Washington State Elk Herd Plan OLYMPIC ELK HERD Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Wildlife Program 600 Capitol Way North Olympia, WA 98501-1091 August 1, 2004 i Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife STATE OF WASHINGTON GARY LOCKE, GOVERNOR DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE JEFF KOENINGS, Ph. D., DIRECTOR WILDLIFE PROGRAM DAVE BRITTELL, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR GAME DIVISION DAVE WARE, MANAGER This Program Receives Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Funds. Project W96R11 This report should be cited as: Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. 2004. Olympic Elk Herd Plan. Wildlife Program, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Olympia. 52pp. This program receives Federal financial assistance from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, and Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. The U.S. Department of the Interior and its bureaus prohibit discrimination on the bases of race, color, national origin, age, disability and sex. If you believe that you have been discriminated against in any program, activity or facility, please write to: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of External Programs, 4040 N. Fairfax Drive, Suite 130, Arlington, VA 22203 August 1, 2004 ii Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Washington State Elk Herd Plan OLYMPIC ELK HERD Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Wildlife Program 600 Capitol Way North Olympia, WA 98501-1091 Prepared by WDFW Staff August 1, 2004 Director, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Date August 1, 2004 iii Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS........................................................................................................................................ VI EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .....................................................................................................................................VII INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................................................1 HERD AREA DESCRIPTION...................................................................................................................................1 LOCATION ..................................................................................................................................................................1 OWNERSHIP................................................................................................................................................................2 TOPOGRAPHY .............................................................................................................................................................3 VEGETATION ..............................................................................................................................................................3 HUMAN INFLUENCES ..................................................................................................................................................4 TAXONOMY ................................................................................................................................................................5 OTHER UNGULATES ...................................................................................................................................................5 DISTRIBUTION..........................................................................................................................................................5 HISTORIC DISTRIBUTION ............................................................................................................................................5 CURRENT DISTRIBUTION ............................................................................................................................................5 PROPOSED DISTRIBUTION...........................................................................................................................................5 HERD MANAGEMENT.............................................................................................................................................6 HERD HISTORY...........................................................................................................................................................6 ESTIMATED CURRENT POPULATION SIZE ...................................................................................................................7 POPULATION TRENDS .................................................................................................................................................9 HERD COMPOSITION.................................................................................................................................................10 MORTALITY ASSESSMENT.................................................................................................................................14 HARVEST..................................................................................................................................................................14 Recreational Harvest............................................................................................................................................15 Tribal Harvest......................................................................................................................................................16 Poaching ..............................................................................................................................................................17 NATURAL MORTALITY INCLUDING PREDATION .......................................................................................................17 Nutrition ..............................................................................................................................................................18 Natural Predators .................................................................................................................................................18 Disease.................................................................................................................................................................19 SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC VALUES ...................................................................................................................19 NUMBER OF STATE ELK HUNTERS AND HUNTER DAYS ...........................................................................................19 TRIBAL HUNTING .....................................................................................................................................................19 HARVEST STRATEGIES .............................................................................................................................................20 WATCHABLE WILDLIFE VALUES..............................................................................................................................21 DAMAGE ..................................................................................................................................................................21 Non-lethal options ...............................................................................................................................................22 Lethal removal of animals ...................................................................................................................................23 HABITAT MANAGEMENT....................................................................................................................................24 CURRENT CONDITION AND TREND IN HABITAT........................................................................................................24 ROADS AND ROAD MANAGEMENT ...........................................................................................................................26 HABITAT ENHANCEMENT PROJECTS.........................................................................................................................27 RESEARCH NEEDS.................................................................................................................................................27 August 1, 2004 iv Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife HERD MANAGEMENT GOALS............................................................................................................................28 MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES, PROBLEMS AND STRATEGIES.................................................................29 HERD MANAGEMENT ...............................................................................................................................................29 HABITAT MANAGEMENT ..........................................................................................................................................32 SPENDING PRIORITIES ........................................................................................................................................33 HERD PLAN REVIEW AND AMENDMENT.......................................................................................................35 LITERATURE CITED .............................................................................................................................................36