Managing Wildlife Populations
Region 3 Pre-season Duck Banding: District 8 Wildlife Assistant Biologist Moore, District 4 Wildlife Biologist Fidorra, and Statewide Waterfowl Specialist Wilson have deployed swim in traps. This aims to capture and band ducks for harvest management and to gather information on survival and distribution. The information from recaptured and reported waterfowl bands is used to model harvest, recruitment, and survival, which impact hunting regulations and sex-specific limits.
Wenas Wildlife Area—Fence Repair: Wenas Wildlife Area Technician Janes and Lands and Recreation Specialist Frame worked with Department of Natural Resources (DNR) wildland firefighters to repair holes in the elk fence which had been cut while firefighters worked to contain the Black Canyon Fire.
Oak Creek Wildlife Area Elk Fence Repair: Oak Creek Wildlife Area Assistant Manager Charlet has started repairing elk fence that was cut and removed while firefighters were working to protect critical infrastructure from the Retreat Fire.
Providing Recreation Opportunities
Wenas Wildlife Area—Durr Rd Shooting Benches: Wenas Wildlife Area Natural Resource Technicians Janes and Stoltenow prepped and installed several shooting benches and tables at the Durr Rd shooting range. These tables included handicap accessible tables at both the long and short ranges.
Wenas Wildlife Area—Sheep Co. Shooting Range Repair: Wenas Wildlife Area Natural Resource Technicians Janes and Stoltenow replaced target stands that had been made unusable by bullet impact. New stands were welded in their place and put lower to avoid impacts in the future.
Providing Conflict Prevention and Education
Wenas Wildlife Area—Durr Rd Boundary Signs: Wenas Wildlife Area staff members installed boundary signs surrounding the impact zone of the Durr Rd shooting range. These signs warn those of the potential danger when entering the impact area.
Oak Creek Wildlife Area Closure Signage: Oak Creek Wildlife Area Assistant Manager Charlet developed and implemented updated emergency closure signs and maps for the Oak Creek units which were closed due to fire danger associated with the Retreat Fire.
Yakima County Conflict: District 8 Conflict Specialist Wetzel received several calls from the Cowiche area reporting elk in orchards. Permits and contracts were developed for that area.
Kittitas County Conflict: District 8 Conflict Technician Leuck night hazed elk this month in the Park Creek, Poison Springs, and Badger Pocket areas.
Helicopter flights were used to herd elk from Park Creek, east Kittitas, and the Badger Pocket.
An elk was euthanized after being struck by a vehicle. Three different deer fawns were reported as struck by a vehicle and injured, but all died. A deer was reported to be tangled in a fence and unable to move. The deer was immobilized, freed from the fence, and released. Numerous bear calls were received in upper Kittitas County.
Rattlesnake Hills Elk Hazing: District 4 Wildlife Conflict Specialist Hand continued to spend time hazing elk out of winter wheat crops near the top of Rattlesnake Mountain.
Rattlesnake Mountain Wheat Harvest: District 4 Wildlife Conflict Specialist Hand worked with wheat harvest operations to document crop damage impacts from Hanford elk. Many of the fields are yielding above average bushels per acre and the wheat kernels have good protein levels. Damage from consumption, bedding, and trailing is severe in areas adjacent to the Hanford border.
Rattlesnake Hills Master Hunter Season: District 4 Wildlife Conflict Specialist Hand worked the opening day of the Master Hunter season and assisted with one elk harvest retrieval. Very warm weather conditions made hunting difficult, as concerns of meat spoilage becomes more likely.
Corral Canyon Injured Deer: District 4 Wildlife Conflict Specialist Hand responded to a call concerning an injured buck deer near Whitstran. The deer appeared to have been struck by a vehicle and died while enroute.
Conserving Natural Landscapes
L.T. Murray Wildlife Area Restoration: L.T. Murray Wildlife Area Natural Resource Technician Blore treated the five-acre fallow Ragland field for weeds. Hopefully, the wildlife area crew will be able to drill seed grasses this fall, and the following year plant shrub/tree plugs and forbs.
L.T. Murray Wildlife Area Vantage Highway: L.T. Murray Wildlife Area Manager Morrison, Assistant Manager Winegeart, and Natural Resource Technician Blore visited the corrals and pump house restoration sites in preparation of fall shrub planting. The 2024 spring favored weed development in this area. This coupled with the fact that this is the second spring after the Vantage Hwy Fire, led to thick stands of tansy mustard and tumble mustard in some of the deeper soil sites. These annual weeds will probably have little effect on the survival rate of the 40ci plugs that will be planted.
L.T. Murray Wildlife Area Cole Creek Bridge: L.T. Murray Wildlife Area Assistant Manager Winegeart and Natural Resource Technician Blore placed ecology blocks across an illegally created road on the Yakima River Unit that takes vehicles through the creek to bypass the collapsed Cole Creek bridge. Winegeart and Blore planned to block access to the bridge, but vehicles crossed the bridge multiple times while they were there. This led Winegeart and Blore to believe others could still be on the other side of the creek and they didn’t want to block the vehicles exit.
L.T. Murray Wildlife Area Vence Tower Installation on The Wildhorse Wind Farm: L.T. Murray Wildlife Area Assistant Manager Winegeart and Natural Resource Technician Blore supported the WLA Grazing CRM by helping install a Vence Tower on the Wildhorse Wind Farm. This tower increases the ability to track cows and provides a better virtual fence coverage of public lands.
Wenas Wildlife Area Weed Control: Wenas Wildlife Area staff members have continued spraying for weeds throughout the wildlife area. The primary targets this time of year are Canada thistle, Russian thistle, and kochia. Currently, the main target weed control is the feed site and surrounding areas.
Sunnyside-Snake River Wetland Management: Sunnyside-Snake River Wildlife Area staff members continue to mow wetlands in preparation for reflooding in the fall. Staff members have mowed several hundred acres and are on target to meet their goal of maintaining a 50:50 ratio of open water to vegetation within the wetlands. The coyotes also enjoy the yearly wetland mowing as it provides an opportunity for rodent hunting!
Johnson Wetland Harvest: Sunnyside-Snake River Wildlife Area Manager Kaelber coordinated with the Sunnyside Unit agricultural lessee to harvest the grass in the Johnson Wetland. The lessee cut and baled the grass, which greatly reduced the vegetation debris to improve open water conditions.
Other
L.T. Murray Government to Government Training: L.T. Murray Wildlife Area Natural Resource Technician Blore attended a Government-to-Government training in Olympia which covered tribal historical perspective, legal issues, tribal sovereignty, and tribal government.
LT. Murray Wildlife Area Corrals Kiosk: L.T. Murray Wildlife Area Natural Resource Technician Blore made repairs to the corral’s kiosk on the Whiskey Dick Unit.
Oak Creek Wildlife Area: Oak Creek Wildlife Area Manager Mackey continues working with various agencies and the California Incident Management Team 14 to manage various aspects of the Retreat Fire, including suppression, fixing of infrastructure, rehabbing dozer lines, wildlife area closures, public safety, and public information. As of August 19, 2024, the Retreat fire has burnt 45,601 acres and is considered 85% contained.