Managing Wildlife Populations

Klickitat Mule Deer Aerial Survey Results: During the week of Dec. 11, Biologists Wickhem, Bergh, Holman, Jacobsen and Bundick conducted annual helicopter surveys for mule deer in GMUs 388 and 382. The survey consists of flying transects over 15 randomly selected survey units in Klickitat County between the Klickitat River and the eastern boundary of the county.

When a group of deer is located, they are counted and classified (age, sex, and number of antler points, if present). Several other covariates are also collected including vegetation type, amount of cover, amount of snow, etc.

Since the surveys were completed, Biologist Wickhem has been entering and analyzing data using the Idaho Sightability Model, a statistical model that uses the counts and covariates to estimate a population for the survey area. The model estimated that GMUs 382 and 388 have approximately 7,978 deer. There is considerable error in this estimate since the vegetation types used in the Idaho Sightability Model do not directly translate to the Washington landscape, however it is the closest model that currently exists.

We can still use these estimates along with harvest to monitor trends in the population. After dropping significantly from 2016 to 2017 following an extremely harsh winter, the population estimates have remained relatively stable. Since 2017, managers have removed nearly all anterless hunting opportunities in an attempt to rebound the population. On the upside, the estimated ratios of fawns and bucks for every 100 does were 56 and 23, respectively. Fifty-six fawns for every 100 does is on par with previous surveys and 23 bucks is the highest recorded buck to doe ratio since surveys began in 2016.

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GPS-collared Mule Deer Mortalities: Biologist Bergh and Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen had a snowy adventure to GMU 382 to retrieve the GPS collars from two study deer that had died the previous week during the snow and ice storms. One of the deer was still completely intact and had been covered in snow until recently and the only parts left to the other deer were the spine, some ribs, and two legs. That deer had been scavenged by a coyote and several birds, so a cause of death was unable to be determined. The intact deer had diarrhea on her tail and there was bloody diarrhea nearby. Samples of the organ tissues were sent to the Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Lab at WSU to test for evidence of disease.

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Photo by WDFW

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Photo by WDFW

Biologist Wickhem, Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen, and Volunteer Zoller responded to another “mortality signal” from a GPS collared deer later in the same week, this one in GMU 388. This retrieval required an approximately four-mile round trip excursion on snow-covered roads, that Wickhem thoroughly enjoyed on her skis, while Jacobsen and Zoller post-holed. Despite responding to the location as soon as possible, only one small piece of ribcage was found at the mortality location, making it impossible to determine the cause of death. The crew was able to locate the collar using radio telemetry, after a coyote carried it 400 yards from the carcass remains and buried it in the duff under a tree.

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Photo by WDFW

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Photo by WDFW

Injured Owl: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen received a report regarding an injured great horned owl in the Goldendale area that needed transport to a rehabilitation center. Jacobsen responded to the residence and determined the owl was actually a western screech owl, which is substantially smaller than a great horned owl. The owl was in poor condition due to its wing having been wedged between two buildings – the owl dangled there for several days until the homeowner noticed it and freed it. Jacobsen transported the owl to Rowena Wildlife Clinic in Oregon, where it received treatment for its injuries.

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Cascade Red Fox Report: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen was contacted by a member of the public regarding a possible sighting of a Cascade red fox along the Idaho border. Jacobsen confirmed that the fox was a lowlands red fox, not a Cascade red fox. The Cascade red fox only inhabits alpine and subalpine habitat in the south Cascades and has a population size that is estimated to be around 50 individuals.

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Photo by reporting party

Track Survey: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen accompanied Biologist Spence on a wolf track survey in the Gifford Pinchot Forest via snowmobile. Tracks of snowshoe hare, coyote, and cougar were observed, but no wolf tracks were detected.

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Hunter Harvest Checks: Hunting seasons for some species continue. Regional wildlife biologists, wildlife conflict specialists, and customer service specialists continue to make checks of hunter harvested wildlife that have seasons continuing into the winter months. Many species of wildlife, including cougars and bobcats, 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 in order to be clear on checking requirements for various species as well as season dates.

During this reporting period, Biologist Holman and Biologist Wickhem checked two cougars each. Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen checked a sub-adult male cougar from GMU 382 and a male bobcat from GMU 388.

Providing Conflict Prevention and Education

District 9 Cougar Sighting Report: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen fielded a report of a cougar sighting in a residential area of Klickitat County. Jacobsen confirmed the sighting after viewing a video of the cougar.

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District 9 Habituated Bear: Over the past two months, Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen responded to multiple complaints in eastern Clark County regarding a large black bear that had been accessing human food sources. Jacobsen worked with multiple landowners to correct improperly secured attractants, but the bear continued to seek out potential sources of food and eventually began ripping apart structures in search of food.

Normally, bears should be hibernating at this point in the season due to the widespread lack of available forage during the winter. Jacobsen determined that this bear had been habituated to accessing human food and attractants such as bird seed, likely over multiple years, based on landowner reports. Given that the bear had decided to “skip” hibernation this year, the lack of available natural forage in the area, the lack of suitable relocation sites in winter, and the level of damage the bear had been causing and degree of habituation he was exhibiting.

Jacobsen eventually trapped and lethally removed the 260 lb. male bear. This was an extremely unfortunate incident that likely could have been prevented if the landowners in the area had responsibly secured their attractants to prevent the bear from accessing them.

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Photo by WDFW

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District 9 Cougar Encounter: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen and Officer Bolton responded to an incident where an antler shed hunter had a close encounter with a cougar and ended up killing the cougar with his sidearm.

The shed hunter inadvertently came across the cougar while hiking through the woods. Unbeknownst to the shed hunter, the adult female cougar was feeding on a deer kill when the shed hunter passed by. The shed hunter looked up and saw the cougar roughly 30 yards away. At that point, the shed hunter stopped walking forward and began to back up, while chambering a round in his sidearm. The cougar, likely trying to scare the shed hunter away from her kill, turned towards the shed hunter and flattened her ears back in a defensive posture. Fearing for his safety, the shed hunter fired a shot at the cougar. The cougar began running towards him while the shed hunter continued firing his sidearm. The cougar eventually ran past the shed hunter and died from multiple gunshot wounds a short distance past the hunter.

This chain of events is extremely uncommon and was likely due to the cougar trying to scare the shed hunter away from her kill. Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife encourages outdoor recreationists to be prepared to encounter wildlife such as cougars by carrying bear spray as well as by being familiar with cougar habits and behavior. If a cougar is encountered in the wild, recreationists are encouraged to make loud noises, appear as big as possible, and give the animal its space. More information on encountering cougars in the wild can on the WDFW website.

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District 9 Elk Damage to Hay Field: A landowner contacted Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen regarding elk damage to a hay field. The landowner has had a poor hay crop on the field for the past few years due to persistent elk damage and requested a Master Hunter from the Region 5 elk damage pool to assist in lethally removing the elk from the property. Jacobsen deployed an elk hunter to the property, who harvested a hoof-diseased elk within a short time of his arrival at the field. This particular elk group has had a high prevalence of Treponeme-associated hoof disease (TAHD) among individuals there for several years.

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Conserving Natural Landscapes

Charismatic Mini-fauna on Mount Saint Helen’s Wildlife Area: When we first think of managing wildlife areas, we typically think of managing habitat for large and/or well-known species like elk and waterfowl. However, Wildlife Areas provide important habitat for a variety of species. While working on the Mount Saint Helen’s Wildlife Area, Assistant Manager Risley and Technician Crane observed some of the charismatic mini-fauna that call the wildlife area home.

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Photo by WDFW

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Photo by WDFW

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Photo by WDFW

Managing Wildlife Populations

Columbian White-tailed Deer Recruitment Surveys: Biologists Stephens, Holman, and Aubrey conducted five surveys for Columbian white-tailed deer on Puget Island from mid-November to the end of December. The purpose of the survey is to get a ratio of does to fawns on the island. As an additional metric, biologists also get a minimum count of deer on the island. Puget Island is one of several areas surveyed for Columbian white-tailed deer during this time frame. This survey effort is coordinated by the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service and additional participants include Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, the Cowlitz Tribe, and volunteers. Biologists counted a high of 189 deer on Puget Island and an average of 46 fawns per 100 does. See graphs below to see how this compares with prior year’s surveys.

