State orders elk hunt in response to crop damage

Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife initiated the first ever elk Hot Spot hunt in the Almota area Saturday to reduce crop damage caused by elk.

Game Warden Bob Weaver Tuesday said the elk population in Little Almota Canyon has increased this year with as many as 100 elk living in the area.

“There’s been elk down through the canyon for years, but not in the numbers that we’re looking at now,” said Weaver.

The eight permitted hunters for the special hunt have thus far confirmed three kills.

He called the hunt because the elk have been devouring new winter wheat from fields on top of the canyon.

The elk live in the canyon and climb up into fields to eat. Right now, they only have winter wheat to eat, but Weaver said they could become a problem in garbanzo and pea fields later in the year.

Weaver suspects the herd moved in from east of Bald Butte in Idaho. He said smaller numbers of elk have been migrating from that area for years, but they used to stay only short spells before going back.

“But they’re not going back now,” he said.

Hunters were chosen from a random list issued by the department’s headquarters in Olympia. The list was generated from residents of Whitman County who put in for a special elk tag last year but were not chosen.

Eight permits were granted from the first draw, with more expected to be issued this week. State law requires the hunt be finished by the end of March.

Weaver said selection was difficult because contact information for many of the hunters chosen in the drawing was out-of-date.

The hunt is for cow elk only. Weaver said taking out females is more effective in keeping population numbers down.

“Anytime we get to a point where we’re having to do more of a control hunt, those are cow only,” he said.

Weaver said the hope is that 15 cow elk will be harvested in the hunt. He added hunts like this often cause animals to leave the area.

Wildlife agents will also try to put transmitters on the some members of the herd to better track their migration patterns.