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Sportsman Northwest

Your LOCAL Hunting & Fishing Resource

Volume 10 • ISSUE 1

ALUMAWELD TALON

PUBLISHER James R. Baker ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Dick Openshaw EDITOR Andy Walgamott LEAD WRITERS Jeff Holmes, Andy Schneider THIS ISSUE’S CONTRIBUTORS Jason Brooks, Doug Huddle, Rick Itami, Garn Kennedy, Randy King, Buzz Ramsey, Steven Rinella, Alex Savojni, Scott Staats, Todd Switzer, Don Talbot, Terry Wiest, Dave Workman GENERAL MANAGER John Rusnak

ALUMAWELD INTRUDER

SALES MANAGER Katie Higgins ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Becca Ellingsworth, Mamie Griffin, Steve Joseph, Garn Kennedy, Mike Smith, Paul Yarnold DESIGNERS Sonjia Kells, Sam Rockwell, Sable Talley, Liz Weickum PRODUCTION ASSISTANT Kelly Baker OFFICE MANAGER/ACCOUNTING Audra Higgins COPY EDITOR/ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Katie Sauro

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ON THE COVER A big grin for Wade Ramsey after harvesting this big Oregon mule deer buck in the Fossil Unit last season.

(BUZZ RAMSEY)

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MEDIA INDEX PUBLISHING GROUP WASHINGTON OFFICE P.O. Box 24365 • Seattle, WA 98124-0365 14240 Interurban Ave. S., Suite 190 Tukwila, WA 98168 OREGON OFFICE 8116 SW Durham Rd • Tigard, OR 97224 (206) 382-9220 • (800) 332-1736 • Fax (206) 382-9437 media@media-inc.com; mediaindexpublishing.com

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Northwest Sportsman 9

CONTENTS

VOLUME 10 • ISSUE 1

34 WASHINGTON DEER PROSPECTS A later, longer muley season and an end of some whitetail and blacktail antler minimums highlight 2015’s rifle season for Evergreen State buck hunters.

Dave and Kristina Anderson celebrate Kristina’s father Maury Kincannon’s successful 2014 Palouse whitetail hunt. (BROWNING PHOTO CONTEST)

FEATURES 47

WHEN MISTAKES HAPPEN Game warden and attorney advice on what to do when the wrong animal is shot.

103 BOUNTY OF THE BAYS How do you pull off a salmon, crab and waterfowl combo trip? Oregon North Coast expert Andy Schneider shares!

51

OREGON BUCK FORECAST Yes, field conditions and access will be challenging, but what are ODFW biologists forecasting for this season?

115 QUINAULT CHROME Coho kick off the great fall and winter fisheries on the Quinault Indian Nation’s rivers, and our Jeff Holmes sampled the action that’s sure to come this month.

66

SADDLE UP! How to hunt backcountry notches for muleys during Washington’s late, extended rifle hunt.

71

87

10 TIPS FOR TAGGING OUT Didn’t prepare for deer season as much as you wanted?

Outfitter Jerrod Gibbons puts you back in the game fast.

FIELD-DRESSING DEER MeatEater TV host Steven Rinella’s guide for gutting bucks.

149 A SLAM DUNCAN It’s one of the rarest fishing opportunities in the Pacific Northwest, and it’s only open two weeks in fall – Jeff details the trophy bull trout fishery on BC’s Duncan River.

161 TUNA STAYS STRONG It’s not just albies providing a “phenomenal” bite this season – find out about the rare big catch, and the “Wicked” interview we’ve got coming up!

SUBSCRIBE TODAY! Go to nwsportsmanmag.com for details.

NORTHWEST SPORTSMAN is published monthly by Media Index Publishing Group, 14240 Interurban Avenue South, Suite 190, Tukwila, WA 98168. Periodical Postage Paid at Seattle, WA and at additional mail offices. (USPS 025-251) POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Northwest Sportsman, 14240 Interurban Ave South, Suite 190, Tukwila, WA 98168. Annual subscriptions are $29.95 (12 issues), 2-year subscription are $39.95 (24 issues). Send check or money order to Media Index Publishing Group, or call (206) 382-9220 with VISA or M/C. Back issues may be ordered at Media Index Publishing Group offices at the cost of $5 plus shipping. Display Advertising. Call Media Index Publishing Group for a current rate card. Discounts for frequency advertising. All submitted materials become the property of Media Index Publishing Group and will not be returned. Copyright © 2015 Media Index Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be copied by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying or recording by any information storage or retrieval system, without the express written permission of the publisher. Printed in U.S.A.

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Northwest Sportsman 11

CONTENTS

COLUMNS 63

77

79

DEPARTMENTS

CENTRAL OREGON Scott previews the buck and bull prospects in the Ochoco, Grizzly and Maury units.

93

BUZZ RAMSEY Eleven months out of the year Buzz focuses on salmon, steelhead and trout, but he reserves October for hunting big game with his rifle and special handloads.

131 THE KAYAK GUYS Todd yacks about coho twitchin’.

ON TARGET Dave’s seven keys for tagging your elk this season.

141 BASIN BEACON Don’s proven low-water steelhead tactics for Upper Columbia tribs.

CHEF IN THE WILD Chef Randy’s reveals his “kill kit” for deer – and, er, gets to the heart of the matter with this month’s recipe.

136 NORTH SOUND Upper Skagit lakes’ trout fisheries are changing, Doug reports.

127 WESTSIDER Terry’s top eight ways for getting lockjawed coho to bite.

17

THE EDITOR’S NOTE

19

CORRESPONDENCE

20

THE BIG PIC Idaho’s coho comeback

27

PHOTO CONTEST WINNERS Monthly Daiwa, Browning prizewinners

29

THE DISHONOR ROLL Tribal fisheries codirector charged with poaching; Two men lose hunting privileges for life; Jackass Of The Month

31

DERBY WATCH Oregon Tuna Classics, Buoy 10 Salmon Challenge results; Upcoming derbies

33

OUTDOOR CALENDAR; Record Northwest Game Fish Caught This Month

99

PRODUCT FEATURE Mathews’ new MXB-Sniper Lite crossbow

113 RIG OF THE MONTH Silver slaying slinky set-up (STEVETURNERPHOTO.COM)

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THEEDITOR’SNOTE t’s with a sense of relief that we’ve finally arrived in autumn here in the Northwest. The healing from 2015’s ravages can begin.

Last month, a day after what might have been summer’s last 80-plus-degree temps broiled my sons and I as we fished for pink salmon on the Skykomish River, a cool mist fell while Amy and I cleaned up our yard. It felt good and refreshing, though we need so much more moisture to soothe the scars inflicted on our region.

This year’s heat and drought was unprecedented and will likely have long-lasting effects on our fish and fisheries. We’ve lost huge numbers of salmon and steelhead, both young and adults, wild and hatchery, the victims of hot water and dry streambeds.

The ground itself seemingly dried up. In summer trips up and down I-5 to Newport, Astoria and Bellingham, as well as excursions into the mountains, I was amazed to not only see tree and shrub leaves turning color so early, but doing so in unusual shades – some that were almost psychedelic.

When my eyes weren’t marveling at the weird leaves, they were glued to the fire maps, watching those red dots metastasize across forests and sage-steppe as another record, and deadly, wildfire season singed the Northwest. I don’t ever recall a summer with so much smoke on the Westside. Returning to Seattle from early July and late August camping trips, it was the air rather than us who smelled of smoke. The firelight was ethereal.

I was a regular at the National Weather Service’s website, fretting about cold fronts, high winds and dry lightning. I poured over the blogs of local meteorologists, the U.S. Geological Survey’s stream flow and water temperature pages, state drought monitoring updates, news stories on El Niño and The Blob, and wondered if and when it would ever end.

Perhaps it was because I paid such close attention to the conditions that I came away feeling so desiccated by it all, so gobsmacked that Mother Nature could do this to the world I know.

But now begins the healing. This month, Dad and I will again head for Deer Camp, where what was then Washington’s largest wildfire blazed just last year. While downvalley areas were hit hard, we were lucky and ours was only lightly burned, and the deer hadn’t run away. Lingering fire restrictions will keep some of us out of our deer woods this fall, so it will smart to check before going, but if this year has hit you like it has me, I think it would be rejuvenating to get out there. Things may not be as bad as feared.

And the buck prospects aren’t too bad either. –Andy Walgamott

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CORRESPONDENCE FINALLY, SOME GOOD NEWS The end of this year’s high heat came too late for thousands of square miles of the Northwest scarred by wildfires and millions of salmon, steelhead and trout that succumbed in the wild or in hatcheries to searing water temperatures. But the damage could have been worse on the fisheries front had it not been for a clever solution that the folks at the embattled (see Correspondence, September 2015) Leavenworth National Fish Hatchery came up with. As Icicle Creek dropped and warmed to dangerous levels, they used a normally dry creek channel, pumps and the ground itself to provide thermal relief for young spring Chinook being reared in the facility for sport and tribal fisheries, saving an estimated 1.2 million of them. “What a great idea and solution they came up with! Genius!” cheered Derril Hewitt on our Facebook page, while Rob Tweed proudly noted, “I worked on that project, Belsaas & Smith Construction out of Ellensburg.”

PHOTO CALL! STORY CALL!!

Our 6th Annual Real Women of 6 5t h A N N U A L Northwest Fishing feature is coming up in the December issue, and we want your photos and stories! We’re looking for articles on how you or someone you know got into fishing, what the sport means, and interesting or different perspectives on being afield. Deadline is Nov. 1. Please send material (full-size original images, please!) to awalgamott@media-inc.com, and stay tuned for the big feature that always brightens the end of the year!

REAL WOMEN OF NW FISHING

MOST LIKED PIC WE HUNG UP ON OUR FACEBOOK PAGE DURING THIS ISSUE’S PRODUCTION CYCLE

Stephen Orchard’s nice Buoy 10 fall Chinook was king of our social media in late summer. Out on the water with his daughters, the Oregon City angler was trolling a cut-plug herring when the salmon bit. (DAIWA PHOTO CONTEST) nwsportsmanmag.com | OCTOBER 2015

Northwest Sportsman 19

Clearwater Coho Revival

Tribal efforts to restore extinct run to North Idaho paying off with fall fisheries.

Coho reintroduction efforts are not only paying off for the tribes behind them, but also sport anglers. Steve Micek landed this 11.6-pound silver on Idaho’s Clearwater River during a record return last year that allowed for the first directed fishery on the stock in living memory. Work by the Nez Perce Tribe in that basin is echoed by efforts of the Yakama Nation on the Yakima, Wenatchee and Methow Rivers in Central Washington, and the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation and Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife on the Umatilla River. (STEVE MICEK)

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By Rick Itami

A

nglers who normally fish for steelhead and fall Chinook on the Clearwater River were pleasantly surprised last October when the Idaho Department of Fish and Game announced the opening of a first-ever sport fishing season for coho salmon. Anglers were allowed two per day, whether fin-clipped or not, six in possession and a total of 10 for the year. And with as many as 18,000 expected this fall, fishery managers have announced a second consecutive season through mid-November on much of the Clearwater system.

Wait, a season for sea-run coho in Idaho?!? How in the world did that happen? It’s 465 river miles from the mouth of the Columbia to Lewiston! And along the way, the salmon have to navigate past voracious seals, eight hydroelectric facilities, scores of gillnets and tens of thousands of downriver sports fishermen.

HISTORY TELLS US THAT the once-plentiful Clearwater River coho started declining in the 1800s because of habitat degradation.

In 1927, the Washington Water Power Company (now Avista Corp.) constructed the Lewiston Dam to produce electricity and aid in flood control. The original dam had a fish ladder, but it accommodated only steelhead, resulting in the extirpation of Clearwater Chinook salmon and any remaining vestiges of the coho run. A second fish ladder was installed in the early 1950s, and that seemed to help Chinook somewhat, but it was too late for the coho.

The Idaho Department of Fish and Game tried to re-establish coho in the Clearwater Basin beginning in 1962. But that effort was discontinued after only 31 were counted at Lewiston Dam in 1969. The dam was finally taken out in 1973 after the construction of Lower Granite on the Snake River created a reservoir pool that backed up into the lower Clearwater, rendering Lewiston Dam ineffective. By 1985, coho in Idaho were determined to be extinct.

The Nez Perce Tribe began working diligently to reintroduce the salmon to the Clearwater in 1995. Becky Johnson, the tribe’s Department of Fisheries Resource Management production division director, is a key manager in the effort. She provided the following information about how the tribe carried out the project:

“The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund and the Mitchell Act Program provided the Nez Perce Tribe with more than $5 million since 2000 for the project. The Clearwater River Basin Coho Restoration Project also got a jump-start when the tribe was allowed to acquire surplus coho eggs from the Lower Columbia River as part of an agreement between Northwest tribes and state and federal agencies resulting from U.S. v. Oregon.

“After initial supplementation efforts using Lower Columbia River coho eggs were successful, returning adult coho are now collected at Dworshak National Fish Hatchery, Kooskia National Fish Hatchery and Lapwai Creek. Over the years, the tribal program has grown and now releases 830,000 to 1.1 million smolts annually. Coho smolts are released each spring into Clear Creek and Lapwai Creek, both tributaries of the Clearwater River. In 2014, about 90 percent of the adult coho returning to Lapwai Creek were allowed to spawn naturally.”

The final count at Lower Granite last year was 18,098 coho, far in excess of the project goal of 14,000, according to Mike Bisbee, Jr., tribal project manager for the Clearwater Basin Coho Reintroduction Program, and a good omen for the future of the run.

For the tribe’s Department of Fisheries

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MIXED BAG Management, the success helps fulfill its goal of “putting fish in the rivers” to rebuild natural spawning runs and to restore harvest opportunities. Bisbee says he and his crew received lots of pats on the back from tribal members last year. He and his crew were able to take dozens of excess coho out of the fish trap in Lapwai Creek and give them to members for the first time. In addition, many tribal fishermen successfully harvested coho on their own.

Needless to say, the return of the salmon has great significance to tribal members because it helps bring back an important part of their cultural history.

“Few places in the world can say they have brought back a lost salmon run, but the determined work of the Nez Perce Tribe has done exactly that,” said Barry Thom, deputy regional administrator of NOAA Fisheries, in a press release last fall.

“That work is benefiting many others.”

INDEED, FOR SPORT ANGLERS, the successful

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Rick Itami, the author of this story, was surprised last fall when he “accidentally” caught this Clearwater coho that was still bright some 465 miles above saltwater. He’d been trolling for steelhead when the hen bit as he reeled in the lure. Others found success casting spinners and spoons, drifting beads and trolling Mag Lips. (RICK ITAMI) reintroduction means a totally new species to pursue in Idaho. And some were wise enough to realize that this opened up an opportunity to catch a state record that would permanently put them in the books.

Ethan Crawford of Moscow was the

first to set the Idaho record by catching a 9.4-pound, 31-inch female on Oct. 18, just a day after IDFG opened the season.

That record didn’t last long, however. On Nov. 9, Steve Micek from Idaho Falls hooked and landed an 11.8-pounder while fishing

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Northwest Sportsman 23

MIXED BAG with his son Greg. Micek said he hooked the fish on the last cast of the day, using a ½-ounce silver KO Wobbler. He wasn’t impressed with the fight, however, saying the fish “hit like a snag” and was in the net after only a few strong pulls. He attributes the lack of fight to “spawning behavior.”

According to Joe DuPont, IDFG’s fisheries manager for the Clearwater District, several other big coho crossed Lower Granite.

Being so far inland, most fish caught by sport anglers were dark and some considered them “only good for the smoker.”

But one I accidentally hooked turned out to be a nice bright female with firm red meat. I say accidentally because I was actually trolling lighted lures for steelhead early in the morning before sunrise. When the sun came up, I decided to switch to fishing shrimp under bobbers, so I started reeling up my trolling rod with the lighted lure. As soon as I speeded up the retrieve, the fish struck and I happily landed my first Idaho coho. It went into the cooler with

some steelhead.

Since many Idaho anglers have never fished for ocean-returning coho before, they naturally have to learn how it’s done properly. Many of the successful fishermen cruised the Clearwater in their boats until they observed coho rolling on the surface.

Then they would cast and retrieve spoons or spinners like the Blue Fox, twitch jigs, or troll plugs for them. Favorite colors were silver, chartreuse, pink, cerise and black, or combinations thereof.

Toby Wyatt, owner and operator of Reel Time Fishing (208-790-2128), a successful guide service out of Clarkston, says that his clients did well trolling Mag Lip 3.5 plugs in the Doctor Death colors, drifting beads, and casting spoons like the silver Little Cleo or the pink Vibrax Blue Fox spinner.

He said that the bite was never really hot, and five to six coho a day was the norm.

He targeted the mouths of creeks and hatcheries where coho were released and said he observed a lot of fish that simply

A Nez Perce PDF charts, in part, the rebirth of the Clearwater River coho return from zero fish in the late 1980s to 2014’s record-breaking 18,098 at Lower Granite Dam. The range for this year’s forecast calls for possibly as many as that again, but also perhaps as few as 5,000. Either way, the reintroduction represents an important success. (NEZ PERCE TRIBE) would not bite. Some of his clients asked to target coho last fall, but most of the time he and his guides would mix in coho fishing with steelheading.

He says the opener caught he and others by surprise, leaving them little time to prepare, but this year IDFG put out word early. As the first coho were counted at Bonneville Dam in early August, the agency advised anglers that they could again be available for harvest, and it wasn’t long after that that the Fish and Game Commission approved a second season.

WHEN I LOOKED UP last year’s jack count

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for Lower Granite, it totaled only 545 fish, which seemed low and perhaps meant a weaker run for 2015. But Becky Johnson informed me that it’s actually not a good indicator for returning adult coho the following year. She pointed out that the jack count in 2013 was only 358, which resulted in the record run of over 18,000 coho last year. So could this mean an even stronger run of coho will reach the Clearwater this fall? As we went to press last month, dam counts were lower than at the same point in 2014, but there was still plenty of time for the run to show.

Regardless, the Nez Perce Tribe’s successful reintroduction of coho to the Clearwater basin is a remarkable achievement. We sports fishermen owe them a huge debt of thanks. NS

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2014 s

PHOTO CONTEST

ANGLER 17 CENTER CONSOLE ARIMA

UT

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19 SEA CHASER

Sportsman

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22 HT SEA LEGEND LEG EG GEND GE

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Dave Anderson’s pic of father-in-law Maury Kincannon’s Eastern Washington whitetail and he and wife Kristina’s reactions is our monthly Browning hunting photo contest winner! It scores him a Browning hat.

BL

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Mike Quimby is this issue’s monthly Daiwa Photo Contest winner, thanks to this shot of friend Lawrence and his Barbie rod albacore.

It wins him a Daiwa hat, T-shirt and scissors for cutting braided line, and puts him in the running for the grand prize of a Daiwa rodand-reel combo!

AL S!

LS

20ON M O 15 DE

WINNERS!

Northwest

Your LOCAL Hunting & Fishing Resource

For your shot at winning Daiwa and Browning products, send your photos and pertinent (who, what, when, where) details to awalgamott@ media-inc.com or Northwest Sportsman, PO Box 24365, Seattle, WA 98124-0365. By sending us photos, you affirm you have the right to distribute them for our print or Internet publications.

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MIXED BAG

Tribal Fisheries Codirector Charged With Poaching

By Andy Walgamott

T

he former codirector of a tribal fish and wildlife agency in central Puget Sound and his son were accused in midsummer of poaching shellfish.

Joe Hatch Sr. and Joe Hatch Jr. were both charged with 13 counts of fishing in closed waters by the Tulalip Tribes, and it’s possible the duo could face state charges too.

According to The Herald of Everett, Hatch Sr. resigned his position July 29, five days after his arrest and booking into Snohomish County Jail as part of a wider investigation into crab and shrimp trafficking.

KIRO TV first focused on state fish and wildlife officers’ seizure of the truck of Anh Le of Bothell, who allegedly bought shellfish at below-market prices from the Hatches.

According to both stories, state and tribal fish and wildlife authorities worked together on aspects of the case. The paper reported it began with a tip, and it involved tailing the Hatches from the water to marinas to shopping malls to document

JACKASS OF THE MONTH A Central Washington man who shot numerous deer over six years plead guilty to seven counts of wastage. Rodney Arnold Lang, 63, will pay $15,000 in fines, including $14,000 to WDFW in restitution, as well as serve 56 hours of community service in lieu of seven days in jail.

The case began in October 2014 when wildlife officers received a tip about a deer “holocaust” at the man’s property near Thorp, west of Ellensburg. According to WDFW, during an interview at his residence, Lang admitted to a warden that he had been killing mule deer with

alleged illegal sales, as well as the alleged theft of a boat motor.

“The poaching occurred during the hours of darkness and/or under the guise of a subsistence fishing when commercial harvest and sales were closed,” said WDFW Deputy Chief Mike Cenci in a statement to KIRO. “As is usually the case, the illegal harvests were encouraged by the illicit seafood market ready to purchase

undocumented product and closed -season product.”

Parts of the investigation could appear in the next season of Rugged Justice, the TV show that follows state game wardens.

“Those who fail to abide by Tulalip fisheries laws will be held accountable, regardless of the position they may hold with the Tribes,” a statement from the Tulalip Tribes to The Herald read. “These alleged crimes are the actions of an individual and the case is currently going through our tribal justice system, following the processes laid out in our laws regardless of name, title or position.”

Ore., Mont. Men Lose Hunting Licenses For Life In late summer, a repeat poacher in Central Oregon and a Western Montana man who illegally killed bears over bait were barred from ever chasing game again.

Kyle Eugene McKenzie, 30, of Prineville was found guilty by a jury of shooting a 6x7 bull elk near Heppner, and a judge sentenced him to spend five days in jail and to pay $7,500. McKenzie had been convicted in 2008 of baiting a bear and killing one illegally in the Ochocos.

In Montana’s Bitterroot Valley, James Harrison, 63, was found guilty of

a .22 because “the state’s deer were trespassing and damaging ornamental shrubs and commercial crops.”

The Daily Record of Ellensburg reported Lang told the officer he had shot over 30 deer in the past five to six years. The officer found at least 20 carcasses.

However, a records check found that Lang had never reported filing a wildlife damage complaint, according to WDFW.

unlawfully possessing nine black bears illegally shot over a bait station from 2009 to 2014, according to a Ravalli Republic article sent to The Dishonor Roll by an alert reader.

The bruins were described as “large, mature animals,” and a warden said their meat was left to bring in more bears.

The paper reported that at his sentencing, Harrison asked for leniency on his hunting privileges so he could someday take his grandson out, but a judge disagreed and banned him for life.

Typically, when animals cause problems, agency staffers visit the site and set up nonlethal tactics to discourage them from visiting. If problems continue, a kill permit may be issued to the landowner or Master Hunters brought in to deal with it.

The paper reported “Lang said he didn’t want to build fencing because he didn’t want to deal with opening and closing gates.”

