General turkey-hunting seasons are closed for the year, but hunters and anglers still have plenty of opportunities to contribute to the Thanksgiving Day feast in the days ahead.

Late buck season, already under way in Eastern Washington, runs Nov. 15-18 on the west side of the Cascades for deer hunters using modern firearms. Conditions are looking good for those hunters, as well as for archers and muzzleloaders who will take to the field later this month, said Dave Ware, game manager for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW)

“The high winds that recently blew through the state cleared a lot of leaves from the trees, which should improve hunters’ visibility,” Ware said. “Falling temperatures are also bringing deer and elk down from the higher elevations.”

Waterfowl hunting is also improving as the weather turns wetter and colder, said John Garrett, manager of WDFW’s Skagit Wildlife Area. “Hunting is good,” said Garrett, adding that hunters are finding lots of mallards around Skagit Bay. “We’ve got lots of birds and decent conditions, which should continue to improve as the season progresses.”

Hunters can also bring home pheasant statewide through the end of the month.

While seafood may be less traditional Thanksgiving fare, it certainly is in season. The holiday generally marks the start of the winter steelhead fishery in western Washington, and anglers are still reeling in chum salmon from rivers and streams throughout Puget Sound.

Rather serve shellfish? Crab fisheries are open seven days a week in most areas of Puget Sound, and WDFW has scheduled a razor-clam dig on ocean beaches Nov. 23-26.

For more information on these and other hunting, fishing and wildlife-watching opportunities around the state, see the regional reports below:

North Puget Sound

• Fishing: A few late-season coho salmon can be found in the region’s rivers and streams, but freshwater anglers are mostly reeling in chum. Meanwhile, several marine areas in the region also are open for salmon, and some anglers fishing the saltwater are finding nice blackmouth.

  “The blackmouth fishery isn’t going as strong as it was during the first week of November,” said John Long, WDFW fish biologist. “But even though it has slowed, I have heard reports of a few nice fish caught in the region.”

  Anglers participating in the recent Bayside Marine Salmon Derby in Everett took advantage of the hot bite earlier this month. A total of 267 anglers weighed in 129 fish during the two-day event, which took place Nov. 3-4. Don Allen was the derby’s big winner. The Marysville resident hauled in a 17-pound, 15-ounce chinook, taking home the $2,000 first prize. Rich Olson, who weighed in a 13-pound, 13-ounce chinook, finished second, while Bill Hayes’ 11-pound, 6-ounce chinook was good enough for third.

  Four marine areas in the region are open for blackmouth, which are resident chinook. Anglers fishing marine areas 9 (Admiralty Inlet) and 10 (Seattle/Bremerton) are allowed to keep one chinook as part of a two-salmon daily limit. Those fishing in marine areas 8-1 (Deception Pass, Hope Island and Skagit Bay) and 8-2 (Port Susan and Port Gardner) also have a two-salmon daily limit, but 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.

  Long reminds anglers fishing for blackmouth that crabbing also is a possibility. Marine areas 4 (Neah Bay), 5 (Sekiu), 6 (eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca), 9,10, 11 (Tacoma/Vashon), 12 (Hood Canal) and 13 (south Puget Sound) are open to sport crabbing seven days a week through Jan. 2. Marine areas 8-1 and 8-2 will reopen for crab fishing on a daily basis Nov. 22-25 during the Thanksgiving holiday.

  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 6 ¼ 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.

  In the rivers, most reports indicate anglers are hooking chum salmon, although a few coho continue to be caught in some streams. Among the hot spots in the region are the Snohomish and Skykomish rivers.

  For trout anglers, Beaver Lake near Issaquah could be the best place to cast for rainbows over the next couple of weeks. About 3,000 hatchery rainbows – averaging approximately 3 to 5 pounds each – are scheduled to be released into the lake the week of Nov. 12. 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 Chad Jackson, WDFW fish biologist. The daily bag limit is five fish, and bait anglers must keep the first five trout they catch.

  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: A dose of wet and windy weather has helped waterfowl hunters in the region. “Hunting has been good,” said John Garrett, manager of WDFW's Skagit Wildlife Area. “We’ve got lots of birds, and decent conditions, which should continue to improve as the season progresses.”

