November 15 - 28, 2000

Contact: Virginia Painter, (360) 902-2256

OLYMPIA – Western Washington hunters who either didn't get their deer in the earlier seasons or just prefer to wait for optimum hunting conditions are counting down the days to the late buck season opening Nov. 16 in western Washington.

Bird hunters are focused on the ducks and geese beginning to head down from the north as well as for pheasants being released on various sites. On the west side of the state, fishers are finding great success with blackmouth, while another razor clam season is about to open, and squid jigging is picking up in Puget Sound.

But the highlight for many is the late deer season, traditionally favored among many hunters, and with good reason. Harvest statistics from the past five years show that in general, more bucks are taken in the late season, and more older bucks are taken, as well.

This is most dramatic in southwest Washington, where the four-day late season makes up only 20 percent of total deer-hunting days available, yet accounts for nearly 30 percent of the total buck harvest.

"The odds are better for the average hunter during the late buck season, because this is when the bucks are entering the rut," said Fred Dobler, program manager for the Wildlife Program in Region 5 of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW). "The bucks are moving around looking for the groups of does and fighting each other and are not as concerned about keeping under cover."

Dobler said weather conditions in this later season are often better, too. Leaves are down, affording greater visibility in the woods. When it's rainy, hunters have an easier time getting around without being heard crunching through the woods. If dry weather conditions continue up to the weekend and make for noisy travel, finding a static location near a clearcut and staying put to watch is the best tactic.

Migratory waterfowl seasons continue, and smart duck hunters are beginning to scout for the best locations. Especially in eastern Washington, the ducks are just beginning to move down from Canada with the cooler weather. Meanwhile, midway through the eastern Washington pheasant season and with two weeks left in the western Washington season, there are still lots of opportunities out there for pheasant hunters. About 35,000 pheasants were produced at the WDFW Game Bird Hatchery in Centralia for release at 31 western Washington sites.

This year in eastern Washington, more than 20,000 pheasants were purchased for release at designated release sites, and there are 7,500 roosters remaining. Most will be released before the end of November.

Besides the designated release sites on both sides of the mountains, some pheasants may be released intermittently on some of the eastern Washington lands in the Feel Free to Hunt and Register to Hunt programs, where private landowners allow hunting under an agreement with WDFW. Pheasants may be released in these areas on an irregular basis, usually only once or twice during the season. Hunters should look for WDFW signs indicating these properties.

Updated booklets with regular release location maps and other information on limited pheasant releases on both sides of the state are available at WDFW Olympia and regional offices. Hunters are reminded of new nontoxic shot requirements in many areas. Check WDFW's Migratory Waterfowl and Upland Game Seasons pamphlet for details on this and other rules.

Wildlife viewers typically find this a good time of year to watch for shorebirds in coastal bays and ponds statewide, while cooler weather brings opportunities for viewing big game such as elk and bighorn sheep in areas around the state.

On the fishing front, coho salmon fishing is waning, but right on its tail is the winter steelhead season in Southwest Washington rivers, starting a bit early this year and predicted to be a strong one. Motorists on the west side of the state may see clusters of chum fishers along rivers and bays, and reports are that blackmouth season is going great in north Puget Sound around Port Angeles, Port Townsend and south to Bainbridge Island.

Squid is the draw in central Puget Sound, and on the coast, nature's bounty may be celebrated with some razor clam digging; Kalaloch is open from noon to midnight today (Nov. 15) and Thursday (Nov. 16.) But for those who need to plan ahead, the next dig is scheduled to begin the day after Thanksgiving (noon to midnight Nov. 24 and 25) at all razor clam areas. Clam diggers must have a current license and are limited to the first 15 clams they dig.

For details on clam digging beaches and other fishing, hunting and wildlife viewing opportunities, here are reports, region-by-region:

North Puget Sound:

• Hunting: Duck hunting has been slow, reports WDFW Regional Wildlife Manager Lora Leschner, but the action is expected to improve as fall weather worsens. Recent WDFW surveys in early November indicated about half the number of dabblers compared to the same period last year. Pheasant hunting continues until Nov. 30 in western Washington. A full-season permit for the west side costs $36 and allows the holder to harvest eight pheasants. Check WDFW's Migratory Waterfowl and Upland Game Seasons pamphlet for rules and other details.

