Thousands of hunters are taking to the field to hunt elk, while thousands more await new flights of ducks and geese. Anglers, meanwhile, are reeling in a mix of coho, chinook and chum salmon – plus some hatchery steelhead – from waters around the state and the crab fishery is reopening in most areas of Puget Sound.

For all the recreational options now available, the choice is clear for most veteran elk hunters, said Eric Holman, a wildlife biologist for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW). “A lot of hunters in this area look forward to the start of elk season all year long,” said Holman, who is based in southwest Washington.

The season for elk hunting with modern firearms got under way Oct. 27 in Eastern Washington and runs Nov. 3-12 in Western Washington. For more information, see the region reports that follow and the Big Game Hunting Rules pamphlet, available on WDFW’s website (http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/game/hunter/hunter.htm).

Prefer surf to turf? Starting Nov. 1 at sunrise, five marine areas of Puget Sound will reopen to recreational crab fishing seven days per week through Jan. 2, 2008. Those areas include marine areas 6 (eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca), 9 (Admiralty Inlet), 10 (Seattle/Bremerton), 11 (Tacoma/Vashon) and 12 (Hood Canal).

“Our goal is to give crabbers as much opportunity to fish as possible, while remaining within the catch quotas,” said Rich Childers, WDFW crab policy coordinator. “Catch assessments for the summer fishery indicate we’re right on track in most areas of Puget Sound.”

Childers noted that crab fishing will also remain open seven days per week in three other areas – 4 (Neah Bay), 5 (Sekiu), and 13 (south Puget Sound) – where the fishery has continued since June 18. Two other marine areas – 8-1 (Deception Pass, Hope Island and Skagit Bay) and 8-2 (Port Susan and Port Gardner) – will reopen for crab fishing on a daily basis Nov. 22-25 during the Thanksgiving holiday. The late season in those areas is limited to four days, because annual catch quotas for those areas were nearly reached during the summer season, Childers said.

Meanwhile, anglers in central Washington have been making the most of the first hatchery steelhead opening on the Wenatchee River in 10 years. In recent days, anglers have been averaging about 10 hours per fish, said Art Viola, a WDFW fish biologist.

In southwest Washington, it’s now prime time to fish for late-run hatchery coho salmon in the Bonneville Pool and tributaries such as the North Fork Lewis River, where anglers have been averaging a fish per rod. Anglers are also still catching hatchery coho in rivers throughout the Puget Sound area, although the focus is now shifting to chum salmon in areas ranging from Hood Canal to the Stillaguamish River.

Anglers planning to fish for coho salmon in the Grays Harbor area should be aware that the Fishing in Washington rules pamphlet erroneously shows several rivers closing early. As stated in the errata sheet (http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/regs/fishregs.htm), the fishery for coho salmon will continue through November on the Chehalis River, and anglers may retain wild coho on the Elk, Hoquiam, Johns, Satsop Wishkah, and Wynoochee rivers, as well as Joe Creek. Anglers also may retain wild coho on the Newaukum and Skookumchuck rivers through Nov. 30.

For more information on these and other fishing, hunting and wildlife-viewing opportunities now available throughout the state, see the region reports below:

North Puget Sound

• Fishing: Anglers fishing for coho salmon in the region’s rivers and streams are still finding some silvers, but chum will soon be taking center stage. Meanwhile, some anglers on the saltwater have been reeling in blackmouth and will soon have the option of also dropping a pot, as the crab fishery re-opens in select areas in November.

  Starting Nov. 1 at sunrise, marine areas 6 (eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca), 9 (Admiralty Inlet), 10 (Seattle/Bremerton), 11 (Tacoma/Vashon) and 12 (Hood Canal) will reopen for sport crabbing seven days a week through Jan. 2, 2008. Crab fishing will also remain open seven days a week through Jan. 2 in marine areas 4 (Neah Bay), 5 (Sekiu), and 13 (south Puget Sound), where the fishery has continued uninterrupted since June 18.

  Two other marine areas – 8-1 (Deception Pass, Hope Island and Skagit Bay) and 8-2 (Port Susan and Port Gardner) – will reopen for crab fishing on a daily basis Nov. 22-25 during the Thanksgiving holiday. The late season in those areas is limited to four days, because annual catch quotas for those areas were nearly reached during the summer season, said Rich Childers, WDFW crab policy coordinator.

