Managing Wildlife Populations
L.T. Murray Winter Vehicle Restricted Area: L.T. Murray Wildlife Area Natural Resource Scientist Nass closed the gate on Cayuse Creek to complete the annual winter closure to vehicles on the Whiskey Dick Unit. On the Feb 1. closure date, Washington State Parks denied wildlife area staff members entry through the lower elevation Washington State Parks gate off Recreation Drive because soft wet roads could lead to resource damage and the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife access roads were blocked by snow drifts.
L.T. Murray Bird Boxes: L.T. Murray Wildlife Area Natural Resource Technician Blore and Assistant Manager Winegeart checked nine kestrel boxes near Parke Creek on the Quilomene Unit. Three boxes contained kestrel feathers, and all the boxes had been used. Most boxes had nesting material added to them indicating use from other species.
Oak Creek Wildlife Area Elk Feeding Operations: Oak Creek Wildlife Area staff members continue to conduct feeding operations at the Cowiche Unit and Oak Creek Unit feed sites. With mild winter weather and an early spring, elk have started to leave the feed sites and forage elsewhere. Daily elk counts fluctuate based on weather and movement of elk but total counts on the Cowiche Unit have reduced from 2200 in the middle of February to an average of 600 at the end of February. Total elk counts at the Oak Creek feed site have reduced from 600 in the middle of February to an average of 250 at the end of February. Daily monitoring of elk indicates elk are in seasonable good health.
District 4 Ferruginous Hawk Mitigation Impacted by Proposed Windfarm: District 4 Wildlife Biologist Fidorra removed two nesting platforms from private lands that had been installed as part of a mitigation project. The land is under contract with the Horse Heaven Hills Windfarm and the developer requested the platforms be removed. New sites should be identified to relocate these platforms.
Burrowing Owls Overwinter in Tri-Cities at Habitat Project: District 4 Wildlife Biologist Fidorra and Assistant Wildlife Biologist Hoffman checked and maintained artificial burrows for burrowing owls. Mild weather this winter allowed many owls to overwinter successfully, with a large number of birds already on breeding sites during February maintenance checks. Recapturing these owls provides important data on survival and movements as many were banded individuals from the regional population.
Over-wintering owls is a unique phenomenon in the Columbia Basin as most of the western subspecies are migratory. In most years, most females and juvenile birds migrate south to California and Mexico, but some hardy adult males tend to overwinter. It appears females and some younger birds skipped migration this season!
City of Pasco Installs Artificial Burrows for Burrowing Owls as Mitigation: District 4 Wildlife Biologist Fidorra worked with City of Pasco staff members and contractors to finalize installation of 21 artificial burrows on property where construction was impacting known breeding sites. These new burrows should provide breeding sites for seven pairs of owls, which would be a potential net positive outcome for the local owl population! Fidorra and City of Pasco staff members will monitor the burrows for success.
District 8 Bighorn Sheep Collaring: District 8 Wildlife Biologists Wampole and Moore alongside Ungulate Specialist Moore work together with a contractor Quicksilver to capture and collar, bighorn sheep in the Yakima Canyon and Clemen Mountain herds. Captures took place Feb. 16 through Feb. 18. Data entry and shipment of biological swab and blood samples also occurred.
District 8 Kittitas County Deer Collars: In Kittitas County, District 8 Wildlife Biologists Wampole and Moore continue to pick up dropped deer collars from Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife 2020 mule deer project.
District 8 Trail Cameras: Biologists Wampole and Moore have been picking up trail cameras used for winter wildlife monitoring. This project helps species specialists monitor wildlife populations, growth, and movement.
District 8 Grouse Wing Bee: Assistant District Wildlife Biologist Moore joined other district biologists, and other Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife staff members in Spokane for the department’s annual grouse “Wing Bee”. Biologists are able to determine the species, age, and sex from the plumage characteristics on the wings and tail fans that were collected via the grouse wing and tail collection barrel program.
Providing Recreation Opportunities
Wenas Wildlife Area Manastash Ridge Trails – Trail Conditions Sign Install: Wenas Wildlife Area Lands and Recreation Specialist Frame created, designed, and installed an interactive sign that displays current trail conditions in the area. This sign has an adjustable arrow that indicates if the trails are in good, fair, icy, or poor condition. The arrow is held in place with a lock and pin configuration to prevent unwanted movement of the arrow. This sign idea was suggested by the Manastash Ridge Trails Committee.
Providing Conflict Prevention and Education
Rattlesnake Hills Elk: District 4 Wildlife Conflict Specialist Hand monitored elk activity on the Hanford National Monument and adjoining private lands. Large numbers of elk continue to occupy low elevation areas near Highway 240 on the Hanford Monument and were hazed away from the roadway.
District 4 Pasco Nuisance Deer: District 4 Wildlife Conflict Specialist Hand received and responded to a complaint from a homeowner along the Columbia River in Pasco concerning a small group of deer that have browsed on fruit and ornamental trees and shrubs. Advice on protection measures and hazing strategies were discussed and will be employed to hopefully reduce any damage impacts.
