FRIDAY, APRIL 7, 2017
THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS — 7
Outdoor Rec / Local
ODFW advises against picking ODFW Weekly
Recreation
up baby animals in wild
A male bear cub picked
up by a hiker along the
Santiam River Trail on
Sunday, has been sent to, a
wildlife rehabilitation fa-
cility today to continue its
growth, according to Colin
Gillin, the ODFW state
wildlife veterinarian who
has been taking care of
the cub with his veterinary
staff since it was turned
over to ODFW on Monday,
March 27.
A second, female, bear
cub arrived at ODFW’s
Corvallis office on Thurs-
day, March 30, after its den
near Myrtle Creek was dis-
turbed by a brush-clearing
operation. The mother bear
was believed to have aban-
doned the bear cub due to
the continuing disturbance,
and it was determined
that the mother bear was
unlikely to return.
Both bear cubs are of
similar age, between three
and four months old, the
male cub weighed 4.5
pounds, and the female
weighed 6 pounds. The
male bear cub was treated
for mild pneumonia by
ODFW veterinarian Julia
Burco and several other
staff, who worked with
the Oregon State School
of Veterinary Medicine to
evaluate the cub to make
sure it didn’t have any
underlying congenital is-
sues that would have made
him a poor candidate for
rehabilitation.
On Friday, March 31,
both bear cubs were trans-
ported to PAWS Wildlife
Center in Lynwood, Wash-
ington, a rehabilitation
facility used by the Depart-
ment because of their spe-
cialized standard of care
designed to allow young
bears to develop without
habituating to humans so
they can be returned to
Oregon for release into the
wild.
“We’ll receive these
cubs as unhabituated and
year-old bears sometime
between March and June
of 2018,” Colin Gillin said.
“And they’ll be between
100 and 150 pounds at the
time of release.”
ODFW and Oregon State
Police remind Oregonians
that taking young animals
out of the wild isn’t just
against the law, it’s also
bad for the animal. These
animals miss the chance
to learn important survival
skills from their mother
like where to feed, what
to eat, how to behave and
avoid danger and preda-
tors. The hiker who picked
up the male bear cub on
Sunday, March 26th, was
Report
BAKER COUNTY
Bighorn sheep can be seen in the Burnt River Canyon west of
Durkee or along the Snake River Road south of Richland. The
best viewing is in the early morning and late in the evening.
Winter bird species are starting to migrate through the area.
Bald and golden eagles can be seen along the Snake River.
Take the Snake River Road between Richland and Huntington.
Early in the morning and late in the afternoon are good times to
view wildlife.
Elkhorn Wildlife Area is known for the Rocky Mountain elk
and mule deer herds that frequent the area during the winter.
When snow covers the ground, ODFW staff feed elk and deer
to encourage them to stay in the higher elevations and out of
agricultural fields.
There are two good viewing sites. The Anthony Creek site is
located about eight miles west of I-84 on North Powder River
Lane. From I-84 take the North Powder Exit (Exit 285). About 150
elk can be seen here on any given day. From the overlook on
Auburn Road, watch hundreds of elk and mule deer. It is on the
south side of Old Auburn Road, which branches off Highway 7
about six miles south of Baker City.
GRANT COUNTY
Bald Eagles can be observed along Hwy 26 between Prairie
City and Dayville.
Bighorn sheep may be viewed from the South Fork near the
Murderers Creek road. Early mornings are your best chances for
catching them out on the rocky outcrops.
Photographer courtesy of ODFW.
This Oregon bear in on his way to a rehab facilty in Washington State.
given a warning by Troop-
ers. Although the OSP
did not issue a citation for
this specific occurrence,
individuals have been
cited in the past for similar
activities. Oregon State Po-
lice will look at each case
individually and decide
whether a citation or warn-
ing will be issued.
Before picking up any
wild animal, call ODFW,
Oregon State Police, or
a wildlife rehabilitator
for advice. Removing or
“capturing” an animal
from the wild and keeping
it in captivity without a
permit is against state law
(OAR 635-044-0015), as is
transporting many animals.
Last year, seven people
were cited for such of-
fenses. You can contact our
veterinary staff toll-free at
866-968-2600.
Follow these tips if you
encounter young animals
in the wild:
Deer, elk and other mam-
mals:
Never assume an animal
is orphaned. Taking a
newborn deer fawn into
captivity is illegal without
appropriate permits or
licensing. Don’t handle the
animal, move it or remove
it from the forest, includ-
ing your backyard. Female
deer and elk and other
mammals will often leave
their young temporarily
for safety reasons or to
feed elsewhere. They will
return when it is safe to do
so (when people, dogs, or
predators are not present).
Call your local ODFW
office, Oregon State Police
office, or a local licensed
wildlife rehabilitation
center when: 1) you see an
animal that you know is
orphaned because you ob-
served the dead parent ani-
mal, or 2) the parent hasn’t
returned for several hours
or even up to a day, or 3) if
the animal is clearly inured
or in distress.
