Managing Wildlife Populations

District 8 Townsend’s Ground Squirrel Monitoring: District 8 Biologist Wampole and Assistant Biologist Wilson are learning to use AudioMoth devices and developing a protocol to confirm whether historic ground squirrel colonies are inactive. By leaving the acoustic recording units (ARUs) out longer, they can better detect calls. The biologists are also testing how far the devices can capture sound. This technology is already being used to monitor species like grouse and bullfrogs because of its utility to increase detection of a species which is especially critical for managing endangered and threatened, or invasive species.

L.T. Murray Townsend’s Ground Squirrels: L.T. Murray Wildlife Area Manager Morrison and Assistant Manager Winegeart found more Townsend’s ground squirrel sites on the Whiskey Dick Unit. The population seems to be very healthy.

District 4 Amphibian Monitoring: District 4 Biologist Hoffman conducted acoustic surveys for sensitive amphibians on the Sunnyside-Snake River Wildlife Area. Dip-netting and transect surveys will extend through the spring as a part of a larger inventory of reptiles and amphibians on the Wildlife Area.

Providing Recreation Opportunities

Wenas Wildlife Area – Seasonal Road Closure Openings: Gates to seasonal road and area closures are now open as of 6:00 am May 1, 2025.

Oak Creek Wildlife Area – Seasonal Area Closure Openings: Seasonal gates and closure areas were opened on the wildlife area at 6 a.m. May 1. Eager recreationists began filtering into the Oak Creek parking area in anticipation of the opening beginning Monday April 29. Friends of Oak Creek volunteer members were also present to answer questions, oversee logistics for visitor parking, and assist in gate opening and user counts. At Oak Creek, there were 82 vehicles, six motorcycles, 15 ATVs, and 22 hikers through the gate the morning of May 1. There were 29 vehicles, 11 horses, and 48 hikers entering the Cowiche Unit closure area.

L.T. Murray Wildlife Area Road Maintenance: L.T. Murray Wildlife Area Assistant Manager Winegeart worked with Archaeologist Davis and Capitol and Asset Management Program Project Supervisor Gallagher with beginning a road maintenance project on a 12-mile section of road on the Whiskey Dick Unit. Natural Resource Technician Blore and Natural Resource Specialist Nass built rock jacks and posted signs at multiple points to direct vehicle traffic to appropriate areas.

Providing Conflict Prevention and Education

Kittitas County Conflict: Elk are migrating in significant numbers westward following substantial green up in the past two weeks. Elk are hanging up in some private land areas and have been more difficult to move.

Yakima County Conflict: Elk were in an orchard near Cowiche this winter and a damage assessment was completed this week.

An elk fence repair is ongoing in the Tampico area.

A bear found its way into the city of Yakima near Cottonwood Middle School. The bear was relocated to more suitable habitat. 

District 8 Conflict - Depredations: Many lambs have been killed, likely by coyotes, at a large sheep farm. Efforts to reduce depredations are ongoing.

A livestock owner called about depredations on his new piglets. It was determined that common ravens were killing newborn piglets. 

Conserving Natural Landscapes

Wenas Wildlife Area - Shrub Planting: Wenas Wildlife Area Habitat Biologist Miller, Lands and Recreation Specialist Frame, Natural Resource Technician Janes, and Assistant Manager Taylor planted approximately 1,250 plugs of big sagebrush, antelope bitterbrush, and golden currant. These native plants will provide feed and cover for wildlife and support soil health.

Wenas Wildlife Area – Illegal Garbage Dump Clean-Up: Wenas Wildlife Area Lands and Recreation Specialist Frame removed 660 pounds from an illegal garbage dump located on Roza road. The removal totaled to 21 40-gallon bags of garbage, a twin-size mattress, wood material, and a TV. Evidence such as letters, power bills, and magazines with the same address were collected at the scene and turned into enforcement.

Wenas Wildlife Area – Observatory Thinning: Forest health restoration efforts are underway in the Observatory area on the Wenas Wildlife Area. Thinning is projected to be completed by mid-June 2025.

Sunnyside Volunteer Shrub Planting: The Sunnyside/Snake River Wildlife Area Headquarters Unit recently hosted a volunteer event with the Washington chapter of Backcountry Hunters and Anglers planting native shrubs. Even with a smallish turnout (due to coinciding with the turkey hunting opener), they planted around 300 shrubs including juniper, serviceberry, Pacific willow, and mock-orange.

Colockum Judy’s Park Too Proposed Thinning: Colockum Wildlife Area Manager Gray met with the forestry team, District 8 Biologist Wampole, and Habitat Biologist Weekes regarding the proposed thinning project, Judy’s Park Too. The thinning prescription, objectives for the thinning, and additional factors of the project being considered were discussed. The main goal of the project is to benefit wildlife habitat and in turn fire mitigation will also be an outcome of the project. One factor talked about was the potential for northern goshawks to be in the area. Biologists are planning to go out and conduct a survey near a historic nest site towards the end of May.

Oak Creek Wildlife Area - Weed Control and Grazing Monitoring: Oak Creek Wildlife Area staff members began spring weed control operations with backpack spot spray herbicide applications. Along with this comes rangeland evaluation monitoring and utilization monitoring on Oak Creek’s three grazing allotments. Oak Creek Wildlife Area Manager Mackey, Technician Venema, and Worker Floyd assisted Range Ecologist Tawril with evaluation monitoring on the Cowiche Unit.

L.T. Murray Wildlife Area Forest Health: L.T. Murray Wildlife Area Natural Resource Technician Blore and Assistant Manager Winegeart used a backhoe and two water tanks to assist Statewide Forestry Specialist McRae and Lauffer with cooling a Hutchins Forest thinning project slash pile which had begun to burn again after months of being under two feet of snow. All it took was 1,100 gallons of water and moving some ash around.

Providing Education and Outreach

Salmon Summit: Region 3 Private Lands Biologist Manderbach, Sunnyside/Snake River Wildlife Area Assistant Manager Jahns, Natural Resource Technician Pizzini, and regional Fish Program staff members attended the annual Salmon Summit event in Columbia Park. Fourth graders from numerous Benton County elementary schools had the opportunity to release their classroom-reared salmon smolts into the Columbia River and rotate through educational stations throughout the day. WDFW’s booth was a favorite stop! The students learned about the salmon lifecycle, pit-tagging, and native wildlife and habitat before exploring the pelts, skulls, and other interesting materials. It was fun and encouraging to see how excited they were about Washington’s fish and wildlife!

Oak Creek Wildlife Area - Toppenish Garden Club Presentation: Oak Creek Wildlife Area Manager Mackey spoke at a quarterly Garden Club gathering. Toppenish Garden Club hosted the meeting, but there was membership present from all over the Kittitas and Yakima valleys. Mackey spoke about eastside forest ecology, the role of historic wildfire in the area, as well as elk reintroduction and conflict with modern commercial agriculture.

Managing Wildlife Populations

Sunnyside/Snake River Wildlife Area: Spring has arrived at the Sunnyside Unit and along with many migratory birds returning and plants coming back to life, many of the resident wildlife are out and about, enjoying the warmer weather.

District 8 Beaver Relocation: District 8 staff members relocated a beaver from the edge of a busy road in Yakima to the Yakima Nation relocation facility located in Klickitat. This was the first beaver to be received at the facility. At the facility, a smolt tank is utilized as an artificial habitat, where the beaver can be monitored for several days and rinsed of any potential chitrid fungus prior to relocation nearby.

Parke Creek Elk Conflict Study: District 8 Biologist Wampole and Technician Ogburn deployed 20 cameras in the Parke Creek area with the assistance of local landowners. These cameras will be used to monitor elk movement in association with the Elk Conflict Pilot Project.

District 8 Townsend Ground Squirrels: District 8 Wildlife staff members and L.T. Murray Wildlife Area Assistant Manager Winegeart detected two new colonies on the L.T. Murray Wildlife area. District 8 Wildlife Biologist Wampole successfully captured and isolated ground squirrel calls as a first step to researching a novel approach of detecting and monitoring ground squirrel occurrence. 

