Wildlife Program report: Apr. 1-15, 2025

Managing Wildlife Populations

Ferruginous Hawks: Biologist Brinkman completed an occupancy survey of ferruginous hawk nesting territories in Whitman County, outside of Lacrosse. Historic nest sites were investigated, and two of five were found to be active with both the male and female ferruginous hawk observed at each of those active sites. The three unoccupied nests were within the same territories as the active nests, so a follow-up occupancy survey will not need to be conducted at those sites. Productivity surveys to determine hatching and fledging success will be conducted at the active nests in June. 

Biologist Lowe conducted a ferruginous hawk occupancy survey at the nest alongside the highway where Biologist Brinkman had observed a bird last week. She took photos of a ferruginous hawk incubating in the nest which confirms the active status of this site. 

Sherman Creek Wildlife Area Winter Gates Opened: WDFW staff opened gates on the Sherman Creek Wildlife Area that are closed from December 1st to April 1st annually to restrict motor vehicle access into ungulate winter range. Acting Wildlife Area Manager Palmer and Natural Resource Technician Graves opened the gates on Bisbee Mountain Road, Trout Lake Road, and the Old Game Range Road. Next, staff members cleared downed trees from the roads and cleaned out culverts. The photo below shows Graves cleaning the head end of a culvert on the Old Game Range Road. 

Bullfrogs: Wildlife Area Manager Dingman and Natural Resource Technician Tritt had a Teams call with Fish and Wildlife Biologist Janquart about options to try to reduce or control the bullfrog population on the WT Wooten Wildlife Area. There is a “large” population of bullfrogs in Spring Lake, Rainbow Lake, and the wetland adjacent to Rainbow Lake. Wildlife area staff members will be trying some of Biologist Janquart’s suggestions as they get time this summer.

Preparing for Sharp-tailed Grouse Release: This week Wildlife Area Manager Finch, Wildlife Area Assistant Manager Wagner, and Natural Resource Technician Duclos placed the grouse release boxes in position to prepare for the first translocation of sharp-tailed grouse (STG) next Monday. Placing these boxes in position early helps with the resident grouse getting familiar with the new out of place items. While out placing the boxes in position at Swanson Lakes Wildlife Area, staff members met with Region 1 District 1 Wildlife Biologist Lowe on site to collect fecal and feathers from resident STG so genetic testing could be done. 

Providing Recreation Opportunities

WT Wooten Wildlife Area Lakes: Natural Resource Technicians Jensen and Tritt checked the lakes daily and adjusted as necessary. They picked up trash around the lakes. They finished hauling tailings to fill the potholes in the access road between Rainbow Lake and Deer Lake. Tritt and Jensen walked the Deer Lake inlet channel and cleared debris to improve water flow to the lake. 

WT Wooten Wildlife Area Campgrounds, Parking Areas, and Shooting Range: Natural Resource Technician Jensen checked the campgrounds and parking areas and cleaned up trash. He removed the old paper signs from inside the outhouses and the expired signs from the kiosks.

Providing Conflict Prevention and Education

Turkey Hazing: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Harris responded to a report of wild turkeys in a Spokane business complex. The complex has previously had issues with turkeys causing damage to vehicles in the parking lot. Harris located a small group of toms in the parking lot and hazed them off the property with a paintball gun. 

Turkey Damage: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Harris hazed a tom that was relentlessly attacking its reflection in the window of a Spokane business. The tom did not cause damage to the window, but did inflict minor injuries to itself in the process. 

Conserving Natural Landscapes

Shrub/Tree Planting: Natural Resource Technician Edmondson assisted Biologist Nizer in Whitman County with planting trees and shrubs along the edges of a wheat field to increase forage opportunities and habitat for wildlife such as pheasants.

Cougar Creek Fire Reseeding Effort: Biologist Woodall and Natural Resource Technician Peters spent much of the work week applying seed to internal roads used for hauling logs and log deck sites. Woodall also coordinated and oversaw an aerial seed application using a helicopter. They applied 12,000 lbs. of a native seed and clover mix across the most heavily burned sites that have seen little to no regrowth. 

