The News Tribune (Lite) - Julia Butler Hansen Wildlife Refuge can be great day-trip destination

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Julia Butler Hansen Wildlife Refuge can be great day-trip destination

THE NEWS TRIBUNE
If you’re looking for a day trip during the upcoming holiday break, consider a drive on the Julia Butler Hansen National Wildlife Refuge. The refuge is west of Cathlamet on the Columbia River.

If you drive through the area at dusk or dawn, and you may catch sight of the endangered Columbian white-tailed deer, a subspecies.

The refuge, which is both in Washington and Oregon, was created in 1972 specifically to protect and manage the endangered deer, said a news release from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. They are easiest to spot in winter, when grasses are lower and they are more likely to be out midday.

The deer suffered heavy losses from floods in 1996 and again in 2006. There are now about 300 of the deer on the refuge, and another estimated 300 on neighboring lands. While the subspecies differs genetically from other white-tailed deer, it looks the same, said refuge manager Joel David.

For more information on visiting the refuge, visit www.fws.gov/pacific/refuges/field/WA_julia.htm.

The News Tribune