January 10 - 23, 2001

Contact: Margaret Ainscough, (360) 902-2408

OLYMPIA -- Duck and goose hunting will be drawing to a close Jan. 21, but with colder, wetter weather in store, the last days of the season may be the best.

"This is prime time for duck hunting," says Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) Waterfowl Manager Don Kraege.

That outlook should be a welcome change for hunters, who have found the going somewhat slow earlier in the season.

There's nothing slow about wildlife watching, which is at its peak across the state from the big birds of the Skagit Valley – trumpeter swans – to big horn sheep feeding at Sullivan Lake in Pend Oreille County.

Here's a roundup of current recreational opportunities around Washington:

North Puget Sound:

• Wildlife viewing: Winter birds are putting on a show in the Skagit Valley; snow geese, tundra and trumpeter swans, raptors and bald eagles are all in evidence. Visitors following the birds are reminded to respect private property and to park safely off the road as they enjoy the spectacle. WDFW's recently improved Fir Island Farms viewing site west of Conway is a scenic and safe place to stop for a look. And wildlife watchers will have a new cause for celebration with the Jan. 27 dedication of the Johnson/DeBay Swan Preserve northeast of Mount Vernon. On dedication day, the preserve's gates will open at 9:30 a.m., and volunteers and WDFW wildlife experts will be on hand to answer questions throughout the day. An 11 a.m. public ceremony is planned. For a map and detailed directions to the site, see the Trumpeter Swan Society's website on the Internet.

• Fishing: With runs low as predicted, steelhead fishing remains slow in the region's rivers, reports Chuck Phillips, regional fish manager. Fishers can take advantage of this quiet time of year by giving their boats some seasonal maintenance and planning the coming year's fishing outings, suggests WDFW's Tony Floor. A good place to start daydreaming is the Seattle Boat Show, which runs Friday (Jan 12) through Jan 21 at the Stadium Exhibition Center in Seattle. Look for WDFW's booth; staff there will be offering free de-hookers along with season outlook advice. For those ready to fish without a boat, smelt opportunities exist on beaches and docks at several locations in the region, says Norm Lemberg, regional shellfish manager. He suggests trying the floats at the Squalicum Mall Marina in Bellingham or the Cap Sante or Skyline marinas in Anacortes; beach raking is possible at March Point on Fidalgo Bay near Anacortes or Ross Point on Sinclair Inlet.

• Hunting: New storms expected to be moving in over the coming week could mean that the last days of duck and goose hunting may be the best, says WDFW Waterfowl Manager Don Kraege. More rain means more water collecting in fields and more birds moving inland. Hunters are welcome on private grain fields posted with WDFW "Feel Free To Hunt" signs or triangular duck stamp program logos. Would-be brant hunters are reminded that their season is closed this year due to low bird counts, and snow geese hunting ended Jan. 1.

Olympic Peninsula/South Sound:

• Wildlife viewing: More than 70 orca whales were spotted between Anderson and Ketron islands during the first week of January, making headlines throughout the South Sound area. Greg Combs, an environmental specialist for the state Department of Health, said the whales appeared to be chasing a run of chum salmon returning to the Nisqually River. Researchers have identified the orcas as members of the J, K and L pods, which typically frequent the waters off the San Juan Islands. Sightings tracked by The Whale Museum in Friday Harbor show that the three pods venture into Puget Sound an average of five or fewer days per month. They appear to have left South Sound shortly after they were spotted, but keep your eyes open if you're on the water! Orcas can travel up to 100 miles per day, and they could return any time. For more information on orcas, check out The Whale Museum website on the Internet.

• Fishing: Heavy rainfall has made north coast rivers virtually unfishable in recent days, although the steelhead catch could pick up in the weeks ahead if the rain eases up. The surge of water during the first week of January undoubtedly brought some fish that await anglers as the waters clear and the rivers drop back into shape. Flows in the Hoh dropped from 14,000 cubic feet per second (cfs) to 3,000 cfs in just three days, and the Queets dropped from 45,000 cfs to about 5,000. That could be good news for north coast steelheaders – if the trend holds. Further south, the Willapa River has escaped high flows and turbidity, although fishing success has been fair to poor for fall coho and winter steelhead. Even so, a good number of bright coho are still entering south coast rivers, providing fishing opportunities for those looking for a place to cast a line. Clam diggers should be aware that WDFW plans to open four ocean beaches to razor clam digging in early February, provided they pass a test for marine toxins conducted a week before the scheduled digs. With that caveat, Long Beach, Twin Harbors and Kalaloch beaches are scheduled to open for digging from noon until midnight Feb. 7 through Feb. 10. Mocrocks beach –– from Copalis River to the Moclips River –– is scheduled to open during the same hours for two days, Feb. 9 and Feb. 10. Call the WDFW Shellfish Hotline at (360) 796-3215 or check the WDFW website for more information.

