Deer hunters are afield, fall salmon fishing is in full swing and the first razor clam dig of the season is tentatively set to begin Oct. 25 on the coast. Hunting seasons for ducks, geese, coot and snipe are also open around the state on various dates this month.

"There’s plenty to do right now for anyone who likes to hunt, fish, view wildlife or just get outdoors," said Steve Thiesfeld, a fish biologist for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW). "For a lot of people, the decision about what to do comes down to the weather conditions on a given day."

Deer hunters, for example, favor damp, cloudy days that muffle the sound of their approach and bring their quarry out into the open. Sunny skies hindered hunter success in many areas during the first weekend of the early modern-firearms deer season, but a few wet days can change all that.

"It’s surprising how things even out over the course of the season when you compare harvest rates from one year to the next," said Eric Holman, a WDFW wildlife biologist based in Vancouver.

For many anglers, river conditions are a key factor in deciding how - and where - to spend a day off. Recent rains have turned the Cascade River in the North Cascades into a hotspot for coho salmon and anglers fishing the Cowlitz River in southwest Washington have been averaging a silver per rod.

In central Washington, fishing for chinook salmon has also been very productive on the Yakima River and in the section of the Columbia River that flows through the Hanford Reach. But there’s no time to waste: The Yakima River closes to salmon retention Oct. 22, as does the section of the Columbia River from the wooden powerline towers at the Old Hanford townsite to Priest Rapids Dam.

Rather dig some razor clams? The first dig of the fall season is scheduled to get under way Oct. 25, if marine toxin tests show the clams are safe to eat. Four evening digs are tentatively scheduled at Twin Harbors Oct. 25-28, while two evening digs are scheduled Oct. 26 and 27 at Long Beach, Copalis and Mocrocks. Digging will be restricted to the hours between noon and midnight. Kalaloch will remain closed throughout the 2007-08 season, due a low abundance of clams at that beach.

For more information about these and other recreational opportunities, see the regional reports below.

North Puget Sound

• Fishing: Anglers fishing several of the region’s rivers and streams have had success catching coho salmon the past couple weeks. Meanwhile, in the marine areas - where the coho catch has tapered off - anglers are starting to find some chum salmon and will soon have more opportunities to hook blackmouth.

  But until those saltwater fisheries start to pick up, anglers might want to focus on the freshwater. One hot spot has been the Cascade River, where anglers are finding some nice silvers, said Brett Barkdull, WDFW fish biologist. "Recent rains have increased the flow and added color to the river, and that usually makes for good fishing on the Cascade," he said.

  But recent rains have made for spotty fishing on the Skagit River, said Barkdull. "The Skagit is usually at its best when flows are low and the water is clear, but some anglers who know the river have been doing really well," he said. "It’s certainly not a slam dunk, though."

  Anglers fishing the Skagit River have a daily limit of two salmon, but must release chinook and pink. Those fishing the Cascade, have a daily limit of four coho only.

  Anglers also have reported hooking some nice-size silvers on the Snohomish River, as well as portions of the Skykomish and Stillaguamish rivers.

  In the marine areas, anglers are turning their attention to blackmouth and chum salmon, said Steve Thiesfeld, another fish biologist with WDFW. Blackmouth fishing just got under way in Marine Area 10 (Seattle/Bremerton), where anglers are allowed to keep one chinook as part of two-salmon daily limit. And, beginning Nov. 1, anglers will have an opportunity to catch chinook in Marine Area 9 (Admiralty Inlet) and hook hatchery chinook - chinook with a clipped adipose fin - in marine areas 8-1 (Deception Pass, Hope Island and Skagit Bay) and 8-2 (Port Susan and Port Gardner).

  Thiesfeld reminds anglers that only a couple weeks remain to fish for salmon in Marine Area 7 (San Juan Islands). Salmon retention will close in that area Nov. 1.

  Meanwhile, chum salmon are starting to show up in catches throughout the region. "There have been some scattered reports of chum being caught in Puget Sound," said Thiesfeld, who recommends trolling slow and using a flasher with a green coyote spoon, or a green, purple or pink mini hoochie. "The chum fishery should start to pick up in the next week or so."

  Elsewhere, Lake Sammamish remains open for salmon through November. Anglers on the lake have a daily limit of two salmon measuring at least 12 inches. All sockeye must be released, and salmon fishing is closed within 100 yards of the mouth of Issaquah Creek. Only a couple of weeks remain in the Lake Washington salmon fishery, which wraps up at the end of October. Before the fishery closes, anglers are allowed two coho per day (minimum size 12 inches) from waters north of the Highway 520 Bridge and east of the Montlake Bridge.