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Photo by WDFW

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Photo by WDFW

Year-Round Bat Acoustic Monitor Installation: Biologists Wickhem and Bergh were joined by Bat Biologist Tobin and Friends of the Columbia River Gorge Stewardship Manager Woods to install a year-round bat acoustic monitoring station on private land in Skamania County. The detector is powered by a solar panel, will only need to be serviced four times per year, and will hopefully be deployed in the same location for at least five years.

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and other partners have additional stations set up across the state in an effort to learn more about our native bats. We have many gaps in knowledge for many bat species including simple life cycle and life history. Acoustic monitoring is one way to help begin to answer some of those questions. For example, we can use these data to look at potential migration patterns and routes, seasonal movements, and active periods. These data can help inform wind energy development or elucidate fall and winter activity patterns. We can also use acoustic recordings as an index of activity to detect changes overtime on the landscape. They can also help us understand which species are susceptible to white-nose syndrome.

Acoustic activity has been shown to mirror changes in white-nosed syndrome affected populations, so this is one metric we use to understand impacts from this disease in the absence of being able to assess hibernacula. Visit our website for more information on Washingtons bats and the threat from white-nose syndrome.

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Injured Merlin: Biologists Wickhem and Bergh responded to reports of an injured raptor along a private road in Dallesport. When the pair arrived, they found a small merlin hopping next to the road, unable to fly more than a few feet. Thanks to help from two staff members on site, they were able to catch the bird without incident and transport it to Rowena Wildlife Rehab Center. Upon initial exam and x-ray, the veterinarian reported that the female raptor didn’t have any fractures or obvious bruising and was potentially just sore and disoriented after being hit by a car. She appeared to make a full recovery and was released near where she was captured a week later. This was one of three injured bird calls received by District 9 staff members on the same day. Big thanks to Wildlife Conflict Specialist Aubrey and staff members at The Dalles Dam for responding to the other reports.

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Photo by WDFW

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Photo by WDFW

Dusky Canada Goose Surveys: Biologist Wickhem conducted two dusky Canada goose surveys on the Shillapoo Wildlife Area and surrounding lowlands of Clark County this month. Biologists Stephens and Holman conducted the twice-monthly surveys in Cowltiz and Wahkiakum counties. Dusky geese are a sub-species of Canada goose that spend summers in Alaska and migrate through and/or overwinter in the lower Columbia River. Duskys are closed to recreational harvest due to low population levels.

The purpose of these surveys is to count dusky geese observed and read alphanumeric codes on any red-collared duskys. Wildlife managers survey the geese multiple times across their primary wintering grounds and use the data to generate survival estimates. Unfortunately, dusky geese were not observed on any surveys this month. Other notable sightings included the first swans of the season, red-tailed hawks, Northern harriers, bald eagles, great blue herons, egrets, sandhill cranes, snow geese and many species of waterfowl, Columbian white-tailed deer, black-tailed deer, elk, otters, nutria, and coyotes. Early December rain has helped to fill in the wetlands, but the area still needs a significant amount of rain.

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Columbian White-tailed Deer Surveys: Biologists Stephens and Holman along with Conflict Specialist Aubrey completed the annual surveys for Columbian white-tailed deer on Puget Island. Surveys consist of driving designated routes and counting all deer and classifying them as doe, fawn, or buck. The primary purpose of the survey is to generate a doe to fawn ratio and therefore monitor the annual productivity of the population. This survey is done in partnership with the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Cowlitz Tribe, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, and with support from volunteers, all of whom survey different white-tail populations. Survey results will be summarized in future reports. Thanks to Customer Service Specialists Kean and Splitgerber as well as Regional Operations Manager Varley and Regional Director Sallee for participating in the surveys.

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Collared Deer Mortality: On Christmas Eve morning Biologist Bergh received a message indicating that one of the GPS-collared mule deer in the Klickitat mule deer migration study had died. The collar had detected no movement for nine consecutive hours the day prior. When she arrived Bergh only found the collar and the cut off ears with ear tags attached. This was on private land in GMU 382 which was not currently open to tribal or non-tribal hunting.

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Mudflow Elk Count: Assistant Manager Risley and Technician Crane had great visibility when they visited the Forest Learning Center where they conducted the bimonthly winter Mudflow elk count. Despite high snow levels, 108 individual elk were observed using Mudflow. Multiple visitors to the mountain stopped to talk during the survey. All were offered an opportunity to take a closer look using the spotting scope, which was then followed with additional questions about Mt. St. Helens’ most iconic and charismatic residents.

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Photo by WDFW

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Photo by WDFW

Injured Bald Eagle: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen received a report of an injured bald eagle from Rowena Wildlife Clinic. A photographer was observing eagles along the mouth of the Klickitat River and saw one eagle that appeared to have an injured wing. When approached by the photographer, the eagle swam across the river to the cliffs on the other side. Jacobsen responded to the location and observed the injured eagle hopping on the cliffs across the river but was not able to access the bird’s location at the time. Later in the day, Biologist Wickhem was in the area and observed the eagle flying for a short distance. The eagle will likely recover on its own.

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Injured Owl: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen received a report of an injured great horned owl from Rowena Wildlife Clinic as well. A different photographer was observing owls in centeral Klickitat County and was concerned about an owl that appeared to have an eye injury. The photographer sent a video of the owl to Jacobsen. It is unclear what caused the injury to the eye, but Jacobsen determined that the owl was still very mobile and not a candidate for capture and treatment.

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Photo by reporting party

Deer Collar Retrieval: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen and Volunteer Ridout collected a GPS collar which had reached the end of its lifespan and automatically fallen off a mule deer in Klickitat County. While driving in to collect the collar, Jacobsen and Volunteer Ridout observed two sets of fairly fresh cougar tracks in the snow.

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Photo by WDFW

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Photo by WDFW

Providing Recreation Opportunities

Kress Lake Access Area: Access staff members have had to clean up multiple fallen trees over the last few weeks due to heavy wind and rains. Shown below is the 4^th tree in the last month that has fallen at Kress Lake Access Area. Other sites have suffered the same but Kress Lake seems to be the hardest hit at this time. This type of clean up is a nice change of pace from the normal garbage dumps and other human caused abuse.

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Photo by WDFW

Providing Conflict Prevention and Education

Animal Tracks: A concerned homeowner contacted Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife staff members regarding some odd tracks and markings on a tree in her yard. Jacobsen provided advice to the reporting party and although he was not able to determine the identity of the track-maker. Jacobsen was able to rule out black bear, which was what the homeowner was concerned about.

Deer Fencing: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen met with a Clark County landowner regarding ongoing deer rubbing damage to his Christmas tree operation. Jacobsen has been planning a deer fencing installation with the producer for this coming spring. Jacobsen walked the property with the landowner, identified new deer damage, and marked the boundaries for the proposed fencing project.

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Photo by WDFW

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Photo by WDFW

Depredation on Chicken: A landowner contacted Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. They requested assistance preventing bobcat depredations on his chickens. Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen met with the landowner and inspected the landowner’s chicken coop. The landowner had one remaining chicken but planned to get more in the spring. Jacobsen provided advice on securing gaps in the existing chicken coop as well as utilizing an electric fence to prevent bobcats and other carnivores from accessing the chickens in their day pen. The landowner was appreciative of the assistance.

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Cougar Samples: Officer Nelson responded to a report of a cougar that had killed a miniature pony. The landowner had shot and killed the cougar in the middle of the depredation. Jacobsen assisted Officer Nelson with pulling a tooth for aging purposes and pulling a tissue sample for genetic analysis (PDF). The cougar was a sub-adult male, as evidenced by the distinct black mark between the cougar’s legs (only males have this black penis sheath) and the residual spotting on the cougar’s hide, particularly on the insides of the limbs, known as “banding” at this stage in life.

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Garbage-Habituated Black Bear: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen received a report from a Clark County residence regarding a black bear that had been regularly accessing stored garbage. The garbage had been stored in a poorly secured shed and the bear had gotten into the garbage multiple times before the homeowner contacted Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. Jacobsen advised the homeowner on how to erect electric fencing around a structure and coordinated with Officer Hughes to loan out an electric fence energizer to the homeowner. After erecting the fence, the bear ceased accessing the garbage.