• Hunting: Ducks and geese remain elusive for area hunters as the waterfowl season draws to a close on Jan. 21. Jack Smith, regional WDFW wildlife manager, said the dry fall and winter has left a dearth of sheet water on inland fields, offering little incentive for waterfowl to leave saltwater. "There's more buoys out there than ducks," said Smith, summing up the situation in the Chehalis Valley. He points to Willapa Bay and the Columbia River as better bets for hunters looking to bag a bird before the season's end.

Southwest Washington:

• Wildlife viewing: Post Office Lake at the end of Lower River Road in the Vancouver lowlands continues to present a good opportunity for Vancouver-area residents to see swans, according to Fish and Wildlife Biologist Fred Dobler. In addition, quite a few geese use the area to loaf during the day, presenting birders a good opportunity to study the differences between several subspecies. Some are wearing red neck collars, which identifies them as the dusky Canada goose subspecies, the focus of so much protection and management in the Southwest Region. Fish Hatchery Specialist Vince Janson reports that two ospreys were seen recently at the Cowlitz Trout Hatchery. While not an unusual occurrence in the area during summer, ospreys normally migrate south before November. These rare over-wintering ospreys may be of interest to birders in the Cowlitz Valley.

• Fishing: Steelhead catches aren't necessarily coming easily but fish are still to be had. Try the Grays, Elochoman, Cowlitz, Kalama, Lewis, and Washougal rivers, as well as Salmon Creek in Vancouver. On the Cowlitz, the wait can be long for a steelhead to hit, but some anglers have felt the wait worthwhile, with catches of 10 pounds or bigger. According to Fish Biologist Joe Hymer, the two-salt fish – those that have spent two summers in the ocean and weigh in typically at eight pounds or so – haven't shown up yet in the Cowlitz. Sturgeon season continues below Bonneville Dam with good opportunity between Kalama and the dam. Boat and bank anglers have been having luck in Bonneville Pool. No smelt were found in the Cowlitz on the first sport fishery opener and only sporadic catches have been found in the mainstem Columbia limited commercial fishery. The Cowlitz is open to sport fishing for smelt on Saturdays only from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Anglers should call the Region 5 office hotline at (360) 696-6211, and hit *1010 for catch updates and any season changes. A few surplus broodstock rainbow trout that already have spawned, about seven pounds in size, have been planted in area lakes: 13 in Little Ash Lake and Tunnel Lake, both near Stevenson, and 20 in Rowland Lake near Lyle. Recently planted trout are still available in Klineline Pond near Hazel Dell.

• Hunting: Waterfowl hunting closes Jan. 21, without much success for duck hunters this year. A special late Canada goose season in will open Jan. 20 in Management Area 2 on specific agricultural lands incurring goose damage. To qualify, hunters must be Advanced Hunter Education (AHE) program graduates or youth hunters (15 or younger accompanied by an AHE hunter,) with a 2000-01 southwest Washington Canada goose hunting authorization. The season is open on selected Saturdays, Sundays and Wednesdays, from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., from Jan. 20 to March 10. Check the WDFW Migratory Waterfowl and Upland Game Seasons pamphlet for details.

Eastern Washington:

• Wildlife viewing: Lots of wintering birds of prey can be seen in the shrub-steppe habitat of Lincoln County, reports WDFW Swanson Lakes Wildlife Area manager Juli Anderson. "Our usual winter mix includes large numbers of rough-legged hawks and at least one snowy owl that's been sighted between here and Wilbur," she says. "Often they're found perched on tillage equipment in farm fields, looking for rodents." Wildlife viewers or photographers would have the area to themselves if they got into the interior on snowshoes now, Anderson says. In Pend Oreille County, cross-country-skiing the Frater Lake Trail System up on Tiger Pass (Hwy. 20) is a great way to see lots of tracks by ermine, red squirrel, snowshoe hare, grouse, deer, and other animals, reports WDFW wildlife biologist Dana Base. A less physical outing to view wildlife is a quiet drive on the lightly traveled gravel county roads along the Kettle River in Ferry County. WDFW wildlife biololgist Steve Zender recommends the route from Curlew west and north toward the Curlew Conservation Corps center and on up Kroupa Road to the Canadian border. You're bound to spot a half dozen to a dozen bald eagles on that stretch, plus common and possibly Barrow's goldeneye, common mergansers and other waterfowl. Mule deer are also a viewing possibility, Zenders says, as are bighorn sheep in the area to the east of the river across the valley from the CCC. "The trip north of Curlew to Danville is very nice, too," Zender says," but it is a paved highway, so you need to take advantage of the wide spots to pull over and enjoy the river view. For a long loop route away from traffic to see even more of the Kettle River and its wildlife, go on into Canada at Danville, through Grand Forks and back down Hiwy. 395 through Orient, then over Boulder-Deer Creek Pass back to Curlew."

