December 10, 2002 - January 7, 2003

Contact: Madonna Luers, (509) 456-4073

The gray of Washington's early winter days won't dim the enthusiasm of bird watchers participating in annual Christmas Bird Counts across the state this month.

Through various Audubon Society chapters and other groups there are 50 opportunities in Washington between Dec. 13 and Jan. 5 for both beginning and expert birders to join in the longest-running bird data collection effort in North America.

The Christmas Bird Count (CBC) was begun in 1900, and today more than 50,000 CBC participants nation-wide provide valuable information about the status and distribution of bird species during early winter. Combined with breeding bird surveys in the spring and summer, the data shows how the continent's bird populations have changed over the past century.

Counts are organized on selected days in 15-mile-diameter circles at specific locations. Participation is one of the best ways for novices to learn bird spotting and identification skills because beginners are teamed up with experts.

Washington's CBC and contacts are listed in the wildlife viewing portions of the regional reports below. More information and CBC results are available through the Aubudon Society (http://www.audubon.org/chapter/wa) or the Washington Ornithological Society (http://www.wos.org/WACBCs.htm).

The onset of winter doesn't dampen fishing and hunting activity either. Steelheading is nearing its peak on many waters across the state, and winter fishing for trout and whitefish are productive in others. Heavy rain could punch out some of the same rivers that just a few weeks ago were at record low levels.

Upland game bird and waterfowl hunting seasons should only improve with the advancing season, especially rain and snow continue. See regional reports below for details.

Remember hunters and fishers on your holiday gift list with 2003 licenses, which cover April 1, 2003 through March 31, 2004. Current fishing and hunting licenses are valid through March 31, 2003, so licensed fishers or hunters whose seasons continue into the new year are covered.

Hunting and fishing licenses, along with Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) access permits for non-hunting/fishing outdoor enthusiaists, are available for credit card purchase over the Internet at http://www.fishhunt.dfw.wa.gov/ or over the phone at 1-866-246-9453. All licenses can also be purchased at WDFW offices or through hundreds of vendors across the state. Names and locations of all license vendors are available by region on the department's website, http://wdfw.wa.gov/. If the recipient is currently licensed, only the name and birth date is required to access the Washington Interactive Licensing Database computerized system.

Other gift items for fish and wildlife enthusiasts also available through WDFW include:

• The Backyard Wildlife Sanctuary program packet, with detailed information and plans for creating year-round habitat for birds and other wildlife, which sells for $5. For an additional $5, you can help someone enroll in the program to receive a weather-proof yard sign, certificate, and subscription to a twice-yearly newsletter, "Crossing Paths with Wildlife in Washington's Cities and Towns." Children's coloring booklets on the same subject -- "Backyards for Birds," "Watching Washington's Birds," and "At Home Activities" are also available for $1 - $2 each.

• "Landscaping for Wildlife in the Pacific Northwest," a 220-page book written by WDFW Urban Wildlife Biologist Russell Link, has chapters on everything from building a backyard pond to creating hedgerows. It's available for $25 at WDFW's Mill Creek and Spokane offices, or by mail for $28 from WDFW, Attn. Landscape Book, 16018 Mill Creek Blvd., Mill Creek, WA 98012.

• Four 24" x 36", full-color fish and wildlife posters produced by WDFW are available for $5 each through several non-profit organizations across the state. Painted in watercolors by Washington artist Amy C. Fisher, the posters depict "Seastack Shoreline," "Shrub-Steppe Ecosystem," "Urban Wildlife," and "Watershed Partnerships." WDFW regional offices have color flyers on the poster series that list the organizations which sell them.

• "Sport Fish of Washington" is a narrated, pictorial tour of Washington's major fresh and saltwater sport fish on CD-ROM, available for $5.40 plus a $1.25 shipping fee from WDFW, Licenses Division, 600 Capital Way N., Olympia, WA 98501-1091.

• Personalized vehicle license plates applications are available at all WDFW offices. Proceeds from the $46 license-plate fees directly benefit non-hunted species of wildlife.

