Migration

[BigTreeWalker]

I hunt in the southern Cascades, Gifford Pinchot NF. The Nooksack herd is in the northern Cascades, Mt Baker NF. About 200 miles separate the two areas. I know the Nooksack herd has been low to almost non-existent for years. I believe hunting seasons for elk have also been curtailed in that area for years. I don't think I have ever heard the reason behind it. It may be explained in some of the research papers BobbyO is looking into. It is prime elk habitat. Also as far as where I hunt, is the mention of Skamania County WA enough? :-)

Edited March 28, 2015 by BigTreeWalker

[BobbyO]

The general area that this herd is is thought of to be just under 500 Sq miles.

Below is data on the last report that was done, back in 2000.

The population is since grown into around 1,000 or so animals but that's so low that I'm not sure how much they would actually be a regarded as a staple food source for any predator in this area, unlike the deer.

Populations in other areas of the State can be much higher than this though.

The majority of this herd occupies the lands above 500 meters (1,640 feet) that drain the middle and south forks of the Nooksack River and the northern tributaries of the Skagit River within the Nooksack unit described as the core herd area (Map 2).

At lower elevations elk distribution in this unit is fragmented and less contiguous with smaller satellite populations inhabiting agricultural, residential, and urban areas. It is estimated that about 57 percent of the herd presently live in these lower elevation habitats.

The current distribution of elk in the Sauk, Stillaguamish and Cascade units are largely unknown. Recent elk immigration is suspected to have occurred from the Skagit River Valley south into the Sauk unit.

These are widely scattered bands and isolated groups of elk that are confirmed by occasional sightings and reported harvest. In the Nooksack unit, crucial winter range occurs below 1,000 meters and includes the lowland valleys where elk sometimes cause agriculture and property damage.

When elk damage is persistent these areas have been designated as “actively suppressing damage,†(Map 3).

The North Cascade elk herd is the smallest of ten herds residing in the state. It is a small herd and the northern most herd in western Washington. Nevertheless, it is an important resource that provides significant recreational, aesthetic, and economic benefit to Washington citizens and a valued cultural, subsistence, and ceremonial resource to the Native American people of the area.

This is a reintroduced herd resulting from successful augmentations in 1946 and 1948 of eastern and western Washington elk. The estimated peak population of 1,700 elk occurred in 1984. Since then, the population has sharply declined to a current estimate of about 300 elk.

The core population in the Nooksack game management unit occupies about 1,230 square kilometers (492 square miles). About 125 other elk live in the agricultural lands along the Skagit River; the remaining elk live in the higher elevation, forested lands north of the Skagit River.

Analysis of population and trend data shows good potential for this herd. Survey data, although limited in sample size, shows good calf production. Despite these favorable conditions, the herd has remained static and at low levels. Unaccounted mortality, despite hunting season closures, may be a significant factor preventing population growth.

Habitat changes caused by increased timber harvest should have been favorable for elk population growth. However, increased human access and visibility may have resulted in the unaccounted mortality that is suppressing this elk population. While elk damage and use on agriculture lands is also an issue, it is recognized that private lands along the Skagit River are important areas for elk and that habitat must be preserved and protected.

http://wdfw.wa.gov/publications/00772/

[BobbyO]

Here's the same general area and Sasquatch Sightings across all four seasons and that Elk Herds range.

 

 

Match it up with this map.

 

[BigTreeWalker]

BobbyO, thanks for the information. I notice they talk about unknown high mortality rates, which is interesting. But, they also mention “actively suppressing damage,†which means special permit hunting or the farmers themselves killing elk to reduce property and crop damage. In these cases human intervention can't be ruled out.

A good example of this intervention has been going on in Okanogan County, on the east side of the Cascade Range, since the 1800's. Because of sheep and cattle grazing competition with elk and agricultural concerns (fruit orchards) this suppression is still occurring. I don't even know if the elk in this area are considered part of a larger herd or if they are just considered outliers of some other herd. I hunt mule deer in this area so I know the elk are there, but very very few. The hunting seasons for this area is either sex and as long as other seasons in the state. My conclusion is that the WDFW want to keep the status quo. Another example of human influence on elk populations.

[Guest]

Very good job pulling that together Bobby O. Looking over the three maps enables one to sort of draw their own conclusions in explaining a diminishing elk herd. Tell me if I'm off point but there is definitely Sasquatch in the area and some in the most distressed elk locations too if I understand this correctly … That said, the Sasquatch issue is probably but one factor of several at play here.

 

500 hundred mile range? That's huge! Four times more than I would have guessed ...

Edited March 29, 2015 by Gumshoeye

[BobbyO]

About 300,000 acres that is.

To put that into perspective of the country out there, the Olympic National Park is around a million acres, then there's the Olympic National Forest too.

Huge country, needle in haystack stuff.

[BigTreeWalker]

Besides the ones mentioned above by BobbyO, here are the rest of the Washington State national forests.

Gifford Pinchot National Forest 1,312,000 acres.

Colville National Forest 1,100,000 acres.

Wenatchee National Forest 2,200,0000 acres.

Umatilla National Forest 1,400,000 acres.

Needle in the haystack indeed!

[BigTreeWalker]

Forgot one, Okanogan National Forest 1,499,013 acres.

For a total of over 16,000 sq. miles.

[BobbyO]

Besides the ones mentioned above by BobbyO, here are the rest of the Washington State national forests.

Gifford Pinchot National Forest 1,312,000 acres.

Colville National Forest 1,100,000 acres.

Wenatchee National Forest 2,200,0000 acres.

Umatilla National Forest 1,400,000 acres.

Needle in the haystack indeed!

And my numbers were the national park and not even the Olympic National Forest, which is another 625k acres.

The State has around 23m acres all in all of forest.

You might think it's a lot and it kind of is, but it isn't.

Further up the coast in South East Alaska, there's a single forest ( the Tongass ) that is 17m acres alone, real lush rainforest too, it's Western Washington on steroids.

British Columbia has around 136m acres of forested land, 62m of which is still old growth.

Monster numbers.

Alaska has 129m forested acres.

[BigTreeWalker]

BobbyO, when I looked up those numbers I saw some of the huge sizes of the ones you mention. But, when I'm out in the "smaller" ones in WA they still seem huge. :-)

I can understand why an animal with fewer numbers and a lot of woods-wise smarts, can stay hidden in these huge tracts of forest land.

[BobbyO]

Haha i'm with you BigTree..

 

Incredible country..

[gigantor]

You guys ever think about the size of Siberia?  very similar flora/fauna....

[BigTreeWalker]

Yes, thought about it just the other day when we took my granddaughter to the zoo and saw the Siberian tiger. Almost like around here but with tigers! ;-)

[gigantor]

Tigers and brown bears too!

 

I'll make a start on that herd and their seasonal distribution and tie it up with the sightings to see what they say, if anything.

 

Awesome work BobbyO!.

 

Just for fun, I found an Elk migration route layer for Google Earth (Colorado). One click and it overlays over the SSR sighting maps. I'll see if I can find something similar for WA to help you out.  Below is the Twin Lakes area. Red lines are migration routes, green highlights are migration corridors. Of course, you can also make seasonal blinkys, etc.  Looks promising...

 

Edited March 31, 2015 by gigantor

[BigTreeWalker]

I think I need to get a premium membership. This is some very interesting information! Most of those sightings appear to coincide with a migration route. It would be even more interesting if the dates also coincide with the migration.