Tuesday, September 01, 2009
Elk proposal brings challenges
Mark Taylor is outdoors editor at The Roanoke Times.
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As the calendar hits September and the twinge of fall hits the air, many hunters in Virginia are putting final touches on plans for big upcoming adventures.
Many will herd west over the next couple of months, spending thousands of dollars to chase elk in the wilds of Montana, Colorado, Wyoming and other western states.
Might some of those hunters one day have the opportunity to hunt bugling elk right here in Virginia's mountains?
Until recently it seemed the idea of Virginia again being home to a viable elk population was completely unrealistic.
But the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries continues to take steps, albeit small and cautious ones, in that direction.
At its most recent meeting, the agency's board of directors approved for consideration a proposal that will afford protection to elk that wander into Virginia from neighboring states.
The proposed rule, which would make it illegal to kill any elk in Virginia, comes as the agency is undertaking a phone survey to gauge public sentiment about elk in a few coalfields counties.
Currently, rules for killing trespassing elk are liberal.
During deer seasons, Virginia hunters can kill any elk they see -- bull or cow -- even in counties where only antlered deer may be taken.
That regulation stems from the early days of elk restoration in neighboring states, when Virginia game officials were concerned that elk brought in from the West could be harboring dangerous diseases, such as chronic wasting disease, that could be transferred to Virginia's whitetail herd, or even to domestic cattle.
But those concerns have eased.
Virginia's neighbors are no longer bringing elk in. The animals already established are reproducing well enough to have proven to be disease free.
The elk herds have also grown robust enough to draw tourists to elk-rich counties, and to support lottery hunts that can raise tens of thousands of dollars in application fees.
A public comment period on the proposal opened Thursday and will run through Oct. 1. Citizens can also speak up at the DGIF's next board meeting, on Oct. 22.
Results from the phone survey are expected to be discussed at that same meeting.
While some residents of counties where elk restoration might be considered will no doubt support the idea, there will be critics.
A few elk that wander here from Kentucky might be easy to deal with. But with a larger herd would pose more challenges, including damage to crops and gardens, and the potential for dangerous vehicle collisions.
If the board approves the proposal it's unclear when the change would take effect.
Hunting regulations have already been established for this upcoming season. So even if the rule change is approved, regulations booklets that have printed would include the old regulation.
From a practical standpoint, there would likely be little difference between putting the rule in place immediately, or waiting until next fall.
That's because, despite the liberal rules, very few elk are killed in Virginia each fall.
Approving the proposal, no matter when it takes effect, is really about sending a message that the agency's leaders are giving the idea elk restoration serious consideration.
Again, this is sure to be a slow-moving process.
Even if the DGIF becomes fully committed to elk restoration, many challenges await.
Funding will be a primary one.
Even if a group such as the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation steps up with funding help, as seems likely, the DGIF would be on the hook for much of the cost. Without an additional cash infusion, other programs would have to sacrifice. That's a bridge to be crossed, but there's still a lot of road to go to reach that bridge.
The proposal -- which actually just removes language that allows elk to be killed during deer seasons -- can be viewed on the DGIF's Web site (huntfishva.com). The site also provides information on how to submit comments.
Don't feed the deer
Today marks not only the first fall hunting day -- the early goose opener -- it also brings the end of legal deer feeding.
A couple of years ago the DGIF implemented a ban on the practice from the first of September through the first Saturday in January.
Part of the rationale was that bait and food piles can concentrate deer and enhance the spread of disease. But, as the timing of the ban shows, the regulation is really intended to reduce hunting over bait, which is illegal.
Of course, if you were to only look at the massive amount of deer food and baiting products for sale in local sporting good stores, you'd have no idea such a ban on hunting over bait exists in this state.
