Managing Wildlife Populations
Mule Deer Surveys: Biologist Fitkin and Manager Troyer conducted annual post-season aerial surveys of mule deer in District 6. Fitkin and Troyer classified well over 2,000 deer covering both the Methow and Western Okanogan watersheds. This was the maiden voyage for the new tablet-based data collection app. Data is still being downloaded and tabulated, so ratios won’t be available until later in the month. During the survey observers also spotted six or seven animals from the Lookout wolf pack in their traditional territory.
Mule Deer Aerial Surveys: Biologists Jeffreys and Eilers and Chelan Wildlife Area Manager Pavelchek finished a multiday aerial survey of the Wenatchee Mountains mule deer sub herd. This sub herd is part of Washington’s East Slope Cascades mule deer population which also extends into Okanogan and Kittitas Counties. Surveys were conducted in the deer’s winter range, including areas such as Number Two Canyon, Horse Lake and Sage Hills areas, and the foothills south of Monitor and Cashmere. Biologists will use these observations to generate an abundance estimate and buck to doe and fawn to doe ratios to assess age and sex composition. Wildlife biologists use these data to inform management decisions and harvest regulations.
These surveys are scheduled in the narrow window between the end of hunting seasons and the onset of antler shedding, after which time it becomes impossible to reliably differentiate between bucks and does. As is often the case in Chelan County during this time of year, low hanging clouds and inclement weather delayed the first day of surveys. Fortunately, surveyors were lucky enough to get two full days of clear blue skies to successfully complete the survey.
Biologists will compare ratios gathered from this aerial survey with those collected via images captured by 18 remote cameras placed along migratory routes crossing Hwy 97 between Peshastin and Blewett Pass. If the ratios generated from both methods are similar, cameras may be a viable method for determining herd age and sex ratios moving forward. This would be a more efficient and less costly alternative to the current method of obtaining these data via aerial surveys.
Mule Deer Ground Surveys: Biologists across Douglas County are finishing driving surveys for mule deer. Unlike the aerial surveys, these surveys are not used for population estimates, but instead for more precise sex and age ratios, such as fawn to doe and buck to doe ratios. These ratios help biologists monitor the health and reproductive success of deer populations, and aid in setting hunting regulations. Douglas county has aerial surveys performed on a three-year rotation, and the next aerial survey is scheduled for December of 2025.
Bighorn Sheep Aerial Surveys: Biologists Jeffreys and Eilers completed aerial surveys for all bighorn herds in District 7. Swakane, Chelan Butte, and Manson. Aerial surveys consist of biologists flying transects via a helicopter throughout each bighorn subherd’s range. Once a sheep or group of sheep is located, the biologist records a GPS waypoint, the number of sheep in the group, and identifies sex and approximate age for each sheep in the group. These aerial surveys are used to obtain a minimum population count and assess herd composition, such as ram to ewe and lamb to ewe ratios. These surveys are also useful for gaining a broad overview of each herd’s fall distribution across its home range and surveying the landscapes that are out of sight during the ground surveys. The data is still being compiled and analyzed; however, this year’s surveys saw high counts for all three bighorn herds!
Bighorn Sheep, Mt Hull herd: Biologist Heinlen responded to a report of a dead bighorn sheep ram struck by a vehicle on State Highway 97 near Mt Hull. Heinlen collected samples for M. ovi (the causative agent for pneumonia) and Psoroptes mites, which were documented in this herd in 2019 and 2023 respectively. The samples were submitted to the Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Lab for analysis, and both were found to be negative.
Forest Grouse Management: Biologist Heinlen retrieved the forest grouse wing collection barrels in District 6 (Okanogan County) in mid-November. Biologist Heinlen and Research Scientist Schroeder identified and collected sex and age data on the wings. In 2024, hunters deposited 269 wings in these barrels compared to 329 wings in 2023. This is just a fraction of all the grouse harvested in District 6 as 7,555 grouse were reported harvested in 2023. The 2024 season is still ongoing. The goal of this collection effort is to build estimated population trend datasets for each species to evaluate the effects of harvest.
Camera Trap Monitoring: Using camera trap images, Columbia Basin Wildlife Area Specialist Richard estimated total waterfowl counts in several areas of the TD-1 project during the spring of 2024. Waterfowl counts are valuable to help detect responses to moist soil management habitat manipulations.
Fisher Camera Image Review: The Region 2 diversity team has been working on classifying images obtained from the WDFW Cascades fisher study done over the winter of 2023-24. This effort yielded thousands of images which have been entered into a program that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to identify wildlife species in trail camera photos. The program has provided initial species identification on many of these photos, but because the AI is not perfect, images need to be validated by biologists before any data can be analyzed. All validated or updated classifications are sent back to the AI so that it can continue improving its identification skills.
