Managing Wildlife Populations
District 9 Sooty Grouse Surveys: Biologists Wickhem and Bergh each drove a different survey route for sooty grouse this month. The surveyor begins a half hour before sunrise and makes a stop every half mile to listen for hooting male sooty grouse. The goal is to perform at least 300 listening stops within each of the Western Washington grouse zones (North Puget Sound, Olympics, and Southwest), with biologists all over Western Washington participating in these surveys. With a sampling rate of 300 stops, we should be able to detect changes in sooty grouse populations, which have not been previously studied in Washington State despite being a popular game species. On their respective routes, Wickhem heard two males sootys, saw one female sooty, and heard two ruffed grouse while Bergh heard one ruffed grouse. Big thanks to District 10 for covering a few District 9 routes and we look forward to learning more about our sooty grouse populations.
District 10 Sooty Grouse Surveys: Western Washington WDFW Wildlife Biologists are testing a survey method for sooty grouse, formerly called blue grouse. The effort involves establishing driving routes in the Cascade and Olympic Mountains as well as the Willapa Hills. The routes include 15 to 30 listening stops where Biologists spend time listening for the calling male sooty grouse during the early morning hours. The survey method is borrowed from Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife as well as Oregon State University and we thank them for their development of the method and sharing. When fully developed and implemented, the survey will generate sooty grouse population trend estimates that are independent of grouse harvest. To date, Biologists Stephens and Holman along with Conflict Specialist Aubrey and Cowlitz Wildlife Area Assistant Manager Steveson have completed eight survey routes and done repeat surveys on three of these.
Townsend’s Ground Squirrel Surveys: During April and May, Technician Motiff and Biologists Wickhem and Bergh conducted Townsend’s ground squirrel (TGS) surveys in Eastern Klickitat County. TGS are considered a species of greatest conservation need and a priority species by WDFW and their distribution is not well known in Klickitat County, with only a few historical points currently in our database. The trio, with the help of Habitat Biologists Ritter and Downes, were able to dig up environmental survey reports from several wind companies that were conducted in the mid-2000s, most of which had reports of finding TGS. Approximately 160 previously unknown (to WDFW) TGS locations were gathered from these reports, and the team was able to obtain landowner permission and survey 130 of those locations. Unfortunately, TGS presence was confirmed at only seven of those points, but that is still six more TGS colonies than were known to exist in Klickitat County before surveys began. The team looks forward to future TGS surveys and finding more of these elusive critters.
Headstart Turtle Notching: Biologist Wickhem and Technician Motiff visited the headstarted northwestern pond turtles at the Oregon Zoo this week. The turtles were brought to the zoo as hatchlings in May 2022. Under the care of zoo staff, they can grow larger in a safe setting and be released back into their natural habitat at a size that allows them to more easily avoid predators. Wickhem and Motiff assigned these headstarted turtles identification numbers and put notches in their shell scutes using a triangle file. These notches do not harm the turtles and will help staff identify these individuals the next time they are captured in the field. Wickhem and Motiff also took weights, shell measurements, and checked tags on all the headstarts. These turtles will be released at a site in Skamania County in late May.
Klickitat Mule Deer Mortality Investigation: Biologist Wickhem investigated two collared deer mortalities in the second half of May. For the first, Wickhem and Yakama Nation Wildlife Technician Heemsah responded to a mortality signal from a collared mule deer doe that died on the Yakama Reservation. Unfortunately, when the pair arrived it appeared the doe had been dead for several days and all they could find was the collar, one ear tag, a bunch of deer hair, and a few bone fragments, making it impossible to determine the cause of death.
For the second deer, the collar began sending the signal over the long holiday weekend. After looking at its most recent GPS locations, it appeared the deer had not moved for several weeks. To reach the carcass, Wickhem side-hilled through poison oak in a side canyon of the Klickitat River and had the assistance of at least 12 ticks on her journey. Despite being dead for a significant period of time, what was left of the carcass (bones and leathery skin) was still partially buried in a cache, and an old drag mark and feline scat were found nearby, so the doe was likely killed by a cougar. These deer are part of a four-year study being conducted throughout Game Management Unit (GMU) 388 and GMU 382 to track the annual movements of female mule deer and locate important migration corridors. Staff members are also attempting to determine cause of death when an animal dies, which has proven to be difficult. In winter 2021, 81 collars were deployed throughout the GMUs for this effort. Twenty collars were deployed in the winter of 2022 and 23 were deployed in the winter of 2023, most of which were redeployments replacing study deer that died over the first two years of the study. We are nearing the end of the study so these collars will not be redeployed for this project.
