Managing Wildlife Populations
White-nose Syndrome Monitoring: Biologists Holman and Stephens collected bat guano at a known maternity colony site in Lewis County in order to have it tested for Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd), the fungus that is known to cause white-nose syndrome in bats.
Bat Maternity Colony Counts: District 10 Biologists Holman and Stephens, along with Diversity Bat personnel and additional Region 5 staff members from Wildlife and Habitat programs, have conducted bat emergence counts at several maternity bat roosts in District 10. All of these roosts are in human made structures such as barns, homes, and sheds and these colonies have been reported by the landowners on WDFWs bat colony reporting form. WDFW biologists are grateful for landowners who take the time to report colonies and who allow us to come count bats on their property. Collectively, these partnerships are very meaningful for learning more about Washington’s bat populations. Two new colonies were counted this month, one of which had over 500 Yuma myotis and a second had over 1,000 bats which consisted of little brown bats, big brown bats, and Yuma myotis.
Snowy Plover Survey: Biologist Stephens assisted Region 6 Wildlife staff members with a snowy plover survey on Midway Beach. The snowy plover is listed as endangered in Washington and is federally threatened. The survey went well with around 15 birds recorded, some of which were able to be individually identified by unique color band combinations.
Western Gray Squirrel Investigation: Biologist Holman teamed with U. S. Forest Service Biologist Jakubowski to investigate the location of the recovery of a western gray squirrel carcass outside of the species’ known home range in Washington. The western gray squirrel carcass was submitted to the U. S. Forest Service by a citizen squirrel savvy enough to recognize that it was a species outside of its traditional range and of conservation concern (State Threatened). The specimen was found in wet conifer dominated U. S. Forest Service managed lands in eastern Lewis County, at least 40 miles direct line distance from the nearest known populations in Klickitat County. The squirrel has been transferred to the University of Washington Burke Museum for safekeeping.
Holman and Jakubowski searched the area of the recovered squirrel for any signs of squirrel activity including locating nests, as well as listening and looking for western gray squirrels. Additionally, the duo set motion-activated cameras baited with nuts to see if more western gray squirrels might potentially be in the area. After approximately six weeks, the cameras only revealed Douglas squirrels, Jays, and bears taking advantage of the bait. The investigation will continue during the winter when food resources are more limited, and bears are hibernating.
South Cascades Fisher Survey: In May and June, Biologists Wickhem and Bergh, and Technician Motiff with the help of Volunteers Hanley and Flick, removed 13 fisher monitoring stations that were deployed back in October and November 2022. The stations are made up of a PVC “scent dispenser” bolted to a tree that regularly drips very stinky lure onto a cow femur (bolted to the tree below the dispenser). A motion-detection trail camera is placed on an adjacent tree facing the station to catch any critter that comes to check out the smelly set-up. In all, there were 107 of these stations deployed in the Southern Cascades between the Columbia River and Snoqualmie Pass by WDFW personnel and partners from Department of Natural Resource, U. S. Forest Service, U. S. National Park Service, Woodland Park Zoo, Conservation Northwest, and Muckleshoot and Puyallup tribes. The stations retrieved by District 9 staff members were located in Clark, Skamania, and Klickitat counties, primarily deployed within the Gifford Pinchot National Forest or on adjacent Washington Department of Natural Resources land. Of the 13 stations collected, one camera was stolen, one camera malfunctioned, and three stations captured fishers. As usual, the cameras also collected images of many other forest critters including tree squirrels, flying squirrels, birds, rabbits, weasels, coyotes, bobcats, cougars, bears, deer, and elk. The station equipment is placed in the trees at least ten feet up from the ground, and one station north-west of Carson experienced snow deep enough to nearly cover both the dispenser and the camera. We are excited to hear the results from the 94 stations and wish our counterparts in the North Cascades good fisher luck when they deploy their stations this fall.
Providing Conflict Prevention and Education
Cougar Kitten Capture: Wildlife Conflict Technician Kolenberg received a phone call on Friday, June 23 about a cougar kitten that began to show up on a resident's trail camera in Kalama. The individual believed that the cougar’s mother may have been killed a week and a half earlier in a depredation incident on a neighboring property. Technician Kolenberg followed up with the individual who was involved with the depredation incident and confirmed that the female was lactating at the time of the depredation. Technician Kolenberg conferred with Specialist Jacobsen and Carnivore Specialist Beausoleil and decided setting traps was our best option for the cougar kitten. Technician Kolenberg and the resident set three traps and spent some time calling for the cougar kitten on Friday afternoon. Over the weekend the resident provided updates and informed Wildlife Conflict Technician Kolenberg that on Saturday night a neighbor spotted two cougar kittens. On Monday evening, the resident called Technician Kolenberg alerting him that he and his neighbors had caught one kitten, and were in the process of capturing another. Technician Kolenberg arrived at the scene just around sunset and assisted with the capture of the second cougar kitten. It was a whole neighborhood effort as up to ten neighbors on the block were out assisting in this incident. Technician Kolenberg brought the two kittens back to Ridgefield and then transferred them to Specialist Jacobsen, who transferred them to Specialist Beausoleil in Toppenish. Specialist Beausoleil will keep staff members updated on what the future holds for these cougar kittens. Huge thanks to the neighborhood in Kalama that spent the time checking traps and assisting with the capture and welfare of the cougar kittens, as well as Specialist Jacobsen and Specialist Beausoleil for the guidance!
Conserving Natural Landscapes
Removal of Derelict Fences on the Klickitat Wildlife Area: Master Hunter Volunteer Rudberg came to the Klickitat Wildlife Area to help Assistant Manager Hunt pack out spools of barbed wire that were cached in various remote locations from this year’s previous fence removal projects. The Klickitat Wildlife Area has several old fence lines that are no longer needed or maintained. These fences present unnecessary obstacles and can entangle the feet of animals and people, so it is best to remove them. Master Hunter Rudberg and Assistant Manager Hunt spent a full day packing out barbed wire and disposing of it at the Goldendale Transfer Station. Assistant Manager Hunt appreciated Master Hunter Rudberg’s dedication, resilience, and positive attitude during a tough day of off-trail hiking and hot summer temperatures.