  Sport crabbing will not reopen this year in Marine Area 7 (San Juan Islands), where the summer catch slightly exceeded the annual quota.

  The daily catch limit in Puget Sound is five Dungeness crab, males only, in hard-shell condition with a minimum carapace width of 6¼ inches. In addition, fishers may catch six red rock crab of either sex per day, provided those crab measure at least 5 inches across. Additional information is available on the WDFW website at http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/shelfish/crab/index.htm.

  While on the Sound, why not fish for blackmouth? Effort has been low, but recent creel checks in the region indicate decent fishing for blackmouth – resident chinook – in Marine Area 10. At Shilshole Ramp, 30 anglers were checked with a total of 18 chinook Oct. 27, while 34 anglers brought home 10 chinook the following day. Anglers in marine area 10 are allowed to keep one chinook as part of a two-salmon daily limit.

  Beginning Nov. 1, opportunities for blackmouth will increase, as marine areas 8-1, 8-2 and 9 open for chinook. Anglers in Marine Area 9 will be allowed to keep one chinook as part of two-salmon daily limit for that area. Those fishing in marine areas 8-1 and 8-2 will have a two-salmon daily limit and can keep up to two hatchery chinook per day. Wild chinook salmon, which have an intact adipose fin, cannot be brought aboard the boat in areas 8-1 and 8-2.

  Anglers are reminded that Marine Area 7 closes to salmon retention Nov. 1.

  In the rivers, the coho season is winding down and chum salmon will soon be showing up. “We’re in a transition period,” said Chad Jackson, WDFW fish biologist. “I’m sure river anglers are still finding some coho, but we should start to see more and more chum in the coming weeks.”

  Before heading out, anglers should check the rules and regulations for all freshwater and saltwater fisheries in WDFW's Fishing in Washington pamphlet (http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/regs/fishregs.htm).

• Hunting: Mild fall weather has made for slow waterfowl hunting in the region, said Don Kraege, WDFW waterfowl manager. “With this calm, warm weather we have been having, hunter success has been low,” he said.

  Snow geese numbers in the region are starting to climb. About 27,000 snow geese have arrived to the game reserve on Fir Island, and thousands more are expected in the coming weeks, Kraege said. “Once some cooler and windier weather moves those geese around, we should have some good hunting opportunities for those birds.”

  After a brief break, goose hunts start again Nov. 3. Meanwhile, snow, Ross and blue geese seasons in Goose Management Area 1 (Skagit and Snohomish counties) continue through Jan. 27 without a break. The duck-hunting season also continues through Jan. 27.

  Upland bird hunters have until the end of November to bag pheasant. “Pheasant hunting has been great,” said John Garrett, manager of WDFW's Skagit Wildlife Area. For information about WDFW's pheasant release sites, see the Western Washington Pheasant Release pamphlet (http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/game/water/wwapheas.htm).

  The early modern firearm season for deer wraps up today (Oct. 31). Up next for hunters is the modern firearm season for elk, which gets started Nov. 3 in select game management units. Other hunts open in the region, include cougar, grouse, California quail and bobwhite seasons. Bear hunts are also open, but the season closes Nov. 15.

  Before going afield, hunters should check the Big Game Hunting pamphlet (http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/game/hunter/hunter.htm) and the Waterfowl and Upland Game pamphlet (http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/game/water/water.htm) for details.

• Wildlife viewing: Each year, the Skagit Valley is the usual hot spot for birders looking for snow geese. And this year is no different. About 27,000 geese already have arrived in the valley, and people are also seeing the white birds elsewhere in the region. One birder spotted about 20 snow geese in the Redmond area, according to a report on Tweeters birding website (http://www.scn.org/earth/tweeters/). “The area always appeared productive for geese and swans, but this is the first time I’ve seen birds there,” the birder reported. About 80,000 snow geese winter in western Washington each year. Most of those snow geese congregate in the Skagit Valley.

  Farther south, a birder walking the Interurban Trail near Emerald Downs in Auburn spotted a number of different birds, including four greater white-fronted geese. The geese are often seen in small, mixed species flocks and are common in western Washington from late August through mid-October and again from mid-April to mid-May. The birder also saw about 700 cackling geese, several northern pintails and large flocks of Brewer’s blackbirds.

South Sound/Olympic Peninsula

• Fishing: While chum season is taking off throughout Puget Sound, anglers can troll area rivers for coho or take advantage of the late-season recreational crab season.

