Managing Wildlife Populations
Deer Management: Biologists Dougherty and Clements are assisting Region 1 staff members with collecting Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) samples from hunters in District 5. Biologist Clements collected the first voluntary sample from a hunter at the beginning of September. Biologists sent out an information letter to permit holders for GMU 290 (Desert) encouraging hunters to set up a time to get a sample collected to aid in expanding the surveillance within the state.
Northern Leopard Frogs (NLF): District staff members released all of the NLFs that were reared at Oregon Zoo and Northwest Trek in August, and since then they have been conducting weekly visual encounter surveys (VES) at Columbia National Wildlife Refuge and north potholes. VES are used to count the number of frogs that staff members see around the pond as well as providing staff members the ability to capture and swab random frogs for disease, collect morphometric data, and more. Later this month a large and concerted effort will be conducted with several staff members to collect each frog encountered within the release site to gather more in depth data on each frog including snout-vent length, weight, swabbing for disease, and more.
Waterfowl: Biologists Clements and Dougherty were able to make quick work of waterfowl banding this season and deployed 659 bands throughout the district in a total of 20 trapping days. Additionally, District Biologists are working to complete all the environmental compliance on several Washington State Waterfowl Habitat funded projects.
Grebes: Biologists Dougherty and Clements teamed up to retrieve grebe nesting platforms that had been deployed on Banks Lake. These nesting platforms were deployed and covered in surrounding vegetation to encourage nesting and to avoid abandoned nests once water levels on Banks Lake began to fluctuate as the summer progressed. Biologist Dougherty reached out to various experts to determine any appropriate methodology for transmitter attachment to grebes in order to further mitigation efforts at Banks Lake.
Northern Bog Lemming Survey: The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) Region 2 Diversity Biologists Turnock and Hara with Technician Force assisted Biologist Heinlen conducting surveys for the northern bog lemming (Synaptomys borealis) within District 6. This species is found only in subarctic climates from the northern tree line south into Washington, Idaho, Montana, Minnesota, and New England where it lives in wet meadows, fens and forests with moss or sedge understories. Due to these species-specific habitats, the total area occupied within Washington is thought to be relatively small. This species is identified as a Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN) under the State Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP) with an assessment of a current lack of distribution data. These surveys will help fill in that distribution data gap.
Lynx Surveys: Biologists Fitkin and Heinlen and project volunteer members have retrieved most of the remote cameras deployed for lynx as part of the Cascades Carnivore Monitoring Project. Cameras continue to detect lynx in a few surveys cells and document a wider array of species across the whole survey grid. Final retrievals and data compilation will conclude next month.
Forest Grouse Management: Biologist Heinlen set out the five forest grouse wing collection barrels in Okanogan County in preparation for the forest grouse opener on September 15th. Grouse hunters can help WDFW manage these important species by depositing one wing and the tail of each grouse harvested into these collection barrels or by bringing them to the closest WDFW District or Regional office. More information can be found at: Forest grouse wing and tail collection | Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife.
Upland Hunting: District 5 staff members have assisted with releasing pheasants on various areas of the Columbia Basin Wildlife Area in preparation for the youth hunt weekend in eastern Washington.
Pheasant Release: Sinlahekin Wildlife Area Assistant Manager Riley assisted Biologist Heinlen release pheasants (PDF) for the youth hunt September 14-15, 2024. More information about the Eastern Washington Resident Game Bird seasons can be found on the WDFW website.
Pheasant Release: Biologist Cook released pheasants at Chiliwist Unit and carried additional birds for release at other Okanagan County locations prior to the Youth Hunting season.
Providing Conflict Prevention and Education
Elk Issues: Specialist Heilhecker received several calls from landowners regarding elk damage to agricultural crops in GMU 204. Each landowner has an active damage prevention cooperative agreement and requested a kill permit.
Deer Damaging Orchard: Specialist Heilhecker received a call from an orchardist near Orondo who was experiencing deer damage. The orchardist was interested in nonlethal techniques and possibly fencing materials. Since this area is outside Okanogan County, she gave the orchardist contact information for the area’s wildlife conflict specialist.
