Managing Wildlife Populations

Banding Pigeons: In a game of Hurry Up and Wait, Wildlife Area Manager Hauswald and Assistant Manager Risley banded eight band-tailed pigeons near Woodland, Washington. The Pacific Coast band-tailed pigeon is managed as a migratory game bird in Washington. Its population is low for several reasons, but habitat loss is a significant contributing factor. Relocation of these banded pigeons may help Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) biologists identify important locations that can be added to a growing list of sites for monitoring along coastal and interior portions of Washington. Relocation data can also be used to learn more about migration timing, as well as winter use areas.

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Photo by WDFW

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Photo by WDFW

Annual Mule Deer Meeting: Biologists Bergh and Wickhem attended the annual meeting for WDFW staff members who manage mule deer. The group discussed survey methodology and potential improvements, data management and improvements, disease, migration research, and habitat work.

Providing Conflict Prevention and Education

Black Bear Damage: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen received multiple reports of a black bear breaking into sheds and chicken coops in a western Skamania County neighborhood. The bear recently consumed eight chickens in one coop. Jacobsen and Conflict Technician Kolenberg conducted a site visit to examine the damage and to determine what actions were necessary. Based on the nature of the incidents and time of year, Jacobsen decided to set a trap for the bear. Jacobsen and Kolenberg provided advice on securing attractants and electrifying chicken coops to the landowner. Trail camera surveillance and an empty trap indicated that the bear had not been back to the area over the following week, and the trap was pulled from the residence. Jacobsen received a report the next week of the bear raiding garbage cans, on garbage collection day, roughly one mile away. Jacobsen and Kolenberg will continue to monitor the situation and respond to any additional reports that come in from this area.

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Photo by WDFW

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Photo by WDFW

Raccoon Assistance: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen responded to a nearby residence in Klickitat County where a raccoon was caught in a live animal trap. The homeowner was attempting to catch feral cats but accidentally caught a raccoon instead. The elderly homeowner was not familiar with handling wildlife and, due to her concern of being bitten, requested WDFW’s assistance to release the raccoon. Jacobsen arrived at the residence and demonstrated to the homeowner how to release the raccoon from the trap so that she could do it herself in the future should the situation arise again. The homeowner, as well as the distraught raccoon, was very appreciative of the assistance.

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Photo by WDFW

Bear Complaint: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen provided advice over the phone to a landowner who was watching a black bear in her yard from her house window. The landowner was concerned about the bear presence in the area. The landowner was able to successfully scare the bear away with a siren sound on her phone. After discussing the incident with the landowner, Jacobsen found out that the bear had previously discovered bird feeders at the residence and had helped itself to the bounty. The landowner had since secured her attractants, but the bear apparently came back to see if bird food was on the menu that day.

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Photo by the reporting party

Injured Bobcat: A motorist was driving through Klickitat County when she observed an injured bobcat along the side of the road near a popular hiking trail. She contacted Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen, who happened to be 15 minutes away at the time of the report. Jacobsen responded to the scene. Despite the fact that the bobcat didn’t even try to move when the motorist photographed it a short while earlier, it was no longer at the scene when Jacobsen arrived. Jacobsen searched on foot but was unsuccessful. Given the proximity to the popular hiking trail, which is advertised as a dog-friendly trail and is heavily used by two and four-legged recreationists, Jacobsen requested a local houndsman assist in locating the bobcat in the hopes that it could be immobilized, captured, and transferred to a rehabilitation clinic. Unfortunately, or fortunately, the houndsman was not able to locate the bobcat either, which likely means the bobcat was still fairly mobile and likely to recover from its injuries.

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Photo by the reporting party

Injured Bald Eagle: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen received a phone call from a concerned citizen who had found an injured bald eagle. The eagle was in a grassy field at Beacon Rock State Park. Jacobsen responded to the location with Ranger Yeats and the reporting party. Jacobsen was able to successfully capture the eagle and transfer it to the Rowena Wildlife Clinic where its condition was assessed. The eagle turned out to be slightly emaciated and had an injury under one of its wings. It is now receiving treatment and is recovering at the rehabilitation clinic in Oregon.

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Photo by WDFW

Capture and Release of Elk with Portions of a Hammock Entangled in His Antlers: Biologists Stephens and Holman teamed up to capture an elk with portions of a hammock entangled in his antlers. The subject elk spends most of his time within the city limits of Packwood and first became entangled with the hammock in October 2022. At that time, Conflict Specialist Aubrey evaluated the elk and discussed its situation with district wildlife biologists. Consensus at that time was that since the animal could eat, move, and drink and because it was post-rut, the elk would both survive and be unlikely to become entangled with another bull. Furthermore, the situation would likely resolve itself without WDFW intervention when the bull shed his antlers during the following spring.

The elk subsequently survived several months. During that time, the elk generated a lot of interest among the citizens of eastern Lewis County. Media coverage including Tacoma and Centralia newspapers as well as Seattle’s King 5 News all ran stories on the elk. Thanks to Conflict Specialist Aubrey for fielding the many public contacts regarding this animal.

On approximately April 23, the bull shed his antlers but failed to free himself from the entangling material. District 10 staff members discussed the situation again and decided that a capture attempt was warranted. On May 2, Biologists Stephens and Holman successfully captured the elk, removed the entangled material, treated the underlying tissue for infection, and released the elk on site.

WDFW posted the story on Facebook.

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Photo by WDFW

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Photo by WDFW

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Photo by WDFW

Conserving Natural Landscapes

Planting Peas for Wildlife: Wildlife Area Manager Hauswald and Assistant Manager Risley planted an estimated eight acres of peas at the Shillapoo Wildlife Area. Peas are popular with migrating waterfowl in the fall and winter months, specifically Canada and snow geese. Once the peas have grown, matured, and dried, the peas are then “shattered” making them an attractive and accessible snack for the migrators.

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Photo by WDFW

Removing Garbage from Access Program Land in Klickitat County: Private Lands Biologist Gray visited one of the WDFW Private Lands Access Program sites popular during the wild turkey hunting season to engage with hunters and get feedback on the program. While there, Gray stopped to drag large pieces of metal trash off the property and hauled them to the dump station to keep the property maintained.

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Photo by WDFW

Providing Education and Outreach

Program Presentation in Cowlitz County: Private Lands Biologist Gray attended the combined annual meeting of the Cowlitz Farm and Forestry Association and the Cowlitz Conservation District as a speaker at the event. She gave a presentation about the WDFW Private Lands Access Program to an audience of 50 farmland and small forest landowners regarding how the program could help fit the goals of their land.

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Photo by WDFW

Bear and Cougar Mailers: Every year, Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen maps bear and cougar complaints throughout District 9 to help determine priority areas for education and outreach efforts. Last year, the White Salmon area was a source of abundant bear complaints. This spring, Jacobsen sent out a targeted bear/cougar mailer to the region. Thanks to tremendous help of the Region 5 Customer Service team and Conflict Technician Kolenberg in preparing the mailers. The mailer effort was able to reach over 3,400 residents of the greater White Salmon area. Hopefully these efforts will lead to reduced bear and cougar conflicts in the future!

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Photo by WDFW

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Photo by WDFW

Wild About Nature 10 Series: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen and Conflict Technician Kolenberg delivered presentations at the 10^th annual Wild About Nature speaker series in White Salmon. Conflict Technician Kolenberg’s presentation focused on historic wildlife and landscape accounts of the Columbia River Gorge area pre-European settlement. Jacobsen’s presentation focused on observing wildlife with trail cameras. Roughly 55 members of the public were in attendance and the presentations were well received.

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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

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Photo by WDFW

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Photo by WDFW

Conducting Business Operations and Policy

Immobilization Certification Course: Several Wildlife Program staff members from Region 5 attended WDFW Wildlife Immobilization and Capture courses held in Olympia and Ellensburg this week. This course is required for wildlife staff members every five years.

Managing Wildlife Populations

Klickitat Mule Deer Investigations:  Biologist Wickhem took a detour during Townsend’s ground squirrel surveys to respond to a mortality notification for one of the Klickitat study deer. This doe appears to have died a few days prior but had been aggressively scavenged. This kept the collar moving enough to prevent a mortality signal which is based on movement. By the time Wickhem arrived, all she could find was a portion of the spine, the lower jaw, and a crushed skull, making it impossible to determine the cause of death. Biologist Bergh investigated two deer mortalities. There was one on the Klickitat Wildlife Area and one on the Yakima Nation Reservation where Yakima Nation biologists joined her. The one on the Klickitat Wildlife Area was just a picked-clean skeleton in a bed of poison oak so no cause of death could be determined. The one on the Yakima Nation Reservation was killed by a cougar as determined by tracks and a cache of organs. Assistant Wildlife Area Manager Hunt and Officer Bolton investigated a fourth dead study deer that was poached on the Klickitat Wildlife Area. 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 GMUs for this effort. Twenty-two collars were deployed in the winter of 2022 and 2023. In winter 2023, most were redeployments replacing study deer that died over the first two years of the study. This is the last year of the study, so this and any other collars collected will not be redeployed.