A WDFW image shows part of the pile of deer bones found on the property of Rodney Arnold Lang of Thorp, west of Ellensburg. (WDFW)

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By Andy Walgamott

Close Finish At Buoy 10 Salmon Challenge

Oregon Tuna Classics Yield 22,000 Pounds For Foodbanks

T Members of the Cousins Tackle Team show off the salmon that, on average, weighed 18.51 pounds, just enough to win first place in the boat competition at the 16th Annual Buoy 10 Salmon Challenge, put on by the Northwest Sportfishing Industry Assocation. (NSIA)

J

ust two one-hundredths of an ounce separated the top teams at late summer’s Buoy 10 Salmon Challenge, but it was the Cousins Tackle crew who pulled out the win with an average of 18.51 pounds per angler to guide Cameron Black and band’s 18.49.

As for the overall biggest fish landed at the Aug. 21 event held at the mouth of the Columbia River, that was a 22.25-pound Chinook weighed in by Kyle Miller, winning him $1,000. Tyler Beck scored $500 for largest coho, a 9.7-pounder.

The Northwest Sportfishing Industry Association, which organized the derby now in its 16th year, called it “one of the most exciting” and said it also raised a “significant amount of money.”

“With the funds raised today we will be able to keep hatcheries open and continue to work for policies that will create quality angler opportunities throughout the Northwest,” said executive director Liz Hamilton.

More than 250 anglers weighed in 140 kings and 28 coho.

Over $15,000 in cash and prizes were given away by NSIA, which reported that almost every angler went home with new gear.

MORE RECENT RESULTS

2015 Washington Tuna Classic, Aug. 8, Westport – 1st place: Team All Rivers & Saltwater Charters, 150.52 pounds (five top tuna) 20th Annual Gig Harbor Salmon Derby, Aug. 8, Marine Areas 11, 13 – 1st place: Douglas Dixon II, 21.39-pound Chinook 1st Annual All South Sound Salmon Derby, Aug. 15, Areas 11, 12, 13 – 1st place: Jaeger Maxfield, 20.00-pound Chinook 12th Annual Salmon Enhancement Derby, Aug. 28-29, Nootka Sound and Esperanza Inlet, Vancouver Island – canceled due to fishery closures because of drought conditions Columbia River Fall Salmon Derby, Sept. 5, Lower Columbia – 1st place: Michael Dame, 23.00-pound Chinook

eams Duckworth and Oppurtunaty took first places in summer’s two Oregon Tuna Classics and, overall, participants reeled in 21,650 pounds of albacore for local foodbanks.

Captained by Keith Navidi, the 28-foot Duckworth boat won Aug. 8’s Deep Canyon Challenge out of Ilwaco, with five tuna weighing 152.19 pounds, including the tournament’s largest, a 36.38-pounder. Between those hauls and prizes from Garmin, they walked off with $18,500.

Organizers said the local crew shined while competing with West Coast pros aboard highly outfitted boats. But they also paid a price running in with their fish from 40 miles out.

“The trip back to the weigh-in was a 3.5-hour ride in dangerously rough seas. Their Duckworth handled the angry ocean in style, bringing the team home safely,” Del Stephens reported.

As for the Aug. 21 OTC out of Garibaldi, Team Opportunaty, which ran third at Ilwaco, came in first with five albies of 141.5 pounds. All said and done, they won over $20,000.

The Ilwaco event Members of Team Duckworth celebrate winning yielded the most tuna for the Deep Canyon Challenge, part of the Oregon foodbanks, nearly 19,000 Tuna Classic. Their five heaviest albacore went just over 152 pounds. (OREGON TUNA CLASSIC) pounds. Since 2005, more than 1 million pounds of food have been donated to Oregon and Southwest Washington food banks, according to organizers.

UPCOMING & ONGOING EVENTS

Now-Oct. 31 Westport Boat Basin Derby, in the boat basin; info: westportgrayland-chamber.org Oct. 3-4 La Push Last Chance Salmon Derby, Quillayute River mouth terminal area; info: forkswa.com/salmonderby Nov. 7-8 Bayside Marine Salmon Derby, Central Puget Sound; info: (425) 252-3088; baysidemarine.com Nov. 21-28 Clearwater Snake Steelhead Derby, waters in the greater Lewis & Clark Valley area; info: steelheadderby.com Dec. 4-5 Resurrection Salmon Derby, San Juan Islands; info: resurrectionderby.com

Email your results or derby news to awalgamott@media-inc.com. nwsportsmanmag.com | OCTOBER 2015

Northwest Sportsman 31

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OUTDOOR

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OCTOBER Blackmouth opener on Marine Areas 6, 10; Salmon and steelhead opener on numerous Oregon streams; Washington’s Jameson Lake reopens for one month; Opening of month-long fee pheasant hunt at EE Wilson Wildlife Area La Push, Chetco terminal salmon fisheries seasons Oregon Coast, Cascade rifle deer, South Coast zone goose openers; Washington statewide muzzleloader elk, Eastside chukar, quail openers; Ladies Day Out at select Northwest Cabela’s; info: cabelas.com/stores Family Elk Hunting Workshop, Cabela’s Tualatin; info: odfwcalendar Deer, elk openers in many Idaho units; Oregon statewide partridge, pheasant, Eastern California quail, Zone 2 duck, permit turkey and Lake, Harney, Klamath, Malheur Counties Zones goose openers; Free Family Fishing Event, St. Louis Ponds, Gervais; info: odfwcalendar.com Steelhead retention opens on Idaho’s Clearwater River above Memorial Bridge Washington modern firearms deer, first duck and goose openers; Oregon Cascades rifle elk, Zone 1 duck, Southwest and Eastern Zones goose openers; Last day of lingcod retention off Washington coast; Public Archery Instruction (free), EE Wilson Wildlife Area; info: odfwcalendar.com; Free Family Fishing Event, Mt. Hood Pond, Gresham; info: odfwcalendar.com Oregon Northwest Zone permit goose opener and Cascade buck reopener; Washington duck, Eastside pheasant re/openers Last day of Washington mule deer rifle hunt in numerous Eastside units Oregon Columbia, Columbia Basin Zones Rocky Mtn. bull first season opener Eastern Washington rifle elk opener for most units; Last day to fish many Washington lowland lakes listed in regulations pamphlet; Last day to hunt blacktail deer in Western Washington’s general season

Oct. 1

Oct. 1-11 Oct. 3

Oct. 4 Oct. 10

Oct. 15 Oct. 17

Oct. 24 Oct. 27 Oct. 28 Oct. 31

NOVEMBER Nov. 7 Oregon second Rocky Mountain rifle bull elk opener; Western Washington rifle

elk, Northeast late rifle whitetail openers Oregon first Coast rifle bull elk, late Southwest bow deer openers Four-day Washington late rifle blacktail hunt opener in select units Late bow whitetail, mule deer opener in select Eastern Washington units Oregon second Coast rifle bull elk, late Northwest bow deer openers; Select North-central Washington units open for late archery mule deer hunting Nov. 25 More Eastern Washington units open for late archery whitetail, mule deer Nov. 14 Nov. 19 Nov. 20 Nov. 21

RECORD NORTHWEST GAME FISH CAUGHT THIS MONTH Date

Species

Pounds

10-1-97 Albacore 52.0 10-5-92 Chinook* 68.26 10-6-02 German brown 28-5 10-8-06 Westslope cutt 4.71 15.4 10-11-07 Pink*# 10-15-95 Atlantic salmon 13-6 10-28-06 Smallmouth bass 9-11.5 * Freshwater record; # Image this page

WDFW

Water

Angler

Westport (WA) Elochoman R. (WA) Paulina L. (OR) Abernathy L. (WA) Stillaguamish R. (WA) Deadwood Res. (ID) Dworshak Res. (ID)

Kurt Strickland Mark Salmon Ronald Lane Angus Kerr Adam Stewart Garrett Buffington Dan Steigers

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GOOD BUCK

PROSPECTS IN EVERGREEN STATE Later, longer muley season, end of some whitetail and blacktail antler minimums highlight 2015’s general hunt.

By Andy Walgamott

N

ot counting the hot, dry weather that turned Washington’s deer woods into a whole new kind of kindling and what Mother Nature has in store for us this fall, there are two big X-factors this season that riflemen will want to pay attention. One will generate a lot of excitement; the other will put meat in the freezer.

We’ll start with the former. Not only does this year’s general hunt open at the latest possible point – Oct. 17, the first Saturday after the 10th of the month – but the Fish & Wildlife

34 Northwest Sportsman

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Commission approved tacking on two extra days for mule deer, pushing the last day to hunt the big-eared bounders all the way back to Oct. 27. !

If there’s one thing that Evergreen State muley chasers have heard (incessantly) around campfires over the past two decades, it’s tales of those days of yore when season ran through All Hallow’s Eve and the hunting was good. Of course spikes were also fair game then, but this year’s extension puts hunters in the woods when the early part of the rut and migration overlap.

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife deer manager Jerry Nelson said biologists proposed adding the two days, a Monday and Tuesday after the second weekend, after hearing lots of requests to lengthen the season. In the Methow Valley, migration starts to kick in around Oct. 25, I’ve been told. Nelson acknowledged that some were a bit uncomfortable shifting season later because muleys are particularly vulnerable to rifle hunters, “but we did all feel like we could do an experiment and add a few days a few seasons.” In fire-scarred landscapes,

HUNTING EHD, or blue tongue, outbreaks as of press time, there should be a good crop of tender bucks around Colville.

But if there’s a big question out there, it’s what will conditions in the field be like this month? From the vantage point of press deadline in early September, October is forecast to be pretty much like every month over the past half year, which is to say warmer and drier than usual, a combination that exploded into deadly wildfires in August. Latesummer rains moderated that a bit, but whitetail and mule deer hunters should check on the status of their areas before going. On the flip side, the drought could actually help blacktail hunters, who will also see four units switch from two-point minimum to any buck. We’ll explore those later. For now, here’s a review of some of the state’s better areas for modern firearms hunters and what to expect in each this year.

COLVILLE DISTRICT

Rifle deer prospects look fair to excellent across Washington for the season which opens Oct. 17. Hunters chasing mule deer – this trio were photographed by hunter Chad Zoller last October in a Blue Mountains foothills field – will also get two extra days to pursue their quarry. (BROWNING PHOTO CONTEST)

where winter carrying capacity has been significantly reduced, increasing harvest opportunities is also a smart move for the long-term health of the forage and the herd.

Now, whether the weather and muleys cooperate is a whole ’nuther question, but with memories of a rutty buck from the late-running October 2004 general season at the top of my memory bank’s play list this month, I for one am pretty stoked about the bonus time.

As for the other major change, it’s the end of the four-point minimum for whitetails in Northeast

Washington. Since 2011’s season, tasty young spikes, forked horns and three-points have all had a pass in what are two of the region’s venison factories. But in a document prepared for the commission’s decision, Nelson argued, “Available information does not indicate that the four-point restriction is having a positive effect on the deer population.

However, some negative economic impacts are being felt by the local community and hunting opportunity is being unnecessarily limited by the restriction.” So now, with a pretty easy winter and no sign of large-scale

If any state biologist had a particularly close eye on summer’s infernos, it would have been Dana Base, who watches over wildlife in the state’s northeastern corner. With midAugust’s Marble Canyon Fire burning near his home, he had his family’s bags packed. Fortunately, that blaze died out pretty fast, but others in his district could present problems for hunters who chase the region’s scarcer mule deer in the Kettle Crest’s mountainous Sherman Unit and Pend Oreille County’s no-less-lumpy Selkirk Unit.

But Base’s region is best known for its whitetail deer, which mostly hang out in the settled valleys and nearby foothills.

“I think this is definitely the year to hunt Game Management Unit 117 (49 Degrees North) and 121 (Huckleberry) because we’ve done away with the four-point restriction,” notes Base.

“There should be a lot of two-year-old bucks. If you want to shoot a buck, any buck, this is the year.”

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HUNTING That antler restriction came out of concerns about a couple of harsh, back-to-back winters – 2007-08 and ‘08-09 – that really hit the whitetail population hard. While harvests have not returned to levels seen last decade, they have slowly climbed out of the nadir that was 2011, the first year the rule change was in effect and which dropped hunter participation and the harvest sharply. Last year, just over 1,200 bucks were killed in the Huckleberry, a pie-shaped unit that stretches from the Spokane Indian Reservation north along the Colville River and part of Lake Roosevelt to Kettle Falls, more than double 2011’s harvest. And nearly 800 bucks were downed in 49 Degrees North, the unit between the Colville and Pend Oreille Rivers, up from the same year’s 535.

“We’re very optimistic about whitetail season and are hoping for some hunting-friendly weather,” says Nelson.

It’s not just the two breadbasket units where deer harvest is trending in the right direction. Districtwide, a total of 5,510 were taken during 2014’s general seasons, which include November’s attractive late rifle and bow hunts, up from 3,728 in 2011.

The trend will likely continue, what with the changes in the two aforementioned units, as well as a string of weak winters and decent though not spectacular fawn numbers.

“Things, other than the drought, couldn’t be any better for whitetail deer,” Base says.

Most hunting occurs on private lands, the remaining agricultural operations in the valleys, and sections of state and Bureau of Land Management ground in the lowlands.

Mule deer densities are lower in the mountains, where federal and private timberlands predominate.

Who is to say what will happen in this crazy weather year, but if spring’s and summer’s early starts, as well as late August’s Novemberlike windstorm, are any indication, the seasons appear to be running several 36 Northwest Sportsman

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Northeast Washington whitetail hunters like Saundra Smith can harvest spikes, forked horns and three-points again this year, as the Fish and Wildlife Commission dropped the four-point minimum in a pair of important units. Smith bagged this flagtail in Stevens County, during 2013’s hunt.

(BROWNING PHOTO CONTEST)

weeks to a month or more ahead of schedule.

“Normally, I wouldn’t wish for an early onset of winter, but if any year we need it, it’s this year,” Base says.

That could make for even better hunting in a region already set up to potentially produce a good harvest.

SPOKANE DISTRICT Michael Atamian monitors deer everywhere from the forested heights of Mt. Spokane out into the channeled scablands and back into the pinedotted northern Palouse. As you can imagine, private land dominates this landscape, and summer’s drought had led to some large lockdowns hunters need to be aware of.

“Be in shape to hike in or bike in,” Atamian said about timberlands.

Hancock, Inland Paper and Stimson had closed all motorized access or flat shut down all entry, he said, but check for current conditions.

Atamian was also worried about EHD, which strikes whitetails in hot years, but at press time, there hadn’t been any large-scale events, just individual animals, he said.

“Our population is booming, from everything we’re seeing. We’ve definitely recovered from those two winters,” he says.

Populated by generally stable to slightly increasing numbers of mule deer in the west and south and flagtails in the north and east, Atamian’s best unit by kill is Mt. Spokane, which last year pumped out 2,100 bucks, equal to or better than some entire wildlife districts’ take.

“We get really good success rates, up into the 30s, 40s (percent success), but it comes down to access,” he notes.

It’s never a bad idea to check out WDFW’s privatelands access program, which has details on Feel Free To Hunt, Hunt By Written

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Northwest Sportsman 37

HUNTING Permission, Register To Hunt and Hunt By Reservation properties. Joey McCanna, who manages the program in the far eastern portion of the state, says that a total of 510,259 acres are available for this season.

“A majority of properties are good deer and upland game bird hunting,” he notes.

True, a farmer’s family or friends may have dibs on opening weekend, but a looksee on Bing or Google maps and a site visit could pay dividends afterwards.

BLUE MTNS. DISTRICT Compared to the other righthand corner of the state, the Blue Mountains and its ringing foothills, flats and river breaks doesn’t produce the same numbers of deer as Northeast Washington does, but overall it can offer a better balance between muleys and whitetail.

Unfortunately, the lands along the Highway 12 corridor and north of it are primarily private, though there are narrow strips of Army Corps of Engineers lands along the Snake.

WDFW has also been working on the imbalance. McCanna says that the addition of several new parcels totaling nearly 10,000 acres and offering a total of 827 hunt days highlight the region’s Hunting By Reservation program this year.

Biologist Paul Wik has rated his district’s units for hunter density and success, harvest and public access, and though it’s a tough go for sportsmen without a wheat farmer’s phone number or an invite from hunting ranches, the sprawling Prescott and Mayview Units rise to the top. They produced 680 and 326 bucks last year, mostly muleys. Though large numbers don’t come out of Couse and Grande Ronde, Wik ranked these two units in the middle of the pack, and they do offer decent amounts of public land. In the case of the latter unit, some of it is fairly remote stuff, but that can also have its own reward.

He’s also a bit shyer about rating season prospects than other state 38 Northwest Sportsman

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bios, but pointed to recent trends as indicators of potential, and the graphs he gathered show rising harvests in Peola and Wenaha, though at press time the wilderness unit was closed due to the Grizzly Complex.

OKANOGAN DISTRICT At the risk of inviting more hunters to the county I hunt, I must confess (again) that some of the best prospects in the state belong to the Okanogan.

(Don’t worry, fellow North-central

Pearrygin and Gardner are among the state’s most vaunted – not to mention vaulted – the Okanogan East Unit is actually the most productive, thanks to its nice mix of irrigated croplands and ranches in the valley and state land and federal forests up high.

But with this year’s late start and extended season, there’s the possibility that some of those higher units could shine as bucks pull out of the backcountry. Again, depending on if the weather cooperates, we

IDAHO PROSPECTS EXCELLENT Idaho deer hunters head afield a week earlier than their Washington cousins, and according to the Department of Fish and Game, they “could see the best hunting in more than 20 years and potentially a record harvest for white-tailed deer.”

With four straight mild winters and 80 percent fawn survival, the potential for hunters to top last year’s best-in-22-years harvest of 61,200 deer is there.

“I think we’re going to have a better year than last year because we are going to have more yearlings available,” IDFG’s Jon Rachael forecast. “There should be more mule deer than we’ve seen out there in a long time.”

Last year also saw a 5,100-animal uptick in whitetail harvest, to 28,200, over 2013, and biologists suggest that with rising kills five out of the last six years, 1996’s high mark of 29,800 flagtails is in danger, if the trend continues.

“There’s reason to think that whitetails will be doing very, very well this year,” he said.

The key will be how well the weather cooperates and if hunters do their part by purchasing tags.

If 2014 follows 2015, the best unit will be Idaho’s very northernmost – 1, which racked up apropos tops-in-the-state harvests of 3,832 deer overall and 2,600 bucks. It features an unusually high amount of public land for such a high kill, but the valley bottoms north of Priest River and Sandpoint, and all side of Bonners Ferry are private. Units in the Clearwater Basin are highly productive as well. –AW

Washington sportsmen, I’ve been saying this for years, but few people heed the advice.)

Even if we took a nice whack out of the herd last season – 2,780 deer, up 35 percent from 2013 – fall greenup and another easy winter means deer are in good shape for this hunt.

“Prospects for mule deer look excellent this year,” notes biologist Scott Fitkin. “Better than average recruitment in recent years indicates a growing herd, and high buck escapement observed during surveys last winter means hunters should have good opportunities to harvest older age-class bucks.”

While units like Alta, Pasayten,

could see more of the herd heading for winter range, and this would “start to concentrate deer in more accessible areas and improve hunters’ chances of locating legal bucks,” says Fitkin.

The county, of course, was once again torched by wildfire – Fitkin had to pack his bags twice. If what happens on land inside the Okanogan Complex proves similar to ground singed by the Carlton Complex last year, deer will be on the edges of burned areas in the Pogue, Sinlahekin and Okanogan East, as well as Alta in the Chelan Complex. And they’ll continue to be found feeding in recovering scars from past year’s fires, notably the

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HUNTING Tripod, which has produced a couple whoppers recently. Fitkin also points to the older Thirty-mile, Farewell and Needles Fires as other prospects.

CHELAN DISTRICT Chelan County rivals the Okanogan for riflemen, but the big question at press time was how much of the national forest between Lakes Chelan and Wenatchee would be closed during the hunt. It seems likely that some will be lifted by midOctober, but I wouldn’t expect the upper Entiat, where the Wolverine Fire devoured all in its path, to be reopened. That and concern over the potential of flooding in 2014’s Duncan Fire burn scar led to last month’s lock-out of High Buck Hunters from the southeastern corner of the Glacier Peak Wilderness.

“I suspect hunters are going to have troubles getting into their areas,” warned Dave Volsen, whose district includes Chelan as well as Douglas Counties. “Have some back-up plans for opening day of deer season so you don’t roll up and find out you can’t enter the area.”

For those who do find open ground, the mild winter was bad news for the county’s Stevens Pass and Mission Ridge ski areas but good news for the deer, which were able to spread out and enjoy good access to forage, leading to less mortality, Volsen said.

But the flip side is that the same lack of snow and then the drought shortened the growing season for plants the herd depends on.

“Everything was early, including berry production, and now it’s senescing,” he said in late August.

Mike Quinn is a hardcore hunter who prowls Chelan’s mountain meadows. Even with this year’s wacky weather, he figures bucks will still be haunting traditional places.

“But I’ll qualify that with the following: Western exposed as well as exposed south slopes, ridges, faces and pockets may not see much buck use until heavy fall rains green things 40 Northwest Sportsman

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back up a bit. As you well know and His Douglas County deer are the data supports, it’s been a brutally almost the complete opposite. hot and dry summer. Some plants Typically younger and sporting fewer I’ve noticed are already beginning to points because of the high number of color and wither, and these are in the roads boxing many sections, making shade! It’s simply because of the lack bucks more vulnerable, they’re of moisture since mid-May,” he says. also managed for a lower posthunt Quinn says bucks will instead be objective, 15:100, which Volsen says making their living in slide alders the herd is meeting – and then some.

– which indicate water because of “In some areas, postseason ratios the type of plants they are – near East-central Cascades mule deer fell on hard times after 2004’s heavy timber. louse infestation, but there are “The wide still bucks to be had. Ryan Donahue open alp slopes bagged this one in Kittitas County on last year’s opener. It was his above the vine first. (BROWNING PHOTO CONTEST) maples will not be utilized again by trophy bucks this year, until late in the season, if at all. From about Labor Day weekend on it is just too dangerous to make use of in terms of predators, both two-legged and four-. What’s more, the alp vegetation’s nutritional value is almost nil now. The good living is were at or approaching 20 bucks per to be found further down the hill, at 100 does,” he notes. least until December, when normally Terming fawn production good, heavy snows will force the deer on Volsen says the “herd is increasing their migrations,” Quinn says. in size and should provide excellent Volsen has told hunting reporters hunting opportunity during general on more than one occasion that and antlerless permit seasons.”