  Fishing, hunting and wildlife viewing opportunities across the state include:

  North Puget Sound:

  • Fishing: Steelhead fishing continues in northern Puget Sound streams, although unseasonably low flows have made for tough fishing conditions. "The peak of the season has traditionally been the week in between Christmas and New Year's," said WDFW Fisheries Biologist Curt Kraemer. Remember that new statewide rules require release of wild steelhead, unless specifically allowed in the 2002/03 Fishing in Washington pamphlet. Be sure to check the rules pamphlet for detailed information. Chum and coho salmon can also still be found in some river systems, but both runs are generally winding down, and finding a fish willing to bite might prove to be a challenge. Mountain whitefish can also be caught in many streams. "Look for whitefish in and around the chum spawning areas," Kraemer said. "They'll be feeding on stray eggs as well as the insects dislodged from the riverbed as a result of the spawning activity." Once salmon spawning winds down, whitefish will head into the deeper staging pools where they can be caught with maggots or imitation maggots, single eggs, worms, insect nymph imitations or even imitation eggs with a pale hue. Recreational crab fishers have a few fishing opportunities over the holidays. Marine areas 6, 7 and 10 are open, while marine areas 8-1, 8-2 and 9 remain closed through the end of the year. The portion of Marine Area 9 between the Hood Canal floating bridge and the Foulweather Bluff-Olele Point line remains open. Squid jiggers have been doing quite well from piers along the downtown Seattle waterfront.

  • Hunting: Forest grouse season runs through the end of the year, while western Washington pheasant hunting concludes Dec. 15. Waterfowl hunters are finally seeing some heavy weather that will push birds off the bays and estuaries inland to stubble fields, although as of mid-December, not enough rain had fallen in the valleys to create sheetwater conditions in the agricultural areas of northern Puget Sound. Remember that while most duck seasons run through Jan. 26, 2003, hunting for pintail ends Dec. 17. Aerial surveys of bird populations in early December put the total number of dabblers in Padilla Bay at 124,000 birds, including more than 48,000 mallard ducks, more than 42,000 American wigeon, and about 31,200 northern pintail. The late muzzleloader and archery seasons for deer and elk in western Washington are winding down. Hunters must report their hunting activity for each deer, elk, bear and turkey tag acquired by Jan. 31, 2003. Call toll-free to (877) 945-3492 or report via the Internet at http://www.fishhunt.dfw.wa.gov/. Hunters who report within 10 days of a successful kill, and unsuccessful hunters who report by Jan. 10, 2003, will be entered into a drawing for one of nine deer or elk special incentive permits. For more information, check the 2002 Big Game pamphlet.

  • Wildlife viewing: More trumpeter swans, tundra swans and bald eagles are arriving in northern Puget Sound. The swans are easy to see in the stubble fields and other agricultural areas in the lowlands, especially in Whatcom County, while eagles can be spotted along riverside gravel bars feeding on spawned-out salmon, or roosting in cottonwoods and other tall trees along waterways. Eagle-watching won't hit its peak in the upper Skagit until after year's end, but there are already plenty of birds to observe during the holiday season. The same is true for the elegant swans, whose snow-white plumage is a refreshing visual oasis in the otherwise drab setting of the Pacific Northwest's winter months. Remember to respect private property, keep children and pets in check near rivers, and don't harass wildlife. Both novice and veteran birdwatchers are welcome to join Christmas Bird Counts in the following areas on the listed dates by contacting the coordinator indicated: Bellingham, Dec. 15, Joe Meche, (360) 738-0641, joemeche@aol.com ; East Lake Washington, Jan. 4, Len Steiner, (425) 827-2478, www.elwas,org ; Edmonds, Dec. 22, Sally van Niel, (425) 778-7568, sallyandjanvanniel@pilchuckaudubon.org; Everett, Dec. 15, Mary Teesdale, (360) 734-9077, meteesdale@hotmail.com ; Kent-Auburn, Dec. 29, Thais Bock, (253) 839-2044, tbock@concentric.net; North Cascades (Newhalem), Dec. 13, Bob Kuntz, (360) 424-9099, robert_kuntz@nps.gov ; Point Roberts/Ladner, B.C., Dec. 22, Jude Grass, (604) 219-2043, jgrass1@telus.net; San Juan Ferry (Anacortes to Sidney, B.C.), Dec. 20, R. B. Porter, (360) 332-6799, rbdemo@cnw.com; San Juan Islands, Dec. 28, San Juan – Barb Jensen, (360) 378-3068, skylark@rockisland.com; Lopez – Bob Myhr, (360) 468-2258, myhr@rockisland.com; Orcas – Giner Ridgway, (360) 376-7057, dridgin@rockisland.com; Crane – Lou Flab, (360) 468-3631, loucrane@rockisland.com; Seattle, Dec. 28, cbc@seattleaudubon.org, (206) 523-4483; Skagit Bay, Jan. 1, Art Campbell, (206) 783-2449, acampbell@herrerainc.com; Tacoma, Dec. 21, Faye McAdams, (253) 942-9233, zest4parus@hotmail.com; Vashon Island, Jan. 5, Sue Trevathan, (206) 463-1484, suetrev@attglobal.net; Whidbey Island (Oak Harbor), Dec. 14, Bob Merrick, (360) 678-3161, tinekesfam@aol.com; White Rock/Surrey, B.C., Dec. 29, Ian Robertson, (604) 530-1080, res@quik.com.

