Managing Wildlife Populations
Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD): Private Lands Biologist Nizer drove to a roadkill elk alongside Highway 195 driving north to Spokane. The elk was hit by a car right before Spangle. Nizer took the CWD sample from the elk and took the other CWD samples he had with him to the Spokane regional office.
Cummings Creek Winter Closure: Natural Resource Technician Tritt closed the Cummings Creek gate for the annual January 1st to April 1st winter closure to protect wintering wildlife.
Prairie Grouse: Biologists Lowe and Brinkman attended the annual Washington Sage and Sharp-tailed Grouse Workshop held at Central Washington University in Ellensburg. Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) staff members and state, federal, and tribal partners gave updates on grouse populations, habitat restorations and improvements, and discussed conservation actions to benefit sage and sharp-tailed grouse.
Chronic Wasting Disease Sampling: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Samsill sampled and coordinated the sampling of several elk harvested during the week with damage permits and in the Fruitland elk area.
Providing Recreation Opportunities
WT Wooten Wildlife Area Campgrounds, Parking Areas, and Shooting Range: Natural Resource Technician Tritt checked the campgrounds and parking areas and cleaned up trash. He cleaned up a tree that a camper chopped down with an axe in Campground 1. He also burned pine needles in Campground 1.
Recreation Access Management and Maintenance: Natural Resource Technician Nielsen cleaned restrooms and picked up litter at Heller Bar, Shumaker, and Boggan’s. Natural Resource Technician Nielsen and Natural Resource Specialist 3 Whittaker applied and spread three dump truck loads of gravel at Heller Bar to level out low spots.
Access Program: Private Lands Biologist Nizer received the signed contract for a new Hunt by Written Permission property in Spokane County from the landowner. Nizer plans to post the property in the next week.
Providing Conflict Prevention and Education
Great Horned Owl: On Thursday, Natural Resource Technician Edmondson and Natural Resource Technician Keeling responded to a call regarding a great horned owl that had flown into a person’s home after colliding with the side of their house in pursuit of one of their chickens. Upon arriving on scene, the owl seemed to be calm and was easy to capture and place in a crate. The owl was then delivered to the Kettle River Raptor Center for further evaluation for possible injuries.
Moose Complaints: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Harris and Enforcement Intern Swiger responded to a call regarding a bull moose frequenting a Whitman County landowner’s yard. The landowner had been unsuccessful in deterring the moose and asked for assistance with hazing the moose away from their house. Staff members successfully hazed the moose away from the residence using paintball guns.
Wildlife Conflict Specialist Harris also responded to a report of two bull moose fighting in a Spokane resident’s back yard. One of the bulls got a rope swing twisted around its antlers but was able to free itself from the swing prior to Harris arriving on scene. The moose did not appear to have sustained any injuries during the incident.
Elk Damage: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Harris was contacted by a producer that was sustaining elk damage to a haystack in Spokane. Harris loaned the producer a paintball gun to assist with hazing the elk away from the haystack.
Wolf non-lethal deterrent work: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Kolb followed up with a Columbia County producer after a confirmed wolf depredation to assist with carcass sanitation. Natural Resource Technician Moberg and Wildlife Control Specialist Kolb also helped the producer install fladry and fox lights around a corral area where the depredation occurred.
Elk: Natural Resource Technician Edmondson received a call from a landowner near Fruitland that has been having problems with elk near their hay stackyard. Edmondson brought a propane cannon down to the landowner to assist with keeping the elk away.
Turkey: Natural Resource Technician Edmondson issued depredation permits to a landowner who had called to report a large number of turkeys in their field with the cattle.
Cougar: Natural Resource Technician Edmondson assisted Sergeant Bahrenburg with a cougar call involving a cougar that had attacked a landowner’s dog. Hounds were brought in to attempt to locate the cougar, but the cougar could not be found.
Wolf: Natural Resource Technician Edmondson checked three trail cameras that Natural Resource Technician Keeling had set out on a property where a possible wolf incident occurred.
Injured Deer: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Harris responded to a report of an injured deer on a Spokane college campus that was described as having what appeared to be intestines coming out of an abdominal wound. Harris determined that the mule deer buck had a papilloma on its hind leg and appeared to be in good health. Harris provided campus staff members with information on papillomas and assured them that the buck was going to be fine.
Deer: Natural Resource Technician Edmondson and Keeling responded to a call about three deer carcasses that members of the public found in Northport. Upon arriving on scene, it was noted that the three deer were an adult doe and two yearlings. Edmondson and Keeling did a field necropsy to find any signs of the cause of death. Corn was found in the stomach of the adult doe.
Elk: Natural Resource Technician Edmondson and Keeling set up livestock panels in front of a landowner’s hay barn that elk had gotten into the night before. The next morning the landowner called to say that the elk had been back but were unable to get to the hay in the barn due to the panels.
Turkey Trap: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Kolb and Natural Resource Technician Moberg installed a turkey trap in Walla Walla County to address on-going damage complaints caused by nearly 100 turkeys.
