Managing Wildlife Populations
L.T. Murray Wildlife Area Fences: L.T. Murray Wildlife Area Natural Resource Technician Nass installed vinyl trim markers to fences on the Quilomene and Whiskey Dick units. This will increase fence visibility to sage grouse and other wildlife.
Bat White-Nose Syndrome Vaccinations: District 8 Wildlife Biologist Wampole, Assistant District Biologist Moore, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) Intern Flores, WDFW Bat specialist Tobin, and United States Geological Survey (USGS) collaborating biologists conducted bat captures and vaccinations at an Ellensburg maternity roost site. Vaccination trials are in their third and final year. Vaccinations are aimed at preventing the spread of white nose syndrome, a fatal fungus spreading across bat populations.
District 8 Bat Surveys: District 8 Wildlife Biologist Wampole and Assistant District Biologist Moore set acoustic sound recording units to survey for bats in the district. This was done in collaboration with the North American Bat survey, which helps inform status and trends of bats across North America.
District 8 Dove Trapping: District 8 Wildlife Biologist Wampole, Assistant District Biologist Moore and WDFW Intern Flores commenced dove trapping in the district. Dove trapping aims to band individuals to inform trends in the population.
District 8 Duck Trapping: District 8 Wildlife Biologist Wampole, Assistant District Biologist Moore, Conflict Technician Leuck, and WDFW Intern Flores worked to clear waters to prepare for annual mallard banding efforts in the region. Mallards are trapped and banded annually to inform harvest trends statewide.
Providing Recreation Opportunities
L.T. Murray Wildlife Area Elk Fence: L.T. Murray Wildlife Area Natural Resource Technician Nass repaired both double gates in the elk fence at the Joe Watt Canyon Wildlife Area access point. The driver of a vehicle with a flat tire and leaking fluid decided to ram one of the double gates and a week later someone rammed the other double gate. Neither gate was locked, so the small chains used for holding the gates closed were the weak links and failed, allowing for minimal damage to the gates.
Providing Conflict Prevention and Education
District 4 Rattlesnake Hills Elk: District 4 Wildlife Conflict Specialist Hand continued to monitor elk activity and conduct late night/early morning hazing of elk out of winter wheat crops near the Hanford National Monument.
District 4 New DPCA: Hand received a request from a tree fruit and vineyard grower in Corral Canyon for a new Damage Prevention Cooperative Agreement (DPCA) to address elk damage. A new contract has been submitted and damage permits issued.
District 4 Silver Dollar Elk Damage: Hand prepared and delivered damage prevention permits to a landowner in the Silver Dollar area dealing with elk damage to his alfalfa hay crop.
District 4 Master Hunter Coordination: Hand assisted several master hunters with scouting and hunting information for the upcoming start of the Rattlesnake Hills Master Hunter season.
District 4 Kahlotus Wheat Harvest: Hand monitored wheat harvest at several fields near Kahlotus that experienced deer damage from last winter. Wheat harvest is just wrapping up in this area with below or near average yields in most fields. No deer damage claim will be submitted this year.
District 4 West Richland Deer Damage: Hand responded to a deer damage complaint from a landowner who has reported damage concerns for the past couple years. This year’s damage, mostly to corn crops, is not as bad as previous years. The landowner has requested hunting effort from youth and master hunters from the Region 3 special permit lists again this year.
District 8 Kittitas County Conflict: District 8 Conflict Technician Leuck night hazed elk this month in the Park Creek and Badger Pocket areas. Helicopter flights were used to herd elk from Park Creek, east Kittitas, and the Badger Pocket areas.
In addition, there have been numerous bear calls received in upper Kittitas County, mostly in USFS campground areas where sanitation practices are inadequate.
District 8 Yakima County Conflict: District 8 Conflict Specialist Wetzel received several calls from the Wiley City area reporting elk in orchards. Permits and contracts were developed for that area.
Conserving Natural Landscapes
L.T. Murray Grazing Program: L.T. Murray Wildlife Area Assistant Manager Winegeart and Natural Resource Technician Nass assembled a virtual fence base station, which will be used for monitoring cattle on the Quilomene Unit.
L.T. Murray Vegetation Monitoring: The L.T. Murray crew performed end of growing season vegetation monitoring in the Vantage pasture. Stubble height looked ok but weeds that had been suppressed in the canyon bottoms due to grazing came back with a vengeance.
L.T. Murray Weed Control: L.T. Murray Wildlife Area Natural Resource Technician Nass sprayed weeds on the Quilomene and Whiskey Dick units. Natural Resource Technician Blore sprayed the fallow ragland field to keep some broadleaf plants from going to seed. Hopefully the crew will be able to plant this field with native grasses in the fall.
Wenas Wildlife Area—Weed Control: Wenas Wildlife Area staff have continued spraying for weeds throughout the wildlife area. The primary targets this time of year are Canada thistle, Russian thistle, and Kochia. The Sheep Company Target Shooting Range was sprayed for weeds this past week.
Wenas Wildlife Area- Aerial Weed Control: In addition to ground applications of herbicide performed by staff members, Habitat Specialist Miller coordinated another aerial application of herbicides on targeted restoration sites. Aerial application helps to make treatments of these sites more efficient. These aerial applications are an essential step in restoring sites back to native habitat.
Wenas Wildlife Area – Sheep Company Target Shooting Range Clean-Up: Wenas Wildlife Area staff members removed 900 pounds of target shooting trash and waste from the Sheep Company Target Shooting Range. During this range closure period, the team was able to fully clean the ranges in preparation for the shooting closures to be lifted.
Conducting Business Operations and Policy
Region 3 Hunting Prospects: District 8 Wildlife Biologist Wampole, District 8 Assistant Wildlife Biologist Moore, and District 4 Wildlife Biologist Fidorra completed drafting the 2024 hunting prospects which will be published for the public later this summer.
Other
Wenas Wildlife Area- Black Canyon Fire: The Black Canyon fire recently burned a portion of the wildlife area. Staff members worked to post road closure signs in the wildlife area to ensure that firefighting operations were not interrupted and public safety was maintained.
Oak Creek Wildlife Area Retreat Fire: The Retreat Fire, just outside of Naches, WA, started on July 23, 2024, and quickly burned a significant section of the Oak Creek Wildlife Area. Wildlife area staff members have posted closure signs and maps along entrance points to closed sections. The most recent fire updates indicate the fire has burnt 41,279 acres, including private, state, and federal land, and is 49% contained.
Oak Creek Wildlife Area First Aid: Oak Creek Wildlife Area Manager Mackey and Assistant Manager Charlet attended a two-day wilderness first aid training. This training aimed to teach advanced first aid skills for employees working in remote environments when help from professional first responders may have delayed or extended response times.