  Starting Nov. 1, recreational crab fishing will reopen in five marine areas of Puget Sound, including marine areas 6 (eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca), 9 (Admiralty Inlet), 10 (Seattle/Bremerton), 11 (Tacoma/Vashon) and 12 (Hood Canal). Crab fishing in those areas will be open seven days a week through Jan. 2.

  Crab fishing will also remain open seven days a week through Jan. 2 in marine areas 4 (Neah Bay), 5 (Sekiu), and 13 (south Puget Sound), where the fishery has continued uninterrupted since June 18.

  Those fishing for crab in Puget Sound this fall and winter are required to fill out a winter catch card to record their catch. These winter cards are valid until Jan. 2 and due to WDFW by Jan. 15, 2008. Crabbers can mail in their cards or report their catch on the WDFW website, which will be available Jan. 2, 2008.

  The daily catch limit in Puget Sound is five Dungeness crab, males only, in hard-shell condition with a minimum carapace width of 6¼ inches. In addition, fishers may catch six red rock crab of either sex per day, provided those crab measure at least 5 inches across. Additional information is available on the WDFW website at http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/shelfish/crab/index.htm.

  Meanwhile, anglers fishing the waters near Hoodsport in Hood Canal are starting to reel in some of the nearly 600,000 returning wild and hatchery chum. Over the Oct. 27 weekend, 37 anglers caught 25 chum near Hoodsport. Also, starting Nov. 1, anglers will have more opportunity to target chum in area streams when the Dosewallips and Duckabush Rivers in Jefferson County, and Minter Creek in Pierce/Kitsap counties open for fishing.

  For those in search of blackmouth, a new non-selective fishery opens Nov. 1- 30 in Marine Area 5 off Sekiu, where the daily limit is two salmon (combined) and one chinook may be retained. The one-chinook retention rule also applies in marine areas 11 and 13 starting Nov. 1, when the single-point barbless hook restriction will be lifted in Marine Area 13.

  Anglers planning to fish for coho salmon in the Grays Harbor area should be aware that the Fishing in Washington rules pamphlet erroneously shows several rivers closing early. As stated in the errata sheet on the WDFW website (http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/regs/fishregs.htm), the fishery for coho salmon will continue through November on the Chehalis river, and anglers may retain wild coho on the Elk, Hoquiam, Johns, Satsop Wishkah, and Wynoochee rivers, as well as Joe Creek. Anglers also may retain wild coho on the Newaukum and Skookumchuck rivers through Nov. 30.

  “The pamphlet had already been distributed by the time we caught these errors,” said Ron Warren, regional WDFW fish program manager. “We notified the news media and posted the errata on the website, but we want to flag the correction again for salmon anglers who want to continue fishing those rivers.”

  Coho fishing was “spotty” on many – but not all – of those rivers through October, said Scott Barbour, a WDFW biologist. During the last Saturday of the month, anglers aboard 30 boats pulled in 37 coho and one chinook fishing the Chehalis River near Fuller Bridge. Fishing has been even better where the Johns River flows into Grays Harbor, he said.

  Anglers fishing the Quillayute river system on the Olympic Peninsula can retain two wild coho as of Nov. 1, but both hatchery and wild coho have been scarce so far, said Brian Russell, Sol Duc hatchery manager. “It’s similar to last year’s late show when we didn’t get hatchery returns until the second week in November,” Russell said. In addition, the numbers were lower than usual. “We typically get about 17,000 returning coho, but in 2006 the number dropped to 5,000,” he said. “Hopefully the returns will be better this year.” On the positive side, more jacks are showing up in recent weeks. “That’s encouraging,” he said.

  Meanwhile, anglers looking for some late-season trout fishing, should head to Black Lake in Thurston County, where 3,500 one-pound rainbows are being planted this week and in preparation for the Nov. 3 weekend.

  Trout anglers headed to Mason County should note that the WDFW boat launch on Lake Kokanee, will not be available for two weeks starting Nov. 5. The lake, which is maintained by Tacoma Power, is being lowered for maintenance at the Cushman Dam.

  About 20,000 razor clam diggers took home their 15-clam limit during the season opener at four ocean beaches Oct. 25-29. The next weekend dig is tentatively scheduled for Nov. 23-26, subject to the results of marine toxin tests.