Chelan deer enjoy something that And this isn’t to say the county those in other parts of the state don’t doesn’t have some big boys, as proven to the same degree. The vast amount by readers Hunter Parini and Ryan of remote habitat is harder to access Engley last fall. for most, and the October season “In areas ownership blocks are timing doesn’t work in riflemens’ larger, where owners control hunting favor. But they do combine to access (reducing numbers of hunters) produce a “a real good population of and road densities are much lower, bucks – 25 per 100 does – and older, older, mature adult legal bucks make more mature bucks,” he says. up a larger portion of postseason “Overall, the herd’s in real good ratios,” Volsen says. shape, relatively stable, we’re retaining Public lands are scattered deer and more mature bucks. The throughout Douglas County, with resident deer, they’ll be there, but notable chunks north and northeast drought conditions will make it tough of Mansfield and through the upper, to get them,” Volsen adds. middle and lower reaches of Moses

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HUNTING both two- and four-footed – were accounting for most losses.

If you are going to hunt this country, the Teanaway Unit, which ranges from irrigated bottomlands to rugged peaks and whose name still holds a certain cachet with riflemen, YAKIMA DISTRICT accounted for nearly a quarter of last Deer hunting isn’t dead yet in the year’s bucks.

Yakima Basin, but you’ll have to But even with its migratory animals excuse Jeff Bernatowicz for his and the extra two days of season, don’t expect much of a bump out of this or The opener gets all the pressure, but the early other East-central blacktail season runs Cascades units through Halloween.

“There just The last days of season can produce some aren’t many legal big bucks, like Chad bucks available on White’s 19-inch-wide public land,” says Mason County stud.

(BROWNING PHOTO CONTEST) Bernatowicz.

Coulee. When WDFW has purchased all 20,400 acres of the Grand Coulee Ranch, quality habitat along Lake Rufus Woods, that could add even more opportunities.

KLICKITAT DISTRICT

grim prognosis.

“Not much has changed harvest wise, nor do I expect it will,” says the bio known as Bernie. “Harvest has flatlined since 2006.”

Buck take dipped below 800 last year, down from the recent high of around 1,500 in 2004, which was also the year an infestation of exotic louse really began to manifest in the herds roaming Kittitas and Yakima Counties.

If there’s any good news, it’s that surveys do suggest a slowly rebuilding population. It’s possible that tribal harvest – in addition to the Yakama Nation, Muckleshoot members have been hunting this part of the state since 2010 – is masking rising numbers. The latter tribe, with help from WDFW, is in the midst of a four-year deer survey to determine what’s suppressing the herds. At last report, does were readily becoming impregnated and predators – 42 Northwest Sportsman

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On the south side of the Simcoes, David Anderson in Trout Lake is more optimistic about this fall’s prospects.

“I think they look pretty good.

We have seen a good number of bucks come out of the mild winter and fawn production looks good,” he says of deer in Clark, Skamania and Klickitat Counties, a swath of country that runs from thick reprod to pines to oaks to windmilldotted sagelands and hosts blacktails, muleys and hybrids.

He projects another harvest of around 2,500 bucks this season for all hunters, with 1,000 of those alone coming out of Klickitat game units at three points or better. With the drought, he suspects deer will be even more concentrated around water sources.

“I have seen some exceptional bucks this late summer, so I think they are coming into the fall in good shape,” he says.

The drawback with the East Klickitat Unit, which is the best by harvest in the eastern half of his district, is the lack of public land,

but earlier this year WDFW received funding to begin buying nearly 19,000 acres of timberland southeast of Satus Pass in the coming years.

Anderson did warn Mt. Adams hunters to check on Cougar Creek fire closures.

WESTSIDE DISTRICTS Biologist Eric Holman in Vancouver might have summarized prospects for all 400-, 500- and 600-series units riflemen when he said this about Cowlitz and Lewis Counties’ blacktails: “It should be an average to good deer season. Success was up a little last year and with the extremely mild winter of 2014-15, stress on the animals should have been minimal.”

In 2014, Westside hunters downed 8,620 bucks and 9,847 blacktail overall, roughly 300 more than 2013.

But the overall trend is heading the other way as national forests continue to grow in and private timberlands are rapidly converted to permit and lease programs, reducing hunter access.

Anderson and North Sound biologist Ruth Milner both warn that, new this year, Weyerhaueser has switched the former Longview Timberlands in Whatcom, Skagit, Snohomish, King and Chelan Counties, as well as those along the Lower Columbia, from free to fee access. Paying an extra $50 to $500 to roam industrial ground is a turn-off for some hunters, but not all, as logging has long been associated with improved hunting.

Regardless, in this era of herbicide spraying, the better ops are going to be in mixed landscapes rather than young Doug fir deserts. And this year, hunters might pick up a slight advantage in that leafy cover, thanks to the drought. Tree and shrub leaves were prematurely drying and dropping in late summer, and then came along late August’s record windstorm to shake things loose even more, potentially improving visibility through the thick stuff blacktails typically haunt.

“That’s a possibility, and often helps hunting,” notes Michelle Tirhi,

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HUNTING the South Sound wildlife biologist.

“But game also responds to openness by finding better shelter. The biggest factor affecting hunter success tends to be warm, sunny weather during the general season weekends rather than foliage, as there is plenty of screening landscape for game. Full moons combined with warm, sunny days are the worst.”

Unfortunately, the orb will be at its roundest and overhead of much of the state just after midnight Oct. 27.

“It’s always a good idea to target areas of thicker, more robust vegetation, especially of preferred foods like trailing blackberry, huckleberry, young vine and bigleaf maple, hazel, etc.,” tips Holman.

“This year, with the dry conditions, focusing on microhabitats in lower, wetter north-facing areas might be a good strategy.”

Best Westside units include his

Ryderwood, Tirhi’s Skookumchuck and Anthony Novak’s Capitol Peak.

Weyerhaeuser permits are key for the first two, but the third is mostly state forest. Other Department of Natural Resources lands – large blocks can be found outside Deming, SedroWoolley, Granite Falls, Monroe, North Bend, Enumclaw, Elbe, Pe Ell, Belfair and other foothills towns – can also be productive for those willing to hike behind gates, get to know local deer movements and wait patiently.

Another productive unit is North Sound, though it’s largely private. So too the islands sprinkled throughout the Whulge, but Whidbey, Camano, Lopez, Cypress and Vashon do have small federal, state, county and land trust parcels available.

If you do bag a deer on any, Milner reminds that the old GMU 410 has been split into island-specific units to better track harvest.

And finally, four units that have

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long been managed with a twopoint minimum – Sauk, Skokomish, Mashel and Bear River – are now open for all bucks. Nelson, the statewide deer manager, says that new wildlife managers and biologists in Region 6, where three of the units are located, led the change. They found harvests have been consistent with any-buck units and that the real driver in blacktail populations is forest management.

He summarized their arguments as, “‘If we don’t need to restrict hunters, let’s not restrict hunters.’”

That may not increase harvest like the changes to the whitetail units far to their northeast will, but the bottom line is that between those tweaks, the Okanogan’s prospects and the extra days for muleys, there’s good news for Washington riflemen to temper the bad of increasing feeaccess programs and fire closures.

Good luck! NS

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HUNTING

When Mistakes Happen Game warden and lawyer advice on what to do when the wrong animal is shot.

A buck bounds through a field in Southeast Washington, where muleys must have at least three points on one side of their rack. Units with antler-point minimums are where too-small animals are typically accidentally shot. It behooves hunters to make sure their target is legal. (BROWNING PHOTO CONTEST)

By Attorney Alex Savojni

A

s Washingtonians, we are fortunate to live in a state with numerous opportunities to enjoy pristine outdoor areas.

Hunting is one of many activities individuals are passionate about.

Whether it is to connect with nature, the thrill of the hunt, or bonding with friends and family, walking through forests and open fields provides a sense of freedom.

Despite this sense, the reality is that hunting is highly regulated and mistakes can result in serious criminal penalties. The vast majority of hunters are upstanding citizens who fully intend to follow all rules.

Unfortunately, honest mistakes do occur and we can only hope to arm ourselves with enough knowledge to cut down on the likelihood of one, and make sure the situation does not spiral out of control afterwards.

THE MOST COMMON HONEST mistake a hunter may encounter is shooting the wrong animal. This often occurs with bucks or bulls that don’t meet antlerpoint minimums or misidentifying a subspecies. It happens more frequently in Eastern Washington, where hunters shoot at greater distances, as opposed to the more densely wooded areas of the Westside, in which hunters need to be closer to their prey.

Unfortunately, there may come a day when you initially think you made a perfect shot only to discover you were wrong. You realize you have just committed a crime where you could go to jail. What do you do?

“Do not panic,” is the first step, says Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Region 4 Capt. Alan Myers.

The knee-jerk reaction for many is to flee the area immediately. However, as Myers explains, this act could dig yourself into an even deeper criminal hole. If you leave the animal, at a

minimum you will face a criminal charge of waste in addition to unlawful hunting. You have just doubled your potential charges. If you attempt to take the animal with you instead, you may face at least an unlawful transportation of wildlife charge in addition to unlawful hunting. On top of that, the vehicle and equipment used to transport the animal can be seized by WDFW, as it was used as a part of a crime.

As counterintuitive as it may be, hunters must consider immediately turning themselves in to officers as a potential option.

“Honesty is everything,” says Myers.

An individual who immediately contacts WDFW directly or calls 911 to report the mistake without altering or leaving the crime scene will be looked upon most favorably. It is up to the discretion of the officer on whether to recommend filing criminal charges against the hunter.

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Northwest Sportsman 47

HUNTING “There are a lot of factors to take into consideration,” explains Myers, such as the hunter’s history and the objective facts supporting the hunter’s reason for a mistake.

The officer must investigate the crime scene to see how the shot actually occurred to determine whether the mistake was reasonable and would have been otherwise legal (i.e., the shooter wasn’t trespassing and had tags for correct target). If the shot is deemed a reasonable mistake and would have been legal were it not for that single error, nor are there any other aggravating factors, such as a criminal history, an officer will often release the hunter with only a warning, a loss of tag and loss of the illegal animal.

But what should you do if you have no cell reception at the site?

“Gut the animal to prevent wastage,” says Myers, note the location of the site, leave the entire animal and

walk to where you can make the call.

It is important to remember that WDFW officers are trained investigators. If they perceive any attempt by the hunter to hide or misdirect the truth, chances are the individual will be charged with the underlying unlawful hunting charge, all previous statements will be used against the person, and the individual could even face additional charges. Moving the animal from the scene of the crime, even directly to the closest state office, will be thought of as “suspicious,” according to Myers, and also a waste of time because the investigating officer will immediately want the hunter to take them right back to the scene.

There is also the risk of the hunter being stopped by an officer on the way to the station. It is extremely unlikely an officer would believe the hunter’s claim they were just about to turn themselves in.

“Mistakes handled properly often

result in no justice system-related consequences,” notes WDFW Deputy Chief Mike Cenci in Olympia. “All of our folks have good discretion, but that can be dependent on experience, reading the signs properly, etc. We do have a ‘draft’ internal policy that supports giving breaks where it is warranted, versus punting to a prosecutor for a decision, which can result in an uncontrolled result.

Chief Steve Crown has committed to sending out a ‘use proper discretion’ message to reinforce this, now that hunting season is upon us. Getting guidance from a supervisor is also encouraged.”

SO WHAT ARE THE best things you can do to avoid this situation?

In addition to getting your eyes checked regularly, stay up to date with the most recently published hunter pamphlet and be sure of each shot you take. Once the shot has been taken, you will have to live with the decision and immediately start making some tough choices on how to extract yourself from a sticky criminal situation.

While we may hope turning oneself in is the best result for everyone, the unfortunate reality is it may not be. As a criminal defense attorney, I must also warn you sometimes the truth will not set you free and will, instead, get you into even hotter water. Everyone will have to weigh their risks when determining the lesser of several unpleasant options. At that point, most hunters will have wished they took an extra few seconds to double check their intended target.

As the old adage goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of remedy. NS Editor’s note: Alexander Savojni is an attorney with the Rhodes Legal Group (206-419-6483) in Seattle. This article arose out of a 2014 case handled by his office and was written with contributions

by Attorneys Robert Rhodes, Norm Partington, and Pat Kwan.

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BEAVER STATE

HUNTING

BUCK PREVIEW Despite challenging field conditions, ODFW is forecasting generally fair to good deer hunting this season. Here’s the agency’s prospects.

J

ust like their brethren to the north, Oregon deer hunters will most likely find crispy conditions when seasons open Oct. 3. Potential lingering land closures on federal and private lands due to summer’s wildfires are in the offing. But if we get some much needed early fall rains, the Beaver State’s pine woods, sagelands and jungles might be a little quieter for general-season hunters stalking the Westside or who were lucky enough to draw into Central and Eastern Oregon permits.

Overall, this fall’s deer prospects look decent, though that is offset by more and more timberland in fee-access programs. Blacktail season runs through Nov. 6, and that could work out well for hunters who can find ground to hunt the rut. The following is what Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife biologists forecast in their annual season prospects document, and has been edited for space:

BAKER DISTRICT Sumpter, Keating, Pine Creek and Lookout Mt. Wildlife Management Units Deer overwinter survival was fair in all units, with average fawn ratios of 31 per 100 adults counted in spring, down from last year’s count of 41 fawns per 100. Buck ratios are still at or above the management objective of 15:100 does in all units. Harvest was average to slightly above last year, with the highest success on opening weekend being in the Lookout Mountain Unit. Dry conditions will make hunting difficult. Animals will be most active early in the morning and late in the afternoon when temperatures cool off.

Hunters should concentrate their efforts in areas of good forage near north slopes that provide good bedding cover.

CROOK CO. Maury, Ochoco and Grizzly WMUs Deer hunters should find good prospects for a buck this fall. Buck ratios are slightly above management objective in all Prineville District units. Fawn recruitment was very good this spring, so hunters should find a good number of small bucks available for harvest. Overall, deer populations continue to be lower than desired due to habitat loss and disturbance, poaching, predation, disease and road kills.

DESCHUTES Upper Deschutes, Paulina, North Wagontire,

Oregon’s modern firearms hunters will head afield Oct. 3 in search of bruiser bucks like this 26-inch-wide four-point shot by Jake Fitzsimmons, then 10, last season. He was hunting BLM land in Central Oregon. (BROWNING PHOTO CONTEST)

population size. Spring fawn ratios were fair districtwide, with a ratio of 37 fawns per 100 does. Buck ratios are near, or above, management objective district wide, with a ratio of 24 bucks per 100 does. Late spring rains gave a boost, providing better forage and available water. Since then, drought conditions have deteriorated; unless we get some moisture and cooler temperatures, conditions are expected to be similar to last year. Animals were bedded early and didn’t start moving again until almost dark, making the hunting difficult and contributing to lower success.

GRANT Murderers Creek, Northside and Desolation WMUs Although deer populations remain below management objectives in all units, we have seen a slight increase over the past five or six years. Mild winters and relatively good fawn ratios have contributed to this increase. Good buck ratios were observed last fall, with a good proportion of mature bucks. Deer hunters should look for areas where fire has occurred in past five to 15 years, as deer like the vegetation that occurs after fire. The Shake Table Fire on Aldrich Mountain is starting to show signs of increasing deer and may be a good place to find a buck.

Metolius and part of Fort Rock WMUs

HARNEY Silvies, Malheur River, Steens Mt., Juniper and parts of Beatys Butte and Wagontire WMUs

There should be decent numbers of both mature and yearling bucks available in most units relative to the

Most of the large-scale, mega fires occurred in 2012 for our area. Wildlife and hunters have been able to adapt

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Northwest Sportsman 51

HUNTING to utilizing different areas and pockets of areas within those fire boundaries that have started to recover. Deer populations are stable to increasing in the Harney District.

Multiple efforts to improve habitat conditions and remove predators (including the Mule Deer Initiative in the Steens WMU) have contributed to this. Hunting prospects are good for our area; there are plenty of animals available for harvest for all seasons and weapon choices.

HEPPNER Heppner, Fossil, East Biggs and parts of Columbia Basin WMUs

Deer populations are stable in all units. The summer has been extremely hot and dry and unless conditions change, early-season hunters will want to focus on areas of good forage and water. Public lands hunters can work the old Wheeler Burn, which is still producing a fair number of deer and is historically a good spot. The Columbia Basin and East Biggs deer herds are also stable. Canyon, you should expect decent hunting.

KLAMATH Keno, Klamath Falls, Sprague and parts of Fort Rock, Silver Lake and Interstate WMUs Deer populations in Klamath County are stable or slightly decreasing in spite of unusually mild winter conditions over the last several years. A lower than expected number of fawns surviving to six months of age last fall resulted in spring fawn ratios at maintenance levels or slightly below.

The highest measured fall fawn ratio was in the Klamath Falls Unit with 64 fawns/100 does.

Hunters can expect an average year with slightly lower numbers of yearling bucks available due to lower fawn numbers last year. Hunters should concentrate efforts in areas with healthy understory vegetation or thinned areas that offer good forage availability adjacent to cover.

For all units, buck ratios are above management objectives and a good component of older-age bucks exists. The fall buck ratio in the Keno Unit was highest among Klamath County units, with a measured ratio of 25 bucks:100 does.

LAKE Warner, Interstate, Silver Lake and parts of Beatys Butte, Fort Rock and Wagontire WMUs District staff expect conditions to be dry, crunchy and loud for most of the season. In forested units, unless there are fall rains, deer will use areas with an abundant shrub component in the understory, as this will be the only vegetation with any forage value. In desert units, focus on mountain shrub habitats within a few miles of water.

Deer populations have been consistent over the past few years. Hunting prospects should be good, as all units are above management objectives for buck ratios. Fawn ratios in the spring were generally in the 30s, which is acceptable.

Last season, hunter success was generally above average.

Fort Rock continues to have low hunter success for the number of deer that summer in the unit, but hunter success 52 Northwest Sportsman

OCTOBER 2015 | nwsportsmanmag.com

and satisfaction was good in all other units.

The district has not experienced any big fires this year.

The Barry Point Fire of 2012 has a lot of young shrubs and is providing some good deer habitat.

Some suggested areas to hunt for hunters less familiar with the district: Beatys Butte: Focus on the high elevations with mountain shrub communities; Warner: For both North and South, the forested habitats have more deer and therefore more bucks than the desert habitats. If you want to hunt the desert units, there is a lot of private land mixed in with the BLM properties, which makes hunting these areas a challenge; Interstate: Any of the wildfire areas, which are predominately south of Highway 140. North Hunting in Northeast Oregon two seasons ago, Jake Jenkins anchored this nice muley. Buck prospects are rated as fair in this corner of the state, where wildlife managers also say wolves aren’t impacting deer, or elk, numbers there.

(BROWNING PHOTO CONTEST)

of 140, the edges between private timberlands and USFS properties are good spots to check; these areas generally have high-quality feed on the private timber properties and good cover on the Forest properties; Silver Lake: The Tool Box Wildfire Complex of 2004 is still providing quality shrub habitat and good deer numbers. If we don’t get fall rains, outside the fire area any of the timbered vegetation associations with shrubs in the understory will hold deer; Fort Rock: Natural openings or old clearcuts with shrubs in the understory are going to be the most productive.

MALHEUR Whitehorse, Owyhee and Beulah Units WMUs As with most of Oregon, mild winter conditions were favorable for deer and overwinter survival was good in Malheur District. Summer fires burned up portions of all the hunt units; hunters are encouraged to view fire maps.

In the Beulah unit, improved fawn ratios (37:100 does) will result in a slight bump in the population and more yearling bucks being available this fall. Postseason buck ratios were at management objective last year, so older age-class buck numbers should be similar to recent years.

Much of the best deer hunting is on public land near the edge of the Malheur National Forest. Other areas within the

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HUNTING supported fair fawn recruitment. national forest that have had recent fires or logging activity can also be productive. With the drought conditions, there will likely be fewer deer in the desert portions of the unit.

For the Owyhee Unit, wildfire and weed invasion continues to have an impact on the ability of this unit to produce deer. This is only the second year since 2009 that fawn recruitment has been sufficient to maintain the population. For 2014, hunter success was 48 percent, and there was still a good proportion of mature bucks in the harvest. However, it is a very challenging unit to hunt, as deer are widely scattered in the unit and there is no one area with consistently good deer numbers.

East Whitehorse Unit deer numbers are low and they can be widely scattered. The major fires of 2012 and the ongoing drought will continue to affect deer hunting.

The Holloway Fire burned most of the Trout Creek Mountains Unit in 2012, except for the Oregon Canyon and Sherman Field areas. Hunter success has remained higher than the 15-year average since the fire, likely due to the loss of some hiding cover. Since the fire, the higher elevations have had decent vegetation recovery, despite the drought conditions, and deer seem to have summered well. It is still unclear how this deer herd will respond to this fire over the longer term, but last year’s mild winter

MID-COLUMBIA Hood, White R., Maupin and West Biggs WMUs The West Biggs and Maupin Unit have good deer numbers and a strong component of mature bucks. With populations above management objective, much of these units are private and access can be difficult. The Deschutes and John Day Canyons are great public places to find wary bucks.

Deer hunting in the White River unit was good last year, and is expected to be again this year with buck ratios at management objective the last couple years, and overall deer numbers on the rise. Deer are typically scattered throughout the unit with higher elevation habitats and wilderness areas the best opportunity to harvest a mature buck. There are quite a few deer on the wildlife area, but most of the larger bucks move up into the higher country to summer and then migrate back down when the weather pushes them off the mountains. There are always a few nice bucks that hunters find hidden away in some of the more remote areas. Hunting pressure can be high on the wildlife area.

UMATILLA Walla Walla, Mt. Emily, Ukiah and parts of Heppner and Columbia Basin WMUs

Deer prospects in Walla Walla and Mt Emily have been stable and should stay that way this year. Ukiah is a bright

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HUNTING spot; deer are doing well, which district staff attribute to predator management.

The district is very dry, with record days of 100-plus-degree weather this year. Late August/early September rains have improved things, but more is needed to make a real impact.

UNION Starkey, Catherine Creek and parts of Mt. Emily, Sled Springs and Wenaha WMUs

mild winter and spring, with an extended period of warm, dry weather in the summer. While deer densities overall are only moderate, good survival of bucks from last year’s hunting season should give hunters a decent chance this year. There has been a lot of recent clearcut timber harvest on state forestlands, so be sure to take a look at Oregon Department of Forestry lands if scouting for areas to hunt.

Generally, deer densities tend to be highest in the eastern portions of these units. Most industrial forest lands will be

Deer numbers are stable throughout the county. Deer and elk came through the winter well and all units are showing good numbers of animals. Deer numbers are below management objective. Hunter success last year was on par with previous years, with deer hunters averaging 20 percent. Current dry conditions will keep animals closer to water sources such as springs and creek bottoms.

WALLOWA Wenaha, Sled Springs, Chesnimnus, Snake River, Minam and Imnaha WMUs

While deer populations are still low, buck season is expected to be fair in all units. The district has not detected any drop in deer or elk populations as a result of wolf activity.

