For avid hunters, anglers and wildlife watchers, the onset of chilly, wet weather across much of Washington can't dampen their enthusiasm for the opportunities that fall has to offer.
Many fishing lakes and streams close Oct. 31, but plenty of other angling opportunities continue. North coast rivers have been producing good catches of coho and chinook salmon, while the blackmouth salmon-fishing season comes to much of Puget Sound, the Strait of Juan de Fuca and Hood Canal in November.
Fishing for salmon, hatchery steelhead, sturgeon and other gamefish continues in the lower half of the Columbia River's Hanford Reach, while patient steelheaders on the lower Snake River should expect to see catch rates improve with the cool water.
Eastern Washington's colder, wetter weather, including snow, is improving hunters' chances for bagging deer, ducks and upland game birds. Big-game hunts are ongoing in many areas of the state, including modern firearm deer, bear and cougar seasons. The modern firearm elk season in eastern Washington runs Oct. 30-Nov. 7, while the westside season runs Nov. 6-14.
Waterfowl hunting has been good in many areas, while forest grouse and pheasant hunts are well under way on both sides of the Cascades.
Razor clam fans don't have much longer to wait for the next opportunity to go digging. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) has announced tentative evening digs Nov. 11-13 at Long Beach, Mocrocks, Copalis and Twin Harbors, contingent on the results of marine toxin tests.
Skeins of majestic trumpeter swans have already been seen over northwestern Washington's agricultural areas. The world's largest waterfowl, trumpeter swans winter in small groups that are scattered over the farmlands of several counties, providing excellent close-up views for bird watchers. Huge clouds of snow geese are also moving into the area, providing both bird-watching and bird-hunting opportunities.
Here is more information on current recreational activities statewide:
North Puget Sound
- Fishing: The big news for saltwater salmon anglers in the region is the return of blackmouth salmon fishing, Nov. 1-30 in marine areas 7, 8-1, 8-2, 9 and 10. All areas have a daily limit of two fish, only one of which may be a chinook. All chinook must be 22 inches or greater in length to be retained. Marine Area 11, which has been open to chinook retention since mid-June, will remain open through Dec. 31. Blackmouth are chinook salmon that spend part or most of their saltwater lives in Puget Sound waters, rather than following the typical chinook migration pattern out into the North Pacific Ocean. WDFW delays the release of approximately 1.65 million hatchery chinook every year to contribute to the number of resident chinook in Puget Sound and Hood Canal that are available to catch as blackmouth. "The most productive spots for blackmouth will be those areas that hold baitfish," said Curt Kraemer, WDFW regional fish program manager. Mooching herring or a baitfish lure can be effective. Look for blackmouth to hang near the bottom and near "structure," such as a shelf, boulder field or other feature that breaks up the bottom. Some areas that in the past have produced good blackmouth catches include Possession Point, Double Bluff and Bush Point (all off Whidbey Island), waters south of Hat Island and the southern end of Camano Island and the waters between Whidbey and Camano Island. Saltwater anglers who can't wait for blackmouth season can still find a few coho and an increasing number of chum salmon in local waters. Look for the last of the coho hanging around the southern end of Whidbey Island, in front of the Edmonds marina, or along the shorelines of Kitsap and King counties in the central Sound. Trolling an imitation green squid or a small herring behind a flasher in those areas might result in a hook-up with a hefty chum, hard-fighting fish that return in big numbers each fall to many of the area's rivers. While chum aren't considered the best table fare of the Pacific salmon family, they can taste great if treated properly. Be sure to bleed a chum as soon as it's landed. Fresh chum can be barbecued or baked, and they're perfect for the smoker. Cabezon fishing remains open through the end of November in the region's marine waters. There is a two-fish daily limit and no minimum size. Squid jigging has been productive off Seattle piers. Anglers looking for salmon in area rivers are still finding good numbers of coho salmon, particularly in the Snohomish/Skykomish system, the Green and the Skagit. Chum have also begun to enter many river systems. Many lakes close to game fishing Oct. 31; be sure to check the "Sport Fishing in Washington" regulations pamphlet for the details. Some year-round lakes, including Lake Washington, should continue to provide good fishing action for perch and cutthroat trout. The big lake is open to coho salmon fishing through Oct. 31 north of the Highway 520 bridge. Lake Sammamish is open to salmon fishing through the end of November with a two-fish daily limit. Salmon must be 12 inches or longer to be kept, and all sockeye must be released.
