Elk restoration logic and twra

[whiteoakmtnranger]

Need help and opinions on recent rumors out of rhea co elk incident. Why would twra allow elk hunts outside elk zones? Rumors is insurance lobby influenced the law, which doesn't sound all that logical that lobbyist could sway sound wildlife restoration decision. Why do you think twra doesn't list elk harvest in their hunters tool box? Who publishes elk kill numbers? Who keeps track of elk and vehicle kills. Did the dead elk in rhea co get cwd tested? Why if twra is trying to grow an elk herd with our money, are they allowing cow harvest? There appears to be something that's a little off about these rumors and twra logic in general. What are you folks hearing?

 

[BSK]

Rumors is insurance lobby influenced the law, which doesn't sound all that logical that lobbyist could sway sound wildlife restoration decision.

I hear this argument all the time. Insurance companies are pressuring game agencies to lower deer (or elk) populations because they are losing money from car-deer collisions. First, insurance companies and their actuarial tables never lose money. As car-deer collisions increase, they just increase insurance rates to compensate.

I work in circles where I get to talk to a lot of "decision makers" in state wildlife agencies. I've asked a bunch of them if they've ever experienced pressure from insurance companies. To a person, they said they have never received a call from an insurance company.

 

[whiteoakmtnranger]

Thanks for the help. If you get a chance ask these decision folks what their logic is for killing cow elk while trying to grow elk. I guess I grew up in the buck only logic era that seems to have been effective in the old days. Why do you think twra doesn't publish elk harvest?

 

[Hunt4]

Insurance companies controlling deer regulations falls right in line with trading turkeys for rattlesnakes, and Volkswagen sized catfish.

 

[J.A.F.O.]

VW Beetle sized catfish sounds pretty good though. Imagine the filet on that bad boy. Would need a trough sized Fry Daddy and 125lbs of cornmeal.

 

[Savage]

It's a similar take to the Big horn sheep argument. If they get out of their area, and come into contact with domestic sheep, they can carry back the disease that carries pneumonia and wipe out wild bighorns. So when one comes out of that area, they want them shot.

The same is with elk and CWD. If one comes out of the zone, they want it shot. That way it doesn't carry CWD back to the elk herd.

 

[whiteoakmtnranger]

Appreciate your help. Theres a lot of logic in that if cwd is found in adjoining counties. Is it?
Have you ever heard twra come out with this disease prevention methodology? Do you think every dead elk gets tested for cwd? Why do you think they don't publish harvest?










Why do you think they don't publish harvest of elk? The cwd concern sounds logical.

 

[Winchester]

LOL, CWD hasnt been confirmed within hundreds of miles of these East TN Elk. I can understand TWRA wanting to keep the Elk in a designated area but I dont think CWD is the reason.

 

[Schap]

I wish we had more elk.

 

[Griswold]

Guess they are tired of paying for fences and gardens

 

[backyardtndeer]

The AI on the stealth cam app identified an elk in my food plot last month.

Turned out to just be a really wide whitetail.

 

[whiteoakmtnranger]

If anyone has talked with twra rep about these issues let me know before I get in touch with elk gurus in Nashville and ask them a bunch of stupid questions. I guess I'm getting a little bit suspicious or paranoid about how they are utilizing the millions of our yours and my tax dollars. Maybe we don't really need transparency anymore but somehow it's a burr in my saddle all of a sudden for some weird reason.

 

[mike243]

Your tax dollars ain't paying for much of anything to do with TWRA, not sure where you are getting the insight but you might want to question them first imo.

 

[whiteoakmtnranger]

I guess the ref to taxes was lic fees and pittman robertson and similar taxes paid on hunt and fish stuff. If google can be believed it says twra recently rcvd over $30,000,000.00 in p/r taxes for tn which went to twra. Don't know what cut goes to elk, but elk foundation pitches in our donations on top. Thanks for your comment. Google up p/r taxes to tn and let me know if I messed up on this understanding.

 

[paboom]

As someone who's in leadership at a large insurance company, I can assure that we are not losing money over deer collisions. Even if that were to be the case in a particluar region, it's a lot easier to raise rates than it is to sway regulation changes.

 

[whiteoakmtnranger]

Thanks for that. I figured as much. Rumor travels faster than 3 I atlas most days around here.

 

[whiteoakmtnranger]

LOL, CWD hasnt been confirmed within hundreds of miles of these East TN Elk. I can understand TWRA wanting to keep the Elk in a designated area but I dont think CWD is the reason.

Why do you think they just want elk in designated areas?

 

[mike243]

Why not go to the twra web site and read the history for the reintroduction of the elk? maybe that will help you understand what the goals are.

 

[SSlater]

Logic and TWRA don't belong together in the same post.

 

[Big Pop]

There is an Elk Page on North Cumberland WMA website. Harvest numbers are listed there beginning with 2009 and each unit's size of antlers, etc.

https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/twra/images/hunting/Tennessee-Elk-hunting-zones.jpg

 

[MickThompson]

Why do you think they just want elk in designated areas?

Do you think corn and bean farmers in west Tennessee want 800 pound critters in their fields?

 

[whiteoakmtnranger]

Why not go to the twra web site and read the history for the reintroduction of the elk? maybe that will help you understand what the goals are.

Will do

 

[whiteoakmtnranger]

Do you think corn and bean farmers in west Tennessee want 800 pound critters in their fields?

 

[whiteoakmtnranger]

Makes sense. I wonder how farmers in Montana address the same issue?

 

[Schap]

I wish they would have went ahead with reintroduction at LBL years ago. I think east Tn has less farmers to complain then west Tn. I think most non farming landowners would be pro elk restoration.

 

[EastTNHunter]

Makes sense. I wonder how farmers in Montana address the same issue?

Many of them play all sides of the issue. They:
1) ask for elk to be all but eradicated
2) ask for special landowner permits, then sell them along with their guided hunts
3) ask for crop depredation fees

Montana is not a well-managed wildlife state from a biological perspective.

 

[scn]

Appreciate your help. Theres a lot of logic in that if cwd is found in adjoining counties. Is it?
Have you ever heard twra come out with this disease prevention methodology? Do you think every dead elk gets tested for cwd? Why do you think they don't publish harvest?










Why do you think they don't publish harvest of elk? The cwd concern sounds logical.

Who is saying they don't publish the harvest figures? They are available every year.

 

[scn]

Looks like a troll account with 11 messages and trying to stir shyt.

Thankful for the ignore button.

 

[MickThompson]

Makes sense. I wonder how farmers in Montana address the same issue?

They don't grow beans and barely grow corn, and not in the mountains

 

[MickThompson]

Looks like a troll account with 11 messages and trying to stir shyt.

Thankful for the ignore button.

Yep. Joined yesterday to gripe on the internet instead of picking up the phone or sending an email to get actual answers.

Green stripe activated.