• Hunting: When modern firearm elk season opens Nov. 3-12, the east side of Willapa Bay and North River between Willapa and Grays Harbor are two areas hunters should check out, said Greg Schirato, WDFW wildlife biologist. “These areas include river bottoms and clearcuts, both excellent places to find elk,” he said. “North River and Williams Creek have been very productive for hunters the past few years.” Schirato also recommends Willapa Hills, which turned out 109 bulls to hunters last fall.

  Once elk season is over, a four-day modern firearm season for black-tailed deer opens Nov. 15-18.

  Goose hunting re-opens in Management Area 3 on Nov. 3 through Jan. 27, 2008. In Pacific County, where the season runs from Oct. 13-Jan. 27 on Wednesdays and Saturdays only, hunters must have written authorization to hunt, which requires passing a goose identification test.

• Wildlife viewing: November’s a great month to watch salmon returning to local streams. In Mason County just west of Olympia, visitors can make their way to Kennedy Creek, which is a small lowland stream that flows into Totten Inlet in southern Puget Sound. The creek is one of the most productive chum salmon streams in Washington and visitors can get excellent views from the Kennedy Creek Salmon Trail. More information is located at http://www.spsseg.org/kennedy/Kennedy.asp.

  Just 25 miles north on Highway 3, birders have been enjoying the fall weather along the Theler Wetlands Trail in Belfair. Four miles of easy trails wind throughout the 135-acre estuary that borders Hood Canal. Recent bird sightings include bald eagle, belted kingfisher, Barrow’s goldeneye, pied-billed grebe, great blue heron, surf scoter, common merganser, redwing blackbird and a variety of gulls. Call 360-275-0721 or 360-275-4898 for more information.

  Local Audubon chapter websites are also good resources for lists of local birds and places to see them. Birdweb, on Seattle Audubon's website provides a guide to the birds of Washington at http://www.birdweb.org/birdweb.

Southwest Washington:

• Fishing: The bite has dropped off a bit for sturgeon, but hatchery coho have been coming on strong from the North Fork Lewis River to the mouth of the Klickitat River. At both of those locations, boat anglers averaged about one coho per rod during the last week of October.

  “This is prime time for hatchery late-stock coho,” said Joe Hymer, a WDFW fish biologist in the Vancouver office. “The conditions are right, the fish are moving into the tributaries and anglers are catching some nice, bright fish.”

  Some of the best fishing was near the salmon hatchery on the North Fork Lewis, where 42 boat anglers checked had 42 hatchery silvers and reported releasing 11 wild fish and 24 chinook. Ninety-six bank anglers took home 16 more hatchery fish from the Lewis River.

  Boat anglers fishing the Bonneville Pool at the mouth of the Klickitat River also did well. “Those fish are clearly staging at the mouth of the Klickitat, and should start moving into the river soon,” Hymer said.

  No creel checks were conducted on the Cowlitz River during the last week of October, but lots of fish have been showing up at the Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery. Tacoma Power employees released 885 coho adults into Riffe Lake at the Taidnapam North boat launch; 400 coho adults into Lake Scanewa at the Day Use Site; 152 coho adults into the Cispus River above the mouth of Yellow Jacket Creek; 150 coho adults into the upper Cowlitz River at the Skate Creek Bridge in Packwood; and 46 coho adults and 39 fall chinook adults into the Tilton River at Gust Backstrom Park in Morton that week.

  The first hatchery steelhead of the season arrived at Kalama Falls Hatchery the last week of October, with more expected to follow, Hymer said. He noted that the daily limit for hatchery steelhead on the Cowlitz River reverts to two fish (from four) on Nov. 1.

  Cooling water has slowed the sturgeon catch below Bonneville Dam, where 305 bank anglers checked 35 legal-size fish during the last full week of October. That’s about one fish for every 8.7 rods, roughly the same odds as for boat anglers. In mid-October, bank anglers averaged about one legal-size fish for every three rods.

  Mike Wall, with the WDFW Sturgeon Project, said the wind may also have something to do with the lower catch rate. “Veterans of the fishery say a west wind is best, an east wind catches the least,” Wall said. “There’s been an east wind blowing lately.“

  Walleye fishing has also slowed in the Camas/Washougal area, but Silver Lake near Castle Rock has been very good for crappie and trout fishers have several good options. Rowland and Spearfish lakes have both been producing some nice rainbows, and WDFW recently stocked Battle Ground Lake with 1,055 rainbows weighing from 1.8 pounds apiece and larger.