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Photo by WDFW

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Photo by WDFW

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Photo by WDFW

Sooty Grouse Surveys: Western Washington WDFW wildlife biologists are testing a survey method for sooty grouse (formerly called blue grouse). The effort involves establishing driving routes in the Cascade Range and Olympic Mountains as well as the Willapa Hills. The routes include 15 to 30 listening stops where biologists spend time listening for male sooty grouse calls during the early morning hours. The survey method is borrowed from Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and Oregon State University. We thank them for their development of the method and sharing. When fully developed and implemented, the survey will generate sooty grouse population trend estimates that are independent of grouse harvest. To date, Biologists Stephens and Holman along with Conflict Specialist Aubrey have set five of the survey routes and conducted four surveys. 

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Photo by WDFW

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Photo by WDFW

Deceased Bald Eagle: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen responded to a report of a deceased bald eagle in Skamania County. The bald eagle was reported several times that morning by passers-by in a residential area. Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen retrieved the eagle carcass and determined that the eagle died after coming into contact with the power lines immediately above it. The eagle had burn marks on its underwing and face. Jacobsen notified the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) about the deceased eagle. The carcass will be transferred to the USFWS for their eagle repository.

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Photo by WDFW

Glenwood Valley Annual Sandhill Crane Survey: Biologists Wickhem and Bergh, Technician Motiff, Volunteer Castagnoli and staff members from the USFWS joined forces for the annual sandhill crane survey on and around Conboy Lake National Wildlife Refuge. The Glenwood Valley is one of only a few areas in the state where sandhill cranes nest. Sandhill cranes mate for life and return to the same “territory” each year to mate and raise their colts before migrating south in the fall. For this survey, the groups split up into teams to drive and hike around different crane territories. They record all cranes observed and look for crane nests. Wickhem and her survey partners confirmed two nests, observed a nest exchange (males and females take turns sitting on the nest), and witnessed two cranes mating, which made for an exciting survey!

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Photo by WDFW

         

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Photo by WDFW

 

Providing Conflict Prevention and Education

Elk Hazing Materials: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen delivered elk hazing explosives to a landowner in Trout Lake after nearly 200 elk were observed in one of the landowner’s crop fields.

Residential Deer Damage: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen provided advice to a landowner who was concerned about the growing deer population in her area and damage to the ornamental plants around here residence.

Livestock Carcass Disposal Program: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen continues to work with local livestock producers in Klickitat County within the Big Muddy Wolf Pack territory to help dispose of livestock carcasses. Jacobsen has transported multiple carcasses to local landfills to prevent wolf scavenging over the past several weeks.

Beaver Damage to Orchard: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen worked with a commercial apple and pear orchard regarding ongoing beaver damage issues to the orchard. Over the past year, beavers have cut down hundreds of apple trees in one block of the orchard. Jacobsen discussed beaver trapping and relocation options, lethal removal options, and nonlethal deterrents with the orchard manager. Wildlife Conflict Technician Kolenberg prepared strips of bear hide for the orchard to help deter the beavers from crawling under the fences around the orchard.

Deer Damage to Hay: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen was contacted by a landowner in western Clark County regarding deer damage to his hay crop. The producer had been documenting over a dozen deer feeding on and compacting his hay crop daily. Jacobsen enrolled the producer on a Damage Prevention Cooperative Agreement. The landowner had been attempting to haze the deer out of his fields for several months but had been unsuccessful so far. Jacobsen and Technician Kolenberg provided cracker shell explosives to the landowner as well as permits for lethal removal of the deer. After a couple of the deer had been removed by hunters, the number of deer visiting the fields drastically declined.

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Photo by WDFW

Injured Bald Eagle Report: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen received a report of an injured bald eagle in Skamania County along the Columbia River. Jacobsen looked for the eagle but was unable to locate it. It is likely that this is the same eagle that Biologist Wickhem tried to capture a few weeks prior. It was a cold, rainy, and windy day along the edge of the Columbia River.

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Photo by WDFW

Deer with Feed Sack: Over the course of two weeks, multiple landowners in a several-block radius of Washougal contacted WDFW to report a deer with what appears to be a feed sack wrapped around her neck. Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen and Technician Kolenberg spoke with the landowners and determined that the sack did not pose much of a safety risk to the deer at this point and believed that the sack would likely rip off or fall off soon. Jacobsen will continue to monitor reports of the deer and her health condition.

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Photo by Photo provided by the landowner

Trapped Canada Goose: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen was contacted by an employee of one of the dams along the Columbia River regarding a Canada goose that was stuck and possibly injured in part of the dam lock system. The goose likely landed in the visible water within a small, concrete chamber, but was not able to fly out given the limited size of the chamber. As Jacobsen arrived, a barge was about to pass through the locks. Jacobsen picked up a triangle-shaped net attached to a rope just as the locks opened and the barge (and the goose within the chamber) began to descend with the water column from the top of the dam to the bottom of the dam. Knowing that it would only take a minute or two for the goose to descend with the water column roughly 200 feet to the bottom of the dam, Jacobsen quickly threw the net and a rope into the concrete chamber in an attempt to scoop the goose up. Multiple attempts were made to get the goose near the net as the water column and goose descended rapidly, but to no avail. With only about two feet of extra rope line left before the goose descended beyond reach (it was already roughly 50-75’ below Jacobsen at this point), the goose managed to swim over the submerged net, at which point Jacobsen quickly hauled the goose up and out of the chamber. The goose made it out safely with only a second or two left to spare before it would have been lost to the depths of the dam!

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Photo by WDFW

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Photo by WDFW

Injured Elk: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen and Officer Nelson responded to a report of a sick bull elk that had been living along a narrow stretch of highway in Klickitat County. After assessing the condition of the elk and the traffic safety risk due to the amount of attention the elk was receiving from passing motorists, Jacobsen and Nelson decided to euthanize the elk. Klickitat County sheriff deputies provided traffic assistance while the elk was euthanized.

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Wolf Meetings: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen and Wolf Biologist Spence met with livestock producers in Klickitat County to discuss wolf concerns and range riding activities to prevent livestock-wolf conflict this grazing season.

Aggressive Nutria: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen fielded a report regarding an aggressive nutria in Clark County. The nutria had apparently taken up residence in a housing community and had already gotten into a tussle with a domestic dog and was reported to have bitten a child at some point. Jacobsen provided advice to the property manager and advised her to contact WDFW if it is seen again. Technician Kolenberg will help monitor the situation and capture the animal if the opportunity presents itself.

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Photo by Photo provided by the reporting party.

Bear Issues Begin: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen received his first official bear complaints of the year from a community in Skamania County. Over the past two and a half weeks, a bear has been breaking into structures and ripping apart sheds in search of food. The bear ripped apart a chicken coop and killed and consumed eight chickens on one property. Jacobsen and Technician Kolenberg set a live trap for the bear at the residence. Jacobsen will be working with the small community on being “bear wise” over the coming days and weeks.

Depredation on Goat: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen and Technician Kolenberg responded to a report of a missing goat in Skamania County. The goat owner had observed drag marks through the fresh dew on the grass and found some blood left on fern fronds in the adjacent woods but did not continue following the trail until WDFW staff members arrived. Jacobsen and Technician Kolenberg trailed the goat carcass through the woods and eventually located the cached goat carcass in the underbrush, roughly 125 yards away from the paddock where the goat was taken. Closer inspection of the carcass revealed that it was killed and cached by a cougar. A trail camera was installed over the carcass and captured some stunning videos of a cougar returning to the carcass the following day. The goat owner rehomed his remaining goat on the afternoon of the depredation, so no more attractants were present at the site.

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Goat Depredation #2: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen was contacted about another goat that was found dead in Clark County. The landowner observed coyotes feeding on the carcass but wasn’t sure if they were responsible for the depredation or not. Unfortunately, the landowner waited a day to report the incident and the carcass was already gone by the time he reported it. Jacobsen advised the landowner to install a trail camera in the area to monitor wildlife activity and to keep all his remaining goats locked up at night.

Bobcat Sighting: A concerned landowner contacted Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen regarding a bobcat sighting in Klickitat County. Jacobsen advised the landowner that he had nothing to be concerned about, especially since he did not own any chickens.

Injured Deer: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen followed up on a report of an injured deer in Klickitat County.

