Winter Recreation is Open!

While we are out enjoying and exploring one of the most beautiful seasons in Okanogan Country, here are a few tips on how to protect our wintering wildlife - keeping them happy & safe this season, too!

"Wintering wildlife are dependent on fat reserves, they accumulated during the summer times of plenty, plus what food they can find during the winter months. Repeated pressure during the winter will cause the wildlife to increase use of reserves and their daily intake may not be enough to get them through the winter months. An example - mule deer breeding season begins in late October and continues through early December. The bucks literally wear themselves out mating and defending their territories and harems. Thus they become very vulnerable during the winter months.

 Fawns may not make it through a particularly hard winter especially if the snow is deep plus they have to compete with adult does and bucks for forage. Recreationists should not take dogs out with them or if they do - keep the dogs under strict control. It is illegal to allow dogs to chase deer. Studies have shown that cross-country skiers cause a greater increase in deer heart rates (assuming increased heart is a proxy to increased alarm/alertness) than do snowmobiles (Yes, I could not believe this myself, but that is what the peer reviewed literature says). Cross-country skiers and snowshoe enthusiasts should stick to established trails and avoid trekking cross country through deer winter range. Do not attempt to follow or chase deer.

 All wintertime recreationists at lower elevations, i.e., deer (big game) winter range, should use established routes and avoid going off the routes and potentially unnecessarily disturbing wintering wildlife."

— Dale Swedberg | Local Naturalist and Retired Manager of the Sinlahekin Wildlife Area