Conserving Natural Landscapes
Habitat: Private Lands Biologist Thorne Hadley contacted a landowner that was making some repairs to their wildlife watering facility as well as inquiring about suggestions on how to enhance surrounding area. The landowner was very excited and very appreciative.
Cleaning Access Road: Wildlife Area Assistant Manager Wagner and Natural Resource Technician Duclos worked on removing an elderberry bush that had fallen across one of the access roads at the Revere Wildlife Area. Duclos ran the chainsaw while Wagner followed behind, removing the branches and tree.
Habitat Project Planning: Private Lands Biologist Nizer met with Private Lands Section Manager McCanna to discuss a future private lands workshop for spring 2025.
Hartsock Unit: Regional Habitat Program Assistant Manager Schirm met with a Columbia County engineer to look at an illegal construction project on the Hartsock Unit. The county purchased grass seed and straw to seed and cover the disturbed area. The habitat biologists will be meeting with the co-managers to discuss what mitigation will be required by the county next summer during the work window. Natural Resource Technician Tritt cleared the blackberries and brush from around more of the irrigation risers on the Hartsock Unit to allow more parts of the field to be irrigated next summer.
Revere Wetland Project: With the Ducks Unlimited Wetland project completed at the Revere Wildlife Area, Wildlife Area Manager Finch contacted Ducks Unlimited engineer Heck about the possibility of installing the wood slats back in the dam. Brian Heck gave Finch the go ahead, so Natural Resource Technician Duclos installed the wood slats back into the dam.
West Medical Access Site: This week Wildlife Area Manager Finch, Wildlife Area Assistant Manager Wagner, Natural Resource Technician Duclos, Region 1 Access Manager Dziekan meet with Vasquez, a salesman from Pacific Fence and Wire to go over the fence replacement at West Medical Lake from the 2023 Gray Fire. All present walked over the area where the existing fence was to inspect the line and details of the fence project. This fence should be completed before April 15, 2025.
Revere Wildlife Area Wetland Project: This week Wildlife Area Manager Finch, Wildlife Area Assistant Manager Wagner and Natural Resource Technician Duclos made a trip from West Medical Lake to Chapman Lake and then down to the Revere Wildlife Area to inspect the wetland project since its completion and after the boards were installed back in the structure. Finch filmed a video that can be showcased at the next District 2 Team meeting in February.
Providing Education and Outreach
Winter Camp: Biologist Lowe provided a program and activities for 50 Girl Scouts ages six to 14 who were attending the Girl Scouts of Eastern Washington/Northern Idaho winter break day camp. The theme of the presentation was winter adaptation, and the girls examined tracks, scat, skulls and hides and tried to determine species based on identified features.
Job Shadow: Biologist Lowe met with a high school student on a job shadow day to answer questions about wildlife biologist duties and role in the agency.
Presentation: During the Columbia County Conservation District’s annual meeting held in Dayton, Private Lands Biologist Thorne Hadley presented information about the WDFW’s Private Lands Access Program, along with information from Wildlife Conflict Specialist Kolb and Wildlife Area Manager Dingman. Private Lands Biologist Thorne Hadley will coordinate with two landowners the following week to meet at their properties to discuss habitat projects after talking to them at the meeting.
Wildlife Experts at Kettle Falls Elementary School: Every year the Kettle Falls Elementary School fourth grade teachers invite local WDFW staff members to serve as wildlife experts to answer student questions about gray wolves, cougars, bald eagles, and white-tailed deer. This year Wildlife Area Manager Palmer was joined again by Wildlife Conflict Specialist Hultberg, as well as Wildlife Biologist Johnson and Wildlife Conflict Specialist Samsill. PowerPoint presentations and animal mounts are used to add to the experience for the students. Some ask, “Are these real?” while petting the cougar rug or deer mount.
Conducting Business Operations and Policy
Facility/Equipment Security: Wildlife Area Manager (Acting) Palmer worked with District 1 Fish Biologists Baker and Walker to complete a cross-program project. The Fish Program needed a secure location to store their airboat, so the program purchased four gates to enclose an open shed at Sherman Creek Wildlife Area headquarters. The custom gates were picked up from the supplier a couple of weeks ago. This week Palmer, Baker and Walker worked together to install the gates. The Fish Program’s airboat in now securely stored, as seen in the photo below.
Signs: Wildlife Area Manager Dingman submitted “Closed Waters” and “Wildlife Area” signs to be updated with the new WDFW branding so she can order new signs to replace faded or missing ones on the WT Wooten Wildlife Area.
KREM 2 News Interview: Private Lands Biologist Nizer was interviewed by KREM 2 about the first ADA duck blind that was installed in Region 1 on a Hunt by Reservation parcel. The blind was put in by WDFW and the Inland Northwest Wildlife Council, who donated the blind.
Other
Volunteer Opportunity: Private Lands Biologist Nizer coordinated with a volunteer member to work on a trailer lights and trouble shoot the issues, along with installing a metal sheet for blocking wind when transporting pheasants. Nizer also took the volunteer member on a drive and showed him how to take CWD samples. Unfortunately, no samples were found along the road.