September 18 - October 1, 2002

Contact: Madonna Luers, (509) 456-4073 Margaret Ainscough, (360) 902-2408

With autumn's official arrival comes Washington's tradition of giving young hunters a jump on the birds. The weekend of Sept. 21-22 those under 16 years of age, accompanied by a non-hunting adult, can pursue ducks, geese, and pheasants statewide, as well as quail on the eastside.

Pheasant releases at eastern Washington wildlife areas should boost youngsters' chances of bagging first birds; release site details are provided in the regional reports that follow. Western Washington pheasant hunting is all on release sites with special permits required; details are available on page 13 of the Upland Game pamphlet. Following the youth bird hunting weekend is a special week of western Washington pheasant hunting Sept. 23-27 for hunters 65 or older only.

Fall also brings changes in fishing opportunities, more wildlife viewing as birds and mammals make seasonal behavior changes and a couple of hunting season openers.

The last summer ocean salmon fishing season ended Sept. 15, and now salmon fishing is picking up in the Strait and northern Puget Sound, as well as upstream on the Columbia River. Some Columbia Basin and other eastern Washington trout lakes and streams close to fishing Sept. 30; others pick up with fall insect hatches for another month of angling. The first fall razor clam digging opportunity is just ahead, currently scheduled for an Oct. 5 opening.

Throughout the state, elk are bugling, some waterfowl are migrating, and the colors of fall are beginning to show in changing aspens, maples, and tamaracks. These seasonal changes cue backyard wildlife enthusiasts to clean out and fill up feeders and baths for birds that are moving through, or remaining in Washington longer into or through the coming winter.

Chukar and gray partridge hunting in eastern Washington opens Oct. 1, as does crow hunting statewide and eastern Washington turkey hunting for permit holders. Hunters should check the Upland Game pamphlet for all season restrictions and other details.

The following regional reports provide more information about fishing, wildlife viewing, and hunting:

North Puget Sound:

• Fishing: While mid- to late-September should be peak coho salmon fishing time in North Sound, the feisty fish aren't exactly leaping into the boats. "It's been pretty spotty out there," said WDFW Fish Biologist Curt Kraemer. "It's getting late enough that the coho stop feeding and it becomes more difficult to get the fish to bite." Kraemer noted that more and more coho are being found with empty stomachs, indicating that the fish had stopped feeding. Saltwater anglers might try switching from herring as bait to an attractant lure, such as a hoochies, Coyote spoons, or other artificial lures. Another technique is to practice some patience: There's likely to still be some feeding coho lurking in the saltwater. Try the Shipwreck-Possession Point area at the southern end of Whidbey Island, in front of the Edmonds Marina, or off Jefferson Head, which is southwest of Edmonds. The Tulalip Bay bubble fishery closes Sept. 30 for the year. Until then, the fishery is open 12:01 a.m. Friday through 11:59 a.m. Monday of each week with a two-fish daily limit and a 22-inch minimum size on chinook. Anglers looking for salmon might want to skip the saltwater altogether and head for a river. Coho can be found is just about any northern Puget Sound river right now. Try any of the "usual suspects," including the Skagit, Snohomish or Snoqualmie. Kraemer said the regulars who fish those rivers all the time are doing quite well– they're getting their limits, or close to them. Cutthroat trout fishing should also be reaching its peak in North Sound streams. Lake Washington, north of the State Route 520 floating bridge, opened for coho fishing Sept. 16 with a two-fish daily limit. Lake Sammamish remains open to salmon fishing through Nov. 30 with a two-fish daily limit. All sockeye must be released. Check the 2002/03 "Fishing in Washington" sport fishing rules pamphlet for additional information on area closures on the two lakes. Yellow perch fishing is also in top form at this time of the year. Kraemer said the tasty fish can be found in just about any lake throughout the region, including Washington, Sammamish, Sawyer and Goodwin. "Fish in 12 to 20 feet of water outside the weedbeds," he suggested.