Providing Recreation Opportunities
Pheasant Release: Columbia Basin Wildlife area and District staff members released birds on five release sites prior to Veterans Day weekend. A total of 39 crates were released and wildlife area staff members were greeted with eager and happy hunters who were ready for the release.
Chelan Wildlife Area Assistant Manager Meierotto and Volunteers Wiley, Despres, and Mason went to the Swakane Wildlife Area to release 96 pheasant roosters.
Regulated Access Area Data: After the opening of waterfowl season on October 12, Columbia Basin Wildlife Area Specialist Richard and other wildlife area staff members collected registration cards each week at three regulated access areas: Frenchmen, North Potholes, and Winchester. Using hunter registration card information, Specialist Richard calculated that, so far this season, Frenchman Regulated Access Area has averaged 2.01 birds per hunter, North Potholes Regulated Access Area 1.01 birds per hunter, and Winchester Regulated Access Area 2.3 birds per hunter.
Pygmy rabbit surveys: The Region 2 diversity team has been assisting the pygmy rabbit team with occupancy surveys to determine the occupied range of Columbia Basin pygmy rabbits in Region 2. The team has been using models to locate areas with high sagebrush ground cover. They then go out and search these areas for possible pygmy rabbit sign such as fecal pellets and burrows. It is important to have updated maps of pygmy rabbit distribution to prevent sagebrush habitat from being lost in areas where pygmy rabbits occur. So far, the team has found evidence of pygmy rabbits occupying two new parcels of land where they were not previously known to occur!
Conserving Natural Landscapes
Seed Biomass Samples: Columbia Basin Wildlife Area Specialist Richard began sorting seed biomass samples to be included in the 2024 Seed Biomass Summary for the TD-1 Project. Samples include desirable vegetation like millet and smartweed, a valuable food source for waterfowl.
Grazing Evaluations: Columbia Basin Wildlife Area Biologist McPherson conducted all seven of the end of season grazing evaluations throughout the wildlife area. Evaluations help ensure that objectives of lease are being met, monitor degree of utilization, account for habitat trends, and record future recommendations. All leases are currently meeting objectives and benefiting habitat and wildlife.
Helicopter Herbicide Spraying: Central Velley Helicopters contracted to do an aerial spray of Plateau on the Chelan Butte to help control cereal rye and cheatgrass after the Stayman Flats fire that burned over 3,000 acres of wildlife area.
Fence Removal: Wildlife area staff members have been taking advantage of riparian areas being cleared of vegetation from the Stayman Flats fire to remove old fencing surrounding springs to improve water access for wildlife on the Chelan Butte.
Weed Control: Assistant Wildlife Area Manager Meierotto and Natural Resource Technician Zabreznik sprayed houndstongue infestations at the Entiat Wildlife Area and bull thistle infestations at the Swakane Wildlife Area.
Providing Education and Outreach
Wenatchee High School presentations: Biologist Turnock and Technicians Force and Hara gave a presentation on local wildlife and careers in the wildlife field to five Wenatchee High School animal science classes. The presentation gave an overview of wildlife species found in Region 2 with a focus on diversity species such as prairie grouse, northern leopard frogs, pygmy rabbits, bats, and pollinators. They also talked about local organizations working to help sage grouse and agriculture coexist and about what a career as a wildlife biologist looks like. They had a lot of fun and got some great questions from the students!
Conducting Business Operations and Policy
End of Season Vence Meeting: Columbia Basin Wildlife Area Biologist McPherson arranged meeting with Vence Rancher Success Team, wildlife area, and two producers to go over winter strategy, supplies needed for next year, and feedback from first season. Vence proved to be an efficient way of monitoring location of grazing but lacked the ability to control and shift grazing throughout the pasture. There has recently been updates on the herd manager program and hopefully these will allow for larger ability to manipulate how cows use landscape.
Bureau of Reclamation Quarterly: Columbia Basin Wildlife Area Wildlife Area, District, Enforcement, Habitat, and Bureau of Reclamation staff members had quarterly meeting. Topics covered were North Potholes target shooting range, Winchester Regulated Access Area development proposal, and Supplemental Feed Route status update.
Other
Washington Conservation Corps (WCC) Crew: The Columbia Basin Wildlife Area has a brand new WCC crew that started October. They have a new supervisor and crew but have a returning crew member that will serve as assistant supervisor, which is great to have someone with familiarity of locations and tasks. So far, the crew has been focusing on Russian Olive control, fixing interior fences, blind brushing, and garbage collection.
Irrigation System Shutoff: Wildlife area staff members worked to shut off and blowout the irrigation system at Swakane in preparation for winter.
Chainsaw Training: Wildlife Area Manager Pavelchek and Assistant Wildlife Area Manager Meierotto went to Yakima for a chainsaw safety training organized by WDFW.