  Olympic Peninsula/South Sound:

  • Fishing: Anglers fishing for steelhead on the Quillayute River system averaged better than a fish apiece during the first week of December, when WDFW began its annual steelhead creel census. Twenty-nine anglers on Bogachiel/Quillayute were checked with 32 hatchery steelhead Dec. 2-5, followed by 86 anglers with 39 fish during the weekend of Dec. 7. Not much is happening yet on the Sol Duc River, but about one in four anglers are going home with a fish from the Calawah and steelhead are showing up on the Queets River. Anglers are reminded that they must measure dorsal fins to distinguish hatchery from wild fish in the Queets; check reader boards at the Olympic National Park for details. Although flows were well below normal in all north coast rivers during the first week of December, they were rising fast by the start of the second week. "With rain like this, these rivers could go out of shape in a day or two," said Bill Freymond, WDFW fish biologist. "Remember, when Puget Sound gets two or three inches of rain, we often get five or six inches on the north coast." In general, Freymond recommends that anglers wait for a day or two after a major rainstorm before fishing north coast rivers. "It's tough to catch steelhead when the rivers are rising, but once they start to drop the fishing gets good." The Satsop and Wynoochee rivers are also producing winter-run steelhead as well as some late-run coho salmon, which are falling for corkies, eggs and spinners. On the Puyallup River, anglers are catching both steelhead and chum salmon, the latter still providing lively fisheries on Kennedy Creek and at the Hoodsport hatchery on Hood Canal. Dungeness crab fishing has also been "extremely good" on the Canal for crabbers dropping pots in 10 to 20 feet of water, said Rich Childers, WDFW shellfish biologist. Meanwhile, prospects for a winter razor clam season grew more remote when recent tests showed that domoic acid levels on all but one beach (Kalaloch) had actually increased from the high levels reported in November. Dan Ayres, WDFW coastal shellfish biologist, said an opening in February may be possible but that spring of 2003 is more likely.

