Highlighting the importance of habitat restoration work

By Dean Nizer/WDFW

Pine Creek Hunt by Reservation is an important wildlife corridor for big game species, including a historical elk migratory corridor from Rock Lake to the Idaho Border (as well as historical migrations from Turnbull to the Snake River), as well as a travel corridor for our declining, disease-hampered white-tailed deer and one of our few Whitman County wild turkey population corridors. The Babb Road fire of 2020 destroyed a major portion of this corridor as well as the towns of Pine City and Malden. This property lies between the two small communities and is enrolled in the WDFW Private Lands Access Program through the Hunt by Reservation Only program. The property is intended for big game hunting although it does also allow small game hunting for pheasants, quail, and potentially Hungarian partridge as well. Turkeys have begun to move back into the area, as some of the largest and oldest trees survived the fire. This property received a grant in 2021 through the Pine Creek Conservation District for a fire restoration due to weed invasion on the property following the fire. Grasses were seeded and some trees were planted although funding was focused primarily to seeding of grasses and weed suppression on 204 acres. Since funded, WDFW did a re-seeding of forb plantings, consisting of alfalfa, small burnet, vetch, and blue flax, will assist with brood rearing habitat by providing broad leaf plants to increase insect abundance. According to Schmutz et al. 1990, wild turkey poults will change from the invertebrate to primarily a vegetative diet at 2-4 weeks of age, so the broadleaf plants will be advantageous at providing food for adult turkeys as well. Also, if funded, the re-establishment of the ponderosa pine trees will aid the turkeys with providing additional roosting habitat, especially as the remaining standing dead trees begin to fall. With previous planting’s occurring on the established planting sites, follow up plantings which in total was 3,545 so far will help with survivability of the planted tree stand. In addition, shrubs will be planted to assist with lateral cover which is studied to support 73% of nesting habitat in similar ecosystems (Porter, W.F, 1992). The re-establishment of this wildlife corridor is also an important aspect of the two human communities which have lost much due to fire and the deer disease outbreaks. The opportunity to view wildlife in abundance again will provide an aesthetic value, especially as people continue to traverse along the Palouse-to-Cascades Trail that goes through the area and the property.

Grant funded through game bird-WDFW grant

This grant was funded through Sarah Garrison the small game specialist for the state and a turkey habitat grant. The money was used to purchase 3,545 trees and shrubs in the spring of 2024 and 1,042 for the fall of 2024. In combination with this grant, other funding was secured to provide additional grass and forbes mixture for poults and adult turkeys and put more money towards tree and shrub purchases. This grant through the turkey habitat grant with Sarah Garrison has been secured twice and has made a difference developing habitat on the Pine Creek Hunt by Reservation property.