Bat Guano Collection: In mid-April, Biologist Wickhem installed bat guano collection trays at a residence in Washougal that has numerous well-used bat boxes. Using a new technique, biologists can test fresh guano for Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd), the fungus that causes white-nose syndrome. This method has proven to be effective, and collection does not disturb the bats, which can be a problem with some other sampling methods. In mid-May, Biologist Wickhem and Technician Motiff returned to the residence to collect the guano and remove the collection trays. The guano will be frozen and sent to the lab for testing.
Turtle Barrier Construction: WDFW staff members, Master Hunter volunteers, and Underwood Conservation District staff members worked on construction of a barrier designed to prevent turtles from crossing a paved road with a 50-miles per hour speed limit. The project is on private land and was funded by WDFW as well as the Partners for Fish and Wildlife program. A trencher was used to dig a trench and hardware cloth was partially buried underground. Above ground, it was attached to U posts and included a “lip” at the top to prevent turtles from crawling over it on the side that would lead them to the road, but will allow them to crawl up and over and jump down on the side next to the road.
Turtle Releases: Two different groups of northwestern pond turtles were released back into their ponds this week. One group of mainly adult female turtles was captured last August, received treatment for shell disease at the Oregon Zoo and PAWS last fall, and spent the winter rehabilitating at Larch Correctional Center. These turtles were assessed by the Oregon Zoo veterinarian to be ready for release and were returned to their ponds with the help of the Sustainability in Prisons Program turtle coordinator. The second group of turtles released this week were captured last May as hatchlings (about the size of a silver dollar coin) and sent to the Oregon Zoo to be headstarted to a size that can help them avoid predation by non-native bullfrogs. Normally these turtles would hibernate over the winter, but instead are cared for by the zoo. Video can be seen here.
Bat Exclusion and Bat House Placement: Biologists Holman and Stephens attempted to exclude bats from a shop used by Wildlife and Enforcement programs. In addition to the entrance of choice used by the bats, a bat house was mounted on the same side of the shop. Over the past couple of years, bats have been using the shop as a night roost in the summer months and the guano has made a mess on the equipment stored inside. Biologists are hopeful that the bats will find the new home to be a satisfactory replacement.
Providing Recreation Opportunities
Memorial Day Weekend on the Klickitat Wildlife Area: Wildlife Area Manager VanLeuven and Assistant Manager Hunt visited with campers on the Soda Springs Unit on May 27 to provide information and check on compliance with rules. Surprisingly few people were recreating on the wildlife area compared to previous years. Reminders were given to people who did not have Discover Passes for their vehicles. Assistant Manager Hunt found evidence that someone has driven a motor vehicle into a nonmotorized assess area which has become a persistent problem recently. She also observed a camp that had an open fire in violation of the seasonal ban on campfires.
Klickitat Wildlife Area Soda Springs Unit Road Maintenance: WDFW’s road maintenance crew worked on the Klickitat Wildlife Area Soda Springs Unit, grading and adding rock to the surface of two main roads. Rain on the next day helped to settle the rock in place. They will work on the wildlife area for about one more week before they move on.
Providing Conflict Prevention and Education
Cougar Depredation on Goat: A concerned landowner contacted Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen to report a cougar depredation on his goat in Clark County. Unfortunately, the landowner waited several days to report the incident and had already disposed of his goat. Jacobsen provided advice on securing the landowner’s remaining goats in an enclosed night pen, setting up additional deterrent measures, and asked the landowner to call back if the cougar was observed again.
Residential Deer Damage: A homeowner contacted Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen to complain about deer damage to his ornamental plants around his residence. The homeowner’s neighbors have been feeding the deer which was contributing to the problem. Jacobsen provided resources to the homeowner about deterring deer damage and how deer feeding is detrimental to deer. The homeowner plans to distribute that information to his neighbors and speak to the community council about the issue.
Farm Visit: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen followed up with a landowner who had captured a bobcat on camera near her livestock. Jacobsen performed a site visit and provided advice to the landowner on how to better secure her abundant livestock from cougars, bears, and bobcats.
Deer Damage to Vineyard and Chestnut Trees: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen and Technician Kolenberg met with two neighboring landowners who have been experiencing deer damage to vineyards and to a new planting of chestnut trees. Cooperative fencing projects were discussed.
