November 1 - 14, 2000

Contact: Virginia Painter, (360) 902-2256

OLYMPIA – Washington outdoor enthusiasts may not look forward to the shorter days the season brings, but these are some of the best hunting and fishing days of the year. It's also a great time to get winter backyard bird feeding stations set up to enjoy watching birds right at home.

Western Washington modern firearm elk hunting opens Saturday (Nov. 4) in many game management units (GMUs) of the Puget Sound, coastal and southwest Washington regions. The season on the west side is guided by a three-point minimum rule and is predicted to be fair to good. See regional reports for details.

Modern firearm elk season on the east side continues through Sunday (Nov. 5) following an Oct. 28 opening. Remember that any Northeast, Blues, Colockum or Yakima elk tag is valid for hunting anywhere on the east side and that, in general, east-side seasons are spike-bull only.

A hunting season that traditionally has the highest success rate in the state opens Monday (Nov. 6) in northeast Washington, when the late, modern firearm white-tailed buck deer hunt gets underway in GMUs 105 to 124. The hunt runs through Nov. 19 and includes some of the peak time in the whitetail rutting period when bucks are less wary. If there's snow, hunters will be able to move through the woods quietly to track deer more easily.

Upland game bird and waterfowl seasons continue, and goose hunting re-opens statewide Saturday (Nov. 4). Hunting success will improve as fall advances. Rain and snow improve scenting conditions for upland bird-hunting dogs, and birds holding tighter in cover. Weather also moves waterfowl from the north into Washington.

West-side anglers are enjoying success with blackmouth fishing on Puget Sound, while the Cowlitz River is a hot spot for late-stock hatchery coho. The Cowlitz reportedly is receiving what may turn out to be a record return of sea-run cutthroat; to date, nearly 7,000 fish have returned. Plans are under way to release some surplus sea-run cutthroat into landlocked lakes nearby. Meanwhile, southeast Washington's Snake River steelheading peaks this month and may even continue to be productive throughout the year because of the high returns of fish.

Another round of razor clam digging is scheduled noon to midnight Nov. 10 and 11, this time on Long Beach, Twin Harbors and Kalaloch areas only. The season, as usual, is conditional on marine toxin testing a few days prior to the opening. Most diggers got their limits in October openings.

The first snow always brings a flurry of activity in setting up winter backyard bird feeding stations. But don't wait until then, or you'll miss seeing some migrant species that may stop by for a few days of feeding before continuing south. If you set up feeders now, you'll have year-round resident species, such as chickadees, nuthatches, and finches accustomed to finding meals near your home before severe weather intensifies the need.

Remember to put out water, too, and keep it ice-free with a heater or daily changing. Birds need water not only to drink, but to keep feathers clean for the best insulation. For information on feed, feeders and placement, order Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife's (WDFW) Backyard Wildlife Sanctuary packet or check for tips at www.wdfw\.wa\.gov/wlm/byw_prog.htm on the Internet.

Here are some details, region by region:

North Puget Sound:

• Hunting: Mild recent weather means a nice fall for many folks but a slow spell for hunters. Until storms arrive, waterfowl tends to "raft up" on open waters rather than heading inland, says Don Kraege, WDFW waterfowl section manager. Things are expected to pick up by mid-November as more birds arrive. Meanwhile, although duck hunting has generally been slow, hunters are finding dabbling ducks, including mallards, on the Welts Unit of the Skagit Wildlife Area, Kraege says. Snow goose hunting also is expected to improve by mid-month, when the arrival of many juvenile birds may increase hunter success. An unusually large number of young birds may be on hand this year; Russian biologists reported near- record numbers of juvenile snow geese this summer at Wrangel Island breeding grounds near the Arctic Circle.

• Fishing: Hatchery blackmouth fishing is underway in Puget Sound from Sekiu to Olympia, with the exception of Marine Area 8-2 (the Port Susan and Port Gardner areas east of Whidbey Island). Blackmouth fishers find the best luck by following the bait – locating the concentrations of herring the blackmouth feed on – says Curt Kraemer, WDFW district fish biologist. The target of this fishery is three million juvenile chinook, specially held in WDFW hatcheries to overcome their natural migratory instinct and encourage them to remain in Puget Sound for extra winter angling opportunity. After November fishing is over, the blackmouth season will resume throughout the Sound next Feb. 16 through April 10. Meanwhile, Kraemer reports that chum fishing is heating up in the Skykomish, lower Skagit and mainstem Stillaguamish rivers.

