Canada lynx collared near Eightmile

Local wildlife biologists have added another species to the list of animals they are trapping and studying in the mountains around the Methow Valley – the Canada lynx.

A male lynx was trapped last Friday (March 4) in the upper reaches of the Eightmile Creek drainage, said John Rohrer, wildlife biologist with the U.S. Forest Service. The 20-pound cat was sedated, examined and fitted with ear tags and a global positioning collar before being released.

Rohrer said the lynx appeared to be healthy. “He was pretty calm, just kind of crouching down, watching us.”

Biologists began setting traps in January to capture and study the elusive lynx in the forests above the Methow Valley. The study area extends from the Lost River drainage to the Eightmile drainage, Rohrer said.

A multi-agency research team has been trapping and studying lynx in the Loomis State Forest near Tonasket in northern Okanogan County for about five years, and has captured 12 lynx in that study. This winter the study area was extended to include forests near the Methow Valley.

Canada lynx are listed as a threatened species by both the state and federal governments. The northern part of Okanogan County is known to be home to the largest population of lynx in the state.

“Information gathered from these studies helps land managers better understand what is needed for the continuation of the species in the North Cascades ecosystem,” said Matt Marsh, wildlife biologist for the Tonasket Ranger District.

Rohrer said biologists are particularly interested in better understanding how lynx fare in different types of habitat. He said the Loomis forest provides a large contiguous area of high elevation lodgepole pine and subalpine fir forests – habitat known to support lynx and their  primary food source, snowshoe hares.

The area under study near the Methow Valley is a more fragmented habitat that is drier with more open forests of Douglas fir and ponderosa pine, Rohrer said. “We would expect larger home ranges [because] the lynx are having to stitch together pieces of suitable habitat,” he said. “It would be nice to get a handle on how many there are in the study areas.”

By comparing the lynx in different habitats, researchers also hope to learn more about the impact that forest fires have on the wild cats, said Scott Fitkin, a biologist with the state Department of Fish and Wildlife. “Right after a forest fire it is poor habitat for snowshoe hares, and the fate of the lynx is intimately tied to snowshoe hares,” Fitkin said.

The Tripod Fire, for example, “burned through what was considered to be the core of our lynx population, the most robust and productive as far as kit production goes,” Fitkin said. “The landscape changed dramatically. What happened to the lynx population?”

The research team set 15 traps in the study area north of Winthrop. The baited traps are made of PVC pipe and chicken wire and are checked every morning, Rohrer said.

Researchers are hoping to capture some females to learn more about the species’ reproduction. In the Loomis forest, researchers have determined there are two females with at least one kitten each, said Marsh. Lynx are not easy to capture, and biologists say females are harder to capture than males.

“We knew from tracking in the snow that a number of times lynx had walked right up to the traps, circled around them, and left,” Rohrer said.

Data transmitted from the collars on captured lynx give biologists information about where the lynx are throughout the year and what type of habitat the lynx are using during various seasons.

The study team includes staff and volunteers working with the Forest Service, state and federal fish and wildlife departments, state Department of Natural Resources and Washington State University. Rohrer said he hopes the study will continue to be funded next winter.

Lynx weigh an average of 20 pounds and have black-tipped tails and long tufts of fur on their ears. They have large feet that enable them to travel on top of deep, soft snow.

Rohrer said the lynx captured at Eightmile showed typical feline curiosity after it was released from the trap.

“It kind of bolted out of there, then slowed down to a walk. It walked across the road, onto the noncompacted side, and took time to look back at us,” Rohrer said. “They move so smoothly, without any sound. It’s like a ghost disappearing into the forest.”