District 8 Lek Search: District 8 Wildlife staff members conducted lek searches on local wildlife area lands to assess potential presence. No grouse were detected.

District 4 Burrowing Owl Transmitter Recovery: District 4 Wildlife Biologist Fidorra retrieved a transmitter attached to a burrowing owl. The transmitter had been placed on the juvenile owl in 2023 at its hatch site near Pasco. In 2024, this male bred in Washington, successfully fledging at least six young. The transmitter was still attached to the owl, which had died for undetermined reasons in an agriculture field.

District 4 Bobcat Jaw Collection: District 4 Wildlife Biologist Fidorra coordinated with several trappers who reported bobcat and otter harvest to get pelts sealed by the spring deadline as well as to comply with the new jaw submission guidelines for bobcat sampling. Many folks were given guidance on how to submit better samples next year.

District 4 Opportunistic Amphibian Monitoring: District 4 Wildlife Biologist Fidorra was training U.S. Fish and Wildlife seasonal technicians on ferruginous hawk survey protocols when he made an impromptu stop at a roadside seasonal puddle to check for amphibians. Two pairs of Great Basin spadefoot toads were quickly detected, both in amplexus (where males grasp onto females for extended time during breeding). One pair was quickly captured to confirm species ID, then released still attached. Data was submitted via the staff Incidental Observations survey tool.

District 4 Artificial Burrows installed for Burrowing Owls: District 4 Wildlife Biologist Fidorra coordinated installation of 18 new artificial burrow sites near Pasco as part of a burrowing owl conservation project. Staff members from the wildlife area, Wildlife Diversity Program, Habitat Program, Private Lands Program, and Capitol and Asset Management Program Archeology assisted with digging and monitoring the sites. These burrows were installed to replace some artificial burrows that have been lost over the past several years to development or conversion at locations where they had been voluntarily hosted by private landowners. 

Wenas Wildlife Area- Elk Fence Check: Wenas Wildlife Area staff members conducted elk fence checks for fence repairs or maintenance.

Providing Recreation Opportunities

L.T. Murray Wildlife Area Whiskey Dick Unit Road Maintenance: L.T. Murray Wildlife Area Assistant Manager Winegeart submitted a PAM for a temporary extension of the current vehicle exclusion rule for the Pump House and Cayuse roads for public safety during construction. The Corrals access site to the Whiskey Dick unit will open to public vehicle travel on the usual May 1st opener. The Cayuse and Pump House roads are expected to be closed through the end of June.

Providing Conflict Prevention and Education

Kittitas County Field and Stream Club Test and Remove Presentation: District 8 Wildlife Biologist Erin Wampole presented to the Kittitas County Field and Stream Club on the Tri-State Test and Remove Bighorn Sheep study. Members gained knowledge on WDFW efforts to manage pneumonia outbreaks in local bighorn sheep populations and on-going coordinated research.

Kittitas County Conflict: Elk are migrating in significant numbers westward following significant green up in the past two weeks. Elk are hanging out in some private land areas and have been more difficult to move.

WDFW Sergeant Johnson and District 8 Conflict Specialist Wetzel gave Carnivore Biologist Beausoleil’s bear information presentation to Suncadia staff members.

Yakima County Conflict: Elk in the Tampico area have been outside the elk fence in several areas. The elk have begun to stay above and west of the elk fence and have followed significant new green up in the last two weeks. The fence was repaired in several areas.

A beaver came down the concrete irrigation spillway in Yakima and became trapped at the trash gate. District wildlife staff members were able to catch it and transfer it to a translocation area.

Colockum Wildlife Area Green Dot Roads: Colockum Wildlife Area Assistant Manager Hagan began showing Colockum Wildlife Area Manager Gray around the Colockum. One of the items they looked at together was the condition of green dot roads. Manager Gray began reviewing previous lists made regarding road conditions and documenting needs for future road maintenance on the Colockum.

Conserving Natural Landscapes

Sunnyside/Snake River Wildlife Area Vegetation Management: Sunnyside/Snake River Wildlife Area Assistant Manager Ferguson and Natural Resource Technician Cardenas have been busy mowing upland habitats with weed infestations in preparation for spring spraying. Each year, Sunnyside staff members pick several areas to focus on for restoration and so far, they’ve worked on getting about 25 acres ready for spraying weeds followed up with native grass seeding in the fall.

Sunnyside/Snake River Wildlife Area Wetland Management: Sunnyside/Snake River Wildlife Area staff members have begun spring drawdown of the moist soil units on the east side of the wildlife area in preparation for summer maintenance. Staff members continue to monitor water levels and maintain water control structures as necessary.

Wenas Wildlife Area- Shrub Planting: Wenas Wildlife Area Habitat Biologist Miller and Lands and Recreation Specialist Frame planted 250 plugs of inland saltgrass. This native grass will provide feed and cover for wildlife and support soil health. 

Wenas Wildlife Area- Firebreak and Parking Area Herbicide Spraying: Wenas Wildlife Area staff members sprayed firebreaks and parking areas for kochia, Russian thistle, and tumble mustard. Herbicide application will increase throughout the wildlife area for other noxious weeds as the season continues.

Oak Creek Wildlife Area- Forest Seedling Post-Fire Planting: The forestry team, including Statewide Specialist’s Forester Pfeifle and McRae, met with a planting contractor and facilitated the planting of approximately 20,000 ponderosa pine, Douglas fir, and western larch tree seedlings. The area was commercially thinned in 2022 and damaged severely in the Retreat Fire of 2024. This was done to establish trees in the area to serve as a future seed source before grasses and brush develop post-fire.

L.T. Murray Wildlife Area - Whiskey Dick Unit Restoration: L.T. Murray Wildlife Area Assistant Manager Winegeart assessed survival of 40ci sagebrush plants that were planted along transect lines last fall at photo point sites. Three plants had been pulled out of the ground but of the remaining 52 planted evaluated, the survival rate was 92%.

Providing Education and Outreach

Wenas Wildlife Area- Kittitas Field and Stream Club Durr Rd Target Shooting Range Clean Up: 14 members of the Kittitas Field and Stream Club participated in a cleanup of target shooting trash and littered target building material at the Durr Rd Target Shooting Range. Kittitas Field and Stream Club has conducted this cleanup for many years at this shooting site and will hopefully continue to do so.

Wenas Wildlife Area- Wenas Valley Muzzleloaders Club Sheep Company Target Shooting Range Clean Up: Eight members of the Wenas Valley Muzzleloaders Club participated in a clean-up of target shooting trash and littered target building material. Wenas Valley Muzzleloaders Club has conducted this clean-up for many years at this shooting site and will hopefully continue to do so.

Wenas Wildlife Area- Pheasants Forever Shrub Planting: Eight members of the Yakima Pheasants Forever chapter joined Wenas Wildlife Area staff members in planting approximately 1,200 shrubs in the Black Canyon Fire burn of fall 2024. Species consisted of bitterbrush, big sagebrush, and golden currant.

Conducting Business Operations and Policy

Colockum Wildlife Area Seasonal Staff Hiring: Colockum Wildlife Area Manager Gray went through the process for direct hiring a four-month seasonal worker. Natural Resource Worker Cuellar will begin on May 1st. Some of the main duties he will be working on include maintaining boundary fence, noxious weed control, picking up illegal dump sites/litter, and general maintenance on infrastructure.

Other

Colockum Wildlife Area Temporary Road Closure: Colockum Wildlife Area Manager Gray coordinated with the Wenatchee Heights Reclamation District regarding the need for using a section of green dot road, two miles of Orr Creek Road, as a haul route for an emergency repair on Upper Wheeler Reservoir. The dam had a landslide that occurred this past spring on it and the Reclamation District is working on fixing this issue. The local community relies on water in this Reservoir to support their orchards/agricultural land. Approximately two miles of Orr Creek Road will be closed during haul operations 8:00 am to 4:30 pm Monday through Thursday. This work is anticipated to last through the end of April.

Gray and Assistant Manager Hagan posted signs for the closure. Gray additionally worked with Communications Specialist Johnson regarding outreach for the temporary closure.