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Conserving Natural Landscapes

Seeding and Surveying at Eagle Island: Assistant Regional Program Manager Hauswald and Assistant Manager Risley paid a visit to the Eagle Island Unit of the Mt. St. Helens Wildlife Area to seed wildflowers and native grasses at multiple grassland areas on the 230-acre island. A generous donation of native pollinator seed mix was made available to the wildlife area courtesy of Cowlitz Noxious Weed Control and Washington State Noxious Weed Control Board. A labor of love and patience, the wildflowers are not likely to flower and set new seed for approximately two years, but wildlife area staff members hope that the native plants will eventually fill in the grassland areas where they’ve been introduced and, subsequently, naturally reseed adjacent areas.

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Photo by WDFW

Hauswald and Assistant Manager Risley spent the latter part of the day surveying the forested portions of the island for invasive holly and assessing the success of past treatments of Scotch broom and blackberry. It was a beautiful day on the island and many eagles, ducks, and signs of deer presence were observed.

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Mowing at Shillapoo Wildlife Area: Assistant Manager Breitenstein and Technician Crane spent the last several weeks mowing at the Shillapoo Wildlife Area. Mowing is completed annually on the wildlife area and is used to maintain green forage availability for overwintering waterfowl, as well as control invasive species such as Himalayan blackberry, reed canary grass, and Canada thistle. Mowing must be timed correctly to be completed before the ground becomes too wet for equipment to drive over but start late enough to avoid destroying too much cover during the pheasant hunt.

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Photo by WDFW

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Photo by WDFW

 

Managing Wildlife Populations

Deer Mortality Trail Camera: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen and Biologist Wickhem investigated a mortality of a collared mule deer in west Klickitat County a couple of weeks ago. The deer likely died of hemorrhagic disease.

They placed a trail camera over the carcass. Columbia Land Trust staff members retrieved the camera for the Department of Fish and Wildlife. Several interesting trail camera videos were captured, including videos of cougars, skunks, ravens, multiple golden eagles, bald eagles, and black bear.

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Photo by WDFW

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Photo by WDFW

Klickitat Mule Deer Aerial Surveys: During the week of Dec. 11, Biologists Wickhem, Bergh, Holman, Jacobsen and Bundick conducted annual helicopter surveys for Klickitat mule deer. The survey consists of flying transects over 15 randomly selected survey units in Klickitat County between the Klickitat River and the eastern boundary of the county. When a group of deer is located, they are counted and classified (age, sex, and number of antler points, if present). Several other covariates are also collected including vegetation type, amount of cover, amount of snow, etc. These data are put into a statistical model (Idaho Sightability Model) which will calculate a population estimate for the herd. Those results will be reported in the near future. Other notable sightings during the survey included one cougar, many coyotes, a herd of 66 pronghorn, lots of turkeys, more than 60 elk, several raptors, and nine study deer wearing GPS-collars.

Thanks to the flight crew for their hard work, to Customer Service Specialists Splitgerber, Rainwaters and Kean for flight-following, Wildlife Area Manager VanLeuven and Officers Nelson and Bolton for daily weather reports, and especially to Pilot Emerson from JL Aviation for safe and effective 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

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Photo by WDFW

Providing Recreation Opportunities

Fishing Access: Private Lands Biologist Gray met with representatives from Weyerhaeuser Timber Company and Fish and Wildlife Officer Sargent Anderson to identify areas along the Toutle and Green rivers to enroll into an access agreement with the Department of Fish and Wildlife. These sites would provide free fishing access to the public. Check out the Private Lands property listing website this spring for more site details.

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Interstate 5 Access Area: With the recent rain event last week, Natural Resource Technician Celaya is vigilantly inspecting sites for hazards to the public. For example, the I-5 access area in Lewis County has two massive cottonwood trees near the restroom and parking area, one of which had a large limb hung up in the branches above one of the parking spots. Celaya was able to safely mitigate the hazard.

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Hand Access Area: Recent heavy rains caused some issues at various access areas including Hand Access Area on the upper Kalama River. The river spilled into the parking area and brought with it mud and some logs. Thankfully only part of the parking area was covered, and access staff members have already started the clean-up effort. The ramps along the Kalama River have the normal silt build up but, so far, no erosion issues have resulted from the rising river.

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Modrow Bridge Access Area: Recently the Modrow Bridge Access Area suffered abuse by people. The restroom vault door lock had been cut off and the vault was filled with garbage and what appears to be the waste from a recreation vehicle black water tank. The liquid waste will need to be pumped out and then a vactor truck will be needed to remove the garbage. A vactor truck has a large, mounted tank and an 8” to 10” hose that will be used to suck out the rest of the waste. Unfortunately, it will cost approximately $2000 to clean out the restroom once both the liquids and garbage are removed.

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Photo by WDFW

Providing Conflict Prevention and Education

District 9 Cougar Concerns: This week, Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen received multiple reports of cougar detections by home security cameras. One report did turn out to be a confirmed cougar detection, while the other turned out to be Mr. Fluffernoodles, a domestic house cat.

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Photo by WDFW

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Photo by WDFW

District 10 Injured Elk: Aubrey responded to a report of an immobile elk in a field, believed to be caused by Treponeme associated hoof disease (TAHD). Upon arrival, the elk had already passed and did have infected hooves. One of the neighbors wanted to salvage the animal so they were given a donation form. The elk was removed by the neighbor.

District 10 Injured Deer: Aubrey responded to a report of an injured deer that had been hit by a vehicle. The deer was dispatched and the carcass disposed of.

District 10 Bear Concerns: Aubrey received complaints from multiple areas about bears getting into trash and other attractants. Aubrey gave advice on securing attractants and hazing options.

Conserving Natural Landscapes

Mudflow Unit, Mt. St. Helens Wildlife Area: On the first day of December, Assistant Manager Risley and Technician Crane posted signs at the Mudflow Unit of the Mt. St. Helens Wildlife Area for the winter closure.

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Photo by WDFW

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Photo by WDFW

The Mudflow Unit is the only unit in the Mt. St. Helens Wildlife Area that closes seasonally for the protection of elk during the winter. The Mudflow Unit has been used by the Mt. St. Helens elk herd as over wintering grounds for generations. In recent years, Wildlife area staff members have observed as many as 350 individual elk using the Mudflow in a single day. Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife made the decision to close the unit to the public during the winter months to reduce stress to the elk during a critical time when available food and other resources are low. This closure is in effect from Dec. 1 through April 30 of the following year. Unfortunately, a small number of people are caught on the wildlife area each year during the closure and the most common explanation given is, “We didn’t see any signs."

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Cowlitz Wildlife Area Ponds: Three of the ponds on the Cowlitz Wildlife Area have not held water for several years due to failed water control structures but were repaired in time to take advantage of the heavy precipitation brought on by the recent atmospheric river event. These ponds are managed for moist soil habitat and winter waterfowl with the latter already seen splashing around enjoying themselves.

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Providing Education and Outreach

Christmas in the Gorge Starlight Parade: Biologist Bergh joined Law Enforcement Detachment 53 for the annual Starlight Parade in Stevenson. Two Enforcement trucks were decorated with lights and decoys and Bergh handed out Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife pencils and whistles. Turnout for the parade was low this year due to the rain and snow, but the parade floats were all still very impressive.

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Photo by WDFW

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Photo by WDFW

Managing Wildlife Populations

Columbian White-tailed Deer Surveys: Biologists Holman and Stephens have conducted two surveys for Columbian white-tailed deer on Puget Island. Surveys consist of driving designated routes and counting all deer and classifying them as doe, fawn, or buck. The primary purpose of the survey is to generate a doe to fawn ratio. This survey is done in partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Cowlitz Tribe, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, and with support from volunteers. Survey results will be summarized in future reports. Thanks to Customer Service Specialist Kean and Regional Operations Manager Varley for participating in the surveys.

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Photo by WDFW

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Photo by WDFW

Providing Recreation Opportunities

Access Areas: Access area staff members and a Department of Corrections crew have been working together at many access areas removing debris, leaves, and fallen trees. This time of year is very busy with this type of maintenance, especially after wind and rain storms. Throughout the week, multiple areas were cleaned including Kress Lake. The Department of Corrections crew was a huge help to Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife access staff members enabling them to service multiple sites a week.

