New elk survey takes flight

Unmanned aircraft will scout a section of state-managed forest land north of Hamilton next week on the lookout for elk — a known hell-raiser in eastern Skagit Valley.
For several years, a growing herd has caused trouble for farmers, landowners and drivers along Highway 20 and the upper Skagit River.
Collecting population counts from the air is nothing new; the state Department of Fish and Wildlife sends biologists up in helicopters each year. But researchers from Western Washington University, the U.S. Geological Survey, area tribes and several state agencies have partnered to give new flight research technology a whirl in the valley.