Conserving Natural Landscapes

And So, It Begins: Despite persistent cool temperatures and rain fall that seemingly never ceases, spring is upon us. For wildlife area staff members, this means it is weed control season. During an 18-hour dry spell, Assistant Manager Risley treated three acres of Washougal River frontage for garlic mustard, a Class A noxious weed, lesser celandine, a Class B noxious weed, and shiny geranium, also a Class B noxious weed. These invasive weeds are some of the earliest to emerge in spring and require prompt treatment if control efforts are to be successful. If left untreated, these weeds can easily outcompete native plants, reducing overall habitat quality and productivity for the species that use these wildlife areas.

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Photo by WDFW

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Photo by WDFW

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Photo by WDFW

That’s a Wrap: Stretching barbed wire and installing new gates marked the completion of the 5,000 ft fencing replacement project at Shillapoo Wildlife Area. Farmers that lease pastured areas on the wildlife area are eager to release their cattle for grazing and wildlife area staff members can now rest assured that croplands and tree plantings are secure from the hungry grazers.

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Photo by WDFW

 

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Photo by WDFW

Providing Education and Outreach

White Salmon Tree Fest: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen staffed an outreach table at the annual weekend White Salmon Tree Fest in White Salmon, hosted by the Underwood Conservation District. In addition to the Underwood Conservation District and WDFW, other conservation-based organizations and businesses such as Department of Natural Resources, U.S Forest Service, U.S Fish and Wildlife Service, Columbia Land Trust, and Humble Roots Nursery were also present. The event was well-attended by the public and the weather was perfect for the event.

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Photo by WDFW

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Photo by WDFW

Washington Future Farmers of America (FFA) Environmental and Natural Resources State Contest: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen helped facilitate the annual Washington FFA Environmental and Natural Resources statewide contest in Cashmere. This year, 13 high school teams from around the state gathered to test their knowledge on natural resources topics including soils, water quality, GPS usage, waste management, fisheries, and wildlife. Jacobsen participated in this activity as a high school student and later went on to teach high school and coach his own FFA Natural Resources teams before coming to WDFW. Participation in this contest as a high school student helped Jacobsen determine that he wanted to pursue a career in wildlife, and he has been active with the contest ever since. This year, Jacobsen compiled specimens for the wildlife and fisheries specimen identification portion of the contest and wrote the waste management practicum for the students. This year’s waste management scenario focused on livestock carcass waste management, which is a real-life ongoing issue that Jacobsen has been working on in District 9. The Cashmere and Reardan teams took the top honors at this year’s contest. The Cashmere team will go on to compete in this contest at the National FFA Convention in Indianapolis in November.

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Managing Wildlife Populations

Injured Bald Eagle: Biologist Wickhem responded to a report of an injured mature bald eagle along Highway 14 in Skamania County. Wickhem was joined at the location by the reporting party, who happened to be an experienced raptor-catcher. The eagle was not in a great spot. It was on a small patch of land between railroad tracks and the Columbia River. When the pair approached with their “catching gear", the eagle was able to muster a few stealthy hops and fly about 30 feet to perch on a tree branch over-hanging the river. With the eagle being somewhat mobile and in an impossible place to access, the pair decided to leave it be and hope for the best. Hopefully it will recover on its own without human intervention!

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Photo by WDFW

Winter Mudflow Elk Count: Biologist Stephens conducted a count of elk on the Mudflow Unit of the Mount St Helens Wildlife Area. This survey is done each month from December to April. A total of 193 elk were observed on the mudflow which included 60 bulls, 89 cows, 26 calves, and 18 elk that were unable to be classified.

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Photo by WDFW

Willapa Hills Elk Survey: In March, biologists from Regions 5 and 6 conducted an aerial survey of the Willapa Hills Elk Herd. Given the large size of the herd area, normally the south half and the north half of the herd area are surveyed in alternating years. This year there was funding to survey both the north and south halves. The survey is a stratified random sampling design and a sightability estimate is applied to the data collected. The estimate for the north portion of the Willapa Hills Elk Herd area came to 1,441 and the estimate for the south half was 2,841. Both of these estimates are very similar to previous year’s estimates which indicate a stable population.

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Oregon Spotted Frog Surveys: Biologists Wickhem and Bergh and Technician Motiff have spent many days since mid-March surveying for federally threatened Oregon spotted frogs at two sites in Klickitat County. Throughout the survey period, the trio were assisted by Herpetologist Hallock, Customer Service Specialist Splitgerber, Administrative Assistant Pool, Volunteers Castagnoli and Hanley, and Washington Department of Natural Resources Natural Areas staff members. The survey consists of walking transects through wetlands looking for Oregon spotted frog egg masses. Each egg mass represents two frogs which creates a population estimate for each site. The population count in Trout Lake Valley appears to be similar to last year, however the Glenwood Valley population estimate more than tripled compared to last year! A very welcome outcome after many years of declines in that area.

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Photo by WDFW

Conserving Natural Landscapes

Diversifying the Habitat: Manager Hauswald, Assistant Manager Breitenstein, and Assistant Manager Risley put in a long day to plant 1,100 native trees and shrubs at the Alder Creek Unit of the Mt. St. Helens Wildlife Area. These trees and shrubs were planted in areas that previously hosted dense stands of Douglas fir trees and little else. The Alder Creek Unit was thinned in 2018 to create more open habitat for elk and other wildlife species. Planting cottonwood, bitter cherry, elderberry, and vine maple in these thinned areas will further enhance the habitat by creating a more diverse, mosaic forest type that is more characteristic of a healthy Pacific Northwest temperate forest.

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Photo by WDFW

Providing Education and Outreach

Wild About Nature Presentation: Biologist Wickhem and Mesocarnivore Specialist Lewis presented at the opening night of the tenth Wild About Nature speaker’s series at the White Salmon Library. Wickhem spoke about northwestern pond turtles and Lewis presented about the reintroductions and monitoring efforts of Pacific fishers that have occurred throughout the state. The series is organized by a local artist and nature enthusiast and the White Salmon Library. It usually occurs once a week every April. This is the first series since events were suspended by the COVID-19 pandemic. As usual, the room was packed and attendees asked a lot of great, thoughtful questions. Wickhem is looking forward to upcoming talks by other WDFW staff members including Wolf Biologist Spence, Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen, and Wildlife Conflict Technician Kolenberg.

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Photo by WDFW

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Photo by White Salmon Community Library

 

Managing Wildlife Populations

Willapa Hills Elk Survey: Staff members from WDFW Regions 5 and 6 as well as Olympia joined to complete an aerial survey of the elk population in both the North and South Willapa Hills elk herd areas. The effort took place over Willapa Hills South which includes Game Management Units (GMU) 530 (Ryderwood), 506 (Willapa Hills), 681 (Bear River) and 673 (Williams Creek), as well as Willapa Hills North which includes Game Management Units 658 (North River), 660 (Minot Peak) and 672 (Fall River). The survey is conducted within a random stratified sampling design in which sub-areas of each GMU are flown, by helicopter, while three WDFW observers plus the pilot search the landscape for elk. The animals are then counted as well as classified into sexes and ages. Additionally, variables including concealing vegetation, snow cover, and habitat type are documented for each group of elk.

A total of 2,280 elk were observed by the team within 28 survey units, over the course of seven days. Following data analysis, estimates of herd population size, sub-herd population size, GMU population sizes as well as calf to cow and bull to cow ratios will be generated. These metrics will be used to evaluate the status of the Willapa Hills elk population per the guidelines outlined in the WDFW Game Management Plan and the Willapa Hills Elk Herd Plan.

Thanks to Region 2 Director Hoenes for his development of the survey method during his time as district wildlife biologist in Pacific and Gray’s Harbor counties. Thanks also to the many staff members who participated in the survey. Thanks to the personnel at the Naselle Hatchery for allowing their facility to be used as a heliport. Thanks to Region 6 Customer Service Staff Members Moe and Heath as well as Ungulate Section Manager Garrison for their respective roles of weekday and weekend flight following. Finally, thanks to Pilot Robb Grubb of Apex Helicopters for his safe and efficient piloting during the effort.

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Photo by WDFW

Dusky Canada Goose Surveys:  Biologist Wickhem completed the final survey of District 9’s bi-monthly dusky Canada goose surveys on the Shillapoo Wildlife Area and surrounding lowlands. 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 area. 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. Wildlife managers survey the geese multiple times across their primary wintering grounds and use the data to generate survival estimates. On this survey, Wickhem observed 164 dusky geese and read three collars. Other notable sightings included swans, red-tailed hawks, northern harriers, bald eagles, great blue herons, egrets, snow geese, many species of waterfowl, and a coyote successfully hunting rodents. Sandhill cranes are still hanging around in large numbers in a few interior pockets of the wildlife area. A big thanks to Wildlife Area Manager Hauswald and Assistant Wildlife Area Manager Breitenstein for all their help during this survey season.

