Growing Elk Herds, Damage Problems Mean More Elk Hunting
Madonna Luers

Growing elk herds and agricultural damage caused by elk mean more elk hunting opportunities across Washington.

Several adjustments have been made this year to the general elk hunting seasons and increases in special elk hunting permits to take advantage of healthier herds and to address landowner damage complaints.

Modern firearm season for any elk now includes part of the Three Forks (109) unit in the northeast and some additional days in the Kiona (372) unit of Yakima and Benton counties. The Chehalis Valley portion of the Minot Peak (660) unit of Grays Harbor County has been added to the three-point-minimum elk hunt in western Washington.

Archers have gained some early season antlerless elk hunting in the Blue Creek (154) and Dayton (162) units of the Blue Mountains. Muzzleloaders have early season antlerless elk hunting in the Puyallup (652), Deschutes (666), and Skookumchuck (667) units of the Olympic Peninsula region.

Special elk permits, which were issued in early August were increased in units where herds can sustain the additional pressure or need to be reduced to avoid further damage problems. General season bull hunters might find some of these areas productive, depending on access.

The Naneum (328), Quilomene (329), and Teanaway (335) units of the southcentral region have new any bull permits in all user groups (modern firearm, archery, muzzleloader). The Malaga (032) and Peshastin (033) elk areas in Chelan County have a combined total of 230 new permits for mostly antlerless but also any elk, including some muzzleloader and archery opportunities.

Although there are no bull permits in the Dayton (162) and Tucannon (166) units in the Blue Mountains this year due to excessive poaching and higher than anticipated harvest, there are 50 new antlerless modern firearm permits and 50 new antlerless late muzzleloader permits in the Dayton unit.

There are also 100 new antlerless elk permits in a new late season in the Mashel (654) unit in Pierce County; 20 new permits for three-point-minimum bulls or antlerless in parts of the Willapa Hills (506), Fall River (672), and Williams Creek (673) units in the southwest and Olympic Peninsula; and 15 new any elk permits in the Selkirk (113) unit in the northeast.