Need a break from holiday shopping and all those turkey dinners? Washington offers plenty of opportunities to stretch your legs and enjoy the great outdoors, even on a cold December day.

EDITOR'S NOTE: This is the holiday issue of Weekender. The next edition will appear Jan. 10, 2007.

If you're a bird watcher - or think you might want to be - spotting teams are forming around the state for the 107th annual Christmas Bird Count, which starts Dec. 14 and runs through Jan. 5 in more than 50 areas around the state. Birders in Washington, along with those from Alaska to Argentina, will be counting every bird they see in one 24-hour period within those dates and reporting their results to the Audubon Society.

The results are compiled into the longest-running database in ornithology, invaluable for tracking bird population trends. To get involved, visit the website for Audubon at http://www.audubon.org/bird/cbc/ or call one of the contacts listed in the regional summaries below.

For some families, digging razor clams is a holiday tradition and this year's tides are working in their favor. The next opening is tentatively scheduled at five ocean beaches Dec. 31 and at four beaches - Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks and Kalaloch on New Year's Day. One beach, Twin Harbors, is also scheduled to remain open Jan. 2. If upcoming marine toxin tests show the clams are safe to eat, digging will be allowed on those beaches between noon and midnight those days. For more information, see the South Sound/Olympic Peninsula report below.

Meanwhile, winter-run hatchery steelhead are moving up Northwest rivers in increasing numbers, providing another reason to brave the winter weather. The Bogachiel, Quillayute and Cowlitz rivers are already giving up good numbers of fish, and other steelhead fisheries are expected to come alive in the days ahead. Anglers should note that the catch limit for hatchery steelhead on the Cowlitz River has been raised to six fish per day through Jan. 31 from the river mouth to Mayfield Dam. The same six-fish limit is also in effect from the mouth of Blue Creek upstream to Spencer Road.

Looking for the perfect gift for the outdoor enthusiast who has everything? How about a new license plate bearing the image of a bald eagle, killer whale, elk, mule deer or black bear? The special plate backgrounds, produced by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, cost $40 in addition to regular vehicle-licensing fees, with proceeds going to wildlife management programs.

"These license plates have been extremely popular," said Mike O'Malley, watchable wildlife coordinator for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW). "They make a great gift for anyone who cares about Washington's wildlife." Information about the wildlife plate backgrounds is available on WDFW's website at (http://wdfw.wa.gov/license_plates/).

Fishing and hunting licenses for the season ahead are another popular gift idea. Licenses may be purchased by phone (360-902-2464), over the Internet (https://fishhunt.dfw.wa.gov/) or from hundreds of license dealers across the state. New licenses for the 2007-08 season are valid from April 1, 2007 through March 31, 2008.

For more information about current recreational opportunities throughout the state, see the regional summaries below:

North Puget Sound

• Fishing: Effort has been light on Puget Sound, but stalwart anglers venturing out onto the saltwater have found some chinook salmon in recent days, especially in Marine Area 8-1 (Deception Pass, Hope Island and Skagit Bay). "Fishing for blackmouth has been pretty good recently for some anglers," said Steve Thiesfeld, WDFW fisheries biologist. "We've seen a number of keeper-fish caught in the selective fishery and even a few further south in Marine Area 10 near Jefferson Head and Kingston."

  Anglers participating in the selective fishery in marine areas 8-1 and 8-2 (Port Susan and Port Gardner) can keep up to two hatchery chinook per day, so long as the fish measure at least 22 inches in length. Wild chinook salmon, which have an intact adipose fin, cannot be brought aboard the boat.

  In Marine Area 10 (Seattle/Bremerton), anglers have a daily limit of one salmon, and chinook must be at least 22 inches long. Thiesfeld reminds anglers that crabbing also is a possibility in Marine Area 10, where the fishery is open seven days a week through Jan. 2. "If you're in that marine area, you can drop a crab pot while fishing for blackmouth," Thiesfeld said.

  Crabbing also is open each day through Jan. 2 in marine areas 4 (Neah Bay), 5 (Sekiu), 6 (eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca), 9 (Admiralty Inlet), 12 (Hood Canal) and 13 (south Puget Sound). Other waters - including marine areas 7S (San Juan Islands), 7E (Anacortes to Bellingham), 7N (Bellingham to Pt. Roberts), 8-1, 8-2 and 11 (Tacoma-Vashon Island) - are closed to sport crabbing for the season.

  Meanwhile, the steelhead fishery, which usually peaks around Christmas, is under way in the region. And fishing continues to be fair for chum salmon in a number of rivers, including the Green, Nooksack, Skagit and Skykomish, said Thiesfeld, who noted that salmon fishing closes in those and most other rivers after Dec. 31.

  Anglers should check WDFW's 2006/2007 Fishing in Washington pamphlet (http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/regs/fishregs.htm) for more information on fishing closures and regulations.

• Hunting: Warmer weather, along with windy and rainy conditions, has helped waterfowl hunters in the region. "The birds, which were concentrated in the bays during the recent cold snap, should start to move inland once again," said Don Kraege, WDFW waterfowl manager.

  During a recent aerial survey, more than 970,000 dabblers were counted in the Skagit River Delta and Fraser River Delta area, the highest waterfowl numbers ever recorded in the region, said Kraege. "The severe cold weather up north probably pushed a large number of birds south into the area," said Kraege. "As the weather warms, those birds will probably head north again."

