Managing Wildlife Populations

Dusky Goose Survey: Biologist Stephens conducted goose surveys in Wahkiakum and Cowlitz counties. No dusky geese were observed during the survey efforts. However, several groups of cackling geese were counted, and a group of resident dark geese were seen near the Columbia River. These dark geese look nearly identical to dusky geese; however, this group was able to be distinguished because many had been collared by biologists during a previous summer on nearby islands in the river.

Providing Recreation Opportunities

Repair at Icehouse Complete: For the past few months the old Icehouse building at the Mineral Springs Access Area has had a large hole on the side of the building. Recently this hole was repaired with the help and coordination of the Wildlife team in Klickitat, which is very much appreciated! 

Storm Damage: The recent storms that swept through the area have kept the access area staff members busy. As expected, trees and debris littered sites around the region especially at the Kress Lake trail. On two separate occasions (within a couple days) access area staff members cleared the trail of down trees blocking the path.

Managing Wildlife Populations

Western Gray Squirrel Surveys in Lewis County: Biologists Stephens and Holman conducted a third round of efforts in response to the presence of a dead western gray squirrel on U.S. Forest Service managed lands in eastern Lewis County two years ago. The effort finally paid dividends, producing multiple videos and still photographs of western gray squirrels alive and well near the location of the dead individual. Thanks to Species Lead Kohler, Region 6 Wildlife Diversity Biologist Sage, and Growth Management Biologist Salter for their assistance on the project. 

Hunter Harvested Wildlife Checks: Regional wildlife biologists, wildlife conflict specialists, and customer service specialists continue to check hunter harvested wildlife. Many species of wildlife including cougars, bobcats, bears, big-horned sheep, and mountain goats have various checking requirements to facilitate biological sample collection and assure the legality of harvests. Hunters are reminded to check the Big Game Seasons Pamphlet to be clear on checking requirements for various species. Recently, Biologist Holman checked a mountain goat, a cougar, and evaluated several sets of elk hooves in association with the hoof disease incentive program. Congratulations to the successful hunters. 

Northwestern Pond Turtle Habitat Use Study Presentation: Biologists Ott and Bergh, along with Ph.D. student Chen from the University of Washington, participated in Webinar Wednesdays, a series hosted by Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) Research and Library Services. During their presentation, they provided an overview of an ongoing collaborative study involving WSDOT, the University of Washington, and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW). The study focuses on assessing the movements and habitat preferences of the state-endangered northwestern pond turtle. This research was funded in part by WSDOT Quick Response funds and the WDFW Biodiversity Grant Program. The final analyses and findings of this study are expected to be completed in Spring 2025.

Klickitat Mule Deer Mortality: Biologist Wickhem responded to a mortality notification from one of the district’s mule deer radio-collars this week. The collars send an email via satellite when an animal has not moved for at least nine hours. When Wickhem arrived at the location, the deer, a doe, was completely intact, with blood and rumen seeping out of its nose and blood coming out of its ears. The doe was only approximately 100 feet from a paved road and appeared to have been hit by a car. This deer is part of a four-year study being conducted throughout GMUs 388 and 382 to track the annual movements of female mule deer and locate important migration corridors. Staff members are also attempting to determine cause of death when an animal dies, which has proven to be difficult. In winter 2021, 81 collars were deployed throughout GMUs for this effort. Twenty-two collars were deployed in the winter of 2022 and 23 collars in winter 2023 - most of which were redeployments replacing study deer that died over the first two years of the study. We are nearing the end of the study so these collars will not be redeployed for this project. 

Providing Recreation Opportunities

Deer Season on the Klickitat Wildlife Area: The 2024 deer season on the Klickitat Wildlife Area marked a successful period for hunters, with a notable increase in recreation and visitation due to a management shift on the Simcoe Unit. For the first time, this unit was open for general season hunting, a change from previous years' special draw requirements. This adjustment provided additional opportunities for harvesting mule deer on both the Simcoe and Soda Springs units, attracting a significant number of hunters to the area.

Although the season ran smoothly overall, a few incidents highlighted the importance of fire awareness and readiness, as well as abiding by current fire bans and restrictions. These included an engine fire that was promptly managed without spread and a campfire incident on the western side of the property. Gusting 15 mph winds led the campfire to spread across approximately two to five acres before it was successfully contained.

Modern Firearm Deer Season Opener: Biologists Wickhem and Ott teamed up with WDFW Enforcement Officers Nelson and Way to patrol the district for the opening day of modern firearm deer season. Ott and Way worked both black-tail and mule deer territory. Wickhem and Nelson focused solely on mule deer and worked on or near the Simcoe Mountains Unit of the Klickitat Wildlife Area most of the day. The teams talked with and checked numerous hunters but unfortunately did not check any harvested deer. Wickhem and Nelson did check two harvested black bears and saw another bear while working on Simcoe. 

Down Trees: With the coming stormy weather, windthrown and rotten trees are going to become more common. In some cases, the trees do not impede access to specific sites. Recently, however, a large snag fell across the road at the north Liedl Access Area, making it necessary to buck up the log enough to make room for passing traffic. Fortunately, there was a way around the log, but it was at a sharp angle that would make it difficult for vehicles with trailers and large R.V.'s.

Aging Facilities: Access area staff members have been working to find a long-term solution to the damaged Oneida boat ramp for some time. Most, if not all the damage has been caused by boater's power loading on the ramp, causing a large hole to form and grow over time and use. This late summer access staff members poured gravel into the hole and packed it as best as possible. A recent visit at low tide revealed that this “patch” did not last long.  

Fall clean up: With fall weather now in full swing, access area staff members work diligently to keep access areas clean from debris and leaf litter. The cooler weather also is a good opportunity to get a handle on much needed pruning and weed eating before winter arrives and ends the growing season until spring. 

Providing Conflict Prevention and Education

Entangled deer: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Aubrey and Officer Lehr responded to a report of a fawn that had some fencing material wrapped around its neck. Aubrey was able to immobilize the deer and he and Officer Lehr removed the material from the deer. The deer was observed up and moving around quickly after the reversal drugs were administered. 

Providing Education and Outreach

High School Class Presentation: Biologist Bergh spoke to a Wildlife Biology class at Mountainview High School in Vancouver. She presented general information on wildlife management, WDFW, and her job, and gave examples of the work WDFW does on different wildlife species. 

