Spring 2006 - Scinw.com

Lois is the Regional Office Front Desk Supervisor at the Spokane Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife... I used to work
with Dr. Briggs Hall, on turkey, sheep, and mule deer projects.
Subject: an elk story
Humor for the Day: Occasionally, wildlife professionals find themselves part of something very… well, shall we say… special.
The Yakima Elk Study capture crew experienced just such an event on February 21, 2006, while capturing elk at the Junction feed
site at Oak Creek. Several elk had been darted and were being processed at the foot of a small hill. Former WDFW staff veterinarian
Briggs Hall was directing processing. After the first cow elk was reversed, she arose and quickly returned to the flats of the
feed site… ambulatory, but not on all cylinders, cognitively speaking.
Crews moved to the second elk, just yards from where the first had fallen. Suddenly, one crewmember yelled "Briggs, look at your
truck!" Briggs, in his haste to get to the drugged elk, had left the driver's side door to his personal Ford F-150 open. The first elk
was seen standing next to the truck with her head inside the cab. Suddenly, the quiet was broken by "honk, honk, honk," as the
cow repeatedly pressed her nose on the horn. With great amusement, the crew resumed their task of processing elk #2. Another
"honk, honk, honk" was heard. The crews now looked back to see the cow completely inside the cab of Briggs' F-150.
She so filled the front seat that with every movement she pressed on the truck's horn. Briggs ran down the hill, where the 450-
pound cow remained in his truck's cab. Briggs opened the passenger-side door, allowing the elk to exit. She had passed completely
through the cab, but she left behind a swath of hair across the truck's ceiling, and had punched a rear hoof through the
leather seat. Fieldwork doesn't get any better than this.
>
> Lois Blanchette, Eligible to Retire
> Fish and Wildlife Printed with Dr. Hall’s permission.
Northwest Chapter and
By Michael Price
Joe Balmelli, of Chehalis, came out on 'Top of the Hill' of
bidders for the Governor's Mountain Goat tag. Sincere
thanks to Joe and all others all who participated at this
year's banquet.
On March 16th, I went to the WDFW headquarters in Olympia
to proudly present WDFW's share of Joe's awesome
$9,000.00 winning bid to WDFW Director, Dr. Jeff Koening.
I had assumed it would be a short photo op, with a "Thank
you, and see you next year." But I was pleasantly surprised
to be invited into the Director's office where the conversation
quickly turned to items of common interest. Dave Brittell,
the Assistant Director in charge of Wildlife, was invited
to join us.
We discussed possible changes to the Governor's Tag program,
such as an expansion to include more species, more
species-specific tags, and doubling the number of tags made
available, now that the demand is sufficient to justify. Especially
if it is mandated, that at least one of the tags has to be
sold at an event within the state. It was indicated that they
will look into instigating some, if not all, of the suggestions.
The conversation then evolved into what SCI is all about,
why the membership has grown so significantly, why SCI is
the Giant Gorilla in preserving the right to hunt nationally
8
and internationally through our Washington DC office, and
here at home with the Hunters Heritage Council. I also
made sure to point out that most of the money we take in at
our auction is spent within the State for activities associated
with benefiting hunting in one way or another and some of
the specific activities we participate in.
The very
pleasant conversation
lasted about
50 minutes
and concluded
with
discussion as
to what we
can do to continue
to help
the WDFW.
Your chapter
is well
thought of by them, and after handing them a copy of our
newsletter and our event schedule, they asked to be added
to our mailing list for both.
There is a good chance they will attend the Papac event in
Montesano and other events.
...Working Together for Wild-