• Hunting: If last year is any indication, nearly 16,000 hunters will head for forestlands throughout the region for the modern-firearms elk-hunting season Nov. 3-12. And for good reason: Southwest Washington had the highest success rate (7.5 percent) and accounted for more kills (1,197) than any region of the state in 2006.

  “A lot of hunters in this area look forward to the start of elk season all year long,” said Eric Holman, a WDFW wildlife biologist. “Rough weather reduced hunter success last year, but that means that more elk should be available for harvest this season.”

  Hunters will also benefit from additional access to forest lands this year, said Dave Ware, WDFW game manager. In an agreement with WDFW, The Weyerhaeuser Company has agreed to open more roads in the Coweeman and Winston game management units for the general elk hunt, and two more units – Margaret and Toutle – for special-permit hunts, Ware said.

  “A major goal of the new management plan for the St. Helens elk herd is to reduce the herd’s size to a sustainable level,” Ware said. “Improved access for hunters is an important part of that plan.”

  To find out about Weyerhaeuser roads open for motorized access, Ware advises hunters to call the company’s Recreational Area Hotline at 1-866-636-6531. For information about hunting rules in specific game management units, hunters are advised to check the Big Game Hunting pamphlet, posted on WDFW’s website (http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/game/hunter/hunter.htm).

  The late-buck deer season runs Nov. 15-18 for hunters using modern firearms, followed by seasons starting Nov. 21 for archers and muzzleloaders. About a third of the region's annual deer harvest by hunters using modern firearms usually occurs during the four-day late-buck season, Holman said. “We have deer throughout the region,” Holman said. “But to get one, hunters really need to start early in the day, get away from their vehicle and hunt hard.”

  Goose hunting season in Goose Management Area 2A (Wahkiakum, Cowlitz and part of Clark County) begins Nov. 10 for those who have successfully completed a goose-identification test administered by WDFW. Hunting in most sections of Area 2A is restricted to Saturdays, Sundays and Wednesdays. The exception is the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, where goose hunting opens Nov. 13 and is restricted to Saturdays, Tuesday and Thursdays only.

  Those planning to hunt anywhere in Area 2 should check WDFW's Migratory Waterfowl and Upland Game pamphlet (http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/game/water/water.htm) for additional regulations. Those interested in hunting geese at the Ridgefield refuge must reserve a blind through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. For information, see the agency's website at http://www.fws.gov/ridgefieldrefuges/RNWRHuntAppInstruct.htm.

  Meanwhile, waterfowl seasons continue in Goose Management Area 5 (including Klickitat County) and will resume Nov. 3 in Goose Management Area 3 (Lewis, Skamania, and part of Clark County).

• Wildlife viewing: Migrating waterfowl are now reaching peak levels in southwest Washington, providing prime viewing opportunities for people throughout the region. Swans, geese, ducks and other waterfowl of all descriptions are on display throughout the Vancouver Lowlands, including seven subspecies of Canada geese ranging from common cacklers to less-common Aleutian geese.

  One birder reported seeing hundreds of Canada geese and thousands of cackling geese during a recent trip to Ridgefield Wildlife Refuge. He also spotted nine tundra swans on Rest Lake, and more than 40 other species in the area, according to his account on the Tweeters website (http://www.scn.org/earth/tweeters/).

  Farther inland, another birder counted 15 tundra swans Oct. 27 at the Franz Lake National Wildlife Refuge in Skamania County. “These are the first swans reported from Skamania County this fall,” he wrote, adding that the swans were visible from the overlook platform at milepost 31.5 on Highway 14. “The winds were really howling there this morning and the birds were keeping their heads tucked close to their bodies.”

  Meanwhile, a colony of monk parakeets – also known as Quaker parrots – is again attracting attention in Yacolt. Bright green with yellow breasts, these transplants from South America have recently been reported in seven states. While colorful, they have raised concerns in Yacolt and other towns – largely because of the size of their communal nests, which can grow to the size of an automobile. A birder reporting to the Tweeters website said he spotted at least six stick nests on power poles in Yacolt and that “two were very large.”

