Kootney elk

[huntingfamily]

I believe it will be very similar in the peace region in no time.
I spoke with a local wildlife bio recently about elk leh numbers. They said in 2008 they did a survey and there were around 10,000 elk in the region. The plan was to reduce the population by 50% with leh, so around 5,000 elk. Leh began.
10 years later they did another study in 2018 and determined there were 4,700 elk, so about 50% of what they had. Objective accomplished?
Apparently not as this years elk leh actually has increased from a total of 1,000 last year to 1,250 this year.
It's frustrating as this is a late season hunt when they are most vulnerable also. Personally we have watched a steady and rather rapid decline in elk numbers in the peace.

[Bugle M In]

^^^^ I think your concerns/opinions are right.
They are doing the same thing up there, as was done in the EK.

What people have to realize (and I am waking up to this)
Is that our Minstry is NOT trying to make for "better hunting oppurtunities" and thus higher success rates thru "growing more game"

What they are actually doing is catering to the Private Sectors.
Developers, ICBC, Ranchers and Forestry.
They are trying to lower the "PROBLEM" of game, like elk, from areas that the private sector has issues with.

That is why you are seeing high cow leh permits.
And yes, many are cluing in that going to the Peace has a better chance of success when elk hunting right now.
But, in a short time, this could go south real fast too!

And the WK hunters blame the WK elk hunt going south because it went from LEH to GOS.
The truth is, the GOS is fine in the WK.
The problem is, you needed to have a good healthy and stable population of elk in the EK!!

If the elk #'s in the EK were good all along and growing, then very few EK hunters would have switched to the WK.
And many now do concentrate hunting of elk in the EK/WK border, as #'s are better there.
But for how much longer??
As it dries up east of the trench, expect more pressure by locals looking for those elk in what for some are right now "productive honey holes".

It might have been good for a few in pockets in the EK, but eventually others figure it out, and it dries up as well.
Then it doesn't matter "how HARDCORE" you are.
If they are not there, they are not there!
Walk all you want.
I have plenty of boots worn out with no souls.
No one needs to tell me I don't get out there and hit it hard.

[ursusbait]

Here's an article to get you started: https://www.columbiavalleypioneer.co...n-past-decade/

Recently saw the winter counts on elk, and there sure aint many bulls in there, and even worse, 6pt in
the counts.

Are there Elk in the EK, yes.
Some areas traditionally hold more elk than other, but it will hold more hunters as well.
And those "pockets" of elk exist, but most locals know that also, and its a competition every morning to
see who gets in first each day.
If you do know people with private property, your chances go up for sure.
And if people have a good spot that is still holding elk for them, they wont tell you.

But there is a reason why other parts of the province has become over crowded as well now with
elk hunters, and it because things are bad in the EK.

If you are a local, then it's not a big deal to run out the door and hit your favorite spots.
If you have to plan a trip and long drive there, well many have changed their plans.

Nailed it!

[Bobfl]

ive hunted the bull for 15 yrs and the pop has more than declined, The fires made it even worse, This is the first yr I'll be moving to another area, senery is beautiful if you want a camping trip, hunting is the shits not here but everywhere. The stats for elk in kooteneys came out two weeks ago. The pop is 3000 elk in kooteneys now compared too 30000 in 1988

[#49]

Im not sure a GOS was the best thing for the WK.Why would you spend years developing a world class herds only to open it up to a complete GOS and kick those herds all to shit.I believe iy was nothing more than a goverment cash grab everybody buying tags,fuel and gear $$$$ maybe Im off base but?

[HarryToolips]

^^^^a 6 pt season isn't going to hurt them, not usually from what I'm told...it's the cow LEH in some areas, in conjunction with higher pred numbers, habitat fragmentation etc where you will see great declines on the herds.... again, we need $$ to be thrown into wildlife, and we need it fast...

[Bugle M In]

Im not sure a GOS was the best thing for the WK.Why would you spend years developing a world class herds only to open it up to a complete GOS and kick those herds all to shit.I believe iy was nothing more than a goverment cash grab everybody buying tags,fuel and gear $$$$ maybe Im off base but?

If things had been done right, meaning, the EK herds were well managed, than having the WK open was
just "more opportunity" for all.
To me, nothing wrong with "spreading out hunters in the province".
No reason for the EK to carry the brunt of elk hunting.

If managed properly, we had the EK, WK, Peace and Okanagan and LM as potential areas to hunt elk.

But when you mess up a historically great area for elk hunting opportunity in the EK, that screw up is going to show up elsewhere, like the WK.
And from the sounds of it, sounds like the ministry is all good with screwing up the Peace region if
they aren't careful.

The WK sounds like they had some nice sized bulls in there, but I don't think many were that interested
to hunt the WK due to the harsher terrain to find elk in.
I think many went to the WK because the EK was getting bad.

[338win mag]

I believe it will be very similar in the peace region in no time.
I spoke with a local wildlife bio recently about elk leh numbers. They said in 2008 they did a survey and there were around 10,000 elk in the region. The plan was to reduce the population by 50% with leh, so around 5,000 elk. Leh began.
10 years later they did another study in 2018 and determined there were 4,700 elk, so about 50% of what they had. Objective accomplished?
Apparently not as this years elk leh actually has increased from a total of 1,000 last year to 1,250 this year.
It's frustrating as this is a late season hunt when they are most vulnerable also. Personally we have watched a steady and rather rapid decline in elk numbers in the peace.

How can they try to reduce by 50% when they have no idea what FN hunters have shot? or....how can they forecast a future estimate for the same reason?
I suspect if they wanted to know how many Elk there are today and how many there are going to be tomorrow then the answer may truly lie with the private land owners who let hunters on their property to shoot those pesky Elk, cows, calves, and Bulls that are not recorded in any inventory.

[#49]

I was in Castlegar the weekend the first GOS opened there were plenty of people interested .I agree many were probably disgruntled EK hunters.Image this province if it was managed right healthy populations in the Peace,and the Kootenays this province would be world class but instead

[HighCountryBC]

The WK sounds like they had some nice sized bulls in there, but I don't think many were that interested
to hunt the WK due to the harsher terrain to find elk in.
I think many went to the WK because the EK was getting bad.

You don't think many were interested in hunting the WK? Most of the LEH hunts prior to the GOS opening were once in a lifetime draws.
People hunting the WK had nothing to do with the status of the EK and everything to do with the new opportunity. It's a heck of a lot closer for folks from the LM and Okanagan.