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Photo by WDFW

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Photo by WDFW

Providing Conflict Prevention and Education

District 9 Urban Coyote: Maintenance staff members from a Clark County school contacted Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife regarding a coyote with mange that had become habituated to human presence and was interacting with people and lunchboxes at the school. Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen helped the school staff members coordinate with U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services on next steps to address the issue.

Injured Deer: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen made another attempt to capture a deer in Skamania County that has a piece of hard plastic stuck on its hoof, making the limb unusable. The deer has had this issue since mid-summer and shows up regularly at a particular residence. It changes its activity patterns every time Jacobsen tries to catch it. This time was no different.

Jacobsen did observe a beautiful black-tailed deer female with a “double throat patch” while waiting for the injured deer to show up. Jacobsen discouraged the landowner from placing out feed for the deer in the neighborhood. This issue is addressed at length in the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife brochure “Feeding Deer in Urban and Suburban Areas…Is it Harmful?” (PDF)

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Orphaned Cougar Kittens: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen received a call from a homeowner in Klickitat County regarding three cougar kittens that were after her chickens the previous night. Despite the fact that the homeowner had secured her three chickens in a chain-link enclosure, the kittens somehow managed to grab one of the chickens through the fence and kill it.

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Photo by the homeowner.

Jacobsen arrived later that morning to assess the situation and while he was knocking on the homeowner’s door to speak with them, he looked over and saw the three cougar kittens trying to get the chickens again. Based on the behavior of the kittens and the frequency with which they were visiting the residence without an adult present (verified by trail camera footage), Jacobsen determined the kittens were orphaned and would continue to cause trouble until they eventually starved to death.

Jacobsen consulted with Cougar Specialists Beausoleil and Welfelt and agreed that capturing them was the best option for the kittens. Jacobsen baited three live traps and caught two of the kittens the first night. The third kitten was captured the following night. Biologists Bergh and Wickhem and Volunteer Downing assisted in transferring the three very feisty kittens from the traps into crates for transport.

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Photo by WDFW

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Photo by WDFW

In setting the traps in the brush, Jacobsen was extensively exposed to several defoliated poison oak branches and suffered extreme itching for the next two weeks – the price of helping to rescue orphans. All three kittens were placed in Cougar Specialist Beausoleil’s care until their permanent homes in captive facilities could be determined. The kittens were approximately 17 weeks old and between 21 and 23 pounds. Orphaned cougar kittens less than one year old cannot survive in the wild without their mother and cannot be rehabilitated and taught to catch natural prey by humans. Therefore, the only alternative to starvation in the wild is placement in an accredited facility (usually a zoo) capable of caring for cougars. All three kittens will soon be headed to the east coast for final placement in the coming week.

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Photo by WDFW

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Photo by WDFW

Damage Prevention Cooperative Agreements: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen met with several crop producers in Klickitat County to renew their annual Damage Prevention Cooperative Agreements.

Livestock Carcass Sanitation: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen collected and hauled deceased livestock carcasses away from a livestock operation in Klickitat County to help prevent the Big Muddy wolf pack from scavenging on carcasses in the area.

Conserving Natural Landscapes

Klickitat Wildlife Area Forest Health Enhancement Project Phase II: Operations on the Forest Health Enhancement Project began this month. This project involves thinning timber on the Soda Springs Unit. The objective is to improve forest health by thinning the stand, thereby reducing competition among trees for scarce water resources, improve forest resistance to wildfire by removing some of the fuel, and leave a more open understory that is less conducive to fire spread, and do this while maintaining quality habitat for the western gray squirrel.

The western gray squirrel was recently uplisted to endangered status in Washington State. They depend on a forested environment. By promoting forest health and resistance to wildfire, we will help western gray squirrels persist on the wildlife area. The current project is to thin between 247 and 270 acres of western gray squirrel occupied forest. As of 2021, there were 797 western gray squirrel nests within the project area. The whole area was resurveyed for nest trees in 2023 prior to the implementation of the project. At that time, adjustments were made to protect the nest trees.

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife completed a similar project in 2018 (Phase I) on the Klickitat Wildlife Area. They found that two years after the forest thinning was done there was no significant change in the number of western gray squirrel nests within the project area compared to the number of nests prior to harvest. This project demonstrates that a carefully planned and implemented forest management project can be undertaken within a western gray squirrel occupied forest while conserving the important habitat features that the squirrels require.

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Photo by WDFW

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Photo by WDFW

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Photo by WDFW

Simcoe Unit Fence Inspection: Wildlife Area Manager Van Leuven was aware of unauthorized fence construction on the Simcoe Mountains Unit as well as damage to newly constructed property boundary fences. VanLeuven visited the property to investigate the extent of the damage. Unfortunately, the fence was cut in seven places. VanLeuven recorded the coordinates and mapped all of the damage. The photo below shows an example of the condition of the fence. Manager VanLeuven spoke with a neighbor of the Simcoe Unit, who explained that he had cut the fences and why. A meeting has been scheduled to resolve the issue.

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Photo by WDFW

Another incident occurred during the inspection of the fence, where VanLeuven discovered two men cutting firewood without a permit on the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) property along a road beyond a sign informing visitors, “No Unauthorized Vehicles Beyond This Point”. VanLeuven contacted them and later forwarded information to WDFW officers for possible follow-up. While on the Simcoe Unit, VanLeuven added reflective tape to the three new panel gates to make them visible at night, to avert damage from vehicle collisions. 

Providing Education and Outreach

Bat Outreach Presentation: Biologist Stephens gave a presentation about bats to a group of Lewis County residents. The presentation was organized by the Lewis County Stream Team and the focus was bat biology, white-nosed syndrome, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife bat research, and creating backyard bat habitat. The presentation was well-attended, the group was very interested in bats, and they asked many great questions.

Vancouver Wildlife League Presentation: Biologist Holman presented on southwest Washington black-tailed deer research and management to a group of approximately 25 members of the Vancouver Wildlife League. The presentation featured summaries of WDFW research on doe/fawn ecology related to forest management, buck survival, current methods for monitoring black-tails, and future strategies for black-tail monitoring. Thanks to Ungulate Specialist Oates for providing much of the presentation material. Thanks to the Vancouver Wildlife League for their involvement in hunting and fishing related activities and advocacy spanning nearly 100 years in southwest Washington.

Managing Wildlife Populations

Goose Surveys: Biologists Holman, Stephens, and Wickhem continued the twice-monthly goose surveys in Clark, Cowlitz, and Wahkiakum counties. Dusky Canada geese are the focus of this effort, but all species encountered are counted and documented. Dusky geese are a sub-species of Canada goose that spend summers in Alaska and migrate through and overwinter in southwest Washington and northwest Oregon. Duskys are closed to recreational harvest due to low population levels. The purpose of the surveys is to count dusky geese observed and read alphanumeric codes on any red-collared duskys. These data are submitted to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and are used to develop an annual survival estimate for the dusky geese. Wickhem recorded 17 duskys within a flock with cackling Canada geese on this survey.

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Photo by WDFW

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Photo by WDFW

Klickitat Mule Deer Mortality Investigations: Biologist Wickhem investigated three mortality (death) signals from collared female mule deer in the first two weeks of November, two of which were in one day. Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen assisted in one of the investigations as well, which required a lengthy necropsy (wildlife autopsy). The first deer was likely killed by coyotes but had been aggressively scavenged by the time Wickhem arrived, so it wasn’t possible to tell for sure.

The second deer was completely intact when Wickhem arrived. The carcass was found approximately 250 yards from a highway and after skinning a portion of the carcass, extensive trauma and internal bleeding were observed. Wickhem determined the doe died after getting hit by a vehicle.

The final deer was also intact when Wickhem and Jacobsen arrived but showed signs of bloody diarrhea. During the necropsy the pair found discolored organs and blood in the intestines and body cavity. After consulting with an agency veterinarian, it was determined she likely died from a hemorrhagic disease, but not adenovirus hemorrhagic disease which has been documented in Klickitat County in 2017 and 2022.

These deer are part of a 4-year study being conducted throughout (Game Management Units) 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 the GMUs for this effort. Twenty-two collars were deployed in the winter of 2022. Twenty-three collars were deployed in the winter of 2023. Most of the collars deployed in 2023 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.