Pampa Pond Access: Access Area staff members began the process of catching up on many years of deferred maintenance at the Pampa Pond Access Area in Whitman County. During site inspections in late winter, staff members discovered the property has hidden picnic tables, and even one intact grill (which will be removed prior to fire restrictions). The tables were hidden amongst grass that was several feet tall. Natural Resource Technician Brant began the process of knocking the tall grass down with a string trimmer, and Natural Resource Specialist Dziekan follows Brant’s work with a lawn mower, mulching up the tall grass, leaves, and other debris and leaving behind a nice-looking area. The tall grass and unkempt areas made for a good habitat so after string trimming, and prior to mowing, Dziekan walked the areas to ensure he would not be running his mower into anything that it is not designed to cut. While doing the pre-mow inspection Dziekan discovered a baby rabbit. After a more detailed inspection, the rabbit’s siblings alerted Dziekan to their location and he was able to locate the warren. Dziekan made quick work of returning the rabbit to its nest and covering the warren back up. As he walked away, he noticed the female rabbit was close by, very well camouflaged, watching the entire process take place. No rabbits were harmed in the improvements of Pampa Pond!

One of the last priority tasks for Pampa Pond is getting the toilet under control. When Dziekan and Brant visited the site last year, they found the most atrocious looking toilet conditions the pair had ever seen. That prompted the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) into entering a management agreement with the property owners. Countless instances of graffiti, along with stains from human waste, left the inside of the restroom entirely unappealing for use. New white paint was applied to the interior walls, and new grey paint applied to the floor. The floor paint was finished with sand, which will aid in traction when the floor is wet. 

Culvert planting: Natural Resource Technician Edmondson assisted the Habitat Program by using an auger to dig holes and plant various vegetation around a new culvert near Danville. The species included were western larch, ponderosa pine, and willow.

Plants: Private Lands Biologist Thorne Hadley partnered with Corps of Engineers on a habitat project at Bennington Lake. Thorne Hadley supplied several hundred ponderosa pine trees, woods rose, fourwing saltbrush, and rabbit brush plants that were planted by volunteer members.

Habitat Project: Private Lands Biologist Nizer, Natural Resource Technician Itrich, and three other volunteer members completed a tree and shrub planting at a hunt by written permission property near Lamont. The habitat will be extending an existing fence line for game bird and big game habitat cover. Nizer and Itrich plan on coming back out to seed 25 acres into a grass stand.

Revere Wildlife Area Shrub Plot: This week Wildlife Area Assistant Manager Wagner and Natural Resource Technician Duclos went to the Revere Wildlife Area to help volunteer members from the Spokane Chapter of Pheasant Forever deliver over 1,500 shrubs from Plants of the Wildlife directly to the work site. A temporary enclosure will be setup to protect the shrubs from deer and elk until the project starts.

Approximately 57 volunteer members showed up at the Revere Wildlife Area to brave the cold and windy weather to plant over 1,600 shrubs with three large shrub plots enclosed with 7.5-foot deer fence. This project was prepped in advanced by the Private Lands program who laid the matting as a field instruction day. The volunteer members were served a wonderful fried chicken, bean, salad, and brownies for dessert by a Spokane Chapter Pheasant Forever members. There were three separate Pheasant Forever chapters who showed up for this project along with Washington State University students and volunteer members from the Spokane Audubon. 

Providing Education and Outreach

Black Bear: Natural Resource Technicians Edmondson and Keeling brought Bear Aware pamphlets and informational material to the Northport hardware store to be handed out to residents and tourists that pass through town.

Inland Northwest Wildlife Council Disabled Hunter Open House: Wildlife Area Manager Palmer participated in the Disabled Hunter Open House hosted by the Inland Northwest Wildlife Council on April 12th. Palmer presented disabled hunter opportunities on Sherman Creek and Rustlers Gulch Wildlife Areas.

Bear Aware at Camas Center: Biologists Prince, Johnson, and conflict staff members Keeling and Edmondson conducted a Bear Aware event for the daycare kids at the Camas center. This included talking to the kids about grizzlies, how they differ from black bears, and ways to stay safe while recreating. The kids did multiple activities to learn more about things we do to keep bears from getting human food and keeping a clean campsite. It was an exciting day for the kids and a great start to our many outreach events planned this year.

Conducting Business Operations and Policy

Grant Proposal: This week Wildlife Area Assistant Wagner wrote a proposal for a $20,000 grant used for enhancing habitat for turkeys and other upland game birds. This grant benefits the habitat and increases the game bird population for better hunting experiences. The proposal that Wagner wrote outlined a partnership with Pheasant Forever and volunteer members.

Wagner recently received an email that his grant proposal was accepted for funding!

Red Card Wildland Fire Safety: Wildlife Area Manager Dice and Acting Wildlife Area Manager Woodall traveled to Spokane and met up with other WDFW staff members to complete their Red Card safety training for wildland fires. Hopefully, we do not have another year of fires but if so, we are fully prepared.