  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: Lora Leschner, regional wildlife program manager, said waterfowl hunting on the Skagit was -moderate to good- during the general season opener. "Hunters’ bags included teals, widgeon and pintails," Leschner said. "Hunters in boats on the bay and those at the North Fork access area had the greatest success."

  As the season progresses, hunting should improve in the region, said Don Kraege, WDFW waterfowl manager. "We usually see the bulk of the birds arrive in November and December," he said. "But there are some birds in the area now, and this windy, rainy weather could move those birds inland and help out hunters."

  The duck season closes today (Oct. 17), but opens again on Oct. 20 and runs through Jan. 27. Goose hunts continue through Oct. 25 in the region, and then start again Nov. 3. Snow, Ross and blue geese seasons in Goose Management Area 1 (Skagit and Snohomish counties) run from Oct. 20 through Jan. 27 without a break.

  Meanwhile, the general modern firearm hunting season for deer continues through Oct. 31, while the general season for elk gets started Nov. 3. Hunting seasons for bear, cougar, grouse, pheasant, California quail and bobwhite also are open in the region.

  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 at Juanita Bay Park in Kirkland have reported seeing an American black duck in the area. American black ducks, large birds that closely resemble mallards, are rarely seen in the Kirkland area. Up until the mid-90’s, a small feral population existed in the Everett area. But that population appears to have been extirpated, according to the Seattle Audubon Society (http://www.birdweb.org/birdweb/index.aspx).

  Large flocks of migrating waterfowl have yet to arrive, but there have been some reports of snow geese in the region. One birder spotted about 90 snow geese in several "ragged V’s" over Lummi Island heading south, according to a report on Tweeters birding website (http://www.scn.org/earth/tweeters/). About 80,000 snow geese winter in western Washington each year. Most of those snow geese congregate in the Skagit River delta, and can be found in the area from mid-October through early May.

South Sound/Olympic Peninsula

UPDATE (10/23/07) Clam diggers got the go-ahead to proceed with the first razor-clam dig of the fall season starting Thursday, Oct. 25. See news release (http://wdfw.wa.gov/do/newreal/release.php?id=oct2207a) for more information.

• Fishing: Salmon anglers are making the transition from coho to blackmouth, as more waters open to chum fishing around the region. Meanwhile, the first scheduled razor-clam dig of the fall season is drawing near. Digging will get under way Thursday, Oct. 25 if marine toxin tests show the clams are safe to eat.

  Four evening razor-clam digs are tentatively scheduled at Twin Harbors Oct. 25-28, while two evening digs are scheduled Oct. 26 and 27 at Long Beach, Copalis and Mocrocks. Kalaloch Beach in Olympic National Park will be closed for the season due to a low abundance of razor clams.

  Scheduling extra days for Twin Harbors was based on results of the annual razor clam stock assessment, said Dan Ayres, coastal shellfish manager for WDFW. "Razor clam populations declined at Long Beach, Mocrocks and Kalaloch, but increased on the middle coast," Ayres said. "That means we can offer more digging opportunities at Twin Harbors and Copalis during the 2007-08 season."

  The best time to start digging is an hour or two before low tide, said Ayres, adding that no digging will be allowed before noon. He also recommends taking a lantern for evening digs at all beaches.

  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. Another option is a razor-clam only license available in annual or three-day only versions. Descriptions of the various licensing options are available on the WDFW website at https://fishhunt.dfw.wa.gov. Clam diggers are no longer required to display their licenses on outer clothing.

  Tentative opening dates and evening low tides are:

  • Thursday, Oct. 25 (6:38 p.m. -1.1) Twin Harbors only
  • Friday, Oct. 26 (7:26 p.m. -1.7) all beaches (except Kalaloch)
  • Saturday, Oct. 27 (8:14 p.m. -1.9) all beaches (except Kalaloch)
  • Sunday, Oct. 28 (9:03 p.m. -1.8) Twin Harbors only

  More digs are tentatively scheduled Nov. 23-26 and Dec. 21-23.

  Anglers looking for salmon opportunities should get their rods ready for chum and blackmouth, as the coho season tails off in most marine areas, said Steve Thiesfeld, WDFW fish biologist. "Anglers have some choices during this transition period," he said. "The fishing’s been pretty good out of Port Angeles where folks still have some time to catch coho." When the salmon season ends Oct. 31 in Marine Area 6, a new blackmouth fishery starts Nov. 1 in Marine Area 5 (Sekiu).