- Hunting: The general western Washington blacktail deer season runs through Oct. 31 in open game management units, while the westside's modern firearm elk hunt goes from Nov. 6-14. Check WDFW's Big Game Hunting Seasons and Rules pamphlet for more information. The pamphlet is available at WDFW offices, retail outlets and on the Internet. Goose hunting is open through Oct. 29 when it closes for a week before resuming Nov. 6 throughout the region. John Garrett, manager of WDFW's Skagit Wildlife Area, said there are about 250 acres of state land on Leque Island (between Stanwood and Camano Island) where hunters can access the snow geese flocks. Duck hunting has been pretty good in the region, thanks to inclement weather that has kept birds in the area. Garrett said hunters on Skagit Bay have been seeing a lot of birds, while the Samish Unit, which has 160 acres of ripe corn, should also provide good opportunities for weeks to come. Other portions of the Skagit Wildlife Area are proving to be good for pheasant hunting. Garrett said slightly fewer than 400 birds are being released each week on the sprawling wildlife area, while about 500 pheasants are being released each week on the Snoqualmie Wildlife Area. Garrett advised pheasant hunters to go after birds during "off peak" times. "Come out later in the morning, or wait until later in the afternoon to hunt when there are fewer hunters in the fields, and you'll get your birds," he said. Forest grouse hunting continues in the foothills and lower mountain elevations. The statewide season runs through the end of the year. Be sure to check the Migratory Waterfowl and Upland Game Seasons regulations pamphlet before heading out. The pamphlet is available at WDFW offices, retail outlets and on the Internet.
- Wildlife viewing: Birding activity is strong throughout the region, including right in the middle of Seattle, where sharp-eyed pedestrians earlier this month spotted a barred owl near the corner of Fourth Avenue and Pine Street. The barred, which stands roughly 21 inches tall and has a 42-inch wingspan, is typically more at home in mature forests. So what was it doing in downtown Seattle? Russell Link, WDFW biologist and an urban wildlife specialist, said the bird might have been just moving through the area, or it could be a resident of one of Seattle's parks that contains mature forests. Barred owls have been known to inhabit low-density urban settings, particularly in winter. From solitary birds to flocks of massive proportion - Skagit Wildlife Area Manager John Garrett says snow geesetrumpeter swans have also arrived in the region, with reports of birds scattered throughout Snohomish, Skagit and Whatcom counties. At the nearby Samish Flats, hundreds of shorebirds were seen - not only by birders, but by birds that hunt birds as well. A pale merlin was busy making a meal out of an unlucky dunlin, while not far away large flocks of the diminutive shorebirds continued probing the mudflats for food. Dunlin are one of Washington's most-common wintering shorebirds, often seen in flocks of 100 or more individuals that seem to move as a single organism as they fly from one feeding area to the next. Birders at the Samish Flats also noted an adult peregrine falcon, no fewer than four rough-legged hawks and a gyrfalcon "pirating" prey from northern harrier hawks. Birders in the Everett area can enjoy an ample number of species at WDFW's Spencer Island Wildlife Area, where a pair of peregrine falcons and a solitary merlin have all been seen recently, along with more than 300 green-winged teal and more than 1,000 ruddy ducks. Birders also identified three varieties of grebe - western, red-necked and eared. Birders in the Point Roberts area topped the Spencer Island group's three-grebe mark by seeing four: The western, red-necked, horned and pied-billed. Point Roberts birders also noted red-throated, Pacific and common loons, as well as Brandt's, double crested and pelagic cormorants. The Point Roberts birders weren't cheated for sheer numbers, either, tallying an estimated 250 dunlin and 200 . The Green River Natural Resources Area, also known as the Kent Ponds, produced more than 70 bird species during a recent census survey posted on the Tweeters birding website. With more than 300 individuals, the American wigeon took the top prize as the most commonly tallied bird, followed by about 180 cackling geese and more than 150 green-winged teal. A fish-eating osprey gets the nod as the largest bird seen during the survey, with its five-foot-plus wingspan, while a beautiful four-inch-long Anna's hummingbird takes the prize as the smallest bird. Birds that are known for their songs were also noted, including a western meadowlark, a hermit thrush and a mourning dove. For more bird sightings throughout the region, check out the Tweeters birdwatching website on the Internet.