NORTH COAST Saddle Mt., Wilson and parts of Trask, Stott Mt., Alsea and Siuslaw WMUs

Blacktail deer on the North Coast were treated to a very

Western Oregonians face increasing challenges finding places to hunt as timber companies go to fee-access programs. But whether working available state or national forest ground or purchasing a permit, hunters like Misty Fox should find bucks this year, thanks to good carryover from last season and an easy winter. Fox dropped this nice blacktail with a 7mm in late October a couple seasons back. (BROWNING PHOTO CONTEST)

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HUNTING SOUTH WILLAMETTE McKenzie and parts of Santiam open to at least nonmotorized access once ďŹ re season is over, with the exception of Weyerhaeuser lands, most of which will be in a fee access program this fall.

Along the midcoast, deer numbers appear to be increasing in various areas and buck numbers are fair to good in most. The 2014 and 2015 growing seasons were very good, which has likely improved overwinter survival.

The prevalence of deer hair-loss syndrome continues to decrease. The best deer hunting opportunities are the central to eastern portions of the Alsea Unit and Siuslaw Unit; deer are less abundant as one gets closer to the ocean.

NORTH WILLAMETTE Scappoose and parts of Trask, Willamette and Santiam WMUs

Hunters heading to the North Willamette Watershed will ďŹ nd average hunting opportunities for bucks. A decrease in postseason buck ratios in the Scappoose (14 buck per 100 does) and eastern Trask (14 bucks per 100 does) will likely reduce the number of mature bucks for hunters.

While buck ratios remain stable in the north Santiam (23 bucks per 100 does), hunters willing to put in their time scouting can ďŹ nd some very large mature bucks.

Regardless of which unit you hunt, the late closure (Nov. 6) of rie buck season should produce good hunting opportunities during the last few weeks of the season.

and Indigo WMUs

The long-term harvest trend has been declining for deer, but in recent years has begun to stabilize. Last year rie hunters had good success late in the season. This will likely be the case again this year as the bucks become more active in late October and early November.

2015 has been a very dry year. This will likely impact hunting access more than it will impact deer distribution.

Deer have very small home ranges in the north Cascades, so it is unlikely they will leave an area, but they may use cooler locations (north slopes) or become more nocturnal in response to the dry conditions.

The old B&B Fire in the Santiam Pass area continues to hold good numbers of deer, but the brush is becoming fairly thick, making the hunting a bit more challenging.

Still, this is a good early-season place to hunt on national forest lands if the private lands remain closed due to ďŹ re danger. In the Indigo, the Tumblebug Fire improved deer habitat and the deer population in the area is expected to improve over the next few years.

COOS CO. Parts of Tioga, Powers, Sixes and Siuslaw WMUs Overall deer populations in Coos County appear to be stable.

Surveys conducted after the 2014 season indicate the buck ratio is adequate to provide good opportunities in the 2015

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HUNTING season; however, it did decline some from the previous year across the county. Based on those surveys, it appears buck ratio is best in the Tioga Unit. Surveys also indicate deer densities are highest in the Sixes and Powers Units.

While hunting prospects are good in all units, the best opportunity for success will be in Sixes or Powers because abundance of deer is relatively high, with reasonable buck ratios. However, the large percentage of private versus public land in those units may limit hunter access in some areas. There is more accessible public land in the Tioga Unit, and areas such as the scattered BLM lands in the southern and northeastern portions of the unit may be productive

DOUGLAS CO. Dixon and parts of Indigo, Evans Creek, Melrose, Siuslaw, Tioga and Powers WMUs

Deer hunting should be good in the Cascades and Umpqua Valley. This past winter was very mild and deer responded with good overwinter survival. Fawns-per-adult deer ratios in the Dixon, Indigo and Melrose have increased over the last three years. An exception is the Roseburg deer population, which was hit hard by epizootic hemorrhagic disease.

Over the past three years, hunters have done fairly well in the Cascade Units (Indigo, Dixon), averaging from 18 to 29 percent and 29 to 34 percent in the Melrose Unit.

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ROGUE Applegate, Chetco, Evans Creek, Rogue and parts of Dixon and Sixes WMUs Overall, deer populations remain good in our district.

However, spring count this year was lower, possibly due to a disease outbreak (adenovirus hemorrhagic disease, or AHD) which was mostly seen in residential year but some wild populations were also affected. In general the Rogue, Dixon, Evans Creek and Applegate Units within Jackson County have a migratory deer population.

Within these units, hunt in high elevation (4000-plus feet) during the early half of the season and lower elevation during the late half of the season after deer have migrated. Deer in Josephine and Curry County will be found at all elevations.

Stats showed that all units (Rogue: 20 percent; Dixon: 29 percent; Evans Creek: 33 percent; Applegate: 30 percent; and Chetco: 42 percent) within Jackson, Josephine and Curry County had an increase of hunter success from 1 percent to 10 percent in 2014 over previous years.

With current hot, dry weather conditions, all private land is closed to access until ďŹ re restrictions are lifted.

Public lands remain open. NS Editor’s note: For more, look under the Hunting tab at dfw.state.or.us.

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OCTOBER 2015 | nwsportsmanmag.com

COLUMN

Tough Conditions Leading Into Big Game Hunts Bigger bucks make up a good share of the harvest for Central Oregon riflemen, especially in the Grizzly Unit last year, which is where Brett Treadway took this muley in the 2013 season with a 75-yard shot from his .270. (BROWNING PHOTO CONTEST)

H CENTRAL OREGEON

BY Scott Staats

unters could face some challenging conditions all over Central and Eastern Oregon this season, prolonged drought and wildfires to

name two.

“It will be very dry until we get a few much-needed rainstorms,” says Greg Jackle, district wildlife biologist with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife in Prineville. “Forage and water availability will be the key to finding animals early in the season.”

Areas that were green and held animals in prior falls may not this year due to vegetation curing earlier than normal, he explains. When we finally get some fall rains, rifle hunters should look for areas of green-up on the forest.

Fewer of us will be out in the Ochoco Unit this season as ODFW trimmed the number of archery and rifle tags. For bowhunters there were 100 fewer tags for two hunts (50 fewer for each). Hunt 237R1 had 150 total tags and Hunt 237R2 had 550 tags. There were also 70 fewer tags for both bull hunts for the Ochoco (35 fewer for each hunt). Both Hunt 237X and Hunt 237Y have 200 tags.

“This was done to address low observed bull ratios for the last few years, coinciding with a drop in the calf ratio last winter,” says Jackle. “We also increased tag numbers on a few private land-only cow hunts to both address damage concerns from the landowners as well as keep pressure on the herd with the hope to encourage them back to the national forest.”

HE SHARED 2014’S ESTIMATED harvests for the Maury, Ochoco and Grizzly Units.

For the Maury, 392 hunters averaged 4.5 days in the field and killed a total of 156 bucks for a 40 percent success rate.

The breakdown is as follows: five spikes, 45 forked-horns, 38 three-points and 67 four-points or better. For Maury archery hunters, 96 averaged nine days in the field and killed 20 bucks for a 21 percent success rate. They took two spikes, nine forked-horns, seven three-points and two four-points or better.

For the Ochoco, 2,563 hunters averaged five days in the field and killed 672 bucks for a 26 percent success rate.

They took 58 spikes, 330 forked-horns, 149 three-points and 134 four-points or better.

And for the Grizzly, 1,299 hunters averaged 4.7 days of hunting and killed 517 bucks for a 40 percent success rate.

They took 30 spikes, 177 forked horns, 148 three-points and 162 four-points or better.

The management objective for mule

nwsportsmanmag.com | OCTOBER 2015

Northwest Sportsman 63

COLUMN deer in the Maury Unit is 5,200 animals.

This year ODFW estimated the population at 3,800. The buck ratio per 100 does was 26.2, the fawn ratio per 100 does was 61.0 and the fawn survival rate was 100 percent.

The management objective for the Ochoco is 20,500. This year the population was estimated to be 15,000. The buck ratio was 16.1 per 100 does, the fawn ratio was 59.7 per 100 does and the fawn survival rate was 100 percent.

For the Grizzly, the management objective is 8,500 and this year’s estimate was 7,200. The buck ratio was 24.3, the fawn ratio 59.7 and fawn survival was 85 percent.

The management objective for the entire state is 337,700 and this year’s estimate was 229,326. The average buck ratio was 21.6, fawn ratio 57.4 and fawn survival was 69 percent.

JACKLE’S 2014 ELK HARVEST figures include all the hunts in the management units, such as youth, archery and private.

64 Northwest Sportsman

OCTOBER 2015 | nwsportsmanmag.com

For the Maury Unit, 230 hunters averaged five days in the field and killed 103 elk for a success rate of 44 percent. That included 33 cows, 14 spikes, four forked-horns, no three-points, eight four-points, 27 fivepoints and 16 six-points or better.

For hunts in the Ochoco, 1,634 hunters averaged seven days in the field and killed 407 elk for a success rate of 31 percent.

The makeup included 138 cows, 47 spikes, seven forked-horns, five three-points, 17 four-points, 80 five-points and 113 sixpoints or better.

For the Grizzly, 777 hunters averaged seven days in the field and killed 216 elk for a success rate of 30 percent. The make-up included 114 cows, 18 spikes, six forkedhorns, four three-points, four four-points, 32 five-points and 38 six-points or better.

The management objective for elk in the Maury is 1,400 animals and this year the estimate was 1,050. There were 7.6 bulls per 100 cows and 33.1 calves per 100 cows. For the Ochoco, the MO is 4,500 elk and this year’s estimate was 4,050.

There were 17.4 bulls per 100 cows and

25.0 calves per 100 cows. For the Grizzly Unit, it’s 1,500 elk and this year’s estimate was 1,300. There were 15.5 bulls per 100 cows and 41.1 calves per 100 cows.

Statewide, ODFW would like to see 70,300 elk; this year’s estimate was 71,500.

There were 22.8 bulls per 100 cows and 27.1 calves per 100 cows.

Besides the annual population estimates and herd composition surveys, last winter ODFW collared 500 mule deer does from the Blue Mountains, including 91 deer from the Ochoco District, with satellite GPS collars to get a better handle on their numbers and habitat use.

“This project will assist deer managers with establishing mule deer herd ranges as well as estimating annual survival rates,” Jackle explains. “It also will help us identify key summering habitats that mule deer are utilizing.”

DUE TO FIRE DANGER, late summer saw numerous access restrictions put in place on state, federal and private lands. At press deadline last month, it wasn’t clear when all would be lifted, so hunters need to be aware of the possibility that their spot could be closed before they go afield.

A good place to start is inciweb.nwcg .gov, which has information on fires and closures due to firefighting, plus maps of closure areas in some cases. Hunters can also check with the offices or websites of the Oregon Department of Forestry (oregon.gov/odf), ODFW (dfw.state.or.us), BLM (blm.gov/or) and U.S. Forest Service (fs.usda.gov/r6).

“We currently have no plans to close access to Oregon state forestlands,” noted DOF’s Tony Andersen in late summer. “But we ask that hunters and everyone in the outdoors this time of year follow fire restrictions and be vigilant about preventing any new fires.”

“Anyone visiting a national forest, grassland, or BLM land should take every precaution to prevent human-caused fires,” added Patrick Lair with the Ochoco National Forest. “This includes taking care not to discharge firearms into dry duff and pine needles or driving over vegetation. Also, always maintain a fire watch for several hours if you think there could be a potential spark.” NS

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nwsportsmanmag.com | OCTOBER 2015

Northwest Sportsman 65

Hunting backcountry notches could pay off with a nice muley during Washington’s late, extended rifle hunt.

A hunter glasses a high-country saddle. Those with forage and water nearby will be prime spots for an ambush, and with this year’s later, extended Washington mule deer season, they also may see more activity as bucks migrate out of the mountains. (JASON BROOKS) 66 Northwest Sportsman

OCTOBER 2015 | nwsportsmanmag.com

HUNTING

By Jason Brooks

the saddle knowing a buck would come through eventually.

He had his pick of the herd.

S

lowly easing across the timbered grade and glassing small openings I caught a glimpse of a bedded mule THIS FALL, WASHINGTON RIFLEMEN have an extended season deer buck. He was just below a saddle that held a for mule deer. Not only is the opener a week later than spring on the backside of the ridge. Easing my pack off last year, but the hunt has been extended by two days. to steady my glassing I made out four long points on This allows hunters to head up high, and if the snows each side of its antlers. fall, a chance to hit the start of the rut in time with the The buck was laying in the open and I was concealed migration. Mule deer are known for making long treks in the timber below. My window to him was narrow and out of their backcountry haunts to winter and breed on blocked by Douglas fir branches. When I spread out in a open slopes just above flat lands. By knowing where the prone position I couldn’t see the buck, and kneeling only bucks will migrate through, you can narrow down your revealed half of him, so I was cursed with a standing offhunt and make that second weekend and two bonus hand shot. This made the 130 yards seem like a mile. At weekdays more productive. the crack of my rifle, the buck stood and looked uphill.

But even if we don’t get snow, deer will still start their move to the lowlands. A few years ago I was talking I had shot right over the top of him and he was now with Dave Volsen, a wildlife biologist for the Washington wondering why the rocks above had exploded.

Department of Fish and Wildlife who is assigned to the Before I could cycle another round through my bolt famed mule deer country of Chelan County. He pointed the buck took off at a run. But I knew where he was out that once the first frost of the year occurs, the plants going: This was a game I had played before. The buck and other deer forage degrades. No matter how much they had bedded in a saddle that leads to a small basin we’ve eat, the deer just can’t get enough calories, so they have nicknamed the “Meat Box” for all of the deer that have to head to lower elevations where the feed has a higher been harvested and packed out of the area. nutritional value. Often they use the same routes year Indeed, it’s all about location. A small and secluded after year, and once you find the muley highway, it’s just a bench with a saddle above leads to a north-facing slope matter of time before your buck comes through. and a small spring on the backside. On each side are Look for long open slopes that lead down and out of two open slopes with timber below, and above and high basins. If there is a fresh snow, these routes will be straight down the ravine there are heavily wooded marked by tracks. Know that if you find a slope that starts areas to get out of rain showers or snowstorms. Not after a saddle or “pinch point” on a mountain, such as a only does this bench have everything a big mule deer buck needs to enjoy a hot summer in the high country, but it also lies in the middle of a main migration route where other deer will move through and take shelter or get water.

This is why my father could be found on any afternoon in deer season tucked behind a large snag that had fallen years before in a windstorm. On wet and rainy or snowy days, a small whiff of smoke could be seen from his warming fire, and on dry days, all you had to do was listen for the sounds of his snores as he took a nap. His idea was to get to this vantage point and watch the first few hours of light while the deer fed and moved about. Once the bucks bedded down, so would my father. Around midafternoon, Hunter Kyle Hurst and nieces Marissa as the deer would start to move and Brittany Hurst pose with Kyle’s around a bit, he would sit and glass mountain muley. (JASON BROOKS) nwsportsmanmag.com | OCTOBER 2015

Northwest Sportsman 67

HUNTING bench or a protected knob, then this is likely a migration route as deer can use it to get out of the backcountry quickly to safety from impending weather.

Of course, I anticipate opening day of deer season all year and there’s no way I am going to sit around and wait until the last four days of the rie hunt. Instead of looking for migration routes, I look for the bucks just as I did in my September scouting trips. If the area is new to you but you have hunted mule deer before, take the same principles and apply it to opening weekend. I always look for places the deer will likely feed, such as a ridge top or small opening in timber that is close to a bedding area. Oftentimes this is near timber for both safety from predators, but also to keep out of early fall’s still-warm sun. Bucks in the high country will adjust slightly with the cooler temperatures and you might ďŹ nd them bedded in the open instead, but they will often still be found near cover, usually with multiple escape routes. This is where saddles between two knobs or mountains can really pay off, especially if there is a water source nearby.

Lastly is the weather. My ďŹ rst buck was a small spike that was travelling from a very windy basin to the leeward side. The buck was in heavy timber but strong winds were blowing hard across the slopes and branches were crashing down. On the opposite side of the ridge was an old burn

with little to no cover but a lot of feed. I was a fool and sat right in the middle of the saddle between these two slopes and almost froze. This also put me in perfect position to catch the buck moving from one side to the other, and I was able to notch a tag. After ďŹ eld-dressing the deer I went to get help from camp, following the trail as it cut down into the burn and across a slope. I immediately noticed that as I dropped below the ridge I was protected from the wind and it became very pleasant out. This was why the buck had been moving through the saddle at midday.

YEARS LATER, I FOUND myself attempting the off-hand shot at the four-point in the Meat Box. Instead, it bounded off for a far knob and another small basin on the far side.

It wasn’t until the buck stotted away and I hiked up to where it had bedded down that I noticed my father.

He’d been on the ridge, glassing down at me. I climbed up to his perch and sat down beside him, resting my rie on his old dead snag. He asked what I’d shot at, adding it had “scared the hell outâ€? of him, as he had fallen asleep without spotting the buck. It would have only been a matter of time before the deer would have stood up to feed and my father would have had an easy shot.

Have a little patience. With the later season and a few extra days, this is the year to head up high, past the burns and into the high country in search of a big muley. NS

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OCTOBER 2015 | nwsportsmanmag.com

HUNTING

10 TIPS

For Tagging Out Didn’t prep for deer season as much as you wanted? Outfitter Jerrod Gibbons puts you back in the game fast.

By Jeff Holmes

D

espite the worst fire season in Washington history and a really bad one in 2014 as well, there’s plenty of unburned and regenerating landscape to support what should be another great deer season, even in charred parts of the Evergreen State. Untrue rumors have circulated this summer that the deer are all dead, or that they’ve completely vacated the burned landscapes. Far from it.

Many of the big whitetails and mule deer that Okanogan Valley Guide Service’s clients harvested last year were feeding in burned areas, and the same thing will occur this fall as deer transition from agriculture to natural browse.

Already by early September, two successive rains in late August spurred strong growth of regenerating grasses.

OVGS’s Jerrod Gibbons (okanoganvalleyguideservice. com), whose outfitting and guiding business has earned a stellar reputation over many years now, sent me pictures of freshly resprouted forage just two days after a rain. He spends every day watching deer on private leases all over the Okanogan, and he’s confident and excited that this will be an excellent year for his clients, and for those who give themselves advantages like those detailed at the end of this article, courtesy of Gibbons.

“All the public ground that was burnt out this year is gonna be different, for sure,” said Gibbons. “But what a lot of people I’m talking to don’t seem to realize is that we have had two decent rains that have greened up burns significantly. The grass is already coming through the burn and starting to grow nicely. Are you going to see a ton of deer on the burn this year? It’s very possible we will, if the grass keeps growing. And we get some moisture. Right now all the bucks are on the agricultural ground.”

Gibbons has a huge network of leases and other ranches he hunts and his outrageous success rates speak to his operation and his belief in securing exclusive access.

“Are most of the deer gonna be on private ground this season? I think so. But the public ground is gonna come back

Okanogan deer are some of the most storied in the state, and while much of the focus is on mosshorned muley migrators coming out of the Pasayten and off Sawtooth Ridge, fact is the Okanogan Valley produces some studs for general season rifle and bowhunters and permit holders alike.

(OKANOGANVALLEYGUIDESERVICE.COM)

in force with all these new grasses. We are gonna be fine. This fire didn’t kill the deer, like a ton of people think. I’ve had people try to cancel on me thinking I’m shut down. I’ve been sending pictures of deer saying we are good and convincing folks otherwise over the past week. Those pictures have been pretty convincing.”

Gibbons books trips every deer season for every weapon type, but his biggest season and the greatest ritual in Washington deer hunting is mid-October’s modern firearm general opener for buck deer. Mule and whitetail deer will become fair game starting the 17th, with seasons lasting through the 27th or 30th (in the case of Northeast whitetails), but it is the state’s large mule deer herds that will be in most successful hunters’ sights. People will certainly kill some whitetails, but the best of that hunting doesn’t occur until the advance of the prerut at the end of the month. Whitetail hunting only improves as November advances and their rut maddens them into December, but mule deer opportunities are necessarily more limited to a short window well before their rut. Muleys are vulnerable on open landscapes, and their propensity for creating great broadside shots by staring is not something whitetail bucks

nwsportsmanmag.com | OCTOBER 2015

Northwest Sportsman 71

HUNTING do nearly so often.

WHILE MULEY SUCCESS RATES are high in Southeast Washington and throughout the Columbia Basin and Okanogan during our short season, that doesn’t mean the odds are good at all for the average weekend warrior – not unless he or she is in great shape, is hunting private ground, or is hiking deep into scouted backcountry.

Many will head into the deer woods without the advantage of having scouted, and that will decrease a hunter’s odds significantly. Others will not have gotten any exercise prior to the season. Gibbons cites being in shape as his number one suggestion for being a successful publiclands deer hunter in the Okanogan, and that advice extends to any of our open and semiopen landscapes. It’s tough in October to go back and begin a workout regimen, but even a couple weeks of activity prior to the season helps a little.

Short of a miracle workout regimen, here’s what Gibbons suggests for increasing your odds on the opener: 1) Especially for public-lands hunters keying around Yes, hundreds of thousands of acres of some of Washington’s best deer habitat burned this summer; yes, it also rained on that ground afterwards, sprouting fresh greens. Whether you’re hunting inside fire perimeters or not, the key will be finding feed, says Jerrod Gibbons of Okanogan Valley Guide Service. This whitetail is just one of several whoppers taken by his clients in recent years.

Others he’s guided include Scott Haugen, host of Trijicon’s The Hunt, and Jim Burnsworth of Western Extreme. (OKANOGANVALLEYGUIDESERVICE.COM)

72 Northwest Sportsman

OCTOBER 2015 | nwsportsmanmag.com

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Northwest Sportsman 73

HUNTING burned areas, I would find water and a food source. Look close to those areas for obvious areas of travel and activity.

Make sure to be the first one in there on opening morning or any morning of the season, and be on a good vantage point.

Let everyone else do the pushing.

2) Know your weapon well. Don’t be the guy who sights his rifle in at deer camp. Get to the range immediately and shoot some rounds before you come out here. Better yet, you will have already been shooting well prior to the season.

Make sure your rifle is sighted in and know your bullet drop and yardage.

3) Having good optics is so underrated and undervalued by most hunters, especially on broad, open landscapes where identifying deer before they see you is critical.

Reliable binoculars and spotting scopes allow you to locate the animals at great distances and be able to identify the size of deer.

4) Get the onXmaps hunt app for the phone or GPS. This shows the difference between private and public lands, and it has a ton of other truly useful features.

5) Even if you’re not hunting the burned areas, it’s no less important to locate food and water sources. Finding these places will let you know that there will be deer in the area and would always be a good place to start.

6) Get off the road! Yes, you can find deer close to the road, but to find some nice deer and less hunting pressure, tighten the boots and get moving early. The hardest workers in the best shape stand the best odds on public ground. Old bucks are smart and like the protection of backcountry.

7) Last-minute scouting is way better than no scouting!

