September 20-October 3, 2001

Contacts: Madonna Luers, (509)456-4073

The coming of fall, which arrives Saturday (Sept. 22), marks youth-only bird hunts, while bird watching and improved fishing in some areas are also in store.

On Saturday and Sunday (Sept. 22-23), youth under 16 can hunt ducks and pheasants statewide, geese in all but two southwest Washington areas and California quail in eastern Washington. Youth hunters must be licensed, accompanied by a non-hunting adult at least 18 years of age and comply with standard bag limits (see WDFW's Migratory Waterfowl and Upland Game Seasons regulation pamphlet, available at all license vendors and WDFW offices, or on the Internet.

This special youth season, now a six-year tradition in Washington, gives young hunters a head start on regular bird hunting seasons that don't get underway until Oct. 6 in most areas. With waterfowl and upland game bird numbers looking fairly good statewide, the opportunity should be productive for youngsters. In eastern Washington, farm-raised rooster pheasants are released in some areas just for the youth weekend (see eastern regional reports below for more details).

In western Washington, where all pheasant hunting is on WDFW release areas, the youth hunt is followed by pheasant hunting for seniors only (65 years of age and older) on Sept. 24 through 28. The general pheasant hunting season on westside release areas opens Sept. 29.

WDFW game managers remind hunters that harvest reports are now required for black bear, deer and elk.

Fall is also one of the best times for bird watching, since so many migratory species start their southbound journeys with the seasonal change in daylight hours. From Canada geese to purple finches, birds that summered north of Washington are often observed in large flocks, either flying or stopping to rest and feed before continuing south.

Some of these travelers stick around awhile, and even join Washington's resident birds to winter here. For those who enjoy watching birds up close at home, that's a cue to dust off the backyard bird feeders and start stocking them. Those who take their backyard bird-watching seriously can even help WDFW build a database on wintering birds by participating in the annual Backyard Winter Bird Survey; registration deadline is Oct. 25. For more information on backyard bird feeding or survey registration, see the department's website.

Fall's cooler air and water temperatures, or just the advance of the season for returning anadromous fish, can mean improved fishing in some Washington waters. Ocean salmon fishing continues strong, Snake River steelhead and Yakima River salmon returns are building, and lowland lake trout fishing is picking up with fall insect hatches.

Below are details on fishing, hunting, and wildlife viewing opportunities around the state:

North Puget Sound:

• Fishing: Following closely on the heels of one of the largest pink salmon runs in recent memory is a strong return of coho salmon – and they're coming back from the high seas in excellent shape. While some straggling pink salmon are still showing up in creels, fish checkers at some of northern Puget Sound's more popular landing sites have reported a strong surge in coho numbers, including multiple coho tipping the scales at between 15 and 19 pounds. Boating anglers are finding success along the western side of Whidbey Island, plus Possession Point and Point No Point. Bank anglers are taking their share of coho in places such as Saratoga Passage and Point No Point. Fishers seeking salmon in the rivers are finding good coho numbers in the Snohomish and Skykomish, and there are still plenty of pink salmon in the Snohomish, Skykomish and Stillaguamish systems – three northern Puget Sound rivers with four-fish daily limits so that anglers can take advantage of the bumper crop of pink salmon. The gear of choice for coho seems to be whole or plug-cut herring trolled in at least 60 feet of water or a Buzz Bomb from the beach.

• Crabbing: The best opportunities for Dungeness crab can still be found in the northernmost waters, from the Anacortes area north to the Canadian border, reports WDFW Shellfish Biologist Don Velasquez, who notes the area is open to crabbing seven days a week with a daily limit of six legal crab. Skagit Bay, Saratoga Passage, Hood Canal and the portion of Admiralty Inlet near the entrance to Hood Canal remain on a limited schedule of Fridays and Saturdays each week, with a three-crab daily limit.