• Wildlife viewing: Regional Urban Wildlife Biologist Russell Link offers these tips on spotting beavers, nocturnal animals that are occasionally seen during the day: Beavers may be seen in water or lying in the sun, combing through their thick fur with the naturally-split claws on their hind feet. Probably no animal leaves more obvious signs of its presence; freshly cut trees and prominent dams, lodges, and slides are indicators of an active colony. The best time to observe beavers is early in the morning, when they are likely to be tired and less cautious. Approach the pond or other site slowly and downwind. (Beavers have poor eyesight but excellent hearing and sense of smell.) Look for a V-shaped series of ripples on the surface of calm water. A closer view with binoculars may reveal the nostrils, eyes, and ears of a beaver swimming. If you startle a beaver, wait quietly in a secluded spot; chances are it will re-emerge within 20 minutes. When seen in the water, beavers are often mistaken for muskrats and nutria. Try to get a good look at the tail. Beavers have broad, flat tails that don't show behind when they are swimming, whereas muskrats and nutria have thin tails that are either held out of the water or that sway back and forth on the water's surface. Size is another clue; a muskrat is the size of a football, while beavers (and nutria) are four or more times larger.

Olympic Peninsula/South Sound:

• Hunting: The modern firearm elk season that begins Saturday (Nov. 4) looks promising, particularly on the west side of the Olympic Peninsula where the number of legal bulls is on the rise. A recent survey conducted by WDFW found nearly 1,500 elk in the Clearwater Game Management Unit (GMU 615), with a ratio of one bull to five cows – the best in some time. If the archery and muzzleloader seasons were any indication, hunters also are expected to take interest in the Dickie area (GMU 602) near the tip of the Olympic Peninsula, which has been permit-only until this year. To the southeast, the White River area (GMU 653) in the shadow of Mount Rainier could also be a very good bet – particularly if an early snowfall drives the elk down to an elevation of approximately 4,000 feet. "This could be one of those years when everything comes together," said Jack Smith, regional WDFW wildlife manager. "A good bull count, wet weather on the coast and the likelihood of an early snowfall in the mountains – it could be a very productive season." He noted that WDFW, in conjunction with the Eyes in the Woods program, will operate check stations in the Clearwater, Dickie, Matheny and possibly other areas of the north peninsula this year. He also reminds hunters that it can be well worthwhile to get a cougar/bear permit before going out for elk. "There was a 100-pound cougar checked through the Vail check station last weekend," he said. For bird hunters, the widgeon have finally showed up on the coast, providing good hunting around Willapa Bay, Grays Harbor and the Chehalis Valley. Geese are also plentiful around the Johns River, Humptulips River and the Ocean Shores airport. Deer hunters still looking for that prize buck will have another chance during the late season that runs Nov. 16 to 19 for modern firearms. "The way things are shaping up, it could be even better than the early season," Smith said.

• Fishing: Clam diggers generally got their limits during the first round of razor clam openings last month, and there's no reason to suspect they won't do the same during the next two days of digging Nov. 10 and 11. Those digs still depend on the results of final marine toxin testing several days prior to the openings, but clammers may want to start making hotel reservations just the same. Like all openings this year, the digs Nov. 10 and 11 will be from noon until midnight. Unlike last month's openings, digging on those days will be limited to the Long Beach, Twin Harbors and Kalaloch areas only. Diggers are required to have a shellfish/seaweed license and must keep the first 15 clams taken. The productive Dungeness Bay coho fishery closed Oct. 31, but Dungeness River remains open through Nov. 30 with a four-fish daily bag limit. Coho fishing is beginning to slow down there after a few "phenomenal" weeks, but more rain could still make things heat up on the Dungeness, Elwha and Sol Duc rivers. Another option is to head to Aberdeen Lake or Sylvia Lake (near Montesano), each of which have been stocked by WDFW with excess hatchery coho in the past few weeks. Or go after chum salmon in Hood Canal or one of the rivers that flow into Willapa Bay. WDFW Fisheries Biologist Lorna Wargo points out that chum run to the rivers on the north end of Willapa Bay about ten days later than on the south end. So if the fish aren't biting on one end of the bay, try the other end.

• Wildlife viewing: The Washington coast is alive with migrating birds at this time of year, and some have made an extraordinary effort to get here. Three tropical kingbirds, a rare Mexican flycatcher that occasionally turns up in late fall, have been spotted at Ocean Shores near the marina over the past week. Two palm warblers, an eastern North America warbler that is also rare in Washington, have been seen in the same area. Further south in Tokeland, the large flock of godwits in the marina area includes at least one bar-tailed godwit, an Asian shorebird, and an American avocet, an interior shorebird that is rare along the outer coast. Coastal birders can sometimes get a glimpse of a fulmar or storm-petrel flying just outside of the surf line during – or immediately after – fall storms. These species are normally seen only from boats further offshore. Far more common are the trumpeter swans that are beginning to arrive on Lake Quinault and other lakes.

