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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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