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Southwest
Washington Wildlife Reports
Brian
Calkins, Acting Wildlife Program Manager
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January 22, 2007
Region 5 Wildlife Areas
Mt. St. Helens Wildlife Area Emergency Winter Feeding: Emergency winter-feeding of elk continued this week. 462 elk were observed from the Weyerhaeuser site on January 18th. Since a portion of the wildlife area cannot be seen from this location, numbers are probably at or above 500 elk. Counts from the road, where feeding is occurring, have ranged from 300 to 360 animals over the past week. The increase in animal numbers is typical for this site during severe weather periods, like those we have experienced over the last two weeks. Estimated use rate of hay delivered now on the wildlife area is at or above 80%. With an estimated 500 animals on the site, this is a rate of about 8 pounds of hay per head, per day. With the expected milder conditions, this is an appropriate rate. We will continue to adjust feed rates to estimated elk numbers, observed usage rates, and weather conditions.
Game Management Division
Dusky Goose Survey: Biologist Holman participated in round two of the federally coordinated dusky goose survey. The survey area included the Shillapoo State Wildlife Area, private agricultural lands, and Port of Vancouver property in the Vancouver lowlands, along with agricultural areas in the vicinity of Woodland. Approximately 3000 geese were located during the survey, including 55 duskies. Two of the duskies were collared individuals; both of the collar numbers were "read". Cackling Canada geese and Taverners Canada geese dominate the wintering goose population in these areas. Dusky goose surveys are conducted simultaneously, twice annually, throughout Southwest Washington and Northwest Oregon by staff from WDFW, ODFW, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Please see the attached photos of dusky Canada geese resting on WDFW's Shillapoo Wildlife Area in the Vancouver lowlands.
Biologist Woodin completed the second of the two-part survey of Canada geese (with a focus on Dusky sub-species) in Lewis, Cowlitz, and Wahkiakum Counties. This survey did not include federal lands. Likely due to the week-long cold and snow, geese were few and far between in both Lewis and Cowlitz Counties. Most geese were found along the Lower Columbia River where fields had little or no snow and did not impede goose foraging. No dusky sub-species were located in this survey. The largest concentrations of geese were seen on Little Island in the Columbia River near Cathlamet. Approximately 2,700 geese were seen in groups ranging from 8 to 1,700 birds.