• Wildlife viewing: Look for turkey vultures beginning their long migration south, flying high, lazy circles. Watch early migrating shorebirds stopping along North Sound estuaries to rest and feed– and becoming food for lightning-quick peregrine falcons who can be seen knifing through the thick flocks. The first of several planned Great Washington Birding Trails is nearing completion. Sixty-four sites along State Routes 2 and 20, have been identified as places with exceptional chances to observe 225 of Washington's 365 bird species. The project was completed by Audubon Washington, with assistance from WDFW, Office of Trade and Economic Development, Washington Department of Transportation and a partnership grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The finished maps should now be available at area chambers of commerce and tourism information centers. Many area rivers are filling up with spawning salmon, and late-summer's low flows provide great opportunities to view the fish jostling for prime spawning grounds and for mates. Be sure to keep dogs and children in hand to avoid disturbing the fish.

• Hunting: September 21-22 is the annual youth-only bird hunt for young hunters under 16 years of age. Duck, coot, snipe, Canada Geese and pheasant can be taken by youth hunters, except pintail and canvasback. Participants must be accompanied by an adult at least 18 years of age and who is not hunting. Hunters planning on going after birds in the Skagit Wildlife Area will find a few changes at the complex, said Area Manager John Garrett. A portion of the headquarters area has been planted in corn, rather than the usual cereal grains, to control a noxious week infestation. Garrett said the corn has grown so tall that young hunters would likely have a difficult time navigating in the area. In order to provide young hunters with an optional site containing good pheasant habitat, about 150 birds will be released on the Samish Unit of the Skagit Wildlife Area. The Samish Unit can be accessed by driving north on the Bayview-Edison Road from State Route 20, then turning west on the Samish Island Road. Pheasant releases are also set for the headquarters area and at the Leque Island release site west of Stanwood. About 150 pheasants will be released at each site prior to the youth season. The corn will remain standing throughout the regular bird-hunting seasons as well, he added, including the westside pheasant season, which is set for Sept. 28 to Dec. 15. For duck hunters, Garrett said there are already good numbers of dabblers on Skagit Bay, and the best opportunities for young hunters will be hunting from a boat on the bay. The headquarters area boat ramp is not usable during low tides. Garrett said duck hunters should use the boat ramp at Skagit County Park, on the northeast side of the Conway Bridge on the south fork of the Skagit River. Steel shot must be used on all Skagit Wildlife Area pheasant release sites and for waterfowl hunting. Additional rules and season information can be found in WDFW's 2002-03 "Migratory Waterfowl and Upland Game Seasons" pamphlet, available a sporting goods stores throughout the state, or online on the Internet. The statewide forest grouse hunt continues. Look for birds along abandoned logging roads, in ripe berry patches or near water.

Olympic Peninsula/South Sound:

• Fishing: The first razor clam opening of the 2002-03 season has been set for Oct. 5-7, provided that marine toxin tests show that the clams are safe to eat. All five coastal razor clam beaches – Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis, Mocrocks and Kalaloch – are scheduled to open on evening (p.m.) tides only during the Saturday-through-Monday dig. The evening low tide will occur on Oct. 5 at 6:26 p.m. (0.0 feet), on Oct. 6 at 7:15 p.m. (-0.7 feet) and on Oct. 7 at 8:03 p.m. (-1.2 feet). "We're expecting another very good year of digging," said Dan Ayres, WDFW razor clam biologist. "The overall razor clam population appears to be at least as large as last year's, and the clams are considerably bigger on several beaches." Ayres cautions, however, that diggers headed to ocean beaches westbound on State Route 12 may be directed to take an alternative route at various times during the season due to work on the Wishkah Street Bridge in Aberdeen. Meanwhile, WDFW is taking public comments on the remainder of the 2002-03 season through Sept. 25. The last two public meetings on the upcoming season are scheduled in Long Beach (Sept. 18, at the Super 8 Motel, 500 Ocean Beach Blvd.) and Forks (Sept. 23, at the West End Sportsman's Club, 243 Sportsman's Drive). Ayres reminds prospective diggers that they must have a 2002-03 license (shellfish/seaweed, combination or two-day) to participate in the October opening. Although the summer ocean salmon fishery has come to an end, a small area near La Push (Marine Area 3) will open Sept. 21 through Oct. 6 (unless quotas are met earlier) for a special late-season fishery. Chinook weighing upwards of 40 pounds are not uncommon in the fishery, which targets chinook and hatchery coho returning to the Quillayute River. In-river fishing on most north Peninsula rivers remains slow, although rising water caused by recent rains appears to be moving more fish upstream. On the Sol Duc, 1,500 coho have already returned to the hatchery and the Hoh Tribe has begun to catch a good number of 10-to-15-pounders in the lower portion of the Hoh River. Look for fishing to improve as flows increase this fall. In Grays Harbor, salmon fishing has been running hot and cold but should be improving in the days ahead. In the Willapa River, anglers have been catching some large coho near South Bend. In Westport, most charters are now targeting bottomfish, with lots of black rockfish limits being taken. Some are also still going after albacore, although the fast-running fish have now moved 100 miles offshore. Both south Puget Sound and Hood Canal should be improving for salmon in the next two weeks.

