Pitt Lake Elk

[Busterbrown]

Anyone know how the transplanted elk herd is doing at Pitt Lake ? I went for a bike ride a few weeks ago and saw two cow elk on dewdney trunk road just past Stave Lke . I believe they were from the animals that were introduced from the Pitt

[Doe Eyes]

Apparently there were some animals transplanted in the Stave area as well....

[lip_ripper00]

Indian River, Pitt lake ,Stave lake, have all had transplants in the last 7-8 years. I hope they are doing well

[nature girl]

Your so lucky to see them. When you saw them did you have to take a second look and say to yourself is that what I think it is?

[gamer]

I believe it was in 2006 that it was said the herd may be hunted sustainably in 4-5 years. Hopefully it will be soon that they open up on LEH. Although with the funding cuts to areas of conservation?????????????

[ryanb]

I have yet to see one in the flesh up Pitt Lake, but their sign is evident from the north end of the lake well up the valley.

[Crazy_Farmer]

I've been told within a couple years there WILL be leh for some of these areas. The herds are doing quite well from what I was told. The biggest hurdle it seems is the allocation of these elk to the First Nation bands. Before opening an LEH in some Region 2 areas they gave a certain number to the band and wasnt sure how many were going to be harvested. Not sure if they'd take all they're allocated or less. Well it turned out they took less which meant the herd is doing better and is getting bigger and is strong enough to warrant a leh tag for them in the next couple years.

[curt]

Ok I hate to start this debate but this p***es me off and I am from an aboriginal background but this is BS!! Why is it that our 1st nations are getting any of these Elk?? I'm sorry to say but this is totally taking advantage of our spineless Government!! If our 1st nations want to be respected and treated with respect then they need to earn it by being reasonable and respectful themsevles! What makes anyone think that they have any rights to these transplanted animals that were not part of their heritage or in their original hunting grounds, this is just freaking stupid! So we transplant some Bison or caribou down to the fraser valley somewhere and the Cheam band and the sto lo all of a sudden has some aboriginal rights to those animals give me a bloody break!! Gawd our government is a joke!!

[MichelD]

In Canada, Roosevelt Elk are found on Vancouver Island and some pockets of the southwest Mainland
(approximately 23 000 km2 of occupied habitat. Although Elk were historically more widely distributed in coastal British Columbia (Cowan and Guiguet 1965), human settlement and market hunting have led to their extermination from possibly all of the Mainland and parts of southern Vancouver Island (Brunt 1990).

http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/wld/documents/statusrpts/b106.pdf

When the first explorers arrived, Elk were more widespread in the interior of the province than they
are today, but for unknown reasons, their numbers declined sharply in the mid-to-late 1800s. Land
settlement had a relatively small impact on Elk in mountainous British Columbia, but it resulted in
extirpation of Roosevelt Elk on the Gulf Islands and in the lower mainland, and the loss of habitat for
Rocky Mountain Elk in the Peace River area and locally in the Okanagan Valley and Rocky Mountain Trench.

http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/wld/documents/elk.pdf

[curt]

i read through the info cool history but reading through it sounds like to me if elk were in that area and that's a big IF they were killed off by the ice age 15000 + years ago?? So are we trying to say that the natives or their ancestors that now inhabit the area now are they same people from 15000 years ago, if so then they may have an argument but i doubt it? If we go by that logic then I guess then we could say they have rights to every animal on the planet because I'm pretty sure if you go back 15 000 + yrs there were all kinds of critters around these parts that have since been pushed north or south or whatever I personally still dont agree...sorry!

[Crazy_Farmer]

I asked the exact same question you're wondering. Why should they be allocated animals that werent there naturally in the past. But I was told that there was some there before that got killed out while being settled. So the bands do have a claim in the eyes of the government.

[papaken]

What makes you think there were no elk here as if I am not mistaken we have elk north south east and west of the Fraser Valley which is all towns cities and farm land now. That might explain why we don't have any now.

[bearhunter338-06]

I remember elk being transplanted up Pitt Lake in the late 80's early 90's

[CanuckShooter]

I asked the exact same question you're wondering. Why should they be allocated animals that werent there naturally in the past. But I was told that there was some there before that got killed out while being settled. So the bands do have a claim in the eyes of the government.

I don't think it has anything to do with the species of animal....their 'right' is to 'harvest', not a right to an 'allocation'.