• Fishing: Walleye fishing below Grand Coulee Dam should be good for the next few weeks, says WDFW fish biologist Larry Phillips. A recent creel check there showed six anglers caught 35 fish, many smaller than the 18-inch minimum, but a few very large fish. Steelhead fishing in the Snake River drainage has slowed, reports WDFW scientific technician Jerry Dedloff; anglers are averaging about 14 hours of effort per fish caught and 36 hours of effort per fish kept (hatchery only). The best fishing has been on the Grand Ronde where anglers recently averaged five to six hours of effort per fish caught. Ice fishing for trout at Hatch Lake in Stevens County has been fair. Coffin Lake, the smallest and southernmost water in the Little Pend Oreille chain of lakes, has also been fair for trout through the ice. Fourth-of-July Lake on the Lincoln-Adams county line continues to produce rainbow trout through the ice.

• Hunting: Waterfowl hunting remains open through Jan. 21, but ducks and geese are hard to come by in many areas, due to freeze-up. Open waters like Rock Lake and river stretches with access continue to be productive for goose hunters. Permit-only goose depredation hunts in the Clarkston and Asotin areas southeast have so far yielded 127 harvested geese. Quail and partridge hunting, which closes Jan. 15, has been tough with crusted-over snow making for noisy approaches and out-of-range flushes.

North Central Washington:

• Wildlife viewing: This is generally a good time to plan an outing to Okanogan County's Methow Valley to view wintering mule deer herds on the slopes above Hwy. 20 between Mazama and Twisp. Well over 10,000 mule deer –– the largest migratory herd in the state –– winter here. Given the right conditions, you may see 100 deer in a day of driving and watching through the valley. Cross country skiers and others who might have a closer mule deer encounter should remember to give them a wide berth to avoid stressing these animals. Dog owners must keep pets confined in any deer country at this time of year, as dogs instinctively chase deer and can catch and kill them in crusted-over snow conditions. Drivers should slow down and stay alert to avoid collisions with deer that often cross valley highways. Unfortunately, there are always the inevitable road kills, which in turn often end up providing another watchable wildlife opportunity: bald eagles and other scavengers cleaning up carcasses. This is also an excellent time to look for wintering raptors in the irrigated farmfields of the Columbia Basin and especially around Potholes Reservoir and Moses Lake. Snowy owls, gyrfalcons, rough-legged hawks, red-tailed hawks, kestrels and merlins are all out and about seeking prey during daylight hours. Look for their distinctive silhouettes on power poles and lines along roadways, then find a place to pull over and watch with your binoculars. Snowy owls have been known to perch on the edges of cement irrigation ditches, so keep an eye on those structures as you drive through the irrigation canal district.

• Fishing: Ice fishing for trout, perch, bluegill or other sunfish is usually good at many year-round or winter-only lakes at this time, but check local conditions for safe ice. Waters (iced-over waters, that is) to try include Sprague Lake in Adams County, and Green, Lower Green, Little Twin, Osoyoos and Rat lakes in Okanongan County. Winter fishing for trout or walleye can also be good now on the Columbia River reservoirs, Banks and Rufus Woods lakes.

• Hunting: The last days of the duck and goose hunting seasons could be productive, depending on weather moving birds around. The Columbia Basin is usually one of the best waterfowling spots in the state right up until the end of the season. Upland bird hunting is tough, although if you can find dense cover where quail will hold tight for dogs, you might wrap up the season with gourmet dinner table fare.

South Central Washington:

• Wildlife viewing: Elk viewing at WDFW's Oak Creek Wildlife Area west of Yakima is at its peak now, with more than 3,500 elk coming in regularly to six feeding sites. Area manager John McGowan also reports that about 150 bighorn sheep are feeding at some sites. "The only site where we encourage public viewing is next to our headquarters building just off Highway 12," McGowan says. "Feeding there is daily at 1:30 p.m., and the Senior Environmental Corp volunteer interpretive center is open 9 a.m. to at least 3 or 4 p.m., depending on the weather and the crowd." McGowan notes that volunteers are also used to assist in the feeding operation, mostly on weekends and holidays. "So many people want to help feed the elk that almost all of the available times have been booked for this season," he said, "but interested parties can still call me at 509-653-2390." McGowan also notes that a high wintering population of both bald and golden eagles can be seen along the Naches and Tieton Rivers from Hwy. 12 and Hwy. 410. Another good bird viewing spot in the other end of the region is the McNary National Wildlife Refuge near the Tri-Cities. Depending on open water availability, a wide variety of waterfowl can be seen. Birds of prey, from eagles to kestrels, are also a good bet.

• Fishing: Year-round lakes in Yakima County that were stocked last month with excess rainbow trout broodstock from local hatcheries may still be good bets, depending on water or ice conditions with fluctuating local weather. Try the I-82 ponds No. 4 and No. 6, which have 10-pounders in them, and Myron and Rotary lakes. North Elton Pond still has plenty of fish to carry anglers through its winter-only season. Or give whitefish fishing a try in the Yakima or Naches rivers.

• Hunting: Neither waterfowl nor upland game bird hunters have been checked recently enough to say for sure, but the end of those seasons may end with more of a whimper than a bang. Goose and duck hunters with access to some of the big, open waters may bag final birds, as will quail hunters with good dogs and secret coverts. Time to clean guns and stash decoys for next season.