  In South Puget Sound, anglers have had some success catching blackmouth, Thiesfeld said. On the Oct. 13-14 weekend, anglers fishing near the Point Defiance Boathouse and the Narrows Ramp in Marine Area 11 averaged about one fish per rod.

  As for chum, Thiesfeld recommends Kennedy Creek in Thurston County and the waters around Hoodsport in Hood Canal, which opened for chum and blackmouth retention Oct. 16. In addition, the Skokomish River just south of Hoodsport has been kicking out chum and coho, he said.

  On Nov. 1 the Dosewallips and Duckabush Rivers in Jefferson County, and Minter Creek in Pierce/Kitsap counties will also open for chum retention.

  More area rivers also opened for fall fishing Oct. 16. A portion of the Dungeness River in Clallam County is open for trout and coho only. A section of the Hoh River from Willoughby Creek to Morgan's Crossing boat launch is also open for salmon fishing and, in Pacific County, anglers can fish for salmon in the Willapa River from the Highway 6 Bridge to Fork Creek. Anglers are advised to check WDFW's 2006/2007 Fishing in Washington pamphlet (http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/regs/fishregs.htm) for details before fishing these waters.

  For those heading to the coast, Westport is hosting its annual Boat Basin Salmon Derby, which runs seven days a week until Oct. 31. For a $5 derby ticket, anglers can fish for chinook and coho from marina docks anywhere in the Westport boat basin. Successful anglers can win $300 for the largest chinook and $500 for coho, plus other prizes. All fish must be caught during daylight hours and validated with a derby ticket at the official weigh station at the marina between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. For more information, visit http://www.anglercharters.net/.

  In a few weeks, trout anglers looking for some late-season action should head to Black Lake in Thurston County where 3,500 one-pound rainbows will be stocked before the first weekend in November, said Larry Phillips, WDFW fish biologist. "Last year was the first time we offered this opportunity," Phillips said. "The goal is to provide some early-winter trout fishing in Thurston County after other lowland lakes close for the season." Other year-round lakes with good fishing in Thurston County include Offut, St. Clair and Lawrence, Phillips said.

• Hunting: The modern-firearm deer season opened Oct. 13 and runs through the end of the month. At the check station near Weyerhaeuser’s Vail Tree Farm south of Rainier, hunters checked in 59 deer over the weekend, which wasn’t the best start to the season, said Bryan Murphie, WDFW wildlife biologist.

  "Vail is usually quite good, but this year the weather wasn’t cooperating, which likely contributed to lower hunter success," Murphie said. "Opening weekend was warm and dry, which is not ideal for hunting because deer tend to be less active throughout the day, making them hard to see."

  Murphie said hunters should be more successful when the weather changes. "Deer activity increases on wet, drizzly days, plus rain helps muffle the sounds that hunters make."

  Murphie also reminds hunters to be vigilant when looking for deer. "Black-tailed deer are masters of concealment and dense vegetation is their typical habitat," he said. "Hunters need to take time and use their binoculars or spotting scopes to search through the vegetation, especially on days when activity is low."

  Goose hunting in most areas opened Oct. 13 and will continue daily through Oct. 25 then pick up again Nov. 3. In Pacific County, where the season runs from Oct. 13-Jan. 27, hunters must have written authorization to hunt, which requires passing a goose identification test.

  The season for duck, coot and snipe closed Oct. 17 but will reopen Oct. 20. Hunters may also pursue California quail and bobwhite until Nov. 30. Meanwhile, hunting seasons continue for bear, cougar, grouse and pheasant. For information about WDFW's pheasant release sites, see the 2007 Western Washington Pheasant Release pamphlet (http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/game/water/wwapheas.htm).

• Wildlife viewing: Each fall, birders and other wildlife enthusiasts make their way to Tokeland (15 miles south of Westport) to observe the antics of hundreds of marbled godwits wintering in the area. Congregating at the Tokeland Marina, these large cinnamon-colored shorebirds are easily identified by their long bill with its upward slant. The marina offers excellent viewing opportunities for up-close observation of this active shorebird. Godwit numbers can range from 500 to 800 birds throughout the fall, winter and early spring. The birds leave in early spring for breeding grounds in the far north.

  October and November are great months to watch salmon returning to local streams. In Mason County, visitors can make their way to Kennedy Creek, which is a small lowland stream that flows into Totten Inlet in southern Puget Sound. The creek is one of the most productive chum salmon streams in Washington and visitors can get excellent views from the Kennedy Creek Salmon Trail. More information is located at http://www.spsseg.org/kennedy/Kennedy.asp.