[Crazy_Farmer]

Makes no difference. It's all wording then. They were worried they'd "harvest" too many of the elk and leave none to be "allocated" for residents.

But I can't agree with if they introduced something like zebras that first nations should have any extra or special claim to harvest them. Should be the same for everyone. That's why I said elk were supposed to originally be here

[CanuckShooter]

I asked the exact same question you're wondering. Why should they be allocated animals that werent there naturally in the past. But I was told that there was some there before that got killed out while being settled. So the bands do have a claim in the eyes of the government.

Not trying to stir the pot, just responding about allocating animals that aren't natural to the landscape!! I don't think whether the animals are transplanted or not makes any difference.

[07blackwater]

It doesn't matter, the area's so friggin hard to hunt no one will see them anyway. Has anyone posting here ever been to the upper Pitt?

[Livewire322]

I think that its bullshit our taxes should have paid for those elk to be transplanted right and the res doesn't pay taxes right? So… see my problem correct me if I'm wrong but....
I believe believe it's really cool that the elk were transplanted didn't know that. I think that maybe we should wait until there's an even bigger population so they come down the valley.
I'm not a granola, ive shot my fair share of game but I just would like to see a population that is more sustainable than the ones on the islamd cause I don't know about you but the .LEH for rossies over there is a joke.

[pnbrock]

i remember something about the lytton elk and the f n hmmm what was it?

[nature girl]

07blackwater Yes, Ive been to the upper pitt.

[07blackwater]

07blackwater Yes, Ive been to the upper pitt.

Beautiful country up there but steep and dirty 'eh?

[mungojeerie]

07blackwater Yes, Ive been to the upper pitt.

As have I, absolutely beautiful up there...

[nature girl]

07 blackwater. Its been about 9 or so years since I was last up at the upper pitt. I never went into the steep stuff but I didnt think it was that dirty, Id just get soaked from the rain riding the motorbike or atc.
Yes, it was beautiful country. I read on hear somewhere that someone says it has private property signs all over the place now.
Im sure its the same now.
Hey, you must be in the steep stuff looking for the famous Slumach Gold? Watch out for the sasquatches.

[07blackwater]

07 blackwater. Its been about 9 or so years since I was last up at the upper pitt. I never went into the steep stuff but I didnt think it was that dirty, Id just get soaked from the rain riding the motorbike or atc.
Yes, it was beautiful country. I read on hear somewhere that someone says it has private property signs all over the place now.

When I said dirty I meant it was tough going once you're off the road! There's a lodge up there but other than his immediate property the rest is crown land as far as I know. Maybe they were thinking of widgeon creek? Ducks unlimited has that all bought up except for the park parts and the cabin about a mile up (my buddy's place).

Slumach's lost treasure has been sought out by folks who are sprier than me for a long time so I can't see me doing that! lol As far as sasquatch, I've read a lot of stories about Debek creek and such. Who knows?

[07blackwater]

As have I, absolutely beautiful up there...



Most city type people don't realize what we have only an hour and a half from down town Vancouver. Amazing how blind they can be.

[hntcrazy]

I have seen the elk up the pit many times . They are doing very well . A week ago i was up there and saw 6 cows with 7 calves . was flying and saw them in a clearing ,no bulls seen . Have heard wolves have taken a couple .

[steve62]

If I remeber correctly, there was some elk transplanted into Chilliwack valley in the 8o's and they were all shot. The shooters claimed it was their right. It was their right to hunt for food.

[walks with deer]

I have seen a photo of a elk from the same area you saw these cows near stave it was a 3 point bull in velvet.

I have seen there tracks but lucky you saw them

[Greenhead]

I spend between 50 and 75 days a year up there and see elk all the time. Their presence isn't hard to miss even if you don't see them in the flesh as every beach has tracks on them! I have been doing trips up there since 1991 and had never seen any sign of a wolf until 3 years ago, now I have had 4 sightings and have seen more tracks on the beaches. There has been a lot of land sold by the owner of the logging camp and there is development happening all over the place between the camp and the lake ( where all the road hunters drive up and down LOL!) but beyond there it's as wild as ever. There is a huge chunk they are selling at the second canyon( where the hotspring sits)on both sides of the rives as well, but for 2.5 million I think it will be there a while! It really is a fantastic place so close to Vancouver.
GH