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Biologists Stephens and Holman also completed the annual dusky goose surveys, finishing the effort in Cowlitz and Wahkiakum counties. Thanks to Science Division Data Specialist Blatz for joining Holman for the final survey of the year. For more information on how and why the surveys are done, see the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Wild Goose Chase Storymap.

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Photo by WDFW

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Investigating Bat Use of North Fork Lewis River Bridges: Biologist Holman joined Bat Technician Liepold and Pacificorps Wildlife Biologist Emmerson to search for evidence of bat use underneath several bridges in the North Fork Lewis River watershed. The bridges were located on Pacificorps, Department of Transportation, and U.S. Forest Service managed roadways. Evidence of use by bats was found under several bridges and one Townsend’s big-eared bat was located resting in one location.

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Klickitat Wildlife Area Spring Road Survey: Biologists Wickhem and Bergh, Assistant Wildlife Area Manager Hunt, Technician Motiff, Conflict Specialist Jacobsen and Conflict Technician Kolenberg took part in the annual spring road survey to count and classify mule deer on and around the Klickitat Wildlife Area. These routes have been surveyed each spring for more than 40 years. This season, the team counted 460 deer and classified 402, the most on this survey since 2010. Despite the high number of deer observed, the crew recorded only 31 fawns for every 100 does, which ties for the lowest ratio since 1997. The 10-year average is 51 fawns for every 100 does. While disappointing, this low ratio was not surprising after the district observed the lowest ever fawn to doe ratio during our aerial surveys in December (49 to 100). For the second year in a row, the team also observed mountain goats in the upper Klickitat River canyon, which is always a survey highlight.

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Photo by WDFW

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Western Gray Squirrel Habitat Management Field Trip: Biologist Bergh, Wildlife Area Manager Van Leuven, and Assistant Wildlife Area Manager Hunt joined a field trip organized by Habitat Program to discuss habitat management for the state-listed western gray squirrel at several spots around Klickitat County. A local forester who works for several timber companies showed the group two recent timber sales with a variable density thinning prescription. The group also visited a land trust property, a site on U.S. Forest Service Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area lands, and the Klickitat Wildlife Area. There were good discussions on different forestry prescriptions, and it was valuable to have a diverse group of personnel including Habitat Program, Lands Division, and Diversity Division. Forest types visited by the group included mixed Douglas fir and ponderosa pine, ponderosa pine and Oregon white oak, and predominantly Oregon oak woodlands. One of the sites is also grazed by cattle and provided a snapshot of how certain grazing practices can be compatible with long-term western gray squirrel presence. Another site, dominated by ponderosa pine, has been thinned naturally by insects over the course of about 30 years and served as an example of how natural processes can alter the forest while still providing habitat for the squirrels.

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Photo by WDFW

Conserving Natural Landscapes

Removal of Derelict Fences on the Klickitat Wildlife Area: Master Hunter Volunteers Haskell and Rudberg came to the Klickitat Wildlife Area to assist Manager VanLeuven in removing old fences on Mar. 25. The Wildlife Area has several old fence lines that are no longer needed or maintained. These fences present unnecessary obstacles and can entangle the feet of animals and people, so it is best to remove them. The volunteers took out a fence that went through a forest management unit that is planned for this fall, removed a tangle of wires near a pond, removed a short segment of fencing and poultry netting that may have been an old hunting blind, and made a substantial start on pulling out an old three-strand barbed wire fence north of Old Headquarters. The group removed about half a mile of old fencing, a good day’s work considering the remote location of one of the project sites. On March 31 Assistant Manager Hunt led a volunteer effort with Master Hunters Haskell and Ihrig to remove more old barbed wire fencing from the Soda Springs Unit. Of the two fence lines in the project area, they removed the entire upper fence line, about 300 yards of three-strand fencing, and hauled all the coiled wire up to the ridge line. The wire cache location was recorded for future collection efforts. Manager Van Leuven and Assistant Manager Hunt enjoyed working with the energetic volunteers and greatly appreciated their help in cleaning up these derelict fences.

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Photo by WDFW

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Photo by WDFW

Cowlitz Trout Hatchery Unit Tree Planting: The Cowlitz Wildlife Area, using a local reforestation contractor, planted 5,000 Douglas fir trees into the fields on the Cowlitz Trout Hatchery Unit. The contractor acquired the trees from a local grower ensuring the seed stock was compatible with the zone and in one day planted the entire project area. Cowlitz Wildlife Area staff members prepped the site for planting by tilling strips in the fields at ten-foot intervals. The contractor planted the trees at about 540 trees to the acre. The project will return the fields, which are no longer used for agricultural purposes, to a forested environment. Some small openings will be maintained for habitat diversity and to provide forage for wildlife.

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Photo by WDFW

Brim Bar Access Area Management: Cowlitz Wildlife Area staff members rented a 40-foot telescopic man lift to prune trees around the perimeter of the access area. This access area on the Cowlitz Wildlife Area provides fishing access to Brim Bar on the Cowlitz River. Unfortunately, it has also been a location that has attracted residential campers due to the seclusion that the trees provided. This seclusion has also made it attractive to folks wanting to dump their household waste. Pruning the trees opened the site considerably so that traffic on adjacent Spencer Road can readily see into the access area. This should help to cut back on the unlawful activity and reduce the negative impacts to the river and riparian habitat.

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Photo by WDFW

Fence Replacement Continues at the Shillapoo Wildlife Area: Wildlife Area Manager Hauswald, Assistant Manager Breitenstein, and Assistant Manager Risley spent several days installing new fence posts and stretch braces at Shillapoo Wildlife Area. With completion of the project targeted for early April, it’s all hands-on-deck to finish replacing the dilapidated fencing that was removed earlier in the year and have the pasture areas ready for cattle when the ground has dried out and the grass has greened up. The new fencing will keep grazing cattle away from native tree plantings and agricultural crops but will still allow easy access to hunters and other recreational users by way of strategically placed styles that permit passage between fenced areas without having to walk along long stretches of fencing to pass through a gate.

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Photo by WDFW

New Affordable Housing the Mount Saint Helens Wildlife Area: With spring rapidly approaching, migrating wood ducks will soon be looking for nesting sites to nest, hatch, and raise their 2023 brood. As cavity nesters, wood ducks are very particular about site conditions when it comes to nesting, generally choosing naturally occurring cavities in standing dead trees, or “snags”, adjacent to ponds or slow-moving water. To offer the wood ducks and other cavity nesters additional nesting habitat, wildlife area staff members have constructed and installed ten new duck boxes across the Mount Saint Helens Wildlife Area. Safe from the prevailing winds, rain, and most predators, these nesting boxes offer comfortable single family living space with great views, and rates that are more than affordable…they’re free.

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Photo by WDFW

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Photo by WDFW

Providing Education and Outreach

Wind River Middle School Field Trips: Biologists Wickhem and Bergh and Technician Motiff assisted in an ecology and turtle-themed field trip for sixth and seventh grade classes from Wind River Middle School. The field trip was organized by The Friends of the Columbia River Gorge and supported by the U. S. Forest Service Scenic Area. The classes spent the day at a field site in the Gorge learning about northwestern pond turtles, turtle conservation, invasive bullfrogs, meadow plant diversity. Additionally, they got to plant native species at the site. Wickhem and Bergh gave presentations on northwestern pond turtles at the beginning of each day. The students were very excited about turtles and loved handling the educational turtle shells. Thank you to The Friends of the Columbia River Gorge for the invite and opportunity to talk turtles.

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Photo by WDFW

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Photo by WDFW

Managing Wildlife Populations

Western Washington Grouse Wing Bee: Biologist Wickhem, Biologist Holman, and Conflict Specialist Aubrey joined biologists from across western Washington and Small Game Specialist Garrison at the annual wing bee. Throughout hunting season, hunters are asked to remove the wings and tails from their harvested grouse and deposit them in collection barrels that are strategically placed throughout the state. Personnel collect these wings and tails from the barrels throughout the season. At the wing bee, staff members bring all their collected wings and tails, and the group goes through each sample to determine the species of grouse, sex, and age, and record the date and location of harvest. This data helps WDFW staff members better understand forest grouse populations across the state and allows managers to make informed decisions about future grouse hunting seasons. At this wing bee, biologists from every western district participated (staff from eastern Washington processed all their wings a few days earlier) and they tallied wings from both ruffed and sooty grouse. For more information on grouse wing collection, visit our website. Thanks to all the hunters that submitted wings during the 2022-2023 season.

