Managing Wildlife Populations
Oak Creek Wildlife Area Big Horn Sheep Surveys: Oak Creek Wildlife Area Assistant Manager Charlet and Natural Resourse Technician Boggs assisted Ungulate Specialist Moore and various Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife staff members with a fall Cleman Mountain bighorn sheep population composition survey. This composition count will help estimate lamb to ewe ratios and inform a larger bighorn sheep study currently being conducted across Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. This tri-state study is investigating the “Test and Remove” methodology for the management of Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae (Movi) in bighorn sheep.
Bighorn Sheep Survey: Private Lands Technician Manderbach assisted with bighorn sheep counts on the Oak Creek Wildlife Area.
Burrowing Owl Mitigation: District 4 Wildlife Biologist Fidorra worked with City of Pasco consultants identifying potential artificial burrow sites for burrowing owls on city lands and confirming the status of burrows on a site slated for development. Burrowing owls breed in natural burrows on the site, and new artificial burrows should be constructed before the next breeding season.
District 4 Waterfowl Banding Complete: District 4 Wildlife Biologist and Natural Resource Technician Manderbach removed waterfowl traps. Fidorra compiled waterfowl banding data and a summary report for the district efforts. The primary goal of Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife waterfowl banding is to contribute to the Pacific Flyway and state models regarding harvest, movements, and survival. Eighteen trap days occurred, with 802 bands placed across seven species. Age ratios of Hatch-year to After Hatch-year birds was higher than the past two years but still below average, suggesting poor productivity. This pattern was true for mallards at both trap sites, and similar observations were made at the Yakima and Ephrata sites. This year the eastern Washington breeding survey was the lowest in over ten years. Duck trends may lag two years when poor conditions are encountered, meaning the 2021 drought conditions might still be responsible for this year’s low productivity.
Providing Recreation Opportunities
Silver Dollar Landowner Hunting Permit: District 4 Wildlife Conflict Specialist Hand visited ranches enrolled in the Landowner Hunting Permit program to check on hunt opportunities and special permit harvest. Good numbers of elk have been observed recently and most of the special permit holders have tagged out or are scheduled to hunt soon.
Wenas Recreational Trail Planning: Wenas Wildlife Area Manager Hughes has been working closely with recreational planning staff members to discuss trail management strategies throughout the wildlife area. The process for updating the ten-year management plan will be coming up in about a year and part of this will involve recreational management. Before starting the process for recreational planning there must be a solid inventory for all trails and roads. The wildlife area currently keeps an inventory of trails and roads and Lands and Recreation Specialist Frame spends significant time updating data for the wildlife area.
Hughes worked with Recreational Planner Anderson, Recreational Planner English, and Recreation Specialist Browning to line out areas for future inventory needs and discuss the management tactics already in place for recreation on the Wenas Wildlife Area. Additionally, Hughes continued working with GIS staff to make sure they have the most recent trail inventory data for the Wenas Wildlife Area. The Wenas is one of the more popular wildlife areas and receives a high level of recreational use. The wildlife area has been managing recreation for decades and management tactics have developed as needed to address issues and provide the best opportunity for the public while protecting fish and wildlife.
Cottonwood Shooting Area: Wenas Wildlife Area Natural Resources Technicians Janes and Stoltenow installed a wire gate at an access point for the Cottonwood shooting area to help prevent members of the public from accessing the area and potentially leaving trash, while allowing WDFW employees and fire responders access.
Providing Conflict Prevention and Education
Rattlesnake Hills Elk: District 4 Wildlife Conflict Specialist Hand monitored elk activity and fall wheat planting success. Most fields that were in summer fallow rotation have been seeded and show good germination which will likely draw increasing numbers of elk. Very few of the no-till fields have been seeded as shallow soil moisture has been low, but with recent rain events seeding should commence in the next couple of weeks. Hand assisted one of the disabled special permit holders for the Corral Canyon elk hunt where numerous elk were observed. The hunter harvested a nice bull elk.
Plymouth Deer Damage: District 4 Wildlife Conflict Specialist Hand responded to a deer damage complaint in a wine grape vineyard along the Columbia River in southern Benton County. The vineyard has a history of deer leaving the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Refuge to forage on grape plants and especially the fruit when sugar levels are elevated. Multiple non-lethal hazing techniques are currently being employed as well as archery hunting pressure. A couple of damage permits were issued to assist with deer hazing and removals.
Kahlotus Area Deer: District 4 Wildlife Conflict Specialist Hand patrolled the Kahlotus area to monitor deer activity in newly seeded wheat fields. Many of the seeded fields are showing good green-up and little deer activity was observed. Landowners have already contacted us concerning damage permit issuance to assist with deer damage impacts.
West Richland Deer: District 4 Wildlife Conflict Specialist Hand continued to coordinate with an owner of several small corn fields that have been damaged by deer near the Yakima River. Two additional Master Hunters have been deployed from the Region 3 list.
Lower Buffalo Access: Wenas Wildlife Area Natural Resource Technicians Janes and Stoltenow installed the newly made gate at the entrance to the Lower Buffalo portion of the wildlife area. In addition, they completed the fencing on either side of the gate by stretching and wrapping the wire around the newly installed posts.
District 8 Kittitas County Conflict: Conflict Specialist Wetzel worked with hay growers and landowners who were having problems with elk in crops and yards.
Wetzel worked with several landowners who were having problems with bears. A bear trap was set near Easton.
District 8 Yakima County Conflict: Conflict Specialist Wetzel worked with several hay and orchard growers who were having problems with elk and deer in crops. One has requested cost share fencing.