  Duck and goose hunts continue through Jan. 28, although snow, Ross and blue geese hunts in Goose Management Area 1 (Skagit, Snohomish and Island counties) end Jan. 7.

  Most archer and muzzleloader hunts for black-tail deer and elk in select Game Management Units (GMU) wrap up Dec. 15. However, archers have through the end of the month to bag a black-tail in GMUs 407, 410 and 454.

  Before going afield, hunters are encouraged to check the 2006 Big Game Hunting Seasons and Rules pamphlet (http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/game/hunter/hunter.htm) and the 2006-2007 Waterfowl and Upland Game Regulation pamphlet (http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/game/water/water.htm) for regulations in specific areas.

• Wildlife viewing: An emperor goose near the town of Snohomish has been drawing bird watchers to the region recently. Several birders reporting to Tweeters website (http://www.scn.org/earth/tweeters/) have spotted the goose just south of Snohomish along WA-9. "We found it associating with the greater white-fronted goose in one of the flocks of cackling geese near standing water on the west side of the road," one birder reported. Described as a "casual winter visitor" to western Washington, emperor geese breed on islands and along the marshy coast of western Alaska. During the winter, most of the birds head to the Aleutian Islands, searching for ice-free beaches.

  In Seattle, another birder spied a western meadowlark at the Montlake Fill. While it's not unusual to see the bird in western Washington, it is an interesting find close to town, the birder noted on Tweeters website (http://www.scn.org/earth/tweeters/). A member of the blackbird family, western meadowlarks are considered open-country birds, often found in grasslands, shrub-steppe and agricultural areas.

  During the holiday season, several Audubon Society chapters throughout the region are coordinating Christmas Bird Counts. Here's where, when and how both veteran and novice birdwatchers can participate in the North Sound area:

  • Bellingham, Dec. 17. Contact Joe Meche at joemeche@aol.com, 360-738-0641 or 360-739-5383.

  • East Lake Washington, Dec. 16. Meet at 8 a.m. at Marymoor Park in Redmond. Email Hugh Jennings hughbirder@earthlink.net for more information. Visit www.elwas.org for details.

  • Edmonds, Dec. 30. Email Sally Van Niel at sjvanniel@comcast.net for more information.

  • Everett, Dec. 16. Contact Mary Teesdale at meteesdale@hotmail.com or call 360-734-2561 for more information about joining, birding area info and potluck-compilation party location.

  • Kent-Auburn, Dec. 17. Contact M & A Freeland at maamfree@comcast.net to participate. Count covers saltwater shoreline, suburban parks, freshwater lakes and streamsides, farmland, open meadows, valley areas, and areas where suburbia meets the forest.

  • Kitsap, Dec. 16. Contact Gene Bullock at bullockg@earthlink.net or at 360-394-5635 for more information. The Kitsap count circle includes Bainbridge Island, Bangor, Poulsbo, Silverdale, Bremerton, Seabeck, Port Orchard and Manchester.

  • North Cascades, Dec. 16. Email Robert C. Kuntzv at robert_kuntz@nps.gov for more information.

  • San Juan Islands Archipelago, Dec. 16. Email Barbara Jensen at skylark@rockisland.com for more information.

  • Seattle, Dec. 30. Contact the Seattle Audubon Society at adams@seattleaudubon.org or 206-523-8243 ext.80 to register. Participants must register by Dec. 21. Following the count, all participants are invited to a potluck at the Center for Urban Horticulture from 5-7 p.m.

  • Skagit Bay, Jan. 1. Contact Art Campbell at acampbell@herrerainc.com or rapakivi@earthlink.net, or call 206-783-2449 or 206-441-9080 for more information on how to participate.

  • Tacoma, Dec. 16. Email Faye McAdams Hands at zest4parus@hotmail.com for more information.

  • Whidbey Island, Dec. 16. Contact Steve Ellis at sellis@coup.wednet.edu or call 360-678-2264 for more information.

South Sound/Olympic Peninsula

• Fishing: Tired of turkey, ham and other traditional holiday fare? Anglers and shell fishers around the region can choose from a number of other options in the days ahead, including fresh-caught steelhead, salmon and - if all goes as planned - razor clams.

  For the second straight year, favorable tides have allowed WDFW to schedule a razor clam dig over the New Year's holiday. So long as marine toxin levels remain within the acceptable range, an evening dig will be held Dec. 31 at all five ocean beaches - including Copalis - followed by another evening of digging Jan. 1 at Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks and Kalaloch. One beach, Twin Harbors, is also scheduled to remain open for an evening dig Jan. 2. Final word on the dig will be issued about a week ahead of time, after a final round of marine toxin tests has been completed.

  "Razor clam digging has become a New Years tradition for tens of thousands of people, and we don't want to let them down," said Dan Ayres, WDFW coastal shellfish manager. "The tides look good for digging, and we'll let people know whether it's a 'go' as soon as we can."

  For best results, Ayres recommends that people start digging at least one hour before low tide. No digging will be allowed before noon any day. Evening low tides for the upcoming dig are as follows:

  • Sunday, Dec. 31, (4:00 p.m., -0.0 ft.) all beaches, including Copalis
  • Monday, Jan. 1, (4:53 p.m., -0.3 ft.) Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks and Kalaloch
  • Tuesday, Jan. 2, (5:43 p.m., -0.5 ft.) Twin Harbors only

  Under state rules, harvesters are allowed to take no more than 15 razor clams and must keep the first 15 they dig, regardless of size or condition. Each digger's clams must be kept in a separate container.