  Garrett said hunters at Padilla and Samish bays are mostly finding widgeons, while those at Skagit Bay are mostly finding mallards. “But that can vary, especially as we move on in the season,” he said. The snow goose season also is in full swing, and hunting has been “sensational,” Garrett added. Waterfowlers have through Jan. 27 to hunt for ducks and geese in the region.

  Upland bird hunters have until the end of November to bag pheasant. WDFW is releasing about 450 pheasants per week at both Skagit Wildlife Area sites and Snoqualmie Wildlife Area sites, said Garrett. “Releases will continue through Thanksgiving,” he said. 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 modern firearm season for elk closed Nov. 12. Up next for modern firearm hunters is the late black-tailed deer season, which runs Nov. 15-18 in select game management units. Archers and muzzleloaders also have late-season opportunities, when deer and elk hunts open Nov. 21 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: Birders throughout the region have made their way to the Montlake Fill recently to catch a glimpse of a cattle egret. The egret has been spotted near a grass field north of the soccer stadium by several birders. One visitor to the Fill noted on Tweeters birding website (http://www.scn.org/earth/tweeters/) that the egret does not appear to be alarmed by people. “This is not what you might call a shy, stay-in-the-rural-outreaches-away-from-people type bird,” the birder wrote. Adult cattle egrets, which are occasional visitors to Puget Sound, have yellow bills and are half the size of great egrets.

  Farther north, birders on Samish Island reportedly spotted a rarely seen species in Puget Sound – an orchard oriole. The bird was seen several different times during a weekly walk of birders on the island. Orchard orioles can be found in most of the U.S., except for the western states. There’s only been one documented sighting of an orchard oriole in Puget Sound, and that also was on Samish Island in 1991, according to the Seattle Audubon Society (http://www.birdweb.org/birdweb/index.aspx).

South Sound/Olympic Peninsula

• Fishing: Chum and blackmouth salmon will still occupy center stage for the next couple weeks, but anglers will soon turn their attention to winter steelhead. Meanwhile, a razor clam dig is tentatively scheduled to open the day after Thanksgiving and crab fishing is open seven days per week in most areas of Puget Sound.

  As the chum fishing season nears its peak, many of the big fish are making their way into South Sound streams. Chum salmon can now be found in virtually every small stream in the area, including such popular fishing spots as the mouth of Kennedy Creek on Totten Inlet and near the Hoodsport Hatchery on Hood Canal. According to recent creel checks, anglers were catching at least one fish per rod at both sites. Anglers are reminded that the daily limit in the Hoodsport “hatchery zone” is four salmon, with a maximum of two chinook.

  Anglers working Perry Creek in Thurston County also averaged a fish per rod over the Nov. 10 weekend. Other areas opening to chum-salmon fishing, effective Nov. 1, include the Dosewallips and Duckabush rivers in Jefferson County, and Minter Creek in Pierce/Kitsap counties.

  While heavy rains and high tides have temporarily stalled salmon fishing in coastal rivers along the coast, catch rates should improve once the weather gets better, said Scott Barbour, WDFW fish biologist. “Most rivers are out of shape right now, although the Calawah and Sol Duc on the Olympic Peninsula are fishable and anglers are still finding some coho and chinook," he said.

  By the time conditions improve, anglers can start thinking about the winter steelhead season, Barbour said. December is the big month for hatchery steelhead on the North Olympic Peninsula – including the Quillayute River system and Hoh River – but early returns start showing up around Thanksgiving, he said.

  Rather be out on the bay? Blackmouth fishing remains steady in south Puget Sound, where 24 anglers near Point Defiance recently caught 15 chinook. The daily limit is two salmon, although only one chinook may be retained.

  On the coast, Rob Reifsnyder of Spanaway won the $500 first prize for catching the biggest fish during Westport’s month-long Boat Basin Salmon Derby. Reifsnyder’s hatchery coho weighed nearly 15 pounds.

  The next razor clam dig is scheduled Nov. 23-24 on evening tides at Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis and Mocrocks. Two more evening digs are planned Nov. 25-26 at Twin Harbors. Kalaloch Beach will remain closed to razor clam digging throughout the 2007-08 season.

