For most people, autumn means falling leaves, dropping temperatures and wetter weather. For Washingtonians who enjoy the great outdoors, fall also means elk and waterfowl hunting, clam digging, fishing for chum salmon and watching large flights of migrating waterfowl pass overhead.

All of these experiences will be available in the days ahead.

If last year is any indication, more than 46,000 elk hunters will take to the field for the modern-firearm season that runs Nov. 4-13 in areas throughout western Washington. Additional hunts later in the month are expected to draw thousands more archers, muzzleloaders and deer hunters into forestlands on both sides of the Cascades. Bird hunters are also hearing the call, as flocks of ducks and geese stream down from the north.

On the coast, the second razor clam dig of the fall season starts Friday, Nov. 3, on evening tides at three of Washington's ocean beaches. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) approved digs at Long Beach, Twin Harbors, and Mocrocks beaches after a series of marine toxin tests confirmed that the clams there are safe to eat. The beaches will be open Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 3-5. One beach - Twin Harbors - will also be open for a fourth evening of digging Monday, Nov. 6.

Dan Ayres, WDFW coastal shellfish manager, recommends that diggers start digging at least one hour before low tide for best results. Digging will be restricted to the hours between noon and midnight each day at the three beaches. Two other beaches - Copalis Beach and Kalaloch Beach - will remain closed to clam digging in November.

Four marine areas of Puget Sound will reopen to recreational crab fishing starting today (Nov. 1). Marine areas 6 (eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca), 9 (Admiralty Inlet), 10 (Seattle/Bremerton), and 12 (Hood Canal) will reopen for sport crabbing seven days a week through Jan. 2. The crab season has continued uninterrupted in marine areas 4 (Neah Bay), 5 (Sekiu), and 13 (south Puget Sound) since those areas opened June 18. Fishing in those areas will remain open seven days a week through Jan. 2, unless the catch quotas for those areas are reached before then.

Marine areas 7S (San Juan Islands), 7E (Anacortes to Bellingham), 7N (Bellingham to Pt. Roberts), 8-1 (Deception Pass, Hope Island and Skagit Bay), 8-2 (Port Susan and Port Gardner) and 11 (Tacoma-Vashon Island) will remain closed for the season. Surveys conducted by WDFW last month indicate the recreational catch in those areas have reached their quotas.

Anglers also are finding good cause to log some time on waters around the state. Salmon anglers are hooking a good number of bright coho in the lower Columbia River and many of its tributaries, and chum salmon are showing up in several Puget Sound rivers.

Squawking ducks and geese are also drawing wildlife watchers outdoors. More than 35,000 snow geese are now on display at Fir Island in Skagit County, while thousands of cackling geese have touched down at their wintering grounds in southwest Washington.

See the regional reports below for additional information on fishing, hunting and wildlife-watching opportunities throughout the state:

North Puget Sound

• Fishing: As the coho season winds down, chum salmon are starting to show up in the region's rivers. Anglers fishing the Snohomish, Skykomish and Stillaguamish rivers are doing well when it comes to chum, said Chad Jackson, WDFW fish biologist. "I've even heard some reports of chum weighing more than 20 pounds," Jackson said.

  Some coho are still being caught in those rivers, but the fish are beginning to turn dark, said Jackson. Chum fishing, however, should continue to improve in the coming weeks, peaking toward the end of November. Anglers fishing the Snohomish River and portions of the Skykomish and Stillaguamish rivers have a daily limit of two salmon measuring at least 12 inches but must release chinook and pink salmon.

  Elsewhere, anglers will soon have an opportunity to catch lunker trout in Beaver Lake near Issaquah, thanks to the release of about 3,000 hatchery rainbows that average approximately three pounds each. The release is scheduled for the week of Nov. 13. Beaver Lake, which is one of several westside lowland lakes open to fishing year-round, is best fished by small boat, although anglers can also be successful fishing from shore, said Jackson. The daily bag limit is five fish, and bait anglers must keep the first five trout they catch.

  On the saltwater, four marine areas of Puget Sound will reopen to recreational crab fishing starting today (Nov. 1). Marine areas 6 (eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca), 9 (Admiralty Inlet), 10 (Seattle/Bremerton), and 12 (Hood Canal) will reopen for sport crabbing seven days a week through Jan. 2.

  The crab season has continued uninterrupted in marine areas 4 (Neah Bay), 5 (Sekiu), and 13 (south Puget Sound) since those areas opened June 18. Fishing in those areas will remain open seven days a week through Jan. 2, unless the catch quotas for those areas are reached before then. Marine areas 7S (San Juan Islands), 7E (Anacortes to Bellingham), 7N (Bellingham to Pt. Roberts), 8-1 (Deception Pass, Hope Island and Skagit Bay), 8-2 (Port Susan and Port Gardner) and 11 (Tacoma-Vashon Island) will remain closed for the season.