Oak Creek Wildlife Area Road Clearing: Oak Creek Wildlife Area Natural Resource Technician Venema and Natural Resource Worker Floyd cleared the Oak Creek Road of winter blowdown following the winter. Many fires weakened trees from the 2024 Retreat Fire had fallen across the road.

Managing Wildlife Populations

Bighorn Sheep Population Aerial Survey: District 8 Biologist Wampole, Assistant District 8 Biologist Wilson, and Scientific Technician Ogburn completed aerial population census surveys for the Quilomene, Yakima Canyon and Cleman Mountain districts' three bighorn sheep populations. 

L.T. Murray Wildlife Area Crew Assisting Conflict: As part of ongoing bighorn sheep research for disease management, L.T. Murray Wildlife Area Natural Resource Technician Blore and Assistant Manager Winegeart assisted District 8 Conflict Specialist Wetzel with the removal of three sheep from the Yakima Canyon population. Nasal swab sample results collected during captures in February revealed that these individuals were carriers of Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae (Movi), a pathogen responsible for persistent bronchial pneumonia. These individuals were removed from the population because they transmit the pathogen to lambs, leading to annual lamb die-offs and poor survival. 

Sunnyside/Snake River Wood Duck Boxes: Sunnyside/Snake River Wildlife Area Manager Kaelber, Assistant Manager Jahns, and Natural Resource Technician Pizzini assisted Richland Rod and Gun Club volunteer members with spring wood duck nest box cleanup and maintenance in the Bailie and Windmill Ranch Units of the Sunnyside/Snake River Wildlife Area. Two of the nest boxes in the Windmill Ranch Unit were occupied by nesting Northern saw-whet owls. Bands were placed on both owls. Sunnyside/Snake River Wildlife Area staff members will assist Richland Rod and Gun Club members later this spring to band nesting wood ducks.

Franklin County Burrowing Owls: Sunnyside/Snake River Wildlife Area staff members and Region 3 Private Lands Biologist Manderbach assisted District 4 Biologist Fidorra, Assistant District 4 Biologist Hoffman, and other WDFW staff members with the installation of new artificial burrows for burrowing owls in Franklin County. It was a windy, labor-intensive day but many hands made light work!

Providing Recreation Opportunities

L.T. Murray Wildlife Area Road Maintenance: A total of 23 volunteer members from the Back Country Horsemen of Washington and Master Hunters conducted some firewise work, fence, and trash removal along the Robinson Canyon Road. They trimmed and removed several tons of overgrown brush, fallen trees, and limbs which also greatly improved motorized access. In addition, one half mile of relic barbed wire and livestock fencing that was impeding wildlife passage was also removed. 

Oak Creek Wildlife Area Visitor’s Center and Elk Viewing: Friends of Oak Creek volunteer members continued seven days per week staffing of the Oak Creek Visitor’s Center and elk viewing area while providing truck tours on the feed site. The last day of feeding was March 27th, but volunteer staffing continued until March 31st to educate visitors. See table below for most recent visitor statistics along with the previous two seasons for comparison.

Providing Conflict Prevention and Education

Kittitas County Conflict: Elk are migrating in significant numbers from eastern winter range to westward following significant green up in the past two weeks. Elk have been easy to move and are not causing many problems for crop areas at this time. 

Yakima County Conflict: Elk in the Cowiche area have been outside the elk fence in several areas but have begun to stay west of the elk fence and have followed significant new green up in the last two weeks. 

Bighorn sheep management actions occurred during the last half of March in the lower Yakima Canyon area.

Conserving Natural Landscapes

Guzzler Repair with Richland Rod and Gun Club: Region 3 Private Lands Biologist Manderbach assisted a group of volunteer members from the Richland Rod and Gun Club with a complete guzzler replacement near the Benton and Yakima County line. The guzzler tank and frame were both beyond repair following a fire a few years ago. A new frame constructed completely out of steel was built and installed along with a new fiberglass catch tank. Along the way, two other guzzlers were cleaned of debris.

Private Lands Work Party: Region 3 Private Lands Biologist Manderbach and Natural Resource Technician Pizzini attended the 2025 Private Lands Work Party in Whitman County. Private Lands staff members from across the state, as well as Pheasants Forever Farm Bill Biologists, Pheasants Forever volunteer members, and other partners from the National Wild Turkey Federation and Bureau of Land Management got together to meet, install habitat projects, get trained on equipment and implements, and discuss potential future collaborations. 21 rows of fabric mulch were installed on the Revere Wildlife Area in preparation for a large Pheasants Forever planting project coming up April 12th. Fabric mulch and shrubs/trees were installed on another property in the Private Lands access program.

Franklin County Shrubs: Region 3 Private Lands Biologist Manderbach continued work on a Hunt by Reservation property in Franklin County. There have been over 200 new trees and shrubs planted this spring, with work to continue further. In addition to planting, more ground was cleared to make way for future shrub plantings and catch basins were formed around shrubs to help with water collection.

Oak Creek Wildlife Area Tieton River Stream Restoration: Under a memorandum of understanding, the Yakama Nation Fisheries group completed its stream restoration project to re-water a side channel of the Tieton River located within the Oak Creek Wildlife Area. Although this project occurs in the area affected by the 2024 Retreat Fire, the project has been in the planning stages for years prior. A temporary bridge was installed across the Tieton River in the area of Nissan Flats along U.S. Highway 12 to access the site with heavy equipment and materials. Water is currently flowing through this historic side channel, but the project was designed to not divert water during periods of low flow. This project should lend itself to providing more spawning habitat with addition of aggregates of appropriate size for the spawning anadromous fish species. Additionally, it is intended to re-water not only the side channel but its associated wetland. The Tieton River Nature Trail was re-routed, armored, and compacted gravel placed in strategic areas. Additionally, hardwood and softwood tree species were planted in disturbed areas.

Conducting Business Operations and Policy

Wenas Wildlife Area- BPA Contract Renewal: Wenas Wildlife Area Lands and Habitat Specialist Miller finished submitting all necessary materials for the annual renewal of the Wenas Wildlife Area O&M contract for Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) funding. BPA funding makes up a majority of Wenas Wildlife Area funding and is crucial for maintenance of buildings and equipment as well as staff time for project implementation.

Managing Wildlife Populations

Burrowing Owl Conservation: Assistant District 4 Wildlife Biologist Hoffman along with Technicians, Reed and Hart, performed artificial burrow maintenance in anticipation of burrowing owls’ return to southcentral Washington for the breeding season. 

Ferruginous Hawk Nesting Territory Surveys: Assistant District 8 Wildlife Biologist Wilson began conducting occupancy surveys for the Ferruginous Hawk in Yakima County. This species is state endangered in Washington, requiring a status review every five years to decide if reclassification is necessary. The 2025 survey will cover the species' entire range in the state, focusing on occupancy, productivity, and distribution of nesting territories, with the findings contributing to the review for continued state listing.

Grouse Identification: 
District 8 Scientific Technician Ogburn attended the Eastside Grouse Wing Bee to identify the wing and tail samples collected in District 8 in 2024. This informs statewide specialists of age, sex, and species distribution of local grouse populations.

Movi in Bighorn Sheep: District 8 Scientific Technician Ogburn observed bighorn sheep in Yakima Canyon following the recent capture efforts. Bighorn sheep groups are continually monitored for symptoms in coalition with the test and remove study. Movi results from this capture were returned, showing four positive rams and two indeterminate individuals (one ram and one ewe) in the Umtanum South group of Yakima Canyon. No other subherds had Movi-positive individuals in this area. In Cleman Mountain, two ewes and one lamb returned with positive test results.

Deer populations: District 8 Wildlife Biologist Wampole and Scientific Technician Ogburn retrieved collars from mule deer mortalities to aid the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe collared deer study. When possible, samples were obtained to opportunistically monitor for chronic wasting disease in the district.                                                                                                              

L.T. Murray Elk Feeding: The L.T. Murray crew member wrapped up their elk feeding season. Total numbers were above 600 animals on March 10 but a couple days later, numbers were 0. The early grass growth showing on south and southeastern slopes were providing decent forage, but the quick departure probably had something to do with reports of lights on the closed feed site after dark of people searching for easy-to-find elk antlers. 