Vancouver Wildlife League presentation: Biologist Bergh spoke at a monthly meeting of the Vancouver Wildlife League. She provided information on game species populations and their hunting seasons. She gave background on the purpose and importance of hunter reporting and the collection of biological samples as well as encouraged the group to participate in these two activities. The group had a lot of great questions and was particularly interested in mountain goats, which is always a fun topic to talk about.

Conducting Business Operations and Policy

Wilderness First Aid Training: Assistant Regional Wildlife Program Manager Hauswald along with Biologists Holman and Stephens attended two days of Wilderness First Aid Training. The course featured units on providing medical care in remote locations, equipment to be safer outdoors, and legal/administrative topics related to emergency response in these settings. Much of the course focused on how to best provide basic care to individuals in situations where higher-level care is likely hours or days away.  

Other

New Staff: We are very excited to welcome two new staff members to the WDFW Region 5 team.

Sierah Cain joins WDFW’s Wildlife Program as the new Shillapoo Wildlife Area Assistant Manager. She brings a wealth of experience in wildlife ecology and conservation to our team. A local of Washougal, WA, she has worked with various agencies and organizations throughout the western U.S. Her fieldwork has spanned diverse ecosystems, from the mountains to the coast, studying everything from small mammals to marine life. Sierah even spent a semester in Tanzania, gaining international experience in wildlife survey and management techniques. 

Mason Rozgowski joins WDFW as the new Mount St. Helens Wildlife Area Assistant Manager. With over four years of experience at the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, he brings a wealth of knowledge in wildlife area management. His recent role as a Wildlife Area Technician on the White River and Lower Deschutes Wildlife Areas, honed his skills in habitat management, including weed control, shrub plantings, and vegetation and wildlife monitoring.

Managing Wildlife Populations

Cave Scouting: Biologists Wickhem, Ott, Bergh, Holman, and Stephens, with the help of Volunteers Petrie and Roe, spent several days in September finding and marking cave entrances in Skamania and Klickitat counties. Many of these caves have not been surveyed in 20 to 30 years and the GPS locations are not entirely accurate. Also, it can be very difficult to locate cave entrances when the access points are found in large rocky sinks and/or the entrances are small. During scouting efforts, the GPS points were verified or corrected, photos were taken of the entrances, and entrances were flagged when necessary. The caves will be revisited this winter, when the entrances can be even harder to locate under several feet of snow.

The goal of the winter surveys is to document the number and species of hibernating bats in each cave. Townsend’s big-eared bats (Corynorhinus townsendii), one target of the surveys, are a Washington Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SCGN) and are a “subterranean-obligate species” meaning they rely on caves or mines to roost and hibernate. The surveys will also search for hibernating Myotis species and swab them for Pd (Pseudogymnoascus destructans), the fungus that causes white-nose syndrome in bats.

Pika Scat Collection: Biologists Wickhem and Ott spent several hours scouring the mossy talus at a known pika site in Skamania County this month. The goal was to find and collect pika scat that will be sent to two different researchers; one in Michigan who will analyze the poo for genetic markers, and another in Colorado who will test the pellets for cortisol to assess stress levels of pikas living in these unique habitats. Other researchers and volunteer members are collecting scat throughout the Columbia River Gorge this fall. Pikas in the Gorge are the only known American pika (Ochotona princeps) population to live near sea level – most pikas in North America inhabit high alpine habitats where they can escape the summer heat. Gorge pikas can stay cool in the summer and fed in the winter thanks to the thick carpets of moss that often cover the talus slopes in these areas. Since the moss is available year-round, they also do not need to collect “haypiles” (piles of harvested vegetation to feed on during the winter months), which can save them a tremendous amount of energy.

Providing Recreation Opportunities

Graffiti Abatement: Access area staff members took advantage of the warmer weather to paint over graffiti on the exterior walls of several restrooms. When painting large areas like this, unfortunately for access staff members, it requires a continual presence on site to ensure that the paint is dry before leaving. With any luck, the walls will stay graffiti free for a while. 

Managing Wildlife Populations

Grouse wing barrel and elk hoof bin deployment: Biologists Holman, Stephens, Ott, and Bergh, along with Cowlitz Wildlife Area Manager Vanderlip and Assistant Manager Steveson, deployed grouse wing barrels and elk hoof collection bins across the region in advance of archery elk and grouse opening days. With the collected grouse wings and tails, the species, age, and sex of each harvested grouse can be identified. These data will allow us to assess population trends for each grouse species and manage harvest accordingly. Please see our forest grouse wing collection webpage for details on collection and the locations of the barrels.

The collection of elk hooves is for the hoof disease incentive program designed to encourage the harvest of elk with hoof disease. All western Washington general season and most special permit hunters have a chance to enter an exclusive draw opportunity by submitting hooves that display signs of elk hoof disease. Please see our elk hoof disease webpage for details on the incentive program and the locations of the collection bins.

Northwestern Pond Turtle Unknown Shell Disease (USD) Treatment Trapping: With the help of volunteer members and several U.S. Fish and Wildlife (USFS) Columbia Gorge Scenic Area staff members, Biologists Bergh, Wickhem, and Ott trapped 24 northwestern pond turtles (NWPT). This was the first step in a biannual effort to treat USD, which is a major concern for Washington’s populations of northwestern pond turtles. While the disease is known to be fungal associated (Emydomyces testavorans), the cause of this disease is still unknown. In response, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) monitoring efforts have been ongoing since 2012, which has included the treatment of mild to severe cases of USD in NWPT. Turtles captured for treatment receive CT scans to determine presence and severity of shell disease before being admitted to the Oregon Zoo and PAWS Wildlife Health Center. The turtles then head to Cedar Creek Corrections Center in Washington, part of the Sustainability in Prisons Project, to be cared for until healing is complete and the turtles are ready for release back into the wild.

During this trapping effort, WDFW biologists also assisted Dr. Hernandez-Gomez, Assistant Professor of Wildlife Disease Ecology from New Mexico State University, in sampling both NWPT and painted turtles for use in an immunogenetics study. This study evaluates the role of pathogen prevalence, environmental quality, and host genetics on the prevalence of USD in NWPT throughout Washington. The study is partially funded by WDFW’s new Wildlife Diversity Grant Program and will inform future management and recovery of the species.