  In Thurston County, Tumwater Falls Park continues to offer views of salmon as they make their way up the Deschutes River. The 15-acre park runs adjacent to Capitol Boulevard and Interstate 5 in Tumwater. Several hatcheries also offer viewing opportunities. In Pierce County, Minter Creek hatchery (253-857-5077) near Purdy has a good viewing platform and coho will be returning this month to the Chambers Creek hatchery (253-589-7234) in Lakewood. The best place to see them is at the dam, but a trail also follows along the stream. Voight's Creek hatchery (360-893-6440) off Highway 162 east of Orting is another good bet for seeing coho. Call the hatchery staff at the phone numbers listed to find out when they will be taking eggs from the fish.

Southwest Washington:

• Fishing: One in three boat anglers fishing right below Bonneville Dam has been taking home legal-size white sturgeon in recent days and bank anglers are also catching their share of keepers. Meanwhile, late-run hatchery coho salmon are moving up the Columbia River and several tributaries in increasing numbers as the run nears its peak.

  "Late-run coho are moving in right on schedule," said Joe Hymer, a WDFW fish biologist stationed in Vancouver. "These are nice, bright fish, promising good fishing in the days ahead."

  One good sign is that coho counts at Bonneville Dam had jumped to more than 1,000 fish per day by mid-October, he said. Another is that nearly 4,400 adult coho returned to the Cowlitz River Salmon Hatchery the previous week.

  Bank anglers fishing the Cowlitz River near the Barrier Dam averaged nearly a coho per rod (counting fish released) during the week ending Oct. 14. Under the "bonus" bag limit now in effect on the Cowlitz, anglers may retain up to six hatchery adult coho a day but must release any chinook salmon, wild coho or any other salmon they encounter.

  Anglers have also been catching hatchery coho in the Lewis and Kalama rivers, where the daily limit is four adult coho. The Elochoman and Washougal rivers are two other options with a daily limit of two hatchery adult coho per day.

  Of the fish returning to the Cowlitz Hatchery, 853 adult coho and 253 coho jacks were released into Riffe Lake at the Taidnapam North boat launch. Tacoma Power employees released another 381 adult coho into Lake Scanewa at the Day Use Site, and 74 adult coho - plus 56 fall chinook jacks - into the Tilton River at Gust Backstrom Park in Morton.

  On the mainstem Columbia, 60 anglers surveyed below Bonneville Dam had caught seven adult chinook and seven hatchery coho during the week ending Oct. 14. By permanent rule, waters from Beacon Rock upstream to Bonneville Dam will close to all salmon fishing beginning Nov. 1.

  Above the dam, 83 anglers fishing the Bonneville Pool had six chinook and 11 coho - most caught near the mouth of the Klickitat River. Bank anglers have been pulling a few fall chinook out of the Klickitat, itself, although all chinook must be released 400 feet upstream from the No. 5 fishway to the boundary markers below the salmon hatchery starting Nov. 1. Anglers have also been catching some coho on the White Salmon River, although effort there and at Drano Lake has been light.

  But for sturgeon, the area just below Bonneville Dam is still the place to be. During creel surveys in mid-October, 436 bank anglers reported catching 70 legal-size fish and releasing three others. The 29 boat anglers fishing the same area had caught 11 keepers, measuring 42-60 inches. Boat anglers have also been catching some legal-size sturgeon between Kalama and Camas/Washougal - the latter also yielding an average of one walleye per rod.

  Angling for some trout? Battle Ground Lake was planted with 792 rainbow averaging 1.5 pounds apiece - plus 528 others weighing 2.5 pounds each - on Oct. 5. Hymer also suggests fishing for sea-run cutthroat trout on the Cowlitz River near the trout hatchery. "They’re aggressive, and they bite on flies, lures or bait," he said. Most average 12-14 inches, with a limit of five hatchery fish per day.

• Hunting: The early black-tailed deer season for hunters using modern firearms runs Oct. 13-31, and most participants are hoping for worse - or, from their perspective, better - weather than on opening day. "After the first hour, the first day of the season turned clear and warm," said Eric Holman, a WDFW wildlife biologist. "Most deer headed for the thick brush, so hunters had their work cut out for them."

