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Steelheading, waterfowl hunting, birding top Washington’s wintertime outdoor activities Cold weather throughout much of the state shouldn’t put outdoors enthusiasts’ plans on ice. When temperatures drop, many outdoor activities are just hitting their peak.
Steelhead fishing – Perhaps the quintessential Pacific Northwest fishing experience is a mid-winter steelheading trip in a steady 34-degree rain on any of the beautiful rivers along the north Olympic Peninsula. There are still some hatchery steelies available, with the wild runs beginning to pick up steam in many rivers. Lower Columbia River tributaries, northern Puget Sound streams and eastern Washington rivers – particularly the Snake – also offer steelheading to anglers hearty enough to endure the weather.
Waterfowl hunting – The general waterfowl season for geese and ducks
runs through Jan. 30 throughout most of the state, while a Skagit County brant goose season will run for five days later this month. Be sure to check hunting regulations for your specific area before setting out the decoy spread.
Big-game hunting seasons have ended, but hunters have one more important task, and that is reporting their 2004 hunting activity for each deer, elk, bear and turkey tag by Jan. 31. Even unsuccessful hunters, as well as those who bought tags and didn't hunt, must report if they purchased a tag. Call the toll-free reporting line, 1-877-945-3492, or file a report online at http://fishhunt.dfw.wa.gov on the Internet. Data collected from hunters provides wildlife managers with important information for the management of Washington's game.
Cold weather can be a challenging time for local wildlife. Backyard birders can do their part by keeping water sources open, filling the birdfeeder and maybe putting out a suet block, which provides extra energy for insect-feeding bird species. More details are available in WDFW’s Backyard Wildlife Sanctuary program packets, which can be picked up at the agency’s Mill Creek and Spokane offices, or online at http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/byw_prog.htm on the Internet.
Here is more information on current recreational opportunities across Washington:
Northern Puget Sound
Fishing: The steelhead action has been slow on most river systems, mostly due to cold, low water conditions. The lull in the action shouldn’t discourage anglers, notes Curt Kraemer, WDFW regional fish program manager. “You can still catch steelhead during these kinds of conditions, but you have to be very precise in where you fish,” he said. “Steelhead won’t move around much when the rivers are low, clear and cold, so focus on holding water, rather than the water that fish use to move upstream.” What’s “holding water?” It’s a stretch of stream that combines several important features that attract fish, including a mild current; a non-sandy bottom, as swirling sand can aggravate the gills; and enough depth to provide fish the cover they need to feel safe. Be sure to work holding areas thoroughly before moving on to the next likely stretch of water. “There should still be some hatchery fish around in those areas, and more wild steelhead are showing up all the time,” Kraemer said. Patient anglers have been hooking a few hatchery fish in the Snohomish River system, most notably the Skykomish in the Reiter Ponds area, and the in the Snoqualmie near the mouth of Tokul Creek. For anglers who are looking for a better bet than finding a steelhead that will bite in low, gin-clear water, grab the ultralight gear and head out for a few whitefish. After feeding on stray eggs behind spawning salmon, whitefish are now likely on the move to waters where they’ll be doing some spawning of their own. “Large, deep pools will sometimes be filled with whitefish right now,” Kraemer said. “It’s not unusual to find schools of 1,000 or more in a single hole.” There is a 15-fish daily limit for whitefish and no minimum size. While action has slowed somewhat, Skagit River flyfishers have hooked a few Dolly Varden using egg patterns and naturally colored flies with colorful names, such as the egg-sucking leech, woolly bugger and the ever-popular conehead kiwi muddler. Dollies 20 inches in length or longer can be retained as part of the two-trout daily limit on the Baker, Cascade, Skagit, Sauk, Snohomish, Suiattle, Sultan, Wallace, Whitechuck and Skykomish rivers. Trout anglers who can’t wait for another three-plus months before wetting a line in their favorite lowland lake can always try one of the lakes that are open year-round, including Pass Lake at Deception Pass in Skagit County. This small lake can be a great place for catch-and-release flyfishing, particularly a little later in the winter on a calm, sunny day. For bigger water, head to Lake Washington, which is open to fishing for trout and other game fish year-round. Big perch and even bigger cutthroat trout can be caught in Lake Washington. All steelhead and rainbow trout over 20 inches in length must be released Dec. 1 to June 30. Nearby Lake Sammamish is also open to fishing year-round under the same rules that govern Lake Washington fisheries, except kokanee trout must be released. The blackmouth bite has been light in Marine Area 10, including Elliott Bay, the only stretch of marine water in the region still open to salmon fishing. The opportunities to fish for blackmouth expand dramatically on Feb. 1 when marine areas 7 (the San Juan Islands), 8-1 (Deception Pass south to Saratoga Passage) and 9 (Admiralty Inlet to the Apple Cove Point – Edwards Point line) all open with a one-fish daily limit. Blackmouth must be 22 inches to retain. Squid jigging has been slow off Elliott Bay piers.