  Evening low tides during the dig are at 5:21 p.m. Friday, Nov. 23 (-1.3 ft.), 6:11 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 24 (-1.7 ft.), 7 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 25 (-1.8 ft.) and 7:48 p.m. Monday, Nov. 26 (-1.6 ft.).

  Harvesters are allowed to take no more than 15 razor clams and must keep the first 15 they dig, regardless of size or condition. Each digger’s clams must be kept in a separate container. A license is required for anyone age 15 or older. Any 2007 annual shellfish/seaweed license or combination license is still valid.

  Recreational crab fishing got under way Nov. 1 in five marine areas of Puget Sound and will be open seven days a week through Jan. 2. Crab fishing is open in marine areas 6 (eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca), 9 (Admiralty Inlet), 10 (Seattle/Bremerton), 11 (Tacoma/Vashon) and 12 (Hood Canal). Three other marine areas – 4 (Neah Bay), 5 (Sekiu) and 13 (south Puget Sound) – have been open continuously since June 18.

  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.

• Hunting: The late-buck deer hunting season starts with a modern-firearm hunt that runs Nov. 15-18 in western Washington. Following on the heels of the four-day hunt, archers and muzzleloaders will take to the field for the late deer and elk season, which starts Nov. 21. Hunters planning to participate in those seasons should check WDFW's Big Game Hunting pamphlet at http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/game/hunter/hunter.htm for regulations in specific game management units.

  Meanwhile, bird hunters have several choices in western Washington. Pheasant hunting season continues through Nov. 30 in most of western Washington, followed by an extended pheasant season from Dec. 1-15 at the Skookumchuck, Fort Lewis, Kosmos, Scatter Creek, Belfair, Whidbey Island (except Bayview) and Lincoln Creek release sites. California and mountain quail hunting season runs through Nov. 30, and hunting for blue, ruffed and spruce grouse continues through Dec. 31.

  Hunting for ducks and geese is open seven days a week through Jan. 27 in Goose Management Area 3, which includes the Olympic Peninsula and southern Puget Sound. Goose hunting in Area 2B (Pacific County) is open Wednesdays and Saturdays only through Jan. 12. Hunters must pass a goose-identification test and receive written authorization from WDFW to hunt in Area 2B. For more information, see WDFW's Upland Game and Waterfowl pamphlet (http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/game/water/water.htm).

• Wildlife viewing: For an up-close look at returning salmon, Kennedy Creek in Mason County offers quite a show. The creek, which flows into Totten Inlet just west of Olympia, is one of the most productive chum salmon streams in Washington, providing excellent views from the Kennedy Creek Salmon Trail. More information is located at http://www.spsseg.org/kennedy/Kennedy.asp. To find salmon-viewing areas on the Kitsap Peninsula, the Kitsap Sun newspaper has an interactive guide on its website that includes a map with 24 stream locations. The site is located at http://kitsapsun.com/salmon/.

  Whales are also making their way through Puget Sound. Recent sightings include a gray whale off Sekiu and a pod of orcas traveling from Port Townsend to Vashon Island. To report a sighting or learn more about whales, visit Orca Network at http://www.orcanetwork.org.

  With winter coming on, those who love the outdoors will have a chance to view seldom-seen birds and animals such as white-tailed ptarmigan, saw-whet owl, goshawk, Cooper’s hawk, mountain chickadee, evening and pine grosbeak, mountain goats, sheep, porcupine, red fox, mink, weasels and skunk. Enthusiasts are reminded to be sensitive to the needs of animals. Avoid close contact by stopping and going around them or wait for them to move. Help animals conserve their food supply by avoiding damaging brush, trees and grass. Stay on established routes or trails and view birds and animals from a distance. For more information, visit the Washington State Parks’ website at http://www.parks.wa.gov/winter/wildlife.asp.

Southwest Washington:

• Fishing: Rough weather over the Veterans Day holiday served as a reminder of coming winter weather conditions – and the winter steelhead fishery often associated with them. Although area anglers continue to reel in good numbers of sturgeon and hatchery coho, many have begun to gear up for the hatchery steelhead season that will run well into the winter months.