  Those conditions were reflected in hunter success rates. At the Klickitat Wildlife Area, WDFW biologists checked 150 hunters and just four deer (two 4-point bucks, a 3-point buck and an adult doe). At the Yacolt Burn on Weyerhaeuser land in Clark County, five deer (four spikes and a 2-point buck) were checked for 596 hunters. "But that’s just one day of hunting," Holman said. "It’s surprising how things even out over the course of the season when you compare harvest rates from one year to the next."

  Next up for big-game hunters is the modern-firearm season for elk, which runs Nov. 3-12 in selected game management units around the region. For more information on deer and elk hunting, see the Big Game Hunting pamphlet, available from license dealers and online at http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/game/hunter/hunter.htm.

  Goose hunting is open through Oct. 25 in Goose Management Areas 3 (Lewis and Skamania counties) and resumes Nov. 3 through Jan. 27. In Goose Management Area 5 (Klickitat and Yakima counties), the season closed Oct. 15, but resumes Oct. 20. Management Area 2A opens Nov. 10. See the Migratory Waterfowl and Upland Game pamphlet http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/game/water/water.htm) for more information.

  The statewide season for duck, coot and snipe closes today (Oct. 13), but reopens Oct. 20 through Jan. 27. Hunters may also pursuequail and bobwhite through Jan. 21, while the forest grouse season continues through Dec. 31. For information about WDFW pheasant release sites, see (http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/game/water/wwapheas.htm) on the department’s website.

• Wildlife viewing:The Birdfest and Bluegrass festival is over for another year, but most of the birds that drew crowds to the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge earlier this month are still there. In fact, as a writer for The Columbian newspaper recently noted, "it’s one of the ironies of the [festival] that the more people who show up, the fewer birds there are for them to see."

  Even so, birders who attended the festival returned with tales of sightings both common and not-so-common. One contributor to the Tweeters birding website (http://www.scn.org/earth/tweeters/) reported spotting 51 species at the refuge during the first day of festivities. His list included majestic sandhill cranes, great blue herons, great egrets, a great horned owl and woodpeckers, both hairy and downy. Another also remarked on the cranes and -tons of raptors,- including a hawk photographed taking flight with a snake in its beak. (See photos at http://www.wildmaven.org/birdwatch/13oct07.jpg).

  These and many other species are still visible at the refuge, although time is running out to see sandhill cranes, the festival’s signature species. Most of the big birds are likely to be gone from the refuge within a month, as cold weather drives them south.

  Then again, the refuge isn’t the only place to find birds on an autumn day. One birder recently spotted a female yellowthroat at the Mull Street marsh just east of Tenino. Another recorded two western tanagers feeding in his grove of apple trees in western Skamania County. "This is the latest date we have had tanagers here in 35 years of owning this property," he wrote.

Eastern Washington:

• Fishing: Snake River steelheading in southeast Washington continues to be good, with the best catch rates above the Interstate bridge near Clarkston. That’s where anglers are catching steelhead with every six hours or so of effort, and keeping a hatchery fish about every eight hours. Anglers on the Wallula section, from the Oregon state line to the mouth of the Walla Walla River, have been averaging between 17 and 18 hours per steelhead caught. The most recent complete creel surveys are available on the Eastern region webpage at http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/creel/snake/index.htm.

  Glen Mendel, WDFW southeast district fish biologist, said two of the Tucannon River impoundments recently received surplus hatchery rainbow trout. Blue Lake and Spring Lake in Columbia County received 190 catchable-sized rainbows. "These fish were about eight inches and we hope anglers will target them before these lakes close to fishing on Oct. 31," Mendel said.

  Many other trout-stocked fishing lakes in the region also close Oct. 31, including Ferry County’s Davis, Ellen, and Swan; Stevens County’s Bayley, Black, Cedar, Deep, Deer, Jump-Off-Joe, Little Pend Oreille chain of lakes, Loon, McDowell, Mudget, Rocky, and Starvation; Pend Oreille County’s Browns, Crescent, Davis, Diamond, Frater, Halfmoon, Horseshoe, Leo, Marshall, Mystic, Nile, No-Name, Petit, Sacheen, Skookum and Yokum; and Spokane County’s Chapman and Clear lakes. Curt Vail, WDFW northeast district fish biologist, said some of the best fishing can be found at this time of year in these waters.

• Hunting: The modern firearm deer hunting season got off to its usual good start in the eastern region, which traditionally averages the highest success rates in the state.

  WDFW wildlife biologists conducted a voluntary check station at Deer Park on Oct. 14 and surveyed 217 hunters, down from the 272 in 2006 and 321 in 2005 over the same opening weekend. Those 217 hunters harvested 39 deer for an 18 percent success rate. That compares to a 15 percent success rate in 2006 and 14 percent in 2005.