Wildlife viewing: Bald eagle viewing is in full swing on the Skagit River, particularly from Sedro Woolley upstream to Newhalem. The headquarters for eagle-viewing activity is the Skagit River Bald Eagle Interpretive Center in the Rockport Fire Hall, which is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday through Sunday through Feb. 21, plus Monday holidays (Jan. 17 and Feb. 21). The 18th annual Upper Skagit Bald Eagle Festival is set for Feb. 5-6 and features educational displays, food, entertainment, guided birding tours and other activities. Detailed information on this year’s festival and Skagit River eagle viewing opportunities is available online at http://www.skagiteagle.org/. In the lowlands, look for trumpeter and tundra swans scattered in small groups throughout the agricultural areas. The Kent Ponds, also known as the Green River Natural Resources Area, have hosted a few unusual species lately, including a least flycatcher. Considered a rare specimen for western Washington, the bird typically spends its summers in the interior of Canada and migrates to the extreme southern U.S. or Central America for the winter. Another rare find at the Kent Ponds is the presence of a Baikal teal, a gorgeous duck that is typically found in Asia. Baikal teal breed in eastern and central Siberia and winter in southern Siberia through Korea, Japan, Mongolia, and eastern China. Siberian birds will sometimes cross the Bering Sea and make it into Alaska, but there are few records of Baikal teal in Washington. A tufted duck that has been hanging around Phantom Lake is causing a stir among King County birders. Tufted ducks, which are native to Eurasia, are a compact diving duck and are considered a rare wintertime resident in western Washington. For information on accessing birding areas at Phantom Lake, check out the City of Bellevue’s website at http://www.ci.bellevue.wa.us/page.asp?view=2040 on the Internet.
Hunting: A strong return of brant geese to northern Puget Sound means a five-day hunting season will proceed as scheduled later this month. Hunting brant will be allowed in Skagit County on Jan. 22, 23, 26, 29 and 30. The daily bag limit is two brant. Mike Davison, a WDFW wildlife biologist, counted more than 11,400 brant geese during a recent aerial survey of Padilla, Samish and Fidalgo bays. “The birds are well-distributed throughout the marine areas, and hunting should be good this year,” he said. All hunters participating in the brant season must have written authorization and a harvest report form from WDFW. Hunters must record their harvest information immediately after taking a brant. The harvest report must be returned to WDFW by Feb. 15; failure to do so means hunters will be ineligible to hunt for brant in the 2005-06 season. More information on brant-hunting requirements is available in WDFW’s Migratory Waterfowl and Upland Game Seasons hunting pamphlet, which can be found at hundreds of retail outlets throughout the state, and online at http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/game/water/mwug2004.pdf on the Internet. Hunting for Canada geese and ducks continue through Jan. 30, and tremendous numbers of birds can still be found throughout the region.
Olympic Peninsula/South Sound
Fishing: Cold weather has chilled fishing in many area rivers, but that doesn’t mean anglers are coming up empty-handed. Creel checks conducted the first week of January found 91 anglers with 82 steelhead (13 wild) on the Bogachiel/Quillayute river system. On the Hoh River, 61 anglers fishing below Highway 101 had caught 49 steelhead (16 wild), although none of the seven anglers fishing above the highway had fish. Four anglers checked on the Calawah River had five hatchery steelhead among them, while nine anglers fishing the Sol Duc River had four steelhead (three wild). “Fishing has cooled off along with the weather, but anglers are still averaging better than half a fish per rod,” said Mike Gross, WDFW fish biologist. “The rivers are cold and clear, but that will change as soon as the weather warms and the snow melts.” With more wild fish beginning to show up in the catch, Gross reminds anglers that they can retain one wild steelhead per year from one of 11 rivers on the Olympic Peninsula. Those rivers are the Bogachiel, Calawah, Clearwater, Dickey, Goodman, Hoh, Hoko, Pysht, Quillayute, Quinault and the Sol Duc. (The new limit of one wild steelhead per year also applies to the Green River in King County, but only to the summer season, which is now closed.) This opportunity is not reflected in the 2004-05 Fishing in Washington rule pamphlet, which was printed before the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission rescinded the statewide moratorium on wild-steelhead retention passed earlier last year. The cold snap has also slowed fishing elsewhere in the region, where anglers must still release any wild steelhead they catch. But even in their chilly torpor, some bright steelies are stirring themselves to take after eggs and corkies on the Humptulips, Satsop, Wynoochie and Puyallup rivers. One note of caution: A tree across the Satsop River between Schafer Park and the west fork can make for some tricky boating. To cold to clam? Not for the hardy souls who dug an estimated 225,000 razor clams in 35-degree weather during New Year’s weekend. WDFW has tentatively scheduled the next two digs on evening tides Feb. 5-7 and March 6-8. As usual, final approval of those digs will be announced several days ahead of time, provided that marine toxin tests show the clams are safe to eat. WDFW may announce additional openings on morning tides in spring if enough clams remain to be harvested. But for the next two openings, make sure to take a lantern – and a warm jacket.