  “We’re getting more calls about the winter run steelhead fishery,” said Joe Hymer, a WDFW fish biologist. “The focus is definitely shifting in that direction.”

  Fishing for hatchery steelhead is already open on several tributaries to the lower Columbia River. In addition, the Grays River opens from the mouth to the Highway 4 Bridge Nov. 15. While a few winter steelhead have returned to area hatcheries, the fishery doesn’t usually get going until around Thanksgiving, Hymer said. Weekly escapement reports can be found at http://wdfw.wa.gov/hat/escape/escape.htm.

  “A lot depends on river conditions and the general timing and strength of the run,” Hymer said. Most of this year’s returning hatchery fish were planted on the Cowlitz, Lewis, Elochoman and Kalama rivers. For information on last year’s smolt plants, see http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/harvest/06-07/smolts.htm on WDFW’s website. As in past years, anglers must release wild steelhead with an intact adipose fin.

  Meanwhile, catch rates for hatchery coho have remained fairly strong both above and below Bonneville Dam. “Some coho are starting to turn dark, but bright fish are still showing up in the catch,” Hymer said.

  Two of three boat anglers fishing in the Bonneville Pool near the mouth of the Klickitat River took home hatchery coho during the week ending Nov. 11. Those fishing the Lewis River maintained a similar average – and also caught an equal number of fall chinook, which they were required to release. Bank anglers fishing near the salmon hatchery on the Lewis River averaged about one coho for every three rods, including fish released.

  Bank anglers are also catching some coho at the barrier dam and below on the Cowlitz River, where the catch limit is six hatchery adult coho per day. WDFW recently extended the six-fish bag limit to the upper Cowlitz River (above Cowlitz Falls Dam) and to the Tilton and Cispus rivers, where fishery managers are working to reestablish a naturally spawning coho run.

  “The higher catch limit on the upper Cowlitz is consistent with the recovery effort, because it will help to control the number of hatchery fish that reach the spawning grounds while supporting the recreational fishery,” said Pat Frazier, WDFW regional fish manager. “So long as anglers keep catching those hatchery fish, we can move more of them above the dam without interfering with the restoration effort,” he said.

  Flows increased and visibility decreased on some lower Columbia tributaries after a storm blew through western Washington the day after Veterans Day. With the return of winter conditions, Hymer recommends that anglers check stream-flow conditions on two websites before leaving home: http://www.nwrfc.noaa.gov/river/river.cgi?zoom?2?1.1.1.1.0_1.1.1.1_1?zoom?62,343?165,253 and http://waterdata.usgs.gov/WA/nwis/current/?type=flow.

  Then again, the recent storm might have improved the sturgeon fishery below Bonneville Dam, said Hymer, noting that high, dirty water can invigorate the bite. Bank anglers fishing just below the dam averaged a legal-size sturgeon for every 8.5 rods during the week ending Nov. 11. Boat anglers fishing in the Camas/Washougal area also took home some legal-size fish.

• Hunting: The general elk-hunting season for hunters using modern firearms is over for another year, but several other big-game hunts are coming right up. The late-buck season runs Nov. 15-18 for hunters using modern firearms, followed by deer and elk seasons starting Nov. 21 for archers and muzzleloaders.

  Although the late-buck season is only four days long, it usually accounts for about a third of all the deer taken each year by hunters in the region, said Eric Holman, a WDFW wildlife biologist. One reason is that is that bucks are more active – both because temperatures have dropped and because the late season takes place near the end of the rut, he said. Another is that, by now, autumn winds have blown down a lot of leaves that make deer harder to spot during the early season.

  “Those winds that blew through the day after Veterans Day should really help improve visibility during the late-buck season,” Holman said. “This is definitely shaping up to be a good hunt.”

  So are the general-season deer and elk hunts for archers and muzzleloaders scheduled to open Nov. 21, he said. 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). Holman notes, however, that the pamphlet contains a misprint for the starting day of the muzzleloader elk season in game management units 501, 503, 505 and 652. Hunting in those areas actually opens Nov. 21, as in the other units.

  The general bear-hunting season ends Nov. 15, but cougar hunting – without the use of hounds – continues through March 15.