Bunnies are rarely
orphaned; mother rab-
bits only visit den sites at
dusk and dawn to feed her
young.
Keep your dog or cat
away from young wildlife,
especially in the spring.
If you see a seal pup,
young sea lion, or other
marine mammal that
appears stranded or in dis-
tress, contact OSP’s hotline
at 1-800-452-7888.
Birds:
Leave fledgling birds
alone. It is natural for
fledgling (mostly feath-
ered) birds to appear awk-
ward while learning how to
fly. If you see a young on
the ground, leave it alone
and keep your distance.
Bring your pets under con-
trol and indoors (particu-
larly cats) if possible. The
mother bird may feed the
fledgling for several days
on the ground until it “gets
its wings.
Return nestling birds to
the nest. Nestlings (baby
birds not fully feathered)
found on the ground can be
gently and quickly returned
to the nest. If the nest is
out of reach, place the bird
on an elevated branch or
fence, or in a nest made
from a small box, out of
the reach of children and
pets. Leave the area so the
parent birds can return to
feed them.
Bring your pets indoors.
Cats are a major cause of
injury and death for all
birds, killing millions of
birds in the US annually.
Be careful when pruning
trees as there may be a bird
nest in the branch. Prune
trees during winter or in
late Spring or Summer
when fledgling birds have
left the nest.
Avoid disturbing cavity
nesters. Barn owls and
other birds could be nest-
ing in hollowed-out trees
or logs and in haystacks.
Again, void disturbing the
structure during nesting
season.
What if a bird flies into a
window and appears hurt?
Birds can become disori-
ented by reflective surfaces
and mistakenly fly into
windows. If you find a bird
that has been injured by a
window strike, place the
bird in an uncovered box
with a towel on the bottom.
Keep it in a quiet, safe
place away from pets and
check back in a couple of
hours to see if has recov-
ered and flown away. If
not, contact a local ODFW
office or your local wildlife
rehabilitator.
Turtles:
Let turtles cross the road.
Oregon has two species
of water turtles (Western
Pond and Western Painted)
that spend most of their
lives in ponds and rivers.
In May and June, female
turtles begin searching for
suitable nesting habitat to
lay their eggs and may be
observed moving across
roads and trails in search of
a place to lay their eggs. If
you observe a turtle look-
ing for a nest site, the best
thing to do is leave it alone
and let it continue on its
path or at most move it out
of harm’s way so it won’t
be struck by a vehicle
Powder River Sportsmen’s
Club announces events
Powder River Sports-
men’s Club Calendar:
Two Hunter Ed classes
have been added to the
Range calendar in April
and August.
A Precision Rifle course
has reserved the entire
range July 14-15.
The August Steel
Varmint match has been
changed to the 13th.
Target Holders In-
stalled:
New target holders were
installed at the range last
week: backer-boards at-
tached to horizontal wood
beams on vertical posts.
The beams and posts will
last for years if they don't
get shot up.
Please do your part to
make sure that all shooters
know to hang targets only
on the backer material, not
on the beams and posts.
Baker YHEC:
The Baker NRA Youth
Hunter Education Chal-
lenge (YHEC) is in full
swing with 17 enrolled.
YHEC is an educational
program for kids age 10-
18 that expands skills
and knowledge in eight
disciplines: Orienteering,
Hunter Safety, Hunting
Knowledge, Wildlife ID,
Light Rifle, Muzzleload-
ing, Archery, and Sporting
Clays.
Oregon YHEC teams
have a legacy of success at
the National YHEC Com-
petition.
Baker YHEC has
recently added five new
muzzleloader rifles and
one new compound bow to
its inventory of equipment
made available to kids.
Most of the funding for
Oregon YHEC programs
comes from the Oregon
Friends of NRA Fund.
Powder River FNRA
Banquet:
The annual Powder River
FNRA fundraising banquet
is May 13. Good food, fun
times, and a lot of dollars
raised to continue support
of shooting ranges, shoot-
ing sports, and college
scholarships statewide.
Learn more at prfnra.org.
The pre-event raffle this
year is for two New Ruger
10-22 Rifles with two
25-round magazines, all
packaged in a convenient
Gatling Gun platform.
Buy Raffle tickets at Tom
Van Diepen's Farmer's In-
surance Agency, or see Vic
Savage at Cashway,
or find David Spaugh,
Marco Valerio, or Daniel
Batchelor.
UNION COUNTY
Mark your calendar: Ladd Marsh Bird Festival begins May 19
with Mark Obmascik, author of Big Year: A Tale of Man, Nature
and Fowl Obsession, as featured speaker.
Note: All visitors must have in their possession a free daily
permit to access the wildlife area. Permits are available at
several self-check-in stations at entry points and parking lots.
Wildlife viewers and anglers also need a parking permit to park
on the wildlife area. The $10 daily or $30 annual permit can be
purchased online or at an ODFW office that sells licenses or at
a license sales agent. Learn more about ODFW’s Wildlife Area
Parking Permit Program.
