Managing Wildlife Populations

Orphaned Juvenile Cougars: Within a few days, District 9 staff members received reports of two litters of orphaned juvenile cougars in Klickitat County. The mother of one litter was shot in self defense; the cause of death for the other female is unknown. Several members of the public reported seeing the second litter scavenging on an old cow carcass along the highway, looking very skinny. Biologists Wickhem and Ott and Conflict Specialist Jacobson set and checked traps in the areas of both litters in an attempt to capture them. This team was able to capture two juveniles from one litter. Bear and Cougar Specialist Beausoleil and Bear and Furbearer Specialist Welfelt came to assist the District staff members and were able to capture two more juvenile cougars for the second litter.

These cougars cannot be rehabilitated and released into the wild, because humans cannot teach them how to hunt prey. Instead, they were sent to zoos where they can educate the public about cougars and inspire the next generation of biologists and conservationists. The younger pair, a male and female who were about 20lbs and less than two months old at capture, were sent to the Oregon Zoo in Portland. The older kittens, two males who were about six months old and approximately 50lbs each, were transported to the Minnesota Zoo in Apple Valley, Minnesota. Before being transferred to the zoos, all the cougars were sedated to determine sex and do a health assessment.

Dusky Canada Goose Surveys: October kicked off the survey season for Dusky Canada geese in Clark, Cowlitz, Lewis, and Wahkiakum counties. Dusky geese are a sub-species of Canada goose that spend summers in Alaska and migrate through and/or overwinter in the lower Columbia River. Duskies 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 neck bands on the geese, also called collars. Wildlife managers survey the geese multiple times across their primary wintering grounds and use the data to generate survival estimates. Biologists Wickhem and Ott have completed four surveys in Clark County, recording numerous duskies and six neck collars so far this season. Biologists Stephens and Holman have conducted the surveys in Cowlitz and Wahkiakum counties. They observed, dusky, cackling, western, and Taverner’s Canada geese as well as greater white-fronted geese, Trumpeter and Tundra swans.  

Providing Recreation Opportunities

Winter is Coming: Access area staff members are currently in the process of winding down many sites for the coming winter with backpack blowing, pruning, and hedging. Some sites such as Lower Mineral Lake, have one of the two restrooms closed for the winter due to very minimal use. During this season, the hectic clean up from heavy public use is replaced by down trees, erosion, flooding, and inaccessible sites due to heavy snow and icy roads. As always, safety is the number one priority for staff members and the public. 

Managing Wildlife Populations

Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD): Private Lands Biologist Nizer helped with taking out a CWD sample from a moose that was road killed in the Garfield area. 

Columbia Basin Mule Deer: Biologists Lowe and Brinkman conducted four ground-based mule deer surveys in Lincoln and Whitman counties. Ground surveys are also conducted in Districts 4, 5, and 7, and are used to estimate post-season herd composition (i.e., fawn:doe and buck:doe ratios) for three subherds across the Columbia Basin. This year, aerial surveys are also being conducted for the Benge subherd in parts of Whitman, Franklin, and Adams counties. Aerial surveys were hindered by heavy fog the entire week, and Biologists Brinkman and Fidorra were able to fly only one half-day survey. Ground surveys will continue next week and attempts at aerial surveys for the next two weeks. 

Great Horned Owl: Wildlife Area Manager Dingman and Officer Maletzke responded to a report of a possibly injured great horned owl in Turner. The landowner said the owl had been on the ground overnight and was not moving much. The owl was located and upon approach the owl stood up and soared down the hill into some poplar trees where it landed before flying across the field into a larger tree. The landowner will contact Dingman if the owl is found on the ground again and appears in distress. 

Tucannon Bighorn Sheep: Dingman located the Tucannon bighorn sheep herd, and all 19 sheep are back together, with all six lambs from this year still alive.

Winter gate closures: Acting Sherman Creek Wildlife Area Manager Daro Palmer found the winter vehicle restriction gate on Trout Lake Road damaged on Monday, December 9. The gates, which close roads for ungulate protection from vehicular disturbance while on winter range, had only been closed for a week. Someone had obviously tried to pull the latch side of the gate out of the ground. Though unsuccessful, the gate had to be repaired. Palmer returned later that day with an excavator to reset the latch post and straighten the gate arm as much as possible to return the gate to operation. The winter sign was replaced later in the week. 

Ferruginous Hawk: Natural Resource Technician Tritt assisted Assistant District Biologist Vekasy in removing a ferruginous hawk nesting platform on private land where a wind farm will be constructed in the future.

Providing Recreation Opportunities

Access Contracts: Private Lands Biologist Thorne Hadley contacted landowners in Columbia and Walla Walla counties to follow up with access contracts and to obtain signatures on new or renewing access contracts. Private Lands Biologist Thorne Hadley forwarded signed contracts to a contracts specialist in Olympia for review and approval. 

Pheasant Mentored Clinic: Private Lands Biologist Nizer helped put on a mentored pheasant hunting clinic for the Saint John area for Saturday the 14th. Nizer worked with Pheasant Forever (PF) Spokane Chapter, R3 Coordinator Riordan, and Hunter Ed Specialist Garcia to accomplish the event. Nizer led 10 mentors and 18 mentees to hunt by reservation properties that were reserved for the event. Each property was well suited for the event and Nizer worked with PF and other volunteers to release 80 pheasants between the six properties. Overall, the event was a success, and multiple hunters limited out or harvested their first pheasants. 