District 8 Deer: Conflict Specialist Wetzel worked on invoices for range riding costs. Several injured deer and deer tangled in netting and fencing were reported. Several deer with arrows were reported, as well as injured fawns or fawns with no doe observed.
Conserving Natural Landscapes
Wenas Wildlife Area Fall Spraying: Wenas Wildlife Area Habitat Specialist Miller assisted Manager Hughes in planning a fall aerial herbicide application on the wildlife area for cheatgrass and knapweed control. This application covered 214 acres of the Wenas Wildlife Area. The herbicides used for this treatment were focused on controlling cheatgrass and knapweed in areas that have developed native grass stands as well. This was a new mix used on the Wenas that has shown success in other parts of eastern Washington and western states. Sites will be monitored in spring and throughout the next few years to review rates of success.
The wildlife area has been working on fall treatment for knapweed. Wenas Wildlife Area Natural Resource Technician Stoltenow continued to spray along roadsides to control knapweed. In addition, Stoltenow worked with Wenas Wildlife Area Habitat Specialist Miller, Natural Resource Specialist Frame, and Natural Resource Technician Janes to spray knapweed in the Roza portion of the wildlife area.
Wenas Acquisition/Conservation Easement Meetings: Wenas Wildlife Area Manager Hughes, Property Acquisition Supervisor Woodruff and Region 3 Lands Agent Carbary met with a few landowners in the Wenas Valley to discuss conservation options on their property and provide updates on potential acquisitions.
They are working on adding .59 acres to The Cleman – Mountain Acquisition that already went through for over 1000 acres. This adjustment is being done in order to properly build a boundary fence and to protect a marsh area.
They also met with the Black Canyon Acquisition landowners, and they provided updates regarding the potential acquisition of 150 acres of shrubsteppe habitat. There is the potential to exchange 40 acres of Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife ground that does not serve valuable habitat nor recreational opportunities. After the meeting it was discussed that the 40-acre exchange would continue to be pursued with this acquisition. The property will be appraised soon as a next step.
The third group of landowners visited were part of the Miracle Mile Acquisition/Conservation Easement. This project is still being decided on. They are trying to determine what method of conservation the landowners are interested in pursuing. This includes approximately 440 acres of valuable habitat for mule deer, upland birds, and songbirds. Shrubsteppe and riparian habitat in Wenas Creek fall within the acres being discussed for conservation.
WDFW hopes to continue working with all of these landowners on conserving their property in the best way that works for both parties.
Feeding Site Mowing: Wenas Wildlife Area Natural Resource Technician Stoltenow mowed the feed site to prepare for winter feeding and make it easier to drive through the area while feeding.
Gate Placement: Wenas Wildlife Area Manager Hughes and Habitat Specialist Miller surveyed placement of two gates on a non-green dot road on Clemans Mountain. This will start the Cultural Resource survey process to ensure that sensitive areas are protected.
Barrier Rock on the L. T. Murray Wildlife Area: L. T. Murray Wildlife Area Assistant Manager Winegeart and Manager Morrison moved barrier rock from a gated off camp site on a tributary to S. F. Manastash Creek to the new gate location at Frost Meadows. Winegeart and Natural Resource Technician Blore rearranged barrier rock and added two ecology blocks to the north gate on Shadow Creek. Someone used a grinder to open the north and south gates and created a road around the north gate.
Oak Creek Wildlife Area Post Fire Monitoring: Natural Resource Technician Boggs completed post fire surveys on the Oak Creek Wildlife Area Cougar Canyon prescribed fire units. 235 acres of broadcast burning was completed in the spring of 2021 and fall of 2022. Yearly habitat surveys allow us to monitor current vegetation conditions and compare conditions to pre-fire survey data.
Beaver Dam Analogs on the L. T. Murray Wildlife Area: Manager Morrison met with the Mid-Columbia Fisheries Enhancement Group to look at restoration efforts and took part in a short interview on the Teanaway Valley Unit. Several beaver dam analogs have been installed in the upper meadow and the restoration is nearly complete, with some forest thinning remaining.
L. T. Murray Fence Markers: Natural Resource Technician Nass installed fence markers on the L. T. Murray’s Whiskey Dick Unit wing fences.
Sunnyside/Snake River Wetland Preparation: Sunnyside/Snake River Wildlife Area Assistant Manager Jahns continued to mow wetlands in preparation for fall reflooding in the Windmill Ranch and Mesa Lake Units.
Sunnyside/Snake River Noxious Weed Treatment: Sunnyside/Snake River Wildlife Area Manager Kaelber met with the Yakima County Weed Board to discuss a treatment plan for Clematis orientalis that was discovered growing in the I-82 Ponds Unit. Manager Kaelber followed up the next day with an herbicide treatment.
Conducting Business Operations and Policy
Pasco District 4 Office Mailbox: District 4 Wildlife Biologist Fidorra and Habitat Lead Planner Ritter beautifully installed a new locking mailbox at the district office to reduce mail theft.
Other
Fabrication and Repair at Headquarters: Wenas Wildlife Area Natural Resource Technicians Stoltenow and Janes replaced parts and did some maintenance on the drill seeder in preparation for fall seeding projects. They also resumed building the wire roller that will be used in the region.
Region 3 Wildlife Area Staff Quarterly Meeting: Sunnyside/Snake River Wildlife Area staff members attended the quarterly regional wildlife area meeting hosted by the Colockum Wildlife Area staff members. The meeting included a boat tour of culturally significant sites within the Colockum, as well as informative meetings with WDFW habitat and cultural resources staff.
