Limited Hunting Proposed For Mt. St. Helens Elk Herd
July 11, 2007
The U.S. Forest Service has issued a proposal to allow limited hunting in the Mount Saint Helens area to reduce the elk herd. The limitations are as follows according to The Daily News Online.
According to Tom Mulder, manager of the Mount St. Helens National Monument, the proposal would allow a limited number of Washington State master hunter program graduates to harvest elk with special permits. The permits would be issued by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife in coordination with the Forest Service.
I am not familiar with the Washington State master hunter program. Could someone fill me in on this? I can certainly understand to some degree, using “qualified” hunters to hunt the elk but isn’t this a bit of overkill? Isn’t a hunter who is qualified enough to buy a hunting license and hunt elk in other parts, qualified enough to hunt elk at Mt. Saint Helens? Is this another way for the state of Washington to pad their coffers? Is it free to participate in the Washington State master hunter program?
Another limitation will be the number of permits issued. Yet to be determined, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife will work in conjunction with the U.S. Forest Service to make a determination as to how many permits, mostly for cow elk, will be issued in the predetermined zones.
The third restriction comes in the form of access to the area.
The current proposal would permit the hunters to take elk with modern firearms only, and the emphasis would be primarily to remove cows. The number of hunting permits allowed for each unit would be determined by the DFW, with the likely permit season occurring from mid- to late-October. Access to the three areas would be walk-in only off of existing open roads, and no motorized vehicles or livestock would be allowed.
This sounds like a difficult hunt to me but I’m sure there are elk hunters who would go for such an experience.
While there are restrictions and limited access as well as who can be eligible to hunt, at least the feds and the state of Washington seem to be willing to utilize public hunters to cull the herd and not hire the job out to so-called sharpshooters.
Comments on the proposal will be accepted until the end of the month.
The public may submit written comments regarding the proposal by July 31 to Mitch Wainwright, Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument, 42218 NE Yale Bridge Rd., Amboy, WA 98601.
Tom Remington
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Here is a link to the AHE (Advanced Hunter Education) Master program: http://wdfw.wa.gov/enf/huntered/ahe_requirements.htm
I believe it is no cost. But there is a written test, shooting test, and a conservation requirement.
Anytime that hunting is opened up where it was previously not allowed is a good thing. I’m completely stoked. I wish it wasn’t full of red tape, but allowing a limited (even though complicated) harvest is a good first step.
[...] Remington shares some good news about a proposal to allow limited hunting of Mount Saint Helens Elk herd. Anytime I hear about hunting opening up where it was not previously allowed, I become excited. As [...]
Thanks Matt!
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it is an absurd hunt… i am a Mainer living in the msh area and this hunt is like trying to shoot moose in blueberry plains… they will all see you for miles!!! it is a vast open 30(ish) sq mile plain inside a national monument that will require you to pack out your kill anywhere from 5-15 miles on foot and at the least up a 1000 ft hill side. it is absurd… the only point of the hunt is to have a few hunters in the area to scare the hurd from the “loo-wit unit” into the “mudflow unit” to the west where there is easier access and more permitted hunters. it is not going to be a real “hunt” – cows only and they will see you comin’ miles away. what a waist of time to plan this whole thing out. shame on the forest service.