  Meanwhile, steelhead fishing is heating up on rivers throughout the region. The Bogachiel/Quillayute system was the biggest draw during the first 10 days of December, when 433 anglers reported catching 243 hatchery steelhead and five wild, unmarked steelhead. Forty-two of the hatchery fish and four of the wild fish were released.

  Although the Hoh, Queets and Calawah rivers drew far fewer anglers, all north coast rivers are likely to see more action in the weeks ahead, said Mike Gross, a WDFW fish biologist. "If past years are any guide, we should see angler effort - and catch rates - pick up through New Year's Day," he said.

  Farther south, steelhead fishing is also picking up on the Humptulips, Satsop and Wynoochee rivers, particularly around Black Creek, said Scott Barbour, another WDFW fish biologist. Anglers are also still picking up some bright coho salmon in the Satsop and Wishkah rivers, he said. "Those are some nice, big fish," said Barbour, who also recommended plunking for steelhead on the Chehalis River this time of year.

  "Steelhead fishing should continue to improve, so long as the rivers don't blow out," Barbour said. "Snow or a little rain would be OK, but another deluge could put the fishery on hold for a while."

  Anglers are still catching chum salmon "hand over fist" at Minter Creek, but fishing remains slow on the Nisqually River, where erosion has turned the water the color of a latte, said Hal Michael, WDFW district fish biologist. "Visibility can be measured in millimeters, and I don't see that situation improving anytime soon," he said. Anglers can catch four chum salmon per day at Minter Creek, which is open to salmon fishing through Dec. 31. The Nisqually River remains open through Jan. 31, with a limit of six salmon, only two of which may be adults. Wild, unmarked chinook must be released.

  For these and other fisheries, anglers are advised to review WDFW's Fishing in Washington rules pamphlet (http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/regs/fishregs.htm) for regulations currently in effect.

  Saltwater fishing has been slow in most areas of Puget Sound, but some adventuresome fishers are still catching crab in Marine Area 13. "People have to work pretty hard at it - often sinking their pots 100 feet or more - but they are getting one or two Dungeness crab per pot," Michael said.

  The crab season will remain open seven days per week in marine areas 4 (Neah Bay), 5 (Sekiu), 6 (eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca), 9 (Admiralty Inlet), 10 (Seattle/Bremerton), 12 (Hood Canal) and 13 (south Puget Sound) through Jan. 2, unless the catch quotas for those areas are reached before then. All other areas of Puget Sound, including Marine Area 11 (Tacoma/Vashon), are closed to crabbing for the season.

• Hunting: Winter storms in the Fraser River and Skagit River valleys have pushed large numbers of ducks and geese south into Grays Harbor and Willapa Bay in recent weeks, according to Jack Smith, WDFW regional wildlife manager. "We have a lot of widgeon and Canada geese in the area right now," he said. "It's a good time to go waterfowl hunting."

  But with more rain in the forecast, bird hunters may want to steer clear of areas prone to heavy flooding, Smith said. "When there's a lot of water in the fields, it can be hard to get close to the birds," he said, suggesting that hunters focus on areas with the remains of grain crops nearby. "That gives birds an incentive to congregate there," he said.

  For waterfowl hunters looking for a new spot, Smith recommends checking out the GoHunt interactive mapping page on WDFW's website http://wdfw.wa.gov/mapping/gohunt/index.html. "The site includes half a dozen new sites where you don't need permission to hunt," Smith said. "And you can print the maps out and use them as driving instructions."

  Hunting seasons for ducks and geese run seven days per week through Jan. 28 in all parts of the region, except Pacific County (Goose Management Area 2B). In that county, goose hunting is restricted to Saturdays and Wednesdays only, and is open only to hunters with special permits who have passed a goose-identification test.

  Meanwhile, archers and muzzleloaders are winding up late-season hunts for deer and elk. Late hunting seasons for those groups end Dec. 15 in many areas, although some areas remain open for archery deer hunting through Dec. 31. See WDFW's Big Game Hunting pamphlet (http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/game/hunter/hunter.htm) for details.

• Wildlife viewing: Between 400 and 500 trumpeter swans have moved into the Chehalis Valley, providing good viewing opportunities from Chehalis to Montesano. "They're really spectacular," said Jack Smith, WDFW region wildlife manager. "A lot of them can be seen right from the highway."

  Meanwhile, a group of birders reported failing in its attempt to locate a red-shouldered hawk, but did spot an osprey at Vance Creek County Park and a white-tailed kite near Bay Center. "It gave us nice, but distant looks before heading off to the east," noted one of the birders on Tweeters birding website (http://www.scn.org/earth/tweeters/). During the winter, white-tails are found in higher densities in Washington, and have nested along the Willapa River and in the Chinook Valley in Pacific County.

  Birders will no doubt spot those and other species during the Christmas Bird Count, which begins Dec. 14 and runs through Jan. 5 in southwest Washington and throughout the Americas. Birdwatchers, verteran and novice alike, are welcome to contribute their sightings over a 24-hour period to the world's longest-running bird database. Below is a list of bird-count organizers and counting dates throughout the region.

  • Vashon, Dec. 31, Sue Trevathan, sue.trevathan@centurytel.net; count will be conducted on Vashon Island and part of the Olympic Peninsula on shore, state ferries and personal kayaks.