Make a point a week or two prior to season to go into desired hunting areas. When you find a deer, figure out how you can be close to that spot at first light by taking into account the wind and, if other hunters come, what will the deer do?

8) Get to a good vantage point and be able to look long distances and visually cover as much ground as possible at the peak times of the day. Make sure you’re in a spot you can move from once you spot something.

9) Be aggressive once you spot an animal. If you’re in a fairly high-traffic area of hunters, go after it and get in front of your animal using wind and terrain to your advantage. On public land, you don’t get too many second chances.

10) Book a hunt with an outfitter. Let the outfitter do all the work and eliminate the guesswork. Outfitters can accommodate different fitness levels on many hunts, but always make sure you’re in the best shape you can be. It always helps. Always check references and the reputation of any outfitter. NS

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OCTOBER 2015 | nwsportsmanmag.com

COLUMN

Make Hay Opening Day

S

potting the deer, I immediately froze, knowing that any motion, especially laterally, would give my presence away. Even my hunter-orange shirt wouldn’t be noticed by the deer unless I moved when it looked my way.

Deer are color blind, you see.

Focusing my binoculars at the deer’s exact distance, I scanned through the forest hoping to spot another – perhaps one with antlers. I made the outline of at least two more deer. All three were does, but there could be a buck nearby, which was all my state-issued tag would allow me to harvest.

I knew it would only be a matter of time before the deer noticed me. After all, if they can consistently avoid coyotes and cougars, I had little chance to go undetected for long. The good news was that I’d spotted them before they me, and the wind was in my favor. If the wind had been at my back, they’d have been gone long before my arrival.

Suddenly, and from what seemed like out of nowhere, a buck materialized. I could hardly believe my eyes. Evidently hidden behind the trees, he’d been grazing near the others the whole time. He was a mature buck with a decent rack, possibly a four-point.

Under different circumstances this would have been a fairly easy shot. The buck was only 150 yards away, but a stiff crosswind had started blowing and there were tree limbs, although sparse, swaying in the middle of my sight path. To further complicate the issue, I had nothing to help steady my rifle. There was a pine tree 15 feet to my left that would make a perfect rifle rest, but if I moved there I’d risk detection, plus another brush patch would most likely block my already poor sight path.

Looking down I realized it would be impossible to see through the knee-high grass if I knelt to steady my rifle. The shot would have to be made from a freestanding position which, given the circumstances, was going to be difficult.

Although I was sure they hadn’t spotted me, the buck seemed nervous, which meant this opportunity could vanish in an instant.

The pressure was on, and for some reason, I wasn’t handling it well, which surprised me. The longer I peered through my rifle’s scope, the wobblier everything seemed.

I tried to focus and relax, knowing that with a little concentration I could make the shot. I didn’t. Hearing the rifle the buck turned and, along with the other deer, quickly exited into the trees. My hunting partner confirmed their escape; he got a glimpse of the unscathed buck as the deer quickly vanished into a mile-away patch of timber.

BUZZ RAMSEY

three bucks exploded out of the tangled vegetation and dashed down the canyon. “Shoooot!” my partner exclaimed, but I knew I’d already hit the intended target.

On that trip, we found the buck a few yards from where he’d been standing. The other three bucks had been lying just out of sight in the same thicket. It would have been a big mistake, and possibly an illegal one, to have fired at the fleeing deer without first checking the results of the initial shot.

Remembering that past experience, my hunting partner and I combed the area to double confirm what we thought we’d seen and that I’d indeed missed. When completely satisfied, we continued our hunt, deciding to make a wide circle through yet another patch of timber.

I decided to concentrate on the positive in an effort to reinstill my shooting confidence. As a hunter, nothing provides more assurance than knowing your rifle will shoot tight groups that hit the target where intended. Since I handload my own ammunition, each of the cartridges I was carrying were specifically built for the rifle I was shouldering. This particular Browning A-Bolt Stainless Stalker loves 165-grain bullets launched with 55 grains of IMR4831 powder.

Before leaving home I’d fired three shots from a solid rest into a target located 100 yards away. The holes in the paper measured no more than 5/8 inch apart. They were hitting exactly 2 inches high at 100 yards, which meant my .30-06 would hit the exact center of a target placed 200 steps out.

As the afternoon wore on, I finally spotted a lone buck standing in the middle of an open grass-covered flat. Only a mule deer on opening day would do this. Since he was looking the other way, I crept slowly forward and sat next to a small tree that would provide both cover and shooting stability. With a solid rest and open shooting lane it proved an easy shot. NS And here you thought he only tinkered with fishing lures – Buzz Ramsey also takes pride in handloading his own ammunition for deer hunting, with obvious success. (BUZZ RAMSEY)

I BELIEVE RIFLES SHOOT straight and hit where they’re pointed. I remembered a past hunt where I had a solid rest and sight path into a thicket where a buck stood motionless. Hearing the shot,

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COLUMN

7 Keys For Tagging Your Elk This Fall

General bull elk seasons are right over the horizon in the Northwest. You won’t luck out and find herds like this normally, but bands from such herds as this are roaming the forests, and there could be a nice bull in the bunch. (DAVE WORKMAN)

R

emember the joke about the guy who visited the Department of Fish and Wildlife and asked for a Sasquatch tag? When he was ON TARGET told there is no such

By Dave Workman tag because nobody has ever seen a Sasquatch in the woods, the nimrod thought about that for a moment and asked, “Well, wait a minute, you guys sell elk tags, don’t ya?”

This month marks the start of the general rifle season for those elusive critters, beginning as early as Oct. 10 and 17th in parts of Idaho and Oregon to as late as the 28th and 31st in other sections of the Beaver State as well as Eastern Washington. Black powder hunters also get a crack at wapiti Oct. 3-9 in the Evergreen State, plus later opportunities.

Nov. 7 marks the Western Washington and Oregon second Rocky Mountain bull openers, while Oregon’s coastal hunts run Nov. 14-17 and 21-27.

Exceptions do apply, so be sure to check

the online regs at wdfw.wa.gov, dfw.state .or.us and fishandgame.idaho.gov.

ASIDE FROM ALL THAT, what are some other things elk hunters should think about?

Get off the road: That means waaaaaaay off the road. Elk won’t come to you, and it is rare that they will be found trotting down a road during hunting season. You have to go find them. We’re not talking about 20 or 30 yards; this means getting into the woods a good half-mile or more, creeping along slowly and deliberately, pausing every few steps to take in a full 180-degree view of your surroundings.

(Yeah, elk can suddenly appear behind you. It’s happened to me more than once, and it’s unnerving as hell.)

Leave the stink in camp: If the wind is wrong, elk will smell your cigarettes or cigars. Same goes for after-shave, guys (ladies, no perfume!). Hang your hunting coat away from the campfire and keep it out of a smoke-filled tent.

There are all sorts of scent covers, and over the years people have cooked up all kinds of breath covers too. Many

swear by hard butterscotch candies. Some people look around for fresh elk droppings and deliberately step in them to cover the scent of their boots. And don’t gas up in your hunting gear. The odor can hang with your clothing much longer than you think.

Go heavy, or go home: You really can be undergunned for elk, and bullet placement is critically important, even when you’ve got plenty of bullet and horsepower. A guy who ventures afield with a big caliber rifle doesn’t make up for bad marksmanship with a large hunk of lead. I know people who could drop elk all day long with a .300 Savage, but they’re shooters and spend a lot of time at the range throughout the summer.

The five most popular calibers for elk, in my humble opinion, are the .270 Winchester with the heaviest bullet you can find; the .30-06 Springfield with at least a 180-grain pill; and the heavybullet principle applies also to the 7mm Remington Magnum, .300 Winchester Magnum and .300 Weatherby Magnum.

However, the .284 Winchester, .300 Remington Ultra Magnum, .300 H&H Magnum or .300 Norma Magnum, and

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NEW FEDERAL .30-30 ROUND

New Federal Premium loads are available for the .30-30 Winchester. (DAVE WORKMAN) even the venerable .35 Whelen all bring down bulls, as will the .25-06 and various other calibers. There are lots of other suitable elk cartridges, and what works for you is fine with me, so long as you can put a bullet in the boilerworks.

Steady now: When you shoot, take the best rest you can, whether it’s a stout fork in a tree, a boulder, backpack or log – anything that allows you to steady the

Federal Premium has introduced a new Vital-Shok Trophy Copper load, this time in .30-30 Winchester.

The round has a 150-grain Trophy Copper bullet with a polymer tip for an improved ballistic coefficient, and a bullet cavity behind the tip that opens up dramatically, yet the copper-alloy bullet retains up to 99 percent of its weight.

The .30-30 Winchester is a great deer and black bear cartridge, and this new load has a nickel-plated cartridge to prevent corrosion. It also makes for smooth extraction from the chamber.

When Federal announced this round back in early August, I wished they had done it years ago – like back when I was a kid hunting with a Model 340 Savage bolt-action chambered in .30-30! –DW

rifle. Pick this out ahead of time, which means you always know your immediate surroundings, in all directions.

Smart animals: Elk are not as benign as they might seem on TV, nor are they stupid. They’re fast and agile. I’ve seen them leap over a truck’s hood, as well as stampede right through a hunting camp.

If you see a band of elk moving through the brush, most likely a savvy older cow

will be in the lead, and if there’s a bull with them, he’ll be somewhere back there to the rear. Sit still, be patient, don’t talk, just listen and try to breathe quietly. That lead cow is a smart old gal. If there’s even a hint of trouble in the air, she will spook.

I once had a band of elk almost run over me when I was crouched behind a small clump of fir trees watching a clearing below. There was a rumble and suddenly a

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pounding of hooves, and when I jumped up, the lead cow broke, headed downhill away from the rest of the band and they scattered, tipping off the bull that was about 50 yards to the rear. He was gone before I could raise my rifle because the cow had successfully distracted me.

In the pack: Carry a couple of knives and hatchet, a small sharpener and a couple of pairs of rubber gloves because if you get an elk down, there is going to be a lot of blood, especially if you conk one with a heart or lung shot. For more on what to carry, see Randy King’s column on p. 93.

Find water: It has been dry for months, and any precipitation between now and opening day will help, but you will still want to concentrate your efforts around water, especially east of the Cascades. Elk will be close to a source of water, be it a spring, creek or whatever. Locate these, examine them for game traffic and mark them on a map. If you haven’t already been

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scouting, now is a good time to start.

Years ago I knew a guy who would find wellused elk trails and start hiking along parallel to them back up into the higher elevations.

This strategy often depends largely on weather – if there is snow in higher elevations to make the elk want to move – and his theory was that if he kept walking, eventually he would encounter elk headed down the trail.

If you’re not up to walking, find a good stand 50 to 100 yards above a well-used elk trail, sit down and stay put morning

COLUMN Elk roam vast swaths of the Northwest. Austin Moser bagged this spike in Central Washington’s Colockum in 2013.

(BROWNING PHOTO CONTEST)

and evening. It’s got to be a spot that provides a good view for using your binoculars to scan the area constantly – but not with your rifle scope. NS

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HUNTING

Field-dressing Deer MeatEater Steven Rinella’s step-by-step guide.

(ANDY WALGAMOTT)

By Steven Rinella Editor’s note: The following is an excerpt from Sportsman Channel series MeatEater host Steven Rinella’s new book, The Complete Guide to Hunting, Butchering, and Cooking Wild Game, published by Random House Paperback and currently on sale.

T

he work of hunting does not end with a kill. In some respects, it’s only just begun. You owe it to the animal, and to yourself, to make sure that the carcass is handled as carefully as possible to ensure quality meat.

Regardless of whether the animal will be skinned and processed in the field or at home, it needs to be gutted immediately.

GUTTING Big game should be gutted as soon as possible, preferably within an hour of the animal’s death. All big game animals are gutted in essentially the same way, though there are obvious differences in the matter of scale.

The sequence of the following steps is not entirely rigid, and there are many shortcuts that can speed the process along. The following step-

by-step procedure is meant to give you a full understanding of the work involved. Once you gain some proficiency, you will develop your own favorite way of going about it.

A TIP FOR HANDLING LARGE ANIMALS When handling large animals or working on uneven terrain, you can use lengths of cord to rig the animal into whatever position you want.

STEP BY STEP 1. Start by positioning the animal on its back, with the spine as straight as possible and the legs pointing toward the sky.

2. Cut through the skin around the animal’s anus, leaving the anus connected only to the colon. Use the tip of your knife to free the connective tissues that hold the animal’s colon in place.

Get in there as far as possible. The colon should be lying inside the pelvis like the end of a hose, totally freed up.

3. Starting at the top of the anus incision, slice upward through the hide to a point just past the animal’s pelvis. Do not cut through the abdominal wall. Slice down through the muscle until you hit the pelvic bone. On males, cut down on each side of the pelvic ridge. On females, you can make just one slice down to the bone. Note: If you’re going to be dragging the animal any appreciable distance, you can omit this step.

By leaving this area intact, it’s easier to keep the meat clean during transportation.

The downside is that the animal does not cool as quickly, and this is a part of the carcass that’s vulnerable to spoilage in warm weather.

4. Go up to the point of the animal’s brisket and start an incision through the hide. Run this incision all the way down the animal’s underside until it meets the opening you created in order to expose the pelvis. Be careful not to nick the muscle beneath the nwsportsmanmag.com | OCTOBER 2015

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(STEVEN RINELLA, BOTH)

hide, as you might puncture the internal organs as well.

5. At this point you’re ready to cut through the abdominal wall. The safest place to enter the abdomen is at the very bottom of the rib cage.

Make a very shallow and careful cut through the abdominal muscles, just enough to insert your middle and index fingers. With your fingers facing up, lift the abdominal muscles up and away from the stomach and

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slice through the lining along the same incision that you made through the hide. End the cut at the lower end of the abdomen, where the belly terminates at the pelvic area between the two rear legs.

6. Reach one hand inside the animal’s pelvis and press the bladder and intestines away from the pelvic bone as you use your other hand to split the pelvic bone with a saw or small hatchet. On males, cut through the

bone on each side of the ridge. On females, cut down the middle. Once the bone is cut, forcibly push the rear legs apart. You should now have a clear gateway through which the colon and lower intestine will pass when you pull the guts away from the animal.

7. Go back to the point of the sternum where you began your incision through the abdominal wall.

From there, use a bone saw, hatchet,

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(STEVEN RINELLA, BOTH)

or heavy knife to split the sternum all the way to the base of the neck.

Then forcibly separate the two halves of the rib cage.

8. Reach into the front of the chest cavity and sever the windpipe. Also slice through the diaphragm, freeing it from the walls of the rib cage on both sides of the animal, all the way down to the spine.

9. Using two hands, reach up to where you severed the windpipe and get a good grip on the package of organs at the top end of the animal. Pulling slowly and firmly, you should be able to walk backward and drag the entire load of guts out of the animal. Keep a knife handy, as you might need to reach in and slice free the diaphragm or connective tissue around the pelvis if the innards get hung up while

you’re trying to pull them free.

10. Go through the gut pile and remove the heart, kidneys, and liver.NS Editor’s note: For more on Steven Rinella, follow him on Twitter (@stevenrinella), see stevenrinella.com or his MeatEater show website (thesportsmanchannel.com /shows/meateater) or like him at facebook .com/StevenRinellaMeatEater.

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COLUMN

The Kill Kit I

ain’t going to lie: I have been caught with my pants down out in the field.

With a dead deer at my feet, all I had to process the buck was IN THE WILD the dull Leatherman

By Randy King that mostly functions as a box opener in my kitchen. I sacrificed my stocking cap to the heart and most of the hide off the animal’s left butt cheek to sagebrush flats while dragging him out.

I was ill-prepared to be in the field, but now older and wiser, I use a “kill kit” on my hunts and life is much better. I have better meat for my table and I am less worried about killing something “this far from camp.”

A kill kit can be complicated or it can be easy, but a few things need to be included.

CHEF

TWO SHARP KNIVES A hunter should always have two knives stored in different locations in the pack or on their person. I can vividly remember looking to my hip knife and finding it missing on several occasions. Maybe it is due to all the crawling in the brush I do to get up on game, but I have lost more than a handful of blades to the mountainside.

I even started buying cheap ones just for this reason. But the pack knife is always there and ready to work.

Optional: a sharpening stone or blade honer. These can be great, depending on just how much work you want to get done in the field versus back in camp.

I carry a Havelon, with the replaceable razor blades in my pack so I don’t need to worry about sharpening my pack knife.

Author Randy King’s kill kit bag includes nitrile gloves, parachute cord, Ziploc and garbage bags, bone saw, knives, zip ties, game bags, head lamps, tag, tarp/emergency blanket and water. (RANDY KING) the ground. My most common use for rope while gutting an animal is to tie its legs open. Without a buddy holding the legs still attached to a deer or elk, the whole process can be frustrating. But tying off one or both legs makes the whole operation much easier. Also, if you are leaving the animal overnight, it is best hung in a tree. Use the rope to dangle game bags out of the reach of coyotes and bears. A nonprechewed steak is preferable for most hunters.

GLOVES Yeah, this one is a no-brainer. I prefer to have my hands covered when they are in the chest cavity of a large mammal. I like to bring more than one pair of nitrile gloves – you will almost inevitably poke a hole in one or catch it on a rib shard. This will mean contamination, and while not the end of the world, it is best avoided when possible. All animals, domestic and wild, have things in their gut that can make us sick. Do your best to avoid them.

ROPE

ZIPPER-TOP BAGS

This is an invaluable tool with game on

This item is non-negotiable. Why? The

heart is unquestionably one of the best cuts on an animal. To leave it behind is a sin on all culinary creations. The liver, while not as good, is also delicious. Organ meats tend to get left behind because people are not sure what in the world to do with them. Check out my recipe for heart on the next page and you’ll never leave one behind again. I have also published recipes for venison liver in a previous issue of this magazine. It’s a great recipe to help convert people over to eating what is called the “fifth” quarter of the animal.

TRASH BAGS I am a fan of these in cooler months.

Why? Because they do not contaminate my backpack with blood and fur like a game bag would. Sure, they are not breathable, and this is a problem, but if I’m only going a mile or so, I would rather use a trash sack than a game bag for sanitary reasons. When I get the meat to a location that I can reasonably store it, I will then place it in game bags. You will, of course, want to use unscented trash bags.

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HAVE A HEART The “wobbly bits,” also known as the guts, offal or innards, are often referred to as the fifth quarter of a big game animal. That’s because between the liver, heart, tongue and kidneys a hunter gets an enormous amount of extra meat. But all too often the insides are left in a pile on the ground for the coyotes.

This is a waste of meat – the primary reason a lot of folks hunt. So I figure it is my duty to showcase just how delicious a hunk of the wobbly bits can be. Let’s start with the heart.

PANFRIED HEART WITH PEARS AND BEET GREENS With hearts, proper trimming is vital.

They are a working muscle, and as such, need to be cleaned up. With a sharp knife take off the white outer lining that all hearts have. Slide the blade under the white tissue and gently trim it away. Next, follow the contours of the heart itself to figure out how to unroll it. While cutting you will notice seams; follow one and “open” the heart up. Inside the heart will be more connective tissue that needs removal. Clean the meat really well; it will be better for it.

When the heart is completely clean it will be one large, uneven hunk of meat.

Now it is time to portion the heart into similar-sized sections of meat. Weight is the key point here, not thickness. When you have the heart cut into sections it is time to either get out the mallet or “butterfly” cut them into a proper thickness. I prefer the latter method. For more on the butterfly cut, please visit chefrandyking.com.

1 heart, cut onto equally thick 3- to 4-ounce portions 1 cup milk 1 cup flour 1 tablespoon kosher salt, divided 1 tablespoon Mrs. Dash (garlic and herb – don’t judge) 1 teaspoon black pepper, fresh cracked 1 tablespoon garlic powder 1 /8 cup canola oil 1 bartlett pear, diced 94 Northwest Sportsman

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Panfried deer heart with pears and beet greens. (RANDY KING)

Begin by cutting away the white outer lining (left) around the heart. Next, unroll the heart, per se, by following the muscle’s seams, and then remove the white lining inside the organ. After cutting away the white tissue around the inside of the heart, it’s time to section it into roughly equal-sized sections (middle) and then dredge then twice through milk and mixtures of seasoned flour. Fry each section about four minutes on one side, two to three minutes on the other (right) in oil brought up to heat in a cast-iron or other large, heavy pan. Drain the oil and then brown the pear in the same pan, adding the greens and cream. (RANDY KING, ALL) 1 pound “greens” like kale or beet 1 tablespoon cream Salt and pepper In a small bowl place the heart sections. Pour milk over them. Place in the fridge overnight (optional).

In a different bowl add flour, half the salt, the Mrs. Dash, the black pepper and garlic powder. Mix well and to incorporate.

Season heart steaks with remaining salt. Let stand until room temperature, about 20 minutes. One at a time, dredge the steaks in milk, then seasoned flour, then back into the milk and back again into the seasoned flour. Reserve on a plate until ready to cook.

Heat large cast iron or large, heavybottomed sauté pan on medium heat for five minutes. Add the oil.

Carefully dip the twice-dredged heart fingers into the hot oil. Fry up to four at

a time to prevent the meat from cooling the oil too much. Fry them for about four minutes, or until golden brown on one side. Then carefully flip. Cook on the other side for two to three minutes. Remove heart from pan and place on a clean, paper towel-lined plate.

Next carefully pour out any excess oil and wipe the pan clear of any flour or batter that has fallen off. Add the pear to the pan and return to heat. Let pear cook for two minutes browning on one side.

Stir the pear and add the greens and the cream to the pan. Season with salt and pepper. Let cook for one to two minutes until the greens are barely wilted.

To serve, place a small pile of greens on a plate, top with a sliced section of heart steak. Enjoy!

Editor’s note: For more recipes, see chefrandyking.com.

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COLUMN GAME BAGS These are good but not vital if you have a few trash sacks. I always carry some of the “economy” ones with me for keeping off the bugs when needed. But I usually haul the meat out in trash bags. My game bags are almost always in camp.

That said, I vacuum seal the ones I carry with me. They take up a considerably smaller amount of space this way.

a solid month after the season is over.

Spouses don’t always go for that.

HEADLAMP Most big game animals are shot in the first hour of daylight or within an hour or darkness. Getting yourself and the meat out in the dark is flat-out dangerous, so use a headlamp. They are easier than a flashlight, weigh less and often last longer. I carry two.

WATER After gutting a deer, you and your knife are now covered in lots of bodily fluids that are downright disturbing. (Seriously, you just stuck your knife up the deer’s bum.) So the next logical choice would be to get as much of that off as you can.

I use a little extra water, if I have it, and wash off my knife and my hands. Even if I had gloves on I still have some bugs on my hands that could cause food-borne illnesses. No need to risk it. For my knife I just give it a once over – nothing like finding a blade covered in turkey meat

OPTIONAL ITEMS If you don’t mind the weight, a tarp is a great option for keeping meat clean.

