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PEAK SALMON SEASON Alsea, Yaquina, Siletz Kings & Westside Coho

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Sportsman Northwest

Your LOCAL Hunting & Fishing Resource

Volume 10 • Issue 1

Your Complete Hunting, Boating, Fishing and Since 1948. Fi hi d Repair R i Destination D i i Si

PUBLISHER James R. Baker ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Dick Openshaw EDITOR Andy Walgamott LEAD CONTRIBUT0R Andy Schneider THIS ISSUE’S CONTRIBUTORS Scott Brenneman, Jason Brooks, Scott Haugen, Doug Huddle, Sara Ichtertz, MD Johnson, Randy King, Robert Kroger, Buzz Ramsey, Troy Rodakowski, Terry Wiest, Dave Workman, Mark Yuasa EDITORIAL FIELD SUPPORT Jason Brooks GENERAL MANAGER John Rusnak

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SALES MANAGER Katie Higgins ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Nancy Ekse, Mamie Grifﬁn, Mike Smith, Paul Yarnold PRODUCTION MANAGER Sonjia Kells DESIGNERS Sam Rockwell, Jake Weipert PRODUCTION ASSISTANT Kelly Baker OFFICE MANAGER/ACCOUNTING Audra Higgins COPY EDITOR/ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Katie Sauro

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Northwest Sportsman 9

CONTENTS

VOLUME 10 • ISSUE 1

FEATURES 39

RAZOR HEDGE Washington clam diggers will find mixed prospects for the 2017-18 season depending on which side of Grays Harbor they dig. Mark Yuasa previews the highs and lows – and not just the tides! – of what to expect and how to make the most of the opportunities that should kick off this month!

RENEE ROCKS ROCKFISH! For most of us, our first fishing trip revolves around a pretty tame spot – the local trout or bass pond. But not Renee. She headed onto Oregon’s Pacific in search of tasty rockfish, lings and more, and our Sara Ichtertz went along to chronicle another of guide David Johnson’s Fish Like A Girl Adventures.

ALL-IN FOR STURGEON When Mississippian Robert Kroger told a Columbia Gorge guide he wasn’t particularly interested in catching any of the plentiful salmon that were headed upriver last October, it was just the first of several surprises during the Southern angler’s pursuit of a bucket-list dream.

105 WESTERN OREGON ELK Summer’s wildfires will pose problems for some Oregon Cascade hunters, while North Coast elk numbers look good. Junction City wapiti wrangler Troy Rodakowski shares what to look forward to as Western Oregon bull season kicks off this month and continues on the coast in November.

(ANDY WALGAMOTT)

GET IN ON FAB FALL CRABBING

Oregon Coast estuaries from Hammond to Newport (above) to Bandon and beyond are prime for tasty, filled-out Dungeness this time of year, and our Andy Schneider has all the tricks for hauling up full pots. Grab some fresh bait, a crab caliper and head for the ramps and piers to catch your share!

109 WASHINGTON BULL ELK PREVIEW Where will Evergreen State muzzleloaders and riflemen find increasing numbers of elk but fewer spikes this season? District wildlife biologists across Washington forecast how October’s and November’s hunts may play out. 115 ANOTHER ‘GEM’ OF AN IDAHO BIG GAME SEASON Idaho wildlife managers expect the good seasons elk and whitetail hunters have enjoyed in recent years to continue this fall. Here’s what to expect in the Panhandle, Central Idaho and beyond as any-weapon season kicks off Oct. 10. 129 THE 10 COMMANDMENTS, WATERFOWLING ON PUBLIC LANDS EDITION With the Northwest’s duck and goose seasons beginning in earnest this month – and with great prospects for local birds – a longtime quacker whacker dusts off The Word From On High for a refresher course on what, er, flies and what does not at our state wildlife areas, national refuges and other public marshes.

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 © 2017 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.

10 Northwest Sportsman

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Come and Join our 6th Annual Halibut Express!!

Our area offers some of the very finest Halibut and Ling Cod fishing on the whole BC Coast, including Alaska. We are offering a special early season COMBO Halibut and Ling Cod package for the 2018 season. The dates we have selected for our 2018 Halibut Express are from May 1st to May 5th, May 5th to May 9th, May 9th to May 13th, May 13th to May 17th, May 17th to May 21st, May 21st to May 25th, May 25th to May 29th, May 29th to June 2nd, June 2nd to June 6th, June 6th to June 10th, June 10th to June 14th, June 14th to June 18th and June 18th to June 22nd 2018. This will be a 4 night/5 day package and will include up to 40 hours of guided fishing, all meals and 4 nights accommodations. An added bonus will be that the VACUUM PACKING and FLASH FREEZING of your fish are included in this pricing. This is a heck of a good deal and this package would make a wonderful gift for the fisherman in your family. We will also have our fly-in service available from Seattle, Wash., or Vancouver, BC for these dates. You will also have the opportunity to target the early runs of CHINOOK and COHO that will be coming through our waters at the time of the season. The pricing for this exciting package is as follows: Party of 2 fishing, 2 per boat…$1875.00 PP + 5% tax. Party of 3 fishing, 3 per boat…$1675.00 PP + 5% tax. Party of 4 fishing, 4 per boat…$1475 PP + 5% tax. To make your reservations or for more information please give us a call at 1-800-429-5288 or send an email to: rodgersfishinglodge@yahoo.com Best regards, Doug Rodgers PS: With Halibut selling for upwards of $25.00 per pound at your local fish market, you should easily be able to pay for your trip. You are allowed up to 6 Halibut, new for 2018, 4 Ling Cod and 8 Salmon in possession per angler. The biggest Ling Cod this past season was a 60 pounder. Come and fill your freezers!

COLUMNS (JASON BROOKS)

97 SOUTH SOUND Opportunities for blacktails and silvers shine in the South Sound this month, and Jason shares where and how to get after them, including a refresher on twitchin’ jigs for coho. 65

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KAYAK GUYS Scott has a new “tack” on current affairs – outfitting his kayak with a sail to zip around fishing grounds like Buoy 10 that much faster and keep his gear in the water that much longer. BUZZ RAMSEY Oregon’s Central Coast offers a number of Chinook-rich bays and estuaries that guides Jack and Brandon Glass like to target come fall. Buzz picks Jack’s head for tips on fishing Siletz, Yaquina and Alsea Bays. WESTSIDER If it’s October, it’s go time for coho! Whether you’re one of the lucky ones with a plentitude of pink salmon eggs or prefer other tackle, Terry sets you up for silver success this month and next. NORTH SOUND It’s bonus time in Bellingham – Doug details the North Sound river with a six-hatchery-coho

limit, as well as has the scoop on a ringneck release switcharoo that will benefit Whatcom County wingshooters. 119 ON TARGET Gotchyer deer camp list together yet? No?!? OK, don’t worry, it’s not too late – Dave shares what he’s doublechecking and packing in preparation for heading to the hills for bucks as well as bulls. 125 CHEF IN THE WILD Being a chef and all, Randy’s handy with a knife – he’s got a step-by-step guide for breaking down the front shoulder of a deer, then serves up a venison pot roast inspired by a famed Northwest cook and the South of France. 139 GUN DOGGIN’ 101 You might think your new hunting partner’s ready for the first hunt, but after learning the hard way with his pups, Scott shares how to really prepare for and what to watch out for on initial field trips.

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Northwest Sportsman 13

20 THE BIG PIC:

(WDFW)

PLIGHT OF THE PINKS

Since 2001, Puget Sound pink salmon runs have exploded like we’ve never seen before, as if to say wrecking all that fish habitat didn’t matter. So what happened to this year’s return then?

DEPARTMENTS 17

THE EDITOR’S NOTE Blood, death and gore

SOCIAL SCENE Reader reactions to recent news

READER PHOTOS FROM THE FIELD Chinook, pronghorn, albacore and more!

PHOTO CONTEST WINNERS Browning, Fishing monthly prizes

THE DISHONOR ROLL Introducing Officer C. Gull and Chief Steve Bear; Kudos; Jackass of the Month

DERBY WATCH 18th Annual Buoy 10 Challenge; More recent results; Inaugural Bob Heirman Memorial Coho Derby; More upcoming derbies

OUTDOOR CALENDAR Upcoming openers, events

BIG FISH Record Northwest game fish caught this month

RIG OF THE MONTH From the vault: Silver-slaying Slinky Set-up

142 THE BACK PAGE Ghost Camps 14 Northwest Sportsman

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16 Northwest Sportsman

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THEEDITOR’SNOTE

(WDFW)

he bugged-out eyes and blood-splattered face haunts me. It’s the polar opposite of my own – our own – aghast at the senseless gore and death and blood that fell in the wake of the alleged poacher and his friends. What in God’s name leads to this? How do we prevent it? How do we punish such abject cruelty? The selfie, reportedly taken after a bear was shot at close enough range to spray William J. Haynes with its blood, is included in a 3,400-word timeline published last month and which detailed 38 separate suspected poaching incidents allegedly committed by the 23-year-old and/or five other Longview residents and another from Lewis County. Their names became public last month after Washington fish and wildlife police filed hundreds of pages of case reports in recommending dozens upon dozens of charges be filed. Skamania County had yet to do so at press time, and all suspects are innocent until proven guilty, but according to news reports, Haynes et al treated the Gifford Pinchot National Forest and winter range on the Oregon side of the Columbia Gorge as a private shooting gallery for at least a year and a half. Make no mistake: This wasn’t hunting; it was death for the sake of death, an abomination of all we true sportsmen stand for. Bears and bobcats treed illegally with hounds, then shot and the dogs allowed to maul them. Bucks and bulls killed for their antlers alone. “We never took any of the meat. We just took the heads,” Haynes allegedly wrote, according to press reports. “In total I think we shot around 20 deer in a two-week period.” If there’s solace, it’s that at the very least, those headless deer helped to stop the rampage. Trail cams set up on winter range by Oregon fish and wildlife troopers led to a traffic stop of Haynes and Eric C. Martin, 23, that led to a cellphone search that led to 20 deer skulls and the discovery of a wider network of poaching that led to bones found throughout Washington’s South Cascades. You may recall one suspect from the infamous Kill Em All Boyz of 10 years ago. Joseph A. Dills, now 30 and who played a part in the group, deflected a reporter’s questions at the time: “I’m not continued on page 19 nwsportsmanmag.com | OCTOBER 2017

Northwest Sportsman 17

18 Northwest Sportsman

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SOCIAL

SCENE

Comment from the www

By Andy Walgamott

PACIFIC SURVEY POTENTIAL BAD NEWS FOR COLUMBIA SALMON An early heads up from NOAA-Fisheries about finding some of the lowest numbers of young Columbia River kings and coho off our coast in 20 years concerned anglers. Responding to our Facebook post, guide Kyle Jones noted, “This data is not conclusive. If anyone’s memory recalls, after the low period in ’98 we had an epic spring Chinook run in 2001.” Larry Phillips, a fisheries biologist and salmon angler, acknowledged Jones’ point and offered a grim warning: “Historical relationships aren’t always constant, but until there’s a better prediction tool I’d suggest investing in albacore gear.”

ABOUT THOSE ATLANTIC SALMON … August’s netpen disaster in the San Juans elicited all sorts of reactions in the news, some more dubious and self-serving than others (It was the eclipse! said Cooke Aquaculture before it became apparent the pens had been on their last legs. Some of their bellies are full of salmon smolts! said a tribal leader, though nobody else found any). Responding to our posts, Ryley Fee said, “We must fight this and say hell no to increased aquaculture in Puget Sound for this exact reason!” Others saw the escape of 150,000 Atlantics for what it was, an unexpected windfall in a poor pink year with minimal risks to the environment, and went fishing to help eradicate them and enjoy some Costco-grade salmon afterwards. “New boat + fish breakout = destiny,” noted Jacob Watson. Kevin Klein and Tony Nelson posted pics of, literally, piles of freshly caught Atlantics, and Rory O’Conner joked we should have a prison break every year. Uhhh, yes, but no.

MOST LIKED READER PIC WE HUNG UP ON OUR FACEBOOK PAGE DURING THIS ISSUE’S PRODUCTION CYCLE Readers really liked Elias Thomé’s story: Given the choice between a birthday party or Buoy 10, the freshly minted 8-year-old went with chrome kings. “We mostly ﬁsh for trout on the ponds in the area, but he’s been begging to ﬁsh for salmon,” reported his mom, Diana. “He draws pictures of tackle all the time. Fishing is by far his favorite thing to do.” (FISHING PHOTO CONTEST) Editor’s Note, continued from page 17 saying that we didn’t commit the crimes. But it was made to look like we were really, really bad people, and we’re not that way.” If anybody amongst the accused knew the ramifications of such wanton disregard of wildlife laws, it would have been Dills. But now he and Haynes face the most potential charges. Others include Dills’ father, Eddy A. Dills, 57, Bryan C. Tretiak, 31, Aubri McKenna, 35, and an unnamed teenager. As game wardens’ case files were laid out in the pages of the Centralia Chronicle and The Daily News of Longview, and across the state and nation by TV and larger newspapers, there were the predictable calls for medieval justice not unlike what some of the suspects’ hounds wreaked upon all those bears. That’s absurd, of course, but how do we as sportsmen and society as a whole get it through people’s heads that all of this alleged behavior is utterly, inconceivably, monumentally wrong? I wish I had the answer to that question. – Andy Walgamott nwsportsmanmag.com | OCTOBER 2017

Northwest Sportsman 19

PLIGHT PINKS OF THE

A Duwamish River pink salmon thrashes on the end of the editor’s line during 2015’s run. Humpies bit amazingly well in the salt and rivers that year, masking what was a smaller run that was then hit hard by repeated ﬂoods, leading to this year’s forecast of just over 1 million, the fewest expected in Puget Sound in nearly 20 years. (ANDY WALGAMOTT) 20 Northwest Sportsman

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Low return reminds us that despite explosion of oddyear salmon in increasingly developed Pugetropolis, humpies are still affected by ﬂoods, ocean conditions. By Andy Walgamott

ou may not recall Sunday, Oct. 20, 2003, but it sticks in my memory for two reasons: 1) At shooting light – or what passed for it that gloomy-ass day – while sitting in the rain under a leaky poncho I flubbed an excellent opportunity at a nice Methow muley due to the puddle in my scope. 2) Indeed, it rained like hell that day – several inches there in western Okanogan County, 5 inches at SeaTac Airport, 10 and change on the slopes of Glacier Peak. I went home venisonless; on the other side of Washington’s North Cascades, freshly dug Skagit River pink salmon redds were utterly destroyed. Yes, it’s all ancient history now, but if you’re wondering what happened with Puget Sound pinks this year, the Day of the Deluge is a useful starting point.

EARLIER THAT FALL, somewhere around 867,000 humpies made it back to the gravel on the Skagit and its tribs. (Just under 310,000 were harvested beforehand.) By Oct. 19, most if not all had spawned and were well on their way to assaulting the olfactory organs of everyone from Mount Vernon to Marblemount. Then Oct. 20’s atmospheric river hit. An atmospheric river is what meteorologists call the long, continuous band of moisture that gets sucked out of the central Pacific and is jet streamed to the Northwest, where it becomes terrestrial rivers that run willy-nilly. (Pineapple Expresses are those that originate near Hawaii.) Silt, sand, trees – all sorts and manner of debris washed away or covered the redds. It was a disaster for Skagit pinks. Two years later, 2005 saw a run of just 83,000 limp back to the mouth of the river, with an escapement estimate of a mere 60,000. The next run of the odd-year fish improved, with 300,000 hitting the gravel, though harvest actually declined to

roughly 15,000, state stats show. It wasn’t until six years after the big flood, 2009, that the Skagit was back in business as a prime producer of pinks, thanks to a run of 1.6 million.

FALL 2015 WAS not unlike Oct. 20, 2003, in several ways. It didn’t see one monster flood; it saw four big ones, all again after that year’s pinks had spawned. The first downpour arrived on Halloween, with another two weeks later, followed by a third just four days after the second, and the last coming in mid-December. Flood heights vary by river system and where each storm hits, of course, but to use the Skykomish as an example, 2015’s quartet crested at Gold Bar at 70,000 cubic feet per second, 60,000 cfs, nearly 100,000 cfs and 80,000 cfs, respectively. Not alltime records, but not insubstantial either. The average for the Sky that time of year is between 3,000 and 4,000 cfs. Systems controlled by dams saw similar surges. The Northwest is of course floodprone, especially in mid to late fall as the jet stream migrates back south for the winter and we get rain-on-top-of-snow events the deeper into the season we get. Salmon have evolved to deal with that, spreading their spawning runs out, but scientists say we’re seeing increasing numbers of sharp flow fluctuations this time of year. That’s not good news for fall salmon – even for pinks, which have adapted to spend very little of their lifespan in freshwater. Fall 2015’s four floods probably had an outsized impact on pinks for two more reasons. If you recall, that year was the height of the Blob, which really ought to be a four-letter word around these parts for what it did to Northwest fish, wildlife and habitat. That year’s run was starved at sea, and so they came into Puget Sound smaller than usual. The females produced fewer eggs. It’s also likely the fish weren’t able to dig as robust redds as usual. Meanwhile, the previous winter had

PICTURE been warm, with rain falling even in the high mountains, leading to a failed snowpack, with spring and summer runoff setting new all-time lows. By fall, pinks had no place left to lay their diminished supply of eggs except in what essentially was the middle of river channels, where scour is typically greatest. And scour the floods did that fall. This year’s paltry preseason forecast of 1.1 million pinks is largely a reflection of that, say state biologists. That’s not to discount the ocean, so important in the pinks’ lifecycle. While the Blob faded and we rejoiced, as it turns out, it left the Pacific with a massive hangover – species in the wrong places, preyswitching up and down the coast – that also affected this year’s Columbia Basin sockeye and steelhead runs. Unlike those stocks, however, pinks are almost entirely wild, so how long it will takes the runs to rebuild is a good question.

WE WERE SPOILED beyond imagination, we Puget Sound pink salmon anglers, by the flood of fish. We had it good – better than good. We witnessed the most productive and greatest expansion of humpy fisheries of the modern era. It is unlike anything seen in the Northwest salmon world. Since 2001, the Dawn Of Humpydom, in which yours truly recalls sitting in a leaky canoe off downtown Snohomish with a friend and utterly killing it one day, this millennium has provided a streak with no equal in WDFW records that stretch back to 1959. There’s just a single spike in pink runs and catches in the 40 years between the end of the Eisenhower Administration and the end of the Clinton Administration, and a whole lot of blah not unlike this year’s forecast and fisheries. Outside of 1963’s where-in-the-helldid-that-come-from? run of 7 million, the best years produced 2 million and change, while the worst years – 1969, ’75, ’81, ’97 – barely reached half a million or fell

nwsportsmanmag.com | OCTOBER 2017

Northwest Sportsman 21

PICTURE decidedly short of that mark. But starting in 2001 with Humpzilla and Humpzilla’s slightly bigger brother, Puget Sound became the Bristol Bay of the humpy world. We saw returns of 3.8 million pinks that year, 3.3 million in ’03, 2 million in ’05 and 3.2 million in ’07, when the standing state-record 15-plus-pounder was caught. Then things really got sideways: ’09, 10.3 million; ’11, 5.3 million; ’13, 8.75 million; and ’15, 3.7 million. Those last four runs alone – 28 million fish – roughly equal how many returned between 1961 and 1999. The explosion of salmon primarily occurred in three rivers. While the North Sound’s Snohomish, Stillaguamish and Skagit had long accounted for all but the tip of the pinks’ hump when it came to production and harvest, South Sound rivers suddenly came into their own. There is literally no catch data for the Duwamish until 1999 when five dozen pinks were recorded. That figure and all those in this section include sport, commercial and tribal catches in the river and marine areas. It was followed by 790 in 2001, then 8,646, 18,491, 30,249 and in 2009, things went nuclear – 393,806. There appears to have always been pinks in the Nisqually and Puyallup but numbers didn’t blow up until recent years. All of one fish was recorded as reaching the former river during 2001’s run, but by 2013 it produced a harvest of 101,676. The Puyallup’s 1999 take was just 179 fish. By 2009 that figure climbed to 298,485 and it still has yet to drop below a couple hundred thousand. Well, until surely 2017. And it wasn’t like those North Sound rivers gave up either. The Nooksack lit up, producing back-to-back harvests better than any seen in Whatcom County in 50 years. The Snohomish yielded 1.13 million alone in 2013, the Skagit 720,000 that year. Our Little Chiefs couldn’t keep up with the bounty; all the salmon smoking we did helped push CO2 levels over the 400-partsper-million mark. Not really, but still.