Hunter calls: Private Lands Biologist Heitstuman responded to requests from hunters across the state about access to private lands for hunting opportunities. Heitstuman requested a contract change for a landowner who had sold some property and wanted it removed from the Access Program. Heitstuman began a list of priorities and projects in anticipation of hiring a Natural Resource Technician in training. Heitstuman continued the review of access contracts needing updates or renewals. 

Region South Access Program: Heimgartner and Nielsen used the wildlife area mini-excavator and a dump trailer to clean out fallen rocks at the recreational parking area near the mouth of Charley Creek. The rocks and gravel have been sliding down the hill and are accumulating against eco-blocks bordering the parking area. It was getting to the point where slide offs were going over the top of the blocks. Nielsen also serviced access sites at Heller Bar and the upper and lower Grande Ronde on Thursday.  

Providing Conflict Prevention and Education

Spokane Moose: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Harris responded to a report of two moose in close proximity to a Spokane grade school. Harris, with assistance from local law enforcement, monitored the cow and calf moose to ensure that students could safely leave the school during pickup time. The moose eventually moved away from the school on their own, and hazing efforts were not needed. 

Elk Damage: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Kolb conducted hazing and herding efforts on herds of elk in Walla Walla County causing commercial crop and haystack damage. Multiple groups of elk were present, ranging from 10-15 elk to groups of more than 300 elk. Kolb successfully moved the elk off commercial crop fields and onto the foothills of the Blue Mountains (non-agriculture ground). A special muzzleloader hunting season starts next week in the area the elk are currently concentrated in and will assist with limiting on-going damage. The lack of public lands and the Oregon border complicates where and how far hazed the elk can be herded. 

Walla Walla Turkeys: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Kolb continues to work on a winter trapping plan for turkeys in and around the City of Walla Walla.  

Cougar Sighting: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Samsill spoke to a Stevens County resident that saw two cougars next to her home over the weekend. Samsill advised the resident on how to avoid cougar conflicts. The resident believed the cougar(s) killed one of her barn cats recently. Officer King also spoke to the resident and completed a report. 

Turkey Hazing: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Harris hazed a solitary turkey hen away from a business complex twice. The hen appears to be drawn to the area because of multiple large windows on the building that it can see its reflection in. It has also been causing damage to the vehicles in the parking lot by jumping onto them. Harris provided staff members with suggestions for minimizing future turkey interactions. 

Elk Fence: Natural Resource Technician Tritt walked the last section of elk fence that needed checked this fall. No holes were found, and 60 elk were observed on the correct side of the elk fence.

Conserving Natural Landscapes

Habitat Planning: Private Lands Biologist Nizer started planning for Spring 2025 habitat planting season. Nizer has funding aligned for one project and plans to secure other sources of funding. 

Forest Habitat Management: Acting Sherman Creek Wildlife Area Manager Palmer spent time at LeClerc Creek Wildlife Area cutting more undesirable lodgepole pines, focusing on a previously thinned area on the half section unit. Ultimately, he cleared 10 acres this week. Removing this species is annual, on-going work. 

Noxious Weed Control: Wildlife Area Manager Dingman submitted the Project Completion Reports for 2023 and 2024 to Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation for the grant funds WDFW had been awarded. She renewed all the staff members pesticide applicator licenses for 2025. Dingman worked with Dave Heimer to try to figure out why the Chemical Control app in Survey123 is not letting her submit spray records. Dingman attended the North American Invasive Species Management Association’s virtual Annual Biocontrol Summit. 

Tree removal: Natural Resource Technician Edmondson, Natural Resource Technician Keeling, and Wildlife Conflict Specialist Samsill assisted with the removal of lodgepole pine saplings from the West Branch Le Clerc Creek Wildlife Area. This was done to encourage regeneration of Douglas-fir, ponderosa pine, and white pine. 

4-O Ranch Wildlife Area Event Updates: Wildlife Area Manager Dice looked at ongoing logging operations taking place on the 4-O Ranch Wildlife Area. Colder temperatures would help operations with firming up soils and reducing mud. Active logging is taking place near the old Reynolds place. Also, Dice is having discussions with agency foresters regarding restoration plans on the other side of the wildlife area at Mountain View. Clearwater Power crews were at the wildlife area on Thursday trying to figure out how they are going to replace burned power poles leading from Grande Ronde River Road to the McNeil buildings. Replacing and repairing the lines is going to be very expensive for Clearwater Power. Lastly, Dice had a conversation with Department of Natural Resources Fire Investigator Long on status of the investigation on how the Cougar Creek fire started. Long anticipates issuing his report sometime in the middle of January 2025.

Revere Wildlife Area Pheasant Forever Meeting: This week Pheasant Forever Manager Lewis met with Spokane Chapter Pheasant Forever Gruenke, Wildlife Area Manager Finch, Wildlife Area Assistant Manager Wagner, and Natural Resource Technician Duclos to look over the entire project for restoration needs so possible grants can be looked at for funding in the future. The hay fields were looked at and Finch explained some of the challenges with keeping those fields in hay production with the condition of the fields and the conditions of the irrigation equipment. The group then traveled the interior to look at the work that was completed on the ongoing wetland restoration project and then to the back side of the project to look at future shrub planting project and field restoration. All the ideas that were discussed will need funding to complete. 

