Please note: This is a Sole Source Notification. Specifications include, but are not limited to: WDFW staff require a trained and experienced pilot flying an appropriate helicopter to capture and radio-collar wolves and moose in Washington for essential research and longterm population monitoring. The wolf portion of this work is critical for monitoring the progression of recolonization and recovery of an endangered species, while also providing data for the current WDFW data sharing program designed to minimize conflict with livestock. The moose project will provide information necessary to manage moose for communities of Washington state by, evaluating a potential long-term sustainable solution to moose monitoring needs, determining if additional antlerless hunting permits will affect moose population dynamics, enhancing current knowledge about moose proximate causes of mortality in Washington in areas where limited information exists and where limited harvest occurs, and examining potential impacts of winter ticks on moose in Washington. In the case of wolves, the helicopter, with two trained WDFW crew members (darter and mugger), will fly directly to a reported wolf location obtained from a GPS collar or relayed from a spotter plane. Once an animal is located by sight, telemetry, or both, the helicopter pilot and crew will determine if conditions are appropriate to attempt pursuit of that animal. If the conditions are favorable, the helicopter tracks the target animal until a sufficiently large forest opening is found, enabling close pursuit for darting the animal from the helicopter. Once an animal is immobilized by the drug from the dart, workup, collaring and/or recovery will occur either by the mugger alone or by both the mugger and gunner. In either case, both the mugger and gunner will carry portable radios capable of communicating with the capture aircraft (usually WDFW radios), and personal survival gear. Usually, the helicopter will drop off the gunner and/or mugger and then return for fuel, while animal processing occurs. After refueling, the helicopter will return to pick up the helicopter crew. Refueling will be done either at designated airports or by fuel truck. Alternatively, if no additional animals are targeted, the helicopter may land and remain with the helicopter crew, or if terrain prohibits landing in the vicinity of the animal, the helicopter will fly to the nearest location for a safe landing and wait. The helicopter crew will be picked up at the location of drop-off or other location determined by the pilot. As with toe-in landing drop-offs (where the forward portion of the skids are in contact with the ground, while the aft portion of the skids remain in the air usually occurring in steep terrain), the use of toe-in landing pick-ups will be necessary, but minimized.