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Photo by WDFW

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Photo by WDFW

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Photo by WDFW

Providing Recreation Opportunities

Hunter Harvest Checks: Regional wildlife biologists, wildlife conflict specialists, and customer service specialists continue to complete checks of hunter harvested wildlife. Many species of wildlife including cougars, bobcats, bears, bighorn sheep, and mountain goats have checking requirements to facilitate biological sample collection and assure the legality of harvests. Hunters are reminded to check the Big Game Seasons Pamphlet in order to be clear on checking requirements for various species. Recent checks have included several sets of elk hooves and a handful of cougars.

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Photo by WDFW

Conserving Natural Landscapes

Switching It Up: When the first hard frost arrives, wildlife area staff members are finally given a reprieve from the intense weed control activities that dominate much of their time during the spring, summer, and fall. On the Mt. St. Helens Wildlife Area, the first frost arrived at the beginning of November. There are still some weed control activities that will happen, but the winter season is a great time for wildlife area staff members to catch up on maintenance activities, survey for migrating waterfowl, document winter movements of elk, replace and update signage, and tackle data reporting. There is nothing that makes a wildlife area manager, or assistant manager miss the weed season like a few hours in front of their computer.

Assistant Manager Risley visited multiple sites around the Mudflow Unit to replace signage. Risley ran into Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) Fish Program staff members releasing 15 adult coho salmon into Bear Creek on the Mudflow Unit. Since migratory fish are unable to access the upper reaches of the North Fork Toutle River and its tributaries, WDFW captures and transports adult coho salmon and steelhead to both Bear Creek and Alder Creek to spawn naturally and perpetuate these native runs.

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Photo by WDFW

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Photo by WDFW

Providing Education and Outreach

Industrial Timberland Access: Private Lands Biologist Gray was interviewed by the Columbia Insight magazine to learn more information about private industrial timberlands in southwest Washington and issues associated with allowing public access. The picture below shows one of the unfortunate realities many timber companies face. One of the benefits of enrollment into the WDFW Private Lands Access Program is financial assistance and coordination to help private timberlands clean up garbage dumping on their lands. WDFW is currently seeking private timberlands and small forest landowners to enroll in the access program to assist these landowners in providing free public access.

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Photo by WDFW

Managing Wildlife Populations

Hunter Harvest 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 in order to be clear on checking requirements for various species. Recently, Biologist Holman checked two big-horned sheep harvested by happy hunters in WDFW’s Region 1.

Treponeme-Associated Hoof Disease (TAHD) Hoof Collection: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Aubrey was contacted by a district biologist in Region 6 about a fresh set of elk hooves suspected to be infected with TAHD. Wildlife Conflict Specialist Aubrey was able to meet the hunter and transport the hooves to a specialized freezer to assist with Washington State University's ongoing research.

Wolf Telemetry: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen accompanied Wolf Biologist Spence for a day in the field, checking wolf radio collar signals, and looking for tracks in the South Cascades.

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Photo by WDFW

Providing Recreation Opportunities

Access Program Site Maintenance: Private Lands Biologist Gray replaced old, weathered program signage at properties enrolled in the Private Lands Access Program in Skamania County. The current federal Voluntary Public Access Program Grant awarded to Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife in 2020 helps support the purchase and replacement of deteriorated signage.

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Photo by WDFW

Providing Conflict Prevention and Education

District 9 Depredation Investigation: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen, Biologist Spence, and Officer Nelson investigated a cow carcass found on a grazing allotment on U. S. Forest Service land. The livestock producer accompanied Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife staff members during the investigation. The carcass was several weeks old and heavily scavenged, which hindered the investigation. The cause of death for this cow was classified as “unknown cause of death.”

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Photo by WDFW

Bear in Yard: A Clark County landowner contacted Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) regarding a black bear that was captured by a trail camera in their yard. Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen spoke with the reporting party about the bear. It appeared to have a WDFW ear tag from a previous human food habituation issue. Jacobsen will continue to monitor reports in the area.

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Photo by WDFW

Cougar in Driveway: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen was contacted by a resident in an urban area regarding a cougar that was photographed in her neighbor’s driveway earlier that morning. Jacobsen patrolled the area but was unable to locate the cougar.

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Photo by reporting party

District 9 Injured Deer Reports: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen responded to a report of an injured deer in Skamania County. The deer had been struck by a vehicle and then later attacked by what appeared to be a domestic dog. Jacobsen euthanized the deer and donated the carcass to a neighboring landowner.

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Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen and Officer Bolton responded to a report of an injured deer that had been trapped in an empty cattle water trough for two days. It took the landowner two days to realize where the thumping sound was coming from before she discovered the deer. The landowner dumped the deer out of the trough and turned the trough upside-down to keep other deer from jumping in. After giving the small deer a day to recover, the deer was still not able to stand up after the ordeal. Jacobsen eventually had to euthanize the deer.

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Photo by WDFW

Damage Prevention Cooperative Agreements: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen met with several commercial agriculture producers to initiate or renew Damage Prevention Cooperative Agreements. These agreements help Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and producers mitigate crop damage and loss due to deer and elk.

District 10 Cougar Depredation: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Aubrey responded to a report of three sheep killed by a cougar. This was in the same area and the same livestock owner who had a single sheep killed ten days earlier in a different pasture. The depredation happened midday, but unfortunately took over 24 hours to be reported. A depredation investigation was conducted, and it was determined that the cause of death was a cougar. Given the circumstances, hounds were deployed in an attempt to remove the cougar. The hounds were unable to strike on a scent. Trail cameras were left to monitor the situation and livestock husbandry advice was given.

District 10 Injured Deer and Elk Reports: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Aubrey responded to a report of a deer with an arrow in its front shoulder. The deer was still mobile and was not located by Aubrey. The deer will likely be able to survive the injury based on the description from the original reporting party.

Wildlife Conflict Specialist Aubrey responded to a report of a young deer that had been down in a homeowner’s yard for about eight hours. The deer was unable to stand and appeared to be experiencing regular seizures. Aubrey euthanized the deer.

Wildlife Conflict Specialist Aubrey responded to a report of a deer hit by a vehicle. Unfortunately, the injuries were severe, and the deer was euthanized.

Wildlife Conflict Specialist Aubrey responded to an elk down in a field. The reporting party was unsure if the elk had been hit by a vehicle or if it was suffering from TAHD. Upon arrival, it was clear the elk was hit by a vehicle. The elk was euthanized and donated to an individual who wanted to salvage the animal.

Conserving Natural Landscapes

Opening Weekend of Modern Firearm Deer Season on the Klickitat Wildlife Area: Assistant Regional Wildlife Program Manager Hauswald and Klickitat Wildlife Area Manager VanLeuven conducted a hunter success survey on the Soda Springs Unit on Saturday Oct. 14. The number of camps on the wildlife area was noticeably lower than normal, with several good camping spots vacant.

Hunters reported seeing a few does and bucks, but not as many deer as expected. Most of the hunters contacted were people who hunt the Klickitat Wildlife Area every year. Of 67 deer hunters counted, only one harvested a deer (a 3-point buck) on opening day. Manager VanLeuven worked solo on Oct. 15, contacting 38 hunters. None had harvested deer, however there was a report of a youth hunter harvesting a 2-point buck. The weather was pleasant and the hunters camping on the Klickitat Wildlife Area seemed to be enjoying their time. Quite a few hunters left early due to the low number of deer observed.

Managing Wildlife Populations

Fish Removal: Biologists Wickhem and Bergh spent two days removing non-native fish from a lake inhabited by state-endangered northwestern pond turtles. The fish compete with the turtles for food and the larger fish eat hatchling turtles. The water in the lake was extremely low which caused the fish to be concentrated in small pools. The mud made it difficult to get around, but many five-gallon buckets of fish were removed.

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Photo by WDFW

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Columbian White-tailed Deer Population Monitoring: Biologists Holman and Stephens along with Wildlife Area Assistant Manager Risley joined U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service Biologist Kruenegel to set cameras in habitat occupied by Columbian white-tailed deer in Cowlitz County. The camera sets are designed to generate data to determine the current relative abundance of Columbian white-tailed deer verses black-tailed deer in specific areas where the species are sympatric (occupying the same habitat and location). The photographs will be collected in the coming months and used to complement aerial surveys for the white-tails that will happen next February.