• Hunting: Young hunters will have a special chance to test their skills during youth hunts scheduled statewide during the weekend of Sept. 21-22. A special seniors pheasant hunt follows in western Washington Sept. 23-27 for those 65 and older. Game birds included in the youth-only hunts include pheasant, Canada geese (in certain areas) and most species of ducks. "This is a great opportunity for young people to take some time afield and polish their hunting skills," said Mick Cope, WDFW upland game biolologist. Seven pheasant-release sites in the region will provide hunting opportunities for young hunters, including those at Belfair and Hunter Farms (Mason County), the Chehalis River (Grays Harbor County near Brady), the Raymond Airport (Pacific County), Scatter Creek and Skookumchuck (Thurston County) and Fort Lewis (Pierce County). See the WDFW website for maps of each area. Cope notes that, due to security concerns, those planning to hunt at the Fort Lewis Adventure Center must first register by calling (253) 967-8260 or (253) 967-8295. For young duck hunters, WDFW waterfowl biologist Don Kraege recommends the shores of Grays Harbor and Willapa Bay, WDFW lands near the mouth of the Duckabush and Dosewallips rivers or the blinds maintained by the department near Belfair. Some of the region's best goose hunting occurs in the fields of eastern Thurston and Pierce counties, he said, noting that Goose Management Areas 2A and 2B (Cowlitz, Clark, Wahkiakum, Pacific and Grays Harbor counties) will be closed for the youth hunt to protect dusky geese.

• Wildlife viewing: The next two weeks will offer a spectacular opportunity to watch Roosevelt elk on the Olympic Peninsula. The Big Boys are in town for the rut and, if you've never heard a bull elk bugle or spar with rival bulls, this is your chance. Hunting seasons are timed to avoid the peak of the elk rut during the last two weeks of September because that's when the herd is most vulnerable. The Quinault River valley, upstream from Lake Quinault, is a great place to observe this rite of fall. Several groups of elk are visible along the loop road along the South Shore and North Shore roads. The Graves Creek Campground is an even better spot, although it is not accessible by vehicle and requires a hike. The elk are most active during the early morning and evening hours. Observers should give the elk plenty of room, since they are easily disturbed and potentially dangerous. Speaking of dangerous wildlife, WDFW enforcement officers have been trying to track a cougar that scratched a female jogger Sept. 11 near Summit Lake. When she first saw the cougar, the woman scared off the 80-to-90-pound animal by yelling and waving her arms over her head. On their next encounter, farther up the trail, the woman saw the cougar just in time to raise her arms as it jumped from a bushy area. The cougar scratched her forearm through her jacket with one claw, knocking her down before it disappeared up a hillside. "Joggers, particularly slightly built individuals, can be more susceptible to cougar attack because their size and motion mimics the appearance of prey animals such as deer," said Rocky Spencer, WDFW's dangerous wildlife manager. Spencer advises people to avoid jogging in wilderness areas and to take other precautions against a cougar attack, detailed on WDFW's website at http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/game/cougar/cougar.htm.