Olympic Peninsula/South Sound
- Fishing: With blackmouth fishing opening Nov. 1 in the Strait of Juan de Fuca and many areas of Puget Sound, saltwater anglers won't have to throw back those big, bright chinook much longer. "We're hearing reports of a fair number of blackmouth throughout the Sound," said Steve Thiesfeld, WDFW recreational fishing manager. He recommends trying Midchannel Bank, Possession Point, Manchester and Point No Point - the "usual spots" - to hook up with those fish. However, Thiesfeld cautions anglers to take care in handling sub-legal fish, which appear to be abundant this year. "It's important to remember that this year's 'shakers' are next year's keepers," he said, noting anglers must release any chinook they catch in Puget Sound or the Strait under 22 inches long. Marine areas 5, 6, 9 and 10 all open Nov. 1 for retention of one chinook salmon per day as part of a two-salmon bag limit, the same limit currently in effect in Marine Area 11. In Marine Area 13, anglers can keep two chinook per day until Nov. 1, when the bag limit in that area becomes the same as in the other areas. In Hood Canal, which opened for chinook Oct. 16, the bag limit is four salmon per day but - again - only one of those fish can be a chinook. There and elsewhere, anglers have a good opportunity to fill their limit with coho and chum salmon, which are still available in many areas, Thiesfeld said. Mark Cylwik, WDFW hatchery specialist, said returning chum salmon are stacking up in front of the Hoodsport Hatchery on Hood Canal, drawing more attention from anglers every day. "Right now, we've got about six or seven boats out here, but we expect to see fishing pressure pick up as we get further into the run," Cylwik said. A small corky with yarn and a quarter-ounce of lead appears to be the rig of choice. At Kennedy Creek, another popular spot for chum, 63 bank anglers caught 18 fish on Oct. 24, according to WDFW catch reports. Meanwhile, river fishing has varied with stream conditions throughout the region. On the north coast, the Hoh River was running high and muddy during the last week in October, said Mike Gross, WDFW fish biologist. But conditions have been good on the Quillayute and Queets rivers, just as runs of chinook and coho salmon near their peak, he said. "Remember that anglers fishing the Quillayute system can retain three adult salmon so long as one of those fish is a hatchery coho," he said. Farther south, the action in the lower Chehalis River has cooled off after several weeks of good fishing, said Wendy Beeghley, another WDFW fish biologist. "It's pretty quiet on the Chehalis all the way up to the mouth of the Satsop (River)," she said. The Humptulips River is still crowded with anglers, but a lot of the fish are "pretty dark," she said. "The Satsop or the Wynoochee (rivers) might be a better bet," Beeghley said. Another option is the Puyallup River, where coho and chum salmon have begun to arrive and water conditions have been described as "perfect" for fishing. For trout, anglers have been catching 15-to-18-inch rainbows at Offutt Lake, many using nightcrawlers as bait. Then again, it's not too early to start making plans for the next razor clam dig, tentatively scheduled Nov. 11-13 at Long Beach, Mocrocks, Copalis and Twin Harbors beaches. As always, final approval for that dig is contingent on the results of marine toxin tests conducted the week of the scheduled opening. For updates on the planned dig, see http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/shelfish/razorclm/season.htm on the WDFW website or call the Shellfish Hotline at 1-866-880-5431.