Southwest Washington:

• Hunting: Some hunters reportedly spent the last weekend of early deer season scouting for elk instead of hunting for deer, in anticipation of the modern firearm elk hunting season opening coming up Saturday (Nov. 4) on the west side of the Cascades. The season runs through Nov. 12. The Mount St. Helens elk herd, the second largest in the state, will be a focus. The Margaret and Toutle areas remain open only by permit (permits were awarded in the summer). Good elk populations are reported in game management units 520, 550 and 530, where there's a three-point minimum regulation in those areas. "In Cascade units 560, 516, 558, we expect elk hunting to be average," says Wildlife Biologist Pat Miller. "Recent weather has caused leaves to come down, which will help visibility, and there seems to be normal distribution of elk." Waterfowl hunters may be looking forward to Nov. 22, opening day for goose. Those who want to hunt in Goose Management Zone 2 will be required to participate in a home-study program and pass a test. The program is designed to protect the dusky Canada goose while encouraging harvest on other species of geese. Refer to the WDFW's Migratory Waterfowl and Upland Game Seasons pamphlet for details, including exam times and dates.

• Fishing: Late-stock hatchery coho are still available for the taking. The hottest location is the Cowlitz, especially in the new fishing area just below the barrier dam. During the past two weeks, anglers have been averaging better than one hatchery coho per person, with fish running into the teens. Almost 17,000 adult and more than 5,000 jack coho had been released into the upper Cowlitz watershed as of Tuesday (Oct. 31). Lake Scanewa (Cowlitz Falls Reservoir), upper Cowlitz at Packwood and the Cispus and Tilton rivers all are release sites for increased harvest. Releases in the upper watershed will continue throughout the season. Anglers are still making good catches of hatchery coho in the Kalama, Lewis and Klickitat rivers. The Klickitat was the reported location of a 21-pound coho caught last week. "The fish are big and bright there now, and that will probably continue until it tapers off sometime in November," said Fish and Wildlife Biologist Joe Hymer. Hymer says there are lots of fish in the lower Klickitat, and fishers should try there as well. Sturgeon fishing has continued fairly strong from Kalama upstream to Vancouver. Surplus summer-run hatchery steelhead in the eight-to-nine-pound range have been planted in Klineline Pond and Battleground Lake. The Cowlitz River is also receiving a possible record return of sea-run cutthroat. To date, more than 7,000 fish have returned. Surplus sea-run cutthroat will also likely provide some additional opportunity in nearby landlocked lakes.

• Wildlife viewing: Area hatcheries are still good destinations for those who want to see the action of fall chinook, silver and coho salmon runs. Take an autumn drive down Kalama River Road, off Exit 32 on I-5; Fallert Creek Hatchery, the state's oldest, is about two miles east of the freeway. Interpretive panels explain the life cycle of the salmon, and juvenile fish still may be viewed this time of year. Continue up the road about nine miles to Kalama Falls, the Upper Hatchery, where there's an interpretive center and adult fish are viewable. The hatcheries are open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. Sandhill cranes are still showing up in the Shillapoo State Wildlife Area near Vancouver as well as at nearby Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, and flocks of cackling Canada geese are beginning to show up in greater numbers, as well. As temperatures fall, watch for more ducks. Those who want to watch elk this time of year are in luck, according to Wildlife Area Manager Brian Calkins. Elk are in the Mount St. Helens State Wildlife Area year-round, but the numbers really begin to build this time of year. Calkins expects numbers in excess of 300 animals in the area this year. "We're in the process of rebuilding from our winter kill three years ago, when there were 500 to 600 elk in the area," Calkins said. To view these elk, take State Route 504 off Interstate 5; there are several vehicle turnoffs between Milepost 25 and 35, and elk may be viewed with the aid of field glasses. Or continue to the Mount St. Helens National Forest Service visitors centers – Coldwater Ridge Visitor's Center at Milepost 43 or Johnson Ridge Visitor's Center at Milepost 52. Both are open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.