Providing Recreation Opportunities

Kiosk Maintenance: Access staff members have seen an uptick of vandalism and abuse of sign kiosks at the Langsdorf Access Area in Vancouver. Most of the signage had been taken down. To help ensure that the signs stay where they belong, staff members placed several self-tapping screws along the border of each sign. In addition to the screws, bolts were strategically placed on each sign making it very difficult to remove without two people on either side to loosen the bolts. It may seem like overkill, but unfortunately it is necessary. 

Abandoned Boat: With the increased traffic at the Langsdorf Access Area, there has been an uptick in litter and abandoned equipment. Access staff members found an abandoned boat beached on the bank opposite of the boat ramp. Wildlife Area and Access Area staff members are working together to coordinate with the tides to get the vessel out of the area and to the local dump. 

Providing Conflict Prevention and Education

Bear Concerns 1: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen fielded multiple reports over the course of a couple weeks of a small black bear wandering around the streets of White Salmon. Fortunately, the bear was not getting into any human attractants or causing problems other than eating from the occasional fruit tree. Jacobsen will continue to work with the Bingen-White Salmon Police Department to monitor the bear’s activity in the area.

Bear Concerns 2: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen fielded a report from a landowner regarding a bear that had repeatedly attempted to enter his residence. The landowner would wash his front door daily and come home to find fresh muddy bear prints on the door near the door handle. Jacobsen and Officer Hughes had previously attempted to trap the bear last month after the bear entered the residence, raided the pantry, and killed the landowner’s cat. The bear did not show up while the trap had been set. Officer Hughes set the trap again at the residence.

Bear Concerns 3: A landowner contacted Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen to report a large black bear consuming fruit from his fruit trees and damaging the branches. Jacobsen explained that this was natural behavior for a bear but suggested that the landowner could erect electric fencing around his small orchard if he was insistent on keeping the bear out of the area. The landowner plans to construct an electric fence for next season.

Bear Concerns 4: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen handled a complaint regarding a black bear that repeatedly approached a landowner while she was working in her vineyard. On one occasion, the bear pursued the landowner’s dogs that were harassing the bear. Jacobsen provided advice as well as options for handling the conflict. The landowner decided to attempt to hunt the bear using their valid bear tag during the current, open bear season.

Wolf Sightings: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen received multiple reports of a collared wolf wandering through pastures in central Klickitat County. Jacobsen was aware of the wolf and the reports of the wolf’s activity align with the data received from the wolf’s satellite GPS collar. The lone male wolf dispersed from the Lake Chelan area in the spring of 2024 and made its way down the Cascades, arriving in Klickitat County around early April. Jacobsen has been working closely with livestock producers in the area to prevent wolf-livestock conflicts.

Cougar Depredation on Goat: A property manager contacted Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen after one of their goats went missing from the property. The goats are locked in a barn each night, but this goat disappeared in the middle of the day from a small, chain-link paddock while facility employees were nearby. Jacobsen responded to the scene but was unable to locate the goat. Jacobsen found muddy paw prints on the top of the fence and later, goat hair stuck to a log near a culvert. Based on this information, Jacobsen contacted a houndsman to help search the area for a cougar. An adult male cougar was located approximately 150 yards away. Jacobsen euthanized the cougar and necropsy of the cougar’s stomach revealed that the cougar had eaten a goat.

Cougar Depredation on Unsecured Alpaca: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen and Biologist Ott responded to a residence where a cougar had reportedly killed an alpaca. Although the landowner reported the incident two days after it happened, Jacobsen and Biologist Ott were still able to confirm that a cougar was responsible for the depredation. According to the landowner, the cougar was observed chasing another alpaca the night after the first alpaca was killed. As is the case in most livestock depredations, the landowner’s alpacas had been left out at night to graze unsecured in the partially wooded pasture. The landowner agreed to begin locking their remaining alpacas up at night to help prevent future depredations.

Mistaken Identity: A landowner contacted Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen regarding what he believed to be a bobcat or a juvenile cougar that he captured on his doorbell camera. Upon reviewing the footage, Jacobsen was able to reassure the landowner that the feline in question was a domestic housecat. It is common for landowners with doorbell cameras to report domestic cats as cougars given the wide-angle nature of most of these camera lenses and the subsequent distortion of the animal’s size. However, closer inspection of body morphology and size relative to other objects in the camera’s frame can help clear up these cases of mistaken identity.

Coyote Depredation on Domestic Dog: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen was contacted by an urban Clark County resident regarding a depredation on one of his domestic dogs. Based on the location and description of the attack, Jacobsen believed that coyotes were responsible for the depredation. Jacobsen provided advice to the reporting party.

Rattlesnake Capture: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen was again contacted by the same landowner along the Klickitat River who reported a rattlesnake in her garage a couple of weeks prior. This time, the landowner had another juvenile rattlesnake along her garage. Jacobsen stopped by the residence on his way out of town and moved the young snake to the other side of the landowner’s large property. The landowner was thankful for the assistance.

Injured Deer 1: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen responded to a report of an injured deer in an urban neighborhood. Jacobsen located the deer and determined that the deer had a severely broken back leg as well as a likely infection with severe diarrhea. The deer was in poor overall body condition and needed to be euthanized. The deer had taken shelter under a large porch where the conditions were not conducive for Jacobsen to safely euthanize the animal. Jacobsen chemically immobilized the young deer using a dart gun and removed the deer from under the porch where he could then safely euthanize it.

Injured Deer 2: On the same day that Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen responded to the injured deer under the porch, Jacobsen received another report of an injured deer in the ditch at a busy Clark County intersection. Jacobsen contacted the Clark County Sheriff’s Department with traffic control assistance. Jacobsen was able to safely euthanize the deer on the side of the road. According to the Sheriff’s Department, that was the third deer that day that had been hit by a car and needed to be euthanized at that same intersection. The Sheriff’s Department had handled the previous two injured deer calls there earlier that day.

Injured Deer 3: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen was contacted by a landowner regarding what she believed to be an injured deer laying up against her house. After assessing the footage of the deer and its overall body condition, Jacobsen believed that the deer was healthy and just resting. Jacobsen couldn’t resist including a picture of this beautiful, mature, healthy black-tailed buck in his report.

