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About Spilyay tymoo. (Warm Springs, Or.) 1976-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 26, 2014)
Page 2 Spilyay Tymoo, Warm Springs, Oregon November 26, 2014 Reservation wildlife survey coming up in December (Andrea Karoglanian, wild- life biologist with the Confeder- ated Tribes, shared this infor- mation recently about the wild- life populations on the reserva- tion.) Conducting wildlife sur- veys can be difficult, time consuming and expensive, depending on what you are surveying and the method you use to survey. Deer and elk surveys are conducted by helicopter, and are done at a time when the animals are most concen- trated. This is during winter or spring green up. The entire reservation is not flown, due to time and cost constraints. Deer and elk winter range, the lower elevation area pri- marily on the east half of the reservation, is broken down into 94 units. Each of those units are ranked as a high or low unit. Units are ranked before each survey, based on habi- tat information, weather and tribal member input. We ask tribal hunters, and people who spend a lot of time on the ground, where they are seeing a lot of deer and elk. We also look at some of the hunting results to see where people are harvesting deer and elk, which indicates where there may be a decent population of animals. We then look at what the weather is doing, or has done the weeks prior to the surveys. The snow and cold event that just happened will be very helpful for us conducting our surveys in mid December. The snow and cold will help push the animals down into the lower elevation habitat, where they will be more con- centrated and more easily vis- ible. Once the units are ranked, we can determine what units we will fly. We will fly all of the high ranked units, and then the low ranked units will be randomly selected. We will fly a total of 35 to 40 units. When we fly the units there are two or three observers and the pilot. We fly the entire unit in a grid pattern to ensure we cover the entire area and don’t miss animals or double count animals. We use a GPS to track our flight and to record the ani- mals seen. When we see an animal we record the location, the number of animals seen, the sex of the animals, whether they are an adult or juvenile; and, if it is male, the number of points. Once the surveys are com- pleted, we compile all the data and run it through a model. This can give an estimate of the population for the entire reservation. This is an esti- mate, so there is some error that is accounted for. If we do not rank the units properly as high or low units before the survey it can skew the estimate, so it takes good knowledge of the ani- mals and the area being sur- veyed to get an accurate esti- mate. A wildlife population is dependent on the amount of recruitment, or the number of young pro- duced each year, to sus- tain or increase it’s popu- lation size. The sustainable thresh- old is the ratio of fawns to does that the popula- tion needs just to main- tain it’s population, not increase. Population models in- dicate that when fawn to doe ratios drop below 50- 60 fawns per 100 does, mule deer populations can- not sustain themselves and decline. Fawn recruitment has been low for more than a decade, and is cause for con- cern. There has not been a study on the reservation to determine the cause of the low fawn ratios. This type of study would be very time intensive and expensive. However, there have been many mule deer studies conducted that try to determine the cause of low fawn ratios, and many have found that often fawn ratios are correlated with the doe’s body condition. And a doe’s body condi- tion is strongly related to habitat conditions. Deer and elk particularly need a certain amount of body fat accumu- lated by fall to survive the winter months. If the does don’t accumu- late enough fat a number of things could happen: the doe may not impregnate, they may miscarry during the win- ter, the doe may not produce enough milk for the fawn, or the fawn may not find enough food once weaned to survive. The many variables in- fluencing deer survival have the greatest impact on fawns. Fawns accumulate less fat reserves than adults during summer and fall, making them more sus- ceptible to weather sever- ity, poor quality habitat, predators, harassment and disease. Wildlife Department request hunter harvest information to be returned after hunting sea- son? The answer is that it helps us with our deer and elk population estimates, as well as determining our buck ra- tios. It helps us determine the impact that the hunting activities are having on the populations. It also helps us focus our wildlife habitat restoration efforts. All the information hunt- ers provide helps us to better manage the long-ter m sustainability of the wildlife populations on and off the reservation. One of the main duties of my job is to provide the tech- nical guidance to ensure that wildlife populations are re- sponsibly managed not only for the current generations, but also the children, grand- children and great grandchil- dren of these generations. So that’s why I try to