THROUGH THAT LENS, there was no way 2017’s return was going to be anything 22 Northwest Sportsman

OCTOBER 2017 | nwsportsmanmag.com

The U.S. Geological Survey gauge for the Skykomish, an undammed river pouring out of the Cascades east of Everett, shows the four fall 2015 ﬂoods that hit pink and other salmon species’ redds. Scientists say repeated scour events like these are increasing to the detriment of the ﬁsh. (USGS) but the redheaded, warty, mutant, splittongued bastard cousin at the barn dance. The preseason prediction was the lowest since 1999, which produced a sport catch of just 35,067 for those hucking Humpy Special spoons and other OG lures. I’ll be honest, I went ahead and bought Buzz Bombs anyway, along with 1/0 and 2/0 hooks and two different kinds of pink hoochies. I’m weird like that; it makes tackle shacks happy, and probably gives them a laugh about the fool and his money. But I’m an optimist and I had visions of catching pinks off my local beach all summer long. In the end I hooked coho and kings, but no humpies. It wasn’t just me: WDFW’s daily saltwater creel checks rang up a ridiculous number of goose eggs in the pink salmon column when the Straits and Sound should’ve been boiling with the buggers, even with a low run. My initial late summer forays on the Duwamish River were also desultory, to say the least: one snag-up and someone dropped a deuce in my high-tide spot. Eventually I did begin catching some, big bucks easily twice the size of 2015’s. It’s probable the fish just didn’t need to feed in our saltwater like two years ago, and when they get in the rivers they can be notoriously lockjawed. With far fewer coming back, it’s no wonder we caught so few. It was also a humbling reminder I wasn’t exactly the angler I thought I was.

THE PINK EXPLOSION suggested, in a sense, we could have our pie and eat it too. Puget

Sound Chinook, coho, sockeye, chum and steelhead runs are in increasing trouble from a king tide of habitat destruction, lack of political will to do much about it and an ever-growing human population that’s less and less attached to the water but is still willing to fund fixing things with “guilt money.” That’s the term Oregon State University Professor Robert T. Lackey used in July in a decidedly pessimistic but perhaps more honest paper than what you otherwise hear from those of us in the trenches, whether at the state, tribal, federal or NGO level, or in the fishing industry. Indeed, you can’t be a hook-and-bullet magazine editor and believe the sky is falling. It just doesn’t work well. I want to believe recovery really is possible. I want to believe the gravel parking pad my family had turned into a rain garden – and many, many more like it – will help, that a couple of the juvenile coho my boys have been stocking in a nearby tributary return and make more, and those will make more, etc. Meanwhile, pinks were bucking it all. Or at least did until flood and ocean conditions caught up with them too. No, they’re not one of the glamour stocks. They’re an every-other-year oddity that created a cottage industry for the makers of small spoons, hoochie jigs and other tackle. They provided big-number days for anglers of all abilities. They brought heaps of marine nutrients home. Here’s hoping Puget Sound pinks recover faster than how long it took for the Skagit to get back on track after Oct. 20, 2003. NS

nwsportsmanmag.com | OCTOBER R2 20 2017 17

NNorthwest Nor orthw thhhw westt SSportsman porttsman 23

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This was a tougher tuna year, but Dylan Davis landed his ﬁrst albie, this nice one caught 45 miles off Westport while trolling a cedar plug and ﬁshing with his dad, Mike. (FISHING PHOTO CONTEST)

READER PHOTOS

A Mississippi wildlife biologist by trade, Kris Godwin’s a Strait of Juan de Fuca hatchery Chinook catcher too! She was visiting her folks, Ron and Sandy Casscles of Sequim, and ﬁshing off Port Angeles’ Coast Guard station.

(FISHING PHOTO CONTEST)

The Harpers – Dan, Kit and their girls Cydne, Zoe and Sage – enjoyed great ﬁshing and crabbing at Buoy 10 in late August. Friend Carl Lewallen forwarded the pic. (FISHING PHOTO CONTEST)

Repping the Putnam High School Kingsmen in Mexico, the Portland area’s KJ Ruffo landed quite a mixed bag while ﬁshing off Ixtapa this summer, including this yellowtail jack. (FISHING

PHOTO CONTEST)

The Foytack family loves ﬁshing in Alaska, especially Emily, here with two of her many sockeye caught during an annual trip to the Kenai Peninsula with her bro and grandparents. (FISHING PHOTO CONTEST)

It took 15 years of collecting points, then a three-hour stalk, but Joe Janego made good on his Wagontire Unit speedgoat tag this past Betcha Tim Klink’s ready for riﬂe buck season! August, taking this buck The Spokane hunter bagged this nice public-lands with a 355-yard shot muley on last year’s opener in Whitman County. with his .300 Win. Mag.

(BROWNING PHOTO CONTEST)

For your shot at winning great fishing and hunting products from Northwest Sportsman and Browning, send your full-resolution, original images with all the pertinent details – who’s in the pic and their hometown; when and where they were; what they caught their fish on/weapon they used to bag the game; and any other details you’d like to reveal (the more, the merrier!) – 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 use in our print and Internet publications. nwsportsmanmag.com | OCTOBER 2017

Northwest Sportsman 25

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28 Northwest Sportsman

OCTOBER 2017 | nwsportsmanmag.com

PHOTO CONTEST

WINNERS!

Josh Murauskas’s picture of daughter Julia and her Banks Lake walleye is this issue’s Fishing Photo Contest winner! It wins him a pile of loot from the overstuffed office of our editor!

Jeremy Sitton’s photo of son Jeremiah and his Northwest Washington muzzleloader trophy bull elk is this issue’s Browning Photo Contest winner. It wins him a Browning hat.

Sportsman Northwest

Your LOCAL Hunting & Fishing Resource

For your shot at winning Browning and fishing 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. nwsportsmanmag.com | OCTOBER 2017

Northwest Sportsman 29

30 Northwest Sportsman

OCTOBER 2017 | nwsportsmanmag.com

MIXED BAG

2IÀFHU & *XOO 5HSRUWV )RU 'XW\

group of anglers fishing off the beach near Westport this summer probably wished they’d brought some bread or extra fries or something. Not for bait, but to bribe the local game warden – Officer C. Gull. OK, so there’s no Officer C. Gull, but a seagull was “deputized” after helping a Washington fish and wildlife officer uncover a galling overlimit of redtail perch. As the story goes, the officer checked the anglers and found them to be over the daily limit of 12 surfperch apiece.

Then, when he was writing their tickets, he spotted a seagull with an inordinate interest in a heap of seaweed behind one of the fishermen’s vehicles. Soon the bird pulled a bag out of the pile, and when the officer checked it, inside were a dozen more redtails, bringing the anglers’ tally to 54 surfperch over the limit for the day. “While the helpful gull was deputized as a junior fish and wildlife officer, it was small consolation since his lunch was seized as evidence,” WDFW officers reported on their Facebook page.

By Andy Walgamott

(WDFW)

KUDOS

1HZ 7RS *DPH :DUGHQ 7DNHV 5HLQV $W :'):

teve Bear took the reins last month as the new chief of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Enforcement Division. Bear hails from Alaska, where he served for 27 years with the Department of Public Safety, spending the last 10 years as first the deputy director and then the director of the Alaska Wildlife Troopers division before his retirement as a colonel in July. Before that he was in the U.S. Army between 1985 and 1989. He will oversee a staff of 156 WDFW employees, including 130 commissioned officers. He told Northwest Sportsman he has a lot to learn about Washington, its natural resources and hunters and anglers, but has a passion for protecting the resources, and hoped to work with as many folks from across the spectrum to that end.

(OSP)

(WDFW)

Capt. Chris Anderson had been serving as the acting chief since the departure of former Chief Steve Crown to the Wenatchee Police Department. Before Crown, Bruce Bjork – who like Bear came from the state patrol – was chief.

JACKASS OF THE MONTH

Veneta, Oregon, man lost his hunting privileges for three years after pleading guilty to two counts of unlawfully taking a mule deer without a valid tag for the unit and one count of borrowing a tag. The Oregon State Police Fish and Wildlife Division says that while Jason Brian Barker, 45, had a controlled tag for the Fort Rock Unit last season, he killed two bucks two units to

Lane County prosecutors are tough on those who poach, and recognizing that, the Oregon State Police named the county’s chief deputy attorney its 2016 Wildlife Prosecutor of the Year. Eric Hasselman accepted the award this summer at an annual gathering of prosecutors. Nominated by OSP’s Fish and Wildlife Division’s South Valley Team, Hasselman was lauded for his “vested interest in protecting Oregon’s natural resources,” and though he “has much on his plate … he takes on ﬁsh and wildlife cases with enthusiasm and holds violators accountable for their unlawful actions.” The award is presented by the Oregon Sportsmen’s Coalition and is in its 10th year. Lane County’s Jay Hall was honored with it in 2011.

the south, in the Interstate. He put an acquaintance’s permit on one, then reported both had been taken in Fort Rock. Barker was also ordered to pay $2,000 in restitution to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, serve five days on a road crew in lieu of jail time, and forfeited the .300 Ultra Mag used to kill the two muleys. Mule deer poaching has been an ongoing problem in Central Oregon and it’s up to hunters to follow the rules and the parameters of their tags.

nwsportsmanmag.com | OCTOBER 2017

Northwest Sportsman 31

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Northwest Sportsman 33

RECENT RESULTS By Andy Walgamott

New Coho Derby On Tap

he legacy of a lifelong Snohomish County anglerconservationist will live on in a new salmon fishing derby. The Bob Heirman Memorial Coho Derby is set for Saturday, Oct. 7, on some of the late fisherman’s favorite rivers and features hefty prizes for one of his most coveted species. “Bob single-handedly was responsible for more coho enhancement than every other program combined,” says Mark Spada of the Snohomish Sportsmen’s Club, which Heirman was the secretary of for six decades before his passing in May at 84. “He was tireless in his coho smolt planting in dozens of Snohomish County creeks.” The derby will be held on the Snohomish, Skykomish and Snoqualmie Rivers, typically Puget Sound’s most productive for coho, and October’s a good month to hit them. Presented by 3 Rivers Marine & Tackle, it has a grand prize of $2,000, second-place prize of $1,000 and third-place prize of $500. Tickets are $25, and they’re available at 3 Rivers and other Snohomish County tackle shops. The derby benefits the club, among others.

A montage of images for the derby shows Bob Heirman on the banks of one of his favorite rivers, along with a trillium. He was a keen observer of not only ﬁsheries but the ﬂora and fauna of Snohomish County. (BOB HEIRMAN MEMORIAL COHO DERBY)

2017-2018 NORTHWEST SALMON DERBY SERIES

Nov. 4-5: Everett No-Coho Blackmouth Salmon Derby Jan. 5-7, 2018: Resurrection Salmon Derby Jan. 18-20: Roche Harbor Salmon Classic Feb. 8-10: Friday Harbor Salmon Classic

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MORE UPCOMING AND ONGOING EVENTS Nov. 18-21, Lake Pend Oreille Fall Fishing Derby, Lake Pend

Oreille; info: lpoic.org Jan. 13, NW Ice Fishing Festival, Sidley and Molson Lakes, Molson, Wash. More events: wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/contests/index.html. To have your derby or results listed, email awalgamott@media-inc.com.

2nd Annual Gig Harbor PSA Salmon Derby, Marine Areas 11, 13, Aug. 12: First place: Jon Tachell, 18 pounds, 8 ounces ($2,500); second: Fianna Hopkins, 16 pounds, 3 ounces ($1,000) 9th Annual Washington Tuna Classic, Westport, Aug. 12: First place: Usual Suspects, 139.30 pounds ($1,500) Vancouver Chinook Classic, Port Alberni, British Columbia, Aug. 19-20: First place: Marshall Thompson, 22.46 pounds ($15,000); second: Bernie Fahlman, 21.45 pounds ($7,000) NWKA Humpy Kayak Classic Benefit Tournament, Aug. 19: First place: Jarrard Invencion, 8.54 pounds (Kraken 13.5 kayak) 2nd Annual Tuna Derby, Nootka Sound and Esperanza Inlet, Vancouver Island, Aug. 24-28: First place: Mike Hudson and the “Fish Burglars,” 61.2 pounds (salmon) Columbia River Fall Salmon Derby, Lower Columbia, Aug. 26: First place: Steve Matherly, 19.92 pounds ($1,000); second: Bonney Whitehead,18.56 pounds ($500) Inaugural CCA Willapa Bay Salmon Derby, Willapa Bay, Aug. 26-27: First place: Brandon Bushbaum, 17.85 pounds, ($500); second: Rick Curtright, 15.66 pounds ($250) Oregon Tuna Classic, Garibaldi, Sept. 1-2: First place: Team Rebel, 139.85 pounds ($6,000); second: Team Clemensea, 131.45 pounds ($3,000) 18th Annual Coos Basin Salmon Derby, Coos Bay, environs, Sept. 9-10: First place: Bonnie Parish, 22.38 pounds ($500) Cancelled: 14th Annual Slam’n Salmon Derby; Edmonds, Everett Coho Derbies; La Push Last Chance Salmon Derby

Buoy 10 Challenge Raises Big Money

n important fundraising derby also netted 72 salmon as anglers fished the mouth of the Columbia to participate in mid-August’s 18th Annual Buoy 10 Challenge. The Northwest Sportfishing Industry Association reports Chinook and coho were on the chew for the roughly 200 participants at the event that raised nearly $50,000 in support of the organization’s efforts to increase and protect our angling opportunities. The other big winners of the day included Tanner Morton, who scored $1,000 sponsored by North River Boats for his 20.90-pound Chinook, and Deborah LeBer, who was the mystery fish winner, good for $1,000 sponsored by Weldcraft/Duckworth. “The Buoy 10 Salmon Challenge is not only the most exciting fishing tournament on the Lower Columbia this summer but it is also our most important fundraiser,” noted Liz Hamilton, NSIA director. “Monies raised will go towards protecting and restoring healthy river systems, defending hatcheries and the millions of smolts they release each year, as well as working to increase angler access to fisheries across the Northwest.” With an average weight of 17.75 pounds of salmon, the team of RJ Bennett, Cody Clark, Adam Sturdevant and Dave Lewis took ﬁrst place at the 18th Annual Buoy 10 Challenge. (NSIA)

nwsportsmanmag.com | OCTOBER 2017

Northwest Sportsman 35

36 Northwest Sportsman

OCTOBER 2017 | nwsportsmanmag.com

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Salmon and steelhead opener on numerous Oregon streams, as well as coho opener on Siltcoos and Takhenitch Lakes; Washington’s Jameson Lake reopens for one month; Opening of month-long fee pheasant hunt at EE Wilson Wildlife Area 7 Washington statewide muzzleloader elk, Eastside quail, partridge openers; Oregon statewide partridge and pheasant, Eastern California quail, Northcentral mountain quail, Eastern and Northeast turkey, Zone 2 duck and scaup, and South and Southeastern zones goose openers 7-8, 14-15 Chetco Bubble open for Chinook 10 Deer, elk rifle openers in many Idaho units 13 Last day of first Oregon Cascade buck hunt 14 Washington modern firearms deer, first duck, coot, snipe and goose openers; Western Oregon turkey, Zone 1 duck, Southwest and East Zones goose openers; Oregon Cascades rifle elk opener; Last day of Oregon Dungeness crab season in Pacific Ocean (estuaries, bays open year-round) 15 Western Oregon turkey opener 21 Oregon Northwest Zone permit goose opener; Oregon Cascade buck reopener; Washington duck, coot and snipe reopeners, Eastside pheasant opener; Last day of lingcod retention off Washington coast 24 Last day of Washington mule deer rifle hunt in numerous Eastside units 25 Oregon Rocky Mountain bull elk centerfire first season opener 28 Eastern Washington rifle elk opener 29 Waterfowl Youth Hunt, Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge – info: odfwcalendar.com 31 Last day to fish many Washington lowland lakes listed in regulations pamphlet; Last day to hunt blacktails in Western Washington’s general rifle season

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Elk River Bubble opens for Chinook Steelhead Fishing Workshop ($, registration), Glenn Otto Park, Troutdale – info: odfwcalendar.com; Western Washington rifle elk opener; Last day to hunt blacktails in Oregon’s Coast, Cascade centerfire seasons; Oregon Rocky Mountain bull elk centerfire second season opener Northeast Washington late rifle whitetail opener; Oregon first Coast bull elk opener

RECORD NW GAME FISH CAUGHT THIS MONTH Date 10-1-97 10-5-92 10-6-02 10-11-07 10-15-95 10-19-97 10-28-06

Species Albacore Chinook* German brown Pink*# Atlantic salmon Chum* Smallmouth bass

(WDFW)

Pds. (-Oz.) 52.0 68.26 28-5 15.4 13-6 25.97 9-11.5

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

Angler Kurt Strickland Mark Salmon Ronald Lane Adam Stewart Garrett Buffington Johnny Wilson Dan Steigers

* Freshwater record; # Image this page nwsportsmanmag.com | OCTOBER 2017

Northwest Sportsman 37

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OCTOBER 2017 | nwsportsmanmag.com

FISHING

Razor Hedge

Though beaches south of the entrance to Grays Harbor may not be as productive for razor clams during the 2017-18, summer assessments at Mocrocks and Copalis to the north looked “super encouraging.” (MARK YUASA)

Washington clam diggers will ﬁnd mixed prospects during the 2017-18 fallwinter season depending on which side of Grays Harbor they dig. By Mark Yuasa

e had a long string of good razor clam seasons, and while prospects for this fall and winter still look good on northern beaches, not so much on Washington’s South Coast, which could see a downtrend in success. “The news isn’t particularly good for Long Beach as well as Twin Harbors where we just ﬁnished our summer assessments,” said Dan Ayres, the head Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife coastal shellﬁsh manager in late

August. “People need to get used to knowing that there might not be as much digging this coming year. We had a long stretch of excellent seasons since the coastwide closures in 2002.” Pending more marine toxin testing, 11 digging days are on tap from Oct. 6 through Dec. 31, and most likely less time on the beaches after the New Year through spring. “It looks like more of an average year after we’ve been riding on this great big bandwagon for a while now,” Ayres adds. Tentative dates begin with a

dig on a -0.4-foot low tide at 7:49 p.m. on Oct. 6 at Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis and Mocrocks; -0.7 at 8:33 p.m. on Oct. 7 at Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis and Mocrocks; 0.1 at 6:03 p.m. on Nov. 2 at Copalis; -0.7 at 6:47 p.m. on Nov. 3 at Long Beach, Twin Harbors and Mocrocks; -1.2 at 7:31 p.m. on Nov. 4 at Long Beach Twin Harbors and Copalis; -1.4 at 7:16 p.m. on Nov. 5 at Long Beach, Twin Harbors and Mocrocks; -0.3 at 4:42 p.m. on Dec. 1 at Copalis; -1.9 at 6:49 p.m. on Dec. 2 at Long Beach, Twin Harbors and Mocrocks; -1.6 at 6:15 p.m. on nwsportsmanmag.com | OCTOBER 2017

Northwest Sportsman 39

FISHING Dec. 3 at Long Beach, Twin Harbors and Copalis; -1.8 at 7:02 p.m. on Dec. 4 at Long Beach, Twin Harbors and Mocrocks; and -1.2 at 5:12 p.m. on Dec. 31 at Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis and Mocrocks. State shellfish managers are looking for public comment on the upcoming season and can be emailed to razorclams@dfw.wa.gov. Before opening a beach two test samples for domoic acid – a natural marine toxin produced by certain types of marine algae that can be harmful or even fatal if consumed in sufficient quantities – must come back with safe levels. The public is usually notified a week prior to each digging series.