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Columbian White-tailed Deer Necropsy: Biologists Holman and Stephens joined U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service Biologist Kruenegel and Assistant Refuge Manager Bonello to necropsy a Columbian white-tailed deer that was euthanized in Wahkiakum County. The deer was acting abnormally and very emaciated. The necropsy revealed worn teeth and further demonstrated the deer’s poor nutritional state (zero fat over the heart or kidney).  No specific signs of disease were noted, and lung, liver and heart tissue all appeared normal. Evaluation of stomach contents failed to reveal atypical foods. Samples for Chronic Wasting Disease, ageing, and genetic testing were collected and retained by U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Columbia Gorge Pika Surveys: Biologist Wickhem completed four surveys for American pikas in the Columbia River Gorge this September. Wickhem was assisting with a long-term monitoring project run by the U.S. Geological Survey that tracks pika occupancy at many sites throughout the Gorge. This season, the project was focused on “edge sites” or areas that are considered either at the edges of the pikas' range in the area, or the edges of what is considered the Gorge habitat verses more traditional mountainous/alpine pika habitat. Throughout North America, American pikas are usually only found in higher elevations, but the Columbia River Gorge is the only place where American pikas occur at near sea level. Collared pikas, that live in northern Canada and Alaska, can live at sea level but are a different species. On these surveys, Wickhem confirmed pikas at three out of the four sites either by hearing calls or by finding fresh hay piles (pika food cache) and latrines.

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Photo by WDFW

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Klickitat Mule Deer Mortality Investigation: Biologist Wickhem investigated the mortality signal from a collared female mule deer this week. From the map of its recent locations, it appeared the doe had been hit by a car, but when Wickhem arrived it was obvious that she had been aggressively scavenged by coyotes for several days. It was impossible to tell if the coyotes had killed her next to the road, or if she had been hit by a car and found by the coyotes soon after. 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 were deployed in winter 2023. Most of the redeployments replaced study deer that died over the first two years of the study. We are nearing the end of the study so this collar will not be redeployed for this project. 

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Photo by WDFW

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Photo by WDFW

Providing Conflict Prevention and Education

District 9 Calf Depredation: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen followed up on a report from the Klickitat County Sheriff’s Office of a cougar depredation on a domestic calf. The landowner had observed the cougar feeding on the calf carcass and called the Sheriff’s Office, who came out and located and killed the cougar with the use of hounds. Jacobsen arrived and confirmed the depredation as a cougar depredation. He will work with the livestock producer on filing a livestock loss damage claim if he is interested.

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Photo by WDFW

Injured Deer: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen was contacted by a homeowner who was concerned about a deer in his yard. The deer had an injury to its side and the homeowner believed the deer needed to be euthanized. After examining photos of the deer, Jacobsen advised the homeowner that the deer would likely survive and that it should be left alone. Jacobsen also reviewed with the homeowner multiple reasons why supplemental feeding of deer is actually harmful to the deer. The homeowner agreed to stop feeding the deer.

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Photo by reporting party

Second Injured Deer: Region 5 Wildlife Program staff members were contacted by a homeowner regarding a deer with netting tangled around its antlers. Both District Biologist Bergh and Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen attempted to contact the reporting party multiple times. It is unknown what became of the entangled deer.

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Photo by reporting party

Another Injured Deer: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen spoke with a landowner who reported a sick or injured deer laying in her yard. Jacobsen reviewed the photos and agreed that the deer was in poor condition and likely needed to be euthanized. Sargent John authorized the landowner to euthanize the deer.

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Photo by reporting party

Fourth Injured Deer: Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Dispatch contacted Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen regarding a deer that had been caught in a fence in Goldendale and that needed to be euthanized. Jacobsen adjusted his plans and met Goldendale Police Department staff members on scene. The deer was no longer caught in the fence but had incurred severe injuries from the incident and needed to be euthanized. Due to the deer’s location in a residential area, Goldendale Police Department staff members determined that it was not safe to discharge a firearm in the area and requested Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife assistance. Jacobsen successfully immobilized the deer with a dart gun and was able to transport the immobilized deer to a safer location to euthanize it. It is not uncommon for deer (especially fawns) to get caught in fences, particularly around residential neighborhoods. Homeowners should seek to install wildlife-friendly fencing (PDF)around yards to prevent deer from getting caught on fences as they try to cross.

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Photo by WDFW

 

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Camas Bear Sightings: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen fielded multiple calls regarding a bear wandering around the Lacamas Lake, Camas area. It appears the bear made a few wrong turns and spent several days trying to figure out how to leave the urban area.

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Photo by reporting party

Elk/Deer Fencing Project Inspections: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen completed several fence project inspections for elk/deer proof fencing. Over the past four years, the Washington Legislature has appropriated funding for Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife to enter into cost-share fencing projects with commercial agricultural producers who are experiencing substantial elk and deer damage to crops. So far, Jacobsen has completed 11 cost-share fencing projects totaling almost 5.5 miles of fencing around commercial operations, ranging from vineyards to produce to oat crops. Jacobsen spent time this week mapping out and obtaining quotes for additional fencing projects in District 9.

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Photo by WDFW

Sheep Depredation: A landowner contacted the Department of Fish and Wildlife regarding two sheep that went missing and one that he found dead in his pasture. Unfortunately, the landowner burned the sheep carcass the day prior, so it was not available for inspection. Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen, accompanied by Regional Operations Manager Varley, responded to the sheep farm. After walking the perimeter of the pasture and not finding any signs of the sheep, Jacobsen began exploring the woods and creek bottom across the street. Jacobsen located one of the missing sheep carcasses in the creek bottom. Jacobsen provided advice and hazing materials to the landowner, and strongly encouraged him to begin penning his livestock up at night.

Coordinated Resource Management Planning Meeting: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen attended a Coordinated Resource Management Planning meeting with Klickitat County livestock producers and land managers to discuss wolf-livestock range issues.

Conserving Natural Landscapes

Eagle Island Unit: Approximately five weeks were spent this August and September treating Scotch broom and knotweed on the Eagle Island Unit of the Mt. St. Helens Wildlife Area, located in the North Fork of the Lewis River. This island is normally only accessible by boat, but during the month of August, river flows are low enough that staff members can access the island by foot or UTV.

Treating knotweed is generally not very fun. These days are long, the weather is muggy, the bugs are plentiful, and the three gallon backpack sprayers feel excessively heavy at the end of the day. However, at the end of an intense knotweed season, staff members get the satisfaction of watching the knotweed turn crispy and brown. It is even more satisfying kayaking down the river, surveying the shoreline for any knotweed plants that have escaped herbicide treatment. Assistant Manager Risley and Technician Crane made this float in approximately three hours, treating knotweed and purple loosestrife along the way.

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Photo by WDFW

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Merrill Lake Unit: Just in time for hunting season, Technician Crane and Assistant Manager Risley visited each of the official campsites at the Merrill Lake Unit to replace signs that went missing this summer. Unauthorized campsites were disassembled, and trash was cleaned from every site. Well-worn trails to the falls indicate that recreational use of the unit has been very high this year.

Simcoe Boundary Marking: Biologists Wickhem and Bergh spent two days refreshing the signs marking deer area 5382 Simcoe as well as marking the new property lines at the Simcoe Unit of the Klickitat Wildlife Area. Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife recently acquired two new parcels, one on the south edge of the unit and one on the west edge of the unit. The new parcels are included on the map on WDFW’s Simcoe Unit webpage as well as on the Klickitat County Assessor’s online mapping tool.

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Photo by WDFW

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Providing Education and Outreach

Mt. St. Helens Wildlife Area: Professors and students from the University of Nottingham’s Mt. St. Helens Field Course visited the Mudflow Unit to collect geographical data at multiple cross-sections of the North Toutle River flood plain. This is the 16^th year of data collection that the university has collected in their ongoing study of Mt. St. Helens and the sediment and debris flow since the 1980 eruption. Assistant Regional Wildlife Program Manager Hauswald and Assistant Manager Risley met up with the students and their professors during their lunch break to talk with them about the elk management and conservation work that is done by Department of Fish and Wildlife at the wildlife area.