  Meanwhile, goose hunting is open throughout the region, where numbers of waterfowl continue to grow as more birds move in from the north. As in past years, hunting in Goose Management Area 2A (Wahkiakum, Cowlitz and part of Clark County) is restricted to those who have successfully completed a goose-identification test administered by WDFW. Hunting in most sections of Area 2A is limited to Saturdays, Sundays and Wednesdays only. The exception is the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, where goose hunting opens Nov. 13 and is restricted to Saturdays, Tuesdays and Thursdays only.

  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. For information about hunting rules in all areas, see WDFW's Migratory Waterfowl and Upland Game pamphlet (http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/game/water/water.htm).

• Wildlife viewing: The congregation of seabirds continues to grow in the Vancouver Lowlands, where battalions of geese, ducks and waterfowl of all kinds are stopping over on their southern migration. One contributor to the Tweeters website (http://www.scn.org/earth/tweeters/) recently reported seeing “tens of thousands” of birds – mostly Canada geese and cacklers – on the Lower River Road at Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge alone. The hard part, he said, was trying to differentiate other kinds of birds in the crowd.

  Even so, the writer did spot some other birds of note at Ridgefield that day. One was an American white pelican, seen flying over Rest Lake from the parking lot near the duck blind. A large white bird with an orange bill and a wingspan of more than five feet, the American white pelican is hard to miss. Listed as endangered by WDFW, the bird might have come down the Columbia River from the Crescent Islands in Walla Walla County, one of two known nesting places in Washington.

  Also spotted in the refuge that day were as many as half a dozen rough-legged hawks within a few hundred feet of one another on the auto loop. Named for the feathers that extend down their legs, these birds are usually found singly or in pairs, making that day’s sighting fairly unusual. Their numbers in Washington vary greatly from year to year, depending on the availability of prey.

Eastern Washington:

• Fishing: The best catch rates for Snake River hatchery steelhead are above the interstate bridge near Clarkston, where anglers averaged seven to eight hours per fish, according to the latest creel surveys. Steelheaders in that stretch should be careful to avoid drifting into the Clearwater River across the state line into Idaho, which requires a separate license. No part of the Clearwater River can be legally fished with a Washington license only.

  Anglers are also doing well fishing from the mouth of the lower Grand Ronde River – a tributary of the Snake River – to the Oregon state line. Creel surveys show that anglers fishing those waters have been averaging 11 to 12 hours per fish.

  Other stretches of the Snake River are yielding steelhead at slower, but steady, rates. The Wallula area, from the Oregon state line to the mouth of the Walla Walla River, has required about 13 hours of angling effort per steelhead. Anglers have averaged between 13 and 14 hours per fish from Lower Granite Dam to the interstate bridge at Clarkston, and 17 hours per fish from Little Goose to Lower Granite dams. For all the creel survey numbers, see http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/creel/snake/index.htm.

  WDFW fish biologist Glen Mendel reminds anglers fishing on the Snake River that any chinook salmon must be released immediately. That includes surplus fall chinook trapped for production at Lyons Ferry Fish Hatchery and released back to the river. Like naturally spawning chinook, those fish are protected as a threatened species under the federal Endangered Species Act.

  “The hatchery needs a good mix of chinook from throughout the run, so some of the fish trapped earlier are being released to make room for others,” Mendell said. The chinook are being released near Lower Granite and Little Goose dams, depending on where they were collected. Mendel said they are marked by clipping the top or bottom of the tail (caudal) fin to identify the fish in case they are trapped again, and to learn more about their movements through fish ladders at the Snake River dams.

• Hunting: The late modern-firearm season for white-tailed buck deer continues through Nov. 19 in Game Management Units 105-124 in the northeast end of the region where the rut is in progress. WDFW district wildlife biologist Steve Zender reports Veterans’ Day weekend check stations saw fewer hunters but success rates similar to last year’s at that time, when about 22 percent harvested deer.

  “I think there have been fewer hunters out because the weather has been too nice, with little or no snow cover,” Zender said. “The weather forecast indicates more unsettled weather ahead, and that should move deer around more during the day. So we could see a lot more hunters in the woods by the end of the season.”

  Final weekend hunter check stations will be conducted at Chattaroy and Deer Park, including more collection of deer lymph node tissue samples for WDFW’s ongoing survey for Chronic Wasting Disease.