Elk in Orchard: A landowner contacted Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen to complain about a group of elk in her non-commercial apple and pear orchard that were damaging her trees. Jacobsen loaned the landowner some Fox Lights as well as an inflatable waving tube deterrent to help keep the elk at bay for the next few weeks.

Elk in Hay: A landowner contacted Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen to discuss elk damage to his hay pasture. Jacobsen will meet with the landowner soon to renew his Damage Prevention Cooperative Agreement.

Deer Damage to Vineyard: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen met with a vineyard manager to discuss deer damage to the grape vines in the vineyard. While there, Jacobsen observed a female deer and her fawn browsing on the vines. The manager had made a concerted effort to enclose the vineyard in temporary, plastic deer fencing but the deer still regularly manage to find a way into the vineyard. Jacobsen will work with the landowner on cooperative cost-share fencing project options for the vineyard.

Providing Education and Outreach

Wahkiakum Outdoors Blacktailed Deer Presentation: Biologist Holman gave a presentation titled “WDFW Black-tailed Deer Management in Southwest Washington” to approximately 25 members of the public in Cathlamet. The presentation featured a discussion of WDFW management strategies for black-tailed deer, population status, basics of black-tailed deer biology and ecology, such as breeding, birth, feeding and death; common deer diseases, as well as WDFW research past and present. Wahkiakum Outdoors regularly brings speakers on various outdoor and natural resource topics to the community.

Providing Recreation Opportunities

Down Trees on Access Areas: Access staff members recently encountered several down trees in Klickitat County. All of the trees that were affected had been standing snags. Fortunately, access staff members only had to clear debris from one site. Along the road to the Stinson Flat Access Site, a dead pine tree fell across the road causing a hazard to vehicles. The tree had to be bucked up with a chainsaw to be removed. Access staff members took great care to only cut what was needed and hosed down the work area to make sure that no loose sparks kindled the dry fuels.

Access Improvements: Cowlitz Wildlife Area staff members constructed a new parking area on the west side of the Davis Lake Unit off Temple Road, improving access to almost one hundred acres of Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife managed lands. The new parking area provides parking for up to six vehicles. Previously, the public had to park on the shoulder of the county road which created safety issues such as emergency vehicle access.

Illegal Dumping: Access staff members found several illegal dumps around the Vancouver Lake and Shillapoo Wildlife Areas. The dumping seemed to be occurring on a daily basis, causing access staff members to make several trips to the local dump. For the week of 8/26 - 8/30, access staff members removed approximately 1,000 pounds of garbage from this area alone. 

Managing Wildlife Populations

U.S. Fish and Wildlife (USFWS) Partners Program Site Visit: Biologist Bergh joined USFWS staff members and staff members from the Friends of the Columbia Gorge Land Trust to evaluate potential habitat improvement projects on land recently acquired by the Land Trust. The focal species for the work is the northwestern pond turtle, which has been proposed for listing as Federally Threatened. The USFWS Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program provides funding and technical assistance to private landowners to improve wildlife habitat on their lands. The Land Trust has received a USFWS Partners grant in the past and was very successful in improving turtle habitat at another one of their properties. It was exciting to see all that could be done on their new property.

South Cascades Mountain Goat Surveys: Region 5 Wildlife Biologists Holman, Stephens, and Bergh teamed with Region 3 Biologist Wampole, Ungulate Section Biologists Moore and Garrison, along with Wildlife Program Director Borrego from the Nisqually Tribe, to conduct aerial mountain goat surveys in the south Cascades. The Goat Rocks Wilderness, Mt. St. Helens vicinity, Tatoosh, Dark Divide, Smith Creek, Bumping, and Naches Pass mountain goat populations were surveyed during the five day effort. Survey results will be compiled, presented in the Game Status and Trend Report and used to inform management of the species. 

Thanks to Region 5 Customer Service Staff members Splitgerber, Rainwaters, and Kean for their assistance with flight following during the surveys. Thanks to Ungulate Section Manager Garrison and Contracting Specialist Luque for their assistance with the contracting aspect of this work. Finally, thanks to Pilot Pete Emerson of JL Aviation for his assertive but safe flying, spotting plenty of the goats, seamless logistics, and appreciation of the wildlife and comradery during the project. 

Providing Conflict Prevention and Education

Trapped Elk Calf: On Monday, August 12, Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen responded to a report of an elk calf that was trapped in a pasture in northeast Clark County. The young elk had entered the fenced-in pasture with a larger herd two days prior but was unable to find its way back over the fence when the herd left the pasture. The elk calf had spent much of the day Sunday running around the 20-acre pasture, ramming into the fence multiple times in a desperate attempt to rejoin the herd. When Jacobsen responded on Monday morning, the calf had isolated itself in the back corner of the pasture and its condition appeared to be deteriorating. Jacobsen made the decision to assist the calf by removing it from the pasture and transporting it across the road to a wooded area where elk regularly retreat during the day. Jacobsen successfully chemically immobilized the calf with a dart gun. With the help of two neighboring landowners and their UTV, the roughly 80-lb. calf was transported across the road. The calf was successfully released into a field, where it wandered into a wooded area for cover. Hopefully it will locate and rejoin the rest of the herd in this area.

Injured Deer : Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen responded to a report of a sick deer that was lying up against a landowner’s fence. However, in the time that it took Jacobsen to respond, the deer had already expired on its own. Jacobsen disposed of the carcass.

Rattlesnake Capture: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen was contacted by a homeowner who had discovered a rattlesnake in her garage. The homeowner had been just a few inches away from the snake when she looked down and discovered it. Jacobsen was able to safely remove the snake from the garage and moved the snake to the far end of the landowner’s property. This is the third time the landowner has contacted Jacobsen regarding rattlesnakes in her garage area over the last several years. For some reason, the landowner’s garage area seems to be quite the attractive spot for these neat critters.

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Injured Hawk: A landowner contacted Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen regarding an injured juvenile red-tailed hawk on her property. Jacobsen located the injured hawk in a large patch of poison oak. Jacobsen was able to successfully capture the hawk which was taken to a refuge. Unfortunately, the hawk had suffered a broken wing, which was unrepairable, and the hawk had to be euthanized.

Injured Golden Eagle: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen fielded a report of an injured golden eagle. After assessing the situation, Jacobsen determined that the eagle was a young-of-the-year and was likely learning how to fly. The eagle had been hopping around on the ground for several days. Oddly, the landowner who reported the eagle noted that he had not seen any adult golden eagles bringing the juvenile food on the ground. On Jacobsen’s advice, the landowner began feeding the juvenile eagle raw chicken from the store. After several days, the eagle started to regain strength and began hopping up on brush and branches. A few days after that, the eagle was able to fly away on its own.

