16. American Elk (also Wapiti) - Cervus canadensis. About 9 feet long. Weighs from 500-1,000 pounds. Has 1-3 calves at a time. Eats grasses, twigs, leaves and green plants. Habitat is open meadows, brushy undergrowth and mature timber. Travels in herds. Forestry Story - The yellow-topped trees in the picture were killed by fire beetles. Tree farmers harvest dead, diseased and wind-felled trees to recover their good wood before it decays. This removes dead trees in which insects breed best.
1. Bald Eagle - Haliaeetus leucocephalus. About 2 feet high. Wingspread 6-7 feet. Has 1-3 young in a brood. Eats animals, birds, fish and reptiles. Our national emblem. Habitat is wooded areas, usually near water. Nest is huge mass of sticks in a tree or on a pinnacle of rock. Forestry Story - This mountainous area is a tree farm. Tree farms are privately owned forestlands. Their owners agree to grow and harvest timber in repeated crops to help provide a permanent supply of wood for America.
9. Blue Grouse - dedragapus obscurus. About 20" long. Has 6-10 young in a brood. Eats seeds, berries, young shoots and tender leaves. A valuable game bird. Habitat is mostly in coniferous forests. Nests on the ground under brush. Forestry Story - This dense young forest will supply wood for a future generation. Within a few years, it may be thinned by the tree farmer. Small trees thinned out will supply useful wood and the trees which remain will grow faster.
4. Brown Bear (also Black Bear) - Ursus americanus. About 5 feet long. Weighs 200-500 pounds. Has 1-3 young per litter. Practically omniverous. Fond of honey. Habitat is any suitable wooded area. Has den in winter. Forestry Story - Both wildlife and young fir trees thrive on open tree farm lands. Staggered patches of mature trees are left near harvested areas to provide a natural seed source for the new crop of young trees.
8. Chinese Ring-Necked Pheasant - Phasianus colchicus. About 25" long. Has 7-13 chicks. Eats insects, grain, shoots. A very important game bird. Habitat is agricultural and semi-agricultural areas. Nests on the ground. Forestry Story - Young Douglas firs 5 to 7 years old begin to blanket the land which was clear-cut to give them light, air and growing room. When the area is fully covered with a new crop, the nearby mature seed trees can be harvested.
13. Chinook Salmon (also King Salmon) - Oncorhynchus tschawytscha. Weighs up to 100 pounds. Deposits thousands of eggs when spawning. Eats smaller fish and crustacea. A very valuable food fish. Habitat is freshwater streams when young; the ocean while maturing. Returns to fresh water to spawn and die. Forestry Story - Tree farming practices help keep abundant water supplies in the Northwest. Mature trees left as seed blocks and quickly-established new tree crops protect watersheds and prevent excessive water runoff.
11. Columbia Black-Tailed Deer - Odocoileus hemionus. About 42" tall. Weighs about 150-200 pounds. Has 1-3 fawns at a time. Eats plants, bushes and grass. Habitat is broken country, open fields, brush and wooded terrain. Forestry Story - Trees of all ages grow on tree farms. This permits continuous harvesting year in and year out to provide wood for America's daily needs. By helping nature reseed cutover lands, tree farmers plan to supply wood forever.
10. Common Skunk - Mephitis mephitis. About 24" long. Weighs about 8 pounds. Has 4-6 young in a litter. Eats small mammals, insects, fish and eggs. Has very strong scent. Habitat is clearings, pastures or open ground near the borders of forests. Home is a burrow or old badger hole. Forestry Story - An old logging railroad trestle is almost hidden by a new crop of 20 to 30 years old Douglas fir. Such trees are about as high as a three-story house. They will be harvested in time to supply wood for you or your children.
15. Cougar - Felis concolor. From 7-8 feet long. Has one or two young in a litter. Eats large and small animals and birds. Occasionally insects. Habitat is forest and thicket. Lives in a cave or fissure in the rocks. Forestry Story - Fire is the worst enemy of the forest. To protect trees against fire, tree farmers build and maintain thousands of miles of forest roads...and use lookouts, short-wave radio, and the most modern fire-fighting equipment.