OLYMPIA -- For the past three winters, Mark Smith has fed hay to hungry elk near Mount St. Helens.
Smith, an owner of the Eco Park Resort near Mount St. Helens, said he knows that feeding is not the solution to the overpopulation of elk there.
"But I'm not in favor of using starvation as a management tool," Smith said. He feeds 600 to 800 pounds of hay to as many as 100 elk each day.
Smith's winter feeding program for elk will end if a bill introduced in the state Legislature becomes law.
House Bill 1885 would forbid private citizens from feeding elk, deer, bears, raccoons, opossums, cougars, wolves, coyotes, wild turkeys and skunks. It still would be legal to feed birds at backyard bird feeders.
"We need fewer elk, a hunting plan that provides a regulated harvest of elk and more habitat," Smith said.
In the meantime, the bill -- if it is passed as written -- would doom some animals to starvation until the herd comes into balance with the amount of feed that the land can provide, Smith said.
The bill was introduced to stop private citizens who feed bears, raccoons and other animals that can become troublesome when they get used to humans -- and to the food they receive from humans, said Rep. Brian Blake, D-Aberdeen, who is the chairman of the Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources.
"I'm aware of one person who feeds 100 pounds of dog food a week to a large black bear," Blake said. "That's inappropriate; black bears are dangerous."
Feeding wildlife is a bad idea because the animals get used to humans providing their food, and they can quickly become a problem, said Dave Ware, game division manager for the state Department of Fish and Wildlife.
"One neighbor feeding animals can become a problem for other people," Ware said.
Fish and Wildlife does feed wild elk at nine feeding stations on the east side of the Cascades, from near Ellensburg to near Yakima, Ware said.
Those feeding stations were created to help elk that have lost their winter range to farms, orchards and ranches, he said.
Fish and Wildlife also fed hay to Mount St. Helens elk during the winters of 2006-2007 and 2007-2008, Ware said.
Feeding the Mount St. Helens herd was a temporary move, but it is not necessary this winter, as hunters killed additional elk during expanded seasons in 2008, and deaths last winter trimmed down the herd, Ware said.
Long-term feeding of elk or deer causes problems when the herds have outgrown the land's ability to provide food, Ware said.
Elk and deer survive the winter and reproduce, which means even more animals on the land. Feeding also attracts lots of animals to a small place, and disease can quickly spread among the weakened animals, Ware said.
Blake said he would attempt to amend the bill to allow Smith to continue winter feeding of elk.
Bills rarely become law without some changes, Blake said.
Rep. Judy Warnick, a District 13 Republican, said she supports the basic concept of the bill.
"It's fun to see cute or majestic animals," Warnick said. "But animals that are used to human-provided food can damage crops and livestock when the feeding ends."
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Limited hunting best plan for preserving ALE site
Limited hunting best plan for preserving ALE site
It's been a long-held dream of many hunters to help cull the herd at Hanford, which has grown to nearly 700 elk that have found refuge on lands with no public access.
Now, it may be a dream come true under a plan proposed by U.S. Fish and Wildlife that would allow hunters to harvest elk from the Hanford Reach National Monument during the next hunting season.
It's a smart solution to a perennial problem.
Fast focus: Mutually beneficial
Fast focus: Mutually beneficial
Hunters to cull the elk herd at Hanford? Absolutely! Hunters are the conservationist of wildlife! They pay huge fees for licenses just for the chance to hunt and enjoy the outdoor experience. The elk herd at Hanford is protected from hunting and there are no substantial predators to keep the elk in check so the herd doubles every two to three years.
As this area is a delicate desert region, food becomes scarce in the hot summer and cold winter months, and the elk migrate out onto the surrounding agricultural properties, causing huge amounts of damage to the crops. Then the state Department of fish and Wildlife must then pay thousands of dollars from the license funds to reimburse the farmers for crop damage.
Along with that, the danger to people driving the roadways as the animals move to and from feeding areas becomes extremely hazardous. Check out Richland Rod and Gun Club's game recovery program that processes the animals from accidents along the Hanford highway.
Feds propose hunt to cull Hanford elk
Feds propose hunt to cull Hanford elk
U.S. Fish and Wildlife is considering allowing hunting of the Hanford elk herd on Hanford Reach National Monument land that now is closed to the public near Rattlesnake Mountain.
Strictly controlled and limited hunting would be allowed starting next fall to gradually reduce the size of the herd during several years to about 350 elk, said Jack Beaujon, assistant refuge manager for the monument. The herd now numbers 650 to 700 animals.
A draft plan for the hunt has been developed and public comment will be accepted on it through Dec. 30.
Feds push rules to reduce NW wildlife conflicts
Feds push rules to reduce NW wildlife conflicts
COEUR D'ALENE, Idaho -- The U.S. Forest Service put new rules in place Tuesday that prohibit feeding deer and require the use of bear-resistant containers in parts of a national forest that include eastern Washington, northern Idaho and northwestern Montana.
The rules are an effort to prevent conflicts with bears and other animals, officials said. Visitors to the popular Priest Lake, and backcountry explorers in the Selkirk and Cabinet mountains, will be required to store and dispose food in a "bear-resistant manner."
"The Priest Lake area has a high density of people, recreation and wildlife, which increases the odds for wildlife conflicts," said Jason Kirchner, Forest Service spokesman in Coeur d'Alene. "Bears are among the most dangerous animals, but other wildlife can be problems, too, if they're lured by food. We have a huge issue with people feeding deer in the Sam Owens Campground.
Study shows wolves help trees
Study shows wolves help trees
BILLINGS, Mont. -- The return of gray wolves has dramatically altered the landscape in portions of Yellowstone National Park, as new trees take root in areas where the predators have curbed the size of foraging elk herds, according to scientists in a new study.
Stands of aspen, willow and cottonwood are expanding in areas where for decades dense elk populations prevented new growth, said study author William Ripple from Oregon State University.
While other factors might play a role, from a changing climate to wildfires, more than a decade of research has confirmed earlier assertions that the return of Yellowstone's elk-hungry wolves has spurred new plant growth, he said.
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