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