• Fishing: River fishing is focused on chum, and after the next big rain storm fish numbers should increase, says district fish biologist Curt Kraemer, who suggests the Skagit and Skykomish rivers as good spots. Size limits and other rules may vary; check WDFW's "Fishing in Washington" rules pamphlet before setting out. Think short days are curtailing your outdoor fun? Think again– now's the time to turn a dark night into an opportunity to land a gourmet meal with squid jigging. Pacific squid move into central Puget Sound now through early December in preparation for spawning. Squid fishing is done at night from waterfront access points, using artificial light sources to attract the catch-- enthusiasts use portable generators and flood lights says WDFW's Tony Floor. Several good access sites including the Les Davis Pier in Tacoma, Bremerton Fishing Pier, the Des Moines Dock and Redondo Pier, the Seattle Pier on Elliott Bay, and the Edmonds Pier. For more information, consult the publication, "The Tantalizing Squid," available free at WDFW offices. Squid fishers, like other shellfish gatherers, must purchase a WDFW shellfish license and wear it attached to their outer clothing.

• Wildlife viewing: Although duck numbers are down, lots of individual ducks and shorebirds are visible now in bays and larger ponds, according to Russell Link, regional urban biologist. Some to watch for include pied-billed grebe, double-crested cormorant, ruddy duck, American wigeon, gadwall, mallard, northern shoveler, canvasback, ring-necked duck, bufflehead, hooded merganser, American coot, green-winged teal and northen pintail. Meanwhile, the Fir Islands snow goose viewing and ADA access site is open. Take the Conway exit from Interstate 5; follow Fir Island Road to La Conner, and watch for the viewing site before the road turns sharply to the north. Along the Skagit Bayfront, watch for now geese, swans, peregrine falcons and shorebirds.

Olympic Peninsula/South Sound:

• Hunting: Hearty hunters who don't mind a little rain and cold are looking forward to the extended buck season for blacktail deer, which runs Nov. 16-19. "This is a good time to get a big buck," said Max Zahn, a WDFW wildlife biologist who works out of the Montesano office. "The peak of the rut usually occurs in mid-November, and that's when the big bucks come out. I don't know how many people I've talked to who were just sitting on a log eating a sandwich when one appeared." As with the early season, Zahn expects good hunting at the Vail Tree Farm, although he reminds hunters that the area is accessible by vehicle only on the weekend. Other good bets include the Minot Peak, Capital Forest, Satsop, Fall River and Coyle game management units (GMUs). Archers and muzzleloaders will get their chance at a buck – or a bull elk – when their late season opens Nov. 22. Meanwhile, waterfowl hunters could see the first big flights of ducks from the north in the next couple of weeks. "I keep looking up at the sky every morning, but so far it's mostly mallards and geese," Zahn said. "All we need is a little more cold weather, and some wind, and will start seeing the big flights of pintails and widgeons." Until then, Grays Harbor and Willapa Bay still offer a good opportunity to hunt local ducks, and pheasant season continues through Nov. 30.

• Fishing: The next multi-beach razor clam dig is scheduled to begin the day after Thanksgiving, pending the results of marine toxin tests conducted a few days ahead of time. The two-day dig is scheduled from noon until midnight Nov. 24 and 25 at all razor clam areas, which include Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis, Mocrocks and Kalaloch ocean beaches. For those who can't wait to start digging, Kalaloch beach is open today (Nov. 15) and tomorrow (Nov. 16) on the same noon-to-midnight schedule. Clammers must have a current license and are limited to the first 15 clams they dig. "Fabulous" is the word that best describes the Puget Sound blackmouth salmon season that got underway at the beginning of the month, says WDFW's Tony Floor. Anglers have found particularly good fishing from Port Angeles east to Discovery Bay and from Port Townsend south to Point Monroe on Bainbridge Island. Although there are many fish under the 22-inch minimum size in the water, legal-size catches have been "about as good as it gets," says Floor. To give released fish the best shot at survival, WDFW recommends anglers carry a de-hooking device on-board their boats. Unless it's just too darned cold, the catfish should be jumpin' about now at Chambers Lake and Hart Lake. Earlier this month, WDFW planted both lakes with Channel catfish running about 16 inches long and weighing an average of half a pound each. Chambers Lake in Thurston County got 200 new recruits into the fishery and Hart Lake in Pierce County got 300. Both lakes, which also feature bass, are open year around under statewide gamefish rules.

