Preventing elk from damaging orchards

This is the last of a three-part series about controlling problem elk on orchard lands near Wenatchee.

Region Two Enforcement Captain Chris Anderson activated Hunt 2704 Sept. 26 and asked me to act as the hunt coordinator. My job was to contact the landowners, to learn how they wanted the hunt conducted, and then organize the hunt.

Hunt 2704 was listed in the Big Game and Hunting Regulations pamphlet as covering designated areas in Fish and Wildlife Region Two and only current master hunters may apply. Although 50 permits were offered only 24 master hunters submitted the paperwork. In this case, five cow elk were allowed to be tagged.

I notched the first tag of the hunt, only because a cow was found inside an orchard fence during my visit with the landowners. The next day, Friday, September 28, would be the first push of the hunt.

The push or drive involved having hunters drop into the canyon and start walking through the brushy pocks, chasing elk up and out of the orchard area. A total of four hunters were deemed sufficient to make the first drive. The four were contacted after calling 18 hunters on the list. They were Ryan Janke, Robert Reimann, Alton Gaskill and James Hope. Two were on the Westside of the Cascade Mountains and two on the Eastside. Also along for the day was Ryan's father, Al, who stayed in my truck during the day.

We ended up with three hunters, because Robert, coming from the Westside of the state, called and confirmed Blewett Pass was open as of Thursday night, but it was closed at 4:30 a.m. because of smoke. He called, indicating he could go through Quincy, but this would take too long for him to arrive in the hunt area, as we would already be on the drive.

Ryan and Alton dropped into the canyon and I was stationed at "The Saddle" to keep a herd from passing from one canyon to another. Jim was put on point at the higher end of the hunt area, the way we wanted to elk to exit the canyons.

The only elk cleared out of the canyons was an "old rag-horned" critter with one antler on the right, with two small points, and none on the left. Jim later told of being approached twice by a bear, but he didn't have a bear tag.

At the upper end of the large canyon, the two drivers split with each taking a smaller canyon near the highest point.

Ryan intercepted an elk herd which was headed down and into the canyon. He spotted five bulls and a bunch of cows. The herd wasn't spooked and milled around a bit and it was obvious they wanted to head down.

When a herd is headed out of an area where they are not wanted, the last cow is shot, but if they are headed into an area, the lead cow is put down. Ryan shot the lead cow, knowing the rest would head back up and out of the area, which they did. The rest of the group pitched in and helped quarter and haul the animal 100 yards up the canyon wall.

Daily calls to the landowners indicated this herd and other herds had not reentered or infiltrated the canyons. However, on Oct. 9, the landowner called and said there was another cow inside an orchard fence. I called the first person on the list and Casey Baldwin of Cashmere was located at work in East Wenatchee. He was able to take some time off and his wife linked up with him with his equipment.

He arrived at the orchard, discussed the situation with the landowner and walked the fence line. Casey called me and said he was not able to locate the elk. I asked him to walk into the smallish and nearest canyon to the orchard.

He called back in 15 minutes saying he found a herd with one bull and several cows. A cow was downed, but he was unsure about the direction the herd traveled after the cow hit the ground.

Both landowners indicated they were satisfied with the master hunter efforts. Looking back, perhaps we should have made a couple more drives during the 16 days of this damage control hunt, such as a drive every three or four days.

This possibility was considered a potential and positive action by the landowners, but the probability of keeping the animals out without killing one or more is considered remote by them. A lesson learned, on my part, was the reality of putting an animal on the ground lets the herd know they are not wanted in the area.   

The landowners expect more problems as the fall and winter of 2012 continues. How can master hunters assist in different ways? Hazing on a particular property is possible, but the elk will simply go to another property, according to landowners, and they don't want to cause other landowners problems.

Hunt 2704, as initiated and completed, was successful and would be a successful tool for landowners and Fish and Wildlife in the future. Three of the five cow elk authorized were harvested.

My goal, along with those provided by Capt. Chris Anderson and Enforcement Officer Graham Grant, was to leave the landowners with a positive taste in their mouth about master hunters, along with easing elk problems. The goal has been accomplished.