elk populatios

[Troutslayer2]

You are correct, this is an unpopular view (not insight) and it is crap!
This is the kind of things that drive wedges between fellow hunters. We all need to support each other even if you do not take in a particular type of hunting be it bow or rifle, Bear baiting, wolf hunting, long range, short range you name it. If it is legal in what ever state you hunt then we need to stick together or we will lose it!
Not to mention I personally know of more animals being wounded and not recovered by firearms hunters than from bow. However, there is no way it has made any kind of impact on our herds!!

I know of a rancher who found 20 unrecovered carcasses this year on about 4 sections or less. All wounded by archery hunters. I don't really know how many are in that herd, but it can't be more than 200. I think that's significant. I find them from time to time out in the woods, and if I'm just stumbling into a dead one now and again, how many more are out there?

 

[sp6x6]

I spent 20 years hunting what was open archery special draw rifle.Then draw for both.I havent been recent because rancher started charging access,blocks FS.This area had tons of archery hunters,never even put a small dent in the elk.I watched some early rifle hunts that took place in archery, those hunters never even made it to the elk in the back of the low lands,that I walk threw in dark.Hear wolf are there now also.Good ranch land limited tags,Big Bulls

 

[Flatbow]

I know of a rancher who found 20 unrecovered carcasses this year on about 4 sections or less. All wounded by archery hunters. I don't really know how many are in that herd, but it can't be more than 200. I think that's significant. I find them from time to time out in the woods, and if I'm just stumbling into a dead one now and again, how many more are out there?

If those numbers are correct, that is a shame. In my 40 yrs of hunting (mostly archery) I have found only one dead Elk from arrow wound. For shure I have heard and believe there are more but nothing close to those numbers. Would be interesting to know what the national average is and what we could do to help reduce those numbers.
Sp6x6
Sorry to hear you lost such a good hunting area. If the land owner doesn't want poeple on his land then that is his right but he should grant access to FS land beyond. It sucks to lose good areas, they are too few.
Doggonit,
I havent seen info on hoof rot around here (north Idaho) but I do know that Eastern WA has wolves now and is having issues with them. I hope it does not get as bad for you as it has for ID and MT but I wouldnt hold my breath .