  • Padilla Bay, Dec. 30, Robert Kuntz, robert_kuntz@nps.gov. Email compiler for more information about joining.

  • Satsop, Dec. 26, Tom Schooley, schooleymccartan@comcast.net; the tally will occur about 4:30 or 5 p.m. at the Beehive Restaurant in Montesano.

  • Grays Harbor, Dec. 23, Bob Morse, bboek@olympus.net; count area ranges along the Washington coast.

  • Sequim-Dungeness, Dec. 18, Bob Boekelheide, bboek@olympus.net: count area ranges from the Strait of Juan de Fuca to the foothills of the Olympic Mountains.

  • Olympia, Dec. 17, George Walter, gwalter@nwifc.org; e-mail compiler for more information about joining.

  • Leadbetter Point, Dec. 16, Alan Richards, mrm@willapabay.org, or Robert Sudar, fallcreek@toledotel.com; the day's count will be tallied about 5 p.m. at Hunter's Inn in Naselle.

  • Port Townsend, Dec. 16, Richard Johnson, 360-385-5418; compiler will arrange teams.

Southwest Washington:

• Fishing: Hatchery winter steelhead have taken center stage on most tributaries to the lower Columbia River, although some boat anglers fishing the North Fork Lewis River have been catching bright fall chinook salmon weighing up to 50 pounds. Those hoping to claim one of those Lewis River hogs for themselves will have to hurry, because anglers must release any wild, unmarked chinook salmon they catch on the river starting Jan. 1, said Joe Hymer, WDFW fish biologist. "Most, if not all, of the chinook salmon being caught on the Lewis River are wild, so the retention fishery effectively ends on the last day of the year," he said.

  Returns of winter steelhead got off to a fast start at the Cowlitz River hatcheries in early December, prompting fishery managers to increase the daily limit to six hatchery fish per day through Jan. 31. The six-fish daily limit is now in effect from the mouth of the Cowlitz River to Mayfield Dam and from the mouth of Blue Creek to Spencer Road. WDFW also extended the rule allowing anglers to fish up to 100 feet below the Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery barrier dam through January, rather than allow it to expire Dec. 31 as originally planned.

  "It's clear that we'll have plenty of fish available for hatchery broodstock, so the rest are available for harvest," said Hymer, noting that 792 hatchery winter steelhead had returned to Cowlitz River hatcheries through the first week in December. That compares to 53 fish by the same time last year.

  During the week ending Dec. 10, the 72 anglers checked in creel surveys had caught 16 hatchery steelhead, six adult coho and one adult chinook. Anglers fishing the Cowlitz near Blue Creek were catching steelhead, while those fishing near the barrier dam were mostly catching coho. Steelhead were a mixture of bright winter-run fish and darker, recycled summer-run fish. Ten other anglers checked on Blue Creek, a tributary to the Cowlitz, had landed six steelhead and released one.

  Some of the region's best catch rates have been at Lake Scanewa (Cowlitz Falls Reservoir), where 50 boat anglers landed 38 adult coho and released 34 others during the week ending Dec. 10. Of the eight bank anglers checked, one had released a coho salmon.

  Although hatchery steelhead returns have been outpacing last year's count on the Cowlitz River, they have been lagging somewhat on the Kalama and Lewis rivers. On the Kalama, 28 winter steelhead had returned to the Kalama Falls hatchery as of Dec. 6, compared to 87 by the same date last year. On the Lewis River, 153 winter steelhead had returned to the hatchery as of Dec. 5, compared to 460 last year.

  "That doesn't mean a lot this early in the run," Hymer said. "Let's see what happens after the next big rainstorm." He noted that Colvin Creek, upstream to the power lines below Merwin Dam, opens to hatchery steelhead fishing Dec. 16, although salmon fishing in that area remains closed until Jan. 1.

  Sturgeon fishing was slow through the first week of December on the lower Columbia River from the Wauna power lines to Bonneville Dam. Anglers looking for sea-run cutthroat trout might want to try Riffe Lake, where WDFW planted 200 one-pounders Dec. 5.

• Hunting: After weeks of rough weather, hunters got a break during the first full week of December. "With mild weather falling on the heels of a significant snowfall, hunting conditions have been pretty favorable for both bird hunters and big-game hunters," said Eric Holman, WDFW wildlife biologist. "I suspect hunters will do well, so long as these conditions last."

  For archers and muzzleloaders, higher temperatures helped to take the crunchy crust off the snow cover, making it easier to stalk deer and elk, Holman said. Late hunting seasons for those groups end Dec. 15 in most areas, although some areas - including game management units 505 and 564 - remain open for archery deer hunting through Dec. 31.

  Meanwhile, waterfowl hunting has continued to improve as more birds enter the area from the frigid north, Holman said. Thirty hunters checked 64 Canada geese from Goose Management Area 2A at the WDFW regional office in Vancouver during the weekend of Dec. 9-10, he said. That beats the average taken during the early season (Nov. 11-26), when 285 harvested 554 geese in that area.

  We're also seeing a sprinkling of snow geese in the Vancouver Lowlands, the Woodland Bottoms and other areas. Also, a pair of long-tailed ducks was recently sighted in the Columbia River Gorge, Holman said. "These species are kind of a novelty for hunters and wildlife watchers in our area," he said.