Eastern Washington:

• Hunting: Although opening weekend was relatively slow, both in the northeast and the Blue Mountains to the south, elk hunting opportunity continues through Nov. 5. At least one elk hunter in the Blues is known to have bagged a cougar that was stalking him, a reminder to all big game hunters to be alert and to carry a cougar tag. Late white-tail buck deer hunting opens Nov. 6 and runs through Nov. 19 in the northeast units 105 to 124. This season, which includes part of the peak of the whitetail rut, usually results in the highest hunter success rates in the state – at least 20 percent bring home a deer, especially when snow cover aids in tracking and being quiet in the woods. Much of the whitetail habitat is on private land, however, so hunters must obtain permission from landowners before hunting. Whitetails can also be hunted in the more open country of the central district of the region (units 127 - 142) Nov. 11 to19, with a three-antler-point minimum restriction; this area is almost exclusively in private ownership, so access is critical. The north half of Ferry County (unit 101) opens to archery hunting of whitetails Nov.10 - Dec. 15; since there is no late rifle hunt here like the rest of the northeast, the area has higher buck ratios and more older age-class bucks. Upland game bird hunting continues and will improve with the first snow cover. Farm-raised pheasant releases continue at several sites across the region; check at the Spokane office or www.wdfw\.wa\.gov/wlm/game/water/ewapheas.htm on the Internet for details.

• Fishing: Snake River Basin steelheading is excellent now for both boat and shore anglers, with catch rates of less than 5 hours of effort per keeper; the mouth of the Grand Ronde River has been especially good. Anglers are reminded that any chinook or coho salmon caught while steelheading must be released (along with wild steelhead.) Rainbow trout fishing at Lake Roosevelt is picking up, with catches in the two-pound range.

• Wildlife viewing: Tundra swans are still in the Spangle ponds area and Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge in Spokane County, Reardan ponds and other lakes and potholes in Lincoln County, and Calispell Lake and the Pend Oreille River in Pend Oreille County. Look for raptors or birds of prey that are moving through now, like ferruginous and red-tailed hawks. A great gray owl has been seen regularly near Newman Lake in eastern Spokane County.

North Central Washington:

• Hunting: Early November is usually when many migrant mallards arrive in the Columbia Basin, according to WDFW wildlife biologist Jim Tabor. These "new" ducks not only add numbers to the huntable population of ducks, Tabor says, but are also considerably easier to harvest than ducks that have been in the Basin for a month. Waterfowlers in Winchester, Frenchman's, and Lind Coulee wasteways have been having only fair success on local ducks, but when ice-up occurs later this month, the "northerners" should provide improved waterfowling. Pheasant hunting has been slow, but farm-raised roosters continue to be released approximately every other week; copies of pheasant release site listing available at the Ephrata office or at www.wdfw\.wa\.gov/wlm/game/water/ewapheas.htm on the Internet.

• Fishing: Potholes Reservoir anglers have been catching perch, crappie, and rainbow trout averaging two to three pounds; the big trout have been hitting on powerbait with night crawlers. Remember there's no fish limit at Okanogan County's Davis Lake, and it's open through March to allow anglers to remove any fish prior to a rehabilitation treatment next spring; resort and camping sites are available.

• Wildlife viewing: The upper end of Lake Chelan during November offers great opportunities to see mountain goats. Contact the Lake Chelan Boat Co. at (509) 682-2224 for information regarding trip schedules. Observers often also see wintering mule deer on the north shore in the lower portion of Lake Chelan. It's still a great time to see and hear wetland, water, and other type migrating birds in the Columbia Basin. Take the backroads between Vantage and Ritzville, through the Frenchman Hills, Winchester Wasteway, and Columbia National Wildlife Refuge. Or go north from George to Soap Lake, Startford, Wilson Creek, and Odessa.

South Central Washington:

• Hunting: Snow on the opening weekend of elk season in the foothills west of Yakima made for excellent elk hunting opportunities, and the season continues through the 5th. Farm-raised pheasant releases continue in the region and release site information can be obtained at the Yakima office or at www.wdfw\.wa\.gov/wlm/game/water/ewapheas.htm on the Internet. Quail offer the best upland game bird hunting opportunities.

• Fishing: This is the month to go after whitefish on the Columbia River. WDFW fish biologist Rick Watson's Hanford Reach creel census shows that whitefish fishing is good below Priest Rapids dam (Vernita area); of seven anglers checked, the average was 12 whitefish each, most in the 12-18 inch range, caught on whitefish flies baited with maggots or grubs. Columbia River salmon are beginning to spawn, so salmon fishing is about over. The Yakima River from Prosser downstream closed for salmon fishing Oct. 31. The season on the middle Yakima and Naches was extended to Nov. 15 and a few fish are being harvested on the Yakima.

• Wildlife viewing: Take a drive up Highway 821 from Yakima to south of Ellensburg to spot canyon wildlife, from bighorn sheep and bald eagles to woodpeckers and woolly bears. Coho salmon are spawning in Ahtanum Creek, Wide Hollow Creek, and in the Naches and Yakima Rivers and offer fish viewing opportunities.