• Wildlife viewing: A new interpretive trail along Kennedy Creek just north of the Mason-Thurston county line will be dedicated Friday (Nov.17) by none other than Gov. Gary Locke and Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission Chairman Billy Frank. The two men have proclaimed Friday "Salmon Day in the Northwest," and will mark it by dedicating the Kennedy Creek Salmon Trail, which meanders through a five-acre site that is currently chalk-full of spawning chum salmon. Owned by the Taylor Shellfish family, the property has been restored with a trail bridge, boardwalks and interpretive signs explaining local flora and fauna. Those interested in attending the trail dedication need to ride a shuttle bus that leaves the Little Creek Casino park-and-ride lot off U.S. Highway 101 near Shelton at 9:45 a.m.

Southwest Washington:

• Hunting: Big game hunters may be looking forward to late buck deer hunting season as a last chance of the season. Units with the best hunter access include 550 (Coweeman), 501 (Lincoln), 505 (Mossyrock), 520 (Winston) and 530 (Ryderwood), as well as lowland wet areas near small, newer clearcuts. Recent snows have improved hunting conditions in some of the high Cascade areas, making tracking easier and moving some deer down from the highest elevations. The season opens for Canada geese Nov. 22 in Goose Management Area 2. Hunters are required to complete a home study and pass a test in order to take part in the hunt, which is designed with restrictions and quotas to protect the dusky Canada goose. Hunters are required to take harvests through a check station, to ensure that a statewide season quota of 80 dusky geese is not exceeded. If harvest of duskies exceeds the quota, the season will close. Pheasant season continues for two more weeks. Refer to the WDFW Migratory Waterfowl and Upland Game Seasons pamphlet for details on these seasons.

• Fishing: Winter steelhead are already showing in the catches on the Cowlitz River and are coming back to the hatcheries at Lewis and Kalama. The fishery, which typically gets going strong around Thanksgiving, is having an early surge this year, and Fish and Wildlife Biologist Joe Hymer says there's no reason to doubt that in addition to being early, the numbers also will be good. Besides those rivers already mentioned, fishers anxious to make an early try for steelhead should go to the lower Grays and Elochoman rivers. Lots of coho have been put into the upper watershed of the Cowlitz, and the lower river is still pretty active with fish. Good returns to the Cowlitz Hatchery should continue for a while longer. Meanwhile, according to Hymer, it's likely to be a record year for searun cutthroat on the Cowlitz, and fish are still appearing in the creel. Sturgeon fishing is going strong and successfully for boat anglers who try their luck between Kalama and Bonneville Dam.

• Wildlife viewing: Fall viewing of the Mount St. Helens elk herd continues, with numbers of elk expected to be around the 500 mark. Visitors may get good views with the aid of field glasses at national forest visitor centers along State Route 504. A variety of shorebirds may be seen in bays and larger ponds around the region.

Eastern Washington:

• Hunting: November 18-19 is the final weekend of northeast Washington's popular late whitetail buck deer hunting season, and if tradition holds, nearly one out of every four hunters will bring home a deer. Be sure to have landowner permission, as much of the hunting is on private land, and be prepared for winter weather. Late muzzleloader deer and elk hunting opens in several units Nov. 22; check the regulations pamphlet for details. Pheasant hunting season continues; more pheasants may be released intermittently on some of the properties in Columbia, Garfield, Walla Walla and Whitman counties, where property owners allow hunting under agreement with the WDFW's Feel Free to Hunt and Register to Hunt programs. Lands registered in these programs comprise 76,103 acres in Columbia County; 87,005 in Garfield; 189,923 in Walla Walla; and 66,897 in Whitman. For general locations of lands in these programs in Columbia, Garfield and Walla Walla counties, call Ted Johnson, (509) 527-4418. In the St. John area of Whitman County, call Mark Grabski, (509) 648-3680. Hunters are reminded that they must go out and find the specific hunting locations on their own and should not call expecting directions to properties or landowner phone numbers.