- Hunting: Stormy conditions made for good hunting during the first two weeks of the early deer season. Hunters took a high percentage of big black-tailed bucks, especially in the popular Vail Game Management Unit (GMU), said Jack Smith, WDFW regional wildlife manager. "The rut is approaching and the bucks are on the move," Smith said. "That, combined with good hunting weather, has made for a good early season." Hunters checked more than 100 deer - many three-point bucks or bigger - out of the Vail GMU during the second weekend of the early season, Smith said. Even so, Smith said the numbers were down from the previous weekend, because some successful hunters decided to go fishing on the north coast rivers. Hunters also took some big bucks in other areas. Smith said he had seen photos of one deer taken near Forks with a 21-inch antler spread. "That's a big buck for this area," Smith said. The early modern-firearms deer season continues through Oct. 31 in western Washington, followed by a late season Nov. 18-21. Goose hunting has also been fairly good since the season began in mid-October, although ducks have been harder to find, said Greg Schirato, WDFW wildlife biologist. "Heavy rains over the past few weeks have driven a lot of ducks south, so hunting has been pretty slow on the saltwater," Schirato said. While some hunters have taken their limits, Schirato doesn't expect duck hunting to pick up until freezing weather in Canada drives more birds into the area. Geese, on the other hand, are in good supply in coastal areas right now, said Max Zahn, a fellow WDFW wildlife biologist. Zahn, who manages two goose check stations in the region, said 12 hunters checked 28 Canada geese at the Willapa Wildlife Unit on Oct. 23 while six hunters checked 21 geese through the station at the WDFW regional office in Montesano - about the same success rate as on the previous weekend. Unfortunately, one of the geese checked at the Willapa station was a dusky, which are off-limits to hunting. Once a hunter takes a dusky, his or her goose-hunting season is over for the season according to WDFW hunting rules. "We recognize that distinguishing between species can be difficult under field conditions, but we ask that hunters take extra care to determine what they're shooting at before they pull the trigger," Smith said.
- Wildlife viewing: Chum salmon have begun to move up Kennedy Creek in southern Mason County, a sight that's hard to miss from the Kennedy Creek Salmon Trail. Staffed by the South Puget Sound Salmon Enhancement Group, the half-mile trail will be open Oct. 31 and every weekend in November from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Most of the trail is ADA accessible. For more information, call (360) 754-6464 or see http://www.spsseg.org on the Internet. Weekday visits for schools and other organized groups are available by reservation only. To make reservations, contact Karin at the Mason Conservation District at (360) 427-9436; 1-800-527-9436; or Karinis@attglobal.net. Birders visiting Kennedy Creek might want to keep watch for an occasional willet, a relatively large member of the sandpiper family that has been spotted by the creek in years past. Although most West Coast willets have already headed to California or points south, holdouts have been sighted in Puget Sound marshes, including the Nisqually Delta and on beaches around Bainbridge Island. Other species recently spotted at the Nisqually National Wildlife refuge include the dark-eyed junco, yellow-rumped warbler, American bittern, northern pintail, great blue heron, bufflehead, American pipit, ruddy duck, cackling goose, belted kingfisher, bald eagle, downy woodpecker and pine siskin. Down the road at Capitol Lake, a recent contributor to the Tweeters bird-watching website counted 154 American wigeons, 244 buffleheads, 22 grebes and 478 scaups, with one "grungy" redhead in the flock.
Southwest Washington:
- Fishing: With the prospect of being able to continue keeping their catch Thursdays through Saturdays through the end of the year, anglers are focusing on sturgeon in the lower Columbia River. "Fishing has been excellent and effort has been high," said Pat Frazier, WDFW's Southwest Washington fishery manager. October sport sturgeon catches have been at record high levels, he added. The best fishing location continues to be the Columbia River gorge below Bonneville Dam, with 46 Washington bank anglers keeping 13 fish during the second and third weeks of October. Catches for boat anglers in the gorge were also good during the third week of October with 18 fish kept by the 29 boats checked. The sturgeon scene on the rest of the river was considerably slower with one sturgeon kept for every 10-to-20 boats checked during the third week of October. In the tributaries, anglers were still finding some hatchery coho in mid-October. On Lake Scanewa, 10 bank anglers kept 10 adult coho and 67 boat anglers had 31 coho. In Bonneville Pool, 11 boat anglers had six coho, while 13 boat anglers kept one adult coho and released five adult chinook on the Cowlitz River. Fishers were still having good luck with sea-run cutthroat trout on the Cowlitz River. Recent fish transports have placed 3,457 adult coho in Lake Scanewa; 273 adult coho near the Skate Creek Bridge in Packwood; 1,761 adult coho and 16 cutthroat trout at Gust Backstrom Park; and 92 summer-run steelhead and 172 cutthroat trout in the Cowlitz River near Blue Creek Boat launch. Some cutthroat trout remain in Goose Lake, although the angling action is expected to slow over the next few weeks.