Bear in House: Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) Officer Hughes and Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen responded to a report of a black bear that had entered a house, destroyed food in the pantry, and killed a small kitten in an upstairs bedroom while the resident was away at work. Staff investigated and confirmed the report that a bear had gotten into the house. Jacobsen set a trap for the bear, but the bear did not reappear at the residence. The residence and property contained garbage, debris, and food that had likely attracted the bear to the area. Jacobsen discussed the attractant issues with the resident, who agreed to make changes to the property.

Bear in Garbage Cans: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen responded to a multi-family property that was experiencing issues with bears. This was the third time Jacobsen has had to respond to the property over the last several years regarding unsecured bear attractants (garbage and bird food). Again, the landowner had several garbage cans that were accessible to a bear, which had apparently been coming up onto the porch nightly for the past three weeks. Jacobsen issued the landowners a warning to secure all their garbage in the garage. Further bear issues at the residence would be investigated by WDFW Enforcement staff.

Bear in Garbage Trailer: A concerned landowner contacted WDFW after learning that a bear had been raiding her neighbor’s trash trailer and spreading the garbage all over her property. Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen was able to get in touch with the landowner with the garbage trailer. With the help of volunteer member Smith, an electric fence was conducted around the dumpster to cut off the bear’s supplemental food supply.

Urban Cougar: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen assisted WDFW Enforcement staff members over the weekend after a cougar was captured on multiple household security cameras in southwest Vancouver. WDFW staff members confirmed that the animal in question was a cougar. Jacobsen patrolled the area and monitored for sighting reports. At one point, hounds were used to search for the cougar after it was reported moving west on the Shillapoo Wildlife Area. The cougar was not located.

Mistaken Cougar Sighting: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen was contacted by a landowner after the landowner captured what he believed to be a cougar on his security camera in urban Clark County. After reviewing the footage, Jacobsen confirmed the animal to be a domestic house cat.

Cougar Depredation on Unsecured Alpaca: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen and several WDFW Enforcement staff members responded to a report of a cougar depredation on an alpaca. The alpaca had been left out at night in an unsecured pasture. Jacobsen investigated and confirmed that a cougar killed the alpaca. WDFW staff members set a live trap for the cougar and were able to catch the juvenile cougar later that night. Since the juvenile cougar was alone (and should have still been with its mother) and displayed some odd behaviors that the landowner had noticed that night, Jacobsen euthanized the cougar.

Cougar Depredation on Unsecured Goats: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen responded to a report of cougars depredating on goats. The Klickitat County Sheriff’s Office had already been contacted and had killed two medium-sized (roughly 70 lb.) cougars before Jacobsen was contacted. Jacobsen confirmed the depredations as cougar caused. Jacobsen provided advice to the landowner on securing goats at night, as the goats had been allowed to wander a large, wooded property at night.

Reported Cougar Depredation on Horse: A concerned landowner contacted WDFW regarding injuries that she had noticed on two of her horses. Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen and WDFW Officer Bolton responded. After examining the horses, Jacobsen determined that domestic dogs were the most likely cause of injury to the horses. Jacobsen provided advice to the landowner on securing the horse pasture.

Elk Damage to Haystacks: A producer in east Klickitat County contacted Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen regarding elk damage to his haystacks. Jacobsen inspected the damage and will be working with the landowner on deterrent measures.

Providing Recreation Opportunities

Water Access Areas: Access staff members encountered a large trash dump at the Three Mile access site in Washougal. Whoever did this not only pushed the trash out but threw most of it into heavy brush and briars making it difficult and time consuming to remove. It took access staff members a few hours and two full truck loads to the dump to remove. 

Mineral Lake: Access staff members encountered a break-in to a closed restroom Thursday morning at the Upper Mineral Lake access site. Fortunately, there was no evidence of vandalism. It appeared to be more of an act of curiosity.

Bees: As usual, during the summer bees and hornets are a constant issue around access area facilities, especially around the Vancouver Lake area. Many nests are being discovered in door jambs, and even a shoe that was stuck onto a telephone pole next to the Langsdorf restroom. Access staff members continue to mitigate these persistent and sometimes very aggressive pests on a weekly basis. 

Providing Education and Outreach

Public Engagement: Private Lands Biologist Gray attended the Small Forest Landowners Field Day in Longview, WA. Gray was available to interact with landowners at the WDFW table in the exhibitor area. Gray also spoke at an educational session regarding “Landowner Assistance Programs” along with Department of Natural Resources and Natural Resources Conservation Service. The event hosted up to seven learning stations, with ongoing topics cycling throughout the day. Each year field days are organized in different regions of the state.

Managing Wildlife Populations

Annual Band-Tailed Pigeon Surveys: Biologists Stephens, Wickhem, and Holman, along with Migratory Bird Specialist Hamer, completed band-tailed pigeon surveys in Region 5 between July 10th and 20th. Additionally, Holman teamed with Region 6 Biologist Novack to survey a site in the estuary of the Chehalis River that can only be accessed by boat. Nesting birds congregate at natural mineral springs throughout the summer to consume supplemental minerals, primarily sodium and calcium. The same mineral sites are surveyed each year by Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) biologists across western Washington. The results are combined with similar efforts in British Columbia, Oregon, California, and Nevada to monitor the population at the flyway level. Survey results affect the season and bag limits for band-tailed pigeons each year. 

• At the site in Clark County, Hamer counted 142 pigeons which is a slight increase over 2023.
• At the site in Skamania County, Wickhem counted 186 pigeons, which is lower than the historic numbers at this location.
• At one of the Cowlitz County sites, Stephens counted 307 pigeons, which is nearly identical to the results from 2022 and 2023. 
• At the other Cowlitz County site, Holman counted 106 pigeons, which is similar to the results of prior years. New forest management activities near this site now make conducting the survey easier. 
• At the Lewis County site, Stephens counted 313 pigeons, which is a moderate increase from 2023. 
• At the Gray’s Harbor site, Holman and Novack counted 212 pigeons, up slightly from the 2023 survey.