WDFW CONDUCTS ANNUAL summer assessments to provide accurate data, which determines the number and size of clams that can be safely harvested without harming the overall population. Most puzzling is what’s going on at Long Beach, that miles-long stretch of sand from the Columbia River mouth north to Leadbetter Point. It appears razor clam populations are down considerably from just a year ago, but shellﬁsh experts may have a reason behind their downfall. “We didn’t do a lot of harvesting (last season at Long Beach), and also had a bonus (25) clam daily limit (and) I would’ve guessed that there should’ve been a lot more clams,” says Ayres, who has studied Siliqua patula for more than 30 years. “My suspicion is freshwater runoff coming out of the Columbia River and heavy rains (this past winter) may have played a role,” he says. “We’ll probably never know for sure what happened, (but) when salinity levels are lower, young clams don’t like that.” Long Beach had a very high density of razors and a liberal number of digging days set before the season began in fall 2016. But elevated levels of domoic acid largely 40 Northwest Sportsman

OCTOBER 2017 | nwsportsmanmag.com

A happy clammer shows off one of the 686,628 razors that came off of Mocrocks Beach last winter season. The daily limit is the ﬁrst 15 dug, and you need a shellﬁshing license. (MARK YUASA)

kept it off-limits, with just a brief opportunity last spring. Postseason estimates gathered at Long Beach by WDFW showed 77,778 digger trips April 12-16 and April 26-May 1 (187,261 for the 2015-16 season and 162,558 for 2014-15) and a harvest of more than 1.55 million clams (2.61 million and 2.29 million, respectively). That yielded an average of 20.0 clams per person (14.0 and 14.1, respectively). Clam surveys taken in August at Twin Harbors – a highly popular beach between Grays Harbor’s south jetty at Westport south to Willapa Bay’s northern shore – also showed a dramatic decline. Abundance levels are down more than 50 percent over last year (1.7 million clam recruits compared to 4.7 million in 2016). Twin Harbors also experienced periods of closures due to elevated marine toxin levels during the 201617 season. Clam digging was open Oct. 14-19, Nov. 17-19 and 26-28, but didn’t reopen until Feb. 7-12, 23-28 and March 7-13. Those were followed by spring digs April 5-9, 1216 and 26-30. Twin Harbors had a total of 62,893 digger trips with 834,086 clams

harvested for a 13.3 clam per person average (the ﬁrst 15 clams was a daily limit regardless of size or condition). Twin Harbors was completely shutdown in 2015-16 due to elevated levels of marine toxins.

THE BRIGHT SPOTS during summer assessments were to the north at Copalis Beach, from Grays Harbor’s north jetty to the Copalis River, and Mocrocks Beach from the Copalis to the southern boundary of the Quinault Indian Reservation. “Both have a really nice population of razor clams, and that is super encouraging,” Ayres says. “Copalis is down a little bit more than in past years, but both will have some decent digging.” The recently completed razor clam stock assessment is available at wdfw. wa.gov/ﬁshing/shellﬁsh/razorclams/ seasons_set.html. Copalis was open 33 days between Oct. 14 and April 30 with 82,108 digger trips made (69,536 and 58,626, respectively) and a harvest of 1.04 million clams (952,020 and 780,625, respectively), for a digger average of 12.7 clams (13.7 and 13.3, respectively). At Mocrocks 33 digging days

nwsportsmanmag.com | OCTOBER 2017

Northwest Sportsman 41

FISHING occurred from Oct. 14 through April 29 generating 57,958 digger trips (70,747 and 58,739, respectively) with 686,628 clams dug (965,623 and 818,645, respectively), and a digger average of 11.8 clams (13.6 and 13.9, respectively). For annual comparisons, Long Beach was open 94 days in 201516; 104 in 2014-15; 72 in 2013-14; 42 in 2012-13; 23 in 2011-12; 35 in 2010-11; and 37 in 2009-10, for an average of 38 since the 2005-06 digs. Twin Harbors was completely closed in 2015-16; then open 104 days in 2014-15; 105 in 2013-14; 78 in 2012-13; 26 in 2011-12; 46 in 201011; and 46 in 2009-10, for an average of 50 since the 2005-06 digs. Copalis was open 18 days in 201516; 21 in 2014-15; 24 in 2013-14; 28 in 2012-13; 13 in 2011-12; 15 in 2010-11; and 24 in 2009-10, for an average of 19 since the 2005-06 digs. Mocrocks was open 26 days in 2015-

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Unlike ﬁshing and crabbing, you’re almost guaranteed to go home with a nice haul of clams – an average of more than 10 apiece at all four Washington razor clam sands last season – for making chowder, frying up, baking, smoking or cooking and adding to a dip. (MARK YUASA)

16; 43 in 2014-15; 54 in 2013-14; 30 in 2012-13; 20 in 2011-12; 30 in 2010-11; and 23 in 2009-10, for an average of 28 since the 2005-06 digs. Kalaloch was completely closed in 2015-16, 2014-15, 2013-14 and 2012-13; then open three days in 2011-12; 12 in 2010-11; and 17 in 2009-10, for an average of six since

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the 2005-06 digs. Clam size data wasn’t available from summer, but Ayres says there shouldn’t be much change in 2017-18. A look in the rear-view mirror shows 2016 surveys found clam size at Long Beach was 4.3 inches (compared to 4.0 in 2015 and 3.8 in 2014); Twin Harbors was 4.4 (4.3 in 2015 and 2014); Copalis size data wasn’t available for 2016, but was 4.0 in 2015 and 4.3 in 2014; and Mocrocks was 4.7 compared to 4.5 in 2015.

THE MOST NORTHERLY beach is Kalaloch, where juvenile clam estimates revealed more than 100 million, but these little clams won’t attain harvestable size for a prolonged duration. “We may have to wait a while to try to harvest them,” Ayres said. “We have around 190,000 adult-size clams, which is less than half of what we had a year ago, so it may be hard to make a case until later on. This is the lowest number of adult clams seen in the past 25 years at Kalaloch. If you had density levels like this, you’d have to search hard to ﬁnd any (adult-size) clams.” State and tribal ﬁshery managers were hopeful last season was Kalaloch’s chance to be a shining star. Then a brief dig Jan. 8-9 generated a dismal 1,410 clams for 637 diggers, an average of 2.2 clams per person. Overall during the 2016-17 season, 68 digging days coast-wide produced

Some diggers use clam shovels – garden shovels are not recommended – while others use clam guns. Mason Weinheimer – or at least his parents Josh and Stephanie – would fall into the latter camp. Either way, the key is to locate the subtle shows that appear in the sand at low tide, revealing the location of razor clams. (FISHING PHOTO CONTEST)

4,117,431 clams for 281,374 digger trips compared to 4,665,743 clams from an effort of 327,545 during the 2015-16 season.

SO FAR, MARINE toxin levels have stayed under the 20-parts-permillion cutoff. Samples were 15.0 on Aug. 8 at Long Beach; 6.0 on Aug. 8 at Twin Harbors; 8.0 on Aug. 16 at Copalis; 6.0 on Aug. 16 at Mocrocks; and 5.0 on Aug. 8 at Kalaloch. To view the latest marine toxin tests, go to wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/shellfish/ razorclams/domoic_levels.html. Fall and winter razor clam digs occur during evening low tides while springtime digs occur during morning low tides. The value of a recreational razor clam season is important to coastal communities, especially during fall, winter and early spring when it is considered a “down time” for other outdoor activities. WDFW indicates an average season generates about $22 million in revenue. To learn more about how razor clam seasons are set, management plans, as well as watch a how-to video on digging bivalves, go to wdfw.wa.gov/ fishing/shellfish/razorclams. NS nwsportsmanmag.com | OCTOBER 2017

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FISHING

Renee Rocks Rockfish! Sara hops aboard as a lady angler takes her first ever fishing trip, out on the Pacific. By Sara Ichtertz

hinking back, fishing once felt pretty far out of reach, more or less just a dream. It was one that I would have liked to have made come true, but fear of failure and living out the obstacles one must endure in becoming an angler made me feel as if I could be sick at any moment just thinking about it. However, the fear of that clueless humility, that absolute unknown, did not preclude my desire to try anyway. What if I actually could fish? I literally had to live out my fears, like repeated simple failures – tying my leader to the top of the snap swivel over and over; forgetting my Corkies or bead just to bite it off, making my leader that much shorter, to forget it again (time for a new leader!); knots that I did not believe in, biting them off to tie it again. I was slow, I was uncomfortable, but I was not in a hurry and I focused on my task at hand – I was devoted. Snagging up over and over and over again, I got good at my riggings, that’s a fact! Throughout those less-thanproud moments, though, I was hooking fish amongst the chaos – even landing them! The men who watched silently, those who giggled, others who thought they would do me a favor and try to tend my rigging, all of them, they saw determination in me. They became my unexpected teachers, my unexpected friends, and I wouldn’t change an inch of my journey even if I was given the opportunity to do so. Those failures were not truly failures; they were making a fisher out of me! I just could not see that at the time. It truly is a miracle I survived, but it had a

For most, a first fishing trip revolves around the local trout or bass pond, but not Renee, who headed out onto Oregon’s Pacific with guide David Johnson for a little high seas bottomfishing and crabbing on one of his Fish Like A Girl Adventures. (SARA ICHTERTZ)

lot to do with the fact that I am a very driven woman. It’s just like with my endeavor to write, which has led me to where I am now, and where I recently got to share in an adventure in which a young lady experienced her ﬁrst-ever day on the water. Roles were reversed and this time the unexpected teachers were women – and David Johnson, of course. I don’t think he could have picked a better lady for the day if he tried. Renee was randomly selected through a Facebook contest to be a part of the guide’s Fish Like A Girl Adventures, and we were also interviewed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on the docks after our day on the water.

WE HEADED OVER the bar to do some crabbing and bottomfishing for rockfish off Oregon’s Northern Coast. The fact that Renee was fine

and dandy with going over the bar for her first fishing trip is wild to me. There is no way I could have done that. I kept my feet firmly planted on the riverbanks for two years before I desired to dabble on boats or fish out on the ocean. But I am a chicken! I know this. Renee, however, was willing and able to jump on the sled before daybreak, ready to embrace the unknown, and she did. The bar was unlike any in Southern Oregon I have crossed. Coming around the bend, there it was, the Pacific. So massive was the ocean that I thought, Wow, is this boat meant to be out here? Sure, enough it was! Crab pots welltended and out, we made our way south. Reaching what we believed to the fishing grounds, David readied a few different presentations to see what the fish were after that day. nwsportsmanmag.com | OCTOBER 2017

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FISHING Sara Dodd rigged a tasty-looking 4.5-ounce Jumbo Anchovy by Gibbs Delta Tackle for Renee, which instantly led to the first fish of the day! Not only was it the first-ever fish of her life it was also the only lingcod of the day! Being that the bottom of the ocean is way down there and the fact it was her first fish ever, Renee wasn’t comfortable in what she was handling. Just like that, the student became the teacher (which in the sport of fishing happens so naturally, I love it). Gretchen Dearden helped her with her rod, its positioning, and guided her through this first fish fight of her young life, all while Sara readied the net. My eyes behind my camera, I watched and listened. I loved seeing the different stages of these fishers and where their strengths came into place, making this fantastic first possible! When Renee’s fish came aboard, she checked out her dragon from the

depths. There was excitement on the boat and we were feeling good. That excitement, however, began to deteriorate into that borderline “I think I might puke feeling” as we sloshed around in the ocean looking for more fish. With not a ton of action Gretchen’s rod went off, giving us the only greenling of the trip, a very beautiful little fish with darker coloring than any I’ve seen. Gretchen’s first kiss of the day was under her belt and we were fishing! Well, kind of. We honestly were having a tougher time than other bottomfishing trips I’ve been on. My previous experiences were more or less hit bottom, crank up, fish on! But this day was different. David looked around at all the boats and decided we needed to try elsewhere, so we headed south. Quite a ways south, as it turned out. As the ladies and I were chattering away I noticed Renee taking in the moment from the bow. Shooting the

Gretchen Dearden and Sara Ichtertz smile over Sara’s eye-catching bottomﬁsh, a yelloweye rockﬁsh that was released. (SARA ICHTERTZ)

coastline with her camera she was feeling what it is I did when I first began fishing the rivers – noticing the rocks, the fog, the horizon, the wildlife. It’s the adventure I desire – if all you are worried with is the finish line (or the fish), you surely are missing the point. The little details of each adventure stay with me forever. I loved seeing that in Renee as well, and was thankful to be a part of it.

“THIS IS IT. We are almost there!” David’s heads up that it was just about time to fish again was music to my ears, so we readied our rods. I had a 14-ounce pipe jig rigged with a hoochie skirt and herring, and Sara was still rocking her Gibbs Delta jig, albeit a heavier model because of the depths. Gretchen and Renee were fishing a triple spreader rigged with Berkley Gulp! Minnows and a 10-ounce cannonball sinker, which proved to be the fishiest rigging of the day by far. We had multiple doubles, and even a triple for Gretchen, the first one I have ever seen – amazing! A lucky pelican stayed right with us, and so did the fish. We were into the black bass big time and slayed the day away, thanks to David. Off that 46 Northwest Sportsman

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FISHING reef we found 26 black bass – big ones too! – and a yelloweye rockfish (among others that we released as they had a ways to grow) in half the time we’d spent to the north. That was good: We had coastline to cover, pots to pull, and a deadline to meet with Amanda of USFWS. In moments like these I believe in David more and more with each adventure. He took a risk stepping away from the rest of the fleet, but in putting in that extra effort, found the fish. I believe that makes a great fisher and also a great guide. The more time I spend with him I believe he is both. I feel thankful to be inspired by him, as well as observe his methods. I find it awesome that I can actually take what I learn from him back to my rivers and fish in a totally different approach. Pulling mostly full crab pots after a day of rockfishing is pretty incredible. Tasty white fish along

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with limits of Dungeness? Count me in! I loved sharing the day with my girlfriends and was thankful to be a part of Renee’s first-ever fishing adventure. I must say, the little lady just might be ruined, as not too many people can say their first day on the water was spent in such a way. I love the fact that each and every fisher has their own first day. Each first is unique, and what that day does or doesn’t do for a person is intriguing to me. Some may never fish again, while for others it literally changes their life! I am sure that there are many a fish tale that comes to mind when you think back to the day you decided to pursue the waters. No matter how many fish I catch I will never forget my first, because as you know, my heart is on the river and I couldn’t change it, even if I tried. NS Editor’s note: For more on Sara’s adventures, see For The Love Of The Tug on Facebook.

A Gibbs Delta Tackle 4.5-ounce Jumbo Anchovy instantly led to the first fish of the day, Renee’s lingcod, the only one caught that day. Ichtertz counts herself as thankful to have been part of the new angler’s first day, one that was so successful that it’s all but assured Renee will be back. (SARA ICHTERTZ)

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FISHING

Time To Nab Crabs Oregon Coast estuaries are prime for ﬁlled-out Dungeness in fall; here’s how to load your pots.

You’re never more than 30 miles away from somewhere to crab on most of the Oregon Coast, which shines this month for ﬁlled-out Dungeness. Rylee Lewallen picked up this pair at Winchester Bay, the estuary of the Umpqua River, a couple Octobers back. (FISHING PHOTO CONTEST)

By Andy Schneider

n the fall, just as leaves turn brilliant and slowly cover the ground in colors reminiscent of groovy ’70s carpet designs, so too do Dungeness migrate into estuaries. The sweet, tender flesh of these crabs calls to all who pursue the bounty of our briny waters. Indeed, crabbing is a rite of passage to truly be considered an all-around Northwest sportsman. Dungeness are not difficult to catch, but do take diligence, smelly bait and someone with a strong back to pull these delicacies from the salt. Crabbing is said to be best during months that end in “r.” Yes, it can be productive at other times, but during fall’s three months, Dungeness are at their prime. They molt in mid- to late summer and it’s not until the first hints of autumn that their succulent meat starts to firm and fill out their new, larger shells. And just as crabbing comes into full swing, so too does Chinook fishing in nearly every coastal estuary, making for great combo trips.

WHERE BE BRINE SPIDERS? All Oregon bays are infested, per se, with brine spiders, but they’re not all equal in terms of quantity and accessibility. Some of the smaller estuaries offer good crabbing during heavy fall runoff, but often get overﬁshed quickly. Larger ones offer more consistent crabbing, but can also have stronger currents and rougher conditions, limiting accessibility. Most often, the best is the one you’re heading to, and just making the most out of your trip will ensure success.

Nehalem Bay is a very productive and busy estuary in fall. Good camping and easy access to abundant salmon fishing makes the North Coast bay a top choice for many. While most Northwest estuaries have many different places to fish and crab, Nehalem’s shape takes a lot of the guesswork out of crabbing. Dungeness populate the entire lower bay, from the jetty tips to the town of Wheeler. Just about anywhere you drop pots, you will find success, but the slightly more protected waters, where tidal currents are a bit slower, will yield best results. The Jetty Fishery probably has one of the best crabbing docks on the entire West Coast. Tillamook Bay offers one of the most infamous crabbing areas on this side of the continent: Crab Harbor. While this renowned sanctuary does

in fact harbor plenty of crab, there are lots of other opportunities to explore. Lysters Corner, the South Jetty corner and the Bayocean Beach (the beach between Crab Harbor and the start of the South Jetty) all offer good to excellent crabbing, depending on tides and weeds. Netarts Bay is one of the best choices when heavy freshets bring salinity levels down in most estuaries, pushing crabs back to the Paciﬁc. As Netarts has only a few small tribs, it’s rare that crabbing will slow even with the heaviest of rains. But as you might imagine, other crabbers are on to this and the bay can get crowded when options start to dwindle. Yaquina Bay offers good access to crabbing grounds, as well as places for the family to explore after a day on the nwsportsmanmag.com | OCTOBER 2017

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FISHING BE A FAB CRABBER 1) Don’t crowd your neighbor. While you may be tempted to drop pots right next to someone pulling up full ones, make sure to give them a little room, since you will be splitting the crab in the area with the other traps. 2) Your traps/pots are not created equal. Pay attention to how many crabs each pulls up. Bring some marker ribbon or zip ties to label traps that consistently have more crabs than ones that don’t. Be it electrolysis, shape, smell or just an unfriendly crab trap, some just don’t produce like others. The best solution for getting rid of these unproductive traps is to donate them to fishing buddies who you tend to be competitive with. 3) Pull hard! While you may be tempted to take a couple breaks bringing traps up, oftentimes the biggest crabs can be found hitchhiking on the top of your traps. Taking a breather gives these guys an opportunity to swim away without you being any the wiser. 4) Take a break. If you are crabbing on

Reason numbers 1, 2 and 3 to never stop pulling – these three hitchhikers on a pot that author Andy Schneider yarded out of the depths. (ANDY SCHNEIDER) a strong flooding tide and production suddenly drops off, it could be because the current is too strong for crabs to move to your traps. Try softer water, but if there is no place to hide from the tide, pull your pots and wait till the current slows a little. 5) Turn your next crabbing trip into a social event. It’s never a bad idea to have multiple friends capable of pulling pots onboard, and it makes for a pretty fun time as well. Since crabbing usually isn’t an allday event, it gives plenty of opportunity for lunch or seeing some coastal sights before calling it. –AS

bay. Crabbing’s good in front of the NOAA docks on the south shore and near the Coast Guard station on the other side, while the public pier can be very productive as well. Those, along with lower Coos and Winchester Bays, are some of the more popular estuaries, with good access and crab-cooking facilities, but there are plenty of others with Dungeness. Some of the smaller estuaries may be more challenging, but should offer a reprieve from the crowds. Crabs move into the Necanicum and Salmon Rivers and Sand Lake estuaries, and Nestucca, Siletz and Alsea Bays with the tides, and all it takes is a little exploring to ﬁnd a quiet and productive place to drop pots.

TIMING THE TIDES Only one tide is productive for Dungeness, the incoming. Yes, some anglers drop pots without considering the tides, but the most productive and safest time to go is always on the ﬂood. Outgoing tides not only create hazardous conditions at times but most crabs bury themselves on the ebb and wait for calmer currents to hunt. Indeed, when you hear crabbers complaining of someone stealing or cleaning out their traps, the culprit most likely isn’t some claw-hungry lowlife. Rather, it’s the tide. Even some of the smallest exchanges will create strong ebbing currents that will wash traps right out of the estuary, bouncing and spilling any of their contents along the way. Speaking of smaller exchanges, they’re usually the most productive, as currents remain manageable for crabs to continue their march along the grassy and sandy bottoms in search of food. Low slack and a half hour before high slack are the ideal tides to be pulling and checking traps. Pulling your traps 15 to 20 minutes before high slack ensures you will have enough time to safely stow them before the ebb starts.