  Blackmouth fishing continues to be slow, although recent creel checks in the region did show a few bright spots. Two anglers at the Washington Park ramp were checked with two chinook Oct. 23, while eight anglers checked two chinook at the Bellingham ramp Oct. 28.

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

  In marine areas 9 and 10 anglers can keep one chinook as part of a two-salmon daily limit in each area. Anglers in Marine Area 7 also have a two-salmon daily limit but must release chinook.

  Anglers should check WDFW's 2006/2007 Fishing in Washington pamphlet (http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/regs/fishregs.htm) for more information on those and other fisheries in the region.

• Hunting: Thousands of snow geese have made their way to the game reserve on Fir Island and more are expected in the coming weeks. "November is typically the month we see the peak numbers of snow geese come into the Skagit Wildlife area," said Don Kraege, WDFW waterfowl manager. "We should see the numbers continue to rise." Based on their breeding success, this year's migrants are ultimately expected to exceed last year's draw of 80,000 birds.

  So far, however, waterfowl hunting conditions haven't been ideal in the area and pressure has been light. The fields have been dry and the ducks and geese have been sticking close to the bays, Kraege said. "As soon as we get some rain, conditions should improve and we'll see those birds better distributed throughout the fields," he said.

  There hasn't been a lot of hunting pressure, but waterfowl hunters who have gone afield did reasonably well at Skagit and Padilla bays, said Mike Davison, WDFW wildlife biologist. "I've also heard reports of hunters having success on the Nooksack Unit in the Whatcom Wildlife Area," he added.

  After a brief break, goose hunts in the region start again Nov. 4. Meanwhile, snow, Ross and blue geese seasons in Goose Management Area 1 (Skagit, Snohomish and Island counties) continue to run through Jan. 7 without a break. The duck-hunting season in the region continues through Jan. 28.

  Turnout was light and hunting slow for the modern firearm deer season, which ended Oct. 31. Up next for hunters is the modern firearm season for elk, which opens Nov. 4 in select game management units. Hunting seasons for cougar, grouse, pheasant, California quail and bobwhite continue in the region. The bear season also remains open but only through Nov. 15.

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

• Wildlife viewing: At Discovery Park in Seattle, a birder spotted six ancient murrelets off West Point. "They flew in and dove directly into the water without stopping on the surface," reported the birder on Tweeters birding website (http://www.scn.org/earth/tweeters/). That's typical behavior for ancient murrelets, which are agile in flight and often plunge into the water to forage. Using their wings as flippers, the birds seek out a meal of small fish, krill and shrimp.

  Elsewhere, volunteers leading public tours of spawning salmon at Cavanaugh Pond in Renton spotted a number of different birds, including an American wigeon, a gadwall, a great blue heron, a red-breasted sapsucker, a spotted towhee, and a black-capped chickadee.

South Sound/Olympic Peninsula

• Fishing: Shellfish takes center stage in November as more areas of Puget Sound open for sport crabbing, and clam diggers get the go-ahead for a second fall clam dig on coastal beaches. Anglers can catch a mixture of chum and coho salmon in area waters.

  Recreational crab fishing will reopen today (Nov. 1) in four marine areas of Puget Sound, including marine areas 6 (eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca), 12 (Hood Canal), 10 (Seattle/Bremerton) and 9 (Admiralty Inlet). Crab fishing in those area will be open seven days a week through Jan. 2. Also open seven days per week are marine areas 4 (Neah Bay), 5 (Sekiu) and 13 (south Puget Sound), where fishing has continued uninterrupted since those areas opened June 18.

  Marine Area 11 (Tacoma) will remain closed for the season along with several other areas in Puget Sound where area catch quotas were reached during the summer season.

  In addition, razor clam diggers can look forward to the second opening of the fall season, which gets under way Friday, Nov. 3, on evening tides at three of Washington's ocean beaches. Long Beach, Twin Harbors and Mocrocks will be open Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 3-5 now that marine toxin tests have confirmed the clams are safe to eat. A fourth evening of digging is also scheduled Monday, Nov. 6 at Twin Harbors only. No digging will be allowed before noon any of those days.

  Two beaches - Copalis Beach and Kalaloch Beach - will remain closed to clam digging in November. The beach at Copalis will be closed due to the low number of clams in the total allowable catch, said Dan Ayres, WDFW coastal shellfish manager. Kalaloch Beach, located within Olympic National Park, will also be closed to digging because park rangers will be busy monitoring the elk-hunting season.