Spread the tarp out on the ground and you have a great place to set the bonedout meat. Or you can use a trash sack or game bag, but they are much less convenient.

Depending on the pack out, a hatchet or bone saw might be warranted. I love ribs off my game animals, so I will often saw them out. I have a super lightweight backpacking saw that I use to great

effect. Others will leave the ribs attached to the carcass. While it is your call in most states, some like some Alaskan units, require all rib meat to be removed from the carcass. The hatchet is just as versatile and is what my father uses on his game.

“Would you rather have a hatchet or a dinky bone saw in the woods?” he says.

“I pack a hatchet.” Fair enough.

Marking tape is good to have if you cannot remember exactly where you killed your animal. Maybe it is a new spot, maybe the ground is confusing, maybe you forgot your GPS – whatever the case, having a trail to lead you back is a good thing. That said, I tend to use sticks to make arrows in the path, or I’ll stack three rocks on top of each other as a cairn to help me get back to the animal.

And finally, the uses for zip ties are endless. Great use No. 1: keeping your tag on the dead animal. They are also a great way to keep things from bouncing around in a pack, or even to keep sections of meat hanging in a tree. NS

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HUNTING

Mission MXB-Sniper Lite by Mathews

By Garn Kennedy

M

y experience with archery started about 40 years ago, beginning when I was allowed to play with sharp pointed sticks. Then, recurve and longbow were widely used because that was what was available.

The crossbows were also of the recurve design. Then wheels on both ends of bows appeared. Although crude by today’s standards, the compound bows were very effective. They became a staple for bowhunters as a big game weapon of choice. I have used one successfully for my hunting endeavors for the last three decades.

But the crossbow has always fascinated me because of how simple, accurate and flat-shooting they are. Enter the new Mission MXB-Sniper Lite, a smooth easy-cocking compound crossbow.

When I received the Mathews product I could not wait to shoot it. As I pulled it from the box it came in and unzipped its nice carrying case, it was much lighter than I had expected.

It has the strings and features of a compound bow incorporated into a crossbow, with a rail on top to mount your favorite scope. I felt the quality in my hands as I put it to my shoulder and aimed down the rail. With a

150-pound pull weight I was curious about how easy it would be to cock. The all-black crossbow has a removable quick pulley-cocking system. I flipped the safety selector to safe, then started pulling back on the pulley handles, expecting it to be hard. But as soon as I started pulling, I felt the peak weight hump of the typical compound; it was easy as the string safely locked into place. I placed the bolt (arrow) on top, making sure it was up against the string, which has a positive retention mechanism designed to keep the bolt in place. I flipped the safety switch to fire, aimed at my target and squeezed the trigger.

It was very quiet; I was expecting more noise or vibration, but there was none of that. It just felt very solid. The trigger release was nice and crisp – it was so fast that I did not see the bolt go through the air. But it hit the target right where I wanted it to. It’s also nice that the crossbow comes with an adjustable length-of-pull stock.

Not all states allow hunting for big game with crossbows – make sure to check them before going – but the Mathews Mission MXB-Sniper Lite is a quality model, wicked fast, lightweight, quiet and deadly piece of hunting equipment. NS

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FISHING

Bays’ Bounty Bursting In October Waterfowl, salmon, crabs to be had on Oregon’s North Coast estuaries this month.

Fall finds fowl and fish working Oregon’s North Coast estuaries, and with best bobber angling on the outgoing tide and best hunting on the high, a combo trip can pay off handsomely for cast-and-blasters.

(ANDY SCHNEIDER)

By Andy Schneider

T

he Northwest’s bounty starts busting at the seams as the days get shorter, the nights cooler and leaves start demanding our attention in the yard. Deer, elk, duck and goose hunting is either just getting started or fully underway. Chinook fishing continues to improve in estuaries with every high tide. And coho have pushed into just about every tributary on the west side of the Cascades. There’s so much to do just as our days become painfully shorter with each passing day – Mother

Nature just isn’t playing fair!

Most anglers and hunters balance their time between their two passions.

But there are some devoted and highly organized outdoor enthusiasts who can squeeze both into the same trip. While not easy, the rewards can be spectacular – and very tasty!

COHO, CHINOOK AND CRABS There is nothing wrong with taking the easy route when starting out doing combo trips. More than likely you have already run this type of expedition multiple times. As crabs come out of their molt in September,

they really start filling and firming up by early October. And with every tide series, ocean-fresh coho and Chinook push into Oregon’s North Coast estuaries. The Columbia and Nehalem, Tillamook and Nestucca Bays are all good places to start looking for some chrome salmon and red Dungeness combos.

On the Columbia, the days from the 10th to the 16th of October offer some great tides for dropping crab pots in Trestle Bay and pursuing coho with the incoming tide. Either hold against the current at nearby Buoy 22 or directly in front of Hammond.

If the bite has slowed, troll with the incoming tide along the Washington side’s Church Hole to above the bridge into the Blind Slough.

Spinners, herring and anchovies will be the bait of choice for coho, while tuna or salmon carcasses scavenged from the Hammond fish-cleaning station will work best for crabs.

On Nehalem, Tillamook and Nestucca Bays, the first day of the month starts off with a low tide at 9:15 a.m. This gives anglers a perfect opportunity to target Chinook along the jetty for the most productive part of the ebbing tide and through tide change.

Once the tide starts to flood, retreat deeper into the estuary to drop your crab traps. Place them in the deeper water in front the Jetty Fishery Marina in Nehalem or along the shore, just downstream from the state park boat ramp. For Tillamook, seek out the dog leg on the south jetty, Lyster’s Corner and Crab Harbor. For Nestucca Bay, carefully navigate through the shallows and

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FISHING KINGS AND QUACKERS To keep onboard clutter down, only bring two dozen decoys and the bare minimum of bobber fishing gear.

On expeditions including crabbing, set the pots first to get them out of the way while salmon fishing. A good fish-pointing and bird-retrieving hound is an essential too. (ANDY SCHNEIDER)

drop pots away from salmon anglers near the sand spit on the west end of the bay.

If you can’t make the first day of the month for a combo trip, look

towards mid-October for some other good tides. The 13th through the 18th and the 28th through Halloween will give anglers excellent opportunities to pursue crab-and-salmon combos.

Our North Coast estuaries offer a unique opportunity to pursue waterfowl and salmon the same day.

Not only do fowl and salmon inhabit the same waters, they move and respond to the changing of the tides in similar ways. It’s no secret that bobber fishing in tidewater is more effective during an outgoing tide, and smart waterfowlers know that hunting improves significantly the closer you get to high tide. This just so happens to work out perfectly for sportsmen who want to pursue both passions in the same day.

Nehalem, Tillamook and Nestucca Bays offer the best opportunities to pursue a combo trip. All three offer fishing locations close to hunting spots that will allow for a fast transition between activities. Plan around tide changes to make your move from one pursuit to the next.

A morning duck hunt that switches to an afternoon bobber trip may be

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FISHING slightly easier to navigate from one location to the next, as there will be more water in the estuary.

Tidal stretches of the Trask and Wilson Rivers offer miles of popular water to bobber fish or anchor up and run Kwikfish. Many of the best bobber holes will put you within a mile of some of the best waterfowl hunting in the upper bay. The Nestucca’s and Nehalem’s most popular bobber holes or tidewater trolling lanes are well upstream from where you are going to be dropping decoys. Navigating downriver just after low tide is easier during daylight hours, when hidden underwater obstacles can be detected and avoided.

The opening weekend of duck season for Western Oregon looks like one of the best tides for starting out bobber fishing Tillamook tidewater before switching to waterfowl at 10:30 on Saturday and 11:15 on

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Sunday. The following weekend, Oct. 24-25, offers good waterfowl hunting tides first thing in the morning, then an easy transition to bobber fishing just before noon on both days. The last weekend of the month, tides would be most productive for starting in tidewater bobber fishing before transitioning to waterfowl at 11 a.m.

PREPPING FOR COMBOS When everything goes to plan, a combo trip is one that makes some amazing memories and great stories for when you return to work on Monday. But just as easily they can go wrong and be nothing but a frustrating day on the water.

Too little sleep with too much to do is often the ingredient that starts to spoil the fun of the trip before it even starts. Preparation and planning needs to take place well before the night before to start your adventures

Early, mid- and late October feature good tides for pulling off a salmon and crab trip in the Columbia estuary and Nehalem, Tillamook and Nestucca Bays. (ANDY SCHNEIDER)

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FISHING out properly. When putting gear together and prepping bait and boat, remember that this adventure is supposed to be fun. When it stops becoming fun and more frustration, or even worse – work – it’s time to take a step back and evaluate your priorities and see what needs to be done, or not done, to make the adventure pleasurable again.

Deny the urge to overpack. Rather, prioritize what exactly you are going to use versus what you might use.

Bobber fishing or anchoring with plugs in tidewater doesn’t require a lot of tackle or bait preparation.

Spare bobbers, extra leaders, a small assortment of terminal tackle and your A-list plugs can all fit in a small tackle box.

When it comes to the hunting side of your day, pack two dozen of your best decoys, preferably wigeons or mallards. Packing your ammo, calls

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and other miscellaneous hunting supplies into its own waterproof blind bag will keep your hunting supplies dry and out of the way while fishing. Having your shotgun in a waterproof, floating gun case is a necessity. Many soft cases on the market provide good protection without being overly bulky.

Preparation for a salmon-crab day is a little easier. Plan your day around when you will be dropping pots and picking them up. If you fish for a couple hours before crabbing, make sure to secure and store them out of the way to avoid any fumbles or tangles between fishing and crab gear.

Also, keep your crab bait in a separate cooler from your fishing bait. While crab and salmon can go into the same cooler upon harvest, a stinky tuna carcass may not add the proper flavor to your plugcut herring. If you are going to be

fishing for an extended period of time after harvesting your crab, keep the Dungies in a live well, or at least in a cooler with frequent changes of water to keep your crab alive.

Tillamook and Nehalem Bays offer crab-cooking facilities, but make sure to call ahead and see if their cookers are up and running before heading in. There is no better time to fillet fish or wash down a boat than the 20 minutes it takes to cook your crab. This is time well spent and allows you to actually relax and enjoy the fruits of your labor when you arrive home.

October is one of the most anticipated months for Northwest sportsmen. Whistling wings, colorful foliage and chrome fish can found as close to home as the backyard or in some quiet coastal tributary. Don’t miss any opportunity to get outside and enjoy the sights, sounds and tastes that our region has to offer. NS

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Silver Slaying Slinky Set-up NOTES Assault on the Quinault Guide Service’s coho spinner rig is an ultraeffective way to drift, swing and retrieve lightweight spinners while keeping them down in the zone with the weight of the slinky. The rig consists of a fast-action rod with a reel spooled with 50-pound PowerPro run to a Brad’s size 5 crane swivel and duolock or to a snap swivel fixed to a slinky of five .275 shot doused in scent. Next comes a 2.5-foot leader of 15-pound Izorline, a lightweight spinner blade, a five-bead tapering bead set and a 2/0 octopus hook. A sparkle skirt and a squid are stacked over four of the beads and trimmed to expose beads and hook. –Jeff Holmes

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FISHING

Quinault Chrome Coho lead off fall, winter fisheries on Tribes’ end of Olympic Peninsula river.

While September, when guide Ashley Nichole Lewis and crew caught these coho, marks the early stages of the Quinault River’s fall salmon runs, they really come into their prime in October, with big silvers showing later this month and into November, when steelhead season for big winter-runs takes off. (JEFF HOLMES)

By Jeff Holmes

A

fter record heat and drought during summer 2015, water temperatures on the Olympic Peninsula dropped like a rock in late summer, and by early September many state waters had reopened to fishing, just in time for early shots of coho to start flooding into rivers from Forks to Grays Harbor. Record numbers of coho are forecast to continue to enter streams into the new year, but October is undeniably prime time in most river systems for big numbers and progressively larger coho. Great fishing will be had all over Western Washington this fall, and the crowds will turn out in force everywhere.

There are few secret spots left on the Peninsula, but there are enough to provide epic, otherworldly fishing

for anglers who read weather, tides and other natural phenomena and use the knowledge to their advantage. For 99 percent of us, however, we miss most of the epic bites on the least crowded of days.

We even our odds by fishing as much as we can, working hard to get better and by fishing with expert anglers – including guides. If you’re looking for the best of all possible worlds to improve your odds this coho, Chinook or early winter-run season, consider taking the most exclusive and lucrative guided salmon and steelhead trip in the Northwest.

THE QUINAULT INDIAN NATION is home to arguably the largest remaining steelhead run in the Northwest outside of the Columbia system, and is comprised of the Quinault and Queets Tribes and their namesake

rivers, among other streams.

Their reservation and ceded lands encompass some of the world’s most naturally beautiful places and some of the planet’s largest hatchery and wild steelhead amidst rainforest backdrops. The Queets and Quinault Rivers and many smaller streams and tributaries harbor fantastic fishing for steelhead, coho and Chinook, as well as smaller populations of sockeye and chum salmon. Famous for year-round fishing opportunity, fall salmon abundance and earlyreturning hatchery winter steelhead of immense proportions, the QIN is one of North America’s great destination fishing locations. It is simply often overlooked by most.

Still, its best guides stay steadily booked most of the year.

Meanwhile, some of the real Jedis of the salmon and steelhead game

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Spey guru and West End river rat Kris Wilson and Lewis admire a fly-caught Quinault coho. Salmon here can be caught with a variety of terminal gear, and guides like Richie Underwood and Lewis of Assault on the Quinault cater to all kinds of anglers. (JEFF HOLMES)

slip in and out of the reservation unnoticed, fishing with the best of the scores of licensed tribal guides available for hire. In order to fish exclusive QIN waters, one must legally be within 40 feet of a licensed tribal guide. I can’t think of many guides from anywhere I’d want to spend the day 40 feet away from while river fishing, but some topnotch anglers and people are QIN guides. As anywhere, research is a must before booking, especially on what for many could be the trip of a lifetime. Last year on my first visit, I saw multiple 40-inch hatchery fish landed on Cook Creek. A friend of mine’s guide killed his confirmed 27-pound hatchery steelhead two years ago on the Quinault when he wasn’t looking, or so that part of the story goes. Wild fish in the 30s still swim here.

Why is the fishing so good on the lands of the QIN? That’s not a simple answer, but here’s the executive summary: genetics, habitat, the Olympic Range and geography. While Forks has all those things going for it too and offers world-class fishing, the QIN Tribes get funding to do cool projects and are far less encumbered by laws and red tape than are 116 Northwest Sportsman

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nontribal management agencies; so much so that the Tribes are able to realize more positive change on the landscape more quickly than, say, a state fish and wildlife agency. The QIN has performed basin-wide habitat projects and has robust hatchery programs that slice through the red tape and the many legal encumbrances of the state and federal government. Many hatchery steelhead over 40 inches are caught here, some way over 40.

Coho sometimes topping 20 pounds show at the end of this month and into November. Fall kings topping 50 are caught here too, along with wild steelhead that reach at least 46 inches, confirmed, and perhaps larger.

IF YOU BOOK A trip on the Quinault, Cook Creek, Salmon River or the lower Queets, be sure to do your homework and seek recommendations and reviews, but I can help narrow your search down for you. For sure the most wellknown and highly recommended tribal guide service I can find is Assault on the Quinault, founded by Richie Underwood. He’s been guiding the QIN since the mid-1980s and

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FISHING has developed a reputation among broad circles as a fair, friendly and extremely fishy guide and angler.

Recently he joined forces with the coolest and best female angler I’ve ever met, my friend Ashley Nichole Lewis, who I first fished with on a trip I wrote about last winter (see Northwest Sportsman, March 2015.

She’s as sharp, sincere and skilled as you could ask for in a guide. Working together, Underwood and Lewis are in the process of putting together a guiding program that will stand out as unique in all the Northwest.

Their plans are for their Tribe and for future generations, but they are also plans that help predict the future of sportfishing on the Peninsula. In the December issue, I’ll go in depth with Underwood and Lewis about their plan and their amazing winter steelhead season, which begins in late November.

But October is a time for salmon

in the land of the Quinaults, and in anticipation of this issue of Northwest Sportsman, Underwood, Lewis and I met up in early September with friends Randy Bonner and Kris Wilson to chase coho on the Quinault. It was quite early and well before reports of good fishing, but Underwood has been guiding the river for 30 years and fishing it his whole life. He and Lewis were sure we’d find fish despite a big rain that raised the river double and colored it up to a foot of visibility.

Regardless, it took only a few minutes to discover that five jokers who love to fish were going to have a great day of laughing and learning on the least crowded Westside river.

After an intense night in Ocean Shores that I think involved karaoke, multiple alcohol types and great conversations with a bunch of brainiac fishing freaks, we filed north along the coast to the tiny tribal town of Tahlolah, home

of Richie Underwood and the site of the Quinault River’s mouth.

No netting at the mouth would be taking place on this day, nor had it for two days, a recipe for filling up some of Underwood’s favorite holes with early chromers responding to the freshet. We passed over the Quinault River Bridge in Tahlolah and looked downstream to see the ocean and empty net sets. After a short climb away from the coast, we turned onto a two-track headed to a remote access called Chow Chow. We marveled at the lack of trash in the woods on the long drive through logging projects and dense rainforest until we emerged into the river bottom and broke onto a classic Olympic Peninsula gravel bar.

Underwood and Lewis quickly dunked their sleds and we loaded up. Underwood runs a 21-foot Wooldridge, and Lewis a 19-foot Alumaweld Freedrifter, and we tore

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Northwest Sportsman 119

FISHING

Among several well-known tribal guides, Underwood has been guiding Quinault Indian Nation rivers since the mid-1980s for the plentiful – and often large – steelhead, Chinook and coho that return to these waters on the western side of the Olympic Peninsula. Here, he shows off a spoon-caught silver from early September; the peak of the coho run is this month. (JEFF HOLMES)

upstream a short distance to the base of a rapid and dropped anchor not too far apart. Deep slots, multiple channels and woody debris were all within a cast of Underwood’s Cousins rods and Daiwa reels and Lewis’s G.Loomis rods and Shimano reels. Both guides started us off fishing a modified drift/spinner rig where a standard slinky rig is joined

with a lightweight coho spinner.

Underwood and Lewis liberally applied Pro-Cure scents in shrimp, krill, anise and bloody tuna flavors to slinkies throughout the day.

The slinky rigs allowed us to work our spinners on the bottom and helped them to stay down while we retrieved them.

Immediately we got reluctant

grabs from several fish until one lost its shiz and slashed at my fast surfaceretrieved spinner I was just reeling in. The fish missed, so I put the lure in above and beyond the strike point and let it sink to depth before burning it to the top. The suicide coho again ripped to the surface, this time engulfing the little spinner and putting on a spectacular fight, slashing back and forth across the river until it tired and succumbed to Underwood’s net. That 12-pounder, a good early fish, was the biggest of this early trip, but all of our fish would be nice, and they get way nicer in October. That first coho was blindingly chrome, along with all of our fish, just 8 miles from the ocean.

Soon Underwood hooked up while swinging a Pen-Tac 50/50 on a custom spoon rod made from a switch rod blank, given to him by spoonman Bill Herzog. That big chromer ate the spoon on the drift in a deep slot against a woody bank, and

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FISHING Underwood struggled to keep it free of obstructions, but soon landed it.

We continued to get half-hearted bites from lock-jawed early coho, hooking up several more nice fish by keeping our presentations close to the bottom where fish were sitting in a negative mood. Lewis’s and Underwood’s boats both did serious work putting us on fish, given high, off-color water and an early, early season date.

With our thirsts for chrome salmon meat slaked, we beached the sleds and switched tactics to spey and single-handed fly rods.

Bonner, a native Alabaman now in Corvallis, had never cast a spey rod in his life, but after 15 minutes of instruction from Underwood’s good friend Kris Wilson, Bonner was fishing effectively. Wilson is a spey guru and a river rat. He rappels into remote fishing locations, navigates death-defying rapids and puts in more time than most slinging fly

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OCTOBER 2015 | nwsportsmanmag.com

lines and swinging spoons on the Olympic Peninsula. After just a few minutes of swinging a gaudy purple coho fly, Wilson hooked up and landed a fish. I asked to borrow one of his single-handed rods and soon also hooked up, twice, but farmed both fish. I suspected and later had confirmed that Wilson is considered a steelheading legend among many on the Westside.

Fishing multiple tactics for salmon and steelhead is something many guides cannot or will not do; most don’t have the ability to teach. Where Underwood and Lewis and their fly-fishing mentors like Wilson differ from the average-guide crowd is how their great patience and teaching skills translate to keeping anglers excited and seeking a clear, achievable standard. Assault on the Quinault guides fly anglers with expertise while also using a broad range of terminal tackle techniques.

OUR DAY ON THE Quinault was joyous and very exclusive. We saw one other boat, and it was Underwood’s brother. By the time October rolls around, the Quinault will be on fire and will remain in flames until late in the spring when the winter run of steelhead ends. October and November mark the peak for salmon angling, while December and January are best for steelhead. The quality of angling and the quality of hatchery supplementation are very evident once you spend a day fishing here. It pays to hire a tribal guide; it pays even better to be a sincere friend to one, and I loved every minute of fishing with Underwood and Lewis and thank them for their hospitality more than I can express.

Both are great people and excellent guides wanting to share their Tribe’s passion for salmon and steelhead. In December I’ll feature their unique steelhead fishery and their similarly unique plans for securing their fishery for future generations. NS

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OCTOBER 2015 | nwsportsmanmag.com

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COLUMN

8 Ways To Unlock Coho Jaws I

Twitching’s not just for marabou jigs – Jason Resser caught this Kalama River coho with a bubblegum pink Berkley worm tacked on a jighead. (DAIWA PHOTO CONTEST)

t’s almost time, that crazy part of the year when the leaves start turning colors, the weather starts chilling and the WIESTSIDER rivers get stuffed with

By Terry Wiest coho. You gotta love it!

Although coho are not always the focal point of fall fishing, their popularity continues to grow as anglers find how rewarding fishing for these feisty salmonids can be.

Super aggressive and acrobatic, they can put up a fight that will have your heart thumping. And on the table, they are one of the best.

THERE ARE SEVERAL TECHNIQUES that work for coho. While on any given day they will just lock down and refuse to bite your presentation, having a number of options in your arsenal will come in handy when they put on this act, as something generally will coax them into biting.

The most popular are twitching jigs, throwing spinners, pulling plugs and back-bouncing eggs. All will produce coho consistently and many anglers don’t bother to switch to other techniques. Heck, if something’s working, why would you?

My go-to technique for most water is twitchin’. This has become my favorite and I can’t wait to get out there this fall. Earlier this season I tuned my technique with pink salmon, which were a blast, but nothing like the aggressiveness of coho. I like 3 /8- to 5/8-ounce jigs in a variety of colors.

Generally, the blacks and purples are killer.

This past year it was the creepy nightmare – orange body, black tail, white head with

white legs – that they wouldn’t leave alone.