Hunting: With most waterfowl seasons set to close Jan. 30, duck hunters are finally seeing more birds on area lakes and ponds. “The cold weather is finally driving birds out of Whatcom County and points north,” said Jack Smith, WDFW regional wildlife manager. “Duck hunters are doing a lot better here on the coast.” Meanwhile, those hunting for geese continue to be rewarded for their efforts. Ten hunters brought 21 Canada geese to the Montesano check station Jan. 8, while nine hunters checked 16 geese at the Willapa station. Smith reminds big-game hunters that they are required to report their 2004 hunting activity for each deer, elk bear and turkey tag by Jan. 31. Even unsuccessful hunters and those who bought tags and didn't hunt, must report if they purchased a tag. Call the toll-free reporting line, 1-877-945-3492, or file a report online at http://fishhunt.dfw.wa.gov on the Internet.
Wildlife viewing: Christian Hoerr of Olympia was headed toward Boston Harbor aboard a friend’s boat on New Year’s Eve when he spotted them: seven killer whales breaching and diving right offshore near Olympia. “It was beautiful,” he told the Olympian newspaper. “They were just moving together in the pod. They would go down for five-minute stretches, and they would come up. They would all roll together as a family.” Identified as a group of transients from Alaska, the killer whales killed a seal before leaving the area the next day. While the orcas are gone, many other wildlife species are on display throughout the region. Look for tundra swans and trumpeter swans on the Brady Loop Road or alongside State Route 12 in Grays Harbor County. Elk can often be seen grazing along the edges of fields throughout the region, and gray whales are now making their southbound migration along the Washington coast. Still, none of these species has generated more interest than the Eurasian thrush – commonly called a “redwing” – first spotted in a west Olympia neighborhood just before Christmas. Since then, the Olympia/Thurston County Visitors Convention Bureau estimates that nearly 1,000 birders have arrived from 20 states, Oregon and British Columbia to see a bird that one WDFW biologist said “could be mistaken for a funny-looking baby robin.” At times, as many as 60 to 70 birders have been looking through binoculars and photographing the small visitor at once. The reason? This redwing is the first of its kind ever seen in North America. While other redwings are wintering in Southern Europe, North Africa and the Middle East, this one somehow wound up thousands of miles off-course. Nomadic and gregarious, the redwing issues a “seep” call with a weak song of three or four fluty notes, feeds on worms and berries and has a maximum life expectancy of about 18 years. For daily reports on Olympia’s celebrity bird, see the Tweeters birdwatching website at http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/TWET.html.