  WDFW and Olympic National Park have both tentatively scheduled more digs Dec. 2-3. Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks and Kalaloch beaches would open to razor clam digging pending the results of a new series of marine toxin tests. Copalis Beach will again be closed to clam digging. One beach, Twin Harbors, would be open one additional day, Dec. 4.

  Another opening is also scheduled over the New Year's holiday, with evening digs tentatively scheduled Dec. 31 at all five ocean beaches - including Copalis - and continuing Jan. 1 at Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks and Kalaloch. Again, Twin Harbors would also remain open for an additional evening dig, Jan. 2.

  Under WDFW rules, harvesters may take no more than 15 razor clams and must keep the first 15 taken, regardless of size or condition. Each digger's limit must be kept in a separate container.

  Meanwhile, fisheries managers are forecasting a strong, healthy run of fall chum salmon, according to Steve Thiesfeld, WDFW fish biologist. An estimated 600,000 chum are expected to return to South Puget Sound, he said. Hal Michael, WDFW regional fish biologist, said he watched anglers reel in good numbers of chum from Kennedy Creek on his recent visit there. Johns Creek in Mason County is also a good bet, he said. "They're arriving in all the usual places, and a little earlier than usual," he said.

  WDFW staff and the Hoodsport Hatchery report that schools of chum are gathering out in front of that facility, where the chum fishery has been open since Oct. 16. Starting today (Nov. 1), anglers can also target hatchery chum in several other areas, including the Dosewallips River and Duckabush River in Jefferson County, and Minter Creek in Pierce/Kitsap Counties.

  Coho fishing has also been productive in some areas. On Hood Canal, anglers checked at the Tahuya Ramp averaged about one coho per angler for the week of Oct. 16-22. Anglers checked at the Fuller Bridge boat launch near the mouth of the Satsop River brought in one-third to one-half a fish per person during the same period, according to Wendy Beeghley, WDFW fish biologist.

• Hunting: Modern firearm elk hunters will take to the field Nov 4-13. "There's lots of bulls available and good areas for elk hunting in this region," said Jack Smith, WDFW regional wildlife manager. He mentioned Willapa Hills, Williams Creek and the Olympic Mountains as hunters' favored spots. Next up: A four-day modern firearm season for black-tailed deer opens Nov. 16-19.

  Goose hunting re-opens in Management Area 3 on Nov. 4 through Jan. 28. In Pacific County, goose hunting is allowed only on Saturdays and Wednesdays, running from Oct. 13 through Jan. 13. Goose hunting is also open on selective dates in Management Area 2B) for hunters who have written authorization to hunt. For more information, check the Upland Game and Waterfowl pamphlet (http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/game/water/water.htm).

  The pamphlet also provides information on other ongoing hunts for ducks, pheasant, forest grouse, California quail, bobwhite, coot and snipe. Smith noted WDFW has purchased a number of new public lands that offer excellent waterfowl hunting opportunities. To get details, go to the WDFW GoHunt website (http://wdfw.wa.gov/mapping/gohunt/index.html), which provides online maps showing where these properties are located.

• Wildlife viewing: Large flocks of brown pelicans are putting on spectacular displays, diving into the bays along the ocean coast, according to Jack Smith, regional wildlife manager. "I saw some the other day out at Grays Harbor Wildlife Refuge and the Hoquiam sewage lagoon - both well-known bird-watching spots," he said. Smith said lots of pelicans migrate through this area between August and November and it's not unusual to see flocks of 30 to 40. Best times to look are medium-to-high tide from bridges across the rivers and bays, and also around the town of Westport.

  A group of eight birdwatchers had a productive day Oct. 21 at several sites in Kitsap County, as reported on the Tweeters birdwatchers website (http://www.scn.org/earth/tweeters/). Among the highlights they observed were an eared grebe, a covey of at least 10 California quail, a merlin attacking a flock of starlings, a Thayer's gull, northern shrike, red-breasted sapsucker, wood duck and a harlequin duck. The group also watched a pod of orcas at Eglon, three miles south of Point No Point, where they reported "numerous jumping chum salmon."

  Another group of 15 orcas was reported to the Orca Network (http://www.orcanetwork.org/sightings/map.html#recent) around Vashon Island and Point Defiance by several observers on Oct. 18. They were first spotted before 10 a.m. off Dilworth on the northeast end of Vashon. By 5 p.m., NOAA researchers had caught up with the whales between McNeil and Ketron Islands and had identified them as members of K and L pods.

Southwest Washington:

• Fishing: The first winter steelhead of the season have begun to arrive at the Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery, but most area anglers have more immediate concerns. Catch rates for late-run hatchery coho are still averaging half a fish per rod in the Bonneville Pool and several Columbia River tributaries, while anglers continue to catch good numbers of legal-size sturgeon from Bonneville Dam downriver to the Wauna power lines. In addition, sea-run hatchery cutthroat are making a strong early showing in the Cowlitz River below Blue Creek.