Before I caught the twitchin’ bug I was happy with throwing spinners. No. 5 Vibrax or similar always worked – and still do. A very slowly presented spinner – reeled just fast enough to get the blade moving – can cause some vicious strikes. I like bright spinners; chartreuse, cerise and neon orange usually produce great results.

On those sunny days in low-water conditions I’ll use a black-bladed spinner.

But if you don’t have or can’t find one, a Sharpie will do wonders! Blue, green and

red pens are also in my pack.

Pulling plugs has always been popular and absolutely will produce coho. The best part about this technique is how hard they hit and watching the rod slam down towards the water. A good team of anglers who set all the plugs back at the same distance behind the boat can catch many fish. It’s hard for coho to resist this type of presentation when it’s backed down into or out of a hole. Even though I know how effective this technique is, I don’t utilize it enough because I like holding the rod,

nwsportsmanmag.com | OCTOBER 2015

Northwest Sportsman 127

COLUMN

Brought To You By:

which is a no-no when plug fishing properly.

Wiggle Warts, Brad’s Wigglers, Kwikfish, Mag Lip 3.5s and FatFish are all killer plugs and will produce fish. Colors and patterns are endless, but I’ve had my best luck on blue pirate and orange herringbone.

Bait anglers, rejoice. Coho will also engulf your eggs! Not only is backbouncing effective, but how could you not love feeling the fish mouth the bait and anticipate when to set the hook?

I like just eggs, but you could also throw a Smile Blade or Spin-N-Glo on for some extra attraction. The addition of sand shrimp to the eggs is also a good thought, especially if Chinook are available as well. A good milking cure, like Pautzke BorX O’ Fire in deep red, is the ticket. The deeper the red, the better for coho. If the bite is slow, try adding a little anise scent to the eggs; that could also trigger a Chinook to bite.

ON MOST DAYS, ALL the techniques will

KNOW WHERE TO CAST™

work. Occasionally there are days when only one or two do. But then there are times when nothing seems to work. That’s when we need to modify a few things or try a whole different technique.

The wobble of a spoon may entice finicky coho when the vibration and movement of the spinner blade fails to. Spoons like Rvrwagglers and BC Steel can make you never want to use another technique again.

Nothing like a coho slamming a piece of metal! I like the 50/50 or the 50/50 black.

The most popular spoon is probably the Dick Nite. Yes, a size 1 will produce tons of coho when presented properly.

Drifting the spoon slowly with a dropper so it flutters about 12 inches off bottom but slightly ticks the river bed every 4 or 5 feet works well. A Dick Nite in 50/50 is my go-to pattern and has produced numerous fish for me. They may look too small, but they do produce the fish!

While we’re talking about tossing things, throwing plugs is another option.

Toss one out like any other lure and then slowly retrieve it back through the hole.

They’ll dang near pull the rod from your grasp if you’re not careful.

And then there are spinners. Yep, already effective and popular, but now all the cool kids are fishing them with hoochie skirts. They work too, if all the manufacturers adding them to their arsenals is evidence.

Wicked Lures falls into the above category, except there is no spinner body or weight associated with the lure.

These are fished like drift fishing, with the weight about 4 feet above the lure.

This “weightlessness” causes more action in the current, according to its inventor.

I have to agree, as they have been super effective on coho for me.

Whatever method you choose, try and have a backup plan or three. You’ll see coho jumping, but they’re not always on the bite. Keep switching things up until you find what they want. NS

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COLUMN

The Twitchin’ ’Yakker I

t’s a crisp fall morning at one the most popular fishing spots in the Northwest, the barrier dam on the Cowlitz Kayak Guys River. The bite is most

By Todd Switzer definitely on and the place is packed. The parking lot is full of every type of vehicle imaginable, but after circling a couple of times we find an open space at the far end of the lot and begin unloading the kayaks.

I take a break for a moment and take in the scene on the river. The banks are lined by fishermen standing shoulder to shoulder, their lines and bobbers flying through the air. There are so many rods and lines in motion that it looks as if a giant living net is being cast over the river. Occasionally, a happy angler scrambles up the bank with a bright coho, stuffs it into a cooler inside his rig and heads back down the slope to try again. Most, though, keep their fish on the bank close to them so as not to lose their valuable spot in the pecking order.

While I love to fish, I have no interest in joining this scene. The vast majority of anglers in this web of crossed lines and jumping fish have been here long before dawn just to secure their spot along the bank, and I wouldn’t dream of trying to push my way in. Fortunately, I don’t have to fight for a spot on the bank or get to the river in the dark. And I’m almost certain to go home with a cooler full of tasty salmon after an exciting day of fishing because I’ll be floating down the Cowlitz while fishing from my kayak.

THE KAYAK GUYS

AS WE LAUNCH, WE aim for a gap between the bobbers and the current grabs our hulls. In no time we’re heading downriver at a good clip. We nod brief hellos to anglers in several drift boats and jet sleds working the deeper holes

just downstream, and keep on moving.

After a short time we see what we are looking for: a sharp eddy line that defines the boundary between frog water and the main flow. We paddle hard for a few seconds to get the proper angle to cross the eddy line, and as our bows enter the calm side of the eddy and stall, sterns snap around in a violent motion. Almost instantaneously we are sitting in the calm side of the eddy, pointed upriver while the full power of the mighty Cowlitz rushes by just a few

of the water about 20 feet off his bow. I keep moving deeper into the frog water, working a few of the channels and weedlined banks that have been submerged by higher flows that followed fall rains.

Where the water shallows to a couple of feet deep a small stream pours out between tree-lined banks. Ripples in the flow as it is pushed over a submerged embankment might be from an old beaver dam or fallen tree. I cast my jig into the channel just downstream of the blockage, give it a couple of twitches

Twitching jigs for coho is just as effective from a kayak as it is from a drift boat or sled, or the bank. (TODD SWITZER)

feet away.

My buddy tells me he wants to work the eddy line while I’m interested in a few spots deeper into the frog water, so we split up. As I move away he calls out “Fish on!” and I turn just in time to see his first coho of the day jump out

and the line comes taut with my first fish of the day. A big coho in the 10to 12-pound range jumps clear of the water and comes down with a violent splash. It runs a few feet, but when it has no place to go in the shallow water, it thrashes wildly on the surface. My jig

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Northwest Sportsman 131

COLUMN comes unbuttoned and the short fight is over. At the same time that a wave of disappointment washes over my mood from losing the fish, my heart pounds with the sudden rush of adrenaline. I move back toward the main flow and find my fishing buddy still working the eddy line, and he has a chrome hatchery hen on his stringer. We work the area for a few minutes but decide it has had enough pressure from us, so it’s time to move on. We push across the eddy line and continue the float downriver.

THE ROUTINE WE’VE DEVELOPED is fairly simple and very effective. On kayaks we target coho in the frog-water ponds off rivers’ main flows and in as many of the smaller eddies along the bank as we can fit into. Since the deeper pools are constantly pounded by boaters, we often pass by them and target areas that don’t get a lot of pressure. This puts us in areas between blowdowns or up under the overhang of trees.

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In these tight holes, where it’s difficult to get a cast off, we use a variety of casting techniques such as flipping and side-arm casting. Many times the cast is a weak effort that gets the jig 20 or 30 feet away from the kayak, often times all it takes.

Angling for coho by kayak in rivers is a lot like bass fishing. You’re constantly seeking out and working structure such as sunken weed-lined banks, steep drop-offs or submerged trees. While some coho hold in the larger and deeper pools and can be taken by backTargeting “frog water ponds” – little eddies that might be too small trolling plugs or floating or tough for other watercraft to get to – is one way the kayak-borne eggs, there are plenty of angling author gets his fall coho. (TODD SWITZER) coho that seek the structure in the shallow side water. I recall one frog-water pond that was about a dozen time when I was sliding into a small yards across. My intent was to make my approach tight along the upstream bank, using as much stealth as possible so I didn’t spook the pool. I slipped into the calm water with the bank just a few feet away on my left, the pool on my right and the kayak was coming to a stop without my paddle touching the water or the bank. As I reached for my rod I turned to my left to judge the distance away from the bank and noticed a bright coho laying against a log in a foot of water, just feet away from my approaching kayak. A moment later the shadow of my paddle passed over the fish and it bolted under my kayak and into the pool with a violent splash. My attempt to sneak up on the pool had failed because I anticipated that the fish would be in the deepest part; instead, the fish was holding tight to the bank.

Of course in any river there are a wide variety of obstacles and dangerous conditions to deal with. If you don’t have a background in running white water in a kayak, I highly recommend taking some classes to learn the basics, then do a practice run without the fishing gear. The river environment is very different from flat-water kayak fishing, and one mistake

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Northwest Sportsman 133

can lead to a series of serious problems, so best play it safe and overprepare.

THE GEAR FOR COHO is the fun part. Light spinning rod-and-reel combos and twitching jigs are most effective by far for this tactic. If you have a 7- to 8-foot rod spooled up with 12- to 15-pound test, you’re in business. Marabou jigs in ¼ to ½ ounce are perfect, but casting spinners and spoons can also produce.

The advantage of the jig is that it can sink quickly when you’re targeting steep dropoffs or working tight against a lumber pile. The intent is to irritate these fish into striking by invading their territory with your brightly colored jig. Simply put, you get your presentation in their face, they defend their space with a quick snapping strike, and the fight is on.

These fish will hit a marabou jig on the sink, so the trick is to keep it sinking as much as possible while keeping it in the strike zone. This is best done by lifting the rod tip with quick and short motions once the jig is at or near the bottom. It’s not a violent jerk, but a soft twitching motion.

If your rod tip is moving more than a foot with each twitch, you’re probably ripping your presentation right out of the strike zone. Twitching jigs keeps the presentation rising and falling in a vertical area of less than 2 feet.

Most times the pick-up will feel like a light tap on the jig’s descent as the fish lightly takes it into its mouth. At other times there will be a steady draw-down of the line, a signal the fish already had the jig in its mouth and has turned and is swimming away. In either situation, the fish is not hooked. Much like bass fishing you need to react quickly to the subtle changes in the feel of your terminal gear and set the hook. Don’t be surprised if you pull the jig right out of the fish’s mouth; it happens about half the time. Just cast back to the same spot and do exactly the same thing. These fish have a short memory and are likely to pick up the same jig just seconds after it has been ripped away from them.

It takes most of a fall day’s light to work 10 miles of river, but using these methods, we usually reach the take-out with plenty of bright coho to fill the cooler. NS 134 Northwest Sportsman

OCTOBER 2015 | nwsportsmanmag.com

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By Doug Huddle Cascades is otherwise as enticing as ever. But an emergency fishing regulation invoked unexpectedly July 18 after this year’s season started is a strong indication that this renown trout fishery is in flux.

In case you hadn’t heard, with this order Ross’s fishing is now governed by three new caveats. The new minimum length for keeper rainbows has been raised from 13 to 16 inches, and from now on anglers may retain just one per day. Also, though they have never been plentiful in creels, Ross fishers may keep five nonnative eastern brook trout a day. The rest of the “permanent” rules remain the same.

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THE TWO PRIMARY REASONS for these new rules are the recent noticeable declines in the numbers of wild spawning rainbow in creeks at the south end of the upper Skagit River reservoir. It’s a cause for concern among managing biologists in that this is occurring coincidentally with an explosion in the population of a small forage fish – the redside shiner. For decades there had been no observations of the native minnow in the lake, and for that reason it appears to be a latter-day inductee.

At first blush a dozen years ago, the sudden appearance of the prolific species looked to be a godsend for the wild rainbows that would lift them out of the “aging reservoir” doldrums and restore them to the hefty, lunker-like stature they had when Seattle City Light first began filling Ross in the 1940s.

In just over 10 years time, the rainbows, preying on hordes of newly arrived shiners, have been able to grow from a former apex size around 13 to 14 inches long to increasingly common specimens between 136 Northwest Sportsman

OCTOBER 2015 | nwsportsmanmag.com

20 and 25 inches long that now also have to be weighed to be fully appreciated.

Some are now coming in at 3 to 4 pounds.

Biologists and anglers also are seeing an amazing jump in the individual size and numbers of Ross’s landlocked bull trout, also native – and a top predator – whose luck it is to live in a federal threatenedspecies recovery zone.

State managers rely on Ross Lake’s rainbows to replenish themselves in the confines of the reservoir and its tributaries, though a small broodstock/ spawning effort operated out of the state’s Marblemount Hatchery, funded by Seattle City Light endowment mitigation monies, produces a relatively limited number of eggs/fry for stocking in neighboring waters. The concern now is that the literal hordes of minnows are bolstering the bull trout and in turn are directly competing with rearing rainbow juveniles.

A CONSIDERABLE PORTION OF the rainbow population spawns in the 23-mile-long reach of the Skagit in Canada, at the reservoir’s north end. To the south, the valley’s unique mountainous topography has limited tributary formation, and of the existing creeks, many have impassable front porches, their waters tumbling abruptly into the lake. Spring rainbow spawning (May and June) at the south end is confined to the lowest reaches of just a scant few, relatively small streams from Ruby Creek north to May Creek.

From Ross’s formative years, young rainbow fry, descendents of summer-run steelhead that became fully landlocked after Gorge Dam just above the company town of Newhalem was built, had two basic ways of getting older and bigger.

One was and still is to stay, if possible, in their natal streams the first year to gain the size that gives them an edge when they finally enter the lake. The other is to

drop down to the reservoir immediately in their first summer where they take up feeding on the lake’s annual spring and summer blooms of zooplankton.

In the south-end streams, as the snowpack melts away, flows drop and rearing space shrinks, reducing carrying capacity. Many young trout have no choice but to migrate to the lake. The much larger river channel can carry more youngsters but they share these waters with a robust, multi-aged juvenile bull trout population.

No matter when they enter the lake, plankton feeding wasn’t and isn’t a rainbow forte. Unlike sockeye salmon’s multitudinous gill rakers, which are made for straining out and holding the microscopic organisms, there’s too much space between rakers on rainbow gills. Rainbow oral physiology is designed for feeding on larger invertebrate insects and smaller fishes. Another explanation for the decline in rainbow spawners could be a result of many of the current adult trout simply outgrowing the relatively small confines of the southern streams.

UNLIKE THE RAINBOWS, SHINERS appear welladapted to feeding on plankton and breeding in lakes. And while the rainbows have gotten an initial boost from the minnows as prey, managers now believe the trout could be losing out to them at the fry life stage.

Considered native to western North America, the small baitfish also are now in Diablo Lake one dam down from Ross and, if not there already, are likely to spread to Gorge Lake. Mysteriously, though Ross Dam has been holding back full pools since the early 1940s, shiners had not been found in the upper Skagit reservoir until about 12 years ago. Their numbers have burgeoned in this short period to the point they might now be the largest biomass by species in the lake.

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Fisheries Changing illegal, has already proven costly and disruptive to trout management strategies there. In British Columbia waters where managers relied on rainbows to reproduce themselves, once the shiners found a home, BC Fisheries Branch has had to turn to annualized stocking of larger, more expensive hatchery-reared trout to maintain viable populations for public fishing.

PERIODICALLY FOR AT LEAST 40 years, Diablo Lake, the middle reservoir of Seattle City Light’s Skagit Project, has gotten a deliberate dose of Ross Lake rainbows.

These releases started after the former wildlife/game department began spring broodstock collecting of spawners from lower Ross tributaries, mainly Roland Creek. The project was part of the fishery mitigation plan under the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s operating license for the SCL hydroelectric facility.

In that cooperative effort, a small number of fry-sized offspring were provided

Diablo Lake’s steep shores make boat fishing the best approach. (NATIONAL PARK SERVICE)

by the department to the private resort that once operated on the lower west side of the reservoir. The owners and staff would grow the rainbows in a netpen tied to the facility’s boat dock, or in nearby Buster Brown Cove.

Let loose in the 910-acre impoundment each spring at catchable or legal size, the native but “relocated” trout were pursued either by resort patrons, campers at Colonial Creek Campground or Skagit locals in a sortof sleeper fishery.

Diablo Lake always has been the disregarded cousin of the string of three reservoirs, with Ross by far capturing the notoriety and glamour as a center-piece jewel in the recreation crown of North Cascades National Park Complex. Part of the reason for this is that access to it is problematic. Except for the project road down from State Route 20 to and across the dam and up the west shore a short distance, and a highway causeway further uplake, Diablo’s shores and uplands are otherwise precipitous to outright vertical.

Unlike most reservoirs that have long, steady seasonal drops as power generation drawdown overtakes the dwindling influx of snowmelt and rainwater, in SCL’s electricitygenerating plan, Diablo has a very narrow range of ups and downs every day.

Unless there’s a major management issue that requires a drawdown and hold, Diablo is operated year-round in a daily fluctuation range of about 10 feet up and down from near full pool (water surface listed at 1,205 feet above sea level).

Capturing daily power generation releases from voluminous, fairly well-settled (read: clear) Ross Lake as its main water source, Diablo also is secondarily fed by glacial-influenced Thunder Creek, of which not much is known, fish-wise. Sourdough, Buster Brown, Riprap, Colonial, Rhode and Horsetail are other named but minor tribs.

Diablo’s two main feeders occasionally give the lake a split-personality look. The

Skagit River Gorge arm leading northeasterly up to the base of Ross Dam is deep and, relatively speaking, clearer late in the summer. Trending southeasterly, Thunder Arm, on the other hand, gets a steady dose of glacial flour spring through fall, keeping it a milky green, or more prosaically, an opaque turquoise, most of the time. Often, depending on the relative volumes of water from either source, full blending of the two water masses occurs just in the main lake body west of Thunder Point.

There can be a noticeable downlake drift or current in Diablo even when the wind’s not blowing, which it will, especially in the afternoon. The lake’s daily exchange rate does not seem to lend itself to temperature stratification, though the bottom 158 feet of the 389-foot water column is dead storage, water that’s below the threshold of the penstock intake.

In the resort-plant days, many Diablo rainbow trollers stayed in the main lower expanse of the lake below the confluence of the two channels or arms. Often they would lean toward the clearer water side closer to the mouth of Sourdough Creek and up in the cove off Buster Brown Camp.

Standard terminal tackle consisted of six- or eight-bladed gang trolls tipped with either a red worm or a small lure such as a Jitterbug, Miracle Lure, Dick Nite or FlatFish.

The cooperative supplementation of catchable rainbows has given way to regular stocking with several hundred thousand Ross rainbow fed fry or fingerlings each year.

The 2014 allotment was 383,000 small trout, to be put in over seven months.

As mentioned, redside shiners have made the leap – or bucket ride – over Ross Dam and have been a food source for Diablo trout contingent since 2010.

That’s enhanced their size some and perhaps has lead to several relatively new options for anglers as well.

One gambit focuses on fly fishing the

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Redside shiners, likely illegally introduced,were at first a boon for Ross Lake, though may be outcompeting young rainbows. (NATIONAL PARK SERVICE) Skagit Gorge Arm in the nooks and crannies of its inner gorge bends. Popular patterns there include alevins and dark leeches, though small, dry light duns will draw surface strikes.

Dave Hambright, the now-retired owner of the Rockport Country Store and long-time upper Skagit steelhead and Chinook angler, reports he has good success spincasting from the shore or rock causeway up in the

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glacial-clouded waters of Thunder Arm. Rooster Tails and Mepps-type weighted spinners work well there for him, and others have said darker Panther Martins also attract rainbows cruising close to the shoreline.

SCL announced it would draw Diablo Lake down 10 feet from early September through early November to facilitate construction of a heavy barge landing near the big rock slide below Ross Powerhouse.

During that period the Diablo fishing dock and trailered boat launch at the Colonial Creek Campground complex will be stranded and therefore closed.

Shore fishing should still be possible on Thunder Arm on the delta gravel of Colonial or Rhode Creeks. Do use care in venturing out on exposed sandbars above the highway crossing. Another shore access is on the west side of the lower lake at the mouth of Sourdough Creek.

In either location anglers equipped with personal watercraft may launch canoes,

kayaks, pontoon boats and tubes. Do be aware of the morning and evening changes in wind velocity and direction.

Lake-shore campsites are available at Hidden Cove (north side), Thunder Point (south side) and Buster Brown (west side).

Backcountry permits are required to use them and can be obtained at the National Park Service’s station in Marblemount.

Those chits are free and must be obtained in person, but cannot be reserved.

Diablo is currently open year-round to angling, with a limit of five trout (rainbow, cutthroat and brook) a day.

NEXT ISSUE Elk options, late buck in the lowlands and waterfowling. NS Editor’s note: Doug Huddle lives in Bellingham, is retired from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and has written about hunting and fishing in the Northwest for more than 32 years.

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COLUMN

Tactics For Upper Columbia Steelhead T BASIN BEACON

By Don Talbot

his fall’s steelhead opener on the Upper Columbia and its tributaries could be significantly different than recent seasons.

For example, at press deadline early last month, the Wenatchee River was just a trickle compared to normal levels of years gone by. Here are my thoughts on going after steelhead in low-water tributaries.

THE FIRST THING I think about is being able to wade out to all the main holes. I really like my waist waders for low-water conditions.

You can snug the belt in tight just in case you slip that water will not fill up your waders. Waist waders are lightweight and easy to walk in for great distances. It is very important to be comfortable out on the water – that is one key to have better success.

The first thing 95 percent of all steelhead fishermen think about is what kind of jig and bobber to go with to fish the opener. This is 100 percent the wrong thinking for those who want to have the most fun steelheading during low water. That said, I always have my jig-andbobber set-up ready for use, but as my second option. Why? If the fish haven’t been picked on, it is high time to throw spoons and spinners

into an aggressive school of steelhead. Here is my favorite hardware presentation for fish that have not been pressured.

The first hour of opening morning I concentrate on getting a massive takedown on one of my favorite spoons. I like to use a spoon made by Acme Tackle called the Wob-L-Rite in ¼- and ½-ounce weights, depending on water flows. This year is going to be the ¼-ounce spoon right off the bat. I change out the spoon’s treble to a 1/0 siwash Gamakatsu.

I like hammered silver, copper and gold about the same. I have caught hundreds of steelhead on these spoons over the past couple of decades when everyone else is bobber fishing opening morning and at midweek. The first strike of the season will send your heart racing to set the hook. This is what steelhead fishermen dream about!

You have no delayed reaction with a spoon, and that is why I dream about the massive hit. It is the way to start every steelhead season, in my book.

What holes do I frequent on opening day? I will start with the last free-flowing section of the tributary before the Columbia that I have chosen to fish. In other words, I am preying on a school of fish that needs current to be active biters.

