Hunters may cull Packwood elk

The state Fish and Wildlife Department has proposed a special hunting season in the Morton-Packwood area to reduce the number of elk that have been traipsing through yards and gardens.

But the Puyallup Tribe, which has hunting rights in the area, opposes the hunt and says the herd is already too thin.

The issue has also divided residents in the Cascade foothill communities south of Mount Rainier who like wildlife in neighborhoods and those who are tired of having the big animals trample yards and chew up fruit trees. About 15 residents have complained to state officials about elk damage in 2008 and there were seven complaints in 2007.

"Elk trampling a garden is not a good reason to doom an entire herd," said Fred Dillon, the Puyallup Tribe's natural resource policy representative. "These decisions should be based on clear scientific evidence, not public relations."

If approved by the Fish and Wildlife Commission, the first Packwood elk hunt would take place in the fall of 2009. Hunters would be allowed to kill elk cows and bulls along U.S. Highway 12 from Morton to Packwood. Hunters would still need owner's permission to shoot on private property.

The proposal is still in the discussion stage, with a town meeting planned in Packwood on Friday.

The conflict between residents and wildlife in Packwood has gone on for years, said Dave Ware, the state's game division manager. State officials have dealt with similar elk problems around North Bend and Sequim.

Hunting is the "most effective and least expensive" way to cope with the clash between marauding elk and complaining property owners, Ware said. "If you're getting a bunch of complaints from the public, you need to address it."

Some homeowners disagree.

"The elk are not walking on our land. We built on their land," said Lonnie Davis, who lives in Puyallup and owns 20 acres just outside the town. "I say just leave it as it is."

The tribe's wildlife biologist, Barbara Moeller, has tracked the herd and says it now numbers about 1,000, about half the size state officials have said they would like to manage in the area.

The Puyallup Tribe is among four tribes with hunting rights in the area. Last year, Puyallup tribal members hunted and killed seven elk from the herd, which Moeller said is typical.