  "Area anglers have quite a few options to choose from right now - from sturgeon to sea-run cutthroat," said Joe Hymer, WDFW fish biologist. "It's always great to see winter steelhead start showing up, but that fishery doesn't really get going until around Thanksgiving."

  Hymer noted that 11 winter steelhead had returned to Cowlitz River hatcheries as of Oct. 29, the earliest showing statewide. Consistent with the shift to winter-run management, the catch limit for hatchery steelhead reverts to two legal-size hatchery steelhead per day - down from three fish under the previous rule - on both the Cowlitz and Lewis rivers as of today (Nov. 1).

  But while anglers are still catching a few summer-run steelhead here and there, late-run hatchery coho have been providing most of the action on the lower Columbia River and its tributaries. During the week ending Oct. 29, one boat angler in two took home a hatchery silver from the Cowlitz and Lewis rivers as well as Lake Scanewa and the Bonneville Pool. Bank anglers fishing on the Cowlitz caught 27 adult coho, 13 hatchery steelhead and seven adult chinook salmon, according to creel checks conducted by WDFW that week. On the Kalama River, 29 bank anglers checked seven hatchery coho and released five others.

  "The chinook salmon are getting pretty dark, but there are still some nice, bright hatchery coho coming into the fishery," said Hymer, who reminds anglers that they can keep up to four adult hatchery coho per day on the Cowlitz.

  Also helping to boost the catch on the Cowlitz River, Tacoma Power employees transported 620 coho adults to the Lake Scanewa Day Use Site and released another 274 coho adults at Franklin Bridge in Packwood during the week ending Oct. 29. Employees of Tacoma Power and WDFW also released 4,225 coho adults into Riffe Lake at Mossyrock Park, 966 coho adults at the Barrier Dam boat launch and 85 coho adults into Mayfield Lake at the Ike Kinswa Park boat launch.

  Hymer noted that the fishery for sea-run cutthroat trout is also shaping up nicely on the Cowlitz, where 1,726 cutts had returned to the trout hatchery through Oct. 25. That compares to a return of 459 fish by the same time last year and 5,500 for the entire 2005 season.

  "Sea-run cutthroat are aggressive, hard-fighting fish," Hymer said. "They'll take flies, bait, lures - practically anything you throw at them. Fishing should be good from Blue Creek near the trout hatchery on downriver." The catch limit for cutthroat is five per day on the Cowlitz River, where the fish generally range from 12 to 20 inches.

  Trout anglers should also be aware that WDFW planted 647 one-pound cutthroat in Riffe Lake and 1,120 browns averaging two-thirds of a pound in Swofford Pond on Oct. 24.

  Meanwhile, sturgeon anglers are continuing to reel in good numbers of legal-size fish in the ongoing fishery between Bonneville Dam and the Wauna power lines near Cathlamet. Creel checks during the week ending Oct. 29 found that boat anglers fishing from Woodland upstream were averaging one legal-size fish for every 4.4 rods, while bank anglers fishing just below the dam took home one legal-size fish for every 7.2 rods.

  "The fishery has been running hot and cold, but is generally holding up pretty well," Hymer said. "Last Thursday (Oct. 26), anglers aboard 20 boats caught 38 legal-size fish and released four others. That's two legal-size fish per boat! We can't promise everybody a day like that, but it's still pretty encouraging."

  Anglers fishing from the Wauna power lines to Bonneville Dam may only retain sturgeon Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. "Keepers" must be at least 42 inches long but no more than 60 inches.

• 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. 4-13. And for good reason: Southwest Washington had the highest success rate (12.7 percent) and accounted for more kills (2,031) than any region of the state in 2005. Despite a severe winter and increased harvest in some areas last year, the upcoming season looks promising, said Brian Calkins, acting WDFW regional wildlife manager. "Weather permitting, this looks like another decent year for elk hunting in the southwest," he said.

  Elk-hunting options vary widely throughout the region, ranging from either-sex hunts in some game management units (GMUs) to three point or better bull hunts in the high Cascades, Calkins said. He suggests that elk hunters who have not yet chosen a spot look at last year's Game Harvest Report (http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/game/harvest/2005/index.htm) on the WDFW website for possible options. "Generally speaking, success rates in any given area don't vary that much from one year to the next, so last year's report provides a pretty good indication of this year's prospects," Calkins said.

  Calkins did, however, note several changes in hunting rules that will be in effect this year:

  • The general hunting season will be one day longer than in the past. One result is that special-permit seasons will end a day sooner, since special-permit seasons do not run concurrently with general hunting seasons.

