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Julia Butler Hansen Refuge.
Also known as the Columbian White-tailed Deer National Wildlife Refuge, the Julia Butler Hansen Refuge encompasses many islands in the Columbia River.
Image taken April 9, 2004.
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Julia Butler Hansen National Wildlife Refuge ...
Columbian White-tail Deer National Wildlife Refuge ...
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The Julia Butler Hansen National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1972 as the Columbian White-tailed Deer National Wildlife Refuge. It was established to manage and protect the endangered Columbian White-tailed Deer. In 1988 the name was changed to honor Julia Butler Hansen, a
Cathlamet resident who became the first woman to chair an appropriations subcommitte in Congress. The refuge contains over 5,600 acres of pastures, forested tidal swamps, brushy woodlots, marshes, and sloughs along the Columbia River in both Washington and Oregon, includes
Tenasillahe Island in Oregon, and the lower
Elochoman River area in Washington State. The mainland refuge unit, the
Hunting Islands, and
Price Island are also in Washington State. Tenasillahe Island,
Wallace Island,
and several parcels around
Westport are in Oregon. Hunting, Price, Tenasillahe, and Wallace Islands are accessible only by boat.
The Julia Butler Hansen Refuge borders on its western side with the Lewis and Clark National Wildlife Refuge. Cathlamet and Skamokawa, Washington border the Refuge. Steamboat Slough Road follows the southwestern edge of the mainland unit, providing good views into the Refuge.
According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (2008):
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"... Located in southwestern Washington and northwestern Oregon, the Julia Butler Hansen Refuge was established in 1972 specifically to protect and manage the endangered Columbian white-tailed deer. The refuge contains over 5,600 acres of pastures, forested tidal swamps, brushy woodlots, marshes, and sloughs along the Columbia River in both Washington and Oregon.
The valuable habitat the refuge preserves for the deer also benefits a large variety of wintering birds, a small herd of Roosevelt elk, river otter, various reptiles and amphibians including painted turtles and red-legged frogs, and several pairs of nesting bald eagles and osprey. Today, about 300 Columbina white-tailed deer live on the refuge.
Another 300-400 live on private lands along the river. The areas upstream from the refuge on Puget Island and on the Oregon side of the river are vital to reestablishing and maintaining viable populations of the species. The refuge works with private and corporate landowners to maintain and reestablish deer on their lands.
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Columbian White-tailed Deer ...
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The Columbian white-tailed deer is one of 30 subspecies of white-tailed deer in North America, and the only one found west of the Cascade Mountains. These deer once ranged throughout the river valleys west of the Cascade Mountains. By the turn of the century, they had disappeared from nearly all of their range and, in the 1930s, were thought to be extinct. Remnant populations were discovered here and near Roseburg, Oregon. In 1968, the lower Columbia River population was listed as a federally endangered species. This population is now found only along the lower Columbia River between
Skamokawa, Washington, and
Clatskanie, Oregon.
Lewis and Clark called the Columbian White-tailed Deer the "common red deer".
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" ...
The common red deer we found under the rocky mts. in the neighbourhood of the Chopunnish, and about the great falls of the Columbia river and as low down the same as the commencement of tide water. these do not appear to differ essencially from those of our country being about the same size shape and appearance in every rispect except their great length of tail which is more than half as long again as our deer nbsp; I measured one of them which was 17 inches long. ..."
[Lewis, February 19, 1806]
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A Columbian White-tailed Deer ???
Deer through car window, Julia Butler Hansen Refuge.
Image taken April 9, 2004.
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Islands of the Refuge ...
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Tenasillahe Island as seen from Puget Island.
Tenasillahe Island is one of the many islands of the Julia Butler Hansen Refuge for Columbian White-tailed Deer.
Image taken November 9, 2003.
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Hunting Islands, as seen from Puget Island.
The Hunting Islands are part of the Julia Butler Hansen Refuge.
Image taken November 9, 2003.
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Price Island, Washington, upstream tip.
Upstream tip of Price Island, with Steamboat Slough on the right, and mainstem Columbia River on the left.
Image taken April 9, 2004.
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Wallace Island, Oregon.
Wallace Island, Oregon, with the shores of Washington State in the background.
Image taken February 21, 2004.
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From the Journals of Lewis and Clark ...
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Clark, February 15, 1806
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The quadrupeds of this countrey from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Ocian are first the Domestic Animals, consisting of the Horses and Dogs only; 2ndly the Native Wild Animals, consisting of the White, brown, or Grizly bear (which I believe to be the same family with a mearly accidentail difference in point of Colour) The Black Bear, the Elk, the Common red Deer [Columbian White-tailed Deer], the Mule deer, the black tailed fallow Deer, the large brown wolf, the Small wolf of the Plains, the large wolf of the Plains, Panther, the tiger cat, the common red fox, the black fox or fisher, the Silver fox, large red fox of the plains, Small fox of the plains or kit fox, Antelope, Sheep, beaver, Common Otter, Sea Otter, minks, Seals racoons, large Grey Squerrel, Small brown Squirrel, Small grey Squirrel, Ground Squirrel, Sewelel, Braror, rat, mouse, mole, hare, rabbet, and pole Cat or Skunk. all of which Shall be Severally noticed in the order in which they occur as well as Such others as I learn do exist, and which not been here recapitulated.—
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Lewis, February 15, 1806
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The quadrupeds of this country from the Rocky Mountains to the pacific Ocean are 1st the domestic animals, consisting of the horse and the dog only; 2cdly the native wild animals, consisting of the Brown white or grizly bear, (which I beleive to be the same family with a mearly accedental difference in point of colour) the black bear, the common red deer [Columbian White-tail Deer], the black tailed fallow deer, the Mule deer, Elk, the large brown wolf, the small woolf of the plains, the large wolf of the plains, the tiger cat, the common red fox, black fox or fisher, silver fox, large red fox of the plains, small fox of the plains or kit fox, Antelope, sheep, beaver, common otter, sea Otter, mink, spuck, seal, racoon, large grey squirrel, small brown squirrel, small grey squirrel, ground squirrel, sewelel, Braro, rat, mouse, mole, Panther, hare, rabbit, and polecat or skunk.
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Lewis, February 19, 1806
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The common red deer [Columbian White-tail Deer] we found under the rocky mts. in the neighbourhood of the Chopunnish, and about the great falls of the Columbia river and as low down the same as the commencement of tide water. these do not appear to differ essencially from those of our country being about the same size shape and appearance in every rispect except their great length of tail which is more than half as long again as our deer I measured one of them which was 17 inches long. The Black tailed fallow deer are peculiar to this coast and are a distinct species of deer partaking equally of peculiarities of the mule deer and the common deer. their ears are reather larger and their winter coat darker than the common deer; the recepticle of the eye or drane is mor conspicuous; their legs shorter and body thicker and larger than the common deer; their tail is about the length of our deer or from 8 to 10 inches the hair on the underside of which is white, and that of it's sides and top quite black the horns resemble in form and colour those of the mule deer which it also resembles in it's gate; that is bounding with all four feet off the ground at the same time when runing at full speed and not loping as the common deer or antelope do. they are sometimes found in the woodlands but most frequently in the praries and open grounds. they may be said generally to be a size larger than the common deer and that less than the mule deer. they are very seldom found in good order, or fat, even in the season which the common deer are so, and their flesh is inferior to any species of deer which I have evern seen.—
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