  • Hunting: Increasing rain should translate into better goose hunting throughout the region – particularly in the inland areas, said Don Kraege, WDFW waterfowl manager. "The current weather forecast should be good news for hunters waiting for geese to move inland from the saltwater," Kraege said. "Once we get some sheetwater in the fields, we should start to see more birds in areas like the Chehalis Valley." Jack Smith, WDFW area wildlife manager, said he has already seen a large flock of geese near the Chehalis Valley Wildlife Area between Elma and Montesano. "I'm talking about a couple hundred birds, and they're there consistently," said Smith, who cautions hunters to seek landowners' permission before hunting on their lands. Assuming the fields do puddle up, hunters in Grays Harbor and Pacific counties should have a few weeks of good goose hunting before the season in Game Management Area (GMU) 2B ends Dec. 29. Although the statewide season for most ducks runs through Jan. 26, the pintail hunt ends Dec. 17. Time is also running out on late archery and muzzleloader seasons for big game. The last day to take an elk, either with a bow or a muzzleloading rifle, is Dec. 15, although some GMUs close sooner. See the WDFW Big Game Hunting pamplet for details. For deer, a few GMUs remain open to archers through Dec. 31, including such areas as Pysht, Coyle, Kitsap, Copalis, Capitol Peak, Deschutes and several others. "Property damage from animals is an issue in most of those areas, and we hold them open longer to help keep the local deer population under control," Smith said. "Again, I'd strongly recommend talking to property owners in the area, because most of them want to see hunters have a successful hunt."

  • Wildlife viewing: Looking through binoculars at a flock of Canada geese during the first week of December, a birdwatcher at Bowerman Basin noticed that one bird looked somewhat different than the rest. Bulkier. Larger head. Longer neck. Orange feet somehow brighter than the others. It was an adult bean goose, a species last reported at the Basin in 1993. Whether or not they can pick a bean goose out of a flock of Canada geese, birdwatchers of all stripes are invited to join Christmas Bird Counts in the following areas on the listed dates by contacting the coordinator indicated: Columbia Estuary (includes Fort Canby, Ilwaco. Fort Columbia, Chinook Valley in Pacific County), Dec. 15, Mike Patterson, (503) 325-1365, mpatters@pacifier.com Grays Harbor, Dec. 14, Bob Morse, (360) 943-8600, rwmorse@attbi.com; Kitsap County (Silverdale), Dec. 28, Nancy Ladenberger, (360) 297-8063, nladenbe@aol.com; Leadbetter Point, Dec. 14, Alan Richards, (360) 484-7119, mrm@willapabay.org; Olympia, Dec. 15, George Walter, (360) 459-8220, gwalter@nwifc.org; Padilla Bay, Dec. 28, Steve Aslanian, (360) 435-9493, steve@whidbey.net; Port Angeles/Victoria Ferry, Dec. 15, Scott Atkinson, scottratkinson@hotmail.com; Port Townsend, Dec. 28, Richard Johnson, (360) 385-5418; Satsop, Dec. 28, Rose DuBois, (360) 532-4067, dub@techline.com; Sequim-Dungeness, Dec. 16, Bob Boekelheide, (360) 681-4867, bboek@olympus.net.

  Southwest Washington:

  • Fishing: Area anglers are still enjoying decent returns of hatchery coho on the Cowlitz River, says Joe Hymer, regional fish biologist. At Lake Scanewa last week, both boat and bank fishers were averaging one coho per rod, including fish released. A measure of the continuing coho strength was last week's return of 4,800 adult fish to the Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery. While those numbers are expected to wane soon, hatchery winter steelhead should be ready to take the spotlight. Already, on the Cowlitz River from I-5 to the Barrier Dam, checks last week showed boat anglers averaging one fish for every two rods, while bank fishers were bringing in one for every four rods. Those catches should continue to improve, Hymer notes. Other good prospects include the Grays, Elochoman, Kalama, Lewis (both North Fork and East Fork) and Washougal rivers, as well as Salmon Creek in Vancouver. The lower portion of Grays River is open now from the Highway 4 bridge downstream and the river above Highway 4 is scheduled to open along with the west fork Dec.15. The North Fork Lewis River upstream of Colvin Creek (above the Lewis River Salmon Hatchery) will open to fishing for hatchery steelhead beginning Dec.16. Recent rains should improve steelheading, Hymer notes. Sturgeon boat fishers in the Columbia Gorge below Bonneville Dam were doing well last week, with an average of one fish for every two boats, although fishing was slower between Portland and Longview. Some legals are still being caught off the Washington shore just downstream from Bonneville Dam. Meanwhile in landlocked waters, 77 adult steelhead – averaging 10 pounds each– were planted the last week of November in Kress Lake near Kalama. Rainbow trout averaging about a half-pound apiece were released last week in area lakes including Icehouse near Bridge of the Gods (2,500 fish planted), Little Ash near Stevenson (2,500), Kidney near North Bonneville (3,000), Klineline Pond in Hazel Dell (3,000) and Lacamas Lake in Camas (5,000). Battleground Lake is scheduled to get 3,000 rainbow trout and 100 adult winter steelhead the week of Dec.16.