At this time all of Ladd Marsh, including the Glass Hill Unit,
is closed to public entry. The Tule Lake Public Access Area will
open to visitors March 1. Visitors are advised to carefully read
posted signs and consult the wildlife area administrative rules.
Rules that apply to all areas are at the top (at the link), and then
scroll down to page 8, #635-008-120, for additional rules specific
to Ladd Marsh. Dogs are not permitted within the Wildlife Area,
including the Glass Hill Unit, on or off leash except during autho-
rized game bird hunting seasons.
There are numerous quality viewing opportunities from county
roads that pass through the area. Binoculars or a spotting scope
will help as many animals are best viewed from a distance.
Great horned owls have begun nesting. Watch for the incubat-
ing bird’s head showing above the nest. Some red-tailed hawks
are “staking out” nest sites and performing nest repairs. Egg
laying won’t be far behind. American kestrels remain common
throughout the area and are often seen hunting from perch sites
and may now be seen in pairs. A single prairie falcon is still using
areas along Pierce Rd.
White-crowned sparrows are present in good numbers and
song sparrows are widespread and abundant. Northern shrikes,
while not common can be found at various locations on the area.
Ponds and wetlands have thawed and are full of bot water and
birds. Tundra swans have been using the refuge below Foothill
Road as well as Schoolhouse Pond east of Peach Road. Greater
white-fronted geese are in and Canada geese are paired up.
Canada geese will be on nests soon. Thousands of ducks are
utilizing the area including mallard, gadwall, northern pintail,
bufflehead, scaup and American green-winged teal.
Elk and deer have remained at lower elevations. They can
often be seen from county roads by glassing the slopes of Glass
Hill or across the flats to the east. Use caution to avoid spooking
wildlife into roads or highways for their safety and the safety of
the traveling public.
UMATILLA COUNTY
Willow Creek and Coyote Springs Wildlife Areas are both found
next to interstate 84 and the Columbia River and have excel-
lent viewing for wetland and riparian obligate bird species. The
upland areas are also available for savanna and shrub steppe
species of birds. Willow Creek has an ample deer herd and the
evidence of beaver activity can be seen on the Willow Creek
delta area of the wildlife area.
The Irrigon Wildlife Area holds riparian and wetland habitat and
hosts a number of species of birds associated with each habitat.
One can see a number of waterfowl and wading bird species in
the pothole pond areas. Painted turtles are also common in the
pond areas. White pelicans can be commonly found along the
Columbia River as well. Geese and ducks are beginning to build
along the Columbia River and will be commonly trading back and
forth along the river.
Upland and forested riparian areas will have a number of winter-
ing birds using those areas.
ELK will be more common in the early morning and late after-
noon in mid and elevation areas. Roads moving upslope from
the valley floor to the mountain areas would be best to see these
animals.
WHITE-TAILED DEER are common along the foothills of the
Blue Mountains and can be seen either early morning or evening
in those areas. Mule deer are found in better numbers in the
desert and mountain areas.
WALLOWA COUNTY
Common raptors in the open areas of the county in winter
are red-tailed hawks, rough-legged hawks, prairie falcons, and
golden eagles. Look for bald eagles perched in the larger trees
along Wallowa Lake shore or on power poles near water in the
Wallowa Valley and Grande Ronde River in the Troy area. Migrat-
ing bald eagles can also be seen in the Prairie Creek and Elk Mt.
Road areas east of Enterprise.
A good place to observe mule deer is along the Wallowa Lake
highway between Joseph and the south end of Wallowa Lake.
Drive slowly and watch along the moraine on the east side of the
lake around dawn and dusk. Be careful to use the turnouts when
stopping to watch these animals, as there will be other traffic on
the road. White-tailed deer can be found throughout the Wallowa
Valley on or near agricultural lands.
Many elk are moving back onto the Zumwalt Prairie now,
although some are still on the breaks above Little Sheep Creek
or the Imnaha River. Try driving the Zumwalt Prairie Road or
Lower Imnaha River Road and looking carefully on ridge tops.
These areas are county roads that run through private property,
so please respect the landowner’s privacy and remain on the
county road and park out of the traffic lanes while watching the
elk. Once you find a herd, use binoculars or a spotting scope to
observe the animals.
While many of our migrant waterfowl have already headed
north with the advent of warmer weather, some can still be seen
flying into Wallowa Lake in the evenings from the county park at
the north end of the lake. Canada geese and several species of
ducks can also be seen feeding in agricultural fields and along
streams around the county. Other migrants have begun to move
into the area including: Say’s phoebes, horned larks, and robins.
Mountain bluebirds have returned from their southern haunts
and can be seen in the Wallowa Valley and Imnaha Canyon. Two
sandhill cranes were located this week along Highway 3 in the
Snow Hollow area north of Enterprise.