Wildlife Habitat on the Sunny M Ranch

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Wildlife-friendlier fencing

If you’ve been out on the Sunny M trails in the Upper Winthrop Trail and Power’s Plunge areas lately, you may be aware of the fencing work we’re undertaking this summer.

As land managers we have to balance competing needs and interests on the Sunny M and on neighboring properties. The Sunny M hosts a range of uses, including farming and wildlife habitat, and is bordered by land that is often used for grazing. Our management goals for the property, therefore, need to support maximum free movement of wildlife within the property while still keeping livestock out of ecologically sensitive areas, like wetlands, and out of the agricultural fields during the growing season.

We’re currently doing three things:

• Reconstructing the historic fence line located in the forested and shrub-steppe uplands, so that we may remove fencing from the remainder of the property including the wetland areas. Not only do the wetland areas host more wildlife activity than the other areas, but also fencing in wetlands is often difficult for animals to see, due to abundant vegetation. By maintaining only one fence line in a more visible area, we can remove fencing from lush wetland areas. This also aligns fencing with property boundary lines, freeing up as much of the Sunny M as possible to free movement of wildlife.
• Replacing the traditional four strand barbed wire fence line with wildlife-friendlier design that permits safer and easier passage for wildlife.
• Removing miles of derelict fencing that crisscrosses the property and is a hazard to wildlife because it is down on the ground, intertwined with foliage, and/or sagging, presenting entrapment potential.

In the process of determining which fencing designs our fencing professional would use in different areas of the Sunny M, we evaluated the many different types of wildlife-friendlier fencing used by other land managers (such as public land managers and other land trusts) with similar management goals.

One of the things we learned, for example, is that if smooth wire is used as a top strand in areas where livestock graze, they will press on the fencing, which reduces tension in the wire, eventually presenting enough slack that it becomes an entrapment hazard for wildlife, who can get tangled in it. Adjacent to the Sunny M Ranch are properties where livestock have historically grazed, so we made the decision to use barbed top wire on all new fence lines in those areas.

Ultimately, we settled on three different types of fencing to exclude three different uses.

• In the Upper Winthrop Trail and Power’s Plunge area, where livestock sometimes graze on a neighboring property, our fencing professional is using only three (not four) strands of barbed wire, with the bottom wire 18” inches from the ground and the top wire no higher than 42” inches from the ground, allowing adult deer to jump over the fence while fawns and other animals have enough room to duck under the bottom wire.
• In an area adjacent to cattle grazing, we are replacing traditional 4-strand barbed wire fencing with three strands of barbed wire (the top wire no higher than 42” inches from the ground) and a fourth, smooth wire on the bottom (16” inches from the ground).
• In an area with no adjacent grazing, we are retrofitting the existing barbed wire fencing to entirely smooth wire in coordination with the neighboring landowner.

Other wildlife-friendlier fencing measures (where fencing is necessary) include:

• Installing gates that can be opened once grazing animals have left the adjacent properties and when the growing season has wrapped up, allowing free wildlife passage between habitat areas.
• Selecting generous spacing between wire strands in areas without adjacent cattle grazing (ie, recommended bottom wire height is 16”, we are allowing 18” between ground and bottom wire).

Grazing adjacent to the Sunny M is dynamic, and our property management will adapt accordingly. When we make changes, we will do so thoughtfully and we will communicate our management goals and any upcoming changes with interested parties.

If you have specific questions about fencing, please let us know at sunnym@methowconservancy.org.

FAQs

Tell me about the public funding for wildlife habitat that helped the Methow Conservancy purchase the Sunny M Ranch:

In total, we received approximately $2.1M in public funding to help with the purchase of the Sunny M Ranch--from the WA State Recreation & Conservation Office’s Wildlife and Recreation funding for wildlife habitat in the Winthrop Trail-Power’s Plunge area and from the US Fish & Wildlife Service Section 6 of the Endangered Species Act for Critical Wildlife Habitat for the Winthrop Trail-Power’s Plunge area.

What animals call the Sunny M Ranch their home?

So many! Here are just a few: mule deer, black bears, cougars, bald & golden eagles, Columbia spotted frogs, western gray squirrels, coyotes, Northern goshawks, sharp-shinned hawks, pygmy owls, white-headed woodpeckers, pileated woodpeckers, marten, osprey, skunks, a host of songbirds, Tiger salamanders, and, in the spring, a healthy population of mosquitoes.

How does the area designated as wildlife habitat affect me?

We hope that knowing about these protected wildlife areas makes you happy that animal populations native to this area can continue to thrive so close to Winthrop! On a practical basis, you probably won’t notice any difference. You can continue to walk, bike, and ski (depending on the season!) on established trails in these areas. If you’re quiet, observant, and lucky, you might even get to see some critters while you’re out there.

We have some forest management and restoration efforts planned, but mostly we intend to let the wide diversity of wildlife continue to thrive in these areas.

What should I do if I encounter a bear?

• Stop, remain calm, and assess the situation. If the bear seems unaware of you, move away quietly when it's not looking in your direction. Continue to observe the animal as you retreat, watching for changes in its behavior.
• If a bear walks toward you, identify yourself as a human by standing up, waving your hands above your head, and talking to the bear in a low voice. Don’t throw anything at the bear, which the bear could interpret as a threat or a challenge.
• If you cannot safely move away from the bear or the bear continues toward you, scare it away by clapping your hands, stomping your feet, yelling, and staring the animal in the eyes. If you are in a group, stand shoulder-to shoulder and raise and wave your arms to appear intimidating. The more it persists the more aggressive your response should be. If you have bear spray, use it.
• Do not run from the bear. Bears can run up to 35 mph and running may trigger an attack. Climbing a tree is generally not recommended as an escape from an aggressive black bear, as black bears are adept climbers and may follow you up a tree.

What should I do if I encounter a cougar?

Relatively few people will ever catch a glimpse of a cougar much less confront one. If you come face to face with a cougar, your actions can either help or hinder a quick retreat by the animal. Here are some things to remember:

• Stop, pick up small children immediately, and don’t run. Running and rapid movements may trigger an attack. Remember, at close range, a cougar’s instinct is to chase.
• Face the cougar. Talk to it firmly while slowly backing away. Always leave the animal an escape route.
• Try to appear larger than the cougar. Get above it (e.g., step up onto a rock or stump). If wearing a jacket, hold it open to further increase your apparent size. If you are in a group, stand shoulder-to-shoulder to appear intimidating.
• Do not take your eyes off the cougar or turn your back. Do not crouch down or try to hide.
• Never approach the cougar, especially if it is near a kill or with kittens, and never offer it food.
• If the cougar does not flee, be more assertive. If it shows signs of aggression (crouches with ears back, teeth bared, hissing, tail twitching, and hind feet pumping in preparation to jump), shout, wave your arms and throw anything you have available (water bottle, book, backpack). The idea is to convince the cougar that you are not prey, but a potential danger.
• If the cougar attacks, fight back. Be aggressive and try to stay on your feet. Cougars have been driven away by people who have fought back using anything within reach, including sticks, rocks, shovels, backpacks, and clothing—even bare hands. If you are aggressive enough, a cougar will flee, realizing it has made a mistake. Pepper spray in the cougar’s face is also effective in the extreme unlikelihood of a close encounter with a cougar.

Send us your stories & photos!

We love seeing and hearing about your experiences on the Sunny M. Email us at sunnym@methowconservancy.org with your photos and stories.

Scratch that Sunny M itch!

Watch some of the animals who call the Sunny M home scratch their Sunny M itches HERE.