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