Eastern Washington:

• Fishing: Snake River hatchery steelhead fishing continues to improve as air and water temperatures drop. Latest creel surveys show the best catch rate is in the mid-Snake River, above the interstate bridge near Clarkston, where anglers are averaging about five hours of effort per steelhead caught. Steelheaders in that stretch need to be careful about drifting into the Clearwater River across the state line into Idaho, and continuing to fish without an Idaho license. No part of the Clearwater River can be legally fished with a Washington license only.

  Other stretches of the Snake River are yielding steelhead at slower but steady rates. From Little Goose to Lower Granite dams, steelheaders have been averaging about 12 hours of effort per fish. The Wallula area, from the Oregon state line to the mouth of the Walla Walla River, has seen about 13 hours of angling per steelhead. For the complete creel survey summary, see http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/creel/snake/index.htm.

  Rainbow trout fishing on Lake Roosevelt has been outstanding for the last few weeks, according to Jeff Lombard, WDFW Spokane Fish Hatchery specialist. “With the water cooling down, the fish are hitting and limits of one-and-a-half to three-pound rainbows are the norm,” he said. The best fishing has been down river from the Seven Bays area, near Whitestone and Lincoln.

  Many fishing lakes are closed in the region, but WDFW Regional Access Manager Scott Young said there are some areas with public access sites that remain open. Waitts Lake, four miles west of Valley along Highway 395 in Stevens County, is open through February and produces nice rainbow and brown trout. Eloika Lake, seven miles north of Chattaroy off Highway 2 in Spokane County, is open year-round and has decent largemouth bass, perch and crappie fishing. Newman Lake, near the Idaho border in eastern Spokane County, is open year-round with largemouth bass, bluegill, crappie, perch, catfish, plus some rainbow, brown and eastern brook trout, and tiger muskies. Silver Lake, a mile east of the town of Medical Lake in southwest Spokane County, is open year-round and also has a little bit of everything, including tiger trout and tiger muskies. Rock Lake, a mile north of Ewan in Whitman County, is open year-round and is now providing good action on brown trout.

  Portions of some rivers in the region also remain open year-round for fishing. The Pend Oreille River, which has net-pen-reared rainbow trout, plus some brown trout, crappie, perch and bass, is open year-round and WDFW maintains a primitive access site near Ruby Creek, about 15 miles south of Ione. The uppermost portion of the Spokane River, from Upriver Dam to the Idaho border, is catch-and-release only through March 15. The rest of the river is open year-round, but check the rules pamphlet for catch limits and other regulations.

  The whitefish season opens Nov. 1 on the Kettle River in Ferry and Stevens counties. Fishing gear is restricted to one single point hook, maximum hook size 3/16 inch point to shank (hook size 14). Catch limit is 15 whitefish.

• Hunting: The modern firearm elk-hunting season continues through Nov. 4 throughout the region. In the Blue Mountains to the south, nice weather on opening weekend made for slow hunting with spotty success on spike bulls. Pat Fowler, WDFW district wildlife biologist in Walla Walla, reported that elk hunting pressure appeared to be up slightly in the North Touchet-Burnt Flat-Twin Buttes area, but lighter in the Godman-Tepee-Tallow Flat areas. “The any-bull permit holders appeared to be doing well with several bulls harvested over the opener, although I haven’t heard of any huge bulls at this point,” he said.

  In the north end of the region, where any bull is fair game in game management units (GMU) 111, 113, and 117, and any elk is available in GMUs 101,105 and 108, WDFW District Wildlife Biologist Steve Zender said there were lots of elk hunters over the opener in the Paupac Road and Molybdenite Mountain area of the Colville National Forest. Zender noted few hunters south of Molybdenite in the LeClerc and Mill Creek drainages, where there are lots of gated roads. Hunters need to walk a few miles in that area, but they will greatly increase their odds of encountering elk, he said. Dana Base, WDFW Wildlife Biologist in Colville, said elk hunters should focus on hunting “as many miles as they can hike” behind gated roads in the north end of GMU 105 in northern Stevens County, in GMU 111 north of the Northport-Deep Lake Road in Stevens County, or in GMU 113 between Skookum Lakes and Molybdenite in Pend Oreille County.

  The late buck white-tailed deer hunting season opens Nov. 5 and runs through Nov. 19 in the region’s north end GMUs 105-124. As usual, if snowfall moves deer to lower lying areas and quiets the woods, hunting should again be excellent. Hunters 65 years and older, hunters with disabilities, and youth hunters can harvest any white-tailed deer in those same units Nov. 5-19.