  • Grayback GMU 388, formerly known as GMU 588, will close to hunting at the end of the day Nov. 5, since it is now managed under Eastern Washington rules. An Eastern Washington elk tag is also now required to hunt in this unit.

  • The Trout Lake Firearm Restriction Area (which corresponds to Elk Area 5062) in Klickitat County is closed to centerfire rifles, handguns and muzzleloaders Oct. 1 to Dec. 15 due to local safety concerns. That period includes the modern-firearm elk season as well as the early and late deer seasons.

  The late-buck deer season runs Nov. 16-19 for hunters using modern firearms, followed by seasons starting Nov. 20 for muzzleloaders and Nov. 23 for archers. About a third of the region's annual deer harvest by hunters using modern firearms usually occurs during the four-day late-buck season, said Eric Holman, regional wildlife biologist. "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." He noted that GMUs 574, 578 and 388 will be open to special-permit hunters but closed to the general hunt.

  Goose hunting season in Goose Management Area 2A (Wahkiakum, Cowlitz and part of Clark County) begins Nov. 11 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. 14 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. 4 in Goose Management Area 3 (Lewis, Skamania, and part of Clark County). "Hunters shouldn't have any trouble finding geese anywhere in the Vancouver Lowlands," said Calkins, noting that recent habitat improvements have improved hunting opportunities at the Shillapoo Wildlife Area. Partners in these projects, which included wetland enhancements and clearing more than 150 acres of blackberry thickets, were the Lower Columbia Chapter of the Washington Waterfowl Association and Ducks Unlimited.

• 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 now on display throughout the Vancouver Lowlands, including seven subspecies of Canada geese ranging from common cacklers to less-common Aleutian geese.

  One contributor to the Tweeters birding website (http://www.scn.org/earth/tweeters/digests/) recently reported spotting an emperor goose flocking with some cacklers in a cornfield along Old Lower River Road near Vancouver Lake. Another reported seeing nine tundra swans mingling with cacklers and dusky geese at the Ridgefield Wildlife Refuge. "It's hard to go anywhere in the Vancouver Lowlands right now without seeing waterfowl of some kind," said Brian Calkins, acting WDFW regional wildlife manager.

  Speaking of Ridgefield, the deadline for public comments on a new comprehensive plan for the refuge ends Nov. 3. For more information, see the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service website at http://www.fws.gov/ridgefieldrefuges/RNWRHome.htm.

Eastern Washington:

• Fishing: Snake River steelhead fishing is picking up steam, as evidenced by the latest Snake River steelhead creel survey report http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/creel/snake/index.htm. Unfortunately, some steelheaders are reportedly keeping wild fish, which is illegal, said WDFW fish biologist Glen Mendel. As stated on page 28 of the Fishing in Washington pamphlet (http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/regs/fishregs.htm), anglers must release wild steelhead trout year-round, except where retention is specifically authorized under Special Rules. No such authorization is included in the rules for the Columbia or Snake rivers or other eastside rivers listed in the Special Rules section, Mendel said. The only waterways where some wild steelhead can be harvested are all in western Washington and are listed under the Statewide Freshwater Species Rules on page 29 of the rules pamphlet.

  In the reference to Snake River steelhead, the rule states that no more than three trout 20 inches and over may be retained. By definition, a sea-run rainbow trout 20 inches or more is a steelhead. In the Columbia River the limit is two hatchery steelhead per day under the trout rule. The Snake River rule also states that barbless hooks are required when fishing for steelhead - a requirement designed to protect any wild steelhead that are caught and released.

  Wild Snake River steelhead are listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. Hatchery-marked steelhead, as defined in the rules pamphlet on page 23, are those with a clipped adipose or ventral fin and a healed scar at the location of the clipped fin.

  Sections of some tributaries in the Snake River basin - Grand Ronde, Touchet, Tucannon, Walla Walla - are closed to trout fishing Oct. 31 but remain open to hatchery steelhead fishing Nov. 1 through April 15. Check the pamphlet for section details.

  Although many fishing lakes in the region are now closed, some waters with public access sites are still open, said WDFW regional access manager Scott Young. 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 now. Silver Lake, a mile east of the town of Medical Lake in southwest Spokane County, is open year-round with 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. And of course there's always year-round Sprague Lake, the eastside's largest natural waterway spanning the Lincoln-Adams county line along Interstate 90. The targets there are walleye and rainbows.

  Sections of some rivers in the region also remain open year-round for fishing with various access points. The Pend Oreille River, which has net-pen-reared rainbow trout - plus some brown trout, crappie, perch and bass - is open year-round. WDFW maintains a primitive access site near Ruby Creek, on the Pend Oreille 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 anglers should check the rules pamphlet for catch limits and other regulations.