Carcass Dumping: Specialist Heilhecker spoke with a Reporting Party (RP) regarding a butcher dumping remains on his neighbor’s property. The landowner believes the dump pile has attracted wolves and consequently the neighbor is then shooting wolves. Specialist Heilhecker loaned several cameras in an attempt for the RP to document wolf activity, since there are no collared wolves in the area. In the past month, the cameras have not captured any wolf photos. The reporting party remains concerned that the neighbor is creating a nuisance by attracting carnivores to the area.
Conserving Natural Landscapes
Weed Management: Wildlife area staff members have been conducting further herbicide sprays of rush skeleton weed on the Chelan Butte, where significant improvements over the last year have been made and controls of bull thistle where forest thinning has occurred.
Irrigating Agricultural Fields: Wells Wildlife Area staff members have continued to focus on irrigating crop fields, which involves moving hand lines, setting up wheel lines, and monitoring and repairing pivots.
Water Birch Enclosure Fence Work: Technicians Balderston and Garcia have been working to repair fences protecting water birch enclosures across the Sagebrush Flat Wildlife Area. Several fences were so severely damaged during the Pearl Hill fire that the remaining fence is being removed so a new more durable one can be put in its place. Managers and staff members are considering options for a longer-term solution that would require less consistent repair.
Spraying Invasive Weeds: Wildlife area staff members have focused spraying efforts this month on houndstongue near headquarters and rush skeletonweed in the Sagebrush Flat Wildlife Are. Staff members noticed a reduction in the presence of both houndstongue and rush skeletonweed because of last year’s spray effort.
Preparation for BDA Installation and Maintenance: To prepare for Beaver Dam Analogs (BDA) installation, staff members have carefully mowed the area for easy access and trimmed weeds around piles of BDA posts and weaving material. The team will begin BDA work in September.
Xerces Pollinator Plots Preparation: The office secured two habitat garden kits from the Xerces Society earlier this year, and in October staff members will pick up the kits and plant them on the Bridgeport Bar. To prepare for the planting, Technician D. Haney-Williamson and S. Balderston have flagged the site and are thinking through how irrigation will need to be set up and necessary site prep.
Providing Recreation Opportunities
Setting Up Hunter Registration Booths: To prepare for fall hunting, Wells Wildlife Area staff members have been updating and preparing the hunter registration booths and parking lots. These tasks included brushing off hunter registration booths, weed trimming parking lots, replacing any old signage, eradicating yellow jackets, removing trash, and restocking hunter registration cards.
Swakane Shooting Range: The Swakane shooting range was cleaned up so that it is ready to be used once fire restrictions are no longer in place.
Fire Restrictions for Public Notice: To better inform the public about fire restrictions, and hopefully prevent any incidents, new and larger signage is starting to go up around high traffic locations of the wildlife area.
Habitat Plots: Biologist Morris continued planning for his habitat project that will plant sagebrush and other shrubs in a shrubsteppe area affected by fire in 2017 to improve the habitat for mule deer, upland birds, and pygmy rabbits.
Providing Education and Outreach
Coordination with USFWS: Specialist Heilhecker spoke with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service staff members regarding depredation investigations and meeting with producers in Okanogan County.
Grizzly Bear Meetings: Specialist Bridges attended three public meetings hosted by Chelan County Commissioners on Grizzly Bear Reintroduction efforts to take place in the North Cascades over the next 10 years. Specialist Heilhecker attended an internal grizzly bear management and conservation meeting
Other
Vehicle Checklist: Staff members have been inventorying all motor pool and agency vehicles to ensure that each one has safety equipment.
Interviews for Natural Resource Technician in Training: We are in the process of recruiting new employees in the coming months.
ATV/UTV Training: Staff members attended ATV and UTV training at the Methow Wildlife Area in July. All who attended successfully completed the course and received Recreational Off-Highway Vehicle Association certifications of completion.
Found Bees in Big Bend: Managers Peterson and Blake came across a species of ground nesting bees while working in the Big Bend Wildlife Area. They reached out to Biologist Julie Combs who informed them that these bees are solitary bees in the Anthophora species, commonly known as Miner or Digger bees. Combs informed an expert who will attempt to ID at the species level.
New Employee: Assistant Wildlife Area Manager, Meierotto, has started this month and is learning the ropes.