Bat Acoustic Monitoring: In July, Biologists Wickhem, Ott, and Stephens conducted acoustic monitoring for bats at six sites in Region 5. Every site is made up of four grids, with each grid containing an acoustic detector. To monitor the bats, an acoustic detector is left overnight at each grid and records the echolocation signatures of bat species who are feeding within proximity to the detector. This effort is part of the North American Bat Monitoring Program, a multi-agency coordinated effort across North America. This collaborative bat monitoring program is made up of an extensive community of partners across the continent who use standardized protocols to gather data that allows assessment of population status and trends, informs responses to stressors, and sustains viable populations. 

Bat Emergence Counts: In July, Biologist Wickhem conducted four bat emergence counts (three in Clark County and one in Skamania County) with the help of Biologist Ott and volunteers Robinson, Roe, and Weaver. Three of the locations had never been counted before and were either reported by members of the public or other staff members. Two of the locations proved to be thick with bats; a Forest Service bridge and a collection of private bat boxes supporting 788 and 888 bats, respectively. Another residential bat box contained 160 individuals. The landowner invited several friends and neighbors to join in the count. The final count at another residential property where bats were living underneath their raised home only came up with about a dozen individuals, despite finding massive piles of guano near some ideal roosting areas. In this case, the team thinks the pups were volant (able to fly on their own). This allows the colony to easily move and roost in nearby areas if desired. The bats that were still present were exiting through a different area that was not being monitored. An acoustic detector was deployed at each site during the surveys to record echolocation calls, which can be analyzed to determine which species are present. Those files will be analyzed by Statewide Bat Specialist Tobin. These surveys help biologists understand the species distribution and roosting habitats of bats in Washington. 

Bat Captures and White-Nose Syndrome (WNS) Vaccination Study: Biologists Wickhem, Biologist Ott, and Volunteer Flick joined volunteer members and biologists from the U.S. Geological Survey to capture bats on private property as part of a study to test a new vaccine for white-nose syndrome. WNS is a devastating disease caused by a fungus (Pseudogymnoascus destructans or Pd) that causes bats to repeatedly wake up during winter hibernation (which burns a lot of calories), and usually leads to death. WNS has led to massive bat die-offs in the Midwest and eastern United States. Either the disease or the Pd fungus have been detected within ten counties in Washington as of July 2023.

In this capture effort, bats were collected from funnel and harp traps that were attached to the openings of occupied bat boxes. Once removed from the trap, a hair sample was collected and the bats were weighed, measured, sexed, aged, given a wing health score, a wing band, a PIT tag, either the vaccine or control (placebo) dose orally, and then released. The team also captured several bats that have been caught, marked, and treated in previous years. Since this effort took place at a maternity colony, most of the bats captured were lactating females. The capture team worked into the wee hours of the night and the next morning to finish processing more than 100 bats. WNS has not been detected within this colony or anywhere nearby yet, but the group still abided by strict decontamination protocols that help prevent the human-spread of the fungus. Also, everyone that directly handled bats has a rabies vaccination. Thanks to our partners for an excellent trapping effort and the landowners for allowing us to work on their property and for assisting with set-up and take-down of our equipment!

Providing Recreation Opportunities

Mineral Lake Access Area: Access area staff members visited Mineral Lake Access Area to find it very clean given the amount of use it normally receives. This was a pleasant surprise, especially since the site was very busy when staff members arrived.

Kalama River Access Areas: Access area staff members worked on vegetation management at multiple sites along the Kalama River. Modrow Access Area and the road to Fisherman’s Loop Access Site had many maples growing low over the road that needed to be pruned back. In addition to work at these sites, staff members worked on pruning the blackberries along the trail at Kress Lake.

Onieda Access Area Boat Ramp: Access area staff members worked at filling a sink hole on the Onieda Access Area boat ramp. Understanding that this is a temporary fix, staff members are still hopefull that it will last throughout the upcoming salmon season. This area gets an extreme amount of use during the month of August. In addition, staff members finished mowing the field and parking area at the Onieda Access Area. Staff members hope with the recent improvements at this site, that it will be respected in the upcoming August fishing season.

Providing Conflict Prevention and Education

Woodland Park Zoo Field Trip: Biologist Bergh gave a field trip at one of the Skamania County northwestern pond turtle sites to a group of students participating in a class put on by the Woodland Park Zoo. The adult students are spending a few days in the area to do some hands-on learning about conservation topics and had prepared ahead of time by visiting the HeadStart turtle program at the zoo. Biologist Bergh talked about all aspects of the pond turtle recovery and management program. The group hiked around the site to view habitat as well at the pond and painted turtles that inhabit the site.

Managing Wildlife Populations

Annual Band-Tailed Pigeon Surveys: Biologists Wickhem, Bergh, Holman, and Stephens began conducting their respective band-tailed pigeon surveys in Region 5. Additionally, Holman teamed with Region 6 Biologist Novack to survey a site in the estuary of the Chehalis River that can only be accessed by boat. Nesting birds congregate at natural mineral springs throughout the summer to consume supplemental minerals, primarily sodium and calcium. The same mineral sites are surveyed each year by Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) biologists across western Washington and the results are combined with similar efforts in British Columbia, Oregon, and California to monitor the population at the flyway level. Survey results affect the season and bag-limits for band-tailed pigeons each year and will be presented in future weekly reports.

Northwestern Pond Turtle Population Estimate: From June 5 through June 26, Biologists Wickhem, Bergh, and Ott, along with many helpers, deployed 41 turtle hoop traps at a site in Klickitat County and checked traps daily. The traps were spread across four water bodies that are historical northwestern pond turtle locations. Every year, the district staff members perform a mark-recapture trapping effort at one turtle site to generate a population estimate. All captured turtles are individually marked and the number of times each individual turtle is captured is recorded. The number of captures and recaptures is plugged into a model (along with other variables) which will generate an estimated number of turtles present at the site. This season, the crew caught 286 individual pond turtles and two individual painted turtles for a total of 805 captures (including recaptures). We will be anxiously waiting for Science Division staff members to calculate the population estimate. During the last trapping effort at that site (in 2018), there was a total of 511 captures and 207 were pond turtles. It appears that the pond turtle population has increased (HOORAY!). Also of note, the crew captured and marked 69 new wild-born turtles, three times the number of new turtles captured in 2018 (double HOORAY!). This large number of new turtles (indicating natural recruitment) confirms that the removal of invasive bullfrogs from this site is benefitting the pond turtles and many other native species. Special thanks to all the folks (20 people total!!) that assisted with trap setting, checking, and take-down.