Southwest Washington:

• Fishing: While fall chinook angling is still good on the lower Columbia, effort and catch are rapidly increasing at Hanford Reach as the upriver bright run moves upstream, says Joe Hymer, WDFW regional fish biologist. The 2002 fall chinook season has peaked on the mainstem lower Columbia River, but what a season it was– catches of adult fall chinook there in the first nine days of September alone beat previous all-season records for that species. Not including Buoy 10, the early September catch of 10,000 fall chinook is the highest since record keeping began in 1964, Hymer said. For the season as a whole, 16,000 adult fall chinook had been caught in 70,000 angler trips through Sept. 9. Last week, boat anglers on the lower Columbia averaged one adult chinook for every four rods. The best fishing was between the Cowlitz and Lewis rivers. Meanwhile upriver at McNary Dam, the season's escapement goal of 43,500 fish has already been met. Some lower Columbia tributaries below Bonneville Dam are seeing a lot of fall chinook, although the recent rains probably prompted some fish to move upstream. The Cowlitz and Lewis rivers should remain good bets. Upriver brights are also showing up at Drano Lake and in the Klickitat River. In the tributaries, coho catches are picking up, with the Toutle, North Fork Toutle and Green rivers all expected to be good. Access to the Green has been limited recently due to fire danger. Some early coho are still on hand at the Kalama, Lewis, Elochoman and Grays rivers as well. There are still good sea-run cutthroat opportunities in the Cowlitz River and in the mainstem Columbia from the mouth of the Cowlitz downstream.

• Hunting: With this season's youth hunt scheduled Sept. 21 and 22, prospects are expected to be good for pintails, mallards and teal, according to Don Kraege, WDFW waterfowl manager. Hunters are reminded that goose hunting is closed in Goose Management Area 2A (Clark, Cowlitz and Wahkiakum counties) to protect dusky Canada geese. Canvasback hunting is closed statewide, due to that species' low population numbers. Meanwhile, pheasant hunting opens Sept. 28 in the region, as in the rest of western Washington. The soon-to-be released WDFW Western Washington Pheasant Release Program pamphlet notes that Clark County's Shillapoo Wildlife Area is to be the site of 2,480 released pheasants, while 1,740 birds are to be released at Vancouver Lake. Lincoln Creek and the Kosmos area in Lewis County each are to get 500 birds, and the Woodland release site in Cowlitz County is scheduled to receive 600 birds.

• Wildlife viewing: Returning fall chinook salmon make an impressive wildlife viewing experience, whether seen through the underwater fish windows at Bonneville Dam, or at their upstream spawning grounds. Streamside viewers are reminded that special care is needed to avoid interfering with spawning of protected species such as fall chinook. In particular, viewers should avoid walking on fish redds, the light-colored depressions in the stream's gravel beds where salmon deposit their eggs. A Tweeters website correspondent reports sighting a vocal black phoebe recently in the River "S" Unit of the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge foraging several hundred yards along the tree-lined waterway but is viewable by walking along the south side of the slough or from the Kiwa Trail as it heads east. In Camas the same correspondent reports a kettle of 14 turkey vultures spiraling above the city. Turkey vultures also were spotted recently riding thermal currents above the Spears Unit at the east end of the Cowlitz Wildlife Area.

Eastern Washington:

• Fishing: In the Snake River and other southeast Washington waters steelhead fishing has been picking up and WDFW district fish biologist Glen Mendel reminds anglers to make sure they read through the special rules for this fishery in the pamphlet. There is no wild steelhead retention allowed anywhere in southeast Washington, Mendel notes. Only hatchery steelhead, with adipose fins clipped, can be kept. Steelheaders from other parts of the state might only read the statewide general rules which allow one wild steelhead on some waters, and mistakenly think they can keep a wild fish here, he said. But wild steelhead may only be kept where authorized under Special Rules listings (see page 56 of the WDFW Fishing in Washington rules pamphlet). Mendel says WDFW is working to clarify those and other rules even more to help anglers comply more easily. "For example, right now you can't use bait because of selective gear rules in the upper Grande Ronde River until the first of November," Mendel said, "but other areas open to steelhead fishing in southeast Washington generally allow the use of bait, although barbless hooks are required." One exception is the lower Grande Ronde River which has selective gear rules year ‘round. Mendel says anglers also need to remember that the upper Grande Ronde near the Oregon border bends back into Oregon for about a half-mile downstream of the stateline marker along the road, so maps of that area should be thoroughly examined. Since there are now coho and fall chinook salmon in southeast waters, steelheaders must be cautious about identification and release any salmon caught, including those with adipose fin clips. Fall chinook have black lower gum lines and mouth and blotchy, irregular-shaped spots on their tails. Coho have dark gums but white mouths, and fewer spots on their tails. Last call for rainbow trout fishing at several popular lakes around the region that close Sept. 30, including Badger, Fish, Downs, and Liberty in Spokane County, Deer Springs and Fishtrap in Lincoln County, Pampa Pond in Whitman County, and Fan in Pend Oreille County. Southwest Spokane County's Amber Lake shifts to catch-and-release-only fishing Oct. 1.

• Hunting: The youth bird hunting weekend, Sept. 21-22, should be a good opportunity with fair numbers of wild birds available throughout the region. WDFW Regional Wildlife Program Manager Dinah Demers reports that 1,600 farm-raised rooster pheasants will be released right before the weekend on 11 sites: Sherman Creek Wildlife Area in the north district, Fishtrap Lake in the central district, and the John Henley, Willow and Rice Bar, Chief Timothy, Hartsock, Two Rivers, Hollebeke, Wallula, and Bennington Lake (formerly known as Mill Creek) Habitat Management Units in the south district. More information and maps of all of these pheasant release sites are available on the WDFW website or in booklet form at the Spokane regional office. All but 75 of the 1,425 permits for fall turkey hunting are in the eastern region. Turkey abundance is reflected in permits, which have doubled in Ferry County to 100, more than tripled in Stevens County to 1,000, and multiplied four times in Pend Oreille County to 100.

• Wildlife viewing: Moose are in the rut or breeding season now, and while they don't have the musical bugling of elk, the bulls have their share of seasonal behavior. WDFW ungulate research biologist Woody Myers advises that because bull moose can be aggressive and agitated at this time, wildlife watchers and photographers should give them lots of space and use binoculars, scopes and telephoto lenses. And leave the family dog at home, he warns, or keep it confined if a moose visits your property. Adult bulls can weigh 850 pounds or more, Myers notes, so they are potentially, although usually inadvertently, dangerous. Bull moose have been known to uproot small trees or up-end wooden playground equipment in and around Spokane at this time, in their quest to polish up antlers and practice jousting with other bulls. Myers says that although Washington's moose population in the eastern region is growing, it's still a relatively uncommon and special experience to see one in the wild. Bird migrations should be under way soon, reports WDFW Wildlife Biologist Dana Base of Colville, with aspens starting to turn gold in the Kettle Crest country. Recently Base reported seeing blue grouse, Clark's nutcrackers, gray jays, white-crowned and golden-crowned sparrows, yellow-rumped warblers, American robins, Townsend's solitaire, dark-eyed juncos, ravens, and a Cooper's hawk from Sherman Pass to the divide between Snow Peak and Bald Mountain.

North Central Washington:

• Fishing: Last call for fishing many of the Columbia Basin's rainbow trout lakes. Blue, Deep, Park, the Hamptons, the Pillar-Widgeon chain, Winchester Wasteway, and many other waters in Grant and Adams counties close to fishing Sept. 30. Okanogan County's popular Alta and Pearrygin lakes also close on the 30th. Check the fishing rules pamphlet's Special Rules to make sure of the season for your favorite spot. Potholes Reservoir continues to produce nice rainbow trout, both from shore and boat trolling. Powerbait still fishing at the mouth of Frenchman's Wasteway has been particularly good for trout. Crappie and perch are also in the catch for Potholes shore anglers using mini-jigs tipped with maggot. Big walleye are being caught at the mouth of Frenchman's Wasteway using nightcrawlers or trolling Rapalas along the face of the sand dunes or around Goose Island.