• Hunting: Young hunters 16 years and under have their annual special hunt on Canada goose and pheasant Sept. 22-23. Participants must be accompanied by an non-hunting adult at least 18 years old. A special pheasant hunting season designed for seniors 65 and older follows Sept. 24-28. Pheasant hunters in northern Puget Sound may choose from a number of pheasant-release sites throughout the region. More than 21,500 pheasants are expected to be released in the days just prior to the youth hunt, the senior hunt and the general season, which begins Sept. 29. A guide to the sites, "Western Washington Pheasant Release Program," is available at all WDFW regional offices. Remember that nontoxic shot must be used on all segments of the Lake Terrell, Skagit and Snoqualmie wildlife areas, and that at least 400 square inches of hunter orange must be worn at all times by upland bird hunters. Grouse hunting has been good since the Sept. 1 opener. Many hunters have had success finding blue grouse at higher elevations where there are abundant berry fields. Forested areas with closed roads, especially near a water source, are always good locations for the birds, as are old railroad grades.

• Wildlife viewing: Salmon are spawning in virtually every river and creek, and spawning activity should continue for many weeks to come. Right now there are thousands of chinook and pink salmon crowding northern Puget Sound rivers and streams. Remember to watch spawning activity from a reasonable distance to avoid spooking the fish. Birders are seeing great flocks of shorebirds in areas such as Padilla Bay, the Skagit Wildlife Area, and Spencer Island. Look for birds on an incoming tide before mudflats are inundated by the incoming tide.

Olympic Peninsula/South Sound:

• Fishing: "This is prime time for coho fishing in the Strait of Juan de Fuca," says Tony Floor, WDFW Puget Sound recreational fishing manager. "The fishery traditionally peaks in mid to late September, when the action shifts to coastal rivers and streams." The Sekiu area (Marine Area 5), where anglers can keep both hatchery and wild (unclipped) coho is clearly a hotspot. A creel check on Sept. 14 recorded 128 anglers with 171 coho, weighing an average of six pounds a piece. Fishing has also been good further east – 22 anglers caught 25 coho at Point No Point during a spot check Sept. 16 – as the coho continued to move into inside waters. Meanwhile, the coastal fishery is "still going great guns," said Floor, noting that all areas except a portion of Marine Area 1 (check the WDFW Fishing Hotline at 360-902-2500) are still open for retention of both chinook salmon and hatchery coho. Despite heavy fishing effort, all coastal fishing areas are expected to remain open through the end of September, thanks to the strong return of both species this year, Floor said. Mark rates for hatchery coho are expected to decline with each passing day, and Floor reminds anglers that they are required to release any unmarked (wild) coho caught in coastal area and the Strait except Marine Area 5 (Sekiu). In southern Puget Sound, a creel check Sept. 14 at the Point Defiance Boathouse in Tacoma turned up 47 anglers with 31 coho and 4 chinook. Floor said catches remain spotty further south around Olympia but should improve in the next week or two. "They're swarming right in front of my house on Budd Inlet so fishing should pick up any time now," he said. But what if you've had enough salmon and really want to catch some crab? Well, you're in luck. As of today (Sept. 19), waters of Dungeness Bay west of Dungeness Spit Lighthouse and the Port Williams boat ramp in Marine Area 6 are open for Dungeness and red rock crab. The fishery is open seven days per week and that area, with a limit of six legal Dungeness crab and six legal red rock crab for personal use. Crab fishers are reminded to mark their kept Dungeness crab on their catch record cards. Bon appetit!

• Hunting: The early goose hunt has come to a close, but young people under 16 years of age will get their own shot at ducks, pheasants and in some areas geese during a special youth hunting season in Sept. 22-23. A special pheasant hunting season designed specifically for seniors age 65 and older will follow Sept. 24-28. Young hunters must be accompanied by an adult at least 18 years old, and participants should be aware that Goose Management Areas 2B and 2A (which include Grays Harbor, Pacific, Wahkiakum and Clark counties) are not open for geese during the special youth hunt. For pheasants, the best bet is to hunt on one of the 26 pheasant-release sites in western Washington, including the Chehalis River site in Grays Harbor County, the Belfair and Hunter Farms sites in Mason County, Scatter Creek and Skookumchuck sites in Thurston County. Those interested in hunting at Fort Lewis in Pierce County must contact the base in advance at (253) 967-8260 or (253) 967-8262 or (253) 967-8275 for advance permission. A guide to the sites, titled "Western Washington Pheasant Release Program," is available at all WDFW regional offices. Check WDFW's "Migratory Waterfowl and Upland Game Seasons" pamphlet for licensing information. Pheasants will be released several days prior to the youth hunt, the seniors hunt and the general season, which begins Sept. 29.

