Fall is a time for new beginnings, and a great time for beginning fishers and hunters to enjoy special salmon fishing and bird hunting opportunities.

Chinook salmon await anglers 14 and younger in lower Soos Creek. Chinook bound for the Soos Creek Hatchery near Auburn are entering the creek in large numbers and coho will follow in October. The creek is open for fishing during daylight hours only, downstream from the cement bridge near the hatchery residence. Young fishers must have a salmon catch record card, free wherever fishing licenses are sold, and are allowed a daily limit of two salmon, each of which must be at least 12 inches long.

For those who have passed their 15th birthday, the Soos Creek salmon run is a chance to view large numbers of big salmon moving upstream to complete their spawning migration.

Meanwhile in the field, Saturday (Sept. 25) is Youth Hunting Day, a chance for those 15 and younger to hunt ducks, Canada geese and coots statewide, and to hunt pheasants and quail in eastern Washington both days this weekend (Sept. 25 and 26). Westside pheasant hunting is open to youth and to seniors age 65 and over from Sept. 25 to Oct. 1. Youth hunters must be accompanied by a non-hunting adult at least 18 years old. Young hunters also must have appropriate licenses and permits and a free state migratory bird stamp, and must abide by hunting hours, bag limits and other rules.

Appropriately coinciding with these special youth opportunities is the Sept. 25 observance of National Hunting and Fishing Day, aimed at encouraging new fishers and hunters. The theme of the event is "A Natural Invitation To Step Outside" and information is available at http://www.nhfday.org and http://www.stepoutside.org on the Internet.

Wildlife watchers of any age should keep their eyes on the skies for seasonal bird migrations as ducks and geese group up to head south. For good viewing opportunities try the Columbia Basin. Desert, Goose, Potholes and Seep lakes and Winchester Wildlife Area in Grant County host blue, greenwing and cinnamon teal, which are among the first ducks to migrate out of the area. Mallards, redheads, canvasbacks, ringnecks, ruddy ducks, gadwalls, shovelers, pintails, goldeneyes and wood ducks also can be seen there. The Columbia National Wildlife Refuge south of Moses Lake, Dry Falls-Sun Lakes State Park, southwest of Coulee City and the Bureau of Land Management's Wilson Creek Canyon southwest of Wilbur in Lincoln County also are good spots to see some of the same species.

On the west side of the state, this is a good time for seabird viewing from the Keystone-Port Townsend and San Juan islands ferry runs, reports Lora Leschner, wildlife manager for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) Region 4 headquarters in Mill Creek. The shores of Padilla Bay near La Conner in Skagit County offer viewing opportunities for migrating shorebirds; check with the Padilla Bay Estuarine Sanctuary for information on shorebird identification classes. Raptors are heading south along the Cascade range—Harts Pass off State Route 20 and the Sunrise area of Mount Rainier are prime vantage points.

Other current recreational opportunities include:

River trout—This is the best time of year to fish for trout in central Washington rivers and streams, says Jim Cummins, WDFW Region 3 fish biologist. Fly fishers can have their day in area streams. Both the Yakima and Naches rivers offer good opportunities, as does Rattlesnake Creek in Yakima County. Selective fishery rules apply, and the Yakima and Rattlesnake Creek are catch-and-release sites while the Naches has a two-fish, 12-inch-minimum limit. Some areas are completely closed to all fishing in order to protect bull trout, which are spawning now.

Coho fishing—A strong return of hatchery coho has led to increased fishing opportunities in the North Fork Toutle and Green rivers in Southwest Washington. Effective Saturday (Sept. 25) the daily limit rises to six salmon, which may include no more than four adults and no more than one adult chinook. All chum and wild coho must be released. (From Oct. 1 through Nov. 30, all chinook longer than 28 inches must be released.) Not only are there more fish to catch, but fishing areas have been extended, with seven additional miles of fishing on the North Fork Toutle below the previous lower boundary at the Kidd Valley Bridge. On the Green River, a 300-foot area has been opened above the hatchery rack. Joe Hymer, a fish biologist with WDFW's Region 5 office, reports the early returning coho are weighing in in the mid-teens and some are topping 15 pounds. Anglers should check WDFW's "Fishing In Washington" rules pamphlet for restrictions.

Coastal fishing—Late September traditionally is a great time to fish for hatchery coho in the Strait of Juan de Fuca, as well as in Puget Sound, reports WDFW's Tony Floor. All four ocean ports (Ilwaco, Westport, Neah Bay and La Push) remain open and are producing, but this year the coho appear to migrating a couple of weeks later than usual, Floor added.

Hanford fall chinook—Fishing is picking up as predicted as the numbers of fall chinook peak in the Hanford Reach. Last week WDFW staff contacted 535 anglers with 101 chinook and the catch rate is expected to hold or improve for several more weeks, reports WDFW Fish Biologist Jim Cummins.

Backyard bird surveys—If you enjoy watching wintering birds in your backyard and want to share information about your sightings with WDFW, sign up now to volunteer for the Winter Backyard Bird Survey. To enlist as a volunteer and get an information packet contact Patricia Thompson at WDFW's Region 4 office in Mill Creek at (425) 775-1311, ext. 111. The sign-up deadline is Oct. 10, and survey packets will be mailed to volunteers the first week of November.

Chukar hunting—Hunting opens Oct. 1, and prospects may be better for chukar than for pheasants this year, says Dave Ware, WDFW game division manager. The long spell of cool weather this spring held down the number of insects chicks feed on, and most upland bird numbers are down from 1998. Because chukars hatch later, their numbers may be a little stronger, Ware explains.