• Fishing: Bundle up to keep warm and head for the water, because some of the region's best fishing is underway at this cold time of year. Snake River steelheading continues to be very good with catch rates of under five hours of fishing per keeper; remember it's wild steelhead release, and no salmon accidentally caught can be kept. Lake Roosevelt trout fishing also continues to be good with catches of rainbow trout in the two- to three-pound range.

• Wildlife viewing: If recent snows stay on the ground, wildlife will be more visible. Check winter wheatfields for deer, coyotes, waterfowl and other foraging animals. Watch the skies in the open country counties of Lincoln, Whitman, and parts of Spokane for gyrfalcons and snowy owls. These big birds of prey are starting to be seen in these area as they move down from the north for food.

North Central Washington:

• Hunting: Waterfowl hunting should be picking up as greater numbers of mallards and geese move into the Columbia Basin from Canada with the winter weather. Particularly, more waterfowl are being seen in the vicinity of Potholes, south of Moses Lake, and the hunting is beginning to improve. Some of the smaller water bodies in the area are beginning to freeze, which might limit hunting opportunity in some areas, but larger and moving water bodies remain viable. Late muzzleloader and late archery deer and elk hunting opens in a few units November 22; check WDFW's Big Game Hunting Seasons and Rules pamphlet for details on areas and restrictions. Midway through pheasant season, hunters should note that pheasants may be released intermittently on some of the properties in the 10,000 acres in Grant County that are included in the Feel Free to Hunt program managed by WDFW. Hunters also are reminded that they must find these signed properties on their own; they will be in the area of the Columbia Basin Irrigation Project.

• Fishing: Fishing continues at Davis Lake in Okanogan County, with no bag limit. The lake is open through March to allow anglers to remove fish in advance of a rehabilitation treatment scheduled for the spring.

• Wildlife viewing: Watch the skies here in the open country counties of the Columbia Basin for gyrfalcons and snowy owls, starting to be seen in the area as they move south for food. The gyrfalcons are two-foot-long, gray, arctic falcons that prey on quail, partridge, prairie grouse, small ducks and pigeons. Snowy owls are two-foot-long birds that feed on rodents. If you're feeding songbirds in your backyard, you might watch for the much smaller sharp-shinned and Cooper's hawks that are year-round residents here and like to key in on feeders to feed on a small bird now and again – Mother Nature at work, right in your backyard!

South Central Washington:

• Hunting: Late muzzleloader and late archery deer and elk hunting opens in a few units Nov. 22. Hunters are advised to check the regulations pamphlet for all details on those seasons. Watch for waterfowl hunting to improve as winter conditions move south in coming days and weeks, bringing with them more geese and mallards from Canada; a few "northerners" have been spotted of late in the Tri-Cities area near McNary National Wildlife Refuge, so opportunity should start picking up near that area soon. There should be less ice restricting movement than in the Northcentral Region. Hunters should keep in mind that scouting can be key to hunter success with waterfowl. Pheasant hunting continues, and pheasants may be released intermittently on some of the properties where owners participate in the Feel Free to Hunt and Register to Hunt programs administered by the WDFW. Hunters are reminded they must go out on their own to find the signed properties where hunting is permitted. There are 26 cooperating property owners in Benton County and 40 cooperating property owners in Franklin County. Total acreages enrolled in these hunting programs are Benton, 94,461 acres; Franklin, 66,901; Kittitas, 47,015; and Yakima, 44,090 acres. Check the WDFW game bird pamphlet for details on game licenses.

• Fishing: Salmon fishing has tapered off on Hanford Reach and the lower Yakima River, but anglers out for whitefish are continuing to have some success on the Columbia River near Vernita. Steelhead fishing from the 395 Bridge, upstream to the Hanford Power Line Tower continues to be pretty good.

• Wildlife viewing: At Oak Creek Wildlife Area, plenty of elk may be seen, and bighorn sheep may be in view as well, according to Oak Creek Habitat Technician Bruce Berry. He says the elk are beginning to show up in the feeding yard in small numbers, and the bighorn sheep are starting to show up around their feeding area, too. Neither is being fed right now, because there's still plenty of forage for both elk and sheep.