CRAB BAIT, FROM FOWL TO FOUL Dungeness are scavengers and not all that picky about what they eat – just 52 Northwest Sportsman

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FISHING don’t think for a minute that all baits are created equal. Oily ones tend to be the most productive, but any bait that leaches its smelly juices will lure crabs to your traps. Some of the easiest to secure can be found in the dumpsters at fishcleaning stations. Albacore and black and blue rockfish are some of the most desirable baits. Even if you are not in the mood for crabbing at the moment, it doesn’t hurt to swing by a dumpster during tuna season to see if there are any carcasses you can leverage into crab Louie. Rockfish are usually in abundant supply when the ocean is calm and make a surprisingly good bait, even if they are not overly oily. Salmon carcasses also work but may draw in harbor seals and sea lions. If you were thinking ahead back in May and June and stored some shad, you are guaranteed success. But if your freezer is bare

or you’re not quite up for dumpster diving, you can ﬁnd good crab baits in the form of beef liver, and turkey and chicken drumsticks at Costco and other supermarkets. Attaching bait with string or wire will work, but putting it in a bait box, container or “chewy bag” will ensure it isn’t picked clean by fast-arriving sublegals in the ﬁrst few minutes of dropping your pots. Make sure to change or freshen up your baits every hour or if you notice a drop in the number of crabs in your trap.

LIVE CRABS MAKE HAPPY CRABBERS Taking care of your hard-earned bounty ensures you have the highest quality table fare possible. Bringing dead crab to boil at the marina will earn you stern, grumpy words, as they are not allowed to cook deceased Dungies. Not only does this put you in a bad spot of trying to ﬁnd a way to salvage your catch, but your end product quality is dropping by

the minute as the dead crab spoils. Ensuring your catch stays alive and healthy until it’s time to cook starts with having a designated crab cooler. Having a livewell onboard is ideal but definitely not the only way. Keeping your crab cool and moist and making sure you get them cooked within a couple hours of harvest is the most important thing. Don’t fill a cooler full of water either, as the crab will actually drown within an hour or so of consuming all the oxygen in it. Boiling your crab in saltwater leads to the most consistent results. But steaming a shucked crab is another way to yield good results when you have a lot to cook and not a lot of room. Either boiling or steaming takes 20 minutes after returning the water to a boil after adding your catch. For much more on crabbing the Oregon Coast, see dfw.state.or.us/ MRP/shellfish/crab, the Department of Fish and Wildlife’s informative guide to all things Dungeness. NS

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FISHING Author Robert Kroger literally went all-in for eastern Columbia Gorge sturgeon last October, jumping into the river with his father to brieﬂy hold the 96-incher he fought to the side of guide Dave Maroon’s boat. (ROBERT KROGER)

Fulﬁllment Of Prehistoric Proportions

Eschewing plentiful fall salmon, a Southern angler pursues a bucket-list dream: the Columbia’s oversize sturgeon.

By Robert Kroger

deﬁne adventure as something that takes you outside of your comfort zone and puts you in an unfamiliar environment. It has an unknown outcome. In any adventure, there comes a moment when you realize you may be in trouble. Adventure lives in that moment when the hazard factor kicks up a notch and you realize that you’re out of your element. Not literally, but physically. The battle has just begun and you wish it were over. You desperately want to let someone else, anyone else, do it. This is the internal battle. But this is what you came here to do, something that you love to do. This

is what you have been planning for for over a year.

MY ADVENTURE IS fishing for big fish. Specifically, I am perched, half squatting, next to the gunnel of a boat in the Columbia River, with line streaming out of my reel as I fight to stay in the boat. For those of you who know, nothing else can describe that moment, the seemingly eternal feeling of hooking into a fish that makes you recognize immediately this is not going to be your runof-the-mill reel-him-in, snap-agrinning-picture-with-it kind of fish. The white sturgeon, a fish of prehistoric ancestry, can be found in grand proportions in this part of

the country. I’m in really the only place in North America where active fishing for the species is available year-round; I can even keep one, thanks to a managed slot limit. This species is most definitely on the bucket list of most serious anglers. If it isn’t, I hope this article adds it to your list. People often dream about a bucket-list fish because of the location or the difficulty of the fish. For instance, salmon as the iconic fish of the Northwest, tarpon within the Florida Keys, red drum from the muddy waters of the Gulf Coast, and bluefin tuna of the Northeast. I am arguing that sturgeon deserves a place on any serious angler’s list. Our guide, Dave Maroon, owner of Dave Maroon’s Fishing Adventures nwsportsmanmag.com | OCTOBER 2017

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FISHING (columbiariversalmonfishingguide .com), couldn’t really believe that we, foreigners to Oregon and the Northwest, were coming in October to fish for sturgeon. I believe his response on the phone went a little like this: “You are sure? You are sure you don’t want to salmon fish? The fish are running right now. You couldn’t have asked for better timing for salmon!” Try to imagine the conversation: On one end of the phone a Northwest/Canadian mash-up and, on the other, a South African living in the South. We assured Maroon that sturgeon is what we were coming for. He was right. As we traveled up the Columbia Gorge early that morning, salmon boats were making their way onto the river from most of the tributaries that the highway we were on crossed. Boat were lined up at ramps for the predawn take off,

while those on the water were already positioning themselves on known, or hidden, gems of honey-holes to be able to hook into and claim their daily limit of salmon. For us, our destination was a little further along. We put in at The Dalles, and Maroon was as optimistic about our chances as any guide should be, though it was colder than normal for that time of year and getting late into the season. He knew the river and knew what he was looking for. Big, deep canyons revealed themselves on the depth sounder, and Maroon zigged back and forth for the perfect position above a 200-foot-deep chasm in the murky depths of the Columbia. Big weights took the conjoined salmon-shad bait delicacy to the bottom to entice the ﬁrst suck of the nearest sturgeon. White sturgeon are bottom feeders. They don’t have any teeth, but instead have a ring of cartilaginous lips that extrude to suck in found

Most anglers who fish the Columbia this time of year are after its Chinook, coho and steelhead, but Kroger had weighter fish in mind to fulfill a bucket-list dream. (ROBERT KROGER)

bait. This specific population doesn’t exhibit the sea-faring lifestyles of their cousins in the Gulf of Mexico, where I make my home, or those of the Lower Columbia, Puget Sound and Fraser River, but essentially are landlocked between dams resulting in a fishery that has flourished. Additionally, and likely the critical factor in the survival of the fishery, is the management thereof from the Oregon and Washington Departments of Fish and Wildlife. Quotas and slot limits manage the fishery to maximize sustainability and a healthy population.

BAITS CAST OVERBOARD, rods positioned,

Bracing himself with the gunnell, the author battles his oversize ﬁsh, a ﬁght that he felt he was losing at one point. (ROBERT KROGER) 58 Northwest Sportsman

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the traditional angler’s wait began. The boat rocked back and forth, anchored to a buoy at the head of the underwater canyon. I kept watch on my rod waiting for that tell-tale sign. About 400 feet away, a 250-pound sturgeon sucked at my bait. The rod nodded. Nodded again. This was the make-it-or-break-it point of sturgeon ﬁshing. Of all the species I have ﬁshed for across the globe, this was by far the most violent hook set I have ever had to create. And not just once either. I reeled down and yanked the rod back as violently as my muscles allowed. I ripped the rod tip through

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FISHING the air behind my head, focused on reeling down again. Then I brought the rod back down and again ripped it through the cool morning air and drove that hook into the bony cartilage of the sturgeon’s mouth. It’s been said you’ll know when you did it right, and I did it right, as the fished slammed me into the side of the boat, nearly yanking the rod out of my hands. I’ve heard stories about this fishery, the kind of fish that live in the Columbia, and the kind of fight they put up, but little prepared me for what lay in store for me over the next 45 minutes. Confidence exuding from my pores, I vigorously pumped the rod up and down, getting a rhythm, showing the fish who was boss. My guide coached me, saying, “Easy on the lift, bring the rod all the way back down.” As I gained on the fish, I smiled. The morning air was crisp, my fleece jacket keeping my body temperature just perfect. Amazingly quickly things turned to a battle of willpower, which morphed into a downright dogfight. Successive reeling episodes resulted in my line being casually stripped out and into the water. Each loss of line made me grimace even more. This fish had other plans, one of which seemed that he wanted me in the water with him. Just as I thought I had the upper hand, putting pressure to the fish at the top of my rod pull, he rammed me back onto the gunnel. I couldn’t hold the pressure of the rod tip as well as maintain a standing position. For a long time, I had one hand on the rod and one hand on the boat rail, trying to steady myself to keep from going over. With another successive run, things were getting hot, and the crisp 45-degree air did nothing to ease what my body was starting to feel. My lower back ached so much I thought I would have to kneel shortly. I stripped my jacket 60 Northwest Sportsman

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Success at last! Kroger holds his prehistoric trophy by its soft mouth. The sturgeon bit into a salmon-shad cocktail ﬁshed in a deep hole below The Dalles Dam. (ROBERT KROGER)

and grimaced, seeking something – anything – as I dropped my head, closed my eyes, and just tried to control my breathing and forget about the pain. My forearms felt like big old useless lead weights, refusing to even crank the reel. Every time I brought the rod up, the line would go out. With each lost foot of line, I felt my enthusiasm for this ﬁshing expedition draining away, my desire to even keep battling dissolving. But I had come here for a test of wills, a test of fortitude, a once-ina-lifetime experience to ﬁsh one of the few remaining viable sturgeon populations on the planet.

THE FIGHT DOES something to you. It awakens something within your psyche. You begin to turn a corner within your soul. This carnal DNA embedded as a descendent of hunter-gatherers boils through you and reminds you why it is important to ﬁght. You dig down deep to ﬁnd the resolve within your being and also the strength to infuse into your muscles the ability to work. Your hands start turning the reel a couple of revolutions at a time. You

bend your knees and use them as a fulcrum to put pressure on the rod tip. The rod tip comes up a couple of feet. Somewhere below, the fish has also moved a couple of feet, and you know you are beginning to gain on it. You slowly stand, drop the rod back down to the water, and repeat. Not hastily. Slow and steady. A flash of color from the depths is like the dawn of a new day, full of promise anew. A broad, euphoric smile beams out from you at the splash of white within a sea of blue. The fish was a 96-inch giant. As I gripped its mouth and looked down at the sturgeon, I couldn’t help but be in awe. I was looking at a prehistoric fish with prehistoric proportions to match. And the best part? This fishery is attainable to most, just waiting to transform the next angler. NS Editor’s note: Robert “Robbie” Kroger is a scientist who lives in Bay Saint Louis, Mississippi. His grandfather Leo Kroger fished around the world, knocking off bucket-list fish species, though he never managed to catch a white sturgeon.

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COLUMN Combining equally from the sailing, kayaking and trolling worlds paid off for author Scott Brenneman with this nice brace of salmon. (SCOTT BRENNEMAN)

A New Tack On

Current Affairs T

he 9.33-foot tide exchange is the largest afternoon swing of the month. At max flood, the current where I plan to fish THE KAYAK GUYS By Scott By Sco cott tt Brenneman Bre renn nnem eman today will range from 2.33 to 3.91 knots. My wife drops me off at Fort Stevens and I paddle out to Buoy 20, not far from the mouth of the Columbia River. As the tide starts to flood, the current quickly accelerates, aided by a light northwesterly breeze. While I bait up, I take note of my drift; a glance at the GPS shows 3.1 miles an hour. I join with the boats facing west and start to paddle into the current and wind. It’s exhausting to maintain minimal forward progress; 0.4 to 0.8 mph is the best I can do. I have been here before, usually because of poor planning about where I launch or from staying out on the water too long. Getting caught going against the wind and current results in a long, fatiguing paddle back to shore. Today, however, is different: The plan is

to fish this large exchange during the Buoy 10 fishery, a tide that is usually avoided by kayak anglers. To help alleviate the effects of the strong current, I will be outfitting my kayak with a sail. After a successful outing while fishing in the ocean the day before, I am eager to see how a kayak sail will perform under the more extreme conditions at the big river’s mouth.

THERE ARE MANY different types of kayak sails to choose from, from inexpensive simple downwind sails like the wind paddle to well-engineered sailing kits like the Kayaksailor which have the ability to sail upwind. I have always been interested in using a sail for kayak fishing, especially when paddling in from a long day of fishing. So I jumped when given an opportunity to pick up a used Kayaksailor sail at a great price. I added a Genoa jib, which is a head sail in front of the mainsail. It adds more surface area and redirects more air around the mainsail, which allows for more direct upwind sailing angles. The design of the

Kayaksailor is impressive. Complex in its construction when compared to other kayak sails, it is easy to install and operate. The base consists of a main body tube and a cross tube. The sail is attached to a mast car that slides on a track on top of the main body tube. Pulling and securing a black rope followed by a red rope through a keyhole cleat raises the sail. To lower the sail uncleat the red halyard line, which reefs the sail, reducing the surface area. To lower the sail completely uncleat the black mast car control line – it is best to do this while facing into the wind. The two leeboards attach in seconds to the cross tube with locking control knobs. When deployed the leeboards resist the sideways force of the wind, which is essential for upwind travel. Another advantage of the double leeboards is the added stability, which eliminates the need for outriggers. The Kayaksailor easily mounts to any kayak. Camlock buckles and webbing and a forward tie-down line are used to secure the sail to a kayak. For a more permanent

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mount I incorporated the use of some modified Scotty rod holders. The sail is secured to the rails of my Tsunami X-2; it takes less than a minute to install or remove.

ON THE COLUMBIA, I continue to battle with the strong current, making little

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What would have been a slog to paddle went by pretty quick when Brenneman raised sail to get from the Oregon side of the Buoy 10 ďŹ shery at Trestle Bay to the Church Hole on the Washignton side. (SCOTT BRENNEMAN)

headway. I decide to raise the sail partway (reefed). I quickly realize that the wind is not strong enough, so I untie the reefed sail and fully raise it. After letting out 40 feet of line I engage the clicker on my reel and place my fishing rod in the holder behind me. Tightening the mainsail (close

reach) I practice tacking (zigzagging) into the wind. This works well and I am able to cover a large area of water. I now try paddle sailing more directly into the wind. I turn the kayak into the wind until the Genoa jib starts to flutter and begin paddling. The GPS reads 1.1 to 1.8 mph with significantly less effort than I experienced without the sail deployed. I lower the sail and raise it a couple of times to confirm the difference in effort and speed. Sail-assisted paddling definitely conserves energy. After trolling between Buoy 20 and Buoy 22 I decide to cross over to the Washington side and fish between the Checkerboard and the Church Hole. Reeling up I stow my rod and set course, sailing crosswind. The wind is stronger midriver and my 7 mph of groundspeed reflects it. I cover the 2 miles in no time. I drop down my gear in 20 feet of water and steer west. The breeze out of the northwest has increased. The 10 to 12 knots of wind provides enough force that I can steer into it without paddling and can overcome the speed of the flooding current. I am really starting to like this. With no action after half an hour I pack up and head east to fish above the Astoria-Megler Bridge. With the wind and current at my back I let out the sail as much as possible and am rewarded with 8-plus mph of groundspeed. As I approach the bridge I am met with a wall of boat traffic as everyone is setting up for the tide change. I retract the sail for better maneuverability. Once clear of the traffic I try to raise my sail but it wonâ€™t budge. I forgot to face into the wind while retracting it, causing a misalignment of the forestay line at the front of the sail. I call my wife for an upriver pick-up and troll towards shore. With the exception of not being able to raise the sail after retracting it while pointing downwind (which was my fault), I am really happy with how the Kayaksailor performs. For open-water fishing it is a versatile set-up that greatly increases speed and range with less effort. I will be using this more in the future to expand some of the areas that I have avoided in the past. NS

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COLUMN

Head To Midcoast For Fall Salmon Action O

ctober is when f a l l salmon runs peak on most bays and tidal arms, and when the guide BUZZ RAMSEY team Jack and Brandon Glass heads to Oregon’s Central Coast to chase them. And although rainstorms can happen, especially late in the month, the weather is mostly great this time of year, with daytime temperatures running from 55 to 70 degrees. However, it’s not the weather but big, mostly plentiful numbers of sometimes huge Chinook that draw anglers and guides like the Glasses to the coast this time of year. When I ask Jack why he and Brandon have centered their guiding operation on the mid-Oregon coast rather than another area, he explains that it’s the diversity and proximity of the Alsea, Siletz and Nestucca – all big salmon-producing rivers – within 30 minutes or so from each other. “If the fishing or conditions are not good in one place, we often load the boat on the trailer and head to another, more productive location. It’s also a lot less crowded on the midcoast than some more northerly fisheries but doesn’t take all that much longer to travel here from the Portland area,” Jack says.

THERE ARE BASIC truths that apply to

Oregon’s Central Coast offers a number of Chinook-rich bays and estuaries that guide Jack Glass (left) likes to target in October and November. (HOOKUPGUIDESERVICE.COM)

pretty much all coastal fisheries during the fall season: • Fish low in the bay or estuary during times of a low tide exchange and higher in the tidal zone when big swings occur; • Troll downstream during the outgoing tide and upstream on the incoming; • Use bait (herring or anchovy) when fishing low in the bay (near the ocean),

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COLUMN spinners and/or bait in the middle to upper bay, and egg clusters, spinners or salmon-size plugs near the head of tidewater; • And fall rains can draw fish to the head of tidewater or, if enough falls, they can migrate upriver.

ALSEA RIVER When I asked Jack for his trolling strategy when fishing the bay and tidewater of the Alsea, he gave me several tips. “We’re just following the salmon as they move with each swing of the tide by trolling right at the mouth during the second half of the flood, and then moving higher in the estuary, above the confluence of Drift Creek, where we downstream troll spinners in combination with a Fish Flash as the tide ebbs,” he says. The Alsea has a 10-mile section of tidewater that can contain a lot of sea grass (eel grass and/or sea weed), which is especially prevalent when there is a big tide exchange. According to Jack, sea grass is most rampant in the middle estuary, where it is trapped between the incoming river water and the flood of each ocean tide. “The grass just moves back and forth in this area and doesn’t get pushed out until fall rains flush it from the estuary. One way to avoid the green stuff is to troll above or below where most of the grass occurs,” Jack advises. Another is to time your trolling to when there’s less of it. “The fishery at the mouth of the Alsea, right where it enters the ocean, can be especially good on the flood tide. Due to the amount of eel grass we don’t begin trolling here until about halfway through the flood, when the mostly clean ocean water enters

Glass likes to troll herring and larger spinners in the lower end of coastal systems, but higher up try egg clusters, spinners and plugs. (HOOKUPGUIDESERVICE.COM) the river mouth,” Jack says. “We make multiple passes while trolling blue-label herring (usually plugcut) in combination with 10- and 12-ounce cannonball-style sinkers. What works is to make multiple passes, trolling (east) with the flooding water.”

SILETZ RIVER The Siletz features a 15-mile-long section of tidewater with a shallow bay, and has the least amount of line-fouling grass compared to the other nearby rivers. For this reason, Jack and Brandon normally spend a fair portion of their fall season on the Siletz. “Where we focus our efforts depends heavily on how the catching goes and what we’re hearing from guide and angler friends fishing the other nearby rivers,” Jack explains. “What we do on the lower Siletz is troll blue-label herring or spinners, like a 6½ Toman or Mulkey, in combination with a Fish Flash and 6-ounce sinker attached to an 18-inch dropper line. We’ve also had

MORE ACCESS TO SILETZ Siletz River salmon anglers should soon have bank access in the estuary, thanks to a new trail dedicated in March and a recent proposal to allow fishing off of it. This past summer, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service asked for public comment on allowing angling off the Siletz National Wildlife Refuge’s Alder Island Nature Trail, which fronts the river. The trailhead is off of Highway 101. The comment period 74 Northwest Sportsman

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closed last month and the federal agency expressed hope fishermen would be able to take advantage of it this fall. In recent years, USFWS has gradually been increasing hunting and fishing ops at Northwest refuges and those across the nation. Along with fishing on the Siletz NWR, the feds also proposed adding a youth waterfowl hunt at Baskett Slough NWR in the Willamette Valley. NS

luck trolling a 3½-size Hildebrandt spinner in combination with a rotating flasher, like a Pro Troll. The rotating flashers usually work best in 15 to 20 feet of water with a 6-ounce sinker attached directly to a free-sliding spreader, which we rig fixed to eliminate any chance of line twist,” he says. “Because there is less grass and the water is deeper on the Siletz we often trail a salmon-size Mag Lip out the back of the boat,” he adds.