  The whitefish season opens today (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: Upland game bird hunting should pick up as cooler, wetter weather moves into the region, holding birds better and improving scenting conditions for hunting dogs. Field reports indicate quail are in good numbers, mostly in riparian habitat, but pheasant numbers seem to be below average. WDFW enforcement officers reported little hunting pressure and an average of about one bird per hunter over the pheasant season opening weekend Oct. 21-22.

  WDFW wildlife biologist Dave Volsen says the best pheasant habitat in Lincoln, Spokane and Whitman counties is the agricultural acreage in the federal Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), in which farmers are paid to leave land out of production and in more natural vegetation. Volsen says the larger the blocks of CRP and the higher the diversity of grasses, forbs and shrubs, the more likely hunters will find pheasants and other upland game birds. "CRP is the only game in town for pheasants in many areas of this central district," he said.

  All of the pheasant release sites across the region have received farm-raised birds this year, and more will be released through the first weekend of December. See http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/game/water/ewapheas.htm for detailed information about all the pheasant release sites. Although no specific reports are available on waterfowl hunting success, recent wintery weather is expected to move more northern migrants into the region.

  The general and permit seasons for modern firearm elk hunting continue through Nov. 5. WDFW district wildlife biologist Pat Fowler checked bull permitees in the Dayton and Wenaha game management units (GMUs 162,169) in the Blue Mountains. At least one six-by-seven-antler point bull and one five-by-five were taken in GMU-162. Fowler also reported hearing about a large bull taken in the Blue Creek unit (GMU 154).

• Wildlife viewing: With the days growing darker sooner, commuters are reporting an increasing number of collisions and close-encounters with deer on the highways. Experience has shown that the best thing drivers can do to avoid hitting deer or other wildlife is to slow down. If one deer is seen on the side of the road, more are likely nearby. And as more wintery weather continues, more deer will be moving down into lower-lying areas near roads.

  Recent cold fronts are moving birds into and through the region. Local birdwatchers report seeing an influx of northerners such as gray-crowned rosy finches, snow buntings, and northern shrikes. A recent sighting of a northern goshawk in the Steptoe Butte area of Whitman County is a sure sign of the shifting season. Waterbird concentrations have increased at most of the larger, open-water lakes and reservoirs in the region. Sprague Lake is hosting Bonaparte's and Thayer's gulls, red-breasted, common, and hooded mergansers, bufflehead, lesser scaup, redhead, and greater white-fronted, cackling, and snow geese. A birder also recently reported a single trumpeter swan and a Pacific loon on Sprague. Sheep Lake in the northwest corner of Whitman County also has a variety of waterfowl, including tundra swans, green-winged Teal, canvasback, American wigeon, and Canada geese.

  On the home front, freezing temperatures can mean that open water is less available to birds and other wildlife. Providing water in a birdbath or other container at this time is one of the best ways to attract wildlife to your yard. Birds need the water not only for drinking, but also for bathing to keep feathers clean to keep warm. The best long-term set-up is to use a submersible, thermostatically-controlled heater in a concrete birdbath. Small heaters for shallow water are readily available at pet and garden stores. Be sure to use an outdoor extension cord and an outdoor electrical outlet protected by a ground fault circuit interrupter to cut electricity in the event of a short.

  Concrete baths are the most durable and useable by birds. However, if you don't use a water heater, be sure to seal the concrete to avoid cracking if water is allowed to freeze in the bath. Change the bath water every few days to clean out debris and avoid spreading disease among birds.

North Central Washington:

• Fishing: WDFW district fish biologist Bob Jateff of Omak reports steelhead fishing has been "pretty good" on the mainstem Columbia River from Wells Dam to 400 feet below Chief Joseph Dam. Recent WDFW enforcement patrols on Lake Pateros - the portion of the Columbia River upstream of Wells Dam - confirmed that claim, finding that a quarter of the boats had fish on board.

  Jateff reminds steelheaders that standard gear rules and a night closure are in effect for the lake, and the bag limit is two adipose-fin-clipped hatchery steelhead per day. All steelhead with an intact adipose fin - and those bearing an anchor tag - may not be removed from the water and must be immediately released unharmed. Jateff also notes that both the Okanogan and Methow rivers are now closed to steelhead fishing. On the other hand, the Upper Columbia River opened for steelheading Oct. 21 from the Rocky Reach Dam north of Wenatchee to 400 feet below the Chief Joseph Dam near Bridgeport. The season there is scheduled to run through March 31 unless impacts to wild steelhead require an earlier closure.