  • Hunting: Only a few days remain in the westside pheasant season, which has produced "nothing but good reports" from happy hunters, according to Mick Cope, WDFW upland bird manager. Westside pheasant hunting ends Sunday (Dec. 15). Waterfowl hunting is picking up with stormier weather, and the season's Canada goose hunting is reported better than last year in most of goose management area 2A (Clark and Cowlitz counties). The recent arrival of heavy rains should boost hunting success even further, says Don Kraege, WDFW waterfowl manager, who reminds hunters that pintail hunting runs only through Dec. 17, a change from previous years.

  • Wildlife viewing: Both novice and veteran birdwatchers are welcome to join Christmas Bird Counts in the following areas on the listed dates by contacting the coordinator indicated: Bingen/Hood River, Dec. 29, Catherine Flick, (509)493-1195, stewart@gorge.net; Cowlitz/Columbia, Jan. 1, Robert Sudar, (360)423-1780, fallcreek@toledotel.com; Goldendale/Columbia Hills, Dec. 28, Stuart Johnston, (509) 493-3363, sflj@yahoo.com; Lyle, Dec. 15, Bob Hansen, (509)365-2404, bhansen@wvi.com; Portland/Vancouver, Dec. 28, Robert Lockett, (503)775-5303, xenops@juno.com; Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge/Sauvie Island/Vancouver Lake, Dec. 14, Wilson Cady, (360)835-5947, gorgebirds@juno.com; Trout Lake, Dec. 14, Stuart Johnston, (509) 493-3363, sflj@yahoo.com; Wahkiakum, Dec. 27, Andrew Emlen, (360)795-8009, skpaddle@pacifier.com.

  Eastern Washington:

  • Fishing: It's hard to imagine, but the biggest problem of the recently-opened winter-only fishing season at Fourth-of-July lake is that fish are too big! This 110-acre lake on the Lincoln-Adams county line just south of Sprague is full of 16-inch and larger rainbow trout. But to keep the fishery going through March 31, the daily five-trout catch limit includes a "no more than two over 14 inches" rule. On opening day (Dec. 1), when the access area parking lot was filled with 228 vehicles, fishers were catching that limit in just a few hours. The trout range from 10-1/2 to 22 inches, but the average is about 16 inches. WDFW Sgt. Dan Rahn, whose officers watch Fourth of July closely to ensure the rule is followed, reports the catch rates two weeks into the season are "still red hot for most anglers." That includes bank and boat fishermen, since the lake has been mostly open water. Rahn notes that bank fishers should keep in mind that Fourth of July's shoreline is hard terrain for children to walk. "It's not the best for some families with small kids," he said. Hog Canyon Lake, about 10 miles northeast of Sprague in Spokane County, is much smaller (53 acres) and so is likely to completely freeze over sooner to provide easy ice fishing access. When it opened Dec. 1, Hog Canyon was frozen just around the shoreline, including the boat ramp, so few boat anglers plied the waters. The rainbows there run from nine to 13 inches, with an average of three per angler caught on the opener. WDFW Fish Biologist Chris Donley reports rainbow and walleye fishing on Lake Roosevelt is very good now and should remain so through the month. Donley also reminds anglers that the winter whitefish season is open on the Little Spokane River. Snake River steelhead fishing has been picking up from the Clearwater confluence to Hellar Bar near the mouth of the Grande Ronde River. December is usually a peak month for Snake River steelhead harvest.