NESTUCCA RIVER Tidewater on the Nestucca system stretches for 8 miles or so above where this popular river enters the ocean. According to Jack, there is not as much eel grass to contend with on the Nestucca, but there can sometimes be large clumps of seaweed to avoid while trolling. Generally speaking, Jack concentrates his efforts on the lower half of the estuary during the first half of October and the upper end of tidewater during the latter half of the month. Because tidewater on the Nestucca is fairly shallow Jack mostly trolls medium-sized spinners, like a size 5½, in combination with 1½- and 2-ounce sinkers. “Most of the action seems to happen a few hours before and after low tide. That’s when the fish are the most concentrated,” he says. NS Editor’s note: The author is a brand manager and part of the management team at Yakima Bait. Like Buzz on Facebook.

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COLUMN

Time To Go For Coho O

h, those fantastic pinks! Yep, they are the best ever, aren’t they? If you were among WIESTSIDER those lucky enough to successfully By Terry Wiest have fished for them this year, you are soon to be very popular. Friends will be seeking you out for your wisdom. Those who didn’t fish for pinks, well, hope you had a successful salmon summer. Why the popularity status upgrade? Eggs, baby, eggs! Coho are about to enter the rivers and an abundance of roe can be your best friend. I like to save my coho and king eggs from the summer for fall Chinook and early winter steelhead. But my pinks eggs have coho mojo written all over them. Yes, most of you know that twitchin’ is my game, but I still don’t hesitate to load up a gob of eggs and either back-bounce or float them through water that doesn’t look twitchy. Coho will gobble them up.

FIRST OF ALL, I hope you took care of those precious babies, the eggs. I like to have a couple different styles when it comes to coho. My go-to eggs are cured with Pautzke BorX O’ Fire in bright pink. I’ll add a little extra sugar or honey to the mix to sweeten them up a bit. I’ve found coho more than other species have a sweet tooth. Now, for kings I’ll add some anise, but for coho I’ll leave them be or, if they’re being finicky, add a little anise or garlic on the river. When I simply don’t have time to put up my eggs, I’ll use either Fire Brine or Fire Cure right out of the bottle. I’ll use natural or orange on these eggs so I can tell right away they are a different mixture. With either of these two methods you can simply follow the directions on the label – they’re pretty foolproof.

Got eggs? Good, you’re in business for coho, which bite them whether run behind divers or underneath a bobber. Chris Clearman caught this fat hen last season while testing out his new pontoon boat on a Grays Harbor river. (FISHING PHOTO CONTEST)

The key to back-bouncing is to position the boat just above the hole and bounce your presentation to where the fish are. I’ll use a 2/0 hook, maybe 3 feet of leader then a cannonball weight. You’ll need enough lead to bounce the bottom and hold, but as you lift up on your weight, the current will move it downstream when giving slack in the line. With the correct amount of weight you’ll be able to bounce the bait right into the heart of the hole. You’ll want to lift the presentation every so often to keep the bait looking “alive.” As long as you don’t feed it any more line, it will settle back down in the hole. I don’t use huge globs of eggs for coho, but rather a quartersized ball (kings are another matter). I also try to use slightly “tougher” eggs when back-bouncing to get more life out of them before rebaiting. The bite can be very subtle. Don’t set the hook until the fish commits. This is always the hardest part of any technique,

Along with roe, silvers also snap at spinners, spoons, plugs, twitchin’ jigs and hardware. (ANDY WALGAMOTT)

but pulling the trigger too soon will most likely result in a missed fish. They may munch on it for a bit, but don’t let temptation sway you.

ANOTHER DEADLY-EFFECTIVE WAY to present your eggs is to fish them under a bobber. If you’re having a tough time

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COLUMN waiting for coho to commit, this method is for you. I use a simple-super set-up for float fishing: a 1/0 or 2/0 hook with an 18inch leader tied to a 1-ounce weight. Use a 1-ounce sliding float to be able to adjust the depth. You’ll want the lead slightly above bottom; the eggs will be downstream with the current and just above the weight – in the zone. The bite can be tricky, but no matter, when you see movement on the float, nail it! It won’t always disappear indicating a sure fish; it may swirl, it may “pop” up. Don’t wait!

IF YOU DIDN’T fish for pinks and don’t have eggs, no worries. In fact, my overall preferred method is twitchin’. I love it! It’s also incredibly productive. Tie on a ½-, 5⁄8- or ¾-ounce twitchin’ jig and cast out to where the fish are. As the jig falls, give it a twitch and reel one crank at a time. Experiment with the cadence until you find what they’re looking for.

Duwamish coho are partial to spinners, speciﬁcally blue or chartreuse Blue Foxes, but they will also bite trolled Wiggle Warts and twitching jigs. (TERRY WIEST)

Outside of the Columbia’s various Chinook runs, coho present the longest lasting freshwater salmon ﬁshing opportunity in Washington. Catches begin in summer on select North Coast streams, peak in early fall on Puget Sound and Southwest Washington rivers, and run into winter on several Willapa Bay and Grays Harbor tribs. Aaron Swayze landed this sea-fresh coho last December. (FISHING PHOTO CONTEST) Once you find the correct speed and amount of twitch, it’s normally lights out. And a twitch is not a snagging motion! If twitching correctly, you’ll only be using your wrist for the upward movement. The fish will hit the jig on the fall and

then your next twitch sets the hook. It’s freakin’ amazing how thrilling this method can be. Again, my favorite! But don’t forget about spinners and spoons. Coho love chasing these. Use a No. 5 Vibrax in bright colors. For you spoon guys, take it from the man with his name on the metal himself, a BC Spoon, baby! And for those who want to mix it up a little, those Wicked Lures (a combo of a spinner blade and hoochie setup) in black and purple are dy-no-mite!

WHATEVER YOUR METHOD, coho will be moving in this month. According to recent years’ catch card data, October’s the traditional peak of fishing on many of this year’s open Westside rivers, including the Bogachiel, Chehalis, Copalis, Cowlitz, Dickey, Dungeness, Grays, Hoh, Humptulips, Kalama, Klickitat, Nisqually, North, Quillayute, Satsop, Skykomish, Snohomish, Tilton and Wishkah. The bite even gets better in Southwest Washington streams such as the Naselle, North Fork Lewis, Satsop, Willapa and Wynoochee when they hit their stride in November, while the Skookumchuck doesn’t peak till December and January. NS Editor’s note: Terry J. Wiest is the author of Steelhead University: Your Guide to Salmon & Steelhead Success and Float-Fishing for Salmon & Steelhead, and is the owner of Steelhead University, SteelheadU.com. 80 Northwest Sportsman

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COLUMN

B’ham’s Bonus Coho, Ringnecks T

he only river fishing oppor tunities for salmon north By Doug Huddle of Everett continue in October in the Samish as well as the Nooksack, in which bag limits go up with the arrival of cultured coho bound mainly for the Lummi Nation’s hatchery. With the general season opener for deer now just days off, deer stalkers will have the full suite of Cascade foothills units here in which to seek their trophy. Though access is still hindered, lastminute scouting trips might reveal just how close blacktail bucks get to some stillopen mountain thoroughfares. Meanwhile, bird hunters start making full swings on flushed pheasants at designated release sites around North Sound lowlands this month, including those on Whatcom Wildlife Area, where several positive wrinkles await gunners – and bowhunters too. Bird hunters of the webfoot persuasion can also get a first flurry of action for transitory quarry in northwest Whatcom County.

NORTH SOUND

COHO IN THE FORKS Even as the Samish fall king fishery is winding down, keeper coho action is on the rise in the Nooksack. While the Samish fishery will be highly limited in scope, the lower reaches of the Nooksack’s two major forks opened for the silvers with bonus take-homes at the beginning of October. The South Fork carries the largest bonus – a four-hatcherysalmon daily windfall – in addition to the basic two adipose-clipped-coho bag limit. If temperatures cool around Mount Baker’s heights and seasonal rains hold off, both the mainstem and the forks will drop and clear, priming them for excellent fall spinner fishing.

Typically, the North Fork is most susceptible to glacial turbidity, while runoff from moderate to heavy rainfall is the confounding factor in South Fork visibility. In the mainstem Nooksack, flow volumes more so than clarity influence the choice of fishing holes. Tailout water tends not to be as productive for coho unless the river’s chock-full of them, so look for coho first toward the upper half of pools or deepdrift-type habitat. Several popular lines of weighted spinning or spoon lures from Vibrax to Mepps and Panther Martin to Rooster Tail, together with the ubiquitous thin-bladed Dick Nite spoons, predominate in most tackle arsenals for fall silvers. Coho don’t seem to favor one livery or color pattern over another when it comes to spinners, but the No. 4, or medium, size seems to work the best in prevailing October flows. On the other hand, with Dick Nites, having an assortment of No. 0s, 1s and 2s is advisable. Half-and half (brass/ chrome), all chrome and redhead liveries are commonly used, though some anglers lean toward the solid green or yellow. Follow the rule that says the clearer the water, the smaller the lure. If you plan to prospect the whole of open Nooksack waters, be aware that hook armament on lures may not be universally transferable throughout its reaches. Single hooks are required in the South Fork (by the selective-gear rule), but not elsewhere. Spinners with treble hooks must be “doctored” to be made permissible there. Dick Nites, with their single siwash hooks, are street-legal straight out of the wrapper. As a rule of thumb, their hooks shouldn’t be changed out since the lure’s

Just like on the Queets system, where Barry Dubnow caught this hatchery coho, a tribal hatchery on the Nooksack powers the watershed’s fall silver ﬁshery, and this year there’s enough forecast to return to warrant bonus limits on the mainstem and its South Fork. (FISHING PHOTO CONTEST) action is balanced by design at the factory. The North Fork lower reach’s access, practically speaking, is more fisherfriendly than its geographic counterpart on the South Fork. Neither is known as a driftboat stream, though some local anglers do navigate them. A county park (off Truck Road), a county bridge crossing, and a parallelto-the-bank highway and county road all give liberal access to the North Fork floodway. There is a county slide-in boat launch at Mosquito Lake Road Bridge, but at Kendall Creek Hatchery, launching is no longer an option. The South Fork, unfortunately, runs further afield from public infrastructure.

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COLUMN Avoiding running afoul of irate landowners is hard, but important. Walk-in approaches are best made next to bridge spans at Potter Road (county), Valley Highway 9 (state) and Saxon Road (county). Beware that parking is prohibited in many South Fork road locales and that some landowners are already on a hair trigger from all the summer-time float tubing in the warm waters. There is also undeveloped county park land off the south end of Mosquito Lake Road east of its intersection with Highway 9 that gets you on foot to the river bank.

BLACKTAILS IN THE BUSHES Access by motor vehicle to many Northwest Washington mountain game management units continues to be hampered by unrepaired storm damage or barred by gates, though along roads that are still open, itâ€™s surprising to find deer quite tolerant of traffic. On the north end of the Mount Baker District, Canyon Creek (Forest Service

Road 31) and Wells Creek (FSR 33) roads remain closed due to washouts or slides that occurred more than two years ago. On the Darrington District, the Tupso Pass (FSR 41) Road west of Three Fingers, as well as Rat Trap Pass (FSR 27) and Rinker Ridge (FSR 29) Roads, are among routes reported damaged and either difficult to drive or that are outright closed. At higher elevations, deer sign is unusually heavy for the dry summer we experienced. In one locale where I was surveying for other wildlife, I found a number of fresh, well-worn game trails, the tread mere inches wide and therefore not ground down by humans. Curious, I went back and set a game camera along the worn heath and got pictures of nine separate blacktails, including two branch-antlered bucks, a spike, three does and three fawns, all loitering around a wet meadow, its entirety only sparsely screened by trees from a well-driven upslope road that Iâ€™ve driven a dozen times so far this year. Yes, Iâ€™ll be back this month.

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In another locale, a wet creek corridor, intersected by a second road, had an equally well-worn game trail through old growth up to a watershed pass where I found regular usage by at least three deer, including a four-point buck. On Google Earth, Iâ€™ve zoomed in on still more subalpine environs and have been able to see distinct game trails in meadows and clearings in close proximity to both roads and recurrent human presence. Elsewhere outside the national forest, at this time no timber companies here have indicated they will open any of their gates to the public for motor vehicle travel during fall hunts. All are maintaining policies allowing entry by foot, on horseback or by bike for day trips only, with no camping or fires allowed. Weyerhaeuser and Seefeld USA do have some permit options allowing motorized access to some of their holdings in Whatcom County. But the formerâ€™s permits, according to the companyâ€™s website (wyrecreation.com/permits), are sold out, and Seefeld representatives were

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COLUMN not available for information on permit sales to some of that company’s holdings. It’s also unclear at the time of this writing whether or not gated routes into some state timberlands may be opened for the general deer season. The elevated fire danger has delayed logging that may now be extended into October and November, which could precipitate road closures. Lowland blacktails are plentiful but largely ensconced on private land, the access to which requires a lot of preparation. That’s to be the subject of a late archery deer hunt rundown next month. One glimmer of good news on the public access front is that BP Cherry Point has OK’ed archery hunting on its public recreation lands that are managed by the state fish and wildlife department.

EARLY SNOWS, LOCAL DUCKS It’s October, so tweety-bird weather still predominates and except for a few moony ski bums, literally nobody is thinking snow just yet. But a few snifters of a fluffier form

of the white stuff occasionally drop out of the skies around Lynden this time of year. Wrangel Island snow geese southing to California’s Central Valley, or maybe birds of the so-called Fraser-Skagit group that overshot their landing on the Canadian River delta north of here, are known to come to ground on fields around the north Whatcom County town. Maybe it’s simply a long flight stopover for the whole flock. Or perhaps for the starved young gray birds this is the first edible green they’ve seen winging down the British Columbia coast or through the Rockies from the Yukon. Regardless of the behavior’s impetus, it can be capitalized upon by enterprising hunters eager for a little early “first quarter” action in the fall season. The report from the Russian Arctic is that adult breeding numbers in FraserSkagit nesting colonies were up this summer, but far fewer goslings were hatched. The informal forecast for the 2017 fall flight is for close to 100,000 snow geese overall but with a lower-than-

normal percentage of gray, or young-ofthe-year, birds. It’s these naïve juveniles that are more easily lured than their experienced and surprisingly wary parents. The greater the percentage of offspring in a flight, the more readily do snow goose flocks respond to decoys. Lynden-area opportunities this month do not have the same rhythm of snow goose hunts later in the fall. For one thing, flight patterns differ in that newly arriving flocks of passage birds can materialize in the airspace here at any time of day. Flock movements later in the winter are far less random. On those later fall hunts, you may choose to take advantage of the deliberate morning grand flight – night-roosts to forage fields – and either decoy or passshoot birds in a reliable, but often quite brief period – one volley and you’re done. To capitalize on this migratory passage opportunity, you’ll need permission to get out on a fair amount of green acreage, an idle pasture or perhaps a green chop or “fresh” silage field, not too tall but

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COLUMN awaiting its last cutting. A moderately robust deke spread of about 300 to 400 blocks per gunner is considered the standard by many successful snow goose hunters, but that’s if you choose to lie out amongst the lures in a white, head-to-toe Tyvek suit. Smaller sets can work, but you must have foolproof concealment to successfully dupe the older birds. The only economic way to deploy that many snow goose lures is to use white plastic baggie types, but do be sure to stake them securely. More than one Fir Island farmer has expressed irritation after an irrigation pump burned out because the intake was clogged with last fall’s errant plastic-bag snow goose decoys. If your set is tempting enough and/or the birds are hungry/fatigued enough, they’ll do a straight-in approach, but if they have the slightest suspicion concerning their intended LZ or there’s a breeze up, they’ll be apt to circle and form a vortex before committing to land.

That’s when gunners really have to squeeze to hold their water and let the first birds get to the ground. It’s those initial landers that are going to be your second and third shots when they jump back up. On breezy days always set your hide close, but upwind of the spread. If you’re lying out in the spread, always do so feet downwind. In October snow goose scenarios, policing up after an initial skirmish should be limited only to dispatching any wounded birds and getting a count of the take. As with modern airports, assume there are more snow geese aloft in the pipeline. Get back to cover or prone and still on the ground and you’ll increase the likelihood of a second opportunity.

MORE PHEASANTS FOR WHATCOM Suspension of fall pheasant releases at Leque Island west of Stanwood this year means more birds for Whatcom Wildlife Area’s three upland bird hunting haunts. Manager Richard Kessler reported that the Leque bird allocation has

Most North Sound hunters head for the high country or foothills clearcuts for chances at bucks, but the San Juans have an overabundance of deer. Last year, JD Lundquist put his tag on this forky at the family farm on Orcas Island. (BROWNING PHOTO CONTEST)

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COLUMN been transferred to his facility and will boost the three-times-a-week plants on Whatcom’s trifecta of hunt units to 550 birds each release day. Leque Island near the Mark Clark Bridge is in conversion to estuarine habitat for salmon, so it too has gone the way of the Skagit Headquarters Unit, struck from the list of designated pheasant release sites. Kessler will now distribute birds (Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays) among all three units – Lake Terrell, Alcoa/Intalco and BP Cherry Point. The former is a longstanding department-owned holding; the latter two are privately owned buffer lands around heavy industrial development. Between them they total close to 2,700 acres of coarse former farm fields, brushy transitions and wood groves. All lie within 4 to 6 miles west or northwest of the City of Ferndale and are readily accessible via Interstate 5 exits to Slater Road, Ferndale proper (Main Street to Mountainview Road) and Grandview Road. Kessler said that with the increased bird

haulage he’s likely to need more volunteer help for evening releases. Call him at (360) 739-3404 if you are willing to help roundup, haul and release birds a couple of times during the two-month season.

OTHER RINGNECK RELEASES While the state fish and wildlife department has yet to fill the pheasant hunt void in Skagit County, familiar tracts on Whidbey Island and in the Snohomish River watershed are bird-enriched and hosting upland gunners. Island County: On Whidbey Island proper, four designated release sites will get up to 25 pheasants per week. Three are located in the vicinity of Oak Harbor and Coupeville on the 35-milelong island’s north half, and of these, two sites (Seaplane Base and Coupeville OLF) are on U. S. Navy lands. A third, Zylstra, is on traditionally farmed private land west of Oak Harbor and the fourth, Bayview, on the island’s south side, is off State Route 525 near the town of Freeland. Bayview is open for hunting just on

weekends and the Zylstra site is subject to closure for farming activities. The 172-acre Arnold Farm (Zylstra Road) and 50-acre Bayview (Gabelein Road) sites may be entered directly on just a Western Washington pheasant license. However, to be able to go onto the smaller Coupeville OLF (Outlying Field) and Seaplane Base (Crescent Harbor Road) sites, besides the WWPL, hunters also must first contact Naval Air Station Whidbey Island (360-257-1009) and arrange for a NAS Whidbey Island Upland Game Hunting Permit. Snohomish, King Counties: Two convenient and spacious units comprise the Ebey Island site south of the US 2 trestle in the Snohomish estuary east of Everett. Between them, there are about 1,240 acres of hard and somewhat less firm ground. Three separate sites, totaling 1,230 acres, in the lower Snoqualmie River Valley are set to serve metro Seattle upland bird hunters. Crescent Lake, Cherry Valley and Stillwater units are all adjacent to State Route 203 at or south of the King-Snohomish County line. At the time of this writing, stocking rates and schedules were not available for these sites, though they’re slated to be open seven days a week and thus should be getting bird deliveries at least several times a week, but that could be limited due to availability of state personnel and volunteers. Wherever you hunt, remember, you don’t need a small game hunting license to pursue Westside pheasants on designated release sites, just the Western Washington pheasant license. Also, it’ll be costly if you don’t get the lead out of your bandolier – these are nontoxic-shot-only zones. Lastly, when buying Westside pheasant chits be sure to coordinate the even/odd selection so your party or family can all start hunting at the same time on weekends.