  Late archery and muzzleloader deer and elk hunting opens in select units Nov. 20 and should be productive with more wintery conditions.

  Black bear hunting closes Nov. 15 and bear hunters need to send in hunting reports with tooth samples. Reports filed within 10 days of kill gain eligibility for special deer or elk hunting permits next year. Unsuccessful hunters can file reports through Jan. 10 to be eligible. For all details on hunter reporting see https://fishhunt.dfw.wa.gov/wdfw/licenses_hunter_report.html.

  Moose hunting ends Nov. 30 for over 100 special permit holders in about nine select units in the north half of the region.

  Upland game bird hunting continues throughout the region, with reports of a good quail and partridge harvest and fair results with pheasant. Forecasted rain and snow should help bird dog scenting and bird-holding conditions. Farm-raised rooster pheasant releases continue periodically at all of the region’s dozen release sites, mostly south of the Snake River. See all release site details at http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/game/water/ewapheas.htm.

  Goose hunters in Lincoln, Spokane and Walla Walla counties – where goose hunting is open only on Saturdays, Sundays and Wednesdays – get a few extra days this month with the Thanksgiving holiday. Thursday, Nov. 22, and Friday, Nov. 23, are open to goose hunting in that zone.

  WDFW Swanson Lakes Wildlife Area manager Juli Anderson reports Lincoln County needs rain or snow to improve waterfowl hunting. “Prospects are slim due to the drought,” she said. “Z-Lake off Telford Road and Whittaker Lake are the only real options on our lands here. Hunters could also try Twin Lakes on Bureau of Land Management property south of Swanson Lakes.”

• Wildlife viewing: Bird-watching has been productive in the Snake River area, where migrants are moving through and using the reservoirs and reaches for sanctuary. Canada geese, mallards and green-winged teal are common, but more unusual species can also be spotted.

  A few Pacific loons and long-tailed ducks were recently reported by birders below Ice Harbor Dam in Walla Walla County. Bennington Lake or Mill Creek reservoir, just east of Walla Walla, hosts western grebes and hooded, red-breasted and common mergansers.

  Raptor fans should visit WDFW’s Swanson Lakes Wildlife Area in Lincoln County. Area manager Juli Anderson reports abundant and highly visible hawks, harriers, kestrels, and other birds of prey throughout the wildlife area and on the adjacent Bureau of Land Management properties. “Even just driving county roads out here in Lincoln County will yield good views of these birds,” she said.

North Central Washington:

• Fishing: Fishing has been slow for hatchery steelhead on the Wenatchee River, where angler participation and catch rates have dropped recently. Art Viola, WDFW district fish biologist, said water temperatures have decreased and a number of fish seem to have moved upriver.

  “The water temperatures have dropped into the high 30’s, and that may be part of the reason the fishery has slowed,” he said. “But it’s just hard to say exactly why.”

  Viola said he estimates the catch rate on the river has fallen to well over 10 hours of effort per hatchery (adipose-fin clipped) steelhead caught. The special season for hatchery steelhead runs through March 31 from the mouth upstream to Icicle Road Bridge west of Leavenworth,

• Hunting: Recent storms have likely pushed more ducks and geese from the north into the Columbia Basin, improving chances for successful waterfowl hunting.

  WDFW waterfowl specialist Mikal Moore of reports the latest WDFW and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service aerial waterfowl survey in the North Basin found mallards and other dabblers most concentrated on North Potholes Reserve, Lower Crab Creek, Eagle Lakes, Wanapum Reserve, and Winchester Reserve.

  “Divers appear to be moving down the Columbia River system from the north, piling up in the Wells Pool, Wanapum Pool, and Priest Rapids Pool,” she said. “Of particular note are larger populations of canvasback on Wells Pool than typically seen, probably due to excellent production in prairie Canada. Migratory waterfowl populations have not peaked yet in the North Basin, but there are healthy numbers of birds throughout the system.”

  See the complete North Basin waterfowl surveys on the department's website.

  Goose hunters throughout the region, where goose hunting is available only on Saturdays, Sundays and Wednesdays, get a few extra days this month with the Thanksgiving holiday. Thursday, Nov. 22, and Friday, Nov. 23, are open to goose hunting in that zone.