  Pheasant hunting continues to be good in the central and south districts of the region, with opening weekend checks showing bird hunters averaging about one rooster each. Farm-raised pheasants will be released a couple times during the month of November at the region’s 12 release sites. See all release site details at http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/game/water/ewapheas.htm.

• Wildlife viewing: The kokanee salmon run, easily viewable from the bridge over Harvey Creek on the south end of Sullivan Lake in Pend Oreille County, is spectacular right now. WDFW Fish Biologist Jason McLellan said the bright red fish are moving into Harvey Creek to spawn. “The run usually extends into the middle of December, but the best time to see most of the fish is during the month of November from the Sullivan Lake Road bridge,” he said. McLellan noted there is a pull out for parking near the bridge. “You can walk along the stream to view the kokanee, but please stay out of the stream to avoid disturbing their redds – or egg nests,” he said.

  McLellan also noted that bald eagles are often near Harvey Creek, taking advantage of making an easy meal out of some of the spawning kokanee. Also commonly seen near the site are Canada geese and occasionally bighorn sheep.

North Central Washington:

• Fishing: On Oct. 22, for the first time in 10 years, the Wenatchee River opened to steelhead fishing, and as WDFW district fish biologist Art Viola of Cashmere said, “fishermen were overjoyed.” Some 175 anglers were checked on the opener and almost half caught fish, Viola said. The average catch rate was about 4.8 hours of angling per fish. Forty percent of all the steelhead caught were adipose fin clipped and kept; the 60 percent with unclipped adipose fins were released.

  “Crowds have thinned since the opening day, with only about 35 to 40 anglers on the river each day last weekend,” Viola said. “The average catch rate has fallen to about a fish for every 10 hours of effort, but it’s still good fishing. The river remains lower than normal, water clarity is good and water temperatures have fallen into the high to mid-forties – excellent water temperatures for steelhead fishing.”

  Viola said the Wenatchee River steelhead season, which runs through March 31 from the mouth upstream to Icicle Road Bridge west of Leavenworth, is not only a special opportunity to catch steelhead, but also a way for anglers to assist in wild steelhead recovery efforts. “Removing some of the hatchery steelhead in excess of spawning escapement needs will allow more spawning and rearing habitat for wild fish and thus increase natural production,” he explained.

  WDFW district fish biologist Bob Jateff of Omak reports that steelhead fishing has slowed a bit in recent weeks on the upper Columbia River system, where anglers were averaging a fish every 10-12 hours of effort. “On the Methow River, stonefly nymphs with an egg pattern trailer are popular,” he said. “On the Okanogan River, anglers are using mostly spoons and jig and bobber combinations. The mainstem Columbia near the docks in Pateros continues to produce fish for anglers using a jig and bobber setup tipped with a whole shrimp.”

  Jateff reminds anglers that bait is only allowed within the mainstem Columbia and that the Methow and Okanogan Rivers are under selective gear rules with no bait allowed. Fishermen can retain their daily limit of two adipose-fin-clipped steelhead, but any fish with intact adipose fins must be released immediately and not taken out of the water.

  The Similkameen River will open to steelhead fishing Nov. 15. The open section will be from the mouth to the Railroad Trestle Bridge, which is one mile upstream of the Highway 7 Bridge in Oroville. Selective gear rules apply on the Similkameen River for the duration of the steelhead fishery. “There seems to be some confusion among anglers about these rules, so I encourage them to check out the emergency rule change on all the upper Columbia tributaries on our website,” he said. (See http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/regs/fishregs.htm.)

  Jateff also noted that while most lowland rainbow trout lakes in Okanogan County closed to fishing Oct. 31, year round waters continue to provide good fishing opportunities. Little Twin near Winthrop, Big and Little Green near Omak, and Rat near Brewster all have split seasons, providing catch-and-release fishing with selective gear rules now, and then catch-and-keep fishing with standard gear starting Dec. 1.

  WDFW district fish biologist Jeff Korth of Moses Lake reports that rainbow trout fishing at Dry Falls Lake in Grant County has been very good. “Spring fingerlings stocked there have already reached 12 inches,” he said, noting that “there are plenty of 15 to 18-inchers, and more than the occasional fish runs up to 20 inches.”

  Korth also suggests fishing Lake Lenore, which has cutthroat averaging two to three pounds and up to five or six pounds. Dry Falls Lake and Lake Lenore, along with the other selective gear fisheries Lenice, Nunnally, and Dusty lakes, are open through the end of November.