NEXT ISSUE Lean elk options, look low in late buck, get serious about waterfowl, notes on late pheasant. 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 34 years. 92 Northwest Sportsman

OCTOBER 2017 | nwsportsmanmag.com

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COLUMN

Blacktails, Silvers Shine In October

ctober starts off with excitement for those who enjoy the South Sound’s surrounding SOUTH SOUND waterways and By Jason Brooks mountains. But for the hunter who often heads east to the arid hills to chase mule deer or whitetails, you might want to stay on the Westside this year. Last winter brought heavy snows and a winterkill that affected younger deer, bucks that would be sporting the three-point minimum for mule deer, and even whitetails were hit. Then as summer ended wildfires flared up in both Chelan and Kittitas Counties, and other popular hunting regions were ablaze, limiting access to prime deer country. On the flip side, the deep snowpack from last winter helped our rivers stay cooler, benefiting Puget Sound salmon runs. Last year had a surprising return of coho, and this fall’s numbers are up. The Puyallup saw early catches, with silvers mixed in with a good return of Chinook and a steady flow of pinks. Due to an expected better-than-average return, this South Sound river allows retention of nonclipped, or “wild,” coho this year, and fishing will only get better in October.

DEER SEASON’S A mainstay for most Northwest sportsmen and with the muzzleloader hunt already in full swing, modern riflemen will get their turn during the second half of the month. With last year’s severe winter in portions of Eastern Washington, this is truly a great year to try for blacktails. The cold and long winter did not affect the normally nocturnal deer, as the western part of the state did not see the deep snows and the animals had a way to migrate down and get below the weather. Feed is also not an issue for the browsers, as they tend to eat a variety of evergreens, which allow them to flourish even in cold temperatures. Blacktail do not need much room to

As October wears on, blacktail come into the rut, leading to good opportunities for bruiser bucks like this one taken in Mason County by Fred Fein a few seasons back. (ROB ENDSLEY) roam either. A study several years ago by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife in the Willapa Hills revealed that most live in areas under 200 acres their entire lives. Another study showed that deer density in the Capitol State Forest is very high, even with high hunter effort. The deer here are used to human activities – throughout the year there are ATV, offroad, and motorcycle users, plus hikers and mountain bikers. There is plenty of public land in the 92,000-acre forest just minutes from downtown Olympia. Rob Endsley of 710 ESPN Seattle’s The Outdoor Line is known to find a good blacktail buck as Halloween approaches. As the days get shorter, the bucks begin to rut. Endsley likes to hunt the edges of small clearings in some pretty populated areas of the South Sound. He knows that you don’t need much space or time to get in an early morning or evening blacktail

hunt, and if it is raining, then the deer are more likely to be out feeding. As the month comes to an end, the last few days are often the most productive for modern firearms blacktail hunters. The deer start to go into the prerut, with bucks coming out a little earlier and staying visible longer during the daytime. Remember that these deer don’t necessarily have to live in big parcels of timber, but instead can exist in small woodlots, so if you see a buck one day, he will be somewhere nearby the next day. If you do chose to stay near the South Sound for deer season, make sure you are not in a short-range-weapons area, or plan accordingly and use a bow, muzzleloader or shotgun. A 20-gauge with a slug barrel makes for a great blacktail getter in the dense forest.

ANGLERS SHOULD BE well stocked with nwsportsmanmag.com | OCTOBER 2017

Northwest Sportsman 97

COLUMN When twitching for coho, target slower to stagnant, per se, waters with a 3/8-ounce jig and a ½-ouncer in slightly faster currents. (JASON BROOKS)

TWITCHING JIGS This month shines for coho, whether you like to get after them with twitched jigs, plugs or spinners. South Sound waters between Lake Washington and the Nisqually River should see a return of over 122,000. (JASON BROOKS) cured salmon eggs after a few weeks of steady pink fishing in the South Sound. One of the best and most productive ways to fish for coho is to fish eggs under a bobber. If you plan on fishing within a few miles of tidally influenced waters, then a wet cure works best, such as ProCure’s Last Supper egg cure. Combine the gob of eggs with some sand shrimp for a “cocktail,” as coho are steady feeders in the saltwater and this will entice a bite. A bit further from the salt, up where the rivers are running cold and a little more quickly, I prefer to use eggs that are dried to the point where I can pick them up and not get my fingers stained. For this I use the Wizard cure and add a tablespoon of Monster Bite for every three cups of cure I use. In August I fished with Steve Lynch of Pro-Cure and asked him what exactly Monster Bite is. He said that it is a feeding stimulant that was first developed by commercial fish farms to get stressed fish to feed. The idea was to increase the feeding rate of the penned fish so they would grow faster and have more fat or oil content. His company took the info and came up with Monster Bite. It is a bait 98 Northwest Sportsman

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There are several jigs on the market now that are made specifically for twitching, giving anglers several options. However, one that has been around for a very long time and was originally designed for other toothy and feisty fish is the Rock Dancer by Mack’s Lure. This jig is made of bucktail with a chenille collar, and it’s a favorite of Midwest walleye anglers. The chenille collar allows an angler to add scent to the jig and have it stay on. The bucktail won’t be affected like marabou and it holds up to the beating that comes with twitching jigs for coho. The Maxi-Jig by Yakima Bait Company was first designed for steelhead fishing but the contrasting colors, including metallic-finished heads, drive coho crazy when twitched. The bead body allows you to put on your favorite scents, which will disperse as you twitch. Coho prefer structure such as log jams, root wads, and boulders. Using a

3⁄8-ounce jig and a spinning rod outfit you can easily reach into the small areas where coho will hold. I have caught them in water as shallow as a foot deep near grass-lined pockets and back eddies. Targeting these shallow and stagnant waters makes for a fun fishery. A ½-ounce twitching jig is used for current seams, breaks or along logs as you pass by in a boat. The heavier jig sinks faster in the running water and allows you to fish in places that most other anglers float eggs in. This allows you to offer a different presentation. The business end of your jig serves more purpose than just hooking a fish. A light-wire hook, like those on the Rock Dancer, will bend and pull free from logs and other debris that would otherwise steal your jig. The 2x hook on the Maxi-Jig allows you to pull hefty coho out from tall grass or woody backwaters, as well as pull it free from overhanging branches. –JB

additive and not a cure, so you need to either combine it with your cures or put it on your baits just before you fish them. Pulling plugs is another great way to catch coho in late October, when the waters clear up with colder temperatures in the mountains. A double trouble, fire tiger or Dr. Death Mag Lip 3.5 wrapped with a small piece of tuna belly or sardine wrap and sprinkled with Monster Bite is deadly for coho. Switching out the treble hooks to a single siwash on a barrel swivel

will help you release any fish that have already turned or you don’t want to keep. Twitching jigs is a technique that can be difficult to figure out, but once you do, it will become one of your go-to methods for fall coho. If you have never twitched or if you have tried a few times and haven’t been able to master it yet, there is one piece of equipment that makes the most difference: the rod. Most twitching rods are 7 to 8 feet long, with a fast-action tip and a medium-action spine. This allows

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COLUMN you to twitch the rod without hurting your wrist, as well as not overexaggerate the twitch. Currently I am using North Fork Custom’s twitching rod designed by pro guide Ted Schuman. These rods are made locally in Chehalis and were tested in the rivers of Grays Harbor. I was lucky enough to have one of the first prototypes and had previously fished for a couple years with your standard 8½-foot mediumaction drift rod. I could immediately see a difference in how the twitching rod helped with the technique. After switching to the twitching rod I fished all day and my wrist never ached, plus my foul-hook rate went way down as I wasn’t overjerking the jig. Other companies have come out with twitching rods as well, so now the market has several to choose from. Rivers you can get to in less than an hour and with decent runs of coho include the Carbon, Puyallup, Nisqually and Green, as well as several Puget Sound beaches. The tiny Carbon in Orting is a bank angler’s delight. The river has a lot of public access,

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though you might have to pay for parking or go for a long walk to get to the river along the Foothills Trail. Most of the coho are heading to the Voights Creek Hatchery along the east side of town and anglers will congregate near the mouth of the creek (the stream itself is closed to fishing). If you want to get away from the crowds, just keep hiking down the access road on the dike that runs along the south banks of the river. You will find many holes, runs and tailouts to fish with only a few other anglers, and fewer the further you get from Voights Creek. Every river that gets coho also sees a decent or better chum run starting in late October. Some of these rivers don’t allow retention, but the fight of the second largest Pacific salmon species is worth the time to find them. This is a bonus for anglers chasing silver but who end up battling a large, toothy dog salmon.

OCTOBER FINDS JUST

about every Northwest sportsman afield, either chasing deer, looking for coho or just

Combine a gob of fresh pink salmon eggs with a sand shrimp for a “cocktail” that coho will bite. (JASON BROOKS)

getting out and enjoying the South Sound. This year, instead of heading east for mule deer, maybe stay close to home and give blacktails a try. Their home ranges are small enough that a morning hunt can yield a nice buck. Then head to a local river and try for some coho. Both options only get better as the month fades towards November. NS

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HUNTING

Western Oregon Elk Forecast Summer’s ﬁres will pose problems for some Cascade hunters, while North Coast wapiti numbers look good. By Troy Rodakowski

Finding a good Roosevelt bull is not always easy. They live in some of the thickest and steepest country the West has to offer. (TROY RODAKOWSKI)

ith rifle elk season beginning in Oregon’s Cascades this month and the Coast Range in November, let’s take a look at a few numbers that may affect the hunt: 42,100: That’s how many elk the Department of Fish and Wildlife estimates are located throughout the western portion of the state, according to recent surveys. What’s more, the bull-to-cow ratio is 18:100. Not too shabby when you do the math. 200,000-plus: That’s how much public and private acreage burned in Oregon in the last few months, much of it in the Cascades, so elk hunters will need to be aware of ongoing closures as crews mop up from one of the most severe fire seasons in modern history. Once the smoke clears, there will likely be a few challenges finding elk in areas where hunters have historically found success too. Some fires will have pushed elk onto private lands or new locations 20,000: That’s how many elk hunters headed afield on the wet side of the state last season, and they harvested nearly 1,800 animals. Bottom line: There are plenty of elk out there, there’s always one challenge or another, and those who get after it put meat in the freezer.

THE NORTH COAST should be good this year, especially in the Wilson and Trask Units, thanks to high bull escapement last season. The Saddle Mountain Unit also saw good survival rates and has some great places to look for bulls for those of you who were lucky enough to draw

a controlled rifle tag. However, on the Central Coast, some units have had trouble meeting management goals the last couple seasons. Stott Mountain, Alsea and north Siuslaw have struggled to meet objectives, with bull ratios falling below 10 per 100 cows in the first two units, but now above in the third, with signs of an increase. Elk will be scattered, with bands gravitating toward locations with available water sources and forage. From the Santiam in the north to Klamath and Rogue in the south there are numerous areas to look for elk through Oregon’s Cascades, but as these mountains were where the bulk of the Beaver State’s fires burned this past summer, beware there may still be access restrictions. I like talking with loggers, Forest Service employees and state biologists who have been in the woods throughout the summer and

early fall. For me, this has been a great way to obtain some decent pointers for opening day. Preseason scouting is especially important throughout Western Oregon, where elk tend to receive a bit more pressure than their Rocky Mountain counterparts to the east. “Hunting pressure is highest in heavier road systems, so seeking out an area with fewer roads is best,” notes biologist Randy Lewis. “Cool, wet weather will increase success if we are lucky enough to get some before and during the season.” Disturbance is a major contributing factor with elk movement. ATV use, hikers, bikers, and mushroom pickers can all push elk out of desirable locations, so I can’t stress enough the importance of getting away from human activity. Come October most all elk will have been pushed away from roads and campsites. Backcountry hunts are the most nwsportsmanmag.com | OCTOBER 2017

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HUNTING productive for riﬂe and muzzleloader hunters. Of course, securing access to private lands will also be beneﬁcial, as elk will have gravitated to many of these places as well. To the north some good starting points are off Forest Service road systems in the Mt. Hood National Forest. Further to the south near Detroit in the Willamette National Forest, drainages near Chimney Peak, Box Canyon and Boulder Ridge are some locations that have been productive. Old logging roads and road systems south of Oakridge in the Indigo have been productive for me. The Waldo Lake Wilderness can be a good place for a pack-in hunt, as are locations around Odell Lake in the Deschutes National Forest. The Diamond Peak Wilderness near Crescent Lake is home to some nice herds of elk as well. Ridgelines to the south of the Calapooya Mountains near the border between the Willamette and

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Umpqua National Forests continue to have some great elk habitat. Various locations to the west of Crater Lake National Park in and near the RogueUmpqua Divide Wilderness can also produce some good hunting. “Elk numbers continue to grow slowly in the Cascade units,” notes Lewis. While national forest herds are generally declining, they’re stable to increasing on private lands in much of Western Oregon. With food sources being a major driving force for elk movement, it’s important to keep in mind the differences in forage availability between public forests and private forest or agricultural lands. It is safe to say that elk will lock onto locations with good forage. The lack of logging in recent years has allowed old- and secondary-growth canopies to close up, preventing sunlight from reaching forest ﬂoors and reducing desirable forage elk, not to mention creating fuel for ﬁres.

Now, many elk are found on lands bordering ranches and farms, where the land has been cultivated and partially logged or cleared. Oftentimes, private landowners are more than happy to grant permission to hunt since elk can become a nuisance and reduce feed for livestock grazing there. Elk also tear down fencing, which can become very costly to repair or replace. Always remember to keep a close eye on the weather, since very strong storms are quite possible this time of year. The high country can get some significant snow, so be prepared for adverse conditions. This, of course, can also make for some great hunting, as tracking can be much easier. Also, spotting the brown bodies moving slowly through the thick canopies of timber and reprod is much nicer with a snowy backdrop. For updated information on fire restrictions and closures, see dfw.state. or.us/resources/hunting/fire.asp. NS

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HUNTING

Mixed Bag For Bulls Washington muzzleloaders and riﬂemen will ﬁnd fewer spikes in some herds, but more bulls in others as seasons open this month and next. By Andy Walgamott

here are high notes and lows in this season’s Washington elk forecast for fall’s ﬁrearms seasons. On the plus side, the North Willapa Herd is cranking out lots of bulls and the Mt. Rainier herd is increasing. On the negative, the Yakima, Colockum and Blues Herds have fewer spikes due to drought and winter conditions in recent years. Here’s what state wildlife biologists have to say about this fall’s hunting:

SELKIRK MOUNTAINS Washington’s whitetail heartland also holds a fair-sized elk herd – just don’t come here armed with tactics from elsewhere in the 509 or think it’s a slam dunk. Official word from state biologists Dana Base and Annemarie Prince is that hunting this thickly wooded corner of the state is “no small challenge,” words they actually bolded in their annual game prospects. Backing that assertion is a table they created showed that rifle hunters harvested between .02 and .05 elk per square mile in most units in recent years, and as few as .002 in the westernmost unit of their district, Sherman. If there’s good news, it’s that the small, scattered herds weathered last winter, so hunters should see similar numbers of elk and kill around 200 or so this year, half during the general rifle hunt. By harvest stat, Selkirk, 49 Degrees North and Huckleberry account for three-quarters of the modern firearms take and all three units offer good amounts of actively managed timber and locked gates, which create refuges from pressure

Eastern Washington muzzleloaders and riﬂemen hope to get into elk herds with lots of spikes, but the Yakima, Colockum and Blue Mountains herds probably will have fewer this year, unfortunately. Mike and Don Winnet and Jim Baurer got into this trio hunting the Bethel Unit in 2015. (BROWNING PHOTO CONTEST)

for elk but don’t bar walk-in access. Douglas might be worth a sniff too, as the unit between Colville and Northport featured the fewest days per kill (45.6) of all the district’s units last year and highest hunter success of the past three (8.8 percent). Wherever you hunt, beating the thicker, heavier, marshier cover may pay off better than watching clearcuts in hopes of catching a bull out in the open at this stage of the season.

MT. SPOKANE, PALOUSE It’s easy to dismiss the Palouse and Spokane area for elk – at least until you look at the harvest stats and realize that District 2 gave up more wapiti than all but one other Eastern Washington zone, Yakima and Kittitas Counties. No, it’s not your average week at Elk Camp, but last year, 171 general season modern ﬁrearms hunters tagged out on bulls and cows, a 13.2 percent success rate. Granted, there’s very little public land overall, but in Mt. Spokane and Mica Peak

there’s some access through state and Inland Empire Paper lands. Elsewhere, it boils down to farmers and ranchers signed up through the state’s various private lands programs. Elk numbers are said to be expanding in Almota and Steptoe, in south Mica Peak and northwest Mt. Spokane, so establishing a rapport with landowners experiencing crop damage might pay off. Also consider looking into the Columbia Plateau Wildlife Management Association’s hunting program.

BLUE MOUNTAINS The Blues are the traditional elk hunting grounds for many Southcentral and Southeast Washington residents, especially those from Tri-Cities, and undoubtedly many will return this fall. Unfortunately, the prognosis is not all that good for wapiti season, no thanks to the same long, snowy winter those same citizens suffered through. According to biologist Paul Wik, it caused a “signiﬁcant decline” nwsportsmanmag.com | OCTOBER 2017

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HUNTING in elk numbers, especially among calves. Surveys this spring turned up just half the five-year average of young elk, an estimated 466 versus 998, meaning there will likely be half the number of spikes roaming between Walla Walla, Pomeroy and Asotin for general season hunters. Branch bulls were down too, and that could affect coming years’ permit levels, Wik adds. Though elk do roam out into the wheatfields all the way to the Snake River Breaks, the public lands units are where state managers want to keep the herd. Dayton and Tucannon on the northwest and northern sides of the Blues are the primary producers, followed by Mountain View and Lick Creek. They’re yielding between .11 and .22 spikes a square mile for rifle hunters in recent years, and Mountain View had the quartet’s highest success percentage in 2016, 6.6, as well as 2015’s, 10.2. How well that holds up this year remains to be seen. Tucked on the south side of the famed fall steelhead river, the eponymous Grande Ronde Unit offers an even higher success percentage and good amounts of public land but very tough access. It’s pretty much all straight up, whether you try and tackle it from the Snake, Ronde or Joseph Creek Road. Whichever unit in the heart of the Blues you hit, Wik has three key pieces of advice: Bulls typically will move to “north aspect, mid-slope timbered hillsides” right after the opener; scour topo maps and glass the breaks for benches elk will lay up on during the day; and don’t overlook walking gated roads on open lands. And tuck this away for future years: Where 2015’s Grizzly Bear fire in the wilderness Wenaha Unit burned more lightly may have helped clear out rank forage, improving the quality of elk feed.

WESTERN YAKIMA COUNTY, COLOCKUM There’s trouble in the Eastside’s top elk district, a double whammy from 110 Northwest Sportsman

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two successive years of bad weather for wapiti. The drought of 2015 left elk in poor condition going into that winter, resulting in higher mortality, and last winter of course was rough in not only the Blues but the South Cascades too. Two years ago also saw a harvest of nearly 2,000 cows, highest of the past 10 years, undoubtedly depressing fecundity. Year over year surveys saw the Yakima herd decline from 10,856 to 8,326 in early 2017, the Colockum from 5,087 to 4,672. As you can imagine, the calves took the brunt of the weather beating, leading to the “the lowest numbers ever seen in the district,” reports biologist Jeff Bernatowicz in his game prospects. “This does not bode well for general season spike hunters, as fewer calves seen on February/March surveys means fewer legal elk in the fall.” Still, there will be spikes running around out there, and, no, the Yakima herd doesn’t all skip across the Cascades to get away from hunters with Eastside tags. Bernie reports that most elk stay on the 509 side and his hunting prospects this year includes the peregrinations of several radio-collared cows, which the spikes tend to run with, during fall’s seasons. The data does show many locations up where the Paciﬁc Crest Trail treads, including the Norse Peak Wilderness, which saw a big ﬁre this summer, and the William O. Douglas Wilderness to the south. But there’s also plenty of activity on either side of the border between the Bumping and Nile and Bumping and Bethel Units, southeast side of Rimrock, southwestern corner of Cowiche and the central portion of the border between Little Naches and Manastash. Locations in the Colockum strongly cluster on the northern edge of Naneum, its central core in the canyon, and along its edge with Quilomene and throughout the upper two thirds of that unit. As ever, the key to elk hunting this country is the weather. No

matter what happens, higher units’ harvests are typically stable, the biologist reports, but get some heavy weather and that can push the herds in a hurry to the feeding grounds, opening up opportunities. The timing of the riﬂe season and recent autumns haven’t been too conducive for that, however.

