Managing Wildlife Populations
Sharp-tailed Grouse: Biologists Atamian, Lowe, and Brinkman set and monitored traps on a sharp-tailed grouse lek in Lincoln County to capture and deploy a GPS transmitter on an adult male bird. This grouse will be used to monitor locations and movements and will hopefully assist us in identifying winter habitat being utilized by other sharp-tailed grouse in this region.
Elk Fence: Natural Resource Worker Jensen and Natural Resource Technician Tritt checked the elk fence between Bakers Pond and Stevens Ridge. They found a tree over the fence and two holes in the fence. Everything was repaired. While they were up on Mountain Road, they checked the elk fence north of Bakers Pond.
Chronic Wasting Disease: Natural Resource Technician Nizer sampled a whitetail deer in Unit 142 for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD). The deer was roadkill that died on Highway 195. The deer is one of three roadkills in the last week, probably due to deer moving around more during the early summer months. The deer was sampled and then taken to the Pullman Department of Transportation pit where it will decay.
Chronic Wasting Disease Operations: Natural Resource Technician Heitstuman checked local pits for CWD samples. The text tree system for getting the closest employee to recover a sample is working well.
Wildlife Conflict Specialist Kolb collected CWD samples at roadkill pits at the request of Assistant District Biologist Vekasy who was tied up with elk calf captures.
Natural Resource Technician Nizer sampled a mule deer doe that was hit on Highway 195 and was dropped off at the Colfax Department of Transportation pit. Roadkill deer are starting to become more prominent during these warmer months. Sampling will continue throughout the summer months leading up to deer season.
Grizzly Bear Rub Posts: Biologist Turnock checked rub posts in Pend Oreille County for grizzly bear hair. A few samples were likely grizzly bear and will be sent in as part of the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) monitoring program within the Selkirk Recovery Zone.
Providing Recreation Opportunities
Mica Peak Hunt by Reservation Only: Private Lands Biologist Gaston spoke with the director of Spokane County Parks, Recreation, and Golf to discuss renewing the Hunt by Reservation Only Program contract for Mica Peak Conservation Area. A meeting later in June will be needed to discuss additional details about the project.
Hunt by Written Permission Property: Natural Resource Technician Nizer coordinated with a local gravel company to drop off gravel for a new parking spot at a Hunt by Written Permission property.
Waikiki Springs Volunteer Project: Access Manager Dziekan worked with the Inland Northwest Land Council (INLC) to recruit volunteers. They held a volunteer trash pick-up day at Waikiki Springs this past weekend. Dziekan had nine volunteers show up that walked the switchbacks and into the bushes to gather any litter that was left since the last volunteer work party a few years ago. Dziekan was very happy to report that the volunteers had almost no success finding litter. Over the two hours they scoured the hillside, a grand total of one trash bag was collected. Dziekan doesn’t know what exactly changed, but the property was spotless. Dziekan couldn’t be more pleased that the volunteers had nothing to do.
Coordination: Private Lands Biologist Hadley coordinated with members of the Blue Mountain Pheasants Forever and an employee of the Walla Walla Conservation District to discuss working as collaborating agencies and volunteer groups. Their goals include enhancing existing habitat by identifying property landowner objectives and criteria including funding sources, site preparation, seeding specification operation and maintenance.
Providing Conflict Prevention and Education
Camp Reed: Wildlife Biologists Prince and Turnock each provided one day of outreach to Spokane County Odyssey Program students. The biologists talked to the students about bear biology, bear identification, and bear safety. The students got to end their lesson by practicing with inert bear spray.
Asotin County Commissioners Meeting: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Wade attended an Asotin County Commissioner meeting where Wildlife Conflict Supervisor McCanna and Wolf Biologist Spence answered questions from the public in attendance.
United States Air Force Training School Bear Spray Presentation: Wildlife Biologists Prince and Turnock provided the head trainer of the United States Air Force Survival Training Program the presentation on bear spray and staying safe in bear country. The trainer will take our presentation and deliver the information to trainers as they rotate through the Survival Training Program.
Conserving Natural Landscapes
Wildlife Habitat and Water Guzzlers: Natural Resource Technician Heitstuman spent three days on the Swanson Lakes Wildlife Area performing field preparation work, planting food plots, and moving equipment from other areas as needed. This was an opportunity to share skills and provided an opportunity to learn how things are done differently across the state. Private Lands Biologist Baarstad was instrumental in the work and in showing the different habitats and wildlife in the area.
Photo Points: Biologists Brinkman and Lowe began taking pictures at a series of photo points in Lincoln County to document current habitat conditions and compare them with similar photos taken at those sites in previous years.
Revere Wildlife Area Inspection: This week Wildlife Area Manager Finch and Natural Resource Technician Wagner went to the Revere Wildlife Area so Finch could go over all the pending projects with Wagner. They inspected the shrub plots that were planted on the Revere Wildlife Area on April 1 and April 2 by Pheasant Forever and other volunteers. There were 25 enclosed shrub plots planted and out of over 750 shrubs only two small shrubs appeared to be struggling. When the new Swanson Lakes, Revere, and Reardan Audubon Assistant Manager Rimmelspacher starts work on June 5, Wagner will be able to show Rimmelspacher the wildlife areas and go over each individual project.