  Holman reminds hunters that they must pass a goose-identification test and receive written authorization from WDFW to hunt in Area 2A, which includes Wahkiakum, Cowlitz and Clark counties, north of the Washougal River. Goose-hunting seasons there run Saturdays, Sundays and Wednesdays for most species through Jan. 28. An exception is the Ridgefield Wildlife Refuge, where hunting is allowed Saturdays, Tuesdays and Thursday through Jan. 20. The special seasons in Area 2A are designed to protect dusky Canada goose populations.

  Fancy a pheasant for a holiday feast? The Kosmos release site in the Cowlitz Wildlife Area will be open to pheasant hunting through Dec. 15, although no further releases are planned this year. The site is clearly identified by pheasant-release signs visible from the Glenoma road. Steel shot is required when hunting the wildlife area.

• Wildlife viewing: After a couple weeks of sightings, a prairie falcon continues to lure birders to the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, where other species of note have also been spotted recently. During one unsuccessful search for the falcon, a birder reporting to Tweeters birding website (http://www.scn.org/earth/tweeters/) spied a variety of different birds, including a red-shouldered hawk and a white-tailed kite. Red-shouldered hawks, large raptors with red-brown shoulders, are fairly rare in Washington, while the white-tailed kites are found in high densities during the winter. White-tails have nested along the Willapa River and in the Chinook Valley in Pacific County, near Hanaford Creek and the Chehalis River in Lewis County, and along the Skamokawa, Naselle, Deep and Grays rivers in Wahkiakum County, according to the Seattle Audubon Society (http://www.birdweb.org/birdweb/index.aspx).

  With those and other species on view, Audubon is sponsoring the annual Christmas Bird Count, which begins Dec. 14 and Jan. 5 in southwest Washington and throughout the Americas. Birdwatchers, verteran and novice alike, are welcome to contribute their sightings over a 24-hour period to the world's longest-running bird database. Below is a list of bird-count organizers and counting dates throughout the region.

  • Cowlitz-Columbia, Jan. 1, Bob Reistroffer, breistrof@aol.com; count area includes Kelso, Longview, Lexington, and Willow Grove.

  • Wahkiakum, Dec. 29, Andrew Emlen, aceasp@pacifier.com; count area includes the Julia Butler Hansen and the Lewis & Clark national wildlife refuges, the Blind Slough Swamp Preserve, and other bird habitat around Puget Island, Cathlamet and Skamokawa. The Skamokawa Center will provide free use of kayaks to experienced paddlers who volunteer on count day.

  • Camas Prairie-Trout Lake, Dec. 16, Stuart Johnston, johnstonstuartf@hotmail.com; count area includes a large portion of Conboy Lake National Wildlife Refuge and Glenwood.

  • Columbia Estuary, Dec. 17, Mike Patterson, celata@pacifier.com or 503-325-1365; count area includes Fort Canby, Ilwaco, Fort Columbia, and the Chinook Valley in Pacific County.

  • Columbia Hills-Klickitat Valley, Dec. 30, Stuart Johnston, johnstonstuartf@hotmail.com or 509-493-3363; count area Goldendale and Centerville.

  • Hood River-Bingen, Dec. 31, Catherine Flick, stewart@gorge.net or 509-493-1195; most of the count area is in Oregon but it takes in Bingen Pond in Washington.

  • Lyle, Dec. 17, Bob Hansen, bobhansen@gorge.net or 425-637-2736; count is noted for being the only count in Washington with predictable sightings of Acorn woodpeckers and more Lewis's woodpeckers observed than any other area.

  • Sauvie Island, Dec. 17, Wilson Cady, gorgebirds@juno.com or 360-835-5947; count area includes the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge and Vancouver Lake.

Eastern Washington:

• Fishing: The best fishing for steelhead trout in the Snake River drainage is on two tributaries - the Grand Ronde and Tucannon rivers. The latest creel checks conducted by WDFW and Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) show steelheaders spending an average of less than three hours of fishing per steelhead caught on the Tucannon and three to four hours on the Washington and Oregon sections of the Grand Ronde. Mainstem stretches of the Snake River saw averages of around 10 hours of effort per steelhead. For complete details of the latest creel surveys, see http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/creel/snake/index.htm.

  Now is the time to fish Lake Roosevelt - the Columbia River reservoir behind Grand Coulee Dam - which is open to fishing year-round. The star attraction in winter is the half-million rainbow trout reared in and released from in-reservoir net pens. Heather Woller, WDFW fish biologist, said the big rainbows are usually biting well from mid-December through January, especially in the lower reservoir from Grand Coulee to Seven Bays. Roosevelt rainbows usually range from 18 to 24 inches.

  Trout anglers should probably try fishing Roosevelt instead of the region's four winter-only rainbow lakes. Chris Donley, WDFW central district fish biologist, said recent warm weather and rain have left ice conditions risky for on-ice walking and frustrating for attempted boat launches at Fourth of July Lake on the Lincoln-Adams county line and Hog Canyon Lake in southwest Spokane County. "Of course if we get another deep freeze that can all change," he said. When the two lakes are safely fishable, anglers will find a good number of fish in Fourth of July are 14 inches or better, which means a fishing trip could be short because only two of the daily catch limit of five trout can be over 14 inches. Hog Canyon has more 9- to 11-inchers, although enough 14- to 18-inchers to make fishing interesting.