  “Walleye numbers in Potholes Reservoir and Moses Lake are up,” Korth said, “and these fish become more active with fall and cooler water temperatures. Most fish range in size from 15 to 24 inches.” Anglers at these big year-round waters in the Columbia Basin can harvest eight fish daily with a minimum size of 12 inches and only one fish over 22 inches.

• Hunting: Pheasant hunting continues throughout the region, with opportunity boosted by several releases of farm-raised roosters during November. The birds are released at 10 sites throughout the Columbia Basin and in Okanogan County, including WDFW’s Sinlahekin, Chiliwist, and Quincy Wildlife Areas. See all release site details at http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/game/water/ewapheas.htm or ask for a copy of the Eastern Washington Pheasant Enhancement Program booklet at WDFW’s Ephrata office at 1550 Alder St. N.W., 509-754-4624.

  Waterfowl hunting continues to improve with cold fronts starting to push ducks and geese from the north into the Columbia Basin.

  WDFW district wildlife biologist Scott Fitkin of Winthrop notes that late season-permit deer hunts begin Nov. 1 in several Okanogan County game management units.

• Wildlife viewing: WDFW district wildlife biologist Scott Fitkin of Winthrop says wildlife viewers might plan ahead for a trip to the Methow Valley, where mule deer will be starting to move down to and concentrating on winter ranges there soon.

  Waterfowl watching in the Columbia Basin is also good this month for the same reasons that make November a great time for waterfowl hunting – declining daylight hours and harsher weather are moving birds from the north into the still open waters of central Washington. With binoculars or spotting scopes, birders can watch waterfowl without leaving the warmth of their vehicles by driving east or west on highways 28 or 26, north or south on highway 17, or any of the smaller roads that cross the basin around Moses Lake.

South Central Washington:

• Fishing: The fishery for hatchery steelhead in the Ringold area of the Columbia River has been slow, but is likely to get a lot better starting Nov. 1, said Paul Hoffarth, WDFW fish biologist. That’s because, starting Nov. 1, anglers will be able to keep any hatchery steelhead with a clipped adipose fin, as opposed to those with both a clipped adipose fin and a clipped right ventral fin.

  “The dual clippings identify fish reared in the Ringold Hatchery,” Hoffarth said. “Until Nov. 1, we target those fish exclusively to make sure we get enough fish above Priest Rapids Dam to meet escapement goals.”

  The problem this year is that returns to the Ringhold Hatchery have been relatively low, Hoffarth said. “But there’s lots of other hatchery steelhead with adipose clips in the river that anglers will be able to catch and keep.”

  The fishery is open through March 31, 2008 from the Highway 395 bridge at Pasco/Kennewick upstream to the wooden powerline towers at the old Hanford town site.

  Meanwhile, WDFW fish biologist Eric Anderson of Yakima reminds rainbow trout anglers that many catchable-size trout were recently stocked in Yakima and Kittitas county year-round lakes. “Although these fish are smaller than our spring planted trout, they still provide good angling opportunity in our year-round lakes,” Anderson said. “Some of these fish carry over through the winter to a larger size in the lake without tying up valuable rearing space in the hatchery.”

• Hunting: The general and permit seasons for most modern firearm elk hunting in the region continue through Nov. 4. Spike bull only is the rule for most game management units. Those few areas open to any elk are in private land areas with limited access.

  Pheasant hunting continues throughout the region, with opportunity boosted by several releases of farm-raised roosters during November. See all release site details at http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/game/water/ewapheas.htm or ask for a copy of the Eastern Washington Pheasant Enhancement Program booklet at WDFW’s Yakima office at 1701 S. 24th Ave., 509-575-2740.

• Wildlife viewing: WDFW habitat biologist Ken Bevis of Yakima says this is a great time to watch for migrating bird species and to enjoy fall foliage colors. “Especially watch out for warblers and other interesting migrants,” Bevis said. “Stragglers are sometimes observed, such as the osprey still hanging around Selah, or the turkey vultures that sometimes are spotted along the eastern Cascades front in October.”

  Both migrating birds and those that will stay around all winter are coming into backyard feeders now for easy meals. If you feed, keep feeders clean to avoid spreading disease. See WDFW’s Backyard Wildlife Sanctuary program information at http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/backyard/ for more on backyard feeding.