  Jateff also reports good catch-and-release fishing for rainbow trout at Rat Lake, near Brewster. "Fishing there is excellent for rainbows up to 15 inches," said Jateff, noting that the rules there switch to catch-and-keep fishing Dec. 1 with a daily limit of five fish and standard gear rules. In the Columbia Basin, several trout lakes remain open through November under selective gear rules, including Dry Falls, Dusty, Lenice, Merry and Nunnally in Grant County.

  Some year-round waters in the region are a good bet at this time, from Banks Lake on the Columbia River with everything from bass to whitefish, to Sprague Lake on the Adams-Lincoln county line with trout and walleye.

• Hunting: With declining daylight hours and colder weather moving birds, this is the month to hunt waterfowl in the Columbia Basin. WDFW district wildlife biologist Jim Tabor and statewide waterfowl specialist Mikal Moore recently surveyed Stratford or Brook Lake and Round Lake, well-known resting areas for large concentrations of the small races of Canada geese (lessers, Taverners, cacklers). "Approximately 20,000 small Canada geese were using the two lakes, with 95 percent of them on Stratford Lake," said Moore. "While both lakes are mostly on non-hunted private land, hunters who take the effort to scout foraging areas and obtain access on recently harvested fields nearby may have good success. These geese usually depart Grant County before Thanksgiving, so plan your trip now."

  WDFW warmwater fish biologist and waterfowl hunter Mike Schmuck advised hunters to be ready with large spreads of decoys in dryland wheat, which he has found to be preferred goose forage. "During the first couple weeks of November the first large flights of mallards should also be arriving," he said. "These early birds can provide some excellent hunting - especially when they are still unaware of the locations of refuges and safe areas where no hunters are found. Currently, green-winged teal and ring-necked ducks can be found in decent numbers. These two species tend to be easier to hunt than mallards, although both are speedy fliers that challenge wing shooters."

  Waterfowl hunting opportunities farther north in the region are also fairly good. WDFW enforcement officers recently conducted a boat patrol on Lake Pateros (that portion of the Columbia River upstream from Wells Dam) and checked duck hunters with good success on ring-necked ducks.

  Chukar hunting continues to be good around the central basin, according to Schmuck. "Hunters can listen for these vocal birds along south-facing talus slopes," he said. "Chukar hunting can be very physically demanding in their preferred habitat of steep, rocky hillsides, but very few sights in the upland bird hunting world beat a chukar covey rising and gliding across the cliff faces."

  Schmuck reports pheasant hunting prospects are fair to good around Moses Lake and west to George. "Hunters should focus on cattail and bulrush stands where they meet up with upland grass fields," he said. "Stands of Russian olive are also good bets as these provide good cover for wary birds."

  All of the pheasant-release sites across the region have received farm-raised birds now and more will be released through the first weekend of December. See http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/game/water/ewapheas.htm for detailed information about all the pheasant release sites.

  Jim Tabor, WDFW wildlife biologist, advises bird hunters to focus on Hungarian or gray partridge or quail. Both species are far more abundant than other upland birds and may be found on public land and on private land where owners are likely to allow access. "Huns are tough birds that don't need much cover," he said. "Find a watercourse near wheat stubble or grass in Adams or Grant county and you'll likely find Huns." Tabor said brushy draws and riparian areas throughout the region are quail magnets.

• Wildlife viewing: Bird watching in the Columbia Basin is good this month for the same reasons that make November a great time for waterfowl hunting - fewer daylight hours and cold weather are moving birds from the north into the still open waters of central Washington. WDFW district wildlife biologist Jim Tabor and statewide waterfowl specialist Mikal Moore recently surveyed Stratford Lake and Round Lake, well-known resting areas for large concentrations of the small races of Canada geese (lessers, Taverners, cacklers). "Approximately 20,000 small Canada geese were using the two lakes, with 95 percent of them on Stratford Lake," said Moore. Green-winged teal, ring-necked ducks and mallards are also plentiful on open waters throughout Grant County, with lots more mallards from the north to come. Binocular or spotting scope-aided views of those and many other birds are possible without even leaving the warmth of a motor vehicle 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.

  A recent Audubon chapter bird-watching field trip yielded glimpses of snow, cackling, and white-fronted geese, western grebes, and bufflehead at Brook Lake; eared grebes, long-billed dowitchers, greater yellowlegs, and least sandpipers at Soap Lake; Barrow's and common goldeneyes at Lake Lenore; great egret and red-necked grebes at Alkali Lake; common loons at Blue Lake; and a lone surf scoter at Sun Lake.