  Safety isn't the only concern for trout anglers at the other two winter-only lakes - Williams and Hatch in Stevens County. Curt Vail, WDFW northeast district fish biologist, said that both lakes have very poor fishing because of illegal introductions of yellow perch that feed on and out-compete native trout. "And the perch themselves are pretty puny at this point," Vail said.

• Hunting: Late season hunting of upland game birds can provide some of the best opportunities of the year in the central and southeast districts of the region. Chukars are likely to be at snow line in the canyons along the Snake River. Hungarian partridge are foraging in the newly sprouted winter wheat fields throughout the Palouse. California quail are in good numbers in many wooded riparian areas. Pheasants may be fewer and farther between than past years, but at this point in the season they're concentrated in brushy draws. "Birds educated by hunters earlier in the season may flush wild," said WDFW wildlife biologist Woody Myers. "But they're not impossible to hunt, especially if there is new snow or freezing rain to hold them tighter."

  Canada goose hunters in Lincoln and Spokane counties have some extra days to bag the big birds over the holidays. With the season normally restricted to Saturdays, Sundays and Wednesdays, Dec. 25, 26, 28, 29 and Jan. 1 are bonus days open in Goose Management Area 4. With good numbers of birds using Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge in southwest Spokane County, Reardan's Audubon Lake in Lincoln County, and the Spokane River corridor, goose hunting could be productive on adjacent private lands where permission to hunt has been obtained.

  The last general big game hunting season of the year is for Advanced Hunter Education master hunters using archery or muzzleloader equipment to hunt elk in the central district's game management units (GMUs 127-142) in southern Spokane County and Lincoln and Whitman counties. Those designated hunters must wear hunter orange through that late season, which concludes Dec. 31.

• Wildlife viewing: Several Audubon Society chapters throughout the region are coordinating Christmas Bird Counts, in keeping with the 107-year tradition of tallying species and numbers across North America for the world's longest-running bird database. Here's where, when and how both veteran and novice birdwatchers can participate:
  • Colville, Dec. 16, meet 7 a.m. at Tiny's Diner, 151 W 1st Avenue in Colville; e-mail count compiler Barbara Harding at barbara_harding@fws.gov or call 509-684-8384 for more information.

  • Pend Oreille County, Dec. 16, meet at 6 a.m. at Audrey's Restaurant just west of Newport on Hwy. 2; pre-register with count compiler John P. Stuart at ninebark@povn.com.

  • Pullman/Moscow, ID, Dec. 16, contact Washington coordinator Tom Weber at tweber@wsu.edu or 509-334-3817 to make meeting arrangements.

  • Walla Walla, Dec.16, starting at 7:45 a.m. at the Harper Joy Theater parking lot on the Whitman College campus; contact Mike Denny at m.denny@charter.net or call 509-529-0080 for more information.

  • Spokane, Dec. 30, contact Alan McCoy at 509-448-3123 or 448-8861,or at alanhmccoy@earthlink.net for more information.

  • Clarkston/Lewiston, ID, Dec. 30, meet 6:30 a.m. at the Lewiston Jack-in-the-Box restaurant on 19th Street near Highway 12 and the Clearwater River bridge; contact Charles Swift at chaetura@gmail.com or 208-883-0553 or Terry Gray at clgtlg@moscow.com or 208-882-1585 for more information.

  One species sure to make the counts in most areas is the highly visible bald eagle. The big scavengers are foraging on ducks and fish along many of the region's waterways, from the Pend Oreille River up north to the Walla Walla River down south. Lois Blanchette, WDFW Spokane Valley regional office manager, saw one swoop right in front of her windshield while driving along the Little Spokane River recently. "It was so large it needed license numbers on its wings," she said.

  Other large birds also should be easy to spot. Ducks and geese are concentrated on the region's larger, open water bodies, like Sprague Lake. And wild turkeys are foraging near farms in large winter flocks.

  Woody Myers, WDFW wildlife biologist, reminds winter wildlife viewers to avoid approaching deer and elk on their winter ranges and feeding areas. "They're very visible from a respectable distance, especially using binoculars or scopes," he said. "And they should be left undisturbed at this usually harsh time of year."

North Central Washington:

• Fishing: Recent warm weather and rain may have rivers and streams in the region running high and fast, but anglers itching to go after whitefish in those waterways have through March 31 to find better fishing conditions. Portions of the Chewuch, Entiat, Methow, Similkameen, and Wenatchee rivers and Sinlahekin Creek opened Dec. 1 for whitefish. Averaging 10 to 13 inches, these bony fish may be best smoked. They are relatively easily caught on maggots, small grubs, stonefly nymphs or sparsely tied artificial flies and small lures fished along the bottom of deep pools.

  The daily catch limit is 15 fish using the standard whitefish gear - one single point hook size 14 or smaller (no more than 3/16-inch from point to shank). The gear rule is designed to provide a winter fishing opportunity but minimize the chances of catching other gamefish, which are not legal to harvest at this time.

  Bob Jateff, WDFW district fish biologist, reminds anglers of the recently-announced change to the lowermost boundary of the winter whitefish fishery on the Methow River from the mouth at the Hwy. 97 bridge to Gold Creek. That stretch is open to whitefish only and closed to all other fishing. Jateff said that Endangered Species Act (ESA)-listed steelhead stage in the area near the mouth of the Methow River. "Steelhead fishing is not open in the Methow River this year due to low numbers of returning wild fish," he said. "Closure of the lower area to fishing during the winter whitefish fishery eliminates the potential impacts to these listed fish." Jateff also noted that at this time the Okanogan and Similkameen rivers are closed to fishing for steelhead.