Mardon Skipper Surveys: During the first two weeks of July, Biologists Bergh, Wickhem, and Ott, as well as the new District 9 Klickitat Wildlife Area Manager Cass Holman, assisted in modified peak count surveys for state endangered mardon skippers. These surveys are coordinated by the U.S. Forest Service as a part of a 3-year effort to visit sites historically occupied by mardon skippers across their range within the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. 

Mardon skippers require open meadows with ample sun, bunch grasses, and floral resources. Existing populations of mardon skippers are highly isolated and under threat due to habitat loss and/or degradation caused by forest encroachment, invasive plants, and fire suppression. These surveys will help inform appropriate localized and landscape scale habitat management for the species on U. S. Forest Service land. Although no sites assigned to WDFW staff members yielded positive detections of mardon skippers, the staff members thoroughly enjoyed the time spent walking in subalpine meadows identifying butterflies and collaborating with U.S. Forest Service staff members.

Providing Recreation Opportunities

Oneida Access Area: Access staff members have started mowing some of WDFW sites including Onieda Access Area. Staff members mow certain areas to provide additional parking and to also try and keep fire danger down. Hot weather, tall grass, and hot exhaust pipes do not mix well. Onieda Access Area has two field parking areas that will be heavily used starting in August.

Fourth of July Aftermath: As expected, the week after the Fourth of July was busy. Many sites in Washougal, Kalama, and Mineral Lake were used heavily by the public. Unfortunately, many visitors didn’t “pack it in, pack it out.”

Conserving Natural Landscapes

Pacificorps Wildlife Habitat Management Lands: Biologist Holman joined Pacificorps staff members to visit multiple locations in the higher elevation portions of Pacificorps Lewis River Habitat Management Lands to evaluate ongoing enhancement efforts. U.S. Forest Service Supervisory Biologist Rich attended as well.

The group saw forest management projects such as pre-commercial thinning and reforestation, soil augmentations designed to increase pH, elk forage plot establishment, and weed control in wetlands. All projects on the habitat enhancement lands are on schedule. Pacificorp lands include approximately 16,000 acres of enhanced wildlife habitat in the North Fork Lewis River basin to partially balance the impacts of the hydropower system on the river. These lands are open to the public for non-motorized recreation including hunting, fishing, and wildlife viewing. 

Other

New Klickitat Wildlife Area Manager: We are very excited to announce that the Klickitat Wildlife Area has a new manager. Cassandra “Cass” Holman started her role with WDFW on July 1. It took over seven months to find the right person for the job, however Cass was a true standout from all the other candidates. We are very happy to have her as part of the Region 5 Wildlife Program team. 

Cassandra is a wildlife and conservation biologist with a focus on addressing ecological challenges in human-compromised or altered ecosystems. She recently worked in northern California implementing floodplain reconnection and habitat restoration projects in the Trinity River watershed. However, her career has also taken her to Alaska, Colorado, New England, Texas, and North Carolina. Originally from Rhode Island, Cass is excited to call Washington home for the long term. She has a strong background in grant writing, project management, and forming conservation partnerships with stakeholders to make a tangible difference. As the new manager of the Klickitat Wildlife Area, she is dedicated to meeting the state’s objectives for species conservation and habitat protection.

Managing Wildlife Populations

Sandhill Crane Surveys by Drone: Biologist Bergh enlisted the help of Remote Sensing and GIS Analyst Jansen and GIS and Data Support Analyst Simper to get aerial imagery of three different sandhill crane nesting areas. The group used three different types of drones and tried regular (RGB) imagery as well as infrared (IR) imagery to identify sandhill crane nests. 

Bergh, Jansen, and Simper tried different heights above the ground, both with speed and with the drone stationary. After several days of flying, they determined which drone, imagery, and height would be optimal for spotting nests. They found nests at two of the three sites, although not all of the imagery from the third site has been searched. Disappointingly, the IR imagery did not seem to be useful since it was impossible to differentiate cranes from other waterfowl and even with cloudy skies and cool temperatures, the wetland vegetation appeared “warm.” Next year’s drone survey flights should be more straightforward with the information learned this year.

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Photo by WDFW

Northwestern Pond Turtle Hatchling Collection: Biologists Bergh, Wickhem, and Ott spent time collecting hatchling northwestern pond turtles (NWPT) the size of silver dollars to send to the Oregon Zoo as part of the northwestern pond turtle “headstarting” program. The goal of the program is to grow the hatchling turtles to a size of 50 to 100 grams. By the time they reach that size, they are better, faster swimmers, and too large to be swallowed by bullfrogs. Bullfrogs are not native to the Pacific Northwest and easily prey on northwestern pond turtle hatchlings, which is one of the causes of northwestern pond turtle declines in Washington. 

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Photo by WDFW

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Photo by WDFW

Headstart Turtle Notching:  Biologists Wickhem and Ott visited headstarted northwestern pond turtles at the Oregon Zoo this week. The turtles were brought to the zoo as hatchlings in May 2023. Under the care of zoo staff members, they can grow larger in a safe setting and be released back into their natural habitat at a size that allows them to more easily avoid predators. 

Wickhem and Ott assigned these headstarted turtles identification numbers and put notches in their shell scutes using a triangle file. These notches do not harm the turtles and will help staff members identify these individuals the next time they are captured in the field. Wickhem and Ott also took weights and shell measurements and checked PIT tags on all the headstarts. 

The captive cougar, Pai, supervised the headstart activities from his neighboring enclosure, which has become a welcome tradition. These turtles will be released at a site in Skamania County in late May.

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Photo by WDFW

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Photo by WDFW

Conserving Natural Landscapes

Mudflow Unit Opens After Winter Closure: On the first day of May, Technician Crane removed “No Trespassing” signs on the Mudflow Unit of Mount St. Helens Wildlife Area that were posted for the winter closure. The Mudflow Unit’s annual winter closure is in effect from Dec. 1 through April 30 to ensure minimal disturbance to elk on their over wintering grounds. 

The opening of the Mudflow Unit on May 1 each year is popular for shed hunting. While removing signs, Technician Crane observed six shed hunters on the Mudflow Unit, most of which were successful in legally collecting antlers.