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Photo by WDFW

Dusky Canada Goose Surveys: Biologist Wickhem continued the District 9 bi-monthly dusky Canada goose surveys on the Shillapoo Wildlife Area and surrounding lowlands. Dusky geese are a sub-species of Canada goose that spend summers in Alaska and migrate through and overwinter on the lower Columbia River. Dusky geese 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. Wildlife managers survey the geese multiple times across their primary wintering grounds and use the data to generate survival estimates. On this survey, Wickhem observed 162 dusky geese and read five goose collars. Other notable sightings included swans, red-tailed hawks, northern harriers, bald eagles, great blue herons, egrets, sandhill cranes, thousands of snow geese, and many species of waterfowl. A big thanks to Assistant Wildlife Area Manager Breitenstein and Photographer Angelo who located and read nine other dusky goose collars last week and reported them to Biologist Wickhem. Every collar counts.

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Photo by Angelo

Klickitat Mule Deer Captures: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen and Assistant Wildlife Area Manager Hunt captured and collared an adult mule deer doe via tranquilizer darting on the Klickitat Wildlife Area. After three years of capturing and collaring efforts, this was the last deer collared as part of a federally funded study on mule deer migration corridors in central and eastern Klickitat County. These GPS satellite collars will continue to collect data into next winter.

Deer Mortality: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen and Volunteer Lieberg completed a mortality investigation on a GPS satellite-collared mule deer. The deer had been dead less than 36 hours, but the carcass had been thoroughly picked over. Based on the findings of the investigation, the mortality was attributed to coyote predation.

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Photo by WDFW

Providing Conflict Prevention and Education

Elk Damage to Hay: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen was contacted by a landowner who was frustrated by elk damage to his new hay seeding in Klickitat County. The hay field is in ideal elk habitat, with forestland surrounding all four sides of the 100-acre hay field. Jacobsen discussed different hazing techniques with the landowner and issued permits for lethal removal. The landowner will be working with the Wounded Warrior Project to deploy public hunters on the property.

Another landowner in Clark County with elk damage to hay crops let his son fill his landowner permit to help mitigate elk damage. This was the youth hunter’s first elk harvest.

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Photo by WDFW

Elk Damage to Fences: A frustrated landowner contacted Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen regarding elk damage to his fences in Klickitat County. Jacobsen provided advice and schematics for elk crossings to the landowner. Jacobsen informed the landowner that he was not eligible for the lethal removal permits that the landowner was requesting.

Deer Damage to Hay: An agricultural producer in suburban Clark County contacted Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen to report deer damage to his hay crop. His new hay was starting to sprout, and the landowner had been regularly documenting over a dozen deer visiting the hay crop daily. Jacobsen enrolled the producer in a Damage Prevention Cooperative Agreement and Wildlife Conflict Technician Kolenberg provided the producer with cracker shells to help haze the deer from the property. More aggressive hazing techniques will likely be needed in the future.

Klickitat County Livestock Carcass Sanitation Pilot Program: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen recently launched a program in western Klickitat County to assist livestock producers with carcass disposal efforts. The goal of this program is to remove livestock carcasses from the landscape near active livestock operations to help reduce scavenging, habituation, and livestock contact rate from wolves. Jacobsen and Wildlife Conflict Technician Kolenberg collected carcasses from multiple operations and disposed of the carcasses at the regional landfill.

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Photo by WDFW

Wolf Activity Updates: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen spoke with several different producers in Klickitat County to provide them with updates on wolf activity in the area.

Wolf Concerns: A Klickitat County resident contacted Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen regarding wolf tracks near his house. Based on wolf GPS collar data, it was likely that the tracks did belong to a wolf. Jacobsen provided advice to the landowner on keeping his dogs secured near the residence.

Cougar Concerns: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen was contacted by a landowner in Klickitat County who was concerned that a cougar may have killed a deer near his livestock. The landowner has two yearling steers weighing 400 to 600 pounds. After examining photos of the carcass, Jacobsen was able to determine that coyotes were the likely cause of death for the deer. Jacobsen shared with the landowner that the steers were large enough that there was no risk from either coyote or cougar depredation.

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Photo by WDFW

Conserving Natural Landscapes

Klickitat Wildlife Area Volunteer Project: Wildlife Area Assistant Manager Hunt led two master hunter volunteers cutting over-hanging tree limbs along the North Breaks Road, Anderson Road (including behind the gate), Old Headquarters Road (including behind the gate), and Sheep Canyon Road. The volunteers used pole saws and loppers to remove all limbs that were under ten feet high to protect the Capital Asset Management Program road crew’s equipment during road grading work. The volunteers were able to complete all the roads Hunt had in mind largely because both volunteers were hard workers and stayed on task throughout the day. Both volunteers said that they had a great time and look forward to coming out to the Klickitat Wildlife Area again to volunteer. We will have more work for them to do next Saturday.

Conducting Business Operations and Policy

Improvements to WDFW 413: Biologist Holman completed improvements to WDFW Vessel 413. The “Dusky” is a 19 foot, 1980 Alumaweld hard-top primarily used for wildlife work on the Lower Columbia River. Projects spanning waterfowl, shorebirds, Columbian white-tailed deer, marine mammals, and band-tailed pigeons have been aided by the size, range, seaworthiness, and reliability of the Dusky over her now over 40 years of service to WDFW’s mission. This year’s improvements included standard service to the 150 horsepower primary motor and the addition of a new 20 horsepower auxiliary motor, hydraulic steering system, and folding bow ladder for easer island hopping. Collectively the upgrades will make the boat safer and more efficient for its wildlife management work.

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Photo by WDFW

Managing Wildlife Populations

Finishing Gifford Pinchot Bat Hibernacula Surveys: Biologist Wickhem assisted the hibernacula survey team for one more day in mid-February. Wickhem and Technician Motiff skied six miles to survey six small caves outside Trout Lake. Technician Leipold and Bat Specialist Tobin snowshoed to two other caves on the same day. These surveys are part of a larger effort to survey a portion of the 600+ caves within the Gifford Pinchot to see which support hibernating bats, especially Townsend’s big-eared bats, which are a Washington Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SCGN) and a Priority Species under WDFW’s Priority Habitats and Species Program. Wickhem and Motiff counted 49 Townsend’s big-eared bats and one myotis species occupying three of the six caves. Tobin and Leipold found 21 Townsend’s and 17 myotis. As of Feb. 17, the effort to survey hibernacula in the Gifford Pinchot is complete for the season with the team surveying 39 caves total, all of which have not been surveyed in 20-30 years, if ever. Hopefully we will be able to visit these caves more often in the future.

Elk Hoof Disease: Regional wildlife biologists, conflict specialists, and customer service staff members continue to manage the various logistics surrounding the Master Hunter Hoof Disease Incentive Program Hunts. These hunts are designed to help manage hoof disease while providing recreational opportunity. Hooves of elk harvested in these hunts are evaluated by WDFW staff members to determine the effectiveness of the program.

Dusky Canada Goose Surveys: Biologist Wickhem continued District 9 bi-monthly dusky Canada goose surveys on the Shillapoo Wildlife Area and surrounding wildlife areas. 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 area. 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. Wildlife managers survey the geese multiple times across their primary wintering grounds and use the data to generate survival estimates. On this survey, Wickhem observed 26 dusky geese and read three goose collars. Assistant Wildlife Area Manager Breitenstein was conducting his own waterfowl surveys on the wildlife area and recorded an additional 111 dusky geese. Other notable sightings included nearly 300 swans, red-tailed hawks, northern harriers, bald eagles, great blue herons, egrets, sandhill cranes, thousands of snow geese and many species of waterfowl. Unfortunately, invasive nutria were also very active and several were spotted throughout the day.

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Photo by WDFW

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Photo by WDFW

Providing Conflict Prevention and Education

Injured Elk: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen and Biologist Bergh responded to a report of an injured elk on the side of the road in western Klickitat County. Jacobsen and Bergh assessed the female elk’s condition and decided that it needed to be euthanized. Based on its proximity to the road, its semi-mobile state, and the high volume of fast-moving traffic along the highway, Jacobsen requested traffic control assistance from law enforcement. WDFW Officer Myers and a Klickitat County deputy responded and blocked traffic for two minutes while Jacobsen euthanized the elk. A nearby landowner was able to salvage the elk carcass. In addition to sustaining injuries from the vehicle collision, the elk also had severe symptoms of hoof disease on one of her hind feet.

Proactive Wolf Deterrents: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen proactively deployed several Fox Lights around a calving pasture in Klickitat County. The two known wolves in Klickitat County have been frequenting the area around the calving pasture for the past several months, and the livestock producer’s cows will be calving in the pasture within the next week or two. Jacobsen will continue to monitor wolf activity in the area and work with the livestock producer on additional deterrent measures if necessary.