  Four Okanogan County lakes - Little Twin near Winthrop, Big and Little Green near Omak, and Rat near Brewster - are providing decent rainbow trout fishing. The daily catch limit is five fish and bait is allowed. All four lakes shifted to a catch-and-keep season with standard fishing gear on Dec. 1.

• Hunting: Ducks and geese are back in the North Columbia Basin after a brief foray to the south Basin during earlier cold spells, said Mikal Moore, WDFW waterfowl specialist. "Warmer temperatures and strong winds are starting to melt ice and snow and the birds are hitting the corn fields hard," she said. "The ducks seem to be expanding their feeding areas and utilizing new corn stubble fields, so a little scouting can go a long way."

  Goose hunters have some extra days to bag the big birds over the holidays. With the season normally restricted to Saturdays, Sundays and Wednesdays, Dec. 25, 26, 28, 29 and Jan. 1 are bonus days open in Goose Management Area 4, which includes all of the north central region. "There is a flush of newly sprouted cheat grass that should interest the geese," Moore said. "Hunters should also look for geese feeding on harvested alfalfa fields."

  Moore advises waterfowl hunters to keep wind direction in mind when selecting a hunting spot and setting up decoy spreads when hunting over water in the windy Columbia Basin. "Ducks resting on the water will opt for areas protected from the wind and waves by vegetation or natural coves," she said. "And they like to land with the wind in their face."

  The next aerial waterfowl survey will take place the week of Dec. 17, depending on weather conditions. Results will be posted on WDFW's north central region webpage at http://wdfw.wa.gov/reg/eventopp/events2.htm#geese.

• Wildlife viewing: Several Audubon Society chapters throughout the region are coordinating Christmas Bird Counts, in keeping with the 107-year tradition of tallying species and numbers across North America for the world's longest-running bird database. Here's where, when and how both veteran and novice birdwatchers can participate:
  • Bridgeport, Dec.16, contact Meredith Spencer at merdave@homenetnw.net or 509-686-7551 for more information.

  • Moses Lake, Dec. 16, contact Doug Schonewald at dschone8@donobi.net or 509-766-0056 for information on meeting time and place.

  • Grand Coulee, Dec. 19, meet at 7:30 a.m. at Flo's Cafe, 316 Spokane Way; contact David St. George at hartashkip@yahoo.com or 509-667-7472 for more information.

  • Leavenworth, Dec. 21, meet at the Leavenworth Starbucks at 7a.m.; contact Karen Haire at karenhaire@nwi.net or 509-548-4566 for details.

  • Chelan, Dec. 28, meet at Apple Cup Cafe in Chelan at 7 a.m.; contact Steve Easley at seasley@wenval.com for more information.

  • Omak-Okanogan, Dec. 30, meet at 6:45 a.m. at Dan Boettger's home (call 509-422-4239 for directions); contact count compiler Gordon Kent at gogo6116@yahoo.com or 509-422-6116 for more information.

  • Osoyoos, B.C. (including Washington side of the U.S-Canada border), Dec. 30; contact Doug Brown at douglasbrown01@yahoo.ca or 250-495-6164 for more information.

  • Twisp, Dec. 30, meet at 6:30 a.m. at Local 98856 Greenhouse on Hwy 20 in Twisp; contact Sally Ranzau at ranzau@methownet.com or 509-996-8077 (home) or 509 996-4221 (work) for more information.

  • Wenatchee, Dec. 31, meet at Smitty's Restaurant at 6:30 a.m.; pre-register with Dan Stephens at dstephens@wvc.edu or 509-663-5323 (home) or 509-682-6752 (work).

  For those interested in viewing larger wildlife, it's a good time to take a drive along the Tonasket-to-Oroville stretch of Hwy. 97 in Okanogan County to see bighorn sheep. "The sheep come down from higher elevations at this time of year to browse orchards and perhaps get down to the Okanogan River across the highway," said Jeff Heinlen, WDFW wildlife biologist. "It's not only a good time to see them, but to be alert and aware to avoid colliding with one on the road." Heinlen also noted that Sinlahekin bighorns live nearly year-round right in and around the town of Loomis.

  Mule deer are also highly visible at this time of year throughout the Methow Valley in Okanogan County. WDFW Wildlife Biologist Scott Fitkin warns drivers to slow down traveling through deer winter range. Highway 20 through the valley has one of the state's highest rates of deer-car collisions.

South Central Washington:

• Fishing: WDFW district fish biologist Eric Anderson of Yakima reports that recent rain and snowmelt from warmer weather has the region's rivers and streams flowing high and fast. "That's not conductive to fishing for whitefish, so I doubt many anglers have been out for them in recent days," he said. "When conditions settle, though, it's always a productive fishery."

  The whitefish season opened on the Bumping, Naches and Tieton rivers Dec. 1. The Columbia River between Vantage and Priest Rapids Dam and the Yakima River are also open for whitefish. Averaging 10 to 13 inches, these bony fish may be best smoked. They can be caught fairly easily using maggots, small grubs, stonefly nymphs or sparsely tied artificial flies and small lures fished along the bottom of deep pools. The daily catch limit is 15 fish. The standard whitefish gear rule requires that anglers use one single-point hook size 14 or smaller (no more than 3/16-inch from point to shank.) The gear rule is designed to provide a winter fishing opportunity while minimizing the chance of catching other gamefish, which are not legal to harvest at this time. Check the fishing rules pamphlet for all details.