SOUTH CASCADES, COWLITZ BASIN Just like elsewhere across the southern belt of Washington, elk here suffered through a long, cold winter, and biologists estimate that the Mt. St. Helens Herd declined 30 to 35 percent. That’s not a small drop – bios say the elk here don’t typically have the fat reserves to get them through harsher winters like we just saw. The Willapa Herd wasn’t surveyed in 2017, but it isn’t affected by winter like mountain elk are, and recent years have shown stable to slightly increasing numbers, which should probably contribute to a season not unlike last year. Between Districts 9 (Clark, Skamania and Klickitat Counties) and 10 (Lewis, Cowlitz and Wahkiakum Counties), riﬂe hunters bagged 765 elk last November. Ten’s overall, allharvest tally was just shy of 1,500, just about the same as the previous three seasons but less than half of 2012’s concerted effort to decrease the size of the Mt. St. Helens herd through special permits. The South Cascades’ top riﬂe units by kill last year were Lewis River (139 bulls), Winston (112), Ryderwood (86) and Coweeman (78). The opening of the Margaret in 2015 produced an immediate windfall, but last year’s harvest tailed off to 40, though most were fourpoint or better animals and the 11.8 percent success rate was second only to Mossyrock (16.2 percent). That said, Margaret is entirely owned by Weyerhaueser and most of Mossyrock is as well, so you’ll need a permit (wyrecreation.com/permits; some were available at press time early last month).

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HUNTING MT. RAINIER SOUTH COAST Good numbers of bulls – not so good numbers of big ones. That might be the summary for elk in the hills above Grays Harbor and Willapa Bays. “Both calf-to-cow and bull-tocow ratios for the North Willapa Hills herd area are exceptionally robust, indicating a highly productive herd with great harvest opportunities,” notes biologist Anthony Novack in his game prospects. Spring surveys found bull ratios in Fall River, Lincoln Minot Peak and North River at 20:100 cows, well above the goal of 12:100, but again trophy critters were scarce – “Only one mature bull was seen during the entire survey,” Novack reported. Williams Creek produces one of the Westside’s best harvests – 111 mostly four-points and .436 killed per square mile last year – and does have some state lands at its northeast and southwest sides.

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Expect harvest on the lower ﬂanks of Washington’s highest mountain to continue its upwards trajectory as elk herds here increase. Since 2008, the all-weapons kill has doubled to more than 400, according to biologist Michelle Tirhi’s preseason prospects. Note that the Muckleshoot Tribe did undertake feeding in the White River Unit this past winter. Tirhi points to public lands surrounding Mt. Rainier National Park as prime spots to patrol for elk heading for winter range, including high-elevation roads on its north and east sides, as well as walk-, ride- and bike-in state forestlands on its southwest corner. Lower still, Hancock-managed timber in White River (permit only) and Mashel are called out as good bets. There are also increasing elk issues in the lowlands, but access is pretty tough and there may be ﬁrearms restrictions to contend with. Indeed, muzzleloaders

have been doing particularly well in Thurston and central Pierce Counties. Elsewhere, bull harvest in the Clearwater and Pysht has been increasing, but in most on the OlyPen it’s flat or declining. In King County, elk are moving down the Snoqualmie Valley, but it’s mostly farms there. One final note on Westside elk: With confirmation of treponemeassociated hoof disease in Whatcom, Skagit, Snohomish, King and Mason County elk, the ban on transporting hooves from a kill site is now in effect in North Sound, Nooksack, Sauk, Issaquah, Mason and Skokomish, Units 407, 418, 437, 454, 633 and 636. That’s in addition to all units in Clark, Cowlitz, Wahkiakum, Lewis, Pacific, Thurston and Pierce, most of Grays Harbor and northern Skamania Counties. The idea is to try and slow or halt the spread of the disease. NS Editor’s note: For a fuller version of this report, see nwsportsmanmag.com.

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HUNTING

Another Gem Of A Hunt?

Idaho’s riﬂe season begins this month, but in whitetail country north of the Salmon River, it’s November that really shines. Trask Applegate tagged this wide-racked buck in Unit 10A, the North Fork Clearwater drainage. He called it “Grandpa’s Walk Off Buck” because it was his last hunt with his dad’s dad, Larry. (BROWNING PHOTO CONTEST)

Idaho managers expect good things for elk, whitetail hunters; forky muleys could be in short supply due to bad winter. By Staff

daho big game managers expect the good recent seasons that Gem State elk and whitetail hunters have enjoyed to continue this fall. They say to expect to see “similar numbers” of ﬂagtails and wapiti, which have led to all-time and topﬁve harvests in 2015, as well as a 40 percent success rate on deer and 23 percent on elk. However, last winter was

“particularly” hard on the young muleys that would otherwise have been the forked-horns bounding around this fall and ﬁlled more than a few freezers. Deep, lingering snowpack – primarily in central and southern Idaho – led to the state’s second lowest survival rate for fawns in the past two decades, despite a huge effort to feed winter-weakened herds. Seasons vary by unit and tag, but the any-weapons opener is Oct. 10 for many deer and elk units.

WHITETAIL PROSPECTS Terming them “as reliable” of a big game critter as you could want, the Department of Fish and Game is forecasting a harvest of around 28,000 whitetails. That’s about the same as 2016, and the agency says it could actually come in a shade higher than that, though it would be hard to top 2015’s record kill of 30,578. “We feel we’re in pretty good shape, and it’s going to be a normal year,” said Clay Hickey, state wildlife manager for nwsportsmanmag.com | OCTOBER 2017

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HUNTING the whitetail-rich Clearwater Region, in an IDFG press release. That part of the state was on the northern edge of the worst of last winter’s effects, and it was also part of 2015’s bluetongue outbreak. Still, the herds “rebounded” from the latter and IDFG reports it is getting complaints about too many flagtails running around. And more than a few should be big bucks too. “We’re averaging over 20 percent of the bucks in the harvest are fivepoints or more in almost all our whitetail units, and lots of units are over 25 percent,” Hickey said. Under IDFG’s management plan, at least 15 percent of bucks should have five points a side. Pretty much everywhere north of the Salmon outside of the deep mountains could be described as Idaho whitetail country, and the best of the best is probably Unit 1. That’s the sprawling landscape north of the Clark Fork River, up where Idaho borders Washington, British Columbia and Montana. It has a lot of accessible land in the form of national and state forests, especially on the Priest River side, and while the valleys are primarily private, there are patches of public land in the bottoms. Last year Unit 1 led all comers, accounting for 4,723 deer, 85 percent (4,015) of which were whitetail. Hunters enjoyed an overall success rate of 49.6 percent and more than 50 percent of the bucks were four-points. Next best unit might be 10A, the mix of Department of Forestry, federal and private land northeast, east and southeast of Dworshak Reservoir. Last year it yielded 4,418 deer, all but 2.7 percent of which were whitetails, and a 49.4 percent success rate. Sixty percent were fourpoint-or-better bucks. Best Panhandle unit for trophy bucks – or at least those with five points or more – in 2016 was 4, where 35.7 of the all-weaponscombined harvest met that caliber. 116 Northwest Sportsman

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Unit 4 is the mostly public lands north and south of I-90 east and west of Kellogg.

MULE DEER PROSPECTS While Ol’ Man Winter stuck a fork in fawn numbers for this season, mature muley bucks probably came through all right. What’s more, so did the does – 90 percent survival, IDFG reports – so herds should bounce back in a few years, given more moderate cold months. “Another thing to consider is prior to this year, mule deer populations were trending upward for several years, so while biologists expect a drop in the harvest, there’s a good chance it will fall within the range of the last ﬁve years,” the agency states. Unit 39, the huge swath east of I-84 as it cuts through Boise, is the state’s most hunted precinct, and its most productive for mule deer, giving up 3,586 bucks (32.3 percent fourplus-pointers) and 816 antlerless animals to 13,922 hunters for a 2016 success rate of 31.7 percent.

ELK PROSPECTS If you like the status quo, you’ll like 2017’s Idaho elk prospects. IDFG says populations are mostly the same as last year, when the state yielded the second highest harvest (22,557) of the past two decades – second only to 2015’s 24,543, which itself was the fourth largest since the Great Depression. Indeed, managers are not at all depressed about hunting seasons. “This is the good-old days of elk hunting,” said Craig White, a regional supervisor in south-central Idaho. “There was only one period when Idaho hunters were harvesting as many elk as they are now.” You might think of the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness as the heart of the state’s elk country, and no doubt big bulls roam that country. But if you can’t pack or ﬂoat in at this late date, the Panhandle Zone is far and away the most productive district. In 2016,

Idaho big game managers conﬁrm what a February 2014 issue article about Bob Normington’s bruiser North Idaho bull hinted at: “We grow more elk in what I like to call the front country.” While the backcountry and wildernesses still provide good elk hunting and seclusion, it’s the units around that core that provide the meat of the harvest. (BROWNING PHOTO CONTEST)

15,382 hunters killed 2,417 elk, more than a tenth of the state’s total take. It’s a pretty close battle between the aforementioned Units 10A and 4 for best of the best. The former gave up more elk last year (672) and had a higher success percentage (18.9), but the latter yielded more bulls (665) and a higher percentage of six-plus-points. Unit 6, in the St. Joe and St. Maries Rivers country, wasn’t too shabby, with a kill of 601 bulls, the plurality of which were spikes, and success percentage of 19.4. Statewide, Idaho general season elk hunters had a 17 percent kill rate. Though some elk herds in central and southern portions of the state will see fewer spikes because of the winter, IDFG managers are taking the long view that elk hunting is going to be good for some time to come, good news for those who weathered the introduction and recovery of wolves – as well as newbies just getting in on the action. “Be patient,” White advises. “Make it a multi-year commitment, and get to know the area.” The Weiser River (995), McCall (985) and Palouse Zones (772) are also good bets. The ﬁrst is over objectives with more cow tags available this year. NS

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Brought To You By:

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Hunting Camp Checklist

Deer and elk success starts with a squared-away camp. (ANDY WALGAMOTT)

ctober is the month we’ve been waiting for, the arrival of rifle deer and elk seasons in Idaho, Oregon and ON TARGET Washington, and we By Dave Workman can hardly wait for the smell of a campfire and bacon sizzling in the skillet on the camp stove. We’ve been here before and the road to this place has passed through familiar territory that should have included a couple of visits to the range to zero your rifle (mine shoots 3½ inches high at 100 yards), a stop at the workshop bench or kitchen counter to hone up your hunting knives, and some time outside testing the aforementioned camp stove, as well as lanterns to make sure they work. I always buy a half-dozen replacement mantles heading into the fall hunting season. There are no stores just down the road from camp. Might be a good

idea to have a couple of additional lantern globes in case one gets broken too. Indeed, a couple of years ago, two of mine were broken on the eve of the opener within five minutes of one another. I was a bit perturbed, but didn’t let that spoil the weekend.

A FEW MORE things should be on every hunter’s fall checklist, including: * Fresh maps: Have you secured updated maps of your hunting area, or been there to scout around since last season? Things could have easily changed since last fall, and if you’re not ready for quick changes in plans, you might go home a vegetarian. Included in this should be a check on the conditions in your hunting area. It was a long, hot, dry summer. If the drought has continued into the fall, you’ll need to know where the available water sources are, because elk and deer get thirsty. * Clothing: Make sure your gear is still up to the rigors of outdoor travel and

abuse. Wool trousers for rain and snow later in the season and/or polar fleece are probably the best choices, and don’t fudge on the rain gear if you hunt west of the Cascades. One thing about the Northwest in fall is that if it’s not raining, it is probably getting ready to rain. This includes making sure your boots are in good shape. I wear leather boots that are treated with neatsfoot oil and Sno

There may be no more important item at hunting camp than light, and now is the time to stock up on camp lantern mantles and even a spare glass globe or two. This gear gets a workout during hunting season. (DAVE WORKMAN) nwsportsmanmag.com | OCTOBER 2017

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Brought To You By:

NEW FEDERAL AMMO IN TIME FOR FALL

KICK-EEZ

In time for this fall’s big game hunting seasons, Federal Premium has introduced Edge TLR ammunition, featuring what the company calls “top match bullet designs with the industry’s best bonding technology.” Translation: This ammunition is going to sizzle, and it has been introduced in four popular calibers including .308 Winchester and .30-06 Springfield featuring a 175-grain bullet, and .300

Winchester Magnum and .300 Winchester Short Magnum, both featuring a 200-grain TLR projectile. According to Federal, the Edge TLR bullet uses an exclusive polymer “slipstream tip” for maximum downrange performance. It retains weight, penetrates deeply and delivers lethal terminal energy. The bullet jacket is copper and it has a bonded lead core with a long profile. Edge TLR projectiles are designed to maintain a flatter trajectory with less wind resistance, which means it will reach out and touch something with a punch, even at longer ranges. –DW

Seal. Water beads up on them rather well, and with wool socks on, my feet stay nice and dry if not toasty warm. * Sleeping bag: Is your bed away from home up to another fall in the wilds? Now is the time to check that out because shivering all night in a bad bag

is not my idea of fun, and that’s from experience. I’ve made a habit of doubling up a sleeping bag in really cold weather and making sure I’ve got a good pad underneath. Since I officially became an “old guy,” I make damn sure of my camp creature comforts. Bottom line, if your bag

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is a beater, replace it. * Ammunition: You should have new cartridges for the hunt. I have encountered people in the woods hunting with ammunition that looks like it was made right after the Civil War. This year’s ammunition is fresh and that is the best assurance of reliability there is. Since I handload my own, it is fresh stuff I’ve put together at the bench sometime in the past eight weeks, and probably more recently. * Tables and chairs: You’re going to need them if you are camping, because people need to sit and enjoy the campfire. A little libation might be good for the soul too, after dinner settles. I’ve got a great fold-out aluminum table from Cabela’s that’s about 20 years old and it is still in good shape. Folding camp chairs and stools are ready to rock.

WITH SUPPLIES PACKED, when is it time to head for the hills? As always, most Idaho deer and elk any-weapon hunts open Oct. 10, but see the Department of Fish and Game’s pamphlet for specifics. Oregon’s Cascade buck season opened Sept. 30 and continues to Oct. 13 and then runs Oct. 21 to Nov. 3. Coastal buck season runs from Sept. 30 through Nov. 3. For Oregon elk, the Cascade bull season runs Oct. 14-20, while the first Rocky Mountain elk hunt runs Oct. 25-29, with the second Nov. 4-12. The coastal bull hunts run Nov. 11-14 and Nov. 18-24. Check the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife’s hunting regs for details. And be aware of a change this year in the Beaver State. ODFW has defined the “edible portions” of game animals to include the meat from the front and hindquarters, loins (backstrap) and tenderloins. For elk, neck meat is also included. In Washington, the general buck season for blacktail deer runs Oct. 14-31; for whitetail deer in Units 101-124 it’s Oct. 14-27 and Oct. 14-24 in Units 127-145, 149, 154, 162-169 and most of 172, plus 175-186. For mule deer, the season runs Oct. 14-24. Late buck seasons run Nov. 16-19 in many Westside units and late whitetail season runs Nov. 11-19 in Units 105, 108,

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COLUMN

Brought To You By:

KICK-EEZ

Author Dave Workman recently checked his Wind River camp stove (above, right) and discovered it needed a cleaning, which he did immediately. He also made sure his hunting knives had razor edges. A few strokes on his faithful EZE LAP diamond sharpener put these blades in top condition. (DAVE WORKMAN) 111, 113, 117, 121 and 124. Elk season opens Oct. 28 and runs to Nov. 5 in most Eastern Washington units, and through Nov. 15 in Units 203, 209248, 250, 254-272, 278, 284, 290, 373, 379 and 381. It’s Nov. 4-15 on the Westside. Again, check the Washington regulations pamphlet for details. NS

If you’re wandering around the woods with ammunition that looks like it might have been used at Gettysburg, you might want to buy some new bullets or brew up a fresh batch of handloads. (DAVE WORKMAN)

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OREGON ESTACADA Dickâ€™s Logging Supply Inc 751 Northwest Industrial Way (503) 630-6868 dicksloggingsupply.stihldealer.net

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ENUMCLAW Cutters Supply, Inc. 235 Roosevelt Ave (360) 825-1648 www.cutterssupply.stihldealer.net

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GRESHAM Moen Machinery 268 NE Hogan Dr (503) 666-9159 www.moenmachinery.com

COLVILLE Sun Rental Center 380 South Main (509) 684-1522 www.sunrentalsaws.com

GIG HARBOR United Rentals 3302 Hunt St (253) 858-1234 www.gigharborpowertools.com

MARYSVILLE Pilchuck Rentals & Sound Power Equipment 9114 State Avenue (360) 659-5557 www.pilchuckrents.com

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DUVALL Duvall Auto Parts 15415 Main St NE (425) 788-1578 www.duvallautoparts.com

HOQUIAM Harbor Saw & Supply 3102 Simpson Ave (360) 532 4600 www.harborsaw.com

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COLUMN

Shoulder Surgery T CHEF IN THE WILD By Randy King

he front shoulder of a deer is a logistical nightmare for a home butcher. It has interconnected muscle groups, bones jutting out all over the place, and just what the hell do you do with that shank?! But it doesn’t have to be. You can easily cut it up yourself. Here is a step-by-step guide for turning a deer shoulder into manageable portions.

1. With a sharp knife, follow the bone ridge down the thick section side of the shoulder, running the tip into the bone.

2. Next, run the knife under the separated muscle, cutting parallel to the scapula. 3. Peel the muscle away from the bone. Pull as much as cut to get meat off the shoulder blade. 4. Repeat the process on the other side of the shoulder. 5. Cut the large tendon connecting at the knee to free the muscle. 6. Follow the bone along and free the large section of meat. 7. This is now what the shoulder should look like.

Venison “pot roast” with 40 cloves of garlic. (RANDY KING)

PROVENÇAL VENISON ‘POT ROAST’ “There really are not recipes, only millions of variations sparked by someone’s imagination and desire to be a little creative and different. American cooking is built, after all, on variations of old recipes from around the world.” So said James Beard, the “dean of American cookery” and a native Northwesterner. Over his long career in the food industry, the Portland-born Beard showcased innumerable dishes in his books, on his TV show and at his restaurants. Some of his many cookbooks include Cook it Outdoors, The Complete Book of Outdoor Cookery and Fowl and Game Cookery. Indeed, the first American celebrity chef was an avid game cook, and we can all learn a lot from him. One dish that is a definitive classic is Chicken 40, or roast chicken with 40 cloves of garlic. It’s a simple Provençal dish from the South of France with, seemingly, a boatload of garlic. But the garlic cooks over time and completely loses its punch, falling apart and thickening the sauce instead. It was my goal to get those subtle garlic tones in a venison dish. I wanted that fork-tender eating like you get with a chicken, but with venison. To do that I needed nothing but time in the oven to break down the meat. Traditional pot roasts can be great, but often leave a hole in the flavor center for me. I like more flavor than they often provide. With a ton of garlic as a part of my pot roast liquid, this dish really shines.

Ingredients ½ cup flour 2 pounds venison “roast” ¼ cup olive oil ~ 40 cloves (not heads) of garlic

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10 8. Flip the shoulder over and run the knife under the muscle to remove. 9. Twist the shank section and the shoulder section and listen for the “crack,” then free the joint. 10. Remove the shank from the other sections of the bone by sliding the knife into the nowopen joint.