Asotin Creek Wildlife Area Spraying: Woodall and Rimmelspacher spent quite a bit of time this week spraying agricultural fields at Smoothing Iron Ridge. Blade sprayed fallow fields with the Case 4490 tractor and 50-foot sprayer while Woodall primarily sprayed weeds out of winter wheat fields. They also used one of the 5-ton military trucks with an 1,800-gallon water tank for rapid refills. Having a ready supply of water available made spraying go much faster.
Sandygren Property: This week Wildlife Area Manager Finch, Natural Resource Technician Wagner and Bureau of Land Management Spokane District drove around the parcel that is targeted for restoration to double check the field boundaries. Finch ordered the herbicides and together with Wagner moved and setup the equipment to spray approximately 70 acres for full native grassland restoration. Wagner started spraying the field on Thursday until an electrical issue with the tractor. Wagner drove to the John Deere dealer in Coulee City for a new battery.
Access Areas District 2: Access Manager Dziekan and Natural Resource Technician Brant worked on several access sites in District 2 this week. Dziekan is busy getting Brant familiar with all the sites and their duties such as weed trimming, litter pickup, toilet cleaning, blowing off asphalt parking areas, and many more chores to help keep the sites clean and presentable.
Providing Education and Outreach
Hunter Education: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Kolb assisted with teaching 11 hours of Hunter Education to students in the Walla Walla Valley.
Chief Joseph Wildlife Area Weed Control: Woodall led an outreach event for the Lewis & Clark All-Terrain Vehicle Club with a ride out to Shovel Creek. Former Owner Tippett was present to talk about his family’s history of owning the land and running livestock on the former cattle ranch. They saw elk and deer as well as abundant wildflowers.
Kids in the Hills: Biologists Lowe and Brinkman participated in the first three days of the annual Kids in the Hills event at Dishman Hills Natural Area, leading classes of 3rd and 4th graders on hikes in the natural area while teaching them about local wildlife. The event will reach nearly 500 students over five days this year.
Lake Roosevelt Forum Discovery Zone, Swanson Lakes Wildlife Area: Wildlife Area Manager Finch and Natural Resource Technician Wagner hosted the 2023 Discovery Zone Home on the Range Tour at Swanson Lakes on Wednesday. Wildlife Officer Beauchene came out later to talk to the kids about her job. Towards the end of the tours, while watching Officer Beauchene’s presentation, a thunderstorm with rain and hail came over for about 30 minutes leaving the parking area full of water. The nature walk that was taken earlier was planned perfectly. The tour included a GPS course to teach how to use and find coordinates. Wildlife area staff members had hidden flags and marked them on the GPS for the students to find. Finch showed the kids how the wildlife area personnel use drone technology to search and monitor projects and how to preprogram the drone to fly and measure its own area without the drone pilot flying the actual drone. The kids seemed to be amazed with the autonomous fly program.
6th Grade Camp at Camp Wooten Environmental Learning Center: Wildlife Area Manager Dingman and Private Lands Biologist Thorne-Hadley spent a day teaching a class about predators and prey to the Dayton, Waitsburg, and Touchet 6th graders at Camp Wooten Environmental Learning Center.
Overflow Parking at Horseshoe Lake: Sherman Creek Wildlife Area Assistant Manager Palmer received a complaint from a resident near Rustlers Gulch Wildlife Area and Horseshoe Lake Access Area, complete with a video recording. The complainant noted that overflow parking for Horseshoe Lake over Memorial Day weekend spilled out onto the county road, causing safety and passage problems. Wildlife area and access area staff members worked with Public Affairs Officer Lehman to publicize the need for vehicles to park off county roads, and if parking areas are full, to find another place to recreate. Lehman provided a brief summary that can be used by local media outlets to get the word out.
Conducting Business Operations and Policy
Kettle River Access Area: Natural Resources Technician Zueger inspected the Kettle River access areas. The south site had been largely under water a couple weeks ago, but with the Kettle River starting to settle down after heavy snow melt, the site is dry again. Both sites’ restrooms appeared to have had little to no use since the last check.
Damage Permit System Meeting: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Wade participated in a Damage Permit System meeting. The outside vendor gave a demonstration of what their program does and how it could be useful for creating and issuing damage and kill permits.
Other
Private Lands and Conflict Land Access: Wildlife Conflict Specialist McCarty held a meeting with Private Lands Biologist Gaston, Private Lands Technician Nizer, Conflict Specialist Earl, District Biologist Lowe, and District Biologist Assistant Brinkman regarding the efforts in place to gain public hunting access on private lands for turkey hunting in northern Spokane County and discussed the opportunity to expand that effort to elk and deer hunting access due to increased damage over the last several years to farmed crops.