Southwest Washington
Fishing: The winter steelhead are back, in numbers about double those of last year’s returns at some Cowlitz River hatcheries, reports Pat Frazier, regional deputy fisheries manager. Through the first week of January, some 2,000 hatchery winter steelhead had returned to the Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery, and 700 had shown up at the Cowlitz Trout Hatchery, Frazier said. Boat anglers near the Blue Creek launch on the Cowlitz River were finding hatchery steelhead at a rate of one fish for every three rods in the first week of January, Frazier adds. Fish Biologist Chris Wageman reports lots of steelhead showing on the Kalama River, with returns about three times the average there. Some 250 hatchery winter steelhead were recycled back downstream from the Kalama Hatchery in the late December and early January, and 40 more fish were recently planted in Kress Lake. On the Lewis River, over 1,000 hatchery winter steelhead have returned to the Merwin Dam fish trap—a return about a third higher than last year. On the Washougal River, about 600 hatchery winter steelhead had returned to Skamania Hatchery by the end of the first week of January; about twice last year’s tally by this date. Returns were a bit slower on the Elochoman River, where the 251 fish trapped by Dec. 28 were just half the number at the same time last year. Columbia River sturgeon anglers can keep their catch now—provided the fish are at least 42 inches long—with rules varying above and below the Wauna power lines near Cathlamet. From the Wauna power lines upstream to Bonneville Dam, sturgeon retention is allowed only on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Catch-and-release sturgeon fishing is allowed there on other days. From the Wauna power lines downstream to the Columbia River mouth sturgeon retention is allowed seven days per week. So far, sturgeon fishing has been on the slow side, said Frazier, adding that recent cold weather may have been slowing the bite. The best sturgeon spots to try are from Longview to Portland and from Washougal to Bonneville. Low temperatures may also have played a role in slowing smelt returns, Frazier said. The dipping season, which opened Jan.1, is under way seven days a week on the mainstem Columbia River, with a daily limit of 25 pound per person. In the Grays, Cowlitz, Kalama and Lewis rivers, smelt fishing is allowed only on Tuesdays and Saturdays. Dipping hours there are 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., and the daily limit is 10 pounds per person. Hatchery spring chinook fishing opened Jan. 1 on the lower Columbia River, although there aren’t many springers in the water yet, Frazier said. The season probably won’t start in earnest until late February, he added. Recent trout stocking has added 2,500 catchable-size rainbows, 75 broodstock fish and 75 steelhead averaging 10.5 pounds apiece to Klineline Pond; 3,250 catchable-size fish in Battleground Lake; 500 catchable-size trout in Maryhill Pond; 1,150 catchable-size rainbows in Spearfish Lake and 75 rainbow trout averaging 10.5 pounds apiece, along with 13 broodstock fish, in Rowland Lake.
Tacoma Power also added fish to the Cowlitz River recently. From Dec. 28 to Jan. 3, some 244 steelhead were recycled downstream to Massey Bar and 22 steelhead were taken upstream to Gust Backstrom Park on the Tilton River.
Wildlife viewing: A recent birders’ field trip to the Julia Butler Hansen National Wildlife Refuge, Altoona and around Puget Island turned up sightings of 71 species, according to the Tweeters website. Highlights included two western scrub-jays, two greater white-fronted geese, several pelagic cormorants, white-tailed kites, a male sharp-shinned hawk and a spotted sandpiper at Altoona, a young peregrine falcon at Vista County Park, black-bellied plovers, a Wilson's snipe and several Townsend's warblers. Another birder reports spotted a turkey vulture passing overhead as he drove along Interstate 5 at Ostrander Road just north of Longview. Birders at the River 'S' unit of Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge report seeing lots of tundra swans and several adult bald eagles. A birder viewing in the Cathlamet area reports “scads” of Canada geese, mallards and golden-crowned sparrows; along with duck species including ringnecks; buffleheads, common and hooded mergansers, gadwalls, lesser scaup, green-winged teals, wigeons and pintails. Also seen: red-necked and pied-billed grebes, cormorants, a number of great blue herons, a belted kingfisher, and red-tailed and northern harrier hawks.
Hunting: With only a few days remaining in the goose-hunting season, 654 hunters have been checked with 1,425 geese in Goose Management Area 2A (Clark, Cowlitz and Wahkiakum counties), reports Fred Dobler, regional wildlife manager. This is on par with last year's harvest and effort, Dobler said. Remaining hunting days are Jan. 15, 18 and 22 in the area. Goose hunting is allowed Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays through Jan. 30 in designated areas of the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge. Duck hunting throughout the state, and goose hunting in Lewis and Skamania counties, continue through Jan. 30. Deer, elk, bear and turkey hunters are reminded their mandatory 2004 season harvest reports by must be filed with WDFW by Jan. 31.
Eastern Washington
Fishing: The Snake River system is currently low, clear, and cold and steelhead fishing action is excellent in some places. The latest creel survey showed an average of just over three hours of fishing effort per steelhead caught by boat fishers on the middle portion of the Snake above the interstate bridge. Walla Walla River steelheaders averaged 3.6 hours per fish caught. Those on the Grand Ronde River from Bogan’s Oasis to the state line averaged 4.7 hours per fish caught. Tucannon River steelheaders averaged 5.3 hours; Touchet River anglers averaged 6.9 hours, and those on the mainstem Snake between Lower Monumental and Little Goose dams averaged just over 16 hours per fish caught. Other steelheading measured showed almost 34 hours per fish caught on the Snake between Little Goose and Lower Granite dams, and almost 38 hours per fish between Ice Harbor and Lower Monumental dams. For all the details of this latest creel survey, see http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/creel/snake/index.htm. A just-concluded fish survey by WDFW staff on Lake Roosevelt indicates that kokanee and rainbow trout boat fishing throughout the reservoir is excellent now.