- Hunting: Foggy weather made hunting challenging on the opening day of modern-firearm deer season, said Fred Dobler, regional Wildlife Program manager, although damp ground helped out those hunters who were able to keep their deer in sight. Dobler reports the following opening-day results from Southwest Washington check stations: 103 hunters with 11 deer at Peterman (near Centralia); 104 hunters with seven deer off State Route 4 near Vader; 227 hunters with five deer at 19 Mile Camp (St. Helens Tree Farm); 560 hunters with 15 deer at Headquarters Road (St. Helens Tree Farm); 55 hunters with nine deer at Clelatchie Prairie; 850 hunters with 33 deer at Yacolt Burn check station; and 191 hunters with six deer at Peterman Ridge, off State Route 12. Those results are fairly typical, said Dobler, who notes that only 17 percent of the buck harvest is taken on the opening weekend of the season. About 40 percent is taken in the late-buck season, with the remainder of the harvest spread over the other hunting days. Westside modern-firearm elk hunting runs Nov. 6-14. Duck hunting was "quite slow" throughout Southwest Washington on opening day of the season Oct. 23, Dobler noted. Goose season begins Nov. 6 in Skamania and Lewis counties, and on selected dates beginning Nov. 27 in Clark, Cowlitz and Wahkiakum counties. See WDFW's "Migratory Waterfowl and Upland Game Seasons" pamphlet for details.
- Wildlife viewing: On Oct. 23 at the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge there were numerous flocks of sandhill cranes, cackling geese and Canada geese, including about 30 "dusky" geese, according to a Tweeters website correspondent, who also counted 41 great egrets and spotted three river otter feeding on small fish on Rest Lake. Two tundra swans and hundreds of northern pintail also were visible at the lake. Sea lions and other marine mammals can be seen, sometimes by the hundreds along the lower Columbia River, with numbers surging as fish runs enter the river, according to Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Marine Mammal Program Leader Robin F. Brown, who offers these sea lion observations: Two species-Steller and California sea lions-can be found in the lower Columbia. Stellers, the larger of the two, are gold- or silver-colored animals. California sea lions smaller, although they can reach weights of up to 1,000 pounds, and are distinguished by their brown or black color and barking. While there can be 300-400 Stellers on the tip of the river's South Jetty much of the year, they are far less common in the river itself. On a few occasions small groups of Stellers (six-12 at a time) have been seen foraging for smelt up to the Cathlamet and Wallace areas, and single animals have made their way up to Bonneville in the spring. There can also be 300-400 California sea lions on the South Jetty from fall through spring, but these animals also venture into the river and up to Bonneville Dam and Willamette Falls by the hundreds. They move into the river looking for smelt and other easy pickings and then remain there and move upstream with the salmon and steelhead in winter and spring. From fall through spring we may have anywhere from 500-1,000 California sea lions moving in and out of the lower river. We know from tagging in Astoria that many of these animals will move out of the river and on up to Puget Sound or Barkley Sound on Vancouver Island for months in the winter. Some may stop by the Columbia River again in the spring on their way south to California breeding grounds. Winter counts conducted in Oregon, Washington and British Columbia indicate that roughly 10,000 California sea lions may move north of California each year to feed at various locations in the Pacific Northwest. Estimates place the U.S. California sea lion population at nearly 300,000.