  On the home front, freezing temperatures can mean that open water is less available to birds and other wildlife. Providing water in a birdbath or other container at this time is one of the best ways to attract wildlife to your yard. Birds need the water not only for drinking, but also for bathing to keep feathers clean to keep warm. The best long-term set-up is to use a submersible, thermostatically-controlled heater in a concrete birdbath. Small heaters for shallow water are readily available at pet and garden stores. Be sure to use an outdoor extension cord and an outdoor electrical outlet protected by a ground fault circuit interrupter to cut electricity in the event of a short.

  Concrete baths are the most durable and useable by birds. However, if you don't use a water heater, be sure to seal the concrete to avoid cracking if water is allowed to freeze in the bath. Change the bath water every few days to clean out debris and avoid spreading disease among birds.

South Central Washington:

• Fishing: The salmon fishing season on the Yakima River and the upper portion of the Hanford Reach closed Oct. 22 to protect spawning. The closed section stretches from the old Hanford townsite wooden powerline towers to Vernita Bridge and on up to Priest Rapids Dam. But the lower Hanford Reach - from the power lines downstream to the Highway 395 bridge at Pasco - remains open through Dec. 31. WDFW fish biologist Paul Hoffarth reports the upper reach's final week of fishing resulted in about 15 percent fewer fall chinook harvested than last year at this time, and the total angler effort and catch on the Yakima was considerably lower than last season. "But chinook counts through McNary Dam are roughly one-third lower than last year," he said.

  John Easterbrooks, WDFW regional fish program manager, said there are still some nice coho salmon returning to the Yakima or upper Columbia River through the lower Hanford Reach section that remains open to fishing through the end of the year. "The fall chinook are falling off now because it's the tail end of the run," he said, "but anglers are shifting to the steelhead whose numbers are just beginning to build." Easterbrooks noted that the fishing season for steelhead in the lower section runs through March 31. "The target is the Ringold hatchery steelhead, produced for this fishery," he said. "Only hatchery-marked - adipose-fin clipped - steelhead can be retained; all wild steelhead must be released unharmed.

• Hunting: The general and permit seasons for most modern firearm elk hunting in the region continue through Nov. 5. The rule is spike bulls only in most game management units, with those few open to any elk in private land areas with limited access. The Benton and Franklin county units open for any elk through Nov. 15 are also on limited access private land where elk damage is being addressed.

  Most pheasant hunting in this region is for farm-raised and released birds, and all pheasant release sites have now received of birds. More will be released through the first weekend of December. See http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/game/water/ewapheas.htm for detailed information about all the pheasant release sites. WDFW regional wildlife program manager Ted Clausing reminds hunters of the recent change in those release sites: The Cottonwoods site on the Wenas/L.T. Murray Wildlife Area, has been shifted about two miles north off Durr Road to avoid safety problems near a traditional target-practice site. Signs have been posted to direct pheasant hunters to the new release site where hunting should be both safer and more successful.

  Although no specific reports are in on waterfowl hunting success, recent wintery weather is expected to move more northern migrants into the region.

• Wildlife viewing: Local birdwatchers report the Yakima River Delta is starting to host a variety of waterfowl with recent weather changes. Many diving ducks, including common goldeneyes and hooded mergansers, are just starting to show up. Green-winged teal, northern pintail, northern shoveler, gadwall, and bufflehead have been plentiful for a while and are becoming more so. Only a few ruddy ducks are still around, most having passed through earlier. A few canvasbacks and redheads have been seen, but more are usually at the McNary National Wildlife Refuge.

  The delta is also currently hosting huge numbers of Bonaparte's gulls. A peregrine falcon and bald eagle or two have been keying in on the bird congregations. Shorebirds have mostly moved on with mudflats gone and water high, although a recent sighting of a juvenile sharp-tailed sandpiper is drawing birders since it is only the fifth such sighting in the last 30 years. At the confluence of the Columbia and Snake rivers Two Rivers County Park, waterfowl numbers in the lagoons and wetlands are also reportedly up, from American coots to American wigeons.

  On the home front, freezing temperatures can mean that open water is less available to birds and other wildlife. Providing water in a birdbath or other container at this time is one of the best ways to attract wildlife to your yard. Birds need the water not only for drinking, but also for bathing to keep feathers clean to keep warm. The best long-term set-up is to use a submersible, thermostatically-controlled heater in a concrete birdbath. Small heaters for shallow water are readily available at pet and garden stores. Be sure to use an outdoor extension cord and an outdoor electrical outlet protected by a ground fault circuit interrupter to cut electricity in the event of a short.

  Concrete baths are the most durable and useable by birds. However, if you don't use a water heater, be sure to seal the concrete to avoid cracking if water is allowed to freeze in the bath. Change the bath water every few days to clean out debris and avoid spreading disease among birds.