Providing Recreation Opportunities

L.T. Murray Green Dot Roads: L.T. Murray Assistant Manager Winegeart worked with a Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) archaeologist and a Capital and Asset Management Program engineer in surveying and evaluating the Whiskey Dick Unit’s pump house and Cayuse roads in preparation of green dot road maintenance planned for this spring. 

Wenas Wildlife Area – Volunteer Target Shooting Trash Collection: Wenas Lands and Recreation Specialist Frame collected 640 pounds of target shooting trash picked up by WDFW volunteer members.

Providing Conflict Prevention and Education

L.T. Murray Hunter Education: The Kittitas County Field and Stream Club used the Green Gate area of the Quilomene Unit of the L.T. Murray Wildlife Area to conduct the outdoor portion of a hunter education class. This was the third and final class being held on this site for 2025. 

Wenas Wildlife Area – Winter Elk Feeding: Wenas Assistant Manager Taylor continues with winter elk feeding of 944 head. With weather warming up, winter feeding is slowly coming to an end.

Conserving Natural Landscapes

Mesa Lake Flooding: Sunnyside Snake River Wildlife Area Manager Kaelber, Assistant Manager Jahns, and Natural Resource Technician Pizzini installed a new beaver deceiver device on the outflow structure of the seven-acre pond in the Mesa Lake Unit. The water control structure is often impeded with beaver debris, which results in flooding and erosion of the levy. The newly installed beaver deceiver should prevent beavers from accessing the outflow and protect against continued flooding and erosion issues.

Ringold Tree and Shrub Planting: Sunnyside Snake River Wildlife Area Manager Kaelber, Private Lands Biologist Manderbach, and District 4 Technicians Hart and Reed finished up the shrub planting at the Ringold hatchery. Overall, eight rows of trees and shrubs were planted that will provide a windbreak, wildlife cover and forage, and help stabilize the sandy soil to prevent wind erosion. Irrigation will be installed soon, which will help get the shrubs established over the next few years. Future upkeep will include filling gaps, weed control in the planting holes and between rows, and native grass and forb seedings between rows.

Neff Jones Road Shrub Planting: Private Lands Biologist Manderbach continued work cleaning up an unfarmed draw on a Private Lands Access property in Franklin County. Upon finishing up weed eating much of the draw, 150 native shrubs were planted, flagged, and watered. Work will continue in this draw through the spring, consisting of more shrub plantings, invasive weed control, and supplemental watering. This property burned in 2020 and has little to no shrub cover left. The CRP grasses are doing well, but the property lacks shrub cover and effort has been made since 2023 to fill the steep draws with native shrubs to provide cover and winter browse for wildlife.

Wenas Wildlife Area – Elk Fence Tumbleweed Burning: Wenas staff members have started burning tumbleweeds that collect along elk fence. Burning the weeds in the spring in safe burning conditions allows for major fuel reduction for future wildfires that may occur in the area. Once burning along the firebreaks on the elk fence, the team will begin spraying residual herbicide along firebreaks, parking areas, and roadways in order to prevent noxious weeds from growing throughout spring and summer.

Other

L.T. Murray Grazing: L.T. Murray Manager Morrison and Assistant Manager Winegeart gave a Western Washington University researcher a tour of the Quilomene unit grazing pastures. The researcher was looking for locations to potentially place antennas to support a cattle tracking system that would place receivers on cattle ear tags. The system has some merit and may be implemented with the L.T. Murray grazing lessee sometime in the next few years. 

Managing Wildlife Populations

District 8 Elk Surveys: District 8 Wildlife Biologist Wampole and Scientific Technician Ogburn completed Yakima Elk surveys and assisted Statewide Ungulate Specialist Moore with bighorn sheep captures. Staff members have begun retrieving trail cameras designed to monitor wolf activity in the region.

Oak Creek Wildlife Area Elk Feeding: Oak Creek staff members continued feeding elk at the Oak Creek and Cowiche feed sites. Peak numbers at Oak Creek this period slightly exceeded 700 animals, and they remain in seasonably fair condition. Peak numbers at Cowiche this period exceeded 2,200 animals and they also remain in seasonably fair condition, although we are seeing slightly more calf mortality this season (in excess of ten), mostly due to previous disturbance by domestic dogs in the area. 

LT Murray Wildlife Area Elk Feeding: The L.T. Murray Wildlife Area crew and a few volunteer members continued feeding elk. The numbers held consistent at just over 1,000 animals between the Robinson and Joe Watt feed sites.

District 4 Pronghorn Survey: District 4 Biologist Fidorra completed the draft of the 2025 south-central pronghorn survey report. After reviewing flight data, plus sightings compiled by ground crews of Safari Club International, the final tally of the survey was 337 animals. This in an increase over the prior high count of 250 animals found in the 2021 survey. The final report will be available next month through the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) website.

Providing Conflict Prevention and Education

Kittitas County Conflict - Poison Spring Elk: Elk have been seen at Poison Springs and in the upper county crop areas. Little or no damage has been observed.

Kittitas County Conflict – Haystack Tarps: Tarps were requested to protect haystacks in the Nile, Ellensburg, and the Wenas. Tarps were delivered to those landowners that have requested tarps.

Yakima County Conflict – Cowiche Elk: Elk in the Cowiche area have been breaking elk fence and getting into areas east of the fence. Elk have been harboring in the Cowiche Canyon Conservancy and several hundred have been nocturnally visiting adjacent orchards causing significant damage.

Yakima County Conflict – Tampico Elk: Elk have been persistent in the Tampico area coming from the west and south. In addition to the Tampico resident elk, migratory elk have been coming north from the Yakama Reservation into the orchard further east. The WDFW elk fence gate has been persistently left open, allowing elk into damage areas where they have been removed. Staff members closes the gate, but it is opened again after several days. 

Yakima County Conflict – Cleman Mountain Elk: Several large groups of elk broke out of the south side fence on Cleman Mountain. Over 300 elk have been damaging a cherry orchard in Naches. The hole in the elk fence has been fixed and the elk have crossed through a return gate back to Cleman Mountain.

Conserving Natural Landscapes

Franklin County Habitat: Region 3 Private Lands Biologist Manderbach continued the work of Natural Resource Technician Pizzini at the Neff Jones private lands access property. Three unfarmed draws have already been planted with native shrubs over the past two years, and work has begun on a fourth draw. Weed eating in the fourth draw is nearly done, which will be followed up by herbicide treatment of invasive annual grasses and eventually a planting of native shrubs.

Private Lands Cultural Resources: Region 3 Private Lands Biologist Manderbach submitted cultural resources paperwork for 14 potential habitat projects. The private lands program is able to utilize the cultural resource work of the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) using the Voluntary Public Access grant. Planning and prep work will continue while these projects are pending review from NRCS and hopefully in the next couple weeks the green flag will be given to begin work on some or all of them. These projects will begin anytime between this spring and spring of 2026.

Ringold Springs Habitat Plot: Sunnyside/Snake River Wildlife Area Manager Kaelber, Assistant Manager Jahns, Natural Resource Technician Pizzini, and Region 3 Private Lands Biologist Manderbach have been working on planting a native shrub habitat plot near the Ringold Springs Hatchery. The plot will provide valuable cover for native wildlife and help reduce erosion while also serving as a windbreak. 

Oak Creek Tieton River Stream Restoration by Yakama Nation Fisheries: Work commenced within the Oak Creek Wildlife Area boundaries on a Tieton River Stream Restoration Project this period led by Yakama Nation Fisheries. The intent of this project is to seasonably re-water an old channel within the Tieton River floodplain to provide additional opportunity for the development of quality spawning habitat and increase water retention within the system.

Providing Education and Outreach

Master Hunter Advisory Group: Region 3 Private Lands Biologist Manderbach met with a member of the Master Hunter Advisory Group (MHAG) on the subcommittee of retaining hunting access. This was an initial introduction meeting for each party and will be followed up with future meetings, as well as a statewide meeting with the MHAG and the private lands section manager. There will be potential for future collaboration and volunteer opportunities between the Region 3 private lands program and the MHAG.

