Pennsylvania Elk Watching and Nature Tourism Project

Oak Creek Wildlife Area, Washington

Chuck Gibilisco, Watchable Wildlife Coordinator, 360-902-2364

Michael Malley, Watchable Wildlife Program Manager, 360902-2377

John McGowan, Oak Creek Manager, 509-653-2390

Size: 84,000 acres

Ownership: Washington Department of Wildlife

Location: Eastern Washington, 30 miles from Yakima

Elk population: 2,000-3,000 Rocky Mountain Elk

Principal viewing seasons: Winter and Spring

Overview

Like the famous herd in Jackson, Wyoming, the elk at Oak Creek congregate at feeding stations that replace lost winter range and that keep the elk from straying onto neighboring ranches and orchards.

Feeding assures reliable winter and spring viewing of large herds with sufficient opportunity to observe elk behavior. By season’s end, however, the site takes on the appearance of a feedlot, greatly diminishing the natural integrity of the viewer’s experience. A 10-foot fence, 100-mile fence that keeps the elk off of private land, roadways, and separate from viewers further detracts from the aesthetics of the viewing experience. To observe the elk in a natural setting, viewers can scan the dramatic basalt cliffs beyond the feeding area for animals on the move.

As many as 200,000 people per year stop at Oak Creek to view the elk. Many visitors combine elk viewing with a winter ski trip. In addition, the Washington Department of Wildlife is proposing to add a live video elk cam to provide a web-enabled viewing experience. The wildlife cam program is very popular, according to Chuck Gibilisco. The site receives 6,000 hits per day on the bald eagle cam during nesting season. View www.wa.gov/wdfw to see how the cam operates. The website also features activities for kids, related links, and learning experiences.

The actual Oak Creek site accommodates 70-100 vehicles. The one-way entry and exit has caused some minor traffic accidents. The Washington Department of Wildlife has applied for Dept. of Transportation funds to improve the lot and design a flow-through entry and exit area.

Once parked, viewers can enter a 1,400 square-foot interpretive center to view elk comfortably through large glass windows, or they can climb up bleachers outside for unobstructed views of the herd. The flush toilets are the only restrooms within a 60-mile area, and a key element of the successful visitation program.

A volunteer program helps to make the interpretive activities successful. Part of a statewide Senior Environmental Corps, Oak Creek volunteers make sure that an expert is on site daily from late December through early spring. The volunteers are all retired natural resource specialists, and they handle all elements of organization and supervision. Uniforms help draw attention to their role as interpreters, and add a degree of authority to the interpretive program.

Interpretive signs for the center are being designed with the help of a Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation grant. The signs will draw on visitor interest in elk and then lead them into other species to watch for and appreciate. Golden Eagle, Lewis’s Woodpecker, and Bighorn Sheep are other charismatic animals that occur in the area. The signs are being designed along a journal-type formal used by watchable wildlife signs in Colorado state parks. One of the signs focuses on wildlife viewing ethics, but is not specific to elk.

The orientation sign offers an innovative approach to wildlife viewing that borrows from consumer report tables. Key wildlife species are listed by season. Next to each species circles are filled in completely or partially to denote the visitor’s likelihood of seeing a given species during a 15-minute visit.

In recent years, large numbers of visitors have flooded the backcountry areas in March and April, looking for shed antlers. The Department of Fish and Wildlife recently closed these areas off until May, when the elk migrate to higher elevations. This type of visitor activity is highly disruptive to the elk, and forces them to move away from preferred feeding areas. Pennsylvania’s viewing season/ethics should deal with this potential problem.

Key Points

1. An elk cam at Winslow Hill could be a good viewing tool, particularly during peak seasons.
2. An elk website that provides more extensive, real-time, interactive features would increase the effectiveness of education, outreach, and marketing efforts.
3. Daily staffing during peak seasons is highly beneficial.
4. Large parking areas should have a flow-in, flow-out design. Look into potential matching funds through PennDOT.
5. An indoor viewing center is critical to winter viewing, particularly in Pennsylvania. The center should blend in with the site, and should offer interpretive possibilities in addition to elk.
6. Elk feeding detracts from the aesthetics of the viewing experience, and although it can be enjoyable for viewers, would intensify current habituation problems at Winslow Hill.
7. Flush toilets will be a critical addition to the Pennsylvania viewing areas.
8. Uniformed volunteer interpretive specialists add authority to volunteer programs and can help create an atmosphere that encourages viewers to follow elk viewing ethics and guidelines.
9. Guidelines should address disruptive antler hunting behavior.
10. Oak Creek enjoys significant popularity in winter, a good indicator that Pennsylvania’s expansion of viewing into the off-season could also be successful.