  • Hunting: WDFW's Swanson Lakes Wildlife Area in Lincoln County is "still slim pickings for upland game bird and waterfowl hunting," according to area manager Juli Anderson. "We're praying for rain or snow to raise water levels to bring birds in and aid hunters in finding them," she said. The story is much the same throughout the region, which is at record highs for dryness. Dec. 15 marks the end of deer hunting in select late season units for archers and Advanced Hunter Education graduates, who could also use some precipitation to aid their hunts.

  • Wildlife viewing: Both novice and veteran birdwatchers are welcome to join Christmas Bird Counts in the following areas on the listed dates by contacting the coordinator indicated: Colville, Dec. 21, Jerry Cline, (509) 684-4392, jerry_cline@fws.gov; Lewiston/Clarkston,Jan. 4, Charles Swift, (208) 883-0553, charless@moscow.com; Pullman/Moscow, Dec. 14, Dave Holick, (208) 882-5556, daveholick@moscow.com; Spokane, Dec. 29, Alan McCoy, (509) 448-3123, alanhmccoy@earthlink.net; Two Rivers (Walla Walla River delta), Jan. 5, Mike Denny, (509) 529-0080; Walla Walla, Dec. 14, Mike Denny, (509) 529-0080. The Sullivan Lake bighorn sheep winter feeding station in Pend Oreille County is being phased out this season, with sheep viewing only from Dec. 15 through Jan. 15. The small herd is declining due to predation by cougars, which now take advantage of the sheep concentrated at the feeding station. Those who make final trips to the site near the U.S. Forest Service's Noisy Creek campground might also watch for bald eagles wintering along the Pend Oreille River.

  North Central Washington:

  • Fishing: Steelheading opportunities on the upper Columbia River and its tributaries could be good through the holidays, but precipitation is needed to help bring water levels up, water clarity down, and fish moving and biting. That's the word from WDFW Fish Biologist Heather Bartlett of Okanogan, who advises anglers with boats to head for the mainstem Columbia for the best fishing, at least until rain or snow improves conditions on the Methow, Okanogan and Similkameen rivers. Die-hard fly fishers can be productive on the lower Methow, Bartlett says, but because water is currently so low and clear, they must use very light gear to catch steelhead. Bartlett recommends 6-pound test line with 4-pound leader and 1-1/2-ounce jigs, and lots of patience. If predicted precipitation actually occurs, steelheading throughout northcentral Washington should improve. Bartlett says that Okanogan County's winter-only rainbow trout waters – Green, Lower Green, Little Twin, and Rat lakes – remain mostly open-water and are producing 14-inch range fish. Davis Lake, four miles southeast of Winthrop on the east side of the Methow River, is open through Jan. 31, 2003 with no catch limits, allowing trout to be caught before the lake is treated with rotenone in the spring. Whitefish season has been under way since Dec. 1 on many of the region's rivers. Although many fishers smoke whitefish, WDFW's Wenatchee office manager Bob Perleberg recalls eating many whitefish as a kid, "baked and stuffed like a Thanksgiving turkey." Special whitefish rules by water are listed in the fishing regulation pamphlet; for example, selective gear rules include whitefish on the Methow, Okanogan and Similkameen where steelhead season is still open, but don't apply to the Chewuch, Entiat, Sinlahekin and Wenatchee rivers.

  • Hunting: Relatively mild weather throughout the Columbia Basin and the Okanogan have left waterfowl and upland game bird hunters high and dry. If or when significant rain and snow occur, ducks and geese should be moving more and pheasants and quail should hold better.

  • Wildlife viewing: Methow Valley mule deer are on winter ranges in visible numbers now. The portion of WDFW's Methow Wildlife Area northeast of Winthrop is a good area to watch them. Deer viewers need to stick to roads and established trails to minimize disturbance to the animals as they enter the most stressful time of year. Both novice and veteran birdwatchers are welcome to join Christmas Bird Counts in the following areas on the listed dates by contacting the coordinator indicated: Bridgeport, Dec. 21, Meredith Spencer, (509) 686-7551, merdave@televar.com; Chelan, Dec. 21, Steve Easley, (509) 682-2318; Grand Coulee, Jan. 4, Meredith Spencer, (509) 686-7551, merdave@televar.com; Moses Lake, Dec. 28, Ron Friesz, (509) 754-5350, rfriesz@2fast.net; Osoyoos, B.C.(Oroville north), Dec. 28, Joan King, (250) 495-6907; Omak-Okanogan, Jan. 5, Gordon Kent, (509) 422-6116, gogo6116@yahoo.com; Twisp, Dec. 28, Joyce Lund, (509) 996-7808, larryandjoyce@mymethow.com; Wenatchee, Dec. 31, Dan Stephens, (509) 663-5323, dstephens@wvc.edu.