Deer Damage to Cherry Orchard: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen was contacted by an orchard owner regarding deer damage to newly planted cherry seedlings. The owner recently invested $40,000 in new seedlings as part of his larger orchard. Jacobsen met with the landowner and will enroll the landowner in a Damage Prevention Cooperative Agreement. Several deterrent measures were discussed and a cooperative deer fencing project may also be in the landowner’s future.
Bear Conflicts: Over the last several weeks, Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen and Technician Kolenberg have fielded and responded to dozens of bear conflict calls. Jacobsen has been noticing an increase in the frequency of “bear in chicken coop” calls compared to previous years, which may likely be due to an increase in the number of rural and suburban residents keeping unsecured chickens in their yards. While initially problematic, the vast majority of bear-chicken coop conflicts can be easily solved by changing how chicken feed is stored and by adding a few strands of electric fencing to existing chicken coops. Additional bear calls included scenarios related to bears accessing garbage, bird food, and outdoor grills. In all instances, Jacobsen and Technician Kolenberg provided advice on bear biology, securing additional attractants, and on proper and effective means of installing electric fencing.
Snake Concerns: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen fielded a phone call from a landowner who was concerned about a snake in her yard. The landowner believed that the snake was a western diamondback rattlesnake. The landowner sent a photo of the snake to Jacobsen, who confirmed it to be a Pacific gopher snake, also known as a “bull snake”. Jacobsen provided advice on living with snakes.
Livestock Carcass Disposal: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen hauled deceased livestock carcasses from cattle operations to the local landfill to help prevent scavenging by wolves near live cattle.
Injured Osprey: A concerned citizen brought an injured osprey to Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen’s residence after she picked it up off the side of Highway 14 in Klickitat County. Jacobsen assessed the osprey and determined that the extent of its injuries was too great to make it a candidate for rehabilitation. Jacobsen euthanized the osprey.
Fawn Kidnapping: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen responded after-hours on Memorial Day weekend to a report of a fawn that was picked up from alongside a road by a citizen, separated from its mother and sibling, and dropped off with a random person roughly 20 miles away. Jacobsen, along with Officers Myers and Way, spent a considerable amount of time trying to locate the original “fawnnapper” to determine where the fawn came from. The “fawnnapper” was too intoxicated at that point to drive to the location where he picked it up that morning, so he provided a rough description to Jacobsen of the location over the phone. Once the fawn’s origin location was determined, Jacobsen drove to the residence where the fawn was being held and took possession of the fawn. Jacobsen released the fawn in the approximate location where it was stolen from. The fawn’s chances of survival were low, given the amount of time that had elapsed from when it was stolen. Had Jacobsen not been able to determine the location where the fawn was stolen from, he would have had to euthanize the otherwise healthy fawn. There are currently no rehabilitation options for fawns in Klickitat County, which is one of the reasons why it is critical for citizens (regardless of what county they are in) to report their concerns to WDFW rather than attempting to help a fawn on their own by picking it up.
Injured Bald Eagle in Kelso: Wildlife Conflict Technician Kolenberg responded to a report of an injured bald eagle in the reporting party’s yard off Rose Valley Road in Kelso. Kolenberg caught and secured the eagle. He transported the eagle to a rehabilitator.
Black Bear and Beehives in Southeast Chehalis: Over the past few weeks, there have been reports of a black bear getting into garbage and birdfeeders in southeast Chehalis. Wildlife Conflict Specialist Aubrey and Technician Kolenberg coordinated to visit the neighborhood where the bear damage was being reported. Technician Kolenberg knocked on doors and handed out literature pertaining to securing food attractants and living in bear country. Technician Kolenberg talked to nine homeowners. The next day, a report came in about a bear damaging two beehives in a nearby neighborhood. Technician Kolenberg responded to the homeowner and loaned and installed an electric net fence to protect the beehives temporarily until a permanent electric fence could be installed. Technician Kolenberg enjoyed his time installing the electric fence and talking to the homeowners' kids and grandchildren about living in bear country.
Deer Agricultural Damage in West Chehalis: Since April, Wildlife Conflict Specialist Aubrey and Technician Kolenberg have been working with a landowner with deer damage to his grain crop. Conflict Specialist Aubrey provided landowner cracker shells to help haze deer out of the grain fields. Kolenberg loaned and installed the propane cannon adjacent to the grain field to haze the deer. Kolenberg checked in with the landowner over the course of a few weeks and picked up the propane cannon. The landowner said he did not need it anymore, and it was successful in keeping the deer away until his crop grew taller. The landowner said he was able to save 80% of his crop and was very thankful for our help.