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Photo by WDFW

Vancouver Wildlife League Presentation: Biologist Holman presented on southwest Washington elk management to a group of approximately 20 members of the Vancouver Wildlife League. The presentation featured the history of local elk spanning 1980-2023, Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) work to better understand the effects of Hoof Disease, WDFW management efforts surrounding Hoof Disease, and population information. Thanks to the Vancouver Wildlife League for their involvement in hunting and fishing related activities and advocacy spanning nearly 100 years in southwest Washington. For more information on the group see their website here: About us (vancouverwildlife.org) Thanks as well to Regional Director Sallee for attending the presentation.  

Managing Wildlife Populations

Hoof Disease Incentive Program Collection Sites: Biologists Holman, Stephens, Wickhem, and Bergh as well as Cowlitz Wildlife Area Manager Vanderlip and Conflict Specialist Aubrey all contributed to setting up the Hoof Disease Incentive Program collection stations for this year. This is year three of Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife’s program designed to incentivize hunters to remove elk showing visual signs of hoof disease. For information on the program see page 65 of the 2023 Big Game Hunting Regulations and/or visit the WDFW website.

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Forest Grouse Wing and Tail Collection Sites: Regional wildlife biologists set up the collection stations for hunter submissions of forest grouse wings and tails. Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife biologists statewide use the forest grouse wing and tail collections to evaluate grouse populations by determining the species, sex, and age of hunter harvested grouse.

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Photo by WDFW

Northwestern Pond Turtles and Drought: Biologist Bergh followed up on a report by one of the bullfrog removal contractors who saw several pond turtle carcasses on the shores of ponds that have been drying up with this year’s severe drought. A total of seven pond turtle carcasses were found and most of the carcasses appeared to be somewhat fresh. Two of the ponds searched for carcasses were completely dry and one only had a small amount of water covering about a third of the pond’s area. After several successive years of drought, many ground and rainwater fed waterbodies have reached historically low levels.

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Hunter Harvest Wildlife Checks: Regional wildlife biologists, wildlife conflict specialists, and customer service specialists have made the initial hunter harvested wildlife checks of the fall season. 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 in order to be clear on checking requirements for various species. So far, cougars and bobcats have been inspected.

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Photo by WDFW

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Animal ID: A homeowner contacted Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen about a feline in the yard that they believed was a lynx. The landowner took a great photo of the animal! Jacobsen confirmed the animal as a bobcat. It is not uncommon for Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife staff members to receive reports of lynx in southwest Washington, though all end up being bobcats or domestic house cats. Less than 50 lynx are known to persist in Washington, with all of those residing in the North Cascades. Lynx were historically present to some degree in the South Cascades, though unfortunately not much evidence exists of their presence here past the late 1890s.

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Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen was contacted by a concerned homeowner after the homeowner noticed an unusual animal in his yard. The homeowner described the animal as “four times larger than a cat, pure white, with a tail that curls up like a dog, hair like a pig, that jumps like a cat, and likes his compost pile.” The homeowner believed that there were wildlife species hybridizing in the woods around him. Jacobsen advised the homeowner to try to get a picture of the animal and to set up a trail camera. A couple of weeks later, Jacobsen received a photo of the animal from the homeowner. Though the picture was taken at a substantial distance and the animal in question was blurry, Jacobsen believes that the animal was likely a raccoon with a skin/hair condition that caused it to lose much of its fur (though it also resembled a house cat in some respects). The homeowner wasn’t convinced.

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Providing Recreation Opportunities

Klickitat County Pheasant Release: Biologist Wickhem and Volunteer Morrison released farm-raised pheasants at three locations outside Goldendale ahead of the two-day youth hunting season. In total, 80 roosters were released at the Goldendale Trout Hatchery, the Gun Club, and Finn Ridge “Feel Free to Hunt” properties. All birds were good fliers and were excited to explore the wilds outside of their crates. Please remember that nontoxic shot is required at all pheasant release sites (PDF).

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Property Enrollments: Wildlife Conflict Specialist/Private Lands Supervisor Jacobsen enrolled 15 properties in various Private Lands Hunting Access programs for a total of 62,130 acres across Region 5. Jacobsen also posted several of the properties with Private Lands Program signage.

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Photo by WDFW

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Providing Conflict Prevention and Education

Tangled Owl: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen fielded a report about an owl tangled in a soccer net at a Clark County Park. Jacobsen contacted county officials in the area and provided advice on untangling the owl.

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Photo by WDFW

Cougar Concerns: A resident in Klickitat County contacted Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen after his neighbor captured a cougar on a security camera near their respective homes. Jacobsen provided advice on living in cougar country.

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Photo by WDFW

A Clark County resident contacted Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen regarding a dead deer that he had found in a field near his house. A substantial blood trail led through the backyard of a residence to where the deer lay in the field. The reporting party was concerned that a cougar had killed the deer and wanted to alert all the neighbors regarding the cougar’s presence. Jacobsen happened to be in the area the following day and stopped by to investigate the carcass. One of the neighbors had removed the carcass earlier in the morning but Jacobsen determined that the most likely explanation for the scenario was that the small buck had been hit by a car and had a broken leg. At some point, the buck was discovered by coyotes, who pursued the deer and killed it on the edge of the field.

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A concerned member of the public contacted local police after she observed what she believed was a cougar near a local business. Police staff contacted Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen, who confirmed the animal in question as a bobcat.

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A homeowner in Skamania County reported observing a cougar near her house a few days prior. Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen examined the photo of the animal and confirmed that it was a cougar. Advice was provided to the homeowner regarding outdoor domestic cats and living in cougar country.

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Photo by reporting party

Depredation on Gazelle: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen and Officer Way responded to a report of a cougar depredation on a Rhim gazelle (also known as a slender-horned gazelle) at an exotic farm in Klickitat County. Rhim gazelle are native to a handful of countries in northern Africa and are considered endangered in the wild. A Klickitat County Deputy and houndsman were already on-scene searching for a cougar when Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife staff members arrived. After investigating the kill site and conducting a full necropsy on the carcass (which included shaving and skinning the carcass), Jacobsen confirmed the depredation as a coyote depredation and provided advice to the farm manager on fencing to prevent future coyote issues.

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Photo by WDFW

Orphaned Bobcat Kitten: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen fielded a report about a bobcat kitten that a landowner had trapped in his shed and later let go. The bobcat’s behavior in the report sounded unusual, so Jacobsen contacted the landowner and determined the bobcat was likely orphaned. The kitten had been hanging out near the landowner’s house for the past four days without any sign of an adult present. Jacobsen asked the landowner if he would be willing to set a live trap for the bobcat. The landowner went out and purchased a live trap and within 15 minutes of setting the trap, he had caught the bobcat kitten again. The landowner met Jacobsen and handed the bobcat off. Jacobsen, Furbearer Specialist Welfelt, and Rehabilitation Coordinator Mannas worked together to transport the kitten several hundred miles to PAWS rehabilitation center in Snohomish County, where it will reside with five other bobcat kittens currently in rehab.

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Photo by WDFW

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Photo by WDFW

Goat Depredations: Two different landowners in western Clark County contacted Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen regarding depredations on their domestic goats. In both instances, the landowners believed cougars were responsible, but they had already disposed of the carcasses by the time they contacted Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. Based on the photographs submitted of the depredations and the locations of the farms, Jacobsen was confident that coyotes were responsible; however, one landowner was convinced that a cougar had killed his goats since his fence was extremely “secure” and didn’t believe a coyote could enter the pasture. The landowner lost 10 goats in the past couple of weeks. Jacobsen met with both landowners and provided advice on various non-lethal deterrent measures with an emphasis on fencing modifications to prevent coyotes from entering the various goat pastures.

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Photo by WDFW

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Photo by WDFW

Injured Deer: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen was on the phone with a Clark County deputy regarding an injured deer that had been reported when the deputy received another report of a second deer that had been hit by a car and was injured. Jacobsen responded to the scene and euthanized the juvenile buck while Camas/Washougal Animal Control provided traffic control assistance.

Orphaned Black Bear Cubs: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen responded to a report of two orphaned black bear cubs on Department of Natural Resources land in Clark County. Jacobsen set a trail camera up in the area but did not capture any videos of the cubs using the area.

Scat Identification: A concerned homeowner emailed pictures of some scat that she found in her yard to Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, believing the scat was bear scat. Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen identified the scat as raccoon scat and provided advice to the homeowner.