Wenas Wildlife Area - 10 Year Management Plan: The first internal scoping meeting occurred for the Wenas Wildlife Area to provide an outline of the timeline, purpose, and overview of the planning process. Participation from all programs is an important aspect of the plan. Programs including real estate, fish, wildlife, enforcement, habitat, and more will provide input and expertise throughout the entire planning process. A meeting also occurred with the Yakama Nation Wildlife Program staff members to let them know about the planning process, to discuss future coordination, and to receive initial feedback on topics to focus on.

Oak Creek Wildlife Area Visitor’s Center and elk viewing area: Friends of Oak Creek volunteer members continue to staff the Visitor’s Center seven days per week and provide elk tours on the feed site. Below are the most recent visitor statistics. 

Conducting Business Operations and Policy

Wenas Wildlife Area- Prepping of Fence Material: Wenas Wildlife Area Technician Janes and Habitat Specialist Miller began prepping fence posts by cutting them to length and stacking them in organized piles to ensure peak efficiency for fence building. Fences on the wildlife area are essential to conflict management to prevent elk damage on adjacent private properties.

Wenas Wildlife Area- Annual BPA Grant Renewal: Habitat Specialist Miller began the renewal process for the Wenas Wildlife Area Operations and Maintenance grant through Bonneville Power Administration (BPA). BPA funds make up a significant portion of Wenas Wildlife Area funding and is essential to daily operations and maintenance on facilities.

Other

Local Working Group Meetings: Region 3 Private Lands Biologist Manderbach attended the Snake River Local Working Group meeting in Dayton and the South-Central Local Working Group meeting in Goldendale. The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), local Conservation Districts, WDFW, the Department of Natural Resources, and various landowners attended these meetings. Local Work Group priorities were discussed for NRCS EQIP projects and current and ongoing projects were discussed.

Pesticide Recertification Training: Region 3 Private Lands Biologist Manderbach, District 4 Wildlife Conflict Specialist Hand, and Sunnyside Snake River Wildlife Area Manager Kaelber attended the Washington State University’s pesticide recertification training in Kennewick. Credits were received to maintain pesticide licenses and many pesticide topics were covered over the two-day course.

L.T. Murray Wildlife Area Inventory: L.T. Murray Wildlife Area Assistant Manager Winegeart completed a picture inventory for items assigned to employees on the wildlife area.

Managing Wildlife Populations

Bat Hibernacula Surveys: District 8 Wildlife Biologist Wampole, Scientific Technician Ogburn, and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) Bat Specialist Tobin conducted winter bat counts and testing for Pd (Pseudogymnoascus destructan), the fungus known to cause white-nose syndrome.

Yakima Herd Elk Surveys: District 8 Biologists Wampole and Ogburn and Statewide Ungulate Specialist Moore conducted aerial counts of elk for the Yakima herd. Surveys are conducted on alternating years and provide an estimate of population size and age-sex compositions. In addition to examining trends across time and harvest rates, this information is used to help assess whether management goals are being met and to provide baseline information to guide harvest guidelines in the coming seasons. 

L.T. Murray Wildlife Area Elk: The L.T. Murray Wildlife Area crew members worked with District 8 Wildlife Biologist Wampole to conduct concurrent elk counts on feed sites and aerially. Elk numbers were at the highest for the year on the feed sites.

L.T. Murray Wildlife Area Whiskey Dick Gates: L.T. Murray Wildlife Area Manager Morrison and Assistant Manager Winegeart attempted to reach the interior gates of the Whiskey Dick winter habitat protection area but were stopped by irregular snow depths and icy roads. One of the L.T. Murray Wildlife Area team will try again in March. 

Region 3 Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) Surveillance: District 8 Wildlife Biologist Wampole, Scientific Technician Ogburn, and Conflict Specialist Wetzel continue opportunistic sampling of deer and elk for CWD. No positive detections have occurred in the district.

Providing Conflict Prevention and Education

Parke Creek Elk - Pilot Study: District 8 Biologist Wampole, Region 3 Wildlife Program Manager Huffman, and Region 3 Regional Director Livingston met with invested parties to present an update on WDFW actions to address elk-human conflict in the Parke Creek area associated with SB 5784.

Conserving Natural Landscapes

Wenas Wildlife Area – Volunteer Target Shooting Trash Collection: Lands and Recreation Specialist Frame collected 320 lbs. of target shooting trash picked up from WDFW volunteer members.

Wenas Wildlife Area – Grazing: Wenas Wildlife Area Manager Gray met with a lessee regarding his grazing permit on 104 acres of Cleman Mountain. They went over last year’s lease for monthly use and processed a final payment. The lease is meeting its objective of promoting effective relationships with landowners, reducing potential fencing impacts, and accomplishing modest fuel reduction. Gray also started working with another lessee on a new crossing permit that is being proposed to be issued this summer as a temporary crossing permit on the Legoman site near Barber Springs Rd.

Providing Education and Outreach

Oak Creek Volunteer Presentation: District 8 Biologist Wampole and Scientific Technician Ogburn presented at the Friends of Oak Creek volunteer meeting on how disease is transforming wildlife management in the district. The presentation included information on current actions to monitor for CWD in the district and an update on the ongoing Test and Remove study to address Movi in Bighorn Sheep populations.

L.T. Murray Wildlife Area Elk Day: L.T. Murray Wildlife Area Natural Resource Technician Nass hosted the Ellensburg chapter of the Back Country Horsemen on a volunteer/educational experience during elk feeding.

Finley Elementary School: District 4 Assistant Wildlife Biologist Hoffman hosted a table at the Finley Elementary Community Fair where students and their families could learn about wildlife in Washington State. 

Other

L.T. Murray Wildlife Area Shop Maintenance: L.T. Murray Wildlife Area Assistant Manager Winegeart replaced a bad motor on the shop 17 inch drill press. Winegeart also worked with WDFW Yakima Basin Integrated Plan Habitat Biologist Meyer to install ski runners and track mats on District 8 Wildlife Biologist Wampole’s snowmobile trailer. The trailer is shared between Meyer, Wampole, and the L.T. Murray Wildlife Area staff members.

Managing Wildlife Populations

L.T. Murray Wildlife Area - Elk Feeding: The L.T. Murray Wildlife Area crew members continue to feed elk at the Joe Watt and Robinson Canyon sites. Elk numbers are lower than usual for the time of year but are remaining fairly steady and appropriate considering the bare south facing slopes in the area. Natural Resource Technician Blore and Natural Resource Specialist Nass accompanied District 8 Wildlife Biologist Wampole while collecting sampling for CWD testing. 

Oak Creek Wildlife Area - Elk Feeding: Feeding operations continue at both the Cowiche and Oak Creek Wildlife Area feed sites. Numbers are averaging just over 600 animals at Oak Creek and mid 1600’s at Cowiche. These numbers are down due to late January’s milder weather. Previous peaks earlier in the month were 650 animals at Oak Creek and 2,000 animals at Cowiche.

Oak Creek Wildlife Area – Off Leash Dogs: Recently, management of dogs on the Cowiche feed site was a challenge. Four local dogs were frequenting the site almost daily creating immense stress on the elk there. Enforcement did a wonderful job in resolving the issue by tracking down the owner and encouraging him to contain his dogs. For the last week they have proven to be behaving appropriately and staying home. Thanks Enforcement!

Wenas Wildlife Area – Buffalo Road Elk Fence Repair: Lands and Recreation Specialist Frame and Habitat Biologist Miller repaired a 30-yard section of elk fence that was damaged on Buffalo Road. The elk fence was damaged due to a vehicle driving through the elk fence and then driving back through the fence again to exit the wildlife area. Vehicle information (a license plate) collected at the scene was reported to Wildlife Enforcement Officers.

Pronghorn Survey: Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) and the Yakama Nation completed survey of the south-central pronghorn population. Biologists Fidorra, Hoffman and Ott flew surveys using a Cessna to count winter groups of pronghorn in Benton, Yakima, and Klickitat counties. Approximately 329 animals were counted, which is an increase over the past herd high count of 250 animals counted four years prior. A final report including sighting information from Safari Club International, who coordinated a ground survey during the same week to supplement flight data, will be completed in the coming month. 

