Biweekly report Feb1-15 2023 - Region 1 (Eastern)
Managing Wildlife Populations
Elk Habitat: Natural Resource Technician Janowski submitted a grant proposal for review for a forest enhancement project in Stevens County.
Trespass Snowmobilers: Sherman Creek Wildlife Assistant Manager Palmer requested assistance from enforcement, concerning trespass snowmobiles and their potential for disturbing big game on Bisbee Mountain. Fish and Wildlife Officer Schrader encountered two snowmobilers at the bottom of Trout Lake Rd on Scotch Creek Wildlife Area on the weekend of Jan. 28 and Jan. 29. The two men claimed they didn’t see any signs, but knowingly went around the locked gate at the bottom of Trout Lake Road. Officer Schrader educated them and gave them a warning. Palmer and Combs, the managers of Sherman Creek Hatchery, were glad to find out that Schrader had caught them. They monitor the area as often as they can, but they haven’t caught anyone. Until now that is, thanks to Officer Schrader.
Lynx camera check: Wildlife Biologist Turnock, Wildlife Area Manager Palmer, and Wolf Biologist Roussin checked cameras deployed in the Kettles for lynx monitoring. Cameras were checked for correct viewshed, batteries replaced, and new SD cards installed. The photos will be sent to Washington State University for species detections and WDFW will use photos for the annual wolf report and for Wildlife Survey Data Management.
Elk: Assistant District Biologist Vekasy counted and classified multiple groups of elk in the Stateline area. Vekasy identified 314 elk with a calf to cow ratio of 25 calves to 100 cows. This segment of the Blue Mountains elk herd has been stable to growing in contrast to the rest of the Blue Mountains herd area.
District Biologist Wik met with the new district biologist for Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife in Wallowa County. Discussions focused on elk surveys, elk movement, bighorn sheep movement, surveys, disease, capturing, and coordinating flights in areas of mutual overlap.
Chronic Wasting Disease Sample: Natural Resource Technician Barron submitted a Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) sample collected from an elk harvested with a kill permit in Game Management Unit 121.
Natural Resource Technician Janowski collected two CWD samples from elk harvested using landowner kill permits in Stevens County.
Natural Resource Technician Heitstuman collected a CWD sample from a road killed deer. Heitstuman continues work regularly with landowners in the Cloverland area to prevent damage to crops by hazing elk. Some night work is being required to keep the elk from damaging the crops at night.
Providing Recreation Opportunities
Second Cougar Tag: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Kolb assisted a hunter who had questions about the availability of a second cougar tag for the Blue Mountain game management units. After speaking with local enforcement and licensing staff members in Olympia, Kolb passed the relevant information along to the hunter. Additional information about the hunt opportunity was shared with District 3 staff during the quarterly meeting.
Hunter Access: Biologist Baarstad completed a draft Feel Free to Hunt Contract for a private timber company in District 1 and sent it out for review. Baarstad was contacted by a turkey hunter from Alabama regarding District 1 spring turkey hunting opportunities and will be sending information out to him in the next few days.
Columbia Plateau Wildlife Management Association Landowner Hunting Permit Program: Private Lands Biologist Gaston coordinated more information between the WDFW customer service staff members and the Columbia Plateau Wildlife Management Association Landowner Hunting Permit organization. Hunters who were drawn for the Landowner Hunting Permit hunt now have access to purchase their permits.
Providing Conflict Prevention and Education
4-O Ranch Wildlife Area Haystack Moving: Wildlife Area Manager Dice discovered a haystack on the 4-O that was left outside of the fence surrounding the upper hayshed, had been discovered by elk a little over a week ago. The hay was left by WDFW’s agriculture lessee and was supposed to have been removed from the wildlife area last August. The elk, mostly mature bulls, were eating the hay and not leaving the area making them vulnerable. With the lessee, Dice and Natural Resource Technician Meisner moved a tractor to the 4-O along with a bale spear and grapple and moved the haystack. All the hay was cleaned up and the elk should move off to appropriate wintering areas where they will be safer.