Revere Shrub Plot Project: This week Finch and Swanson Lakes staff members met with Pheasant Forever members to look at the proposed sites for the three shrub plots that will be planted in early April of 2025. There will be three different shrub plantings in areas of the Revere Wildlife Area that had shrubs damaged from the 2020 Wagner Road Fire. The Swanson Lakes staff members and Pheasant Forever prioritized the locations of the proposed shrub plots based on key locations for wildlife. All the shrubs that will be planted will be fire resilient shrubs. Finch has already worked with WDFW Cultural staff members to clear the areas where the shrub planting will be located. Wagner has created a volunteer signup for this upcoming project. The shrubs had to be ordered a few months ago and several of the materials have already been purchased and delivered.

Providing Education and Outreach

Hunt by Written Permission (HBWP): Natural Resource Technician Edmondson spoke with a landowner about the HBWP program and answering questions regarding Damage Prevention Cooperative Agreement (DPCA). 

Safety Bulletin Board: This week Finch received the cork bulletin board that was ordered to hang in the Swanson Lakes Wildlife Area Office to post emergency contacts, worker’s rights, excavation routes and recent safety meeting minutes. The board is placed in a location that is accessible to visitors coming into the office for information. The board will continually be updated over time. 

Other

Equipment Maintenance: This week Wildlife Area Assistant Manager Wagner and Natural Resource Technician Duclos pulled the bottom pan off the UTV to clean out all weed seeds.

Managing Wildlife Populations

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

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

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

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

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

Providing Recreation Opportunities

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

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

Providing Conflict Prevention and Education

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Conserving Natural Landscapes

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

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

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

Other

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

Managing Wildlife Populations

Mule Deer Surveys: Biologist Fitkin and Manager Troyer conducted annual post-season aerial surveys of mule deer in District 6. Fitkin and Troyer classified well over 2,000 deer covering both the Methow and Western Okanogan watersheds. This was the maiden voyage for the new tablet-based data collection app. Data is still being downloaded and tabulated, so ratios won’t be available until later in the month. During the survey observers also spotted six or seven animals from the Lookout wolf pack in their traditional territory.

Mule Deer Aerial Surveys: Biologists Jeffreys and Eilers and Chelan Wildlife Area Manager Pavelchek finished a multiday aerial survey of the Wenatchee Mountains mule deer sub herd. This sub herd is part of Washington’s East Slope Cascades mule deer population which also extends into Okanogan and Kittitas Counties. Surveys were conducted in the deer’s winter range, including areas such as Number Two Canyon, Horse Lake and Sage Hills areas, and the foothills south of Monitor and Cashmere. Biologists will use these observations to generate an abundance estimate and buck to doe and fawn to doe ratios to assess age and sex composition. Wildlife biologists use these data to inform management decisions and harvest regulations.

These surveys are scheduled in the narrow window between the end of hunting seasons and the onset of antler shedding, after which time it becomes impossible to reliably differentiate between bucks and does. As is often the case in Chelan County during this time of year, low hanging clouds and inclement weather delayed the first day of surveys. Fortunately, surveyors were lucky enough to get two full days of clear blue skies to successfully complete the survey. 

Biologists will compare ratios gathered from this aerial survey with those collected via images captured by 18 remote cameras placed along migratory routes crossing Hwy 97 between Peshastin and Blewett Pass. If the ratios generated from both methods are similar, cameras may be a viable method for determining herd age and sex ratios moving forward. This would be a more efficient and less costly alternative to the current method of obtaining these data via aerial surveys. 

Mule Deer Ground Surveys: Biologists across Douglas County are finishing driving surveys for mule deer. Unlike the aerial surveys, these surveys are not used for population estimates, but instead for more precise sex and age ratios, such as fawn to doe and buck to doe ratios. These ratios help biologists monitor the health and reproductive success of deer populations, and aid in setting hunting regulations. Douglas county has aerial surveys performed on a three-year rotation, and the next aerial survey is scheduled for December of 2025. 

Bighorn Sheep Aerial Surveys: Biologists Jeffreys and Eilers completed aerial surveys for all bighorn herds in District 7. Swakane, Chelan Butte, and Manson. Aerial surveys consist of biologists flying transects via a helicopter throughout each bighorn subherd’s range. Once a sheep or group of sheep is located, the biologist records a GPS waypoint, the number of sheep in the group, and identifies sex and approximate age for each sheep in the group. These aerial surveys are used to obtain a minimum population count and assess herd composition, such as ram to ewe and lamb to ewe ratios. These surveys are also useful for gaining a broad overview of each herd’s fall distribution across its home range and surveying the landscapes that are out of sight during the ground surveys. The data is still being compiled and analyzed; however, this year’s surveys saw high counts for all three bighorn herds! 