I will wade the last mile of the river from hole to hole to find out September issue cover boy Scott Fletcher shows off a Methow River steelie, caught in fall 2012. The federally permitted fishery targets abundant hatchery fish to protect those of wild origin. Anglers are required to keep every clipped steelhead they catch up to the daily limit. (DON TALBOT)

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COLUMN Spinning rods are OK to use for light spoons and spinners, but if you learn how to use a baitcaster, your steelhead life will change forever. I don’t use a super-expensive rod for this type of fishing. I am currently using a 9-foot-6 TICA salmon/steelhead rod rated 6-15-pound, ¼-¾-ounce. I use a Abu Garcia Revo STX reel to get the maximum casting distance with 8-pound test. Both of these products really get the job done.

One-quarter- to ½-ounce spoons are the killer ap on the steelhead opener, Don Talbot says.

(DON TALBOT)

where the fish are hiding. I only spend about a half hour or less in a hole if nothing happens before I move on.

The problem with spoons is that you need to know how to swing them close to the bottom without getting snagged. This is why most people will not throw spoons. They broke off too many times and gave up on using them. I use 8-pound-test mono that is fairly limp to be able to feel the drift action perfectly. I also use a 9-foot6 baitcasting rod to be able to control the cast perfectly every time.

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THE NEXT TECHNIQUE THAT covers a ton of low water fast is called the A-Just-A Bubble-and-jig method. A-Just-A Bubbles are made by Rainbow Plastics and come in a variety of sizes. I use the clear, 3-inchlong version and paint the top pink so that the strike can easily be detected. Long, noodle-style spinning rods are quite effective for this type of fishing. The rods in the 10-foot-6-or-better range give you the best opportunity to set the hook on a fish when the bobber is way upstream from where you are casting. Don’t cast straight out in low water. The steelhead will just laugh at you for being stupid! Always cast way upstream and let the float drift down the current seam back to perpendicular.

The A-Just-A-Bubble is very unique in shallow water conditions.

The first thing I do is fill it halfway up with water to get greater casting distance and twist the surgical tubing inside the bobber until the bobber holds itself in place. I like to use a variety of jigs, and two of my favorites are Yakima Bait’s Maxi Jig and the Aero Jig in their smallest size, 1/16 ounce. This will be their year to shine. The A-Just-A-Bubble is my favorite bobber in low-water conditions due to the fact that the normal 8-foot-deep holes are now less than 6 feet deep. The float is

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COLUMN to 120 feet directly upriver from where I am standing. What happens if too many fishermen are up river from where I am casting? I will move to a hole that allows me to have a longer drift.

The other problem with rookies is that they are too slow to mend the line and set the hook. If you want more steelhead fighting action, then go with a pro who knows how to set the hook. You will catch on to the right steelhead methods in no time. Just pay attention to what the pro is demonstrating to you as he or she goes through the motions out on the water.

Very small jigs from local manufacturers below an A-Just-ABubble float are a good back-up to spoons.

(DON TALBOT)

OVER THE PAST DECADE or so, the Upper Columbia and its tribs such

very easy to use in shallow-water presentations. All you have to do is fill it halfway up with water to increase the casting weight and twist the surgical tubing so that the line doesn’t slip. The idea is to keep the jig as close to bottom as possible without dragging. I don’t use a slip bobber in low-water conditions due to the fact that it simply isn’t needed and it tangles up more.

The biggest mistake beginners make when bobber fishing is that they throw the bobber straight out perpendicular to the shoreline and expect great results. I get 90 percent of all my bobber strikes 20

as the Methow and Wenatchee have been opened for steelheading by emergency rule change anywhere from Sept. 8 to Oct. 16. The fisheries are designed to remove abundantly returning hatchery fish while protecting Endangered Species Act-listed wild-origin stocks.

Watch wdfw.wa.gov for the go-ahead, and then enjoy trying these two techniques during low water conditions. The ending results will be very rewarding. You will see me on opening day throwing spoons for steelhead in the early morning hours and working an A-Just-A Bubble and jig the rest of the morning. But if those two techniques fail to produce, then have a Corky ready to drift through the rapids.

That lesson is for a future issue.

In the meanwhile, if you have any additional questions about this subject, contact me at Don Talbot’s Fishing (509-679-8641; donsfishingguideservice.com). NS

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Best of BC Lodges, Charters and Guides, Destination B.C. HISTORY OF SPORT FISHING AND LODGES IN COASTAL BC PART 1 It is impossible to talk about fishing lodges in British Columbia without first talking about the history of angling itself. Salmon fishing in BC dates back thousands of years to First Nations peoples. The harvesting of salmon was a key economic activity for them. Not only did it provide a good source of food, it was also served as a valuable item to trade with Plains Indians, explorers and, later, fur traders.

Some of the world’s earliest evidence of fishing is seen in cave drawings of fish before 10,000 B.C. and in 5,000-year-old Egyptian drawings.

Anecdotal evidence of fly fishing dates back over 2,000 years in Japan, and there are stories of fly fishing as a recreational pastime from England that date back 1,000 years.

The point at which fishing can be said to have become a “recreation” is murky at best. The first essays on recreational fishing were published in England in the late 1400s, shortly after the invention of the printing press. Historians do agree on one thing: Sport fishing had fully arrived on the “scene” by 1653 with the publication of the Compleat Angler, best described as a “celebration of the art and spirit of fishing in prose and verse.”

With such a well-established sport-fishing culture, Canada’s first European settlers brought this interest with them. There were countless fishing opportunities in just about every stream, river, lake and sea in the New World. As settlement of Canada moved westward, so did the sport fishing. By the 1920s it was becoming a popular pastime in BC. As the stories of abundance of game fish made their way back to Europe, the seeds of Canada’s reputation as a world-class sport-fishing destination were sown. Recent surveys suggest that it in BC alone, sport fishing is a $500-plus-million business, with 300,000 participants purchasing government tidal water fishing licenses and conservation stamps. Stay tuned for more next issue!

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FISHING

October’s Other Bulls BC’s Duncan River offers rare fishery for trophy-caliber bull trout

By Jeff Holmes

I

CANADA EH!

n the West Kootenay Range of southeastern British Columbia, some three hours north of Spokane, the town of Nelson sits on the West Arm of Kootenay Lake, a huge natural body of water harboring some of the most impressive salmonids in the West. Balfour, Ainsworth and Kaslo also lie along the lake, but Nelson is the hub of activity in the region and home to many of the lake’s guides.

The fishing in and around the town of Nelson continues to be excellent, but a predator-prey imbalance in Kootenay has caused a decline in the trophy rainbow fishery. Fishing in the lake remains very good, including for bull trout, which have been far less affected.

Now, for the first time in 40 years, one of Kootenay’s main tributaries is available to fish for trophy bulls, and it is perhaps the finest bull trout opportunity in all of the Northwest.

I fished it late last October with Reel Adventures’ (reeladventuresfishing. com) Kerry Reed, and the results were beyond what I was expecting, which was a lot.

The 8 miles of the Duncan River between its dam downstream to Kootenay Lake offer a rare and unique opportunity to fish for trophy-caliber bull trout in October’s back half and again in March. Guide Kerry Reed shows off the size of the char one can catch on the British Columbia river several hours north of Spokane. (JEFF HOLMES)

GERRARD-STRAIN RAINBOWS AND bull trout grow to 20-plus-pound sizes in Kootenay when the prey base of kokanee is good, which it isn’t right now. That’s had an effect on the size of the lake’s rainbows and is part of a predictable bust-and-boom cycle

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FISHING perpetuated by British Columbia fisheries biologists who have protected predators and liberalized management of prey: kokanee.

With populations of the landlocked sockeye down from 40 million to just a few million, the size and shape of rainbows has changed. When kokanee are thick, a 35-inch rainbow weighs 20-plus pounds, whereas a 35-inch steelhead weighs 15 pounds or much less! Right now a 35-inch Kootenay Lake rainbow weighs more like 14 pounds. When properly fed, Gerrards are famously fat and fast, and a trophy rainbow fishery will return to Kootenay Lake sooner than later. I’ve consulted multiple Canadian and American biologists about the lake and am convinced it will roar to life over the next 10 years as kokanee continue to rebound.

In the meantime, BC biologists are finally encouraging more harvest of the lake’s toothy predators, both rainbows and bull trout. For

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Grizzly bear tracks dimple the sand of a bar along the Duncan River. (JEFF HOLMES)

Kootenay Lake’s best and coolest guide, Kerry Reed, this shift toward retaining predators is good for his fishery and for his business. His clients head home with lots of 3-

to 10-pound barbecue fish these days, as well as some much larger bull trout. Bulls eat lots of kokanee, but are not nearly so dependent on kokanee as rainbows. Fishing

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FISHING for bulls has remained excellent lakewide, but especially in the north arm, by Kootenay’s biggest spawning tributaries: the Duncan and Gerrard Rivers. The Duncan is a tailwater of Duncan Dam and Reservoir some 8 miles upstream from Kootenay Lake, and it has been closed to fishing for 40 years. Completely closed.

AS MANAGERS HAVE BEGUN to realize the errors of their ways and have moved toward liberalizing fishing

for predators, they have taken the baby step of opening up the Duncan during two narrow windows to allow truly excellent trophy catchand-release fishing without much concern of incidental mortalities from catching and releasing big bulls. The last two weeks of October and all of March are now fair game on this wild little tailwater, which is home to big numbers of mature bull trout during both timeframes. By big, I mean really big, as in a 30-inch average, with specimens regularly

pushing 40 inches.

Reed, who guides both fly and gear anglers in the Columbia yearround, also guides the Duncan via a slick little jet boat he uses to travel across the lake and up the tailwater’s serpentine course. The lake can get terrifying quickly, and navigating the river is tough and requires a learning curve. This is one of those opportunities where it is absolutely better to hire a guide than try to selfsupport. Reed is the best there is and is passionate about this fishery. He’s

LOCAL ACCOMODATIONS When I fish in the West Kootenays, I pretty much always stay in Balfour at Kootenay Lakeview Lodge (kootenaylakeviewlodge.com), perched just above town on the slopes of one of the mountains that ring all of Kootenay. Reed keeps his boat in Balfour, which is home to early morning licenses and a small store, an amazing all-from-scratch hippie bakery with savory and sweet pastries, and a couple of restaurants.

It’s also the ferry terminal to cross Kootenay and access places like Creston, home of Kokanee Beer. Kokanee schmokanee, though.

Try micros from the Nelson Brewing Company and other local outfits. Canadians brew amazing beer. There is a sketchy bar with great beer a few hundreds yards uplake of the ferry terminal that’s always good for a cold one in a frosted mug, and the town of Nelson is resplendent with drinking and eating options. For food, try the Hume and Leo’s. I have never regretted a trip to Kootenay country, and I look forward to my return. –JH

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FISHING spent years working with biologists to conduct science on Kootenay and is extraordinarily knowledgeable about bull trout.

A trip on the Duncan with Reed begins on the lake if the forecast allows.

If the winds are predicted to be too rough, he also has two other options for completely avoiding the high breezes. I tore across the lake’s surface with him on a beautifully sunny and rainy October morning bound for the Duncan’s mouth last fall. He navigated around sandbars and deadheads and into the river proper. The banks were full of woody debris, and the stream tightened as we moved further upstream. At the first significant fork and deep hole in the stream, Reed beached the boat and we started casting in the shadow of cottonwoods and towering mountains erupting in tamarack. I brought everything under the sun to fish with, but Reed cautioned me that homemade white

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bucktail jigs would do the most damage. That proved to be very true throughout the day, although a couple of American standbys – the Mag Lip 3.5 and the Seattle-made RVRFSHR Rvrwhirler spinner with its ultraheavy body – yielded several fish each while others fell flat. Flies caught perhaps as many fish for us as all other methods combined.

DUNCAN RIVER BULLS STACK

like cordwood in microhabitats in the river; they are simply not everywhere it looks like they should be. Nor do these fish have much reason to chase or get competitive for food.

For weeks they indulge in gorging on spawning kokanee, and with far fewer kokes in the lake and thus less food competition, the salmon that returned to the Duncan last year were big, averaging 15 inches with some larger. Along with the kokanee is a robust mountain whitefish population and lots of sculpins and

suckers. Food is not a major issue in the Duncan, and the river is loaded with bulls in October. Finding them quickly is another great reason to fish with Reed, though. In our first run, we landed seven fish, the smallest of which was 26 inches and the largest 34 inches. As we skipped holes moving upriver, we enjoyed similar results in each.

Perhaps the highlight of the day was our arrival on a sandy beach along a 200-yard-long run that looked like the whole thing should have been loaded with fish. It wasn’t. Instead, the sand was loaded with tracks from two different mature grizzlies, and the head of the run harbored more bull trout in one spot than I would have imagined. Using mostly fly gear, Reed landed big bull after bull – at my urging – and provided me fish porn galore to photograph. One image I missed were the kokanee the bulls were puking up. The day’s biggest bull was 36.5 inches, and it threw

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Northwest Sportsman 155

FISHING up a 15-inch kokanee at Reed’s feet.

Bulls in this run fell to sculpin and Woolly Bugger patterns, Rvrwhirlers, and white bucktails.

Beautiful blue skies gave way to clouds and rain as we neared the dam. The Gerrard, which flows into the Duncan 2 miles below the dam, remains closed and is the lake’s greatest rainbow tributary. It will likely never open to fishing. Frankly, one cannot understate how lucky I felt and how lucky Reed feels to be allowed to fish on such a special piece of bull trout water. Bulls are super sensitive to warm temperatures and pollution, but they’re also very tough fish that survive careful catch and release. Despite constant arguments to the contrary that I seem to encounter, catch and release does not occur without mortalities, no matter how careful we are. For example, most any salmonid hooked solidly in

156 Northwest Sportsman

OCTOBER 2015 | nwsportsmanmag.com

the tongue will die, and I unfortunately killed one 32-inch bull by tongue-hooking it on a bucktail.

Despite my regret, incidental mortalities on bull trout in the Kootenay Lake system are not what are threatening its fish.

It’s the evangelical “save-all-predators” attitude that so often Guide Reed says homemade white bucktail jigs will do best on Duncan threatens fish and River bull trout, but they also bite Mag Lip 3.5s, Rvrwhirler spinners, wildlife management and sculpin and Woolly Bugger patterns. (JEFF HOLMES) on both sides of the fall’s results. Huge numbers of bulls 49th Parallel, including here. remained in the river and provided As the kokanee come back in sore-wrists angling the whole month. numbers, fishing will further improve Booking either during October or on Kootenay, but it was hard to March will lead to fishing memory you imagine the fishing being much won’t soon forget, especially if you love better than it was on this beautiful the Rockies and one of the West’s most late October Saturday. Reed’s results sensitive and predatory game fish. NS in March 2015 were identical to the

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FISHING The brine provided a hefty bluefin tuna for angler Adam Smolinski, left, this summer. Just shy of the Washington record by 3 pounds, it nonetheless was one of the highlights of the season’s pelagic fishery. (JEFF HOLMES)

Tuna Fishing Stays Strong Big bluefin caught out of Westport.

By Jeff Holmes

T

u-na-na fish-ish-ish-ing makes my teeth chatter and my head bob – from the moment I enter the harbor until my arms start to ache from wrestling them to the surface. The thrill of slaughtering high-powered bluewater beasties and filling iced fish holds with them is as exciting as Northwest angling gets for me. So is the possibility – especially during El Niño patterns – of hooking other bluewater pelagic fish, like opah, yellowtail, bigeye tuna and Pacific bluefin tuna. I’ve never been lucky enough to catch one of these bonus pelagics, but with four tuna trips on the books in 2015, I was hopeful to land or at least see one of the Pacific’s other warm-blooded wonders entering this summer’s season. A boatload of albacore and their big, boneless loins would be no small consolation for failing to score a pelagic bonus.

Nothing is as lucrative in the Northwest outdoors as a successful albacore tuna charter. Even with price tags around 400 bucks, the return in boneless tuna loins far exceeds the cost on most trips. All tuna charters I’ve fished with have returned a huge amount of fish in my

freezer. Like as I might to fish every day, I only get out a few times a year, which is enough to supply friends and family with tuna for many months. I always book on lightning-fast express charters that often have you back to the dock in six to eight hours with a boatload of tuna.

Larger, slower boats have the advantage of staying out longer and holding more fish, but the eight or nine tuna I typically go home with is already a giant handful and blessing for me.

AS USUAL IN 2015, my first trip of the year was with All Rivers and Saltwater Charters, aboard Capt. Ian Winder’s boat, deckhanded by Donald Auman. I’d never fished with Winder, but Auman is Mark Coleman’s excellent deckhand whose work I’ve admired. Gotta love another active fat guy. He baits, bleeds, brings tuna aboard, and butchers 50 or more tuna almost every day. Winder has been one of Coleman’s captains for several years, and I was excited to meet him and step aboard at 5:30 a.m. this past late August. Fish had been 35 miles out on previous days, but the ocean had been blown up for several days until the evening prior to our trip. We’d have to buck our way out to the tuna grounds a bit, Winder warned, as we untied and made our way to the bait dock. Warm El Niño waters have made it difficult to keep anchovies alive

nwsportsmanmag.com | OCTOBER 2015

Northwest Sportsman 161

FISHING in pens, and the result is more sluggish baits, observed Auman as two big, squirming nets of live anchovies were loaded into the swirling bait tank. The anchovies were indeed a tick slower than normal.

A typical run to the tuna grounds aboard one of Coleman’s boats is a gently rocking affair characterized by rapidly disappearing seabirds and the gentle purr of his twin 225 Hondas. On this morning, Winder was not so lucky to find a greasy ocean. He drove attentively, throttling up and down as needed to deliver us 36 miles offshore in two hours, slower than normal but still fast.

We observed no jumpers slashing the surface, so Auman set troll gear out on three rods and Winder went on the search for birds, bait and fish. Several other boats were on the grounds spaced a mile or so apart, and reports came in fast of troll-caught fish and bait stops. Our boat had a crew of six anglers, five of whom were friends, and all of whom were sincerely cool and thoughtful from the outset of the trip. Teamwork is essential to a good tuna trip on a sporty boat, and on this day it would be excellent.

SLAM! SLAM! TWO TROLL rods went off half a second apart.

“Troll fish!” bellered Auman. Two eager anglers stepped up immediately and began working two albacore back to the boat, being careful not to lose either fish. Breaking

off a troll fish often results in spooking the school and nullifying the odds for success on a bait stop. As the troll rod guys did their work, their other three buddies and I grabbed Okuma Cedros rods outfitted with Andros reels.

Actually, I prefer to fish lefty when cranking on big fish like tuna, halibut and kings, so I got to test out Okuma’s new Metaloid. Within one minute of grabbing the combo out of the rack and getting an anchovy hooked up, I got to test the reel’s mettle. Winder and Auman had trolled us into a spectacular ball of tuna, and everybody hooked up by the time the two troll fish were gaffed and brought aboard. Soon a nice grade of tuna were pounding out their rapid-fire death orisons on the deck, our legs, and each other. A dark red slick of blood trailed behind the boat in the cobalt-blue subtropical water, and a pack of blue sharks slashed in among it. Soon the tuna bite slowed and an angler hooked a shark, and Winder called to go on the troll. Fourteen tuna in our first stop was a hell of a start, plus a few weighed in the high 20s.

THE SECOND TROLL OF the day went just as the first: an immediate double followed by a raging live-bait bite on high-end light tackle. Several tuna were already slapping the deck when I noticed one of my fellow anglers, Adam Smolinski, was struggling unusually with a fish that was making huge runs compared to the albacore we’d been

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FISHING Christina Anderson got in on some “phenomenal” Labor Day weekend albacore action. The mainstay of the Northwest’s tuna fishery, offshore anglers are finding that they bite well into October, and one was even landed last November by Northwest Sportsman kayak columnist Mark Veary. Christina was fishing with husband Dave and Capt. Kerry Allen of Offshore Northwest.

(DAIWA PHOTO CONTEST)

catching. As usual, I’d made several nerdy Wicked Tuna jokes, including calling this fish a slob bluefin only a minute into the fight. Auman often seems to delight in showing me I’m wrong, but even he seemed interested.

With amazing visibility in these offshore subtropical waters, the color and shape of the fish looked different as it

circled well below the boat. Finally, as it was just moments away from gaff range, Auman called, “Bluefin! I need a second gaff, Ian!” Winder responded swiftly, yanking an albie over the other rail and dumping it in one motion as he moved starboard to back up on the gaff job. The big fish rolled on its side, and Winder and Auman almost simultaneously head gaffed it and lifted it aboard.

Right away, buzz started about a potential state record, but not bleeding the fish for a few lost ounces was clearly not worth it. The bluefin bled out on an already-bloody deck, as Auman and Winder loaded albacore into the holds and I took pictures with Smolinski and his prize.

After lots of screaming and laughing and high-fiving, the gorgeous fish went into the icy fish hold to cool down from the fight. Warm-blooded like albacore and even angrier, Pacific bluefin don’t grow to the sizes of Atlantic bluefin such as those featured on Wicked Tuna. In fact, the bluefins we encounter off our Northwest coasts are typically juvenile specimens not much larger than big albacore.

They are nonetheless very special fish with amazing flesh worthy of respect and careful preparation. Coleman’s operation always takes great care of fish, but it was cool to see Winder and Auman take special care in treating the bluefin from catch, through weighing, through processing.

The fish tipped the scales at just over 36 pounds, missing the state record by fewer than 3 pounds.

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FISHING OK, so if I get this excited over albacore and a 36-pound bluefin I don’t even get to taste, it explains some of my extreme fascination with Wicked Tuna.

Yeah, I kind of hate reality TV, but I’m a sucker for fishing and competition, even on TV. The big personalities, small crews and giant tuna have me addicted.

I got an idea one evening while watching the show and simultaneously reading Facebook posts from my favorite Gloucester tuna captain and this past season’s winner, Dave Marciano. I’d use social media and my small-time outdoor writer credentials to score an interview, and score I did.

This summer Marciano and I discussed everything from googans, to giant bluefin, to quirks of the show, to conservation and management.

He made me laugh – a lot – and made me see parallels between our fisheries and their political management scenarios.

Marciano genuinely earned my respect on many points while speaking both on and off the record throughout our long interview.

In the November issue, I’ll detail highlights from that hour-long interview, one that featured Marciano being very wise while simultaneously reminding me several times that I was talking to “a guy with only a high school education.”

Could have fooled me. –JH

We would finish the day with 50 albacore split between six anglers, along with the bluefin. Everyone was offered a share, but I unfortunately had to travel fast back to TriCities and left before the bluefin was divided. It was still a thrill to be part of it, and I get a few more shots in October to fish. Coleman’s All Rivers and Saltwater Charters still

has some October availability, solely because folks don’t know how good the fishing is or how obese the albacore are after months of gorging off our coast. All three of Coleman’s boats were booked every day that allowed fishing, throughout the summer. October is a great opportunity to fish the best of the best. NS

A ‘WICKED’ INTERVIEW

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OCTOBER 2015 | nwsportsmanmag.com

Dave Marciano is one of the stars of the National Geographic reality show Wicked Tuna. Skipper of the Hard Merchandise, an interview with Marciano is slated to appear in our next issue. (DAVE MARCIANO)

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