| The South Rainier Elk Herd is one of ten elk | | | | |
| herds living in Washington State. This herd's | | | | The greatest influence humans have had on |
| range covers around 1,100 square miles, and | | | | this herd, however,has been through direct |
| is located in parts of Lewis County, Thurston | | | | elk mortality. The annual regulated hunting |
| County, and Mount Rainier National Park. The | | | | harvest removes around forty to sixty percent |
| herd area is bounded on the east be the North | | | | of all bull elk. The population of the South |
| Cascade Crest Trail. On the west and south, | | | | Rainier Elk Herd has varied widely. For |
| it is bounded by major highways, and on the | | | | instance, in 1994, there were as many as four |
| north, by highways, the Nisqually River and | | | | thousand individuals in this area. By 1997, |
| Mt. Rainier National Park. Land ownership in | | | | that number had fallen to 1,500. It is |
| the area is a mix of public and private | | | | estimated that the current population of the |
| holdings. The majority of the land is owned | | | | herd is around 2,100 animals. Management |
| by the U.S. Forest Service, which has the | | | | goals for the South Rainier herd include |
| administration of around 400 square miles of | | | | increasing the numbers of elk to a level of |
| land, primarily composed of Gifford Pinchot | | | | about 3,000 animals. In general, elk |
| National Forest and the southern boundary of | | | | population levels will be maintained or |
| Mt. Rainier National Park. Private holdings | | | | increased, depending on the area, except in |
| are located mostly along the Cowlitz River. | | | | locations where they are causing a lot of |
| There are small tracts of state land in the | | | | damage or having conflict with humans. The |
| area. The remainder of the land is held by | | | | current population ratios, when assessed |
| industrial forestry interests. Elevations | | | | before the hunting season, are fifteen to |
| within the herd area are between 250 feet and | | | | seventeen bulls per hundred cows, a figure |
| 14,400 feet (the summit of Mt. Rainier). | | | | which has stayed steady since 1996, and |
| Level and gently rolling terrain is rare, | | | | forty-six to forty-eight calves for every |
| occurring mostly along major drainages such | | | | hundred cows. |
| as the Cispus and Cowlitz Rivers. The elk | | | | |
| occupy almost all of the herd area below | | | | Harvest strategies for this herd have varied |
| 6,500 feet, except for areas that are | | | | significantly over the past forty years. They |
| extraordinarily steep or rocky. | | | | have included permission to take any bull, to |
| | | | spike-only bulls with a general permit, and |
| Humans make extensive use of the area in | | | | branch antlered bulls taken by special |
| which the South Rainier Elk Herd is located, | | | | permit. In some cases, only three point bulls |
| mostly for recreational purposes. For | | | | or greater have been permitted. The three |
| instance, the visitor usage of Mt. Rainier | | | | point minimum rule has been more common in |
| National Park was over two million in the | | | | recent years, and is the current method of |
| 1990s. Hiking, backpacking, skiing, and other | | | | regulating the elk harvest for the South |
| recreational activities are common, as well | | | | Rainier Elk Herd. Antler point restrictions |
| as trapping, fishing, and hunting. These | | | | normally mean higher bull to cow ratios after |
| activities occur both in the park and on | | | | the hunting season, but fewer older animals |
| adjacent lands that are privately owned. | | | | survive. Before 2000, it was legal to harvest |
| | | | antlerless elk during the archery season, or |
| The area along the Cowlitz river has been | | | | with firearms by special permit. However, |
| developed extensively, both for agricultural | | | | antlerless harvest has not recently been |
| and residential purposes. This has | | | | permitted. |
| significantly affected the wintering area of | | | | |
| this herd. There has been a significant loss | | | | Current goals for the maintenance and |
| of important winter habitat for these elk, as | | | | management of this herd include an increase |
| well as a rise in elk/human conflict. In | | | | in the estimated elk population, while paying |
| addition, intensive clear cut logging has | | | | attention to habitat limitations and problems |
| changed almost all of the forests not in the | | | | landowners may experience. The maintenance |
| bounds of the national park. Originally, this | | | | and improvement of elk habitat on U.S. Forest |
| area was made up almost entirely of old | | | | service lands is to be encouraged, and |
| growth forest. However, the area is now | | | | hunting is to be kept to a limit which will |
| covered in second and third generation growth | | | | allow all herds to reach the state |
| reaching to approximately 3,300 feet in | | | | requirement of twelve or more bulls for every |
| elevation, and covering almost all of the | | | | hundred cows. |
| elk's winter range. | | | | |