Managing Wildlife Populations

Deer Management: Biologist Dougherty assisted Private Lands staff members with assessing and determining changes to local LHPs (Landowner Hunt Program) for the upcoming hunting seasons.

Spring Mule Deer Surveys: Biologists Fitkin and Heinlen completed spring mule deer ground surveys classifying almost 1,600 mule deer. The raw counts yielded a fawn to adult ratio of 32 to100, which is close to the long-term average. 

Trapped, Sick and Injured Wildlife: Biologists Dougherty and Clements were notified of sick and dead snow geese at Potholes Reservior. After coordination with the reporting parties, the biologists went to the site and recovered serveral carcesses. Samples were collected and will be sent off for disease testing.

Ground Squirrels: Biologists Dougherty and Clements are continuing efforts to capture Washington ground squirrels in an effort to asses genetic diversity across the range. Dougherty and Clements took a break from baiting and trapping efforts to focus on other tasks, but pre-baiting and trapping will continue in the coming weeks.

Ferruginuous Hawks: Biologists Dougherty and Clements have been deeply invested in completing the first round of 2025 hawk surveys. After many phone calls and plenty of hiking and driving, the first round has been completed. Only two of the surveyed territories were found to be occupied by ferruginous hawks. However, Dougherty and Clements are planning return survey trips to some of the territories later in April. 

Other

Managing Wildlife Populations

Sunnyside/Snake River Wildlife Area: Spring has arrived at the Sunnyside Unit and along with many migratory birds returning and plants coming back to life, many of the resident wildlife are out and about, enjoying the warmer weather.

District 8 Beaver Relocation: District 8 staff members relocated a beaver from the edge of a busy road in Yakima to the Yakima Nation relocation facility located in Klickitat. This was the first beaver to be received at the facility. At the facility, a smolt tank is utilized as an artificial habitat, where the beaver can be monitored for several days and rinsed of any potential chitrid fungus prior to relocation nearby.

Parke Creek Elk Conflict Study: District 8 Biologist Wampole and Technician Ogburn deployed 20 cameras in the Parke Creek area with the assistance of local landowners. These cameras will be used to monitor elk movement in association with the Elk Conflict Pilot Project.

District 8 Townsend Ground Squirrels: District 8 Wildlife staff members and L.T. Murray Wildlife Area Assistant Manager Winegeart detected two new colonies on the L.T. Murray Wildlife area. District 8 Wildlife Biologist Wampole successfully captured and isolated ground squirrel calls as a first step to researching a novel approach of detecting and monitoring ground squirrel occurrence. 

District 8 Lek Search: District 8 Wildlife staff members conducted lek searches on local wildlife area lands to assess potential presence. No grouse were detected.

District 4 Burrowing Owl Transmitter Recovery: District 4 Wildlife Biologist Fidorra retrieved a transmitter attached to a burrowing owl. The transmitter had been placed on the juvenile owl in 2023 at its hatch site near Pasco. In 2024, this male bred in Washington, successfully fledging at least six young. The transmitter was still attached to the owl, which had died for undetermined reasons in an agriculture field.

District 4 Bobcat Jaw Collection: District 4 Wildlife Biologist Fidorra coordinated with several trappers who reported bobcat and otter harvest to get pelts sealed by the spring deadline as well as to comply with the new jaw submission guidelines for bobcat sampling. Many folks were given guidance on how to submit better samples next year.

District 4 Opportunistic Amphibian Monitoring: District 4 Wildlife Biologist Fidorra was training U.S. Fish and Wildlife seasonal technicians on ferruginous hawk survey protocols when he made an impromptu stop at a roadside seasonal puddle to check for amphibians. Two pairs of Great Basin spadefoot toads were quickly detected, both in amplexus (where males grasp onto females for extended time during breeding). One pair was quickly captured to confirm species ID, then released still attached. Data was submitted via the staff Incidental Observations survey tool.

District 4 Artificial Burrows installed for Burrowing Owls: District 4 Wildlife Biologist Fidorra coordinated installation of 18 new artificial burrow sites near Pasco as part of a burrowing owl conservation project. Staff members from the wildlife area, Wildlife Diversity Program, Habitat Program, Private Lands Program, and Capitol and Asset Management Program Archeology assisted with digging and monitoring the sites. These burrows were installed to replace some artificial burrows that have been lost over the past several years to development or conversion at locations where they had been voluntarily hosted by private landowners. 