Wolf Concerns: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen received a report of two large canines, possibly wolves, that were observed in a pasture with cattle. Jacobsen responded to the area and checked a trail camera there. No photos of wolves were detected, but Jacobsen did capture this nice photo of a bear. Two large guard dogs frequent the pasture from a neighboring property, and it is likely that these were the canines that were observed by the reporting party.

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Photo by WDFW

Trapped Opossum: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen was contacted by a property manager regarding an opossum caught in a live trap that had been set for feral cats. The property manager wanted to know what to do with the opossum. Jacobsen advised the manager to simply let the opossum go.

Ungulate Damage: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Aubrey continued to respond to reports of elk and deer damage to agricultural crops. Aubrey worked with landowners on signing a Damage Prevention Cooperative Agreement and implementation of mitigation measures to lessen the damage.

Injured Deer: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Aubrey responded to a deer that had been hit by a vehicle. The deer was no longer mobile and was euthanized.

Nuisance Porcupine: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Aubrey responded to a report of a porcupine “stuck” in the fence in a backyard. The porcupine was not stuck but was hiding in the only spot of cover in the yard. The homeowner had dogs that needed to be let out so Aubrey captured the porcupine and relocated it to a nearby wooded area.

Providing Education and Outreach

Land Trust Alliance Conference: Biologist Bergh joined staff members from the Friends of the Gorge Land Trust, Pacific Northwest Ecoservices LLC, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program to give a seminar at the national Land Trust Alliance Conference which happened to be in Portland, Oregon this year. The title of their seminar was called “State-endangered Turtles, Invasive Plants and Animals, and Partnerships to Improve Habitat”. The Friends of the Gorge Land Trust purchased a property they call “Turtle Haven” in 2016 and have been successfully restoring the property for the benefit of northwestern pond turtles. The seminar was well attended with many great questions.

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Photo by WDFW

Webinar on Bullfrog Removal: Biologist Bergh and Washington Department Fish and Wildlife Contractor Michel did a webinar titled “Bullfrog Removal to Benefit the Imperiled Northwestern Pond Turtle” as part of the Conservation and Adaptation Toolbox webinar series. Over one hundred people attended the webinar, many great questions were asked, and technical knowledge was exchanged.

Providing Conflict Prevention and Education

Injured Owl: Biologist Wickhem and Volunteer Downing responded to a report of an injured great-horned owl near BZ Corners in Klickitat County. The owl had been seen perched on private property with what appeared to be a broken wing. The pair found the owl tucked underneath several stacked pieces of thick, metal trailer decking. Volunteer Downing was able to gently coax the owl out from under the decking with a long stick and Wickhem easily captured the tired bird as it emerged. The owl was taken to Rowena Wildlife Clinic for assessment. Unfortunately, the veterinarian said the break was more than a week old and too much bone was exposed for the wing to heal properly, so she decided to euthanize the owl to spare it from any further discomfort.

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Photo by WDFW

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Photo by WDFW

Agricultural Damage: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Aubrey met with landowners throughout District 10 experiencing damage to agriculture from deer and elk. Damage prevention cooperative agreements were drafted and signed.

Possible Cougar Sighting: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Aubrey placed a trail camera at a residence to monitor a potential cougar sighting.

Conserving Natural Landscapes

Mowing at Shillapoo Wildlife Area. In preparation for fall and the arrival of migratory waterfowl, large scale mowing activities have begun at the Shillapoo Wildlife Area. The mowing of tall, mature grasses encourages new growth, providing excellent forage for the geese, ducks, and sandhill cranes that will begin arriving later this fall. In some areas such as Vancouver Lake, the mowing is done in phases to provide temporary habitat and cover for pheasants that are released by WDFW for hunting opportunities at Shillapoo Wildlife Area.

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Photo by WDFW

Shillapoo and Mt. St. Helens Wildlife Area: Purple loosestrife is arguably one of the prettiest weeds growing on WDFW lands, and it is also on the priority list of noxious weeds treated by wildlife area staff members. Well known to people in other parts of the county where purple loosestrife has taken over vast amounts of shoreline, purple loosestrife often goes under the radar here in western Washington. It is often overlooked as just an attractive wetland plant with purple flowers. Through the months of July and August, Shillapoo and Mt. St. Helens wildlife area personnel visited and revisited many purple loosestrife sites to ensure this noxious weed is controlled effectively and its spread is prevented.

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Photo by WDFW

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Photo by WDFW

Managing Wildlife Populations

Klickitat County Bat Count: Biologist Wickhem conducted a bat count in Klickitat County with the help of Volunteers Flick, Hadley, and Robinson. A resident had reported a maternity colony (where numerous female bats give birth and rear their pups until they can fly) in the attic of a building on the property they manage. Earlier in the summer, the bats had deposited a large amount of guano in the attic. The bat team set up in strategic locations around the building to attempt to count the bats as they exited. Unfortunately, they only recorded one bat leaving the building during the survey. However, the team noted numerous bats flying past the building from what seemed to be a different, nearby location. It’s possible that the pups are now able to fly on their own and the bats recently moved into another roost on the property. The team did collect several recordings on an echolocation acoustic recorder that will be analyzed to determine what species were flying past the building. Wickhem will work with the landowner to determine where the bats are roosting now, and to schedule a follow-up survey next year, but earlier in the summer.

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Photo by WDFW

Klickitat Mule Deer Mortality Investigation: Biologist Wickhem investigated two collared mule deer mortalities this week, the first with the help of Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen. The deer was completely intact (and very bloated) with minimal scavenging by raptors. The cause of death was not immediately clear, and it took a fair bit of investigating. A few superficial bite wounds were visible from the outset, but after shearing half of the carcass, the pair found dozens of bite wounds and scrapes all over the neck, tail, lower half of her torso, rear end and insides of the legs. While none of the bites broke the skin, collectively they appeared to have caused significant internal bleeding. Unfortunately, it was likely a slow and stressful death. Information on the situation was passed on to Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) enforcement. The second deer died just on the northeastern edge of the Newell Rodd fire in Eastern Klickitat County but appeared to have been killed by a cougar. 

These deer are part of a four-year study being conducted throughout Game Management Units (GMU) 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 in winter 2023. Most of the deployments for 2022 through 2023 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.  

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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

Bumble Bee Atlas Survey: Biologists Combs, Holman, and Stephens surveyed two one-hectare plots in a grid cell for the Pacific Northwest Bumble Bee Atlas. The grid cell was located on Department of Natural Resource (DNR) land in Cowlitz County. Biologists captured the bumble bees using nets and then placed the bees in a cooler to chill them which temporarily immobilizes them. While the bees are still, photos used for identification are taken from several angles. The bees are then released unharmed near the capture location. During the effort, the biologists caught a total of 25 bumble bees which included the yellowhead bumble bee, yellow-faced bumble bee, fuzzy horned bumble bee, and the yellow bumble bee. More information can be found at www.bumblebeewatch.org.

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Photo by WDFW

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Photo by WDFW

Goat Rocks Mountain Goat Survey: Biologists Stephens and Holman, along with Biologist Borrego from the Nisqually Tribe conducted an aerial survey for mountain goats in the Goat Rocks Wilderness Area. Twenty distinct groups of goats were observed during the four hour effort. A total of 134 goats were recorded and after the sightability model corrected for goats that may have been missed by observers due to being obstructed by vegetation or rocks, the total population estimate came to 141 with a kid to adult ratio of 28:100. This number is very similar to results from last year’s effort and marks the first year since 2015 that biologists have not observed a decline in this population.  

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Photo by WDFW

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Photo by WDFW

Providing Conflict Prevention and Education

Packwood Elk Immobilization: Biologists received reports of a bull elk with a chair on its head in Packwood. A few days after initial reports, the elk was photographed with a chair and a long piece of rope hanging from his antler. Biologists Stephens and Holman were able to locate the elk, immobilize him, and remove the chair and rope from his antler. It is suspected that members of the public attempted to remove the chair and that is how the rope became tied to his antler. Unbelievably, it was confirmed that this was the same animal who had gotten parts of a hammock entangled in his antlers last fall. Because of this, he was affectionately dubbed “Hammock Head” by the local community and gained some notoriety beyond Packwood and even beyond Washington State. After he shed his antlers this spring and the hammock parts remained, biologists immobilized him in May of this year to remove the hammock. 

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Photo by WDFW

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Photo by WDFW