• Wildlife viewing: For all the ways in which the world has changed in recent days, some things remain the same. In urban Olympia, crowds gather on the Fourth Avenue Bridge to watch chinook salmon congregate before moving into Capitol Lake and the Deschutes River. Across town, a black bear sow and her cubs are reported foraging at a blueberry farm, gaining weight for the winter ahead. In the Olympic National Forest, bowhunters have heard the bugle call of elk preparing for the rut. And on the coast near Ocean Shores, the sky turns black as 30,000 or more sooty shearwaters take flight. Brown pelicans, horned grebes, western sandpipers, marbled godwits – all are moving to the rhythms of nature at Ocean Shores and elsewhere on the coast. Fall is always a good time to reconnect with those rhythms – this year, perhaps, more than ever.

Southwest Washington:

• Fishing: This year's windfall hatchery coho run is making itself felt in a number of rivers in the region, where bonus bag limits are in place or soon to take effect. Up to six adult hatchery coho may be retained in the Grays, Elochoman, Deep, Cowlitz, Toutle, North Fork Toutle, Green, Kalama, Lewis, North Fork Lewis, Wind and Klickitat rivers, as well as Drano Lake. In addition, fishing areas have been expanded on some of those waters. On Columbia River tributaries, such as the mouth of the Toutle and the Lewis rivers, catches speak for the strength of this year's coho run, with anglers recently averaging a half-fish per rod, says Joe Hymer, WDFW Region 5 fish biologist. On the Kalama River, anglers are averaging one fish for every three rods. Although a majority of the returning fall chinook have passed through the lower Columbia, anglers can again keep one chinook a day in the Buoy 10 area from the Tongue Point-Rocky Point line to the mouth of the river. Upriver brights are best at the mouth and inside Drano Lake and the White Salmon and Klickitat rivers, Hymer notes. There are some steelhead still being caught in those areas as well. Meanwhile, hatchery sea-run cutthroat trout fishing can be strong this time of year on the Cowlitz River from Blue Creek downstream, where a bonus limit of five trout per day (no more than two steelhead) is in effect. Wild fish must be released.

• Hunting: Youth hunts are scheduled for Sept. 22 and 23 statewide, with one important exception– there will be no special youth goose hunt in portions of southwest and coastal Washington (goose management areas 2A and 2B). That's because protected dusky geese may be in the area by then, said Fred Dobler, regional wildlife manager. For goose management area maps and other information on hunting regulations check the WDFW Migratory Waterfowl and Upland Game Season pamphlet which may be viewed on the Internet. Bird hunters also are reminded that non-toxic shot requirements are in place for the Shillapoo and Cowlitz wildlife areas.

• Wildlife viewing: In the Cowlitz Wildlife Area Douglas squirrels are more visible now than most times of the year, as they venture from their Douglas-fir homes to take advantage of this year's abundant hazelnut crop. Look for them in areas with larger (cone-producing) Douglas-firs adjacent to forest edges where hazelnuts also are present. Good locations include the Swofford, Mossyrock and Peterman Hill units. At this time of year, a visit to the Julia Butler Hansen Wildlife Refuge near Cathlamet may yield views of elk and Columbia white tail deer. A birder's visit to the refuge earlier this month offered sightings of white-tailed kite, American kestrals and sandhill cranes, among others.

Eastern Washington:

• Fishing: Snake River steelheading should be picking up soon in the Lewiston-Clarkston area with returns of fish growing. Recent counts showed 1,000 to 2,000 adult summer-run steelhead trout daily passing Lower Granite Dam, the furthest upstream dam in Washington. The year-to-date total past Lower Granite tops 40,000 steelhead, about 27,000 of which are hatchery fish available for harvest. Because of the record-setting run of fish, the catch limit was just increased from the usual two hatchery steelhead a day to three, with a possession limit of six. This is the year, says WDFW regional fish program manager John Whalen, to catch one of these beautiful, big fish.With dropping air and water temperatures, plus the fall hatches of insects, Whalen also says now is the time to cast a final line in many of the lowland rainbow trout lakes southwest of Spokane that close Sept. 30, including Amber, Badger, Fish, Fishtrap, Medical, West Medical and Williams lakes. Check the WDFW fishing rules pamphlet for those that require selective fishing gear or other special rules. Amber Lake, with its big rainbows, remains open from Oct. 1 through Nov. 30 for a special catch-and-release only season.

