Where-to: Observe Desert Wildlife

Devlin Holloway

fact

Badger

Badger

Badgers are generally nocturnal, but, in remote areas with no human encroachment, they are routinely observed foraging during the day. They prefer open areas with grasslands, which can include parklands, farms, and treeless areas with crumbly soil and a supply of rodent prey.

Badgers are born blind, furred, and helpless. Their eyes open at four to six weeks.

Latin name: Taxidea taxus

voices

Durlin Hicock, Alice Elshoff Award winner

Durlin Hicock, Alice Elshoff Award winner

“Protecting public land is part of my spiritual being. It’s central to my identity to be in wilderness and to see it protected.” Durlin is proud to protect public lands for future generations, saying, “The highlight of my childhood was our family’s weekend outdoor trips. I look forward to my grandchildren having similar experiences outside in their lifetimes, and it wouldn’t be possible without ONDA.”

fact

Bobcat

Bobcat

Found only in North America, where it is the most common wildcat, the bobcat takes its common name from its stubby, or “bobbed,” tail. The cats range in length from two to four feet and weigh 14 to 29 pounds. Bobcats mainly hunt rabbits and hares, but they will also eat rodents, birds, bats, and even adult deer.

Latin name: Lynx rufus fasciatus

 

Greater sage-grouse male

Barb Rumer

Greater sage-grouse female

Tom Koerner, USFWS

Greater sage-grouse chicks

Greater Sage-grouse

This year, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife reported a small increase in the statewide sage-grouse population, but on the whole, the Oregon population remains 40 percent below 2003 baseline estimates. Sage-grouse require large tracts of intact sagebrush to survive, and ONDA is engaged in several partnerships and planning efforts to protect and restore critical sage-grouse habitat. 

Learn More: Protecting the Greater Sage-grouse

Where Sage-Grouse Thrive

Anderson Crossing

Anderson Crossing is at the start of Section 21 of the ODT. This can be accessed by high clearance vehicles (high water years may make the trip impossible as you […]

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Sage-Grouse Habitat

Goal Improve the chances for sage-grouse survival by monitoring the implementation of the 2015 Sage-Grouse Plan and ecological conditions of sage-grouse habitat in southeast Oregon Timeline Project Start Year: 2016 […]

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Steens Mountain Summit

On your way to the top of Steens Mountain Summit trailhead, you’ll pass by two amazing viewpoints that involve short walks—Kiger Gorge and the East Rim—and we recommend stopping at […]

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Pronghorn

Devlin Holloway

Pronghorn fawns

Jeremy Austin

Nursing pronghorn fawns

Chris Christie

Pronghorn

Pronghorn are the fastest mammal in North America, having adapted to outrun the now-extinct American cheetah. Due to hunting and habitat loss, pronghorn almost followed the way of the American cheetah, declining to as few as 10,000 to 15,000 individuals across the country in the early 20th century. Through conservation efforts, pronghorn populations are rebounding, and they need further protective measures to keep up that trend. Oregon’s Greater Hart-Sheldon region is home to an important population of pronghorn, and ONDA is working with partners to promote the protection of this essential habitat. 

Learn More: The Essential Pronghorn Corridor in the Northern Great Basin

Where Pronghorn Thrive

Hart Mountain

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Beatys and Mahogany Buttes

There is no developed trail to the top, so the hike begins when you have found a decent spot to park your vehicle. Beatys Butte at 7,885 above sea level […]

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Sutton Mountain

At 4,700 feet tall, Sutton Mountain towers over the surrounding landscape. With a steep, craggy west side and a rolling, grassy eastern face, the mountain has a mysterious Jekyll and […]

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Bull trout

Willow-Whitehorse Basin Cutthroat Trout

C. Large

Warner Sucker

Native Fish

While fish are perhaps the least obvious animal to be thought of in the desert, eastern Oregon is home to several threatened species of native fish, including Lahontan cutthroat trout, bull trout, Hutton tui chub and warner sucker. These fish are genetically distinct species that evolved in the isolated lakes and drainages of Oregon’s high desert, and these unique populations are in danger of blinking out of existence without our help. While federal resource management planning is important for conserving vitally important watersheds, ONDA is also advocating for the protection of hundreds of miles of desert waterways, including vital habitat for native fish species. 

Learn More: Wild and Worth Protecting

Where Desert Fish Thrive

Where-to: Observe Desert Wildlife

By on January 18, 2023 | Posted in: Where-to

Author: Joanna Zhang  |  Published: January 18, 2023 |  Category: Where-to Oregon’s high desert is teeming with a diversity of wildlife, including species that are found nowhere else on the […]

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The Essential Pronghorn Corridor in the Greater Hart-Sheldon

By on August 24, 2022 | Posted in: In the News

The Greater Hart-Sheldon region straddles the Oregon-Nevada border and provides essential habitat for pronghorn, as well as hundreds of other sagebrush-dependent plants and animals. In 2016, the region supported more than […]

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Hundreds of Oregon groups support the River Democracy Act

By on July 20, 2022 | Posted in: In the News

Author: Joanna Zhang  |  Published: July 20, 2022  |  Category: In the news On February 3, 2021, Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley introduced the River Democracy Act to add […]

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Portrait of John Hartog standing in his backyard

Streamside Story: John Hartog

By on September 28, 2021 | Posted in: Profile

Author: Joanna Zhang  |  Published: September 28, 2021  |  Category: Profiles “I guess I would describe myself as an urban dwelling nature lover, an advocate for native ecosystem conservation, and […]

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Person standing in Middle Deschutes River

Oregon River Reads

By on September 1, 2021 | Posted in: Uncategorized

Author: Joanna Zhang | Published: August 27, 2021 | Categories: Uncategorized Four Stories That Will Inspire You to Protect Oregon’s Rivers  Late summer is synonymous with days in and along […]

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Camper at Priest Hole Recreation Site

Where-to:
Swim in the John Day Basin

By on July 19, 2021 | Posted in: Where-to

Author: Joanna Zhang  |  Published: July 19, 2021  |  Updated: July 20, 2022  |  Categories: Where-to  Four fantastic swimming holes on the John Day River You might not think of […]

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Juniper Gulch in early May

Where-to: Have the Most Incredible Picnic in the Owyhee

By on June 24, 2021 | Posted in: Where-to

Author: Joanna Zhang  |  Published: June 24, 2021  |  Category: Where-to Take your outdoor dining experience to the next level with one of these scenic picnic spots in the Owyhee […]

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person holding hat, standing on Jennys Peak

Streamside Story: Cody Hess

By on June 3, 2021 | Posted in: Profile

Author: Joanna Zhang  |  Published: June 3, 2021  |  Category: Profiles “While I was out there, I didn’t see a single person, didn’t hear an airplane or truck. There was […]

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Streamside Story: Victoria Fischella

By on March 26, 2021 | Posted in: Profile

Author: Joanna Zhang  |  Published: March 26, 2021  |  Category: Profiles An avid rafter and river restoration specialist, Victoria Fischella has always been fascinated by the importance of rivers.

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