The city of Snoqualmie banned hunting a few years ago, about the same time the ridge development cleared a few square miles for houses and the golf course. Just east of the golf course is the Hancock forest where the Elk live. The hunting closure goes right up to the edge of the forest. When hunting season opens up the herd heads into the no hunting area, typically settling in the fields of Meadow brook farm (now a park) until the season ends. With no predators and all of the great forage provided by the landscaped homes and golf course it is a great surprise that the elk have moved into the area. What’s even more surprising is that people are surprised by this. 75 Elk were relocated from Olympic National Park in the early 1900's to an island in the mill pond of the Weyerhaeuser mill. One year the Snoqualmie River flooded and the Elk swam off the island for good and the herd has grown to about 250 head calling the North side of I-90 corridor their home. There are some big bulls in the herd that never get touched by hunters because they stay in the no hunting zone all season. You can see them laying the Meadowbrook fields starting in late August. The biggest I have seen is an 8x8 and they are at least 10 6x6’s as well.

Make the city a draw permit Archery tag with a trespass permit and a city escort for the hunters and the elk problem will end.