Bighorn Sheep, Mt Hull herd: Biologist Heinlen responded to a report of a dead bighorn sheep ram struck by a vehicle on State Highway 97 near Mt Hull. Heinlen collected samples for M. ovi (the causative agent for pneumonia) and Psoroptes mites, which were documented in this herd in 2019 and 2023 respectively. The samples were submitted to the Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Lab for analysis, and both were found to be negative. 

Forest Grouse Management: Biologist Heinlen retrieved the forest grouse wing collection barrels in District 6 (Okanogan County) in mid-November. Biologist Heinlen and Research Scientist Schroeder identified and collected sex and age data on the wings. In 2024, hunters deposited 269 wings in these barrels compared to 329 wings in 2023. This is just a fraction of all the grouse harvested in District 6 as 7,555 grouse were reported harvested in 2023. The 2024 season is still ongoing. The goal of this collection effort is to build estimated population trend datasets for each species to evaluate the effects of harvest. 

Camera Trap Monitoring: Using camera trap images, Columbia Basin Wildlife Area Specialist Richard estimated total waterfowl counts in several areas of the TD-1 project during the spring of 2024. Waterfowl counts are valuable to help detect responses to moist soil management habitat manipulations. 

Fisher Camera Image Review: The Region 2 diversity team has been working on classifying images obtained from the WDFW Cascades fisher study done over the winter of 2023-24. This effort yielded thousands of images which have been entered into a program that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to identify wildlife species in trail camera photos. The program has provided initial species identification on many of these photos, but because the AI is not perfect, images need to be validated by biologists before any data can be analyzed. All validated or updated classifications are sent back to the AI so that it can continue improving its identification skills.

Providing Recreation Opportunities

Pheasant Release: Columbia Basin Wildlife area and District staff members released birds on five release sites prior to Veterans Day weekend. A total of 39 crates were released and wildlife area staff members were greeted with eager and happy hunters who were ready for the release.

Chelan Wildlife Area Assistant Manager Meierotto and Volunteers Wiley, Despres, and Mason went to the Swakane Wildlife Area to release 96 pheasant roosters.

Regulated Access Area Data: After the opening of waterfowl season on October 12, Columbia Basin Wildlife Area Specialist Richard and other wildlife area staff members collected registration cards each week at three regulated access areas: Frenchmen, North Potholes, and Winchester. Using hunter registration card information, Specialist Richard calculated that, so far this season, Frenchman Regulated Access Area has averaged 2.01 birds per hunter, North Potholes Regulated Access Area 1.01 birds per hunter, and Winchester Regulated Access Area 2.3 birds per hunter. 

Pygmy rabbit surveys: The Region 2 diversity team has been assisting the pygmy rabbit team with occupancy surveys to determine the occupied range of Columbia Basin pygmy rabbits in Region 2. The team has been using models to locate areas with high sagebrush ground cover. They then go out and search these areas for possible pygmy rabbit sign such as fecal pellets and burrows. It is important to have updated maps of pygmy rabbit distribution to prevent sagebrush habitat from being lost in areas where pygmy rabbits occur. So far, the team has found evidence of pygmy rabbits occupying two new parcels of land where they were not previously known to occur!

Conserving Natural Landscapes

Seed Biomass Samples: Columbia Basin Wildlife Area Specialist Richard began sorting seed biomass samples to be included in the 2024 Seed Biomass Summary for the TD-1 Project. Samples include desirable vegetation like millet and smartweed, a valuable food source for waterfowl. 

Grazing Evaluations: Columbia Basin Wildlife Area Biologist McPherson conducted all seven of the end of season grazing evaluations throughout the wildlife area. Evaluations help ensure that objectives of lease are being met, monitor degree of utilization, account for habitat trends, and record future recommendations. All leases are currently meeting objectives and benefiting habitat and wildlife.

Helicopter Herbicide Spraying: Central Velley Helicopters contracted to do an aerial spray of Plateau on the Chelan Butte to help control cereal rye and cheatgrass after the Stayman Flats fire that burned over 3,000 acres of wildlife area.

Fence Removal: Wildlife area staff members have been taking advantage of riparian areas being cleared of vegetation from the Stayman Flats fire to remove old fencing surrounding springs to improve water access for wildlife on the Chelan Butte.

Weed Control: Assistant Wildlife Area Manager Meierotto and Natural Resource Technician Zabreznik sprayed houndstongue infestations at the Entiat Wildlife Area and bull thistle infestations at the Swakane Wildlife Area.

Providing Education and Outreach

Wenatchee High School presentations: Biologist Turnock and Technicians Force and Hara gave a presentation on local wildlife and careers in the wildlife field to five Wenatchee High School animal science classes. The presentation gave an overview of wildlife species found in Region 2 with a focus on diversity species such as prairie grouse, northern leopard frogs, pygmy rabbits, bats, and pollinators. They also talked about local organizations working to help sage grouse and agriculture coexist and about what a career as a wildlife biologist looks like. They had a lot of fun and got some great questions from the students!

Conducting Business Operations and Policy

End of Season Vence Meeting: Columbia Basin Wildlife Area Biologist McPherson arranged meeting with Vence Rancher Success Team, wildlife area, and two producers to go over winter strategy, supplies needed for next year, and feedback from first season. Vence proved to be an efficient way of monitoring location of grazing but lacked the ability to control and shift grazing throughout the pasture. There has recently been updates on the herd manager program and hopefully these will allow for larger ability to manipulate how cows use landscape.

