Eden Valley Guest Ranch.
Habitat Changes in Okanogan Highlands near Oroville and Tonasket, Washington
The farms in the Okanogan Highlands in north central Washington near Oroville and Tonasket has provided a bounty of feed to wildlife over the past 110 years artificially increasing deer populations. Deer habitat changes and populations of 1900 versus 2011 have drastically increased. Deer and elk are fed in winter in many locations and in summer they eat in agricultural fields in addition to browsing public lands. Big Horn Sheep were introduced to the rocky region of Mt. Hull along Highway 97 in the early 1970's. They don't just stay on the public lands, it turns out they enjoy the hay fields and orchards as well. Wild turkeys were also introduced to our region and have become a fixture grouping up in late fall to eat where they can. We are worried about what will be introduced next, and just hope it is not predators to stalk our rural children waiting for the bus or our livestock.
In the 1900's there were farmed grains and hay everywhere in the Okanogan Highlands. It was ideal for the wildlife with land featuring large patches of timber providing cover and homes. Between the patches of timber were fields in production with a variety of grains, alfalfa or grasses. That is changing now as farming is not continued in many areas as land is bought by former urban dwellers for residences and private recreational tracts. Other large land parcels purchased are left idle. Consequently, wildlife tends to congregate where there is still farming. Sometimes the wildlife becomes very costly for the few remaining farms.