Eastern Washington:
- Fishing: Snake River steelhead counts continue to increase through the dam ladders in southeast Washington as the fishing season progresses toward the traditional best catch rates of late fall and winter. Snake River tributaries are still the best bet, with the latest creel checks showing less than one hour of fishing per fish caught on the Touchet, about two and a half hours per fish caught on the Tucannon, 7.6 hours per fish on the Walla Walla, and about nine hours per fish on the Lower Grand Ronde. The mainstem Snake above the interstate highway bridge averaged just under six hours per fish caught. Other creel check averages were 12.5 hours per fish caught in the Wallula area (state line to Walla Walla mouth), 16.4 hours per fish from Lower Monumental dam to Little Goose dam, 17.7 hours from Ice Harbor dam to Lower Monumental, and 21.8 hours from Little Goose to Lower Granite dam. WDFW district fish biologist Glen Mendel reminds steelheaders that all salmon caught on the Snake River must be released unharmed. Long time Snake River steelhead fishers report that as many fall chinook salmon as steelhead have recently been caught, but some fishers who don't seem to realize that Snake River regulations are different from Columbia River rules have been keeping them. Mendel also notes that there is no fishing within 400 feet of the fish ladder on the Snake River at Lyons Ferry Hatchery. At least three parties of fishers have recently been arrested for fishing in that ladder, he said. Many of the region's lakes and portions of rivers and streams close to fishing Oct. 31. But other year-round waters are continuing to produce catches, including rainbow trout and walleye at Lake Roosevelt and Sprague Lake.
- Hunting: Modern firearm general elk season opens Oct. 30 in select game management units throughout the region. Even though the Blue Mountains units in the southeast (145 - 154 and 162-186) are the only ones with a spike bull-only restriction, they still remain the best bet in this region for elk hunters. WDFW district wildlife biologist Pat Fowler of Walla Walla reports that elk numbers there are at or near "management objectives," with the exception of the Wenaha Wilderness (Unit169 Wenaha) where the estimated elk population of 500 is still about 67 percent below what it could be. Fowler noted that lower calf survival still plagues some herds, which can mean fewer spike bulls available for general harvest. Some permit holders can take any bull in a few units and three-antler-point minimum bulls in Unit 157 watershed. About 6 percent of hunters will come home with an elk, typical for the past several years, but many more will see elk and enjoy much less-crowded conditions compared to 15 years ago. Fowler said hunters with antlerless elk permits in Unit 175 - Lick Creek should find excellent hunting. Antlerless elk hunters in Units154 - Blue Creek and 162 - Dayton might find hunting more difficult unless they have secured permission ahead of time to hunt private land. Northeast district elk hunting is open to any bull harvest, and a few units (101, 105, 108, 121) are open for any elk. Hunting is much tougher in these areas because of terrain and scattered, smaller herds. Typically no more than 4 percent of northeast elk hunters bring home an animal. Central district elk hunting (Units 124 -142) are open to any elk, but hunters must have secured permission to hunt private land to have any real chance at bagging an animal. The overall success rate in these units is about 5 percent. A noticeable exception last year was a 17 percent success rate in Unit 130 - Cheney and 24 percent success rate in Unit 136 - Harrington where resident elk numbers are higher but land is privately owned. Deer hunting continues in northeast units up to the elk opener, and a check station on Oct. 24 revealed about 12 percent of hunters bagged deer, mostly whitetail bucks. Youth and disabled hunters in Units 105-124 can continue to hunt antlerless-only whitetails through the elk season (Oct. 30-Nov. 7). WDFW district wildlife biologist Steve Zender says antlerless deer harvest seems down at this point, especially considering all the youth, disabled and senior hunter opportunity and large number of antlerless permits. "I think access to the best low elevation whitetail areas continues to be a problem," he said. Waterfowl hunting also continues, although not necessarily very productively in this region at this time. "Freestanding water is down," noted WDFW central district wildlife biologist Howard Ferguson. "If weather conditions were just right, that could concentrate waterfowl. But the prolonged drought appears to have a lot of waterfowl just passing over, not setting down until further south. Pintail numbers do appear depressed in our counts, but blue-winged teal numbers are increasing slightly." Although there are fair numbers of waterfowl along the Columbia and Snake Rivers, the best waterfowl hunting there occurs in December-January as migratory birds move into the area from the north. Resident Canada goose numbers are still high and provide good opportunity in open areas along the Snake River. Upland game bird hunting also continues and should improve with more wintery conditions that are just ahead.