  Year-round waters that recently received surplus hatchery rainbow trout broodstock are still a good bet, Anderson said. "Many of those five- to ten-pound fish are still out there for the taking and - with the recent warm weather - it's all open-water fishing," he said. North FioRito and Mattoon lakes near Ellensburg in Kittitas County each received 125 broodstock. I-82 Pond #4 and Rotary Lake in Yakima County each received 125 fish and Myron Lake in Yakima County received 84.

  North Elton Pond, the region's only designated winter-season rainbow trout lake, opened Dec. 1 and is also open and easily accessible, Anderson said. The 15-acre lake near Selah in Yakima County was stocked with 2,000 rainbows that average about ¾-pound and 10 to 13 inches. The daily catch limit is two trout.

• Hunting: Canada goose hunters in Benton, Franklin and Kittitas counties have some extra days to bag the big birds over the holidays. With the season normally restricted to Saturdays, Sundays and Wednesdays, Dec. 25, 26, 28, 29 and Jan. 1 are bonus days open in Goose Management Area 4.

  WDFW waterfowl specialist Mikal Moore advises waterfowl hunters to keep wind direction in mind when selecting a hunting spot and setting up decoy spreads in the windy Columbia Basin. "Ducks resting on the water will opt for areas protected from the wind and waves by vegetation or natural coves," she said. "They also like to land with the wind in their face."

  The next aerial waterfowl survey will take place the week of Dec. 17, weather permitting. Results will be posted on WDFW's south central webpage at http://wdfw.wa.gov/reg/eventopp/events3.htm#geese.

• Wildlife viewing: Several Audubon Society chapters throughout the region are coordinating Christmas Bird Counts, in keeping with the 107-year tradition of tallying species and numbers across North America for the world's longest-running bird database. Here's where, when and how both veteran and novice birdwatchers can participate:
  • Cle Elum, Dec.14, contact Michael Hobbs at BirdMarymoor@verizon.net or call 425-869-2370 or 425-318-2105 for more information.

  • Ellensburg, Dec. 16, contact Phil Mattocks at pmattocks@kvalley.com or 509-962-2191 or Steve Hall at 509-925-4877 for details and meeting time and place.

  • Yakima Valley, Dec. 16, meet at the fireplace in the center of Sportsman's State Park off Keys Road east of Yakima at 7 a.m.; contact Denny Granstrand at dgranstrand@charter.net or 509-453-2500 to participate.

  • Toppenish National Wildlife Refuge, Dec. 17, contact Andy Stepniewski at steppie@nwinfo.net or 509-877-6639 for details.

  • Tri-Cities, Dec. 30; contact D. C. Ward at 509-545-0627 to participate or count compiler Philip Bartley at tamiandphil@charter.net.

  Winter feeding and close-up viewing of elk are under way at WDFW's Oak Creek Wildlife Area west of Yakima - a 60-year-old tradition that started to keep crop-damaging elk off adjacent private lands and now draws more than 100,000 visitors every winter. Around 1,000 elk usually gather near the wildlife area headquarters feeding site, just off Hwy.12 southwest of Naches, where a visitor parking lot and interpretive center are located. No WDFW vehicle use permit is required to park in the wildlife area lots from Dec. 1 to April 1.

  The elk are usually fed at about 1:30 p.m. daily, although many elk remain in the area throughout the day. The interpretive center is operated by volunteers from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. seven days a week. Volunteers conduct elk-viewing tours by haywagon through the feeding area by reservations made by calling 509-698-5106. "These tours depend on donations, so we ask visitors to be generous," said John McGowan, WDFW wildlife area manager. Five dollars per person is suggested, but whatever you can afford is appreciated."

  Another 500 or more elk are fed near the junction of Hwy. 12 and 410 to the east; viewers there should stay in vehicles in the minimal off-highway parking space, since walking near the fenceline will disturb the elk. About 100 bighorn sheep are also fed and viewable on the Cleman Mountain unit of the wildlife area just northeast of the Hwy. 410 and 12 junction, about half-a-mile up the Old Naches Road. Vehicle access to the wildlife area's Bethel Ridge and Oak Creek roads are closed now through April 30 to protect wildlife on winter range.

  WDFW's L.T. Murray Wildlife Area just west of Ellensburg in Kittitas County is also feeding elk now in several locations, including the Joe Watt Canyon unit where public viewing is welcome. WDFW area manager Cindi Confer says 500 to 1,000 elk can be seen at the Joe Watt feeding station through the winter. Visitors can take the Thorp exit off Interstate 90 to the south on the Old Thorp Highway to Thorp Cemetery Road to Joe Watt Canyon Road up to the winter closure gate on the wildlife area; elk viewers are advised to remain in or near vehicles at the gate to watch the feeding elk.

  Both the Robinson Canyon and Joe Watt Canyon gates into the L.T. Murray Wildlife Area, and the Mellotte gate on the Wenas Wildlife Area to the south of Ellensburg, close each winter to all motorized and non-motorized public use to protect wintering elk. Confer says these closures mean no public entry, whether on foot, horseback, mountain bike, snowmobile, ATV, or any other kind of vehicle. "It's not just motorized vehicles that disturb elk and other wintering wildlife," she said. "We need everyone to follow the rule and respect the animals' needs to conserve energy when conditions can be severe."