Wenas Wildlife Area- Elk Fence Check: Wenas Wildlife Area staff members conducted elk fence checks for fence repairs or maintenance.

Providing Recreation Opportunities

L.T. Murray Wildlife Area Whiskey Dick Unit Road Maintenance: L.T. Murray Wildlife Area Assistant Manager Winegeart submitted a PAM for a temporary extension of the current vehicle exclusion rule for the Pump House and Cayuse roads for public safety during construction. The Corrals access site to the Whiskey Dick unit will open to public vehicle travel on the usual May 1st opener. The Cayuse and Pump House roads are expected to be closed through the end of June.

Providing Conflict Prevention and Education

Kittitas County Field and Stream Club Test and Remove Presentation: District 8 Wildlife Biologist Erin Wampole presented to the Kittitas County Field and Stream Club on the Tri-State Test and Remove Bighorn Sheep study. Members gained knowledge on WDFW efforts to manage pneumonia outbreaks in local bighorn sheep populations and on-going coordinated research.

Kittitas County Conflict: Elk are migrating in significant numbers westward following significant green up in the past two weeks. Elk are hanging out in some private land areas and have been more difficult to move.

WDFW Sergeant Johnson and District 8 Conflict Specialist Wetzel gave Carnivore Biologist Beausoleil’s bear information presentation to Suncadia staff members.

Yakima County Conflict: Elk in the Tampico area have been outside the elk fence in several areas. The elk have begun to stay above and west of the elk fence and have followed significant new green up in the last two weeks. The fence was repaired in several areas.

A beaver came down the concrete irrigation spillway in Yakima and became trapped at the trash gate. District wildlife staff members were able to catch it and transfer it to a translocation area.

Colockum Wildlife Area Green Dot Roads: Colockum Wildlife Area Assistant Manager Hagan began showing Colockum Wildlife Area Manager Gray around the Colockum. One of the items they looked at together was the condition of green dot roads. Manager Gray began reviewing previous lists made regarding road conditions and documenting needs for future road maintenance on the Colockum.

Conserving Natural Landscapes

Sunnyside/Snake River Wildlife Area Vegetation Management: Sunnyside/Snake River Wildlife Area Assistant Manager Ferguson and Natural Resource Technician Cardenas have been busy mowing upland habitats with weed infestations in preparation for spring spraying. Each year, Sunnyside staff members pick several areas to focus on for restoration and so far, they’ve worked on getting about 25 acres ready for spraying weeds followed up with native grass seeding in the fall.

Sunnyside/Snake River Wildlife Area Wetland Management: Sunnyside/Snake River Wildlife Area staff members have begun spring drawdown of the moist soil units on the east side of the wildlife area in preparation for summer maintenance. Staff members continue to monitor water levels and maintain water control structures as necessary.

Wenas Wildlife Area- Shrub Planting: Wenas Wildlife Area Habitat Biologist Miller and Lands and Recreation Specialist Frame planted 250 plugs of inland saltgrass. This native grass will provide feed and cover for wildlife and support soil health. 

Wenas Wildlife Area- Firebreak and Parking Area Herbicide Spraying: Wenas Wildlife Area staff members sprayed firebreaks and parking areas for kochia, Russian thistle, and tumble mustard. Herbicide application will increase throughout the wildlife area for other noxious weeds as the season continues.

Oak Creek Wildlife Area- Forest Seedling Post-Fire Planting: The forestry team, including Statewide Specialist’s Forester Pfeifle and McRae, met with a planting contractor and facilitated the planting of approximately 20,000 ponderosa pine, Douglas fir, and western larch tree seedlings. The area was commercially thinned in 2022 and damaged severely in the Retreat Fire of 2024. This was done to establish trees in the area to serve as a future seed source before grasses and brush develop post-fire.

L.T. Murray Wildlife Area - Whiskey Dick Unit Restoration: L.T. Murray Wildlife Area Assistant Manager Winegeart assessed survival of 40ci sagebrush plants that were planted along transect lines last fall at photo point sites. Three plants had been pulled out of the ground but of the remaining 52 planted evaluated, the survival rate was 92%.

Providing Education and Outreach

Wenas Wildlife Area- Kittitas Field and Stream Club Durr Rd Target Shooting Range Clean Up: 14 members of the Kittitas Field and Stream Club participated in a cleanup of target shooting trash and littered target building material at the Durr Rd Target Shooting Range. Kittitas Field and Stream Club has conducted this cleanup for many years at this shooting site and will hopefully continue to do so.