  WDFW wildlife biologists also surveyed deer hunters at a check station in Colfax on Oct. 14. Only six deer, harvested in Game Management Units (GMU) 139 (Steptoe) and 142 (Almota) were checked this year, down from about 30 deer last year, from a similar number of hunters. Hunter numbers in some areas of Whitman County were low, while other areas saw high hunter density. Some told of seeing multiple bucks and others saw few to none.

  A total of 72 southeast district deer hunters were checked at WDFW’s Asotin station on opening weekend, with 32 bucks. Overall season success rates in those units usually average around 26 percent. Those hunting GMU 186 (Grand Ronde) complained of fewer deer.

  Modern firearm deer hunting continues through Oct. 21 in most units in the region, through Oct. 26 in GMUs 105-124 for white-tailed bucks, and through Oct. 28 in GMU 101 (Sherman) for white-tailed bucks.

  Waterfowl hunting also opened Oct. 13 and quail and partridge season has been open since Oct. 6. Bird hunters have been out on WDFW’s Swanson Lakes Wildlife Area in Lincoln County in good numbers, according to area manager Juli Anderson. "We have good numbers of gray partridge and some quail, but hunters without dogs are having a much tougher time," she said. "The waterfowl hunters have found that most of our ponds are long dried-up so prospects are fairly poor here."

  Anderson has also seen many deer hunters at Swanson Lakes and expects more bird hunters with the pheasant season opener on Oct. 20. Pheasant hunters with dogs should do well, but she reminds upland bird hunters to be careful about identifying birds before shooting since protected sharp-tailed grouse are in the area. Signs along the county roads show a drawing of a sharp-tail and how to identify them.

  Anderson also reminds all hunters that parking in the wildlife area lots is day parking only and requires the WDFW vehicle use permit that comes with the hunting license. Overnight parking can be found on nearby Bureau of Land Management (BLM) grounds. No motorized vehicles, including ATVs, are allowed on trails or cross-country in the area’s interior, even if gates are open or fences down. The only exception is the one-mile-long road from the county road to the wildlife area office.

  "If you stop while driving on gravel or unimproved county roads that bisect Swanson Lakes, stay on the county right-of-way but out of the actual lanes of traffic," she said. "Do not cross private property to access the wildlife area, even if it's only a strip between the road and the fence. Travel further on, or back if needed, to where the road is right next to our lands. If you pass through a gate on Lone Pine or Grant roads, leave it the way you found it."

  Pheasant brood numbers throughout the region have been averaging three to five birds, said Joey McCanna, WDFW upland bird specialist. Some private acreage with good habitat, including federal Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) grasslands, are in WDFW "Feel Free To Hunt" or "Register To Hunt" programs, (noted with posted signs), especially in Whitman and Lincoln counties and south of the Snake River. The natural pheasant reproduction is boosted in a few areas with periodic releases of game-farm-raised roosters, although none just before the season opener. See release site details at http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/game/water/ewapheas.htm.

  Modern firearm elk hunting opens Oct. 27, with any elk fair game in some northeast and central district units, any bull available in GMUs 111 (Aladdin), 113 (Selkirk) and 117 (49 Degrees North), and spike bulls only in the Blue Mountains units. The largest herds of elk in the region are in the Blues. Elk are fewer and further between up north in terrain that is usually tougher to hunt.

  Steve Zender, WDFW northeast district wildlife biologist, reminds families that young hunters can continue to hunt antlerless white-tailed deer through the elk season. "While everyone else is concentrating on elk in the mountains this is a great time to work with landowners in lower lying areas to schedule a youth hunt, while the pressure is off both the farmers and the deer," he said.

• Wildlife viewing: Steve Zender, WDFW northeast district wildlife biologist, said it’s a great time for a wildlife-viewing trip up north because fall foliage colors are at a peak the last two weeks of October and snow hasn’t made road travel difficult yet. The bright yellow aspens, orange maples, red sumacs and more, combined with the chance to see white-tailed deer and wild turkeys in the fields and woods and ducks, geese, and many other birds along waterways, make for a memorable road trip.

  "A route off the beaten path that might be new for many is up the Alladin-Northport Road north of Colville," Zender said. "Stay north past Deep Lake and around to the Columbia River. It really is the Columbia, as it is free flowing here. Then go back down to Northport. From there you have several choices to return."

