Buckshot

Anyone else see this? man this is disheartning. Can any of you idaho guys add anything?

http://idahohuntingtoday.com/blog/index.php/2008/02/29/where-have-all-the-elk-gone-long-time-passing/

dayna0306

Years ago I hunted the salway [prewolf days] and the odds were 30% to get a bull .A few years ago I left, never to return ,thanks to the wolf huggers. The bugling I loved to hear was replaced by the holling of wolfs.


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millagerobert

I live here in North Central Idaho along the Clearwater river. I am a fifth generation Idahoan and have spent most of my life in the Wilds of Idaho. I am tired of even talking about what has happened to our Elk, because all I ever get are excuses from those whom think they know what is going on. These people who claim to be experts and tell me that the elk are still there, or that wolves are not to blame, or that elk will adapt to having wolves around, all I know is that I never see these so called experts out in the mountains, so I don't know where or how they get their info. I know they may spend a couple days here and there, but that would be like having me be in charge of traffic control in Seattle because I spent a week there last year. All I can say is that you used to be able to go up the river drainages this time of year and see thousands of elk, in herds 100's. This winter like last, you are lucky to find one or two herds of 10 or so animals, the largest herd I seen on the Lochsa this winter was 12, and 14 on the Southfork. Most of the time you see 2 to 4 elk together. Maybe they are spreading out more to keep the wolves at bay, but then you would expect to see more groups of 2 to 4 animals, but you don't. Two weeks ago we went up the Lochsa to Montana, and back down again, I stopped and glassed almost every hill side, and saw one Elk during the whole trip. I talked to a friend who witnessed a cow elk brought down and killed by 3 wolves last week in a pullout while driving down the Lochsa, he said the wolves didn't even care that he sat there in his car watching, they just went about their business. Maybe wolves are not to blame, but all I know is before the wolves, we had elk, after wolves we have none. Also, I have personally seen 23 wolves in the last 5 years, and have only seen about 100 bull elk in that same period, so if there is only 700 wolves in Idaho, I guess we only have 3500 bull elk left in the state. The wolves have became so over populated that they are invading areas near and around towns now, following what game is left. This fall maybe with a hunting season for wolves we can begin to turn the tide back, but I fear it will be decades before the elk rebound. Us locals have come to feel, and to know, that our opinion and eye witnessed facts do not matter to the powers in control of these issues. We do not have the voting base to persuad Washington politicians. The Politicians along with the larger voting base in the Urban areas see the public ground out west as a big zoo for them to control and upon which to make policy. Policies that have no basis in facts, only what makes them look good to their enviro voters.

MTdream

no different than up here in Montana...places we used to see thousands on winter ranges are seeing hundreds...

salukipv1

I've heard the same thing from many guys in/about "wolf country" ie Idaho, MT, nw Wyoming....etc..... the elk are becoming quieter, being killed by wolves.....

from what I gather the wolves are out of balance on the high side, I hear cows are calling, few bulls bugle anymore....even if the wolves are in check it sounds like many livelihoods have been severely hurt by wolves, sounds to me like the wolves and grizz need to be put in check.....I have faith that eventually experts will be in charge and do whats right/needed to put the numbers back in check, but that will take time, seems everywhere the fish n game are struggling to do whats needed vs whats wanted by others....politicians, activists etc....

its a shame though when you hear about the quality hunting these places once had, i still hear about some quality in these states, but then I hear of guys goign elk hunting and not even hearing/seeing an animal, and to me that doesnt sound like any fun. I've been skunked and on too many bad hunts to put myself in that situation again. I'd rather just wait and draw / hunt somewhere awesome then to go spend a week looking at nature, don't get me wrong its still a nice vacation etc....but to me hunting is hunting when you have a chance to kill something, otherwise youre just on a nature hike/trip....and I like to know which of the 2 I'm doing before hand and not confisuing one for the other.

MTdream

The Gallatin Drainage (South of Bozeman MT) used to have a late season migration hunt where they issued hundreds and a few times 1000+ permits for cow hunting...care to guess how many they issued this last year?....


drum roll Unit 310.....4 permits....
Unit 313 used to issue routinely 1000+ cow permits....and issued...165 permits!!!!!

So in Yellowstone migration paths...what used to be thousands of permits...is not even 200


If we are waiting for "experts" to take control back, it wont happen without good standing citizens demanding attention/action from our legislators

tsoc

Where I hunt in North Central Idaho,I used to see Elk every year while hunting for whitetails,we still see them but with not nearly the frequency or numbers.What we are seeing and increasingly so every year are wolves.I am confidant that there is one area that I hunt in that has been so consistently predictable with seeing wolves it almost defies belief.They need to be controlled without hesitation.

millagerobert

Her is an email and photo I just recieved. Maybe since the Politicians down around Boise see this herd they think everything is still Ok up in North Central Idaho. Haven't seen Elk like this in North Central Idaho for quite some time.

These are elk that are on I-84 along the freeway from Gowen to Mayfield
just about fifteen miles from Boise.
The hard winter has driven them down from the hills. They say there are
over a thousand head.

MTdream

you had me with you RIGHT up to the point where you said politicians think....

millagerobert

Your right, my bad. I should have said "since the politicians down around Boise see this herd they are told to think, by their environmental-special interest- campaign fundraising-wolf petting-save the squirrels-my mind was programmed by my college professor-the trees have feelings too-as long as our hearts are in the right place everything will be okay-koombaya-we stand for hope and change-groups, that everything is still ok up in North Central Idaho"

Thanks