With recent consistent freezing temperatures, ice fishing is under way at several year-round or winter-only lakes in the region. Spokane County’s Hog Canyon Lake is producing nice catches of 10- to 13-inch rainbow trout, and Fourth of July Lake on the Lincoln-Adams county line continues to provide action on trout up to 20 inches. Fourth of July Lake rules allow no more than two trout over 14 inches, and lots of anglers have had to release big fish there. Williams and Hatch lakes in Stevens County are providing 10-inch rainbows through the ice. Waitts Lake in Stevens County and Eloika Lake in Spokane County are producing yellow perch through the ice. Sprague Lake on the Lincoln-Adams county line, which has walleye, bass, crappie, bluegill, perch, and rainbows, is also seeing some ice-fishing action now, too.
Hunting: The last days of upland bird hunting could be among the best, with snow cover holding birds better than earlier in the season. For hunters willing to brave the cold, quail and partridge remain fair game through Jan. 17. Duck and goose hunting continues through the month, although anectodal reports indicate that numbers of available birds in the region are low.
Wildlife viewing: The recently-conducted winter bird count on the Little Pend Oreille Wildlife Refuge in Stevens County included many common redpolls. Count participants found them at two walk-in locations – well up Bear Creek Road and on Rookery Road past the beaver ponds. With the gates closed on these roads at this time of year, visitors need to be prepared to walk, snow-shoe or cross-country-ski the refuge. WDFW Spokane hatchery staffer Jim Muse reports lots of Canada geese and a few bald eagles in the Little Spokane River drainage. WDFW Swanson Lakes Wildlife Area manager Juli Anderson says with lots of snow on the ground now, “we have a great opportunity to see tracks of all sorts of wildlife.” Anderson also says the area is heavily drifted and advises visitors to use extreme care when driving rural gravel roads where graders and plows come around corners quickly. Plowed roads throughout the region are also used by deer, elk, and moose for easier traversing, so motorists need to be alert and aware of extremely close-up views of wildlife, whether they’re searching for them or not. Those who maintain backyard bird feeders are reporting heavy use by pine siskins, goldfinches, chickadees, nuthatches, and other birds, now that many other sources of food are encased in snow or ice. House finches are reportedly in shorter supply this season, compared to past winters. Cornell University’s Project FeederWatch and House Finch Disease Survey indicate that recent western U.S. disease outbreaks among finches may have reduced numbers in this area; for more information, see http://www.birds.cornell.edu/hofi/.
Northcentral Washington
Fishing: WDFW fish biologist Bob Jateff of Omak reports that steelhead fishing in the upper Columbia River system has slowed considerably due to cold temperatures and icing conditions in the rivers. “Most fish are being caught in the mainstem Columbia above Wells Dam,” Jateff said. “Anglers need to remember that when they record fish on their catch record cards, just fill in data from fish that they have retained. Released fish do not get recorded.” Jateff also reports that the colder temperatures have made the ice thick enough for fishing in some of the lakes in Okanogan County. Upper and Lower Green lakes near Okanogan and Little Twin Lake near Winthrop offer good opportunities for rainbow trout through the ice. Rat Lake near Brewster is also open and due to a scheduled lake rehabilitation in the spring, with no size or bag limits until March 31. Sprague Lake on the Adams-Lincoln county line, which has walleye, bass, crappie, bluegill, yellow perch and rainbows, is also seeing some ice-fishing action now, too.
Hunting: The latest reports on waterfowl numbers in the North Columbia Basin, especially mallards, is “rather bleak,” says WDFW waterfowl biologist Ron Friesz. That’s in part due to snow and ice conditions hampering efforts to survey birds, Friesz says. The complete picture for waterfowl hunters on the ground might be better, or with deeper freezes now, maybe worse. Randy Hill, wildlife biologist at the Columbia National Wildlife Refuge from Othello who conducted the last aerial survey, says some birds may have been “lost” in the count due to conditions. “We were around half the mallard total from December when water was nearly free of ice,” he said. “Lots of geese around still, but we did not find many of them on the survey.” The species-by-species results by location from the latest flight are posted at http://wdfw.wa.gov/reg/eventopp/events2.htm#geese, although it does not include Banks Lake and the Columbia River from Coulee Dam down to Wanapum Pool.