  Other popular routes are along the Pend Oreille River or the Kettle River, he said. From Kettle Falls go north to the Boulder-Deer Creek Pass and then explore the river in both directions in the Curlew area.

  Both migrating birds and those that will stay around all winter are coming into backyard feeders now for easy meals.

  "Wild birds will continue to forage on natural foods, so feeders are only supplemental to them and provide us with close-up viewing enjoyment," said Howard Ferguson, WDFW central district wildlife biologist. "You don’t have to worry about keeping feeders filled constantly, and you probably shouldn’t anyway. Taking a break from feeding helps spread birds out and gives people a chance to clean the feeders to avoid spreading disease."

  See WDFW’s Backyard Wildlife Sanctuary program information at http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/backyard/ for more on backyard feeding.

North Central Washington:

• Fishing: Bob Jateff, WDFW Okanogan district fish biologist, said steelhead fishing on the mainstem Columbia River above Wells Dam, including the Okanogan and Methow rivers, has been good.

  "Anglers are averaging a steelhead every eight to 10 hours of effort," he said. "Dark patterns seem to be working the best for both fly anglers and jig and bobber fishers."

  Jateff reminds anglers that selective gear rules are in effect for both the Okanogan and Methow rivers, and some areas are closed to all fishing. Steelheaders are encouraged to retain adipose fin-clipped steelhead in order to allow a higher percentage of natural-origin steelhead on the spawning grounds. Steelhead with adipose fins must not be removed from the water when released.

  Selective gear lowland trout lakes in Okanogan County, such as Big Twin near Winthrop and Blue on the Sinlahekin, will close to fishing at the end of October.

  "Now is a good time to fish these lakes because the angling pressure is usually light and the fishing can be very good," Jateff said. "Blue Lake has both browns and rainbows from 12 to 20 inches and Big Twin has rainbows from 10 to 18 inches."

  Jameson Lake in Douglas County continues to provide good fishing for nine- to 10-inch rainbows, with carryover fish up to 14 inches. Jameson also will close to all fishing on Oct. 31.

• Hunting: The modern firearm deer hunting season opened Oct. 13 throughout the region. Scott Fitkin, WDFW Okanogan district wildlife biologist, headed up the traditional opening weekend Chewuck check station in the Methow Valley to get a sense of participation and harvest rates. Both were up, Fitkin said, with about 40 percent more hunters stopping by this year compared to last, and the numbers of deer harvested up 26 percent.

  "It suggests hunting activity has rebounded from the reduced level we experienced in 2006 during the Tripod wildfire," Fitkin said. "The hunter success rate actually fell slightly from last year, but hunters were generally satisfied. The cooler, wetter weather forecasted could improve harvest opportunity significantly for the second weekend of the season, particularly if snow accumulates at higher elevations."

  Deer hunting continues through Oct. 21 throughout the region. Columbia Basin deer hunting potential is good because deer numbers appear to be as high as any time in the past 20 years, said Jim Tabor, WDFW district wildlife biologist. Most, however, occupy private property, so hunters are urged to obtain permission for access.

  Waterfowl hunting opened Oct. 13, when WDFW wildlife biologist Rich Finger and waterfowl specialist Mikal Moore checked duck hunters on Potholes Reservoir and the Columbia Basin wasteways. Hunter averaged 2.5 ducks per person, and the harvest was mostly American wigeon, mallards, and green-winged teal.

  "Early morning fog on the wasteways obscured visibility and limited success of some parties," Moore said. "But few went home empty-handed. Hunters should watch the weather reports closely as cold weather and wind brings new birds to the area." Moore said the early migrant species, including northern pintail and green-winged teal, are arriving in large numbers and can be found in association with shallow seasonal wetlands, and local cinnamon teal have largely migrated to warmer climates.

  Moore reminded waterfowlers there is additional opportunity to harvest canvasbacks this year, with the daily bag limit doubled to two birds due to exceptional production in the Canadian prairies.

  Pheasant hunting opens Oct. 20. The number of wild roosters in Grant and Adams counties should be similar to recent years, boosted periodically throughout the two-and-a-half-month season with game-farm-raised roosters at WDFW release sites. See release site details at http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/game/water/ewapheas.htm.

  Meanwhile quail and partridge hunting, under way since Oct. 6, has been fairly good in some areas. The highest densities of quail are in the dry land portions of Grant County, but huntable numbers are available at some locations in the irrigated parts of Grant and Adams counties. Good opportunity for Hungarian or gray partridge is in central Adams County on WDFW Hunter Access Program lands.