• Hunting: WDFW Upland Wildlife Biologist Gretchen Fitzgerald predicts the youth hunting weekend, Sept. 21-22, will be a special one for youngsters in the Columbia Basin. "The Desert and Potholes Wildlife Areas offer some of the best waterfowl hunting in the state," she said, "and although we haven't seen the influx of northern migrants yet, there are plenty of local ducks and geese." Fitzgerald says youth hunting opportunities for pheasant in the Columbia Basin will also be plentiful. "Besides having first chance for those wild roosters in the private farmland," she said, we'll be releasing 1,200 roosters on public land throughout the region." Fitzgerald notes the release sites are the same as published in last year's Eastern Washington Pheasant Enhancement Program booklet – Steamboat Rock, Dry Falls Junction, Gloyd Seeps, Quincy Wildlife Area, Winchester Lake, Buckshot Ranch and Linda Lake. The Upland Wildlife Restoration program acquisitions in the Warden, Royal Slope and Winchester areas will also be getting a few roosters for the special hunt, according to Fitzgerald. Another 500 birds will go north to the Wenatchee and Omak release sites. For more information, call the Ephrata regional office at (509) 754-4624 or the Wenatchee District office at (509) 664-0452.

• Wildlife viewing: The 12th annual Wenatchee River Salmon Festival runs September 19-22 at the National Fish Hatchery grounds in Leavenworth and offers families a chance to watch, learn about, taste, and otherwise have fun with salmon and other wildlife and natural resources of northcentral Washington. For more information about the festival, call (509) 548-6662, Ext. 250, or check their website. A brand-new salmon festival starts Sept. 21-22 at Pateros in Okanogan County. "Follow the Salmon Home" will run through Oct. 20, moving with the chinook salmon returning to the Upper Columbia River each weekend to a different community (Brewster Sept. 28-29, Omak Oct. 5-6, Tonasket Oct. 12-13, and Oroville Oct. 19-20). Sponsored by the Upper Columbia Regional Fisheries Enhancement Group and the Colville Confederated Tribes, the festival will open each weekend with a Native American canoe fleet coming up the river and a traditional salmon bake, courtesy of the tribes. There will also be native dancers, stagecoach and covered wagon rides, storytellers, kids' fishing pond, live music, carnival and vendor booths. For more information, call 509-486-2400 or see their website.

South Central Washington:

• Fishing: Columbia River chinook salmon fishing is heating up in the Hanford Reach. The most recent creel checks in the Ringold, Wahluke Slope and Vernita Bridge areas show a growing number of legal adult fish being caught. WDFW Fish Biologist Jim Cummins predicts the fishing will only get better in the next week or two. The season continues through Oct. 22.

• Hunting: Youth hunting weekend, Sept. 21-22, will be enhanced with releases of about 900 farm-raised rooster pheasants at four sites throughout the region. WDFW wildlife biologist Jeff Bernatowicz reports that the Sunnyside Wildlife Area, Big Flat Habitat Management Unit, Ringold Release Site, and Cottonwoods site of the Wenas/L.T. Murray Wildlife Area will receive pheasants just prior to the weekend. See the Eastern Washington Pheasant Enhancement Program page of WDFW's website, or the program booklet available at the Yakima regional office, for more details about the sites.

• Wildlife viewing: Bull elk are still bugling to let other bulls– and cows– know of their superiority. This "region of the elk" has many places for wildlife viewers and listeners to enjoy this fall spectacle. One of the best in the Yakima area is around Raven's Roost in the Little Naches River drainage in the far northwestern corner of Yakima County (follow Hwy. 410 northwest of Naches). For the best viewing opportunities, arrive just before daylight (or plan to camp in one of the many forest service campgrounds in the area), and walk the Cougar Valley trail. Elk are normally visible on the open hillsides until about 7 a.m., when they move down into timber. Birds of prey such as hawks, falcons and eagles have been seen moving in concentrations along mountain ridges where they save energy by soaring in thermals and updrafts. The Saddle Mountains, Yakima Ridge, and Rattlesnake Hills area, near the Columbia River in southcentral Washington are known raptor migration routes.