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Photo by WDFW

Managing Wildlife Populations

Sooty Grouse Surveys: Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) wildlife biologists in western Washington are in the second year of testing a survey method for sooty grouse (formerly called blue grouse). The effort involves establishing driving routes in the Cascade and Olympic mountains as well as the Willapa Hills. 

The routes include 15 to 30 listening stops where biologists spend time listening for the calling of male sooty grouse during the early morning hours. The survey method is borrowed from Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife as well as Oregon State University and we thank them for their development of the method and sharing. When fully developed and implemented, the survey will generate sooty grouse population trend estimates that are independent of grouse harvest. To date, Biologists Stephens, Holman, Wickhem, and Bergh, along with Conflict Specialist Aubrey and Cowlitz Wildlife Area Assistant Manager Steveson have conducted eight surveys. 

An additional component of the work is to use listening devices called Acoustic Recording Units (ARUs) to better understand the timing of the sooty grouse breeding season. This is important since the survey methodology was developed at lower latitudes in Oregon where breeding timing could be different. The ARUs are placed near calling sooty grouse and left in place for approximately two months. During this time, the device records the calling grouse. With several of the units placed throughout western Washington, in aggregate this information can be used to adjust Oregon’s protocol to Washington’s grouse population. Biologist Holman, Conflict Specialist Aubrey, and Enforcement Officer Tippets placed three units in Cowlitz and Lewis counties.

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Photo by WDFW

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Photo by WDFW

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Photo by WDFW

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Glenwood Valley Annual Sandhill Crane Survey: Biologists Wickhem, Bergh, and Ott; Data Manager Blatz, Volunteers Castagnoli, Flick, Steider, L. Robinson, D. Robinson, B. Roe, and J. Roe; staff members from Mount Adams Resource Stewards, and staff members from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service joined forces for the annual sandhill crane survey on and around Conboy Lake National Wildlife Refuge. 

The Glenwood Valley is one of only a few areas in the state where sandhill cranes nest. Sandhill cranes mate for life and return to the same “territory” each year to mate and raise their colts before migrating south in the fall. For this survey, the groups split up into teams to drive and hike around different crane territories recording all cranes observed and specifically looking for crane nests. Wickhem and her survey partners confirmed three nests and observed a nest exchange (males and females take turns sitting on the nest)! 

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Photo by WDFW

Townsend’s Ground Squirrel Surveys: In 2023, District 9 staff members visited 130 historic locations of Townsend’s ground squirrels in eastern Klickitat County to determine how many of these sites were still occupied. At a small number of those sites, occupancy was unconfirmed, meaning the surveyors found some signs of squirrels, but could not determine how fresh the signs were and did not see or hear any actual squirrels. 

In April 2024, District 9 staff members revisited these sites to confirm if they were occupied or unoccupied. Unfortunately, each of these locations was determined to be unoccupied, but staff members were able to find squirrel colonies in a few new locations that had not been recorded in the past. Townsend’s ground squirrels are a Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SCGN) in Washington and are considered a candidate for state listing.

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Photo by WDFW

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Photo by WDFW

Mount St. Helens Elk Herd Population Survey: In late March, biologists from Region 5 conducted an aerial survey of the Mount St. Helens elk herd. In addition to the “core” herd area which consists of GMUs 520, 522, 524, 550, and 556 that has historically been surveyed annually or biannually, biologists also surveyed portions of the herd area to the south. The expanded survey area includes portions of GMUs 554, 560, 568, and 572. These areas are generally more difficult to survey because they have fewer clear cuts or other openings that allow observers to detect elk that are present. 

Within the “core” GMUs, the same survey units are surveyed from year to year and a sight ability estimate is applied to the data collected. The estimate for the core area was 2,097 elk. This is a 38% increase from the last time this area was surveyed in March 2022 with a total of 1,522 elk. A big thanks to JL Aviation’s Pilot Pete Emmerson for his safe and skillful flying. 

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Photo by WDFW

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Photo by WDFW

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Photo by WDFW

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Photo by WDFW

Providing Recreation Opportunities

Vandalism in Klickitat County: The restroom at the Turkey Hole Access Area was severely vandalized with graffiti in early April. Vandalism to this extent is unusual and very disappointing for Klickitat County. With two trips and multiple coats of paint, Natural Resources Specialist Celaya was able to make the restroom look respectable again. 

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Photo by WDFW

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Photo by WDFW

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Photo by WDFW

Conserving Natural Landscapes

English Ivy Removal: Cowlitz Wildlife Area staff members, with the help of master hunters and Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation volunteers who donated approximately 700 hours of their time over the four days of the project, removed over 26,000 pounds of vegetation (mostly English ivy) from the Mossyrock Unit. 

The ivy is well established within the area and surgically removing the ivy without impacting the desirable vegetation is not an option. The first weekend the sun was shining, the temperature was perfect, and the crew removed 11,000 pounds of vegetation. The second week, the weather turned vengeful and kept the crew wet and cold. However, the crew rallied and removed 15,000 pounds of vegetation.

This was tough work, and the wildlife area staff members could not have done this without the volunteer help. Also essential to the success of the project were Rodger and Ramona Wallace. Rodger and Ramona not only saw the possibilities and encouraged wildlife area staff members to embrace the use of volunteers, but they also reached out to their network of volunteers and single handedly organized an army of individuals. Then, to keep morale high, they organized a potluck lunch every day of the project. With the food provided by the volunteers, you can’t beat a meal of elk burgers, German sausages, elk stew, chili, and all of the sides one could want.

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Photo by WDFW

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Photo by WDFW

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Photo by WDFW

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Photo by WDFW

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Photo by WDFW

Conducting Business Operations and Policy

Chemical Immobilization Training: District biologists, conflict specialists, and enforcement staff members attended chemical immobilization training in Ridgefield. The training is required every five years for staff members who use chemical immobilization drugs. 

Chemical immobilization is used when marking or collaring wildlife for research and in conflict situations when an animal may need to be removed from a dangerous situation. The training covered the types of immobilization drugs, the equipment used in immobilizations, different capture situations, and human and animal safety, among other topics. The class was capped off with dart gun practice and immobilizing domestic goats. All of the goats responded well to the drugs, maintained healthy vital signs throughout, and woke up without a problem. 

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Photo by WDFW