• Hunting: The youth-only bird hunting season, Sept. 22-23, is boosted in this region with the release of 1,300 rooster pheasants at 11 sites, reports WDFW regional wildlife program manager Dinah Demers. Up to 300 birds go to the Bureau of Land Management hunting property near Fishtrap Lake in Lincoln County and at least 100 birds to Sherman Creek Wildlife Area in Ferry County. About 500 birds are distributed throughout Whitman County, including the John Henley Habitat Management Unit and various posted "Feel-Free-to-Hunt" private properties. Another 400 birds go to the following Asotin, Columbia, Garfield, and Walla Walla county sites: Willow Bar, Rice Bar, Chief Timothy, Hartsock, Pintler Creek, Mill Creek,Two Rivers, and Hollebeke habitat management units. Chukar and Hungarian partridge hunting opens Oct. 1 in this region. The best chukar hunting is usually in the rugged breaks of the Snake River. Demers notes that specific chukar surveys are no longer conducted, but field biologists' reports, incidental to other work, indicate that this year's broods may be small. If there is an actual decline, the continuing spread of yellow star thistle in traditional chukar habitat may be part of the problem. Chukar hunters with good bird dogs could find fair hunting, depending on weather. Huns are found sporadically throughout much of the region, often thriving where cover is insufficient for pheasants and quail. Ninety-two moose hunting permittees start their once-in-a-lifetime hunts Oct. 1 in this region. Moose permits are up by a full one-third from last year, a reflection of the increase in the moose population.

• Wildlife viewing: Nothing says "fall" quite like the honking of geese flying overhead or the buzzing among hundreds of blackbirds making a stopover in a grove of leaf-shedding trees. Those sounds and sights are common now throughout this region, with a few spots offering more wildlife viewing opportunities than others: Try Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge, just southwest of Spokane, WDFW's Swanson Lakes Wildlife Area in Lincoln County or the Little Pend Oreille Wildlife Refuge in northeastern Stevens County, to see waterfowl and passerine species migrating through or arriving for seasonal stays. Of course your own backyard may be as far as you need to go to see incoming grosbeaks, juncos, sparrows, towhees and other birds that may have summered in Canada. Although natural food sources are still plentiful, it's not too early to set up backyard bird feeding and watering stations if you want to entice some to stay and watch them close-up. Information about supplemental feeding, plus providing year-round food sources for birds and other wildlife through habitat landscaping, is available from WDFW's Backyard Sanctuary Program packet, available for printing costs of $5 at the Spokane regional office, or through WDFW's website on the Internet. Many of the landscaping plants suggested in the program packet for habitat development are native and drought-tolerant, which means you can save water and time to provide for wildlife; learn more about this kind of "xeriscaping" on Sunday (Sept. 23), from 1 - 4 p.m. in a celebration of Washington Water Weeks at Spokane's "Green Zone," 222 N. Havana St. Kokanee, or landlocked sockeye salmon, are easy to see and photograph right now in Sherman Creek right near WDFW's Sherman Creek Fish Hatchery off Highway 20 near Kettle Falls in Ferry County.

North Central Washington:

• Fishing: Columbia River summer chinook salmon fishing continues, reports WDFW regional fish program manager Joe Foster, although the cooler air and water temperatures expected by now have not materialized yet. Catches are fair to good just below Wells Dam on the Columbia River, at Rocky Reach Pool just above the dam and in the Walla Walla Point area a mile within the mouth of the Wenatchee River. Jameson Lake in Douglas County opens to rainbow trout fishing for the month of October; Foster says anglers can expect mostly 8- to 9-inch fish, with a few larger carryovers. Trout fishing is picking up at many lakes that remain open through October as the summer heat subsides and fish come out of the thermocline to chow down before winter. Some of the selective-gear and fly-fishing-only lakes such as Okanogan County's Chopaka, Aeneas, and Blue, and catch-and-release waters like Little Twin, Rat and the Green lakes are good bets now. Foster also says that Grant County's Dry Falls, Lenice, Merry and Nunnally lakes have been providing excellent selective gear fishing. Potholes Reservoir walleye are being caught fast and furiously now, but most are under the 18-inch legal minimum size to keep. Crappie and perch fishing have been good best at Potholes, and when water temperatures drop, trout fishing should pick up again. Moses Lake rainbows are running up to three pounds and perch fishing continues strong.