- Wildlife viewing: Bird watchers have recently been seeing bohemian waxwings at the Little Pend Oreille National Wildlife Refuge in northeast Washington. Other migrants have been noticed at backyard bird feeders throughout the region, including recent influxes of evening grosbeaks, pine siskins, and even some blue jays, an eastern U.S. species that seems to dispersing farther and farther west in recent years. Recent freezes are a good reminder to backyard bird enthusiasts to make sure open water is available since that is more important than supplementing natural diets with seed in feeders. Whitetail deer bucks are showing signs of breeding as the peak of their rut in mid-November draws near. Watch for hoof scrapes on the ground under trees where they practice antler-jostling with low-laying branches, and notice their bossy behavior around groups of does and fawns.
North Central Washington:
- Fishing: WDFW Chelan district fish biologist Art Viola reports that steelhead fishing from Rocky Reach Dam to Chief Joseph Dam on the Columbia River, and on the Methow and Okanogan rivers, has been pretty slow. "I think it has to do with water temperatures," he said. "Steelhead bite better when it's colder. And it's getting colder by the day here. I think steelheading will improve very soon." Many of the region's lakes and portions of rivers and streams close to fishing Oct. 31, but year-round waters are continuing to produce catches, including walleye at Potholes Reservoir and rainbow trout at Moses Lake.
- Hunting: The latest aerial surveys of ducks and geese in the Columbia Basin showed a few northern birds down from Canada, with Canada goose numbers in particular starting to build in the Stratford area. "They estimated 17,000 geese on Stratford Lake, which is up from an estimated 2,000 on Oct. 17, indicating the migrant population is arriving," said WDFW waterfowl specialist Ron Friesz. "Total waterfowl numbers, particularly mallards, are low indicating migrant waterfowl haven't arrived in any large numbers, although wigeon are fairly abundant on Wells and Wanapum pools on the upper Columbia River." Corn harvest in the Basin has been delayed with recent and frequent rains, which could draw birds. For a full account and updates of the waterfowl survey, the WDFW website on the Intranet. Friesz also reported that opening weekend of waterfowl hunting season was very good on the Desert Wildlife Area, where most hunters contacted reported good numbers of ducks. Friesz checked 16 hunting parties, a total of 54 hunters, with 208 ducks and six geese for an average of almost four ducks per hunter. Sixteen hunters had their seven-duck limit. Gadwalls (36 percent) and mallards (33 percent) made up the bulk of the harvest followed by American wigeon (13 percent) American green-winged teal (7 percent), northern pintail (2 percent) and a mix of eight other species (9 percent) including cinnamon teal, redheads, wood ducks and canvasback.
- Wildlife viewing WDFW's Wenatchee district office manager Bob Perleberg reports that motorists on roads along the Columbia River in northcentral Washington are getting too close a view of bighorn sheep these days. The stretch of Highway 97-A on the west side of the river between Wenatchee and Entiat has been particularly dangerous for motor vehicle collisions with bighorns. Perleberg said two ewes were recently killed in one collision on that stretch of highway, and over the past two years many more sheep have been lost. "It's a great area to view sheep in late fall and winter," Perleberg said, "but people need to slow down and use extreme caution, not only for the sheep but for human safety." Latest aerial waterfowl surveys of the Columbia Basin showed large numbers of pelicans in multiple locations, which biologists say is further indication of their wide distribution this year. Large grebes, many of which were obviously Clark's grebes, were also seen on Moses Lake and other locations. For a full account and updates of the waterfowl survey, see the WDFW website on the Internet.