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Photo by WDFW

Trapped Duck: Biologist Wickhem responded to a call of a duck that was trapped in a gatewell of The Dalles Dam. Wickhem and Conflict Specialist Jacobsen consulted and devised several schemes to remove the goldeneye from the 30-40’ deep concrete pit. Unfortunately, the duck had died by the time she arrived, but Army Corps of Engineers Biologist Day gave her a tour of the areas where they have had waterfowl trapped in the past. This included the fish ladder, where three pelicans were trapped for several days last summer. The two discussed possible ways to deter birds from getting into these areas, but options are limited because most netting or coverings would impede regular maintenance of the dam. Biologist Day has been testing some alternative bird deterrent methods in other areas of the dam. Day was excited to have a contact in Washington to consult with about trapped waterfowl since technically the entire dam falls within Washington and not Oregon as most would assume.

Providing Education and Outreach

Portland Sportsman’s Show: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen, Assistant District Wildlife Biologist Stephens, Private Lands Biologist Ferris, Conflict Technician Kolenberg, Assistant Wildlife Area Manager Hunt, and District Wildlife Biologist Holman worked various shifts at the Northwest Sportsman’s Show in Portland. The event was well attended with hundreds of individuals stopping at the WDFW booth. The booth was outfitted with informational handouts, stickers, a trivia wheel, and a turkey hunting video game. The most popular wildlife related questions included Big-Game Hunting Regulations, Special Permit process and deadlines, costs of non-resident licenses, elk hoof disease, wolf management, and requests for clarification regarding specific locations and regulations. More broadly the attendees had many questions about fishing regulations, clam seasons, smelt seasons, and spring chinook forecasts.

Conducting Business Operations and Policy

Public Meetings to Gather Input Regarding the Draft Simcoe Mountains Unit Management Plan: Klickitat Wildlife Area Manager VanLeuven and Assistant Wildlife Area Manager Hunt joined Region Wildlife Program Manager Jonker, Habitat Biologist Johnson, District Biologist Bergh, Range Ecologist Burnham, Forester Pfeifle, and Public Outreach Specialist Couch in setting up for three public meetings and interacting with attendees to capture their thoughts and suggestions. The first meeting was in Toppenish at the Yakama Nation Headquarters Feb. 22 and the second and third meetings were at the Goldendale County Services Building on Feb. 23. All the meetings went very well, and the wildlife area staff members enjoyed meeting people that they probably would not have met otherwise. The meetings were lightly attended but the quality of the conversations at the meetings made them worthwhile.

Managing Wildlife Populations

Bat Hibernacula Surveys: Biologist Wickhem assisted Technician Leipold with bat hibernacula surveys in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest for two days this month. US Forest Service Technician Motiff and Volunteer Petrie also assisted in the effort. Together, the teams skied and snowshoed several miles and surveyed five caves where they counted and identified species of bats roosting in each cave. Two other caves were located but not surveyed because of access issues. When bats from the genus myotis were found and within reach, the bats were directly swabbed to test for the fungus that causes white-nose syndrome. These surveys are part of a larger effort to survey a portion of over 600 caves within the Gifford Pinchot National Forest to see which support hibernating bats, especially Townsend’s big-eared bats which are a Washington Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SCGN) and a Priority Species under WDFW’s Priority Habitats and Species Program. In Biologist Wickhem’s two days on the survey, she recorded 157 Townsend’s big-eared bats, one myotis and got to explore some amazing caves.

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Photo by WDFW

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Photo by WDFW

Dusky Canada Goose Surveys: Biologist Stephens and Holman continue to conduct dusky Canada goose surveys in Cowlitz and Wahkiakum Counties. The purpose of the surveys is to count dusky geese observed and read alphanumeric codes on any red collared geese. Wildlife managers survey the geese multiple times across their primary wintering grounds and use the data to generate survival estimates. The dusky geese are collared on their breeding grounds in Alaska every other year. Multiple species of Canada geese were located during the survey as well as Trumpeter and Tundra swans. Additionally, many wildlife species are incidentally encountered while conducting the goose surveys, especially in the relatively intact habitats of Wahkiakum County. These species included elk, Columbian white-tailed deer, black-tailed deer, many duck species, egrets and herons, bald eagles, and three species of marine mammals just to name a few.

Biologist Wickhem also continued dusky Canada goose surveys in Clark County, primarily on the Shillapoo Wildlife Area and around the Vancouver Lake Bottoms. On this survey, Wickhem recorded 161 dusky Canada geese including one with a red collar. Snow geese are still flocking in the thousands at Shillapoo, and there are still many ducks utilizing the wildlife area. Other species observed included northern harriers, red-tailed hawks, herons, egrets, sandhill cranes, and a juvenile bald eagle surrounded by white feathers feasting on a bird carcass.

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Photo by WDFW

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Photo by WDFW

Klickitat Mule Deer Study: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen and Volunteer Lieberg worked to put out a satellite GPS collar on a female mule deer in central Klickitat County. This collar is one of a larger dataset of satellite collars, roughly 80, tracking female mule deer over multiple years as part of a federally funded mule deer migration project in Game Management Units (GMU) 388 and 382.

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Photo by WDFW

Treatment Turtle Transfer: Biologist Bergh picked up some of the northwestern pond turtles that had undergone treatment for shell disease at the Oregon Zoo and brought them to Cedar Creek Correctional Center near Olympia for their recovery. The turtles will be taken care of by three inmate technicians through the rest of the winter and released back into the wild this spring. This program is run by the Sustainability in Prisons Project out of The Evergreen State College and we are very grateful to the program and the technicians for their care of the turtles while they recover.

Mudflow Unit of the Mount Saint Helens Wildlife Area Elk Survey: Biologist Stephens and Customer Service Specialist Splitgerber conducted a survey of elk wintering on the mudflow in early February. They saw a total of 54 elk, which were classified as 30 bulls, 19 cows, and five calves. This survey is conducted twice a month between December and March.

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Photo by WDFW

Providing Recreation Opportunities

Abandoned Boat Removal: Private Lands Biologist Ferris was assisted by Private Lands Biologist Harris to retrieve an abandon boat dumped on an Access Program site in Wahkiakum County. Law enforcement investigation could not find a current registered owner. The boat had to be dragged several hundred feet to pavement where it could be placed on a flatbed trailer for removal. The Private Lands Access Program will fund the cost of this removal as a benefit of program enrollment.

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Photo by WDFW

Providing Conflict Prevention and Education

Eagle Complaint: A concerned livestock producer contacted Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen to discuss options for eagle deterrents around his calving operations. The producer has had issues in the past with bald and golden eagles harassing, injuring, and killing newborn calves. Jacobsen suggested multiple different deterrent options to the livestock producer. Federal protections afforded to eagles substantially reduces the available options for livestock producers in these situations.

Elk Damage Hunt: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen deployed a youth hunter from the Region 5 Elk Damage Pool to a property in GMU 574 that was incurring damage from elk. The elk were damaging a newly planted hay seeding. Due to the unseasonably low (or nonexistent) snowpack in the area, the fields were more susceptible to damage than normal at this time of year. The youth hunter was able to successfully harvest an elk with symptoms of hoof disease on the first day of his hunt. Hopefully this hazing activity will keep the rest of the elk at bay and out of the fields.

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Photo by hunter

Elk Damage to Wheat: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen met with a Klickitat County landowner in GMU 382 regarding elk damage to his winter wheat. The hoof compaction damage to the wheat from over 50 head of elk was substantial, and the grazing damage was moderate. Jacobsen deployed a youth hunter to the property, who successfully harvested a cow elk on the first morning of his hunt. Jacobsen will continue to work with the landowner to deploy damage pool hunters to the property. Jacobsen will also work with the landowner to utilize a drone in their upcoming elk hazing efforts. The elk have become accustomed to cracker shells, so novel techniques are necessary in this situation.

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Photo by landowner

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Photo by hunter

Conserving Natural Landscapes

Out with the Old: Over several days, Assistant Manager Breitenstein, Assistant Manager Risley, and Technician Fox worked on removing old fencing at Shillapoo Wildlife Area. The existing fence is over 25 years old and has seen a lot of use and abuse over the seasons. The primary purpose of this fence is to contain the cattle that graze the pasture during certain parts of the year and prevent the cattle from gaining access to oak trees that were some of the first trees planted at Shillapoo for habitat reclamation and enhancement. Over the course of the next several weeks, new fencing will be put up, free of holes and rotten posts.

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Photo by WDFW

At the End of the Rainbow. Wildlife Area Manager Hauswald and Assistant Manager Risley surveyed for waterfowl at Shillapoo. These surveys are conducted twice weekly during the winter migration season to monitor habitat use by ducks, geese, swans, and sandhill cranes at the wildlife area. On this otherwise dreary day, a brightly colored rainbow made for some excellent photo opportunities.

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Photo by WDFW

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Photo by WDFW

Looking for Signs of Life and Tracks: Wildlife Area Manager Hauswald and Assistant Manager Risley ventured up to the Mudflow Unit of the Mount St. Helens Wildlife Area to monitor survival rates of willow, wild strawberry, and big leafed lupine that were planted during spring 2022 for streambank stabilization along the Toutle River. Unfortunately, high water events over the past two months resulted in significant bank loss and much of the plantings were washed down river.