Bureau of Reclamation Quarterly: Columbia Basin Wildlife Area Wildlife Area, District, Enforcement, Habitat, and Bureau of Reclamation staff members had quarterly meeting. Topics covered were North Potholes target shooting range, Winchester Regulated Access Area development proposal, and Supplemental Feed Route status update.

Other

Washington Conservation Corps (WCC) Crew: The Columbia Basin Wildlife Area has a brand new WCC crew that started October. They have a new supervisor and crew but have a returning crew member that will serve as assistant supervisor, which is great to have someone with familiarity of locations and tasks. So far, the crew has been focusing on Russian Olive control, fixing interior fences, blind brushing, and garbage collection. 

Irrigation System Shutoff: Wildlife area staff members worked to shut off and blowout the irrigation system at Swakane in preparation for winter.

Chainsaw Training: Wildlife Area Manager Pavelchek and Assistant Wildlife Area Manager Meierotto went to Yakima for a chainsaw safety training organized by WDFW.

Managing Wildlife Populations

Kahlotus Deer Survey: District 4 Wildlife Conflict Specialist Hand, Region 3 Private Lands Biologist Manderbach, District 4 Wildlife Biologist Fidorra, and District 4 Habitat Biologist Maikis completed a roadside post-season deer survey in GMU 381. Weather conditions were optimal this year and an acceptable number of deer were classified.

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Photo by WDFW

L.T. Murray Wildlife Area Winter Elk Closure: The L.T. Murray Wildlife Area crew closed gates and posted signs around the winter elk feeding closure area. Natural Resource Technician Blore and Natural Resource Scientist Nass built rock jacks to hold the newly configured sign boards for the closure. The rock jacks are a non-ground disturbing method of replacing t-post that held the signs on heavy plywood backing in the past.

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Photo by WDFW

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Photo by WDFW

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Photo by WDFW

Oak Creek Wildlife Area Seasonal Closures: Oak Creek Wildlife Area winter feeding area closures went into effect on Dec. 15 at 5 p.m. and will remain in effect until May 1, 2024, at 6 a.m. Oak Creek Wildlife Area Manager Mackey and Natural Resource Technician Boggs closed and locked all of the seasonal closure gates at Oak Creek Road (FS 1400), Bethel Ridge Tie Road, and Mud Lake on Dec. 15.

Columbia Basin White Bird Surveys: Sunnyside Snake River Wildlife Area Assistant Manager Jahns and Region 3 Private Lands Biologist Manderbach assisted with the 2023 Columbia Basin White Bird Survey by conducting roost surveys at two locations in Franklin County. No swans were seen, but plenty of snow geese were around.

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Photo by WDFW

District 8 Jackrabbit Research: District 8 Biologists conducted white-tailed and black-tailed jackrabbit DNA sampling. Results are being processed through a collaborative project with the University of Idaho.

District 8 Bighorn Sheep Monitoring: District 8 biologists continue to monitor collared bighorn sheep activity, health, and status. A collared adult ewe was harvested during the 2023 hunt season and was confirmed positive for M. Ovi this week. Further laboratory tests determined the animal showed signs of chronic infection with the presence of nasal tumors.

Providing Recreation Opportunities

Wenas Wildlife Area – Buffalo Road Kiosk Installation: Wenas Wildlife Area Assistant Manager Taylor and Natural Resource Technicians Stoltenow and Janes installed a kiosk at the lower access to the Buffalo Road portion of the wildlife area. A compact loader was used to auger the holes for the legs and lift the kiosk into place. The road leads to the trailhead for the skyline trail and is a popular section of the wildlife area.

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Photo by WDFW

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Photo by WDFW

Private Lands Waterfowl Hunting Opportunities: Region 3 Private Lands Biologist Manderbach recently got the Meals Road and Snake River Department of Natural Resources waterfowl ‘Hunt By Reservation’ sites up and running. There are two fields open for reservation at Meals Road and three fields available on Snake River Department of Natural Resource land. Many calls have been fielded regarding these sites as they are very popular for goose hunting. Calls have slowed down now that reservations are active on the Private Land’s website.

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Photo by WDFW

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Photo by WDFW

Providing Conflict Prevention and Education

Rattlesnake Hills Elk: District 4 Wildlife Conflict Specialist Hand monitored elk activity on Rattlesnake Mountain and coordinated with landowners on winter wheat crop success, hazing strategies, and damage permit issuance.

Kahlotus Deer Damage: District 4 Wildlife Conflict Specialist Hand received a new deer damage complaint from a wheat producer in the Kahlotus area. The landowner’s 1400 acres of newly planted wheat is being browsed on by between 50 and 100 head of deer. Active non-lethal hazing is becoming less effective. A Damage Prevention Cooperative Agreement was developed and associated damage permits were issued. Additional hunting pressure by special permit youth hunters is currently being planned.

Damage Prevention Cooperative Agreement (DPCA): District 4 Wildlife Conflict Specialist Hand completed two renewal contracts for landowners in Benton County. One DPCA addressed elk damage to hay and vineyard crops near Hanford and the other addresses deer damage to wine grapes along the Yakima River.