Now that you have the shoulder completely deboned, what do you do with the pieces of meat? Keep the shanks whole for braising – look for lamb shank recipes and sub venison. The remainder of the meat is perfect for stew, slow roasting or grinding. For those feeling adventurous, you can even dig out the flat iron steak from the upper part of the shoulder. NS

After browning the venison, ﬁrst add the many garlic cloves as well as onion, then the bay leaves, lemon, mushrooms and white wine, and after the mixture boils, chicken stock and fresh thyme sprigs. Place in the oven and let cook for three hours. (RANDY KING) ½ yellow onion, sliced 2 bay leaves 1 ounce dried mushrooms ½ cup white wine 1 lemon, cut in half 1 can “less sodium” chicken stock 10 sprigs fresh thyme ½ stick butter Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium-sized bowl add the flour. Roll the roast in the flour to evenly coat. Add the olive oil to a thick-bottomed 10-inch cast-iron pan (or something like it). Heat over medium until oil is almost smoking. Carefully add the roast and brown on all sides. When roast is brown add the garlic and onion to the pan, let them cook with the roast for 3 minutes. Next add the bay leaves, lemon, mushrooms and white wine. When it all comes to a boil add the chicken stock and fresh thyme sprigs. Tightly cover pan with foil. Place into the oven and check on it in three hours. The meat should shred easily with a fork. If it doesn’t, give the meat more time and add liquid – about ½ cup per half hour until meat is tender. When fork tender remove the thyme sprigs, lemon and bay leaves. Shred the meat with two forks and smash most of the garlic cloves. Next add half a stick of butter to the pan and bring it to a simmer. The sauce should be a little thickened at this point. Serve with your favorite pot roast accompaniments. For more wild game recipes, see chefrandyking.com. –RK

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HUNTING

The 10 Commandments,

Waterfowling Public Lands Edition

Hunting waterfowl on public lands can sometimes feel like the equivalent of combat ﬁshing at the hatchery hole, but common sense and longtime duck and goose hunter MD Johnson’s suggestions will go a long way to making it a safer and more enjoyable day for everyone. (WDNR)

As the 2017-18 season begins, here’s a refresher on what, er, ﬂies and doesn’t at Northwest wildlife refuges and waters. By MD Johnson

ay back in 2001, my wife Julia and I put together our first of six full-length outdoor books in what the publishing house called the “Successful Hunting” series. The first covered duck hunting; others focused on geese, turkeys, small game, pheasants, and then more ducks. Not a self-gratifying ad here, mind you, as the books have been out of print for some time; that, and I do digress slightly. In this first book, I wrote a chapter titled “The 10 Commandments of Public Duck Hunting.” At the time, I didn’t realize how many folks would

read and comment upon those particular pages; however, read and comment, they did. Apparently, a lot of folks from all across the country had and were experiencing the same public land frustrations, we’ll call them, that I was. The crowds. The skybusters. The arguments at the ramp. The day-long duck-calling enthusiasts with lungs like Dolly Parton. I soon realized that public land issues – rather, public land waterfowling etiquette, for lack of a better word – was often sorely lacking, regardless of whether the setting was the Skagit Bay or the Chesapeake Bay. That in mind, I wrote the commandments. Perhaps not the

original commandments meant for public land ’fowlers, but a collection of those issues, let’s say, I’ve seen and experienced over the past … Lord, what’s it been? Forty-three years now since that ﬁrst duck? So let’s take a look at these so-called commandments. Some will hit home personally, be it as a contributor or a recipient. All should be familiar to anyone who has ever spent time in the sweat line or crouched in Blind 9 at the Ridgeﬁeld Refuge and listened to the fellows in Blind 8 across the pond play show tunes on their double reeds. And, yes, we’ve all made identical comments as to what we’d like to do with those double reeds, eh, fellas? nwsportsmanmag.com | OCTOBER 2017

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HUNTING So read along. See what strikes a nerve. What you might be guilty of yourself. If you think it necessary, make several copies; one to tack up on the inside of the blind, and 50 others to hand out at the check station. Not that I’m patting myself on the back or anything; only that we all can use a refresher every now and again.

Shotguns are short-range weapons, and the “painful” truth is that despite upgraded barrels, chokes and ammo, many of us probably shouldn’t shoot at birds more than 40 yards out. (JULIA JOHNSON)

THE SHOTGUN IS A SHORT-RANGE FOWLING PIECE Forty yards. On a good day, maybe 50. For some, 25 or 30 at the outside. Yes, yes. I understand that modern shotguns ﬁtted with modern choke tubes and ﬁlled with cutting-edge ammunition are capable of consistently killing ducks and geese well beyond 150 feet. However, and here comes the painful truth of the matter, the vast majority of hunters/shooters can’t consistently break targets or kill birds beyond 40 yards. Luck? Sure. The Golden Pellet? Absolutely. Still, and in most cases, it – and when I say “it,” I mean consistently and effectively harvesting waterfowl – is beyond the scope of many folks once

distances stretch beyond 40 yards. So the guys with the “If you can see it, you can shoot at it” mentality? Uh-huh, they’ll get on your wires in short order. Good hunters know and accept their limitations when it comes to their shooting capabilities, and they adhere to those limitations. Just because the 1965 El Camino

Hey, you with the duck call, no need to wear that reed out today! There’s plenty of season to go, and not everybody enjoys Yankee Doodle Dandy played that way. In all seriousness, moderated calling will make for a more productive day for everyone on the marsh. (JULIA JOHNSON)

with the 396CI can hit 140 doesn’t mean everyone should drive it that fast. Same with shotguns.

DO NOT CROWD OR INTERFERE WITH THE HUNTS OF OTHERS Unless the wildlife refuge or area limits in some fashion the number of hunters who can play on any given day, waterfowling public land is essentially a free-forall. Traditionally, it’s ﬁrst-come/ ﬁrst-served. The rule is simple: If someone’s in Spot A, you move along to Spot B. And if someone’s in Spot B, then Spot C. And so on. Some folks, however, don’t seem to understand that 75 yards downwind ain’t gonna cut it. One, that’s too close. And two, see the following commandment pertaining to downwinding other hunters.

DO NOT SHOOT ANOTHER HUNTER’S SWING If, for some reason, you do decide to set up shop 150 yards downwind of the other hunter(s) you spoke with in the predawn darkness, you’re ﬁxing to commit one of the mortal sins of public-land waterfowling. You’re going to be tagged as a downwinder because you’re shooting your 130 Northwest Sportsman

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HUNTING neighbor’s swing. That means that as birds set up to work his decoy spread from – you got it! – 150 yards downwind, they’re going to be in your face. Irresistibly in your face. You’re going to shoot at them, thus causing a ruckus in the blind upwind. And it’s going to deteriorate from there. What’s the answer? If possible, go further downwind. How far? Travis Mueller, an ace ’fowler who spends most of his time on hardpressed Iowa ground, and currently serves as national sales manager for Avery/Banded Holdings, told me this regarding acceptable distance: “Two hundred yards is enough, but it isn’t going to end well for either party. There will be too much calling. And what will happen is one hen (mallard) that unwisely decides to commit to one of the spreads will get killed before anything else does. Boom, and there go the birds.”

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Whether you’re setting decoys out or gathering them for the day, do so with alacrity – your fellow duck and goose gunners with the still-to-be-ﬁlled straps will appreciate your pace. (JULIA JOHNSON)

KNOW AND ADHERE TO THE WATERFOWL REGULATIONS The rules are pretty simple. One, most of them are printed in blackand-white, and make for excellent bathroom reading. They’re also

online, if a laptop or tablet or smartphone is where you collect your literary expertise. However you do, there’s no reason for not knowing the current waterfowl hunting regulations. Or for not

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HUNTING having all the applicable paperwork on-hand. Or for not having the proper ammunition, the properly outﬁtted shotgun, and so on. There’s also no excuse for not knowing what you’re shooting at before you shoot at it. I mean, do you want to be the guy who posts the photograph on The Refuge or Hunting-Washington, with the question – “I shot this this morning. Anyone know what this is? Are they good to eat?” It’s a piebilled grebe. No, they’re probably not very good on the table. And yes, that is a wildlife ofﬁcer at your door.

As with all hunting and ﬁshing, you’re bound to have lucky days, but wise sportsmen know that consistent success over seasons and decades takes hard work. “When a waterfowler works hard, the reward has traditionally been a hefty duck strap,” Johnson writes. (JULIA JOHNSON)

DO NOT BLOW THINE DUCK CALL NONSTOP Julie and I were hunting Ridgeﬁeld NWR back in the mid-1990s. Just after lunch, a lone waterfowler walked into the adjoining blind some 500 yards away and set up shop. No big deal, we thought; unfortunately, Iron Lungs McKinsey over yonder had other plans. Around noon, give

or take, he started blowing a duck call – poorly – and kept blowing that duck call until legal shooting time. Nonstop. There were, I’ll admit, some duck-like sounds coming from

the blind; however, most of the time it was show tunes, parade marches, and continuous cacophonies reminiscent of someone beating a burlap bag full of feral cats with

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HUNTING a broom. Who does that? Was he concerned he wasn’t going to get his full $20 out of that brand-new Bass Pro polycarbonate call? My point is this: If you’re going to blow a duck call in a crowd, practice. Know, at least somewhat, what you’re doing. Or leave it at home.

Killing the motor. Starting the motor. Killing the motor, ad nauseam. Not to mention he’s out in the Great Wide Open, scaring the bejesus out of everything that happens into this particular airspace. So if you have to get to the dance late, ﬁne. Get in, get set, and get under wraps.

DO NOT DAWDLE NOR LINGER AT SET-UP

DO NOT LEAVE CARCASSES AT THE RAMP NOR PARKING LOT

It’s a fact. Not everyone can be out at the marsh two hours – or for some, six hours – before legal shooting time. Shift work or athome responsibilities mean some hunters don’t hit the ramp until well after daylight. And that’s absolutely ﬁne. What isn’t absolutely ﬁne is the guy who motors or paddles out into the midst of the marsh, which just so happens to be The X for everyone concerned, and then gin-whacks around for 30 minutes trying to decide what to do. He’s making noise. Talking to himself. Arranging gear.

Let’s ﬁle this one under the heading of Common Sense, shall we? I realize said Common Sense might be at an all-time low nowadays – Note: Sounded somewhat negative, huh? Sometimes, though, the truth does sound a bit negative – but let’s deﬁnitely keep this one in mind. Always. Piles of duck carcasses left in the tall weeds 16 inches off the boat ramp or parking lot don’t look good to anyone, be they hunter or nonhunter. Neither do McDonald’s bags, Coke cans, empty plastic water bottles, chewing tobacco

Fortunately, success in the marsh is not a matter of life or death for Northwest waterfowlers. It’s a chance to sharpen skills, work a dog and a call, and uphold a tradition, as well as have fun. Indeed, hunting with a friend is about as good as it gets. Harley McAllister and Matt Little took their limits of mallards and pintails on public lands near Tri-Cities last season. (BROWNING PHOTO CONTEST)

cans, or, perhaps the worst, the wad of Charmin that tells the world “I couldn’t wait, and decided to squat in the parking lot in the dark.” So, keep it clean. It’s your living room. And we hunters are the Poster Children for how consumptive users treat or mistreat Mother Nature.

DO NOT BE ILL-TEMPERED WITH THINE FELLOW ’FOWLER Sooner or later, if it hasn’t happened already, your fellow public land duck hunter is going to – well, he’s going to piss you off. He’s going to set up too close and refuse to move. He’ll rain shot down on you. He’ll shoot your swing. Call at “your” ducks. Fiddle around in the decoys every 10 minutes. He may even boat over to explain, and not too kindly, everything you’re doing wrong and why your mother isn’t the nicest lady on the planet. If and when he does any of these, it’s vital you keep your cool. Maintain. Breathe deep and relax. There will always be That Guy; however, there will always be another day. Another time. Another place when the mallards will follow your notes earthward like so many heavenly steps, and you’ll shoot seven-forseven on butterball greenheads, three of which will be banded. One 136 Northwest Sportsman

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of those, a mallard/pintail hybrid. Karma. It’s all about karma.

WORK HARDER THAN THINE NEIGHBOR Get there earlier. Stay later. Walk that extra mile. Boat those extra three. Break ice. Freeze (almost) to death. Suffer. Google. Scout. And scout more. Work smarter and harder, and you’ll leave 95 percent of the other guys behind. Absolutely, there will be those who work even harder than you, and a tip of the ol’ hunting cap to them. Hard work is rewarded, and when a waterfowler works hard, the reward has traditionally been a hefty duck strap. Not always, but often. Do I enjoy the occasional so-called easy hunt on public land? Sure, but typically, the situation is a ratio where a greater degree of pain and the aforementioned suffering equate to a greater chance I’ll be alone. And I’ll shoot things. Or at least shoot at them.

DO NOT LOSE SIGHT OF WATERFOWLING’S RECREATIONAL ASPECT None of you reading this depend entirely on the ducks you kill as a primary source of sustenance. None of you. If you did, you wouldn’t have paid $16 for a year’s subscription to Northwest Sportsman, instead spending that money on Top Ramen, generic mac ’n cheese, Moon Pies and RC Cola. But I digress. Still, and because none of you subsist on ducks, duck hunting is therefore a recreational pursuit. A passion, perhaps, to some, but a recreational pursuit nonetheless. An outdoor activity done for the sake of entertainment and enjoyment. Don’t forget that. Once you take the sport and yourself too seriously, you’ve lost sight of the reason we hunt ducks: It’s fun. So, go ahead. Get that landing mallard tattoo. On your forehead. Name your newborn twins Remington and Beretta. Join a group – I’m sorry, a maﬁa – that calls itself The Triple Curl Crew. Honestly, I don’t care. Just don’t forget it’s supposed to be fun. And that’s a commandment.NS nwsportsmanmag.com | OCTOBER 2017

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COLUMN

Pup’s First Hunt I

t was my first hunt in Eastern Oregon with Echo, who was less than a year old. By this time my dog had a few months of hunting in Western GUN DOGGIN’ 101 Oregon behind her, but By Scott Haugen the terrain and habitat of the Umatilla Valley was different than anything she’d experienced. The valley was laden with pheasant and valley quail, and we found chukars higher in the hills. We had a good couple days of hunting, and I learned a lot about taking my pup into a new place for the first time.

There’s a lot of grass seed out there this time of year, so having a brush or scissors on-hand is a good idea. If your dog sports a long coat, cutting it short may be the best preventive measure. (SCOTT HAUGEN)

ECHO IS A pudelpointer with a mediumlength coat. Before the hunt I plucked the long hair from inside her ears in order to prevent grass seeds from getting caught and potentially burrowing in deeper. I started plucking her ear hair when she was a puppy, so she was used to it. It’s something I still do every couple of weeks, and she’s three years old now. If you have trouble grabbing the hair inside the ear canal, get a hemostat. With this you can grab the hair and twirl it around the end of the hemostat, just as you’d twirl spaghetti onto a fork. The hair should pull out as you roll it tight, but if not, give it a quick tug. Seeds that have the potential of burrowing, like foxtail, can do severe damage to a dog, especially if they get down deep into the ear canal. When hunting or training in areas where foxtail seeds are present, regularly check the dog’s eyes, nose and mouth for the seeds, along with the paws and belly. Remove these barbed, needle-sharp seeds, immediately, no matter where on the dog they may be. “If it’s too long, you also want to trim the hair between the toes and pads of your dog,” shares Larry Stone, a noted gun dog trainer (stonesthrowgundogs.com) in Bend. “Not only can foxtail get caught and burrow into

the webbing between the toes, but any seed can get caught in the long hair and ball-up, making it uncomfortable on your dog.” On Echo’s first Eastern Oregon hunt, I failed to clip the hair between her toes and was constantly pulling seeds out by hand. When we got back to camp that afternoon I took a sharp pair of scissors to each foot. There were places where the inside of her toes were nearly rubbed raw from seeds, so I put ointment on them. The following day was much better for Echo, with few seeds being picked up between her toes. Due to seeds collecting in Echo’s coat that first day, I put a vest on her the next day. The vest was fluorescent orange and was noisy. She didn’t like that, and was a totally different dog with it on. She was reluctant to move through any cover, as the sound annoyed her. After a couple hours of frustration, I removed the vest and she hunted great. I should have done more training with the vest on, prior to her hunting in it.

MANY DOGS DON’T want to take a water break, especially young ones, no matter how hot it is. But they should. “In situations like this, make them drink,” urges Stone. On a recent training session with he and my new pup Kona, Stone showed me exactly how to do it. “Have the dog sit, then take the end of your water bottle and stick it in the corner of their mouth,” he tipped. “Grab the loose skin on the outside corner of the mouth and pull it away from the jaw. Insert the end of the bottle into that pocket and pour away.” Up to this point I’d been opening Kona’s mouth and pouring water in, which he didn’t like; he often coughed and spit it out. But the way Stone showed me to water the dog worked great, and it was so quick and easy. “You also want to wet down your dog on hot days,” Stone continued. “But don’t just dump water on it, as some coats actually trap water which holds in more heat. Instead, nwsportsmanmag.com | OCTOBER 2017

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COLUMN get their feet and legs wet, and splash water between their legs and on the belly.” Getting water on the places where the hair is thin helps quickly cool a dog. “You also want to put water on the inside of their ears,” Stone added. “But don’t just pour it in, as you don’t want water getting into the ear canal. Instead, take some water in your hand and rub it on the underside of the ear, directly to the skin” to help cool the animal. Any time you run across water on these hot, early-season hunts, make your dog take a break. If there’s little or no water where you’re hunting, take plenty along for your dog. Dogs are like humans in that they need to stay hydrated. The harder the dog works and the hotter it is, the more water they need.

TAKING A HAIRBRUSH into the field isn’t a bad idea, either. If your dog gets into a thicket of seeds, it’s much quicker brushing them out or using a razor brush to cut them out, than pulling them by hand. If hunting in dry, rocky terrain, take along

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If you intend on hunting your dog with a vest on, be sure and introduce it during training sessions. When on the hunt, you don’t want the dog being sidetracked by a noisy, uncomfortable vest, as author Scott Haugen learned about Echo. (Right) The better shape your dogs feet are in, the more effective they’ll be when hunting in dry, rocky terrain. Having dog boots handy is a good idea. Cutting the hair between the pads will also diminish grass seeds getting trapped. (SCOTT HAUGEN) dog boots, especially if your dog’s pads aren’t toughened up. If a dog’s feet split open, they are out of commission. Having some ointment to apply to open wounds is a good idea, as is taking an antiseptic spray. I carry eye drops along too – if they get an infection, I want to be on top of it. With the height of bird season upon

us, head afield prepared. The better equipped you are, and the more ready your pup is, the better those first hunting experiences will be. NS Editor’s note: To view an extensive series of basic dog training video tips by Scott Haugen, visit scotthaugen.com.

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Back Page

Ghost Camps

A ring of stones in the woods is sometimes all that remains of long-gone deer and elk camps, though freshly gathered wood can also be a sign the hunt continues, albeit by new sportsmen. (DAVE WORKMAN)

By Dave Workman

hey remain quiet most of the year, with a fire ring made of large rocks surrounding a pile of old ashes and maybe nearby will be a small stack of old branches, twigs, small logs and a piece or two of rotting firewood. They are the “Ghost Camps” of Washington, or maybe anywhere there are mountains and timber, flat spots for tents or campers, occupied through hunting seasons in the distant past and now home to the ghosts of those people who were there. It’s become a habit of mine to stop at some of these places just to look around. Some people leave a clean camp, others leave trash to be picked up, and in one spot I found an old car battery that had been shot to pieces. Really, really stupid. Some of these campsites date back decades, having “changed

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hands” a few times over the years, with one group giving way to another and then another as people depart the field, and new fellows arrive to take their place. Ghost Camps, because they are haunted by the echoes of laughter around the campfire, and the silence of those somber moments when nobody has a thing to say, and they just stare into the campfire to remember bygone friends and family, the miles their boots have trodden, the girls who stole their hearts and never gave them all back, the adventures and misadventures that grow with each retelling. There is a peace around the Ghost Camp that eventually captures us all who have been there. It helps us sleep, gives us strength, reminds us of our place, and shares with us the harmony of the earth. And it leaves us hoping to return in another year, and in a way prepares us for that time when we don’t. NS

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