Wenas Wildlife Area- Wenas Valley Muzzleloaders Club Sheep Company Target Shooting Range Clean Up: Eight members of the Wenas Valley Muzzleloaders Club participated in a clean-up of target shooting trash and littered target building material. Wenas Valley Muzzleloaders Club has conducted this clean-up for many years at this shooting site and will hopefully continue to do so.

Wenas Wildlife Area- Pheasants Forever Shrub Planting: Eight members of the Yakima Pheasants Forever chapter joined Wenas Wildlife Area staff members in planting approximately 1,200 shrubs in the Black Canyon Fire burn of fall 2024. Species consisted of bitterbrush, big sagebrush, and golden currant.

Conducting Business Operations and Policy

Colockum Wildlife Area Seasonal Staff Hiring: Colockum Wildlife Area Manager Gray went through the process for direct hiring a four-month seasonal worker. Natural Resource Worker Cuellar will begin on May 1st. Some of the main duties he will be working on include maintaining boundary fence, noxious weed control, picking up illegal dump sites/litter, and general maintenance on infrastructure.

Other

Colockum Wildlife Area Temporary Road Closure: Colockum Wildlife Area Manager Gray coordinated with the Wenatchee Heights Reclamation District regarding the need for using a section of green dot road, two miles of Orr Creek Road, as a haul route for an emergency repair on Upper Wheeler Reservoir. The dam had a landslide that occurred this past spring on it and the Reclamation District is working on fixing this issue. The local community relies on water in this Reservoir to support their orchards/agricultural land. Approximately two miles of Orr Creek Road will be closed during haul operations 8:00 am to 4:30 pm Monday through Thursday. This work is anticipated to last through the end of April.

Gray and Assistant Manager Hagan posted signs for the closure. Gray additionally worked with Communications Specialist Johnson regarding outreach for the temporary closure.

Oak Creek Wildlife Area Road Clearing: Oak Creek Wildlife Area Natural Resource Technician Venema and Natural Resource Worker Floyd cleared the Oak Creek Road of winter blowdown following the winter. Many fires weakened trees from the 2024 Retreat Fire had fallen across the road.

Managing Wildlife Populations

Oregon Spotted Frog Egg Mass Surveys: Biologists Ott, Wickhem, and Bergh have been spending many hours walking through shallow water on the search for Oregon spotted frog egg masses. They are thankful to have had help from many other Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) staff members, a great group of volunteer members, and one day of assistance from a Washington Conservation Corps (WCC) crew. Oregon spotted frogs are federally threatened and state endangered, and their populations in the Trout Lake and Glenwood Valleys are monitored annually. The annual surveys involve walking transects in shallow water that is seasonally flooded to look for egg masses (groups of eggs) laid by the female frogs. Oregon spotted frogs are one of the earliest amphibians to lay their eggs in the spring, so conditions during surveys are usually cold and wet! Thank you to everyone who braved both cold and wet, and warm and sunny days to help keep track of these important critters.

Spring Deer Surveys: Biologists Ott, Wickhem, and Bergh along with Wildlife Area Manager Holman, Wildlife Area Assistant Manager Stetson, and Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen conducted the annual spring green up deer survey on and around the Klickitat Wildlife Area. The purpose of the survey is to classify adult and fawn deer to understand overwinter mortality of fawns. The survey is done by driving five different routes split between one evening and the following morning to spot deer when they are most active. The survey has been conducted every mid to late March since the 1960’s. This year, we observed 487 deer and classified 422 of those deer, the most deer counted and classified since 2010! We observed 47 fawns for every 100 does, which is on par with our 10-year average of 48 fawns to 100 does. The raw ratio from our December 2024 aerial surveys was 49 fawns to 100 does, so our spring survey suggests that fawn winter kill was relatively minimal this year – hopefully good news for the Klickitat deer population. 

Site Improvement: Water access staff members have been working diligently to improve local sites ahead of the busy spring/summer season. Lately, projects have consisted of removing heavy brush and tree limbs along the roads of access sites at Vancouver Lake and Washougal. Now that the weather has begun to improve, access staff members have also begun spraying herbicides to keep vigorous weed populations in check.

Trail Maintenance: Water access staff members have been monitoring the seasonal issue of the Kress Lake trail being undermined and eroded by high water levels. Until the water levels recede and the weather begins to dry out, access staff members will continue to monitor the situation. When feasible, staff members will fill in the holes and edges along the western side of the trail.