Pasco Deer Damage: District 4 Wildlife Conflict Specialist Hand prepared and delivered damage permits to a large tree fruit and wine grape operation north of Pasco along the Columbia River where increasing numbers of deer are browsing on new tree and vine growth.

Conserving Natural Landscapes

Wenas Wildlife Area - Bull Pasture Restoration: The Wenas Wildlife Area finished work restoring approximately 130 acres off Bull Pasture Road into native grass seed for 2023. Natural resource Technician Janes finished seeding and harrowing the area in the beginning of December.

Oak Creek Wildlife Area Bear Canyon Pile Burning: Oak Creek Wildlife Area Assistant Manager Charlet burned piles on the newly acquired Bear Canyon property. Piles consisted of nonnative vegetation removed earlier this year by volunteers.

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Other

Weed Control Seminar: L.T. Murray Wildlife Area Assistant Manager Winegeart attended a weed control seminar and has decided to use a mix of Method 240SL and Esplanade 200SC for bare ground control next year. This replaces Portfolio 4F in the mix and Method has better control of Russian thistle and knapweeds.

Mesa Lake Cultural Resource Survey: Sunnyside-Snake River Wildlife Area Assistant Manager Jahns met with Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife archeologists to conduct the cultural resource fieldwork for the Mesa Lake Pac-man Wetland development project. The upcoming project, a Ducks Unlimited collaboration, will enhance and restore wetland habitat in the Mesa Lake Unit and provide connectivity between existing wetlands. In addition to surveying for the Mesa Lake project, fieldwork was also completed to install new kiosks at both the Mesa Lake and Bailie units.

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Managing Wildlife Populations

Deer Management: Biologists Dougherty and Clements finished assisting additional biologists on mule deer aerial surveys within the Odessa subherd. Weather played a large factor in being able to get up in the air to complete these surveys. Fog grounded the crew for several hours, and a snowstorm/fog combination caused a cancellation of flights for the day altogether.

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Mule Deer Aerial Surveys: Biologists Jeffreys and Eilers kicked off a multiday aerial winter range survey of the Chelan and Wenatchee Mountains mule deer subherds. The Chelan and Wenatchee Mountains subherds are both part of Washington’s East Slope Cascades mule deer population found in Okanogan and Kittitas counties.

The goal of these aerial surveys is to get an abundance estimate for the Chelan and Wenatchee Mountains subherds. Ratio data will be generated from these aerial observations to assess age and sex composition of the herds. Wildlife biologists use these data to inform management decisions and harvest regulations. In the case of the Wenatchee Mountains subherd, biologists will compare ratios gathered from these aerial surveys with those collected via images captured by 15 remote cameras placed along migratory routes crossing Highway 97 between Peshastin and Blewett Pass.

The surveys are timed to fall in the narrow window between the end of hunting season and the onset of antler shedding, after which time it becomes impossible to reliably differentiate between bucks and does. As is often the case in Chelan County during this time of year, low hanging clouds and patchy fog delayed the first day of surveys. However, Biologists Eilers and Jeffreys did manage to survey subunits in the foothills south of Cashmere and Monitor and in the Wenatchee Foothills at Horse Lake, Sage Hills, and Number One Canyon areas.

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Mule Deer Ground Surveys: Biologists Eilers, Jeffreys, and several other Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife staff members in District 7 drove routes within predetermined units dividing up Douglas County to record the ages and sexes of all mule deer observed along the way. Unlike aerial surveys, these surveys are not used for population estimates, but instead to assess sex and age ratios, such as fawn to doe and buck to doe ratios. These ratios help biologists monitor the health and reproductive success of deer populations and aid in setting hunting regulations. 

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Annual Deer Surveys: Private Lands Biologist Braaten and District 7 staff members conducted annual deer surveys in Douglas County this period. Private Lands biologists classified 117 mule deer. There were 76 does, 28 fawns, and 13 bucks.                                       

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Upland Hunting ‒Trapped, Sick and Injured Wildlife: Biologist Clements responded to a call about a deer that was trapped in the east low canal with a broken leg. Biologist Clements, Officer Sullivan, and Wildlife Area Manager Eidson euthanized and removed the young deer from the canal.

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Northern Leopard Frogs: Biologist Nason has been summarizing northern leopard frog data for the year-end project report and has been planning for several projects related to the 2024 field season. Upcoming projects include in situ rearing of northern leopard frogs, PIT-tag monitoring, adding a second translocation site, and bullfrog management. 

Waterfowl: Biologist Clements has been responding to several harvest reports of GPS collared cackling geese. Clements has retrieved six collars within the last month. Replica collars have been given to hunters who turn in their harvested collars, and a certificate and map will be issued to them via email from Michael Guttery, a biologist in Alaska.

Biologists Dougherty, Clements, and Nason also participated in the annual winter snow goose and swan flyoff count. It was estimated that there were a minimum of 45,000 snow geese utilizing the open water in the Columbia Basin mid-December this year.

