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