Injured Eagle: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Aubrey responded to a report of an injured bald eagle in Lewis County. After arriving at the reported location, Aubrey spotted the eagle on the adjacent property. The eagle was captured and observed to be blind in one eye. The eagle was taken to a rehabilitator for further evaluation.
“Fawnapping” Part II: Wildlife Conflict Technician Kolenberg responded to a call from the Cowlitz County Humane Society in Longview regarding a deer fawn that was dropped off. This call was almost identical to Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen’s deer fawn call later that day! The Humane Society reported that the deer fawn was dropped off that morning by an individual who appeared to be intoxicated. The person did not tell the staff where they found the deer and left the scene. Technician Kolenberg picked up the deer and had to euthanize it since no location was given where it was initially taken, and deer cannot be moved across regional boundaries.
Conserving Natural Landscapes
Tour of Soda Springs Unit of the Klickitat Wildlife Area Forest Health Enhancement Project Units 4 through 9: WDFW Forester Mize led a tour of the planned timber thinning project area on the Soda Springs Unit. The tour was attended by representatives from the Yakama Nation Natural Resources Division, Washington Department of Ecology, Washington Department of Natural Resources, archaeologists from WDFW and the Yakama Nation, Forest Management Team Lead Richard Tveten, WDFW Forester Lauffer, and Klickitat Wildlife Area management staff. The tour began with a walk through one of the units thinned in 2018 so the group could see the results of that work five years after the treatment. Next, the group moved to Unit 4, which is one of the units to be thinned in fall 2023. This unit has a varied forest composition including some large legacy trees and old snags interspersed with oak woodlands. The areas of pure oak woodland are excluded from the thinning project. The group moved on to Unit 7, which is on a drier site and features smaller conifers mixed with oak. All the units are occupied by western gray squirrels, and the nest trees have been marked for retention along with a 25-foot diameter no-cut buffer around the nest trees to protect the most important habitat for squirrels. Units 1, 2, and 3 were thinned according to the same prescription in 2018, and the success of that work demonstrated the utility of the treatment in achieving the desired results.
Seasonal Burn Ban in Effect: On May 15, the seasonal ban on open fires went into effect on the Klickitat Wildlife Area. This annual ban is a precautionary measure to reduce the risk of fire escapement and uncontrolled wildfire. It extends from May 15 through Oct. 31. The exceptions to this burn ban interval are the Leidl Park, Stinson Flat, Mineral Springs, and Turkey Hole campgrounds along the Klickitat River, which are on the same burn ban schedule as Klickitat County Zone 2. The burn ban for Zone 2 begins on June 5 this year.
Klickitat Wildlife Area Master Hunter Volunteer Project: Three volunteers from the Master Hunter Program came to the Klickitat Wildlife Area to remove old, derelict fences on the Soda Springs Unit this week. These old fences are no longer needed or maintained and can pose a hazard to wildlife, so taking down the strands of barbed wire is an ongoing priority for the wildlife area. Assistant Manager Hunt scheduled two days of work and volunteers Ailanjian, Afflerbaugh, and Strange signed up for both days. The first day they worked near Old Headquarters and the Soda Springs Road to pull out 540 yards of wire, and on the second day they worked near the east property line south of the Soda Springs Road to pull out another 1,220 yards of three-strand fencing. All together this group removed a mile of old fencing. Wildlife Area Manager VanLeuven and Assistant Manager Hunt greatly appreciate the good work done by these gentlemen.
Private Lands Access Program Clean-up: Private Lands Biologist Gray organized the removal and site clean-up of an abandoned boat located at a property enrolled in the Private Lands Access Program. Department of Ecology helped to fund the clean-up effort and staff assistance was provided as a benefit of program enrollment. The landowner was pleased with the outcome.
Providing Education and Outreach
Agriculture and Forestry Presentation: Biologist Holman gave a presentation to “Class 44” of the Natural Resources Professional Group AgForestry at their triannual gathering in Cowlitz County. The title of the presentation was “Mt. St. Helens Elk 1980-2020, Relationships Among Forest Succession, Elk Habitat, Productivity and Disease”. Thanks to AgForestry for incorporating wildlife management into their natural resource leadership curriculum and inviting WDFW to present.
Threatened and Endangered Species Presentation: Biologist Stephens and Fisheries Biologist Olk gave a presentation to approximately 80 4th grade students at Chinook Elementary School in Vancouver. The presentation centered on Washington State Threatened and Endangered Species, what threats cause species populations to decline, and how wildlife researchers and managers work to recover these species. The presentation kicked off a new learning module for the students and they had many great questions. Chinook Elementary will be sharing their final projects with WDFW.