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Managing Wildlife Populations

Columbia Basin Mule Deer: Biologist Brinkman conducted an additional ground-based mule deer survey around Rock Lake in District 2. Ground surveys are also conducted in Districts 4, 5, and 7, and are used to estimate post-season herd composition (for example fawn to doe and buck to doe ratios) for three subherds across the Columbia Basin. Aerial surveys continued this week for the Odessa subherd in parts of Lincoln and eastern Grant counties for population estimation. Biologists Lowe and Brinkman and Eastside Ungulate Specialist Bundick were able to fly a day and a half of surveys between periods of rain, snow, and heavy fog this week.

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Providing Recreation Opportunities

Hunter Success: Private Lands Biologist Nizer received a harvest report from a hunter that hunted on Columbia Plataea Wildlife Management Association land. The hunter shot it on the last day of the late muzzleloader season.

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Turnbull Hunt By Reservation Success: Private Lands Biologist Nizer received a harvest report from a hunter that hunted on the hunt by reservation Turnbull Wildlife Refuge Long Lake Hunt.

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Access Site Maintenance: Access staff members went to Heller Bar and Joseph Creek on Monday to clean restrooms and pick up litter. They power washed and painted the walls of the toilets at Heller Bar. They also removed litter and leaves. They cleaned access sites across the district and checked the shooting range. 

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Providing Conflict Prevention and Education

Whitman County Elk: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Kolb responded to a complaint in southern Whitman County concerning 300 elk that were destroying fences, pasture ground, and commercial crops. Kolb conducted a site visit with the producer. The producer agreed to enter into a Damage Prevention Cooperative Agreement for additional tools and resources to address the on-going damage.

Cloverland Elk: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Wade spent one day in the Cloverland area after receiving a report that a large herd of elk had been seen in the area. Wade located roughly 100 head of elk in the area where they were reported. The elk were in a non-crop area and muddy conditions in the area were not conducive to hazing. Wade and Natural Resource Technician Heitstuman monitored the elk and will start hazing when conditions approve. 

Conserving Natural Landscapes

Water Trough Escape Ladders: Natural Resource Technician Meisner spent the week replacing rotten escape ladders in water troughs scattered across the wildlife area. The old steel ladders rusted out and were not useable for birds or small mammals. Without the ladders, they could become trapped and perish in the water troughs. The new ladders are aluminum versus steel so they will have a longer lifespan. The design is essentially a metal mesh that angles down into the water. When birds or small mammals fall into the water, they can climb out. He also checked winter gate closures and facilities.

Habitat Plantings: Private Lands Biologist Hadley planted shrubs on a Feel Free to Hunt access site in Walla Walla County and met with a member of the Blue Mountain Pheasants Forever Chapter to plan volunteer dates. They plan to plant shrubs and do other site prep work on multiple Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife contracted access sites in Columbia and Walla Walla counties. Private Lands Biologist Hadley contacted landowners to notify them of planned work dates. 

Aquatic Lands Enhancement Account (ALEA) Grant Planning Meeting: This week Wildlife Area Assistant Manager Rimmelspacher and Wildlife Area Manager Finch attended monthly meeting of the Spokane Chapter of Pheasant Forever in Spokane. Spokane Audubon Haggin and ALEA Grant Manager Thorburn were present at the meeting to discuss the terms of the grant. The purpose of the meeting was to plan the winter riparian shrub planting that will take place in the Lake Creek Drainage on the east side of Z-Lake. In September, Rimmelspacher placed a shrub order that included over 750 trees and shrubs. Shrub matting will be used along with deer fencing to protect the plants. The estimated time for planting will be mid-April of 2024. The Bureau of Land Management has done very similar work in the same drainage over the last few years and has been very successful.

Camp Wooten Environmental Learning Center: State Parks staff members completed the project at Camp Wooten to put the creek, that comes out of the draw behind the park, back into its historic channel where it will by-pass the park to the north and reduce the risk of gulley-washers damaging anymore of the buildings. Dingman used some leftover seed to seed the disturbed areas for State Parks.

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North Spokane Natural Area Corridor: There is a lot happening behind the scenes near Waikiki Springs Wildlife Area, located along the Little Spokane River on the north edge of the city of Spokane. The Spokane Tribe of Indians (STOI) recently purchased some land near the Inland Northwest Lands Council’s (INLC) Nature Preserve. The Inland Northwest Lands Council’s land lies adjacent to the wildlife area. Washington State Parks Department is also working on acquiring about 1,000 acres, called the Glen Tana property, in the same general area. With these new acquisitions, there will be a natural area corridor connecting Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Waikiki Springs Wildlife Area, INLC’s Waikiki Springs Nature Preserve, the STOI property, a chunk of Kalispel Tribe property next to their golf course, Washington State Parks’ Glen Tana property, and Riverside State Park.

Dziekan and Regional Wildlife Program Manager Robinette represented Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife in a meeting about management of these publicly accessible parcels. Representatives from the four other organizations, State Parks, INLC, STOI, and the Kalispel Tribe also attended. After a general introduction, they discussed how each organization currently manages its lands in the area, and how future partnerships between all five organizations can improve habitat management and possibly bring about co-management of these lands. 

Providing Education and Outreach

Waikiki Springs Presentation: On Thursday, Dec. 7, North Region 1 Access Areas Manager Dziekan gave a brief presentation at the closing portion of the Lands Division meeting in Ellensburg. He discussed the unique status of Waikiki Springs Access Area, which is used more like a city park and is being transitioned into a wildlife area. 

