Letters | Look for other ways to control the Snoqualmie Valley elk herd

Published 5:03 pm Tuesday, January 24, 2012

If the Snoqualmie Valley wants to be on the cutting edge of elk management practices, then why not consider the alternative herd control methods tried by our neighboring areas?

The Seattle Times recently reported that the Toutle River Valley successfully relocated 50 elk to the Nooksack Valley. Toutle officials there coordinated with two helicopters and volunteers on the ground to herd the animals into a corral and then transport them to other areas.

The city of Sequim recently received a state grant to fit their elk with GPS collars with “virtual fence” capability. When alerted, volunteers will be called on to drive the offending elk away from designated areas.

Sequim is also seeking funds by the Legislature to purchase high fences that will protect sensitive areas.If relocation of some of our Valley elk isn’t feasible, why not consider the proven immunocontraception vaccination, which uses PZP proteins to surround and block sperm from reaching the unfertilized egg?

According to the Humane Society of the United States, this contraceptive was developed more than three decades ago and can be administered by hand or in a dart, and it lasts two or more years.

Also, time-released pellets can be given to simulate annual boosters. This vaccine has reportedly been used to successfully reduce the deer populations on Fire Island, N.Y.,  wild horse populations in the west and wild elk in Point Reyes, Calif.

If you think our elk herds need to be reduced by hunting, consider the article “Shots in the Dark,” (Valley Record, 12-20-2011). Valley Record Editor Seth Truscott suspects approximately 150 elk go missing yearly, from natural causes, road kills, predation or poachers. With an estimated Valley population of 400 animals, this represents a 40 per cent loss of our elk population, annually!

Recognizing that elk are a real problem in our Valley, however, I believe that we must learn how to co-habitate with these magnificent animals—not kill them.

If you agree that we need a better plan, contact your local officials and conservation groups about setting up a relocation or immunization program.

Patricia Yolton

Snoqualmie