  Modern firearm elk hunting opens Oct. 27 and nearly all elk harvest in the region is in the Mission Game Management Unit (GMU) in Chelan County. Hunters can expect less crowded conditions, but poor likelihood of finding elk, in other GMUs open for elk hunting.

• Wildlife viewing: WDFW waterfowl specialist Mikal Moore reports large numbers of small Canada geese in the Stratford area of Grant County. Approximately 30,000 have been concentrating there since Oct. 13. They can be viewed during the day on Stratford Lake off Highway 28 near the town of Stratford, northeast of Ephrata.

  Other waterways in the Columbia Basin are a sure bet now for seeing ducks, geese, and other birds, including Moses Lake, Potholes Reservoir, Winchester Wasteway, and other parts of central Washington’s irrigated farmland.

  Both migrating birds and those that will stay around all winter are coming into backyard feeders now for easy meals. If you feed, keep feeders clean to avoid spreading disease. See WDFW’s Backyard Wildlife Sanctuary program information at http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/backyard/ for more on backyard feeding.

South Central Washington:

• Fishing: Paul Hoffarth, WDFW fish biologist, said that despite relatively low numbers of fall chinook salmon returning to the Hanford Reach of the Columbia River this year, fishing has been good.

  "Effort has been down from last year, but harvest is currently 10 percent above last year at this time," Hoffarth said.

  The fall chinook fishery in the Hanford Reach (wooden powerline towers to Priest Rapids Dam) closes Oct. 22. It remains open from McNary Dam upstream to the wooden powerline towers through Dec. 31, but Hoffarth said few chinook are caught after Oct. 31.

  Yakima River fall chinook salmon angler activity recently picked up. Hoffarth said that creel crews interviewed 218 anglers the week of Oct. 8-14, which represents about 22 percent of the angling effort. An estimated 82 adult chinook, 87 jacks, and eight coho were harvested. As of Oct. 14, a total of 186 adult chinook, 161 jacks, and eight coho had been harvested. Anglers averaged 11 hours per fish caught.

  The fall chinook fishery in the lower Yakima River will remain open through Oct. 22. Hoffarth said the majority of the fall chinook return to the Yakima River in mid-October as water temperatures begin to cool.

  The Ringold area of the Columbia River is open for hatchery steelhead. The area open is from the Highway 395 bridge at Pasco/Kennewick upstream to the wooden powerline towers at the old Hanford town site. Steelhead must have both the adipose and ventral fin clipped to be retained during the month of October. Beginning Nov.1 and through March 31, 2008, any hatchery steelhead can be retained.

  "Steelhead fishing has been improving in the mid-Columbia and Snake rivers," Hoffarth said. "Most anglers are using a bobber and shrimp combination or trolling wiggle warts. Fall fishing for walleye can be terrific. The Columbia River below McNary Dam regularly produces good catches of walleye in October."

  Eric Anderson, WDFW fish biologist, reminds trout anglers that many catchable-size trout are planted in Yakima and Kittitas county year-round lakes in the fall.

  "Although these fish are smaller than our spring planted trout, they still provide good angling opportunity in our year-round lakes," Anderson said.

• Hunting: Modern firearm deer hunting began in some Game Management Units Oct. 13 and runs through the 21st or 26th, depending on species. Check the Big Game Hunting Rules at http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/game/hunter/hunter.htm for details.

  Pheasant hunting gets under way Oct. 20, with natural reproduction boosted periodically with releases of game-farm-raised roosters on release sites. See release site details at http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/game/water/ewapheas.htm.

  Modern firearm elk hunting runs Oct. 27-Nov. 4 in GMUs 382 and 388 for any elk, and in GMUs 328, 329, 335-368 for spike bulls only. The season runs through Nov. 15 for any elk in GMUs 373, 379, and 381. See details of these hunts at http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/game/hunter/hunter.htm.

• Wildlife viewing: Ken Bevis, WDFW habitat biologist in Yakima, said this is a great time to watch for migrating bird species and to enjoy fall foliage colors.

  "Especially watch out for warblers and other interesting migrants," Bevis said. "Stragglers are sometimes observed, such as the osprey still hanging around Selah, or the turkey vultures that sometimes are spotted along the eastern Cascades front in October."

  Both migrating birds and those that will stay around all winter are coming into backyard feeders now for easy meals. If you feed, keep feeders clean to avoid spreading disease. See WDFW’s Backyard Wildlife Sanctuary program information at http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/backyard/ for more on backyard feeding.