Managing Wildlife Populations
Cascades Carnivore Monitoring Project: Biologists Fitkin and Heinlen, along with Volunteer Fischer, retrieved the last of the remote cameras deployed for lynx and installed four over-winter wolverine monitoring cameras in District 6. The lynx cameras captured additional lynx detections and documented other species of interest including a fisher in the Sawtooth Range. This is part of a long-term (20-yr) collaborative effort to monitor these two species throughout their range in the Cascades.
Mule Deer Management: As part of Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) mule deer monitoring, several female mule deer are radio collared throughout District 6. Mortalities are investigated and cause of death determined when possible. Biologist Heinlen, Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Wildlife Biologist Breitenbach, and Sinlahekin Assistant Manager Riley investigated a mule deer mortality in GMU 204. The carcass was found in a shrubby draw, completely consumed, and tracking conditions were not ideal, leaving not enough evidence to determine a cause of death other than unknown predation. The radio collar was recovered to be refurbished and redeployed.
Pheasant Releases: Biologist Morris transported pheasants to the Chiliwist Wildlife Area. Some pheasants were released, and some sent North to Omak. These birds provide recreational opportunities for hunters looking to harvest a bird on WDFW wildlife areas.
Bullfrog fence removal: Technicians Force and Hara and Biologists Turnock and Gallie removed a bullfrog exclusion fence around the northern leopard frog release site. This fence has been up since March and acted as a barrier to keep invasive American bullfrogs from recolonizing the release site after bullfrog control efforts took place. Now that winter is approaching, the released northern leopard frogs will be looking for deeper water to overwinter, also known as brumate. Removing the fence was necessary to allow the frogs to disperse and find a suitable overwintering site. Bullfrogs generally enter brumation earlier than leopard frogs, so staff members are hopeful that removing the fence this late in the season will not result in significantly increased bullfrog predation.
Pygmy rabbit occupancy: Region 2 diversity staff members have been assisting with surveys to determine pygmy rabbit occupancy in the Beezley Hills and Rimrock areas. Staff members look at digital maps to find areas with high sagebrush cover, then go to these sites in person and search for signs of pygmy rabbits. Such signs include scat or fresh burrows. These surveys are necessary to ensure biologists have an updated distribution map of where pygmy rabbits occur on the landscape.
Striped whipsnake surveys: Biologist Turnock and Technicians Hara and Force have been assisting state herpetologists with surveys for striped whipsnake shed skins. Striped whipsnakes rely on shrubsteppe habitat and have been impacted by cheatgrass invasion, habitat conversion, road mortality, and declines in their preferred prey species of side-blotched and sagebrush lizards. Staff members have been searching for skins that snakes will shed before entering their winter dens. When found, these skins can be collected and sent for genetic analysis, which can help biologists understand how many individuals are on the landscape. Genetic techniques such as this are extremely helpful for species such as whipsnakes, which are very difficult to detect using traditional survey methods.
Providing Recreation Opportunities
Setting Up Hunter Registration Booths: To prepare for fall hunting, Douglas County Complex 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 whacking parking lots, replacing any old signage, clearing out yellow jackets, removing trash, and restocking hunter registration cards.
Private Lands Program Hunter Access: Private Lands Biologist Braaten finished up 2024 deer hunting seasons (with exception of a few late permits) by assisting landowners and hunters. Braaten worked in field during hunting season, meeting hunters, and discussing many topics. CWD, Cougars, Deer Numbers seem to be hot topics.
Waterfowl Habitat and Access Program: Biologists Cook and Morris, and Habitat Technician Blanchard prepared and sent letters to landowners growing corn to recruit additional sites for the Waterfowl Habitat and Access Program this fall. The program specifically provides field hunting opportunities for waterfowl, and in our Region generally provides upland bird hunting as well. These types of sites have been frequently requested by hunters looking for a continuation of the former Corn Stubble program. This is not a continuation, but another program that provides for the same or similar sites.
Presence for General Firearm Deer Season: Biologist Cook and Technician Blanchard checked on properties in the hunter access program, including Opening Day, in Adams and southern Grant counties to ensure signs are still in place, to show the department presence, talk with hunters and help landowners with issues, if needed. Biologist Cook helped two landowners get in contact with WDFW police for reporting hunter issues.