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Volunteer Coordination: Wildlife Conflict Specialist Kolb conducted the final coordination with a Washington State University wildlife ecology student before they started their volunteer work in District 3. The student will have volunteer opportunities in every Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife program during their work period.

Managing Wildlife Populations

Streaked Horned Lark Working Group: Biologists Tirhi and Butler represented Region 6 at the annual working group meeting hosted by the Portland Airport. The agenda included presentations on research results including habitat enhancement and lark reintroduction, updates to the federal listings and federal recovery plans, updates from both Oregon and Washington wildlife departments regarding ongoing and planned lark work, an overview of the survey results from Oregon and Washington 2022-2023 (including on airfields), data management needs, and more.

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife thanks Portland Airport for being such an excellent host and partner on lark recovery.

Mima Creek Unit, Oregon Spotted Frog and Waterfowl Grant Funding: In November, Biologist Tirhi gave a grant request presentation to the Aquatic Species Restoration Plan (ASRP) Regional Implementation Team review board. The grant presentation was for Phase 2 of the Mima Creek Unit of the Scatter Creek Wildlife Area Oregon spotted frog/fisheries project. Phase 2 requests $122,427 towards design completion, permitting, and cultural review for the construction of two ponds, hydrologic connector to deep water Mima Creek tributary, manual gate pond water control installation, and the installation of several beaver dam analogs into Mima Creek. After receiving a unanimous thumbs up by the review board, Tirhi completed and submitted the next step of the grant request.

Biologists Tirhi and Novak met with Ducks Unlimited staff members to discuss the early stages of project implementation after being notified that the $1.3M Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife and Ducks Unlimited (DU) North American Wetland Conservation Act (NAWCA) grant was awarded. Mima Creek will receive $310,000 from the NAWCA grant to enhanced wetlands for waterfowl and other species.

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Western Pond Turtle: Biologists Butler and Tirhi represented Region 6 at the annual internal pond turtle planning meeting which was also attended by Region 5 and headquarters staff members. This is the annual opportunity for those Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife biologists responsible for management of the eight pond turtle recovery sites to discuss and plan the past and upcoming turtle seasons and turtle recovery. The team presented their 2023 survey results and data collection including radio tagged breeding females and nesting results. They also discussed and planned research needs including disease response (USD), husbandry, and grant opportunities. This annual internal meeting is always followed at a future date with the larger partnership that includes Woodland Park Zoo, Oregon Zoo, PAWS, Sustainability in Prisons Project, and others.

Barred Owl and Common Loon: Biologist Tirhi represented District 11 by attending the internal discussion on barred owl removal project Barred Owl Management | U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (fws.gov) and the internal planning discussion for common loon surveys and needs.

Providing Recreation Opportunities

Chimacum Unit Gate: Capital Asset Management Program (CAMP) staff members installed a gate at the Chimacum Unit in the North Olympic Wildlife Area to help allow emergency vehicles and vegetation maintenance equipment into the unit.

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Johns River Kiosk Repair: Assistant Manager Gallegos, Technicians Magliaro and Martinez, and staff members at the Olympic-Willapa Hills Wildlife Area recently refurbished the kiosk at the Johns River Unit and water access area. Infrastructure such as wooden kiosks weather quickly in coastal areas and are often subject to deterioration of the lumber, moss and mold growth, loss of shingles, in addition to normal wear and tear.

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Conserving Natural Landscapes

Interstate 5 (I-5) Connectivity Project: Biologist Tirhi represents Region 6 on the technical team for this project. She participated in the Connectivity Technical Team field trip to visit and discuss the various I-5 crossing locations that have been proposed. The team saw wildlife camera data from cameras positioned at the proposed locations showing big wildlife (bears, cougar) and small wildlife (bobcat, coyote, birds) attempting to cross or interested in crossing the interstate. Tirhi was surprised by how close the wildlife got to I-5 before deciding not to cross.

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Conducting Business Operations and Policy

Personnel Development Plan: Biologist Tirhi met with Biologist Butler to complete her annual evaluation and expectations review for 2023-2024. This was a time to review the excellent work Biologist Butler provides to the agency and highlight expected work for this next season. The wildlife of District 11 is better off due to the hard work of biologists like Biologist Butler.

Managing Wildlife Populations

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

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

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

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

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Providing Recreation Opportunities

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

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

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

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

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Providing Conflict Prevention and Education

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

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

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

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

Conserving Natural Landscapes

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

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

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

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Providing Education and Outreach

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

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Providing Recreation Opportunities

Staff members have submitted a request for proposal to the Contracting Office for a route inventory and trail conditions assessment bid. The contract will hopefully be awarded in January or February of 2024. The contract includes a route inventory and trail conditions assessment at six wildlife areas.

Providing Education and Outreach

Staff members are preparing a request for proposal for an Ambassador Program 2024 bid process. Staff members are hoping to get the request for proposal posted before Dec. 23 to allow ample time for the bid process. Programming will hopefully run from April through August of 2024.

Staff members are continuing to work on kiosk development. In late December, 18 kiosks will be installed in Region 4. Ten more kiosks are currently in the design or fabrication process.