Wildlife viewing: WDFW wildlife biologist Scott Fitkin of Winthrop reports there’s currently good eagle watching in the Methow Valley. “Bald eagles are being seen along the river,” he said, and both bald and golden eagles are in the foothills wherever winter-killed deer carcasses are located.” Fitkin says winter birding in general should be good. “Northern migrants such as gyrfalcons and snowy owls are good possibilities in the open areas of the Okanogan Valley,” he said. “A few other rarities are also being reported, including a great gray owl along the cross country ski trails just west of Winthrop.” Lots of tundra swans are still using the Columbia National Wildlife Refuge and smaller numbers were recently seen during the last aerial waterfowl survey at Winchester Wasteway, Moses Lake, Lower Crab Creek and Priest Rapids dam pool. The species-by-species results by location from the latest flight are posted at http://wdfw.wa.gov/reg/eventopp/events2.htm#geese, although it does not include Banks Lake and the Columbia River from Coulee Dam down to Wanapum Pool, due to inclement flying weather.
Southcentral Washington
Fishing: WDFW fish biologist Jim Cummins reports that whitefish fishing continues on the Yakima and Naches rivers. Anglers should be cautious about shoreline shelf ice and other hazards with wintery conditions. Those fishing enthusiasts who want a little indoor adventure at this time of year can visit the WDFW booth at the Tri-Cities Sportsmen Show, Jan. 21-23, at the TRAC in Pasco. WDFW fish program staff will have information there about two new water access sites along the Yakima River and about the Yakima fall chinook salmon fishery and the Ringold steelhead fishery. See http://www.shuylerproductions.com/tcss.php for more show information.
Hunting: Latest waterfowl counts in the South Columbia Basin are not good news for waterfowl hunters. Howard Browers, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist from the Mid-Columbia River Refuges Complex, reported icy conditions throughout the survey area, which includes the Columbia River shoreline from Burbank south to Wallula, portions of Cold Springs Refuge, Burbank slough and Saddle Mountain Refuge. “Canada geese were almost nonexistent with less than 1,000 tallied,” Browers said. “The birds must have been feeding in fields well away from the rivers and sloughs (when we counted.) Mallard numbers were lower than recent mid-winter surveys. Typical strongholds such as the Umatilla Refuge Islands and Cold Springs only had small numbers of birds. The bulk of the mallards were around Badger Island and on the Columbia River from Wallula Gap to Hat Rock.” See http://wdfw.wa.gov/reg/eventopp/events3.htm#geese
for the full report. WDFW habitat biologist Ken Bevis has simple advice for late season duck hunters: “Find open water, wait for lousy weather, and don't fall in. Hypothermia is a big problem.” Hunters who want to learn more about WDFW’s new “GoHunt” on-line interactive system of maps and proposals for surcharges on hunting licenses to secure more private land hunting access, can visit with staff at the WDFW booth at the Tri-Cities Sportsmen Show, Jan. 21-23, at the TRAC in Pasco. See http://www.shuylerproductions.com/tcss.php for more information about the show.
Wildlife viewing: WDFW habitat biologist Perry Harvester reports great wildlife-viewing opportunities in the Yakima River Canyon now. Harvester recently drove through the canyon and observed six bald eagles, five great blue herons, a few coveys of quail, several species of ducks, 98 bighorn sheep, and about 20 deer. WDFW habitat biologist Ken Bevis reports“interesting low elevation bird sightings near Yakima, including a peregrine falcon and goshawk chasing chukars in the snow.” Bevis also notes that an injured saw whet owl was recently brought to the WDFW regional office in Yakima. “That’s a species generally associated with the higher mountains,” he said. Bevis advises backyard bird feeding enthusiasts to keep feeders well stocked, “now that the real cold has set in.” Some birds can temporarily become dependent on those food sources for survival, he explained. Backyard feeders in the Yakima area have been reporting evening grosbeaks, varied thrushes, and the usual assortment of sparrows and finches. Some have recently noted red-winged blackbirds moving through. Winter feeding of elk and bighorn sheep on WDFW's Oak Creek Wildlife Area southwest of Yakima is under way. Call Oak Creek at 509-653-2390 for updated information about viewing opportunities. |
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