Providing Conflict Prevention and Education
Range Rider Coordination: Specialist Heilhecker coordinated monitoring activities with a contracted range rider. The contracted range rider will work through mid-December or until the cows move to feedlots. Specialist Heilhecker spoke with producers regarding wolf locations and pack sizes. She also contacted the Forest Service regarding some misplaced cows found by the contracted range rider.
Conserving Natural Landscapes
West Foster Creek Beaver Dam Analog (BDA) Installation and Maintenance: The West Foster Creek BDA project has kept wildlife area staff members busy this September. Thirty new structures were installed in West Foster Creek and approximately 20 BDAs were maintained from last year’s efforts. These structures included both channel spanning BDAs and bank blasting dams. The purpose of bank blasters is to widen the channel and create soil. Woody material was sourced from nearby wildlife areas and used to construct the structures. These BDA projects were accomplished with the help of partners from the Habitat Program, Pheasants Forever, Washington Shrubsteppe and Resiliency Initiative (WSRRI), Washington Conservation Corps (WCC) and Douglas County Public Utilities Department.
Smith Draw BDAs: Wells Wildlife Area staff members have constructed 30 post-less BDA structures in Smith Draw with the help of WCC, Pheasants Forever, and WSSRI.
Upland Habitat Restoration: Assistant Wildlife Area Manager Blake checked the status of three restoration fields at Sagebrush Flat Wildlife Area; identifying field preparation that needs completed this fall. At the Big Bend Wildlife Area, Natural Resource Technician Chouinard assisted a grazing permittee on an National Resource Conservation Service Environmental Quality Incentives Program (NRCS EQIP) project to control morning glory on another project.
Removal and Treatment of Siberian Elm: Wildlife area staff members have been removing and treating Siberian elm from around the Wells Wildlife Area to be used on the West Foster Creek BDA project. Many dump trailer loads of elm have been transported to Wild Fish Conservancy and used as weave and mattress material in BDAs.
Xerces Pollinator Plots Preparation: The office secured two habitat garden kits from the Xerces Society earlier this year. To prepare for the arrival of around 80 plants from Xerces at the beginning of October, wildlife area staff members have prepared an area on the Bridgeport Bar that will become a pollinator plot. To prepare for the planting, Technicians Haney-Williamson and Balderston have flagged the site and are thinking through how irrigation will need to be set up and other necessary site prep. Staff members mowed and cleared the area and tilled the soil. Once the soil was prepared, staff members laid down and secured weed mats and set up drip irrigation.
Douglas County Sagebrush Restoration Project: The Private Lands team from Region 1 north and Region 2 completed a sagebrush restoration project on private land that had recently burned in the Road 11 wildfire in Douglas County. A total of 7,500 big sagebrush plants were planted using tree/shrub planting machines. The team completed the project in two days. Pheasants Forever funded the plant materials. The landowner also has been in the WDFW Hunter Access Program for last 30 years providing opportunities for sportsman. Private Lands Biologist Braaten has been working with landowners in Douglas County for over 30 years. It has been a great relationship and project for the private lands program.
Habitat Plots: Morris sprayed weeds at one of his habitat plots in preparation to plant sagebrush plugs. Sagebrush plugs are small, container-grown sagebrush plants. Morris will plant 2,000 sagebrush plants to aid in sagebrush post-fire recovery in the pygmy rabbit recovery area.
Biologist Morris, along with Biologist Cook and Technician Blanchard, helped Biologist Braaten plant 7,500 sagebrush plugs in Douglas County. They took two and a half days to plant with two tractors running and eight people assisting. These plants are also being planted to aid in recovery post-fire.
Providing Education and Outreach
Adams County High Schools Career Showcase: Biologist Cook attended two career showcase events with Lind-Ritzville and Othello high schools to help students learn about future employment with WDFW. Technician Blanchard and Hunter Education Coordinator Montanari attended one event to help.
Conducting Business Operations and Policy
Specialist Heilhecker attended personal safety training in Ellensburg, completed the first amendment video auditor awareness training, and the bi-monthly wildlife conflict update meeting.
Other
Maintaining Hunter Registration Booths and Processing Hunter Registration Cards: When hunter registration booths were stocked with cards, staff members noticed that some of the booths were needing repairs. Natural Resource Technicians Rios and Garcia repaired wooden collection boxes and made new plastic covers to keep the cards dry. Natural Resource Technicians Garcia and Balderston have been collecting hunter registration cards and recording the data in spreadsheets.