Bat Hibernacula Surveys: WDFW staff members and partners are conducting surveys of known hibernacula in Washington. Biologist Fidorra assisted District 9 staff members with surveys one day for Townsend’s Big-Eared Bats in Klickitat County cave systems. 

Sunnyside Wetlands: Sunnyside/Snake River Wildlife Area staff members have been busy maintaining pumps, water control structures, and ditches to keep wetlands filled for wintering waterfowl. Thousands of snow geese, Canada geese, and high numbers of pintail ducks have recently shown up at wetlands in the wildlife area, providing quite a spectacle to observe.

Providing Recreation Opportunities

Sunnyside/Snake River Wildlife Area - Youth Hunt: It was a successful end-of-the-season youth hunt for a young hunter on the Sunnyside/Snake River Wildlife Area. He harvested a diverse limit of ducks, including a fully plumed Northern Shoveler drake that he is excited to mount on his wall! He also harvested two lesser Canada geese. It was a great end to his last season as a youth hunter!

Oak Creek Wildlife Area Visitor’s Center: The Oak Creek Visitor’s Center remains open from 10:00 am – 4:00 pm daily staffed by Friends of Oak Creek volunteers. The elk viewing area and Visitor’s Center remain inundated with visitors, especially on the weekends. Over the holiday weekend there was an estimated 1,200 visitors! Thanks Friends of Oak Creek for providing information and conducting truck tours!

Providing Conflict Prevention and Education

Rattlesnake Mt Elk: District 4 Wildlife Conflict Specialist Hand continued to monitor activity on Rattlesnake Mountain. Almost all elk activity is occurring on the Hanford National Monument. Elk activity near HWY 240 has been increasing and few vehicle collisions have occurred recently.

Kahlotus Deer Damage: District 4 Wildlife Conflict Specialist Hand prepared and delivered additional damage permits to a landowner along the Snake River experiencing deer damage to his crops. Three youth hunters from the regional roster were also contacted and deployed to the landowner for hunting opportunities.

Benton City Sheep Depredation: District 4 Wildlife Conflict Specialist Hand and Detachment 33 Enforcement staff members responded to a lone sheep depredation along the Yakima River near Benton City. A week prior Enforcement handled a depredation at the same location where three sheep had been killed. The cause of the mortality was not determined. A trap and cellular camera were deployed and is currently being monitored.

Conserving Natural Landscapes

Wenas Wildlife Area – Volunteer Target Shooting Trash Collection: Lands and Recreation Specialist Frame collected over 500 lbs. of target shooting trash picked up from WDFW volunteer members.

Providing Education and Outreach

Wenas Wildlife Area - 10 Year Management Plan: Wenas Wildlife Area Manager Gray and Lands and Recreation Planner English gave a presentation to Region 3 Management outlining the timeline, purpose of the plan, and background on the Wenas Wildlife Area. A meeting involving the planning team is expected to take place in February to provide an overview of what the management plan will involve, go over planning timelines, and expectations for staff members. The plan will take approximately two to two and a half years and will outlines priorities and strategies for the wildlife area.

Conducting Business Operations and Policy

District 4 - New Technicians: District 4 Wildlife Biologist Fidorra completed hiring of two technicians for the upcoming Ferruginous Hawk survey work in District 4.

Other

Wenas Wildlife Area – Pesticide/Herbicide Recertification Courses: Wenas Wildlife Area staff members attended Pesticide/Herbicide Recertification Courses in Yakima to earn credits for maintaining Pesticide/Herbicide applicators license.

Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) Meat Disposal: District 4 Wildlife Conflict Specialist Hand received CWD-positive deer meat from a hunter who harvested the deer in Montana and, after test results, needed assistance with proper disposal. The meat was transferred and deposited at the approved Richland Landfill.

Managing Wildlife Populations

L.T. Murray Wildlife Area Elk Feeding: L.T. Murray Wildlife Area Natural Resource Technician Blore and Natural Resource Specialist Nass have been busy plowing the Joe Watt and Robinson Canyon feedlots. Despite early season road clearing at Robinson, it has been too icy to get up the road and the snow too deep to access it. Many hours have also been spent clearing snow, ice, and tarps to get to the hay.

There have been several sightings of a (likely resident) golden eagle at the Robinson site where the elk have been bedding down along the lower road. 

There was one cow mortality on Jan. 15 on the lower Robinson Rd in the path of the feed truck. A lethargic cow of poor health and body condition was sighted the previous day near that location. District Wildlife Biologist Wampole sampled the mortality for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD). 

L.T. Murray Wildlife Area – Winter Closure Signs: L.T. Murray Wildlife Area Manager Morrison and Assistant Manager Winegeart used snowmobiles to check signs on the south side to the wildlife area’s winter elk closure area. There is currently not much snow at the feed site but up the hill there were 2.5 feet.

L.T. Murray Wildlife Area – Elk Fence Repair: Natural Resource Technician Blore found and repaired two holes in the elk fence. Blore baited a couple of the one-way elk gates with good hay to lure more than 100 elk that were on the wrong side of the elk fence back to other side. It’s suspected that a few elk came through the two holes but that most walked around the end of the elk fence in Manastash Canyon.

Region 3 Pronghorn Aerial Surveys: District 4 Biologist Fidorra and Assistant Biologist Hoffman conducted aerial counts for pronghorn across portions of Benton, Yakima, and Klickitat counties. These bi-annual surveys combine aerial and ground data collected by Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), Yakama Nation, and Safari Club International volunteer members to better understand pronghorn population trends in southcentral Washington. Information is still being collected, however, counts near the Horse Heaven Hills in District 4 were on par with previous years.

Sunnyside/Snake River Wildlife Area Wetland Maintenance: Sunnyside/Snake River Wildlife Area Assistant Manager Ferguson and Natural Resource Technician Cardenas have been busy maintaining pumps, water control structures, and ditches to keep wetlands filled for wintering waterfowl.

Region 3 Bighorn Sheep Test and Remove Monitoring: District 8 Biologist Wampole and Scientific Technician Ogburn investigated four collared sheep mortalities in the Yakima Canyon test populations. Samples have been submitted to the wildlife disease and diagnostic lab and will investigate presence of Movi.

District 8 Wolf Monitoring: District 8 Biologist Wampole and Scientific Technician Ogburn continue to monitor wolf activity in the district deploying trail cameras. 

Region 3 CWD Passive Monitoring: District 8 Biologist Wampole and Scientific Technician Ogburn began passive monitoring of elk and deer for CWD in the district with focus at designated feed site areas. Elk that are found dead or removed for conflict or fatal injuries/illness are being sampled as a new step towards proactive monitoring in the region.

Providing Recreation Opportunities

Sunnyside/Snake River Wildlife Area Access Site Maintenance: To allow for positive experiences for hunters, Sunnyside/Snake River Wildlife Area Assistant Manager Ferguson and Natural Resource Technician Cardenas have been maintaining the parking at wildlife area access sites by adding gravel, picking up trash, etc. 

Providing Conflict Prevention and Education

Kittitas County Conflict - Elk: Elk have been seen on Hayward Hill and Swauk Creek after the recent snow. Elk also moved onto Springwood and Kittias Reclamtion District, Yakama Nation, and permit hunters have been engaged in moving elk out of the area.

Some elk were observed on the wrong side of the elk fence in and around Robinson Canyon. Technician Leuck and L. T. Murray Wildlife Area staff moved the elk back through return gates by herding and baiting. Wildlife area staff also repaired some fence breaks that elk had made and the area appears to be secure at this time.

Cle Elum Cougar Relocation: A cougar was relocated out of a barn in Cle Elum and released into suitable habitat on a wildlife area.

Yakima County Conflict - Deer: Several deer were struck by vehicles and euthanized. They were donated to the Union Gospel Mission.

Yakima County Conflict – Domestic Dogs Conflict: Elk in the Cowiche area have been breaking elk fences and getting into areas east of the fence. A pack of domestic dogs have been killing elk at the feed site and it is suspected that fence breaks may also be attributed to dog packs chasing elk.