South Central Washington:
- Fishing: WDFW fish biologist Jim Cummins reminds anglers that the upper part of the Hanford Reach on the Columbia River (Old Hanford townsite wooden powerline towers upstream to Vernita Bridge) closed Oct. 22. Fishing for salmon, hatchery steelhead, sturgeon and other gamefish continues in the lower half of the Hanford Reach between the Highway 395 bridge at Pasco and the wooden powerline towers (see page 71 in the fishing rules pamphlet). Latest creel surveys show chinook salmon were retained at a rate of one fish per 13 hours of fishing. Chinook retention from the bank appeared to decrease with one chinook per 32 hours of fishing. Bank anglers appear to continue to target hatchery steelhead. Except for trout (resident and steelhead) and salmon (which closed Oct. 22), the area from Vernita Bridge to Priest Rapids Dam is open year around for other gamefish and sturgeon. A large whitefish fishery at Vernita Bar is now under way. Salmon fishing closed on the Yakima River Oct. 22 and most streams close for all fishing Oct. 31. Cummins says there are exceptions, such as portions of the Columbia and Yakima rivers for most or some species. Check the fishing rules pamphlet for all details.
- Hunting: WDFW regional wildlife program manager Lee Stream reports that with good calf production, recent mild winters, and a projected early winter, "we could have a pretty good elk season this year." Modern firearm elk hunting opens Oct. 30 in many southcentral units, all for spike bulls only, (except for Unit 372 - Kiona which has extremely limited access because the majority of the area is in private land.) "Snows up high have started moving elk already and with some snow on the ground at mid-elevations, it could make tracking easier," Stream said. As winter-like conditions advance, however, Stream says frozen snow "may make it noisier than hunters would like." With nighttime temperatures dipping into the low 20's in the valley, hanging harvested elk in camps should be no problem. One alert for elk hunters, Stream noted, is that in Unit 352 - Nile the U. S. Forest Service recently ignited some control burns. "We expect the air to be cleared by the opener, but if it has not, hunters should look for alternate hunting opportunities in other units," he said. Stream also asked all hunters to be flexible about timing and places to hunt to avoid conflicts with landowners and others that tend to occur during this time. WDFW district wildlife biologist Mike Livingston reported that although some nice buck deer were harvested by the end of the modern firearm season on Oct. 24 in Unit 381- Esquatzel (Franklin County), overall deer harvest appeared to be down from recent years. The latest lower Columbia Basin duck and goose counts were up, compared to last year, with concentrations of waterfowl along the Columbia River at the Umatilla National Wildlife Refuge (Paterson unit). Birds were concentrated in the McNary Pool around the islands, and at Burbank Slough. The Hanford Reach had good numbers of geese. Livingston says that overall waterfowl hunting should be good in the Tri-Cities area in the next week or so. Quail are abundant in the lower Yakima and mid-Columbia valleys and have been providing plenty of action. Pheasant numbers appear to be down from previous seasons.
- Wildlife viewing: Local birdwatchers report birdlife at Wenas Lake is taking on a definite fall flavor, with diversity of waterfowl way up and shorebirds way down. Recent visits to the lake in Yakima County included observations of Canada goose, green-winged teal, mallard, northern pintail, American wigeon, ring-necked duck, lesser scaup, Barrow's goldeneye, bufflehead, common merganser and ruddy duck. Up in Kittitas County birders both on field trips and in their own backyards are noting ruby crowned kinglets, black-capped and mountain chickadees, blue grouse, red crossbills, spotted towhees, dark-eyed juncos, house finches, pine siskins, American goldfinches and Steller's jays. Hikers in the Ahtanum Creek and Sedge Ridge areas report pine grosbeaks and varied thrushes. Expert birder Denny Granstrand welcomes both novice and veteran birders to the "sparrow patch" in Yakima where bird seed is regularly scattered to draw in the likes of song, white-crowned, golden-crowned and fox sparrows, as well as juncos, finches, chickadees, and towhees. Granstrand says to get to the sparrow patch, park at the north parking lot at the Yakima Area Arboretum (about 100 yards north of the visitor center), walk east until you see a tall, bushy pine tree, go on the left side of the tree straight across the grass to the bushes and cottonwoods on the east side of the arboretum, walk on a dirt path through the bushes about 50 feet where you'll see to the north the spot where seed is scattered.