col- lect and provide as much wild- life information as possible, to help the tribes make man- agement decisions that are in their best interest. That be- ing said, as the wildlife biolo- gist, my main focus, of course, is going to be geared toward responsible wildlife management. copter. They are easier to survey, and we usually count all the animals because they are found in a distinct small area. The mountain goat sur- veys are also conducted by he- licopter for obvious reasons: They are found in very steep rugged terrain that would be extremely difficult to access from the ground. We coordinate with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife to conduct the sur veys because the state agency pays for and organizes the surveys. Warm Springs Natural Resources are in- cluded in the surveys. All habitat for the goats is sur- veyed, because they are also found within a limited area. Eagles, spotted owls We also monitor Bald and Golden eagle populations on the reservation. Those are conducted on the ground during the nesting season. Mainly we monitor repro- ductive success to determine whether the population is go- ing up or down. Those sur- veys are not very time inten- sive. Northern spotted owls are monitored annually during the nesting season. Spotted owls are a Threatened species and are protected under the Endan- gered Species Act, so the monitoring is due to an agree- ment with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Sheep, goats Big horn sheep are sur- veyed at the same time as the deer and elk from the heli- See WILDLIFE on page 8 See SURVEY on page 8 Question: W hy does the Shop local on Small Business Saturday Saturday, Nov. 29, will be Small Business Saturday, a national day to encourage people to shop at small busi- ness. As you go about your holi- day shopping, remember to support your local small busi- Fawn-to-doe ratio a concern on reservation nesses and consider purchases close to home. It not only helps grow the local economy but also saves you travel money, and less- ens the environmental impact of your holiday shopping. 39th Annual Christmas Bazaar Saturday, Dec. 13 ~ 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at the Community Center Gym and Social Hall Find those perfect Christmas gifts for the whole family, while enjoying homemade goods. For more information contact us at 541-553-3243 or -3244. The Miss Warm Springs Pageant is coming up on December 26. Miss Warm Springs 2014 Charmaine Billey will present the 2015 crown to the new Miss Warm Springs at the pageant, held at the Agency Longhouse. Applicants are between 18 and 24 years, must be a Warm Springs member, drug- and alcohol free, and a role model. She must reside on the reservation, though there are exceptions for off-reser- vation students. The contestants receive prizes for taking part in the pageant. The new Miss Warm Springs will receive a full beaded crown and ban- ner. During the year, Miss Miss Warm Springs 2014 Charmaine Billey Warm Springs travels to tribal events around the region — the Gathering of Nations, and conferences of the Af- filiated Tribes of Northwest Indians, and the National In- dian Education Association, among others. Miss Warm Springs par- ticipates in parades in Warm Springs, Redmond, Prineville, Madras, etc. The tribes pro- vide some travel expenses for Miss Warm Springs. The Tribal Council staff organize the Miss War m Springs Pageant. Applications can be picked up and returned at the Tribal Council office. If you have any questions, call Minnie Yahtin or Emily Yazzie at 541-553-3257. At the pageant the contes- tants are judged on their knowledge of the Confeder- ated Tribes and the reserva- Cash & Release Firewood Western Juniper Old growth Douglas Fir Lodge pole pine Old growth Ponderosa pine Tamarack Miss Warm Springs pageant on Dec. 26 $210 $210 $210 $190 $250 ‘If it won’t burn, we ain’t going to sell!’ Delivered to the Warm Springs and Madras areas - accompanied with legal permits and invoice Always Looking to Buy tion; and knowledge of tra- ditional foods, ceremonies, clothing, crafts and social ac- tivities. The judges also look for poise, personality and beauty, speaking ability and appear- ance. Contestants are asked to perform two tribal dances. They are asked to type essays on “Why I want to be Miss Warm Springs,” and “What will be my civic project for the community during my reign?” A table will be available at the pageant to showcase per- sonal talents, academic and sports achievements, as well as traditional. Applications are due at the Tribal Council office by 5 p.m. on Dec. 22. Voted the #1 Pawn Shop in Jefferson County ‘We would like to thank all our friends in Warm Springs for 12 years of business’ PB - 0339 ph. 541-325-6046 Douglas fir BTU rating per cord - 26.5 Wester juniper BTU rating per cord - 26.4 One cord of wood BTU rating is equivalent to 150-160 gallons of furnace oil. You save a whopping $430 by burning firewood. Save even more if you heat by electricity. We are now open Saturdays for your convenience, starting Nov. 1. 915 SW Highway 97 - Across the Madras Truck Stop ph. 541- 475-3157 All your items are bonded and insured while in our care.