Yakima County Conflict - Elk: Elk have been persistent in the Tampico area coming from the west and south. In addition to the Tampico resident elk, migratory elk have been coming north from the Yakama Reservation into Evans’ orchard further east.

Several large groups of elk broke out of the Wenas fence on eastern Cleman Mountain. Wenas Wildlife Area staff members and the landowner herded elk back to the correct side of the fence and repaired the escape holes. A few elk remain on the wrong side, but the majority were herded back onto the Wenas Wildlife Area.

Rattlesnake Mt Elk: District 4 Wildlife Conflict Specialist Hand continued to monitor elk activity on Rattlesnake Mountain and coordinated with landowners on possible damage permit opportunities. Almost all elk activity is occurring on the Hanford National Monument.

Kahlotus Deer Damage Hazing and Hunts: District 4 Wildlife Conflict Specialist Hand conducted deer hazing patrols in several winter wheat fields in the Kahlotus area near Lower Monumental Dam on the Snake River. In addition, several youth hunters from the Region 3 damage roster hunts were deployed to landowners to assist them with hazing and removing problem deer.

Silver Dollar Coyote Control: District 4 Wildlife Conflict Specialist Hand met with cattle producers in the Silver Dollar area to discuss coyote control measures being implemented to reduce possible depredations during calving operations. Several coyotes have been harvested by hunters utilizing calling techniques and night hunts utilizing thermal imaging equipment.

Illegal Meat Transport: District 4 Wildlife Conflict Specialist Hand assisted Enforcement’s Detachment 19 with disposing of elk parts illegally transported into District 4 under CWD rules. The parts were buried at the approved Richland Landfill.

Conserving Natural Landscapes

Neff Jones Road Shrub Planting and Maintenance: Natural Resource Technician Pizzini and Region 3 Private Lands Biologist Manderbach planted sagebrush, rabbitbrush, and bitterbrush at the Neff Jones Hunt by Reservation property. Previous plantings were monitored while out on the landscape, with some of the sagebrush doing well and going to seed this year. Plans are in place to continue planting and increasing monitoring and maintenance. Pizzini went out later to clean up around existing shrubs, weed eating a swath around each one. 

Region 3 Ringold Hatchery Habitat Project: Ringold staff members, along with Sunnyside-Snake River Wildlife Area staff members, and Private Lands Biologist Manderbach began work on a habitat project at the Ringold Springs hatchery. A new fabric mulch layer implement was used to lay fabric strips in preparation of shrubs being planted soon. The project will provide habitat for deer, upland birds, and other wildlife while also providing a windbreak and helping prevent wind erosion of the soil. 

Wenas Wildlife Area Acquisition Meetings: Wenas Wildlife Area Manager Gray, Property Acquisition Supervisor Woodruff, Water Rights Specialist Malon, and Region 3 Lands Agent Carbary met with three separate landowners regarding the status of acquisitions that WDFW is currently working on. Each project is at different stages. The Cleman Mountain (Hoover) acquisition has been acquired by WDFW. Final agreements regarding the split of water rights are currently being worked on. The Black Canyon Acquisition and Exchange is set to be finalized by late spring/early summer 2025. The last project is the Miracle Mile Conservation Easement and Life Estate. Gray and Wenas Wildlife Area Habitat Specialist Miller applied for a Washington Recreation and Conservation Office grant to fund this project and will hear back before the end of June as to whether the grant will be awarded or not. All of these on-going projects were created to protect critical habitat throughout the Wenas Valley.

Providing Education and Outreach

L.T. Murray Wildlife Area Outreach: The Kittitas County Field and Stream Club held Hunter Education Course field firearms training at the Green Gate site on the Quilomene Unit for a second year. The site’s location and ease of access has helped with getting new hunters trained and ready for the field.

Other

L.T. Murray Wildlife Area Safety: The L.T. Murray Wildlife Area purchased an OSHA approved safety basket for assisting with removing tarps from outside haystacks at the Joe Watt barn. 

Managing Wildlife Populations

L.T. Murray Elk Feeding: The L.T. Murray crew is keeping an eye on the elk coming into the Watt and Robinson feed sites. There are less than 50 head spread out hanging around the Watt feed site and they are laying down mid-morning, actively grazing, and not coming in at the sound of vehicle activity around the barn, so feeding won’t start until around the 1st of January.

Wenas Wildlife Area – Winter Elk Feeding: Wenas Wildlife Area Assistant Manager Taylor and Natural Resource Technician Janes began winter elk feeding December 16. Currently, the head count in the Wenas has been 565 elk as of the New Year.

Frankling County Deer Surveys: District 4 Wildlife Biologist Fidorra, Assistant Wildlife Biologist Hoffman, Sunnyside Snake River Wildlife Area Manager Kaelber, and Region 3 Private Lands Biologist Manderbach completed deer road surveys for Franklin County in early December. 

Providing Recreation Opportunities

South Ridge Road Hunt by Written Permission: Region 3 Private Lands Biologist Manderbach is working on an agreement with a landowner in south Yakima County to expand their acreage in Hunt by Written Permission. The property is listed as South Ridge Road and currently allows for 1,440 acres of access, with existing shrub plots and future habitat plantings planned. The landowner acquired another 523 acres of mostly Conservation Reserve Program nearby and agreed to add it to their contract, with habitat work in the draws likely to be implemented as well.

Sunnyside Wildlife Area Pheasant Release: Sunnyside/Snake River Wildlife Area Assistant Manager Ferguson and Natural Resource Technician Cardenas have carried out four pheasant releases at the Sunnyside Unit, including using volunteer members to assist with moving pheasants and educating them about our pheasant supplementation program.

Providing Conflict Prevention and Education

Wenas Wildlife Area – Elk Fence Repair: Wenas Wildlife Area Lands and Recreation Specialist Frame repaired a hole in the elk fence where elk had been going under the fence. The elk had potential to wander into private property. The hole was repaired, and an established one-way reentry gate is nearby.

Rattlesnake Hills Elk: District 4 Wildlife Conflict Specialist Hand continued to monitor elk activity on private lands and the Hanford Reach National Monument (HRNM). No elk or reports of elk were observed outside the HRNM.

Franklin County Deer: District 4 Wildlife Conflict Specialist Hand responded to a call from a tree fruit/vineyard operation near the Columbia River experiencing increasing numbers of deer and associated damage to young trees in the orchard. Non-lethal hazing has been utilized and damage permits, and youth hunts are being planned.

Conserving Natural Landscapes

Wenas Wildlife Area - Seasonal Closure of Bull Pasture Road – Gates Installed: Bull Pasture Road is now under a seasonal closure from December 15 to May 1 to help protect wintering wildlife and to prevent road damage when road conditions are not ideal. The gates have now been installed.

South Ridge Road Shrub Planting: Region 3 Private Lands Biologist Manderbach took advantage of a sunny winter day to plant some shrubs on a Hunt by Written Permission property. The existing planting was completed in partnership with the Mule Deer Foundation and has been added to by Region 3 private lands staff members over the last three years. All gaps have now been filled and more tarps will be added this spring adjacent to the existing one.

Sunnyside/Snake River Wildlife Area Byron Trash Removal: Sunnyside/Snake River Wildlife Area Assistant Manager Ferguson and Natural Resource Technician Cardenas have been busy with trash removal after the remains of an entire burned up house were dumped in the Hwy 24 parking lot at the Byron Unit. Ferguson and Cardenas removed nine tons of debris associated with the incident. Fortunately, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) Officer Miller tracked down the dumpers and will be fining them for the costs of removal.

Conducting Business Operations and Policy

Wenas Wildlife Area Advisory Committee: Wenas Wildlife Area Manager Gray has been working on updating the Wenas’ Wildlife Area Advisory Committee (WAAC) through late fall and early winter. The WAAC is finalized now and will play a significant role in the Wenas’ 10 Year Management Plan, the process for this is just starting. The 10 Year Management Plan will outline the goals and objectives for the wildlife area. The objectives will support WDFW’s mission to preserve, protect, and perpetuate fish, wildlife and ecosystems while providing sustainable fish and wildlife recreational and commercial opportunities. There will be a subsection additionally focused on recreational management for the wildlife area. The process is expected to take approximately two years. Throughout the entire process there will be several opportunities for public comment. The WAAC itself will play a crucial role in representing stakeholders that use the wildlife area and border the Wenas as well. A kickoff meeting with the WAAC and a second public meeting for all stakeholders are expected to take place this spring. Gray is working on lining these meetings out with Lands and Recreation Planner English.