Fresh snow fall provided an opportunity to look for large predator tracks. Several coyote tracks were observed as well as a few bobcat tracks, but no large predator tracks were found. The Mudflow Unit is currently closed to the public and will remain so until May 1. This closure is to provide refuge and protection for the elk that over winter on the Mudflow. Wildlife area staff members do not visit the unit regularly during the closure, but when visiting the unit is necessary great efforts are made to avoid the elk so as not to cause stress to the animals.

Providing Recreation Opportunities

Feline Hybrid: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen responded to a media request regarding the mythical “Klickitat ape cat” that has been hotly debated by locals in the watering holes of Klickitat County. Jacobsen provided information on melanism in wildlife as well as on the biology of large cats of the world. Enough said on this nonsense.

Managing Wildlife Populations

Mule Deer Captures: In Game Management Units (GMU) 388 and 382, a total of 22 mule deer were captured by helicopter using vendor Leading Edge Aviation. These deer are part of a study identifying deer migration corridors as well as summer and winter ranges funded by Secretarial Order 3362. When the GPS-collared deer die, WDFW staff members investigate as soon as possible so that cause of death might be determined. There are currently 80 mule deer with these collars which will drop off just before the batteries die in mid-2024.

Klickitat Deer Mortality Investigation: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen received a mortality notification from a GPS collar that had been placed on a mule deer doe in east Klickitat County. Jacobsen investigated the mortality scene and determined that a very large bobcat was most likely responsible for the depredation. This doe was 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 also attempt to determine cause of death when a collared doe dies.

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Photo by WDFW

Bobcat Pelt Sealing: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen sealed two bobcat pelts as required by the Convention on the International Trade of Endangered Species (CITES). Though bobcats are not endangered in Washington, all harvested bobcats in the state must be officially tagged, as bobcat pelts can be traded or sold internationally.

Dusky Goose Survey: Biologist Stephens conducted a dusky Canada goose survey in Wahkiakum County including the Julia Butler Hansen Refuge which WDFW is covering while the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) fills a vacant biologist position. Dusky Canada geese were observed on the Refuge, seven of which were collared with unique alpha-numeric codes. This subspecies of Canada goose is collared on its breeding grounds in Alaska and the collars are read on their wintering grounds in Washington and Oregon to generate a survival estimate.

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Photo by WDFW

Bat Hibernacula Surveys: Biologists Stephens, Holman, and Wickhem from Region 5 along with statewide Bat Specialist Tobin, Bat Technician Leipold, partners with the U. S. Forest Service, and volunteers conducted bat surveys in hibernacula caves near Mount Saint Helens. A combination of hiking, skiing, snowshoeing, and snowmobiling were employed to access the caves. The purpose of the survey was to count Townsend’s big-eared bats and Myotis spp. in caves that are surveyed annually and to swab bats to sample for Pd (Pseudogymnoascus destructans), the fungus that causes white-nose syndrome. The counts were up slightly from previous years.

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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

Pronghorn Survey Flights: Biologists Wickhem and Fidorra conducted survey flights for pronghorn antelope in eastern Klickitat, southeastern Yakima, and western Benton counties this month. Yakama Nation Biologist Olney and Technician Heemsah surveyed the adjacent areas within the Yakama Nation Reservation. Pronghorn were extirpated from Washington by the early 1900 but were reintroduced by the Yakama Nation in 2011. Between 2011 and 2019, 198 individuals were successfully relocated from Nevada to the Yakama Reservation and have since dispersed from their release locations and often spend time off-reservation. These surveys are meant to get a minimum count and are conducted with a fixed-wing aircraft. The crews fly north-south transects that are two kilometers apart and when a group of pronghorn are located, the plane circles the group, takes a count and GPS point. A group of volunteers on the ground also drive through the survey area and help locate groups to assist the flight crew. On this survey, 212 pronghorn were counted (98 on-reservation and 114 off-reservation) which is lower than previous surveys in 2019 and 2021, which each counted approximately 250 animals. However, the groups that were located this year were extremely hard to see thanks to poor lighting and fields that were exactly the same color as the antelope. The crew will investigate how the survey can be improved in the future.

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Photo by WDFW

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Photo by WDFW

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Photo by WDFW

Providing Conflict Prevention and Education

Bear Cubs in Trash: Earlier this winter, Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen received a report of two bear cubs that were rummaging through trash daily in a mobile home park. Camera surveillance did suggest that these cubs were by themselves every time they were found at the residences. Jacobsen set up a trap to catch the cubs. On the second day, Jacobsen ended up catching an adult female black bear in the trap. Further investigation indicated that the female bear had been lactating this summer, meaning that she likely had cubs nearby. A trail camera that Jacobsen placed over the trap indicated that the two cubs in question had spent several hours sitting outside the trap after their mother was captured. Jacobsen held the female bear in the trap for another day as a hazing tool to dissuade her from visiting the mobile home park again. Jacobsen, Aubrey, and Kolenberg then released the female bear a short distance down the road. No complaints of bear activity in the area had been received by WDFW after the capture incident.

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Photo by reporting party

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Photo by WDFW

Injured Deer: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen responded to a report of an injured or sick deer in Goldendale. Jacobsen found the deer next to a residence. The deer was in extremely poor body condition and had several lumps and contusions on its hind legs, which prevented the deer from standing up straight or walking properly. Jacobsen euthanized the juvenile deer and disposed of the carcass.

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Photo by WDFW

Damage Prevention Cooperative Agreements: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen and Technician Kolenberg met with several different landowners in GMUs 554, 568, 578, and 382 to enroll landowners in Damage Prevention Cooperative Agreements and to discuss methods of preventing deer and elk damage to commercial crops.

Elk Damage to Hay Fields: A landowner in GMU 574 contacted Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen to report extensive elk damage to a newly planted hay seeding. The landowner had been attempting to haze elk with explosives, but the effectiveness of the tool had recently decreased. At the landowner’s request, Jacobsen deployed a youth hunter from the Region 5 Elk Damage Pool to harvest an elk on the property. The youth hunter successfully harvested her first-ever elk with a well-placed, 250-yard shot.

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Photo by youth hunter

Deer Damage to Orchards: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen deployed a master hunter from the Region 5 Master Hunter Deer Damage Pool to a crop damage situation in GMU 373 on the edge of Klickitat County. Several deer were causing extensive damage to apple tree buds at a commercial produce orchard. The master hunter was able to successfully harvest a female mule deer on the hunt.

Bear in Chicken Feed: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen received a complaint regarding a bear that had torn into a chicken coop, killed a couple of chickens, and consumed a large quantity of chicken feed. The bear should have been in hibernation but had decided to take advantage of some free and easily accessible calories. Jacobsen arranged to meet the landowner later that week to construct a temporary electric fence around the perimeter of the coop to keep the bear out and hopefully force it to decide to hibernate. However, a large snow event occurred before Jacobsen was able to make it to the residence and the residence became inaccessible to vehicle traffic. The landowner did not report any additional bear damage complaints after the snow event occurred.

Turkey Complaint: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen received an urban turkey complaint in the city of Goldendale. Jacobsen provided advice on methods of deterring turkeys from residences. A few weeks later, Jacobsen counted roughly 60 turkeys amongst the houses in the area where the complaint originated.

Elk Damage to Orchards: An orchard manager in Klickitat County contacted Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen regarding a herd of approximately 30-40 elk that had broken into a pear orchard. The orchard was completely fenced with eight-foot elk fencing but the elk had managed to find their way in somehow. Jacobsen, the landowner, and the landowner’s staff members attempted an elk drive to push the elk out of the orchard, through an open gate, and across a busy highway with local law enforcement staff members providing traffic control. However, the elk had other plans and eventually created their own exit through the orchard fence on the other side of the orchard. The elk continued to access the orchard several times over the next two weeks. The landowner was able to successfully remove an elk with a kill permit and a master hunter with a treponeme-associated hoof disease management tag was able to harvest an elk with hoof disease in the orchard as well. At that point, the snow had mostly melted from the surrounding areas and the elk left the orchard in a hurry. The landowner patched all the known holes and access points in the fence that he was aware the elk used.

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Photo by WDFW

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Photo by WDFW

Depredation Investigation: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen, Biologist Spence, and Officer Bolton conducted a depredation investigation of a young steer in Klickitat County. After performing a necropsy on the carcass, the cause of death was determined to be non-wildlife related, but still unknown.

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Photo by WDFW

Missing and Injured Dogs: A concerned landowner contacted Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen about a dog that was injured and another that went missing inside a fenced-in yard in the Vancouver area of Clark County. Both dogs were small breeds. The landowner suspected that coyotes were to blame. Jacobsen provided advice on living in coyote country and keeping pets safe.