  South Central Washington:

  • Fishing: Dry conditions now may spell poor fishing in the future. WDFW Habitat Biologist Perry Harvester says stream flows are so low there is concern that some of the chinook and coho redds which are now incubating may be dewatered if flows don't improve soon. Meanwhile, Harvester reports that steelheading appears to be variable in the McNary and John Day pools on the Columbia River. "It might be good one day and poor the next," he said. "Try ‘drowning shimp' on a jig below a float during the day and pulling the lighted blinker plugs at night for a chance at a big ‘B' run Idaho steelhead." From the Ringold steelhead fishery near the Tri-Cities, WDFW Fish Biologist Rick Watson reports that high water has kept bank angling to a minimum recently, but boat anglers averaged a kept steelhead for every 2.9 rods. WDFW Fish Biologist Eric Anderson says anglers are starting to pick up on whitefish in local rivers and streams, primarily Yakima and Naches rivers. Whitefish catches are running up to about 14 inches. Anderson reminds anglers to check the Washington sportfishing rules pamphlet for details on limits and whitefish gear rules. Some of the smaller trout lakes and ponds have been icing up with cold weather and may be difficult to fish because of the shelf ice around the edges.

  • Hunting: Upland game bird hunting improved while recent snow lasted. But as Perry Harvester, WDFW habitat biologist and hunter, said, "There aren't many dumb rooster pheasants around so the usual late season stealth tactics are necessary." Harvester reports that most of the region has been locked up in an inversion since Thanksgiving with perpetually gray, foggy days and icy roads during early morning hours. "There haven't been any big storms to bring in good numbers of waterfowl," he said, "and with ice on the small ponds and ditches, the birds are using the larger lakes and rivers." A few special permit-only elk hunts are still under way and success will be weather dependent.

  • Wildlife viewing: Mild early winter conditions have delayed the start of elk feeding at WDFW's Oak Creek Wildlife Area northwest of Yakima, so visitors might want to call (509) 653-2390 first to find out if animals are visible on the feeding grounds. Area manager John McGowan notes several changes at the popular site this season: A mechanized operation to drop hay bales to the elk will be used because it's safer and more efficient. But because it also eliminates the chance for volunteers to ride along, AmeriCorp members will operate a tour truck around the herd for close-up views. Each 30-45 minute tour, which can accommodate 14-18 persons, will be conducted continuously each day of the feeding season; no appointments or pre-scheduling are needed, although donations to support the effort will be encouraged. An independent contractor will provide full-menu food and drink concessions and minor supplies and souvenirs at the Oak Creek headquarters site. The parking lot at Oak Creek headquarters has been increased by about 40 percent to alleviate some of the traffic congestion along Highway 12 and in the parking area itself. McGowan also noted that as visitors drive to Oak Creek, they might look for the influx of wintering bald eagles that are showing up along the Naches and Tieton Rivers. Both novice and veteran birdwatchers are welcome to join Christmas Bird Counts in the following areas on the listed dates by contacting the coordinator indicated: Ellensburg, Dec. 14, Phil Mattocks, (509) 962-2191, mattockp@cwu.edu; Toppenish National Wildlife Refuge, Dec. 15, Andy Stepniewski, (509) 877-6639, steppie@nwinfo.net; Tri-Cities, Jan. 4, Phil Bartley, (509) 783-5265, bfufam@gte.net; Yakima Valley, Dec. 14, Denny Granstrand, (509) 453-2500, osprey@nwinfo.net.