• Hunting: About 1,400 farm-raised rooster pheasants are being released to boost success during the youth-only hunting weekend, Sept. 22-23. WDFW regional wildlife program manager Matt Monda reports the birds are going to 11 locations: the Kline and Hegdahl releases sites on the Sinlahekin Wildlife Area in Okanogan County, the Chelan Butte and Swakane release sites in Chelan County, Banks Lake, Steamboat Rock, Gloyd Seeps, Qunicy Wildlife Area, Winchester Lake, and Buckshot Ranch release sites in Grant county, and Linda Lake release site in Adams County. Monda also says that waterfowl hunting opportunities should be fair to good for youth hunters in the Columbia Basin over the weekend, too. Chukar and Hungarian partridge hunting for all opens October 1.

• Wildlife viewing: The Columbia Basin is the eastside's bird haven with its mix of irrigated farmland, natural coulees, draws, riparian areas, lakes, ponds and potholes. So at this autumnal equinox, with bird migrations in full swing, expect to see big groups of ducks, geese, swans, gulls, shorebirds, blackbirds, finches, sparrows, and other birds. Deer watching is a year-round activity in this region, from mule deer in the mountains to whitetails in the farmlands. But it's especially fun now because lots of "families" are viewable; does, with fawns that have lost their spots by now, are out and about near dawn and dusk and even mid-day, browsing in preparation for coming winter. Slow down and watch those field edges, irrigation canal corridors and mountainside meadows for a glimpse.

South Central Washington:

• Fishing: Lower Yakima River chinook and coho salmon fishing is in full swing since a fall season opened on Sept. 16 in the section from Highway 240 Bridge at Richland to 400 feet below Prosser Dam. That section remains open through October. The Middle Yakima River, from Highway 223 Bridge at Granger to 3,500 feet below Roza Dam, opens Oct. 1 and runs through Nov. 15. The daily limit is six, no more than two of which can be adults, with a 12-inch minimum size. Both wild and hatchery chinook and coho may be retained. Steelhead fishing, however, remains closed; all steelhead must immediately be returned to the water unharmed. The salmon season was opened because harvestable numbers of hatchery-origin fall chinook and coho are returning to the Yakima River this fall as the result of Yakima Fisheries Project hatchery production program managed by the Yakama Nation Fisheries Resources Program, in cooperation with WDFW.

• Hunting: Youngsters participating in the special, early bird-hunting weekend, Sept. 22-23, will have their chances of bagging a pheasant boosted by the release of 700 farm-raised rooster pheasants at five sites throughout the region: 200 at the Sunnyside Wildife Area in Yakima County, 150 at the Cottonwoods and Mt. Vale release sites on the Wenas/L.T. Murray Wildlife Area in Kittitas County, 50 at the Hill Road release site near Goldendale in Klickitat County, and 300 at the Ringold and Big Flat release sites in Franklin County. WDFW Wildlife Biologist Jeff Bernatowicz reports that the Hungarian and chukar partridge hunting season that opens Oct. 1 should provide some fair hunting on an average number of birds.

• Wildlife viewing: Your own backyard may be as far as you need to go to see incoming grosbeaks, juncos, sparrows, towhees and other birds that may have summered further north and might winter in this region of Washington. Although natural food sources are still plentiful, it's not too early to set up backyard bird feeding and watering stations if you want to entice some to stay and watch them close-up. Information about supplemental feeding, plus providing year-round food sources for birds and other wildlife through habitat landscaping, is available from WDFW's Backyard Sanctuary Program packet, available for printing costs of $5 through WDFW's website on the Internet.