Bear in Bird Feeders: A landowner contacted Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen to complain about a bear getting into their bird feeders. Jacobsen told the landowner to take the bird feeders down and to put them away.

Cougar Concerns: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen was contacted by managerial staff members at a Clark County camping association regarding frequent cougar sightings over the past couple of weeks. The camping association has a long history of deer feeding issues on the premises, which likely drew the cougar into the area. Jacobsen is continuing to work with the staff members and residents at the camping association to resolve the deer feeding and cougar presence issue.

Landowner Site Visit: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen and Conflict Technician Kolenberg met with a landowner in Skamania County regarding deer damage to her produce operation. Jacobsen and Technician Kolenberg discussed various hazing tools as well as fencing options with the landowner.

Elk Complaint: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen was contacted by a landowner in Clark County who utilizes his property for forestry operations. The landowner was concerned about the elk damage to his newly planted cedar and redwood seedlings. Industrial forest operations are not eligible for crop damage claims or landowner permits, but Jacobsen was able to come up with a solution to assist the landowner in hazing elk off his property. Jacobsen contacted several of the master hunters who had been drawn for the Region 5 Master Hunter Hoof Disease hunt to see if they would be interested in removing an elk with hoof disease from the property. Jacobsen was able to reach a master hunter who had not yet filled his hoof disease tag and had been out hunting for a hoof-diseased elk in the eastern part of the region. The hunter was on his way back home and made a detour to the property. Within a couple hours of receiving the call from Jacobsen, the master hunter managed to find and harvest a cow elk with symptoms of hoof disease. Thanks to the master hunter for the quick response time and efficient hunting and hazing.

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Photo by master hunter

Injured Deer: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen and Officer Nelson have received multiple reports of a deer in Klickitat County with a facial malformation. The members of the public reporting the deer have been concerned about possible disease infection, but the deer’s abnormality appears to have been caused by some sort of external injury or trauma. The deer has been observed with this injury for several weeks now, but the facial trauma now appears to be infected, the deer’s behavior is changing, and its body condition is declining. Jacobsen and Officer Nelson will coordinate on an effort to euthanize the deer soon if the deer continues to hang around the area.

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Photo by reporting party

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Photo by reporting party

Treponeme-Associated Hoof Disease Elk: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Aubrey responded to a report of an injured elk. The elk had treponeme-associated hoof disease and was no longer mobile. Aubrey euthanized the elk and removed the carcass from the property with the help of a few deputies.

Elk Damage: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Aubrey worked with landowners experiencing elk damage to crops throughout District 10. Damage pool hunters were deployed in several cases to assist landowners, and permits were issued to landowners to address concerns.

Conserving Natural Landscapes

Storm Clean-up at Shillapoo: A warm weather trend provided the perfect opportunity for wildlife area staff members to clean up the many downed trees and other fallen debris resulting from recent high wind events. Assistant Manager Risley and Assistant Manager Breitenstien spent multiple days cutting, stacking, and cleaning up multiple fallen trees at Shillapoo Wildlife Area. A few large trees were salvaged and put aside to be used as turtle logs in the sloughs and waterways at Shillapoo. As the name implies, these logs serve as floating platforms for resident turtles to seek refuge and warm themselves in the sun. The area’s beavers also enjoy these floating wood features.

Unsticking a Stuck Beaver Stick at Shillapoo: A seemingly simple task became a large-scale undertaking when Assistant Manager Breitenstein and Assistant Manager Risley attempted to remove a large stick that had likely been stuffed into a drainpipe by a resident beaver. The stick had gotten stuck in the water control valve, making the valve inoperable. Over multiple days, many improvised contraptions and ropes were used to dislodge the stick. In a last and final attempt, the stick was dislodged renewing staff members spirits.

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Photo by WDFW

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Photo by WDFW

Mount Saint Helens Wildlife Area Monitoring: In addition to storm clean up, regular monitoring of remote units is essential to keeping these units accessible to the public. Assistant Manager Risley cleared access roads to the Mudflow Unit, Hoffstadt Unit, Nellie Corser Unit, and cleaned trash from the Hall Road and Canal Road Units. While visiting the Canal Road Unit, a few wild horses were observed grazing close to the Wildlife Area boundary.

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Photo by WDFW

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Photo by WDFW

 

Providing Education and Outreach

Wolf Workshop: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Jacobsen partnered with Defenders of Wildlife and Strategic Ranching to host a workshop titled “Strategic Ranching on a Landscape with Wolves” in Goldendale. The workshop featured presentations by WDFW, Integrated Grazing Management, and other organizations to help prepare Klickitat County livestock producers for a future of ranching cattle on a landscape where wolves are present. The workshop was well-attended, with over 40 members of the public participating.

Managing Wildlife Populations

Columbian White-tailed Deer Surveys: Biologists Stephens and Holman along with Wildlife Conflict Specialist Aubrey completed four Columbian white-tailed deer surveys on Puget Island during the months of November and December. These surveys are conducted in partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the Cowlitz Tribe. The surveys estimate population productivity by providing a fawn to doe ratio while also generating a minimum count of deer at various sites within the Columbia River sub-population. A high count of 202 deer were observed on the Dec. 20 survey. The pooled fawn to doe ratio for the surveys was 41 per 100 and the buck to doe ratio was 39 per 100. The data was submitted to USFWS and will be combined with information from other survey areas in both Washington and Oregon. Thanks to Habitat Biologist Salter and Conflict Technician Kolenberg who participated in the surveys as well.

Dusky Canada Goose Survey: Biologist Wickhem conducted a dusky Canada goose survey on the Shillapoo Wildlife Area and surrounding lowlands of Clark County the first week of January. Dusky geese are a sub-species of Canada goose that spend summers in Alaska and migrate through the lower Columbia River in the winter. Dusky geese 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 geese. Wildlife managers survey the geese multiple times across their primary wintering grounds and use the data to generate survival estimates. On this survey, Wickhem recorded 91 geese and read one neck collar. Other notable sightings included a few swans, red-tailed hawks, northern harriers, bald eagles, great blue herons, egrets, sandhill cranes and snow geese and many species of waterfowl. Wickhem spoke with a few duck hunters who were having good success. The recent rain has filled the wetlands, which is great for all the residents of the wildlife area.

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Photo by WDFW

Klickitat Mule Deer Mortality Investigation: Biologist Wickhem went on a mortality investigation and collar retrieval for the first week of the new year. The doe was located on a plateau amongst the wind turbines in Eastern Klickitat County and had been scavenged by the time she arrived. All that remained was deer hair, part of the skull, and a portion of a lung which was strange to encounter considering the rest of the carcass was so heavily scavenged. Coyotes and raptors appeared to be the main scavengers, but without any sufficient deer remains, it was impossible to determine the cause of death. This doe is 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 the winter of 2021, 81 collars were deployed throughout GMUs for this effort. Twenty-two collars were deployed in the winter of 2022, most of which were redeployments replacing study deer that died over the first year of the study. This collar, along with others retrieved in 2022, will be redeployed in the winter of 2023.

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Photo by WDFW

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Photo by WDFW

Providing Conflict Prevention and Education

Public Outreach at Ridgefield Elementary School: Wildlife Conflict Technician Kolenberg spent Friday morning at Ridgefield Elementary School’s fourth grade career day. Kolenberg spent time talking with groups of students about his career working with wildlife as relates to securing attractants, recreating safely in bear and cougar country, and answering questions about wildlife in Washington. Kolenberg gave out educational material such as Bearwise and Living in Cougar Country brochures as well as Washington wildlife trading cards.

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Photo by WDFW

Treponeme-Associated Hoof Disease Elk Response: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Aubrey and Biologist Stephens responded to a report of an elk in a backyard that was no longer mobile. The reporting party was not sure what the cause was. Upon arrival, it was determined that the elk needed to be euthanized. After euthanasia, treponeme-associated hoof disease (TAHD) was found to be the cause for the animal’s condition. Aubrey and Stephens removed the carcass from the yard for the reporting party.

Conserving Natural Landscapes

Peterman Ridge Unit Gate Closures: Cowlitz Wildlife Area staff members closed two gates on the Peterman Ridge Unit of the wildlife area for habitat management purposes. Studies have shown that animals will avoid habitat adjacent to active roads. The seasonal closures help to reduce habitat fragmentation caused by active roads and increase the usable habitat available to wildlife. The gates will reopen Sept. 1 to provide access during hunting seasons.

Other

Firearms training and certification: Wildlife Conflict Technician Kolenberg traveled to Ephrata this week to partake in two-day training course on safe and proper use of firearms to meet the state requirements for firearm usage. Kolenberg passed two written exams and state qualifications for the use of rimfire rifles and shotguns.

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Photo by WDFW