  Pheasant hunting continues throughout the region, with opportunities boosted by periodic releases of farm-raised roosters. 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, 1550 Alder St. N.W., 509-754-4624.

  Late archery deer hunting opens Nov. 20 in select game management units. For details see the Big Game Hunting Rules pamphlet at http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/game/hunter/hunter.htm.

• Wildlife viewing: Bird watching is excellent at the southwest end of Sprague Lake in Adams County, which is set aside as a non-hunting reserve. Birders can watch for geese, ducks, gulls, hawks and other species from the WDFW water access and wildlife viewing site off Danekas Road. From the west, take the Tokio Interstate-90 exit and follow Danekas Road about six miles to the access site road. From the east, take the Sprague Interstate-90 exit, drive through Sprague to the Max Harder Road on the west end of town, and follow it for about six miles to the access site road.

  Scott Fitkin, WDFW district wildlife biologist in Winthrop, said mule deer are moving down to their winter ranges in the Methow Valley. Fitkin reminds wildlife viewers that some of the highest deer-car collision rates in the state are in this area through the winter.

South Central Washington:

• Fishing: Fishing for hatchery steelhead in the Ringold area of the Columbia River near the Tri-Cities has picked up now that anglers are allowed to keep any hatchery steelhead with a clipped adipose fin. Throughout October anglers could keep only those fish with a clipped adipose fin and a clipped right ventral fin, said Paul Hoffarth, WDFW fish biologist.

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

  This year, returns to the Ringold Hatchery have been relatively low, Hoffarth said. “But there’s lots of other hatchery steelhead with adipose clips that anglers can 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.

• Hunting: Recent storms have likely pushed more ducks and geese from the north into the south end of the Columbia Basin, improving chances for successful waterfowl hunting.

  WDFW waterfowl specialist Mikal Moore of reports the latest WDFW and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service aerial waterfowl survey in the South Basin found Badger Island and Umatilla are hosting large concentrations of mallards.

  “Small Canada geese are still lingering in the North Basin but are beginning to show up in scattered groups throughout the South Basin including Burbank Slough, Hanford Reach, and Cold Springs,” she said. “Diver populations are fairly negligible in the South Basin currently. These birds are still concentrated on the upper pools of the Columbia River.”

  See the complete South Basin waterfowl surveys on the department's website.

  Goose hunters in Benton, Franklin, and Kittitas counties, where goose hunting is available only on Saturdays, Sundays and Wednesdays, get two extra days this month — Thursday, Nov. 22, and Friday, Nov. 23.

  Pheasant hunting has been productive at the Sunnyside Wildlife Area near Grandview where good numbers of farm-raised roosters continue to be released, reports Will Moore, WDFW wildlife biologist. Pheasant hunting opportunity has also been boosted at other release sites in the region. For details, copies of the Eastern Washington Pheasant Enhancement Program booklet are available at WDFW’s Yakima office at 1701 S. 24th Ave. Call (509) 575-2740, or visit http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/game/water/ewapheas.htm.

  With the mule deer rut definitely under way, the late season archery and muzzleloader deer hunting should be good, said Moore. Those seasons open Nov. 20 in a few select game management units. For details see the Big Game Hunting Rules pamphlet at http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/game/hunter/hunter.htm.

• Wildlife viewing: This is the time to take a family road trip to see a unique wildlife spectacle in the region – bighorn sheep rams banging their massive headgear as they battle for breeding dominance.

  “We have three major bighorn herds in the area and there’s a good chance of seeing some of these rams in any one of them, even from the roadside with binoculars or spotting scopes,” said Will Moore, WDFW wildlife biologist

  The Umtanum herd can be seen from the Yakima River Canyon Road, the Clemens Mountain herd near the WDFW winter-feeding site on Clemens Mountain near Naches, and the Tieton herd around Highway 12 near White Pass.

  On Thanksgiving Day, take an hour to help the Kittitas Audubon Society count birds in your own backyard. The special Thanksgiving Day count is part of a cooperative Humboldt State University research project. For more information, see the Kittitas Audubon Society November newsletter at http://www.kittitasaudubon.org/.