By: Randy Warren

Randy Warren — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 08:33:17 +0000

I live in N. Idaho and hunt, hike, explore and camp in the N. Clearwater in Unit 10 of Idaho. The IF&G biologist have reported that the elk in this area are in serious trouble and wolf predation is the main cause. Others outside the state and even some here say this is baloney. Who are we going to believe? I believe the elk in this area are in real trouble from wolf predation. I did some reading about a biological phenomonon called “the predator pit hypothesis”. If there was ever a classic case of elk being in a “predator pit”, it is in this the Clearwater elk herd.
I have my own theory as to why wolves can adversely affect elk recuitment negatively,without killing elk. I love to hike and camp into the back country of this area in early Sept just to listen to the bulls bugle. Since wolves have arrived, I have yet to hear even one bulge. This is not to say none do, but clearly few do. In order to adjust and survive wolf predation, elk have learned to be much less vocal and they stay scattered and in thick brush. I am convinced elk changed their behavior including bugling to avoid being killed because wolves hone in on that sound like a dinner bell ringing. What else could possibly explain the drastic drop of the cow/calf ration (3-4 calves/100 cows) and the over all recrutiment problems of elk more than disruption of their breeding success? Just one man’s considered opinion. I don’t hate wolves, I just appreciate elk, deer and moose more! I think the later has much more value to majority of people who live here than do the former! People who want wolves for the most part don’t even live in the west and have no idea the problems they cause, or just don’t care!

By: Steven Kahn

Steven Kahn — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 02:44:11 +0000

I to have noticed the drastic fall in elk sign when bow hunting in the fall. I used to live in idaho 3 years ago and archery hunted elk for 10 years in Idaho when I lived there. I started out in the stanley area and had 5 to 6 places that consistently held elk for me there. This only lasted for 3 years and then we started seeing and hearing less elk and the there wasnt even tracks in these old elk haunts. The terain and vegitation was the same. by the 4 th year we saw only 3 elk on a week long hunt. We figured mabee it was a fluke due to weather. We did how ever see three wolves on that trip. The next year we where skunked on elk and didnt see any fresh sign and we tried 5 new places along with the old ones. We decided to change units and headed for the mcall zone. The first year we saw 2 bulls and about 15 cows. The next year after that we saw 1 bull and 3 cows. The year after the next 2 years all we got to respond to our calling was wolves. On 2 diffrent occasions we had a pack sound off right next to us after bugling and caught a glips of one working up the game trail below us. I discharged my .357 to let them know we werent elk but man Its really geting old looking for new spots to hunt where the wolves havnt taken over. I now live in Wyoming and am going to give it a try for elk here for the first time. I like hunting with my dad but at $500.00 for a couple of pieces of paper and to not even see elk. Its just not worth it. I started putting in for preference points for my dad over here but I fear the wolf problem is probably just as bad here too. and to top it all off I herd that a federal judge put the brakes on wolf hunting again. what the !%$@**&^ . At least in Wyoming they had the balls to put out a decent wolf plan “shoot’em on sight” even if it did get shot down at least we got the feeling they at least know how to fix the problem. Now if some one will just let them.

Comments on: Where Have All The Elk Gone? Long Time Passing

By: Randy Warren

By: Steven Kahn