign to the F&W Service against the delisting of Wolves. May I suggest that your viewers also call in something as follows: Make your voice heard. Call the US Fish and Wildlife Service at 1-800-344-9453 (between 8:00 AM and 8:00 PM Eastern Time, Monday-Friday), select option “3” (for endangered species) and hit “0” to speak with the operator. Once you are connected, just deliver this simple message:

My name is ****** and I am calling from ****** to express my heartfelt appreciation for Interior Secretary Salazar’s decision to implement the plan to eliminate Endangered Species Act protections for wolves in Idaho and Montana.

Now is the time to allow the affected States to manage their Wolf population as they do with all other species. I strongly urge Secretary Salazar to continue the implementation of this important decision.



][/QUOTE]
 
BigHornRam said:
I agree with Salazar's decision (which has yet to be implemented), but Obama's base has a lot of problems with it, Oak.
Click to expand...

Well that doesn't seem to be a good reason to replace Salazar. You've got some strange ideas, BHR.:confused:
 
If Salazar caves to public pressure and pressure from higher up in the Administration, that would be a good reason to replace him, IMO. Looks like a good chance of that happening, Oak. Most Obama supporters don't see it the same way I do. What do you think? Non issue to you?
 
It's a non-issue unless Salazar changes his mind. I don't see that happening, and I don't see it looking "like a good chance of that happening."
 
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