Plan to cull elk herd near Packwood draws criticism

Puyallup Tribe says state’s policy should be based on science, ‘not public relations’

By Susan Gordon | The News Tribune • Published October 15, 2008

The hundreds of elk that stamp around yards and chew up fruit trees in the mountain towns near Mount Rainier have given residents fits for years.

But a state proposal to use hunting to reduce conflicts between Lewis County residents and rhododendron eaters has drawn fire from the Puyallup Tribe of Indians, which has hunting rights in the area.

"Elk trampling a garden is not a good reason to doom an entire herd," said Fred Dillon, the tribe's natural resource policy representative. "These decisions should be based on clear scientific evidence, not public relations."

State Department of Fish and Wildlife officials propose creating a special elk hunting zone in the Cowlitz River valley. It would allow hunters to kill elk cows and bulls along Highway 12 from Morton to Packwood. The zone would extend about a mile on each side of the highway.

If approved by the state Fish and Wildlife Commission next spring, the change would become effective in fall 2009 and extend through the 2011 hunting season.

What's been going on for years in Packwood is a "classic conflict" between residents and wildlife, said Dave Ware, the state's game division manager. Over the years, officials have wrestled with similar elk problems around North Bend and Sequim, Clallam County.

Hunting is the "most effective and least expensive" way to cope with the clash between marauding elk and complaining property owners, he said. "If you're getting a bunch of complaints from the public, you need to address it."

While the state compensates landowners for crop damage from wildlife, there's nothing set aside for broken fences or ornamental plants, he said.

Tribal officials contend the special hunting zone could reduce the reproductive capacity of a herd that is already in decline.

As it is, the state Department of Fish and Wildlife proposal doesn't specify the number of elk that could be killed. "That's the dangerous part of it," said Barbara Moeller, the Puyallup tribe's wildlife biologist. She also owns property near Packwood.

According to Moeller, who has tracked the herd, it now numbers about 1,000, half the size state officials have said they would like to manage in the area.

The Puyallup tribe is among four Medicine Creek treaty tribes with hunting rights in the area. Last year, Puyallup tribal members hunted and killed seven elk from the herd, which is typical, Moeller said.

Ware acknowledged a disagreement between state and tribal officials over herd size and appropriate management.

A meeting between state officials and tribal representatives is planned for November. Even so, he said so many elk congregate around Packwood that the problem begs for a solution.

Lonnie Davis, who lives in Puyallup and owns 20 acres just outside Packwood, disagrees.

"The elk are not walking on our land. We built on their land," he said. "I say just leave it as it is."

Even without official sanction, bow hunters trespass on private property, ignoring posted signs, he said.

Sandra Jonker, the state's southwest Washington wildlife program manager, said misunderstandings may have prompted unnecessary worries.

The proposed change would not permit anyone to hunt on private property without owner permission, she said. It also would not allow shooting in neighborhoods where the discharge of firearms is restricted.