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Southwest Washington
Wildlife Reports
September
4, 2007
Region
5 Wildlife Areas
Mt. St.
Helens Wildlife Area -
Maintenance Activities:
Wildlife Area Manager Calkins and Volunteer Dave Remmen repaired or maintained
tree protectors on conifers (cedar and noble fir) planted near the edge of the
mudflow last spring that have survived to date. As reported previously, some
of the planted trees were lost to erosion shortly after planting but those that
have remained are doing reasonably well. Maintaining the tree protectors has
been a challenge and we will probably be moving toward using rebar for stakes,
as many of the wooden stakes were found cracked or broken. Alder that survived
the high water shortly after planting are doing extremely well.
We are also posting ‘No Entry’ signs along the eastern boundary of the Wildlife Area with the National Volcanic Monument, which is closed to public access. We felt this is necessary with the expanded hunting effort that will occur this fall and some evidence had been noted in the past that some hunters might have entered the monument. We have also recently learned that WDFW's surveyors will be resurveying this boundary. We had made this request because most of the old USFS markers have been lost or buried by the meandering river channel.
Calkins also dismantled one stretch brace on one elk trap wing in preparation to pull the posts at a later date. Some of the wood posts that had been removed previously were hauled to Vancouver for other uses.
Klickitat Wildlife Area - Western Pond Turtle: Wildlife Area Manager VanLeuven responded to a report from the Sondino Unit of theft of turtle eggs and temperature sensors. A total of 2 nests were raided. The screens that were placed over the nests when the nests were new were put back after the eggs were taken, so this was not a predation incident by an animal. It is unknown yet if additional nests may have been stolen as well. This is unfortunate and, as the hatching date for the nests draws near, the nests will be checked by WDFW.
Game
Management Division
Deer Productivity
Surveys: With the help of various volunteers, Biologist Holman conducted
deer spotlighting surveys in Game Management Units 568 (Washougal), 564 (Battle
Ground) and 550 (Coweeman). Productivity surveys are conducted annually between
August 15th and September 30th. To date, the surveys appear to be indicating
better fawn production than during 2006.
Mud Flow Hunt: Mailings have gone out for the first hunts to take place on the Mount St. Helens Wildlife Area Mud Flow Hunt Elk area. The hunt is designed to reduce elk numbers on the wildlife area and allow more forage to be available for the wintering elk. A secondary objective is to contribute to the overall herd goal of reducing the elk population in the St Helens elk herd area. Biologists will be collecting internal organs to sample for fat composition of the elk, which is an indicator of herd health.
Wildlife
Diversity Division
Sandhill
Cranes: Biologist Anderson completed banding efforts for Sandhill crane
colts this week with the USFWS at Conboy National Wildlife Refuge. A total of
six colts were captured this season, each marked with color leg bands for future
identification. The first capture was Jully 2nd and the last colt was captured
August 27th. Three of the banded birds have fledged, two are still pre -fledging,
and it is uncertain what the status is of the remaining colt. This brings the
total number of banded colts over the past six years at Conboy National Wildlife
Refuge to 36. Color banding is one of the best methods for assisting with determining
juvenile survival, distribution changes of adult birds at nesting sites, and
adult mortality rates.
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