Other

L.T. Murray Wildlife Area Meetings: L.T. Murray Wildlife Area Manager Morrison held a Wildlife Area Advisory Committee (WAAC) meeting. Assistant Manager Winegeart and Natural Resource Specialist Nass attended along with ten WAAC members. 

L.T. Murray Wildlife Area Equipment: L.T. Murray Wildlife Area Natural Resource Technician Blore ordered chains for the wildlife area skid steer. The chains work great for snow blowing and sanding the steep grade leading to the Robinson Canyon elk feeding site. 

Windmill Headquarters Shipping Container Storage: Region 3 Private Lands Biologist Manderbach, Sunnyside-Snake River Wildlife Area Manager Kaelber, Assistant Manager Jahns, and Natural Resource Technician Pizzini worked to make room for and receive four used shipping containers for storage at Windmill Ranch. These containers will provide waterproof, windproof, and animal proof storage of equipment, seed, herbicide, etc. for Sunnyside-Snake River Wildlife Area staff members, Region 3 Private Lands staff members, and District 4 Wildlife staff members. 

Managing Wildlife Populations

District 8 Mule Deer Surveys: District 8 Wildlife Biologist Wampole and Statewide Mule Deer Specialist Bundick conducted aerial mule deer surveys of the Kittitas sub herd of the Eastern Slope of the Cascade Mule Deer Management Zone. This was the first survey conducted since 2017 and will provide an updated understanding of mule deer recovery in the district.

District 4 Mule Deer Surveys District 4 Biologists Fidorra and Hoffman conducted aerial mule deer surveys of the Benge area, which spans sections of Franklin, Adams, and Whitman counties. This semi-annual survey informs the management of one segment of the Columbia Plateau mule deer herd.

Wolf Monitoring: District 8 Biologist Wampole and Scientific Technician Ogburn continue to deploy trail cameras throughout the district to monitor for wolf activity. WDFW staff members and local collaborating landowners have detected two wolves in the district. 

L.T. Murray Wildlife Area Winter Elk Feeding: The L.T Murray Wildlife Area crew posted signs and locked gates for the annual winter elk feeding program. No elk were seen in the closure area but hunting pressure was evident. Elk are expected to move into the feeding area over the next week. With feeding beginning when they are no longer able to acquire adequate nutrients due to snow cover, and instead of chewing cud mid-morning, they begin eyeballing the old elk fence that separates the elk from the food they want that would create conflicts on private ag lands.

L.T. Murray Wildlife Area Robinson Canyon Winter Prep: L.T. Murray Wildlife Area Assistant Manager Winegeart and Natural Resource Specialist Nass moved equipment to Robinson Canyon in preparation for snow removal and sanding of the grade that leads to the main feeding site.

Providing Recreation Opportunities

Alkali Elk Hunt Opportunity: District 8 Biologist Wampole, Conflict Specialist Wetzel, and a Yakima Training Center biologist met to collaboratively draft changes to the Alkali elk unit to provide additional recreational activity and improve WDFWs elk management to meet elk objectives for the area. Drafted changes will be presented later this year with a final decision made early next year. 

L.T. Murray Wildlife Area Roads: L.T. Murray Wildlife Area Assistant Manager Winegeart took a couple of Capital and Asset Management Program engineers to look at sections of roads in the Whiskey Dick unit slated for improvement this coming spring. In spite of losing some of the expected funding, the engineers believe they may be able to improve enough road to allow for safe access to the heart of the unit. This is paramount to continued restoration efforts in the 2022 Vantage Hwy Fire footprint. 

Providing Conflict Prevention and Education

Rattlesnake Hills Elk: District 4 Wildlife Conflict Specialist Hand continued to monitor elk activity on private lands and the Hanford Reach National Monument. Most of the herd are residing in historic wintering areas on Arid Lands Ecology, although small groups were observed on private and state property along the south and east border of the Monument.

Paterson Area Deer Damage: District 4 Wildlife Conflict Specialist Hand patrolled and hazed animals in orchards and vineyard fields along the Columbia River near Paterson for deer damage concerns. 

Pasco Injured Deer: District 4 Wildlife Conflict Specialist Hand responded to a call concerning a deceased deer near the Snake River. It was determined the buck deer likely died from injuries sustained from fighting. The carcass was transported and deposited at a Department of Transportation carcass pit.

Kittitas County Conflict: Elk have been seen on Hayward Hill and Swauk Creek after the recent snow. These elk were hazed toward Lookout Mountain.

Elk have been seen in the Ryegrass area and several have been struck on I-90. Some elk have moved south to Yakima Training Center, and some are staying in the vicinity of MP130.

A domestic sheep was killed by a cougar in the Cook Creek area. The cougar was removed.

Yakima County Conflict: Elk in the Cowiche area have been breaking elk fence and getting into areas east of the fence. An open multi-hunt season and landowner permits are active in the area, but some locations are not available for hunting. About 150 elk are east of the elk fence, but with feeding at Cowiche some may return to the other side of the fence.

Elk have been persistent in the Tampico area coming from the west and south. These elk appear to be the same elk as during the summer months, and number about 125. 

Wenas Wildlife Area - Bull Pasture Rd Seasonal Closure: Bull Pasture Rd is now under a seasonal closure from December 15 to May 1 to help protect wintering wildlife and to prevent road damage when road conditions are not ideal. Wenas Wildlife Area Manager Gray and Natural Resource Specialist – Lands and Recreation Specialist Frame have completed cultural reviews of the gate sites and are being installed this week. Signage and maps were created to clearly display the closure area to the public. The seasonal closure will occur on a reoccurring annual basis.

Conserving Natural Landscapes

Benton County Sagebrush Seed Collection: Sunnyside/Snake River Wildlife Area Manager Kaelber, Assistant Manager Jahns, Private Lands Biologist Manderbach, Natural Resource Technician Pizzini, and Habitat Biologist Maikis assisted Benton County Conservation District staff members in harvesting big sagebrush seed from Horn Rapids Park. Much of the collected seed will be used to make seed balls for shrub steppe restoration efforts on public and private lands across the Columbia Basin. 

Sagebrush Island Establishment Study: Sunnyside/Snake River Wildlife Area staff members, along with other WDFW Region 3 staff members, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) staff members, and local volunteer members assisted District 4 Habitat Biologist Maikis with a sagebrush island establishment project. Sagebrush branches containing ripe seed were harvested from a mature sagebrush stand in the Amon Creek area of Richland. The sagebrush plants used for the study are due to be removed in the near future as a result of a road development project. The harvested material was then transported to a USFWS unit in Paterson and the WDFW Rattlesnake Slope Unit in Benton City where it was staked to the ground with chicken wire to act as a host plant for establishment of new sagebrush seedlings. In addition to the sagebrush cache method, volunteer members and staff members also broadcasted sagebrush seed and spread seed balls in designated areas. Monitoring of the sites will take place over the next few years to identify which restoration methods are most successful in reestablishing sagebrush across disturbed shrubsteppe landscapes. This project was an awesome collaborative effort and WDFW staff members are excited about gaining insight into shrubsteppe restoration methods to use across eastern Washington! 

Wenas Wildlife Area – Durr Rd Target Shooting Range Clean-Up: Wenas Wildlife Area Natural Resource Specialist – Lands and Recreation Specialist Frame and Habitat Bio Miller collected 1,050 pounds of target shooting trash from the shotgun range, 25-yard range, and 100-yard range. Trash consisted of wood, metal, paper, and shooting debris.

Other

Oak Creek Visitor Center Wildlife Management Information: District 8 Scientific Technician Ogburn continued to work with Oak Creek Wildlife Area staff members and CAPE to develop additional public information on District 8 wildlife management.