Elk Damage to Infrastructure: Hundreds of elk continue to move back and forth across the state line near Walla Walla. The constant road crossings have exposed buried fiber optic internet cable conduit in at least four separate areas within the state. Internet services in the area currently remain functional.
Wildlife Services Contact: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Wade was contacted by the United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services with a few questions regarding private landowners’ ability to remove coyotes with the use aircraft. Wade offered some information and provided him with contact information for WDFW enforcement officers in his area of operation. Wade also followed up with Officer Sabo regarding the questions.
Cattle Producer Contact: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Wade reached out to the Asotin County Cattlemen’s Association (ACCA) president to give him an update on current wolf activity and staff work. Wade also asked if ACCA president had any information or sighting to report.
Onion Creek Pack: Natural Resource Technicians Barron and Janowski and Wildlife Conflict Specialist Samsill deployed a radio activated guard box in a private pasture in the Onion Creek pack territory. Barron and Janowski loaned foxlights out to two landowners in the pack territory.
Conserving Natural Landscapes
4-O Ranch Wildlife Area Lands Check: Biologist Woodall and Natural Resource Technician Rimmelspacher traveled to the 4-O Ranch to check gates, ground conditions, and any sign of public use, and illegal motorized entry. They found little walk-in public use, no illegal snow mobile entry, gates were secured. There was deeper snow at the highest elevations, but the river breaks and lower benches were mostly snow-free with forage available for ungulates.
Forest Enhancement: Natural Resource Technician Janowski finalized and submitted a forest enhancement project proposal to WDFW’s ungulate specialist. If approved, the funding would go towards a tree planting project on a private property enrolled in Hunting Only by Written Permission.
McDonald Bridge Unit: Wildlife Area Manager Dingman and Access Technician Heimgartner took the dump trailer to the McDonald Bridge Unit and picked up the tires and litter that were cleaned up by the Whitman College volunteers over the weekend.
Conducting Business Operations and Policy
Regional Conservation Partnership Program: Private Lands Biologist Gaston worked with Palouse Conservation District (PCD) staff to review an inter-agency agreement regarding Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). The agreement will be finalized with PCD soon and then sent to WDFW for review and their signature to join and assist with RCPP opportunities in the Palouse.
Administrative Duties: After completion of the interview process, Wildlife Area Assistant Manager Finch has been selected as the new manager for Swanson Lakes Wildlife Area, its satellites, and the Revere and Reardan Audubon Wildlife Areas. He will also be responsible for the access areas in District 2, so will be supervising Access Manager Dziekan when Dziekan is working at District 2 sites. This hiring will complete the separation of the Sherman Creek Wildlife Area from Swanson Lakes Wildlife Area, which were complexed about fifteen years ago. Current Complex Manager Anderson will stay with Sherman Creek Wildlife Area. Finch has over 28 years of experience as the assistant manager at Swanson Lakes, is a lifelong resident of Lincoln County, and has farmed his family property there since the 1980s. Congratulations Mike!
Regional Conservation Partnership Program Meeting: Natural Resource Technician Nizer and Private Lands Biologist Gaston attended a meeting with PCD to talk about partnering with PCD and contributing our time and resources to the RCPP grant they received from the Federal Government. Through the meeting we discussed the projects that qualified as contributions and how to keep track of work done as well as how to input that into PCD’s submission portal on their website.
Wildlife Area Manager Finch finished installing the new front utility terrain vehicle (UTV) tracks on one of the Swanson Lakes Wildlife Area’s UTVs. The back tracks should be done soon. These tracks on the UTV will allow winter travel each year, over areas of Swanson Lakes that would otherwise be inaccessible due to heavy and drifted snow.
Other
Training: Private Lands Biologist Hadley participated in a Pollinator and Beneficial Insect Habitat Pertaining to Small Urban Farms and Community Spaces meeting offered by the Xerces Society.