District 4 Kahlotus Deer: District 4 Wildlife Conflict Specialist Hand continued to coordinate deployed youth from the Region 3 special permit roster to landowner’s experiencing deer damage in the Kahlotus area.
District 4 West Richland Deer Complaint: District 4 Wildlife Conflict Specialist Hand continued to work with a landowner along the Yakima River to address an increasing number of deer causing damage. Two master hunters have been deployed to the property for hazing and removal operations.
District 4 Vehicle Collision with Pronghorn: District 4 Wildlife Conflict Specialist Hand responded to a call of a vehicle collision with a pronghorn antelope along Highway 221 south of Prosser. Biological information was captured and entered in Survey 123.
District 8 Kittitas County: Conflict Technician Leuck and Conflict Specialist Wetzel hazed some elk from areas in Kittitas County. Elk ventured to areas in Thorp, Vantage, Kittitas, Badger Pocket, and Cle Elum mostly visiting haystacks and domestic animal feeding areas. Elk have been hazed away again from Interstate 90 in some locations. Wetzel also tasked an agency range rider to work on wolf issues in the Lauderdale to Kittitas area of the old Naneum Pack territory.
District 8 Yakima County: Conflict Technician Leuck and Conflict Specialist Wetzel repaired elk fence at the return gate and another location in the Cowiche area where elk were in orchards outside the elk fence. Elk were hazed from Tampico and the Tieton areas as well.
Conserving Natural Landscapes
Quilomene Watershed: Natural Resource Technician Blore continued working with Assistant Area Habitat Biologist Shaffer to either replace a Parke Creek tributary culvert or convert the site to a ford.
Wenas Wildlife Area Bull Pasture Rd / Bell Tell Rd – Illegal Trash Dump Clean Up: Wenas Wildlife Area Lands and Recreation Specialist Frame and Wenas Wildlife Area Natural Resource Technician Janes cleaned up an illegal trash dump on the Wenas Wildlife Area. The trash was partially burned and spread over the ground. Frame and Janes discovered multiple pieces of trash with names and addresses that may lead to who dumped the trash. Those pieces of evidence were submitted to Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Enforcement. A total of 210 pounds of trash was removed from the site.
Wenas Wildlife Area Grazing: Wenas Wildlife Area Manager Gray met with a grazing lessee to review how last season’s grazing went throughout the unit. The lease was designed to help improve habitat and maintain positive relationships within the community. Gray discussed the need for a future lease with the lessee and will be working on doing another lease this coming season.
Neff Jones Road Hunt By Reservation Site Shrub Monitoring: Private Lands Biologist Manderbach checked on a shrub planting done about a year ago by then Natural Resource Technician Manderbach and former Private Lands Biologist Hulett on the Neff Jones Private Lands Access site. The sagebrush that was planted is doing well and growing, but the antelope bitterbrush had a very low success rate. Notes were taken on what went well and what could be improved upon for future habitat work at that site.
Sunnyside-Snake River Wildlife Area Byron Unit Sagebrush Planting: Sunnyside-Snake River Wildlife Area staff members and District 4 Assistant Biologist Hoffman planted sagebrush plugs using hand drills with auger attachments in late February. This is a new technique and seems very efficient. The sagebrush is being planted as part of a restoration effort to replace sagebrush lost to a fire that occurred there in 2022.
Providing Education and Outreach
L.T Murray Hunter Education: The Kittitas County Field and Stream Club held two Hunter Education classes at the Green Gate subunit of the Quilomene Unit on the L.T. Murray Wildlife Area. More than 40 students participated and earned their Hunter Education Certificate.
Rosalind Franklin Elementary STEM Night: Private Lands Biologist Manderbach setup a pelts and skulls table for the Rosalind Franklin Elementary STEM Night in Pasco. Students and parents both were intrigued by all of the pelts and skulls and had many questions. The elk antlers were a big hit.
Central Washington Sportsmen Show: Private Lands Biologist Manderbach worked the booth at the Central Washington Sportsmen Show for the first time. There were many questions answered about all things fish and wildlife, but not many that were specific to private lands access.
Conducting Business Operations and Policy
Wenas Wildlife Area Bonneville Power Contract: Wenas Wildlife Area Habitat Specialist Miller started the process of renewing the Bonneville Power Administration contract for the wildlife area. This contract is essential to the wildlife area for maintaining an operating budget. Bonneville Power Administration funds comprise a majority of the Operations and Maintenance Budget for the wildlife area.
Other
L.T. Murray New Spray Tanks: Natural Resource Technician Blore assembled a couple 45-gallon spray tanks on small trailers to be used to transport as extra water to water planted shrubs or refill spray tanks.
Oak Creek Wildlife Area Elk Fence Repair: Oak Creek Wildlife Area Assistant Manager Charlet, Natural Resource Technician Stoltenow, and Natural Resource Worker O’Brien repaired a section of elk fence that was damaged by a Utility Terrain Vehicle (UTV) that lost control. Damage included multiple leaning or broken posts and a large hole in the fence that elk could easily pass through.
