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FOWL TIMES ARE HERE!

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Big License Increase Proposal

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Sportsman Northwest

Your LOCAL Hunting & Fishing Resource

Volume 11 • Issue 2 PUBLISHER James R. Baker

Your Complete Hunting, Boating, Fishing and Repair Destination Since 1948.

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Dick Openshaw EDITOR Andy Walgamott LEAD CONTRIBUT0R Andy Schneider THIS ISSUE’S CONTRIBUTORS Mark Bove, Jason Brooks, Doug Huddle, MD Johnson, Randy King, Buzz Ramsey, Brian Robertson, Troy Rodakowski, Mark Veary, Randy Wells, Terry Wiest, Dave Workman EDITORIAL FIELD SUPPORT Jason Brooks GENERAL MANAGER John Rusnak SALES MANAGER Katie Higgins

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ON THE COVER Ryan Hunter is all smiles with his 2014 Washington bull elk. (BUZZ RAMSEY)

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Northwest Sportsman 9

CONTENTS

135

VOLUME 11 • ISSUE 2

KINGS OF ALL THE KINGS

FEATURES 53

YAKIMA LATE ARCHERY ELK With elk heading down from the mountains for their Southcentral Washington winter range, local archer Brian Robertson puts you in position to fill your tag.

71

WESTERN OREGON BUCKS Whether you’re hunting blacktails on the coast, in the Willamette and other valleys, or up in the Cascades this month, Troy Rodakowski has your game plan!

79

INLAND EMPIRE WHITETAILS Northeast Washington and Idaho Panhandle bucks get active this month, but notching your tag is no slam dunk. Spokane-area hunter Mark Bove highlights five keys to success for late flagtails.

91

NORTHWEST HOLIDAY TURKEYS Skip the Butterball and harvest your own Thanksgiving and Christmas Day dinners. Troy shares late-season hunting tips for the Northwest’s plentiful turkey flocks.

103 DECODING OTHER DUCKS Mallard is the lingua franca of local waterfowlers, but knowing a second, third and even fourth duck language will put more birds in your bag. Veteran Northwest quacker whacker M.D. McClellan has the Rosetta Stone for talking to woodies, pintails, teal, and more species!

(FISHING PHOTO CONTEST)

The late fall kings that roll into Southern Oregon rivers are the Northwest’s biggest of the year, and local guide Randy Wells knows how to catch ’em. He shares tips and tactics for the Chetco, Smith and Elk, and their wapiti-sized Chinook.

153 WASHINGTON FALL TROUT It’s not quite late April’s opener, but Washington trout managers are hitting the road with their hatchery stocker trucks, delivering Fish Friday and Fall Into Fishing bonus releases at many lakes around the state.

Jason Brooks has the details – and what to use to catch your share!

SUBSCRIBE TODAY! Go to nwsportsmanmag.com for details.

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

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Northwest Sportsman 11

CONTENTS (SANDY WEEDMAN)

161THE KAYAK GUYS

The brief “Requisite note on safety” that Mark Veary has included in seven years’ worth of kayak columns hints at the dangers of fishing out of plastic boats – the risks are real but they’re manageable, as he writes in this issue’s must-read article on safety.

COLUMNS 22

WESTSIDER Staring at a potential $50 hike in his 2017 Washington fishing license, Terry talks to the sportfishing industry and state fishery managers about WDFW’s fee-increase proposal.

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48

BUZZ RAMSEY Buzz shares how to combine your hunting skills with an understanding of elk movement to bring success during this month’s seasons.

65

SOUTH SOUND With Westside rifle elk hunting prospects looking good, Jason’s got tips for where to go and how to bag your wapiti, along with late-season ringneck prospects.

83

CHEF IN THE WILD Chef Randy launches a flank attack – an Asian-inspired ramen dish served up with grilled venison flank steak.

115 ON TARGET As late big game hunts arrive in the Northwest, Dave’s also pretty excited about a new gun he recently tested out.

125 NORTH SOUND With a “record” flight of juvenile snow geese expected to flock to North Sound river deltas, Doug details how to be successful this season, and shares tips for where to try your luck for Nooksack Herd elk.

135 SOUTH COAST Randy reveals the three best tactics for fishing his home rivers, the Chetco, Elk and Smith, for their big fall Chinook.

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22 THE BIG PIC: MONEY FOR NOTHIN’ OR FISHING AIN’T FREE? In perilous financial straits, Washington fish and wildlife managers are asking state lawmakers to approve license fee increases, but sportsmen are leery. Terry Wiest takes a look at both sides of the argument.

(RON CAMP, WILDLIFE ARTIST)

DEPARTMENTS 19

THE EDITOR’S NOTE Young anglers on the fishing protest line, for a change

21

CORRESPONDENCE Reader reactions to recent news

33

READER PHOTOS FROM THE FIELD Chinook, coho, crabs, bear and more!

37

PHOTO CONTEST WINNERS Browning, Fishing monthly prizes

41

THE DISHONOR ROLL Father, son fined for 2014 Metolius poaching; Kudos; Jackass of the Month

43

DERBY WATCH Recent results and upcoming events

47

OUTDOOR CALENDAR

47

BIG FISH Idaho’s longest C&R record fish so far

149 RIG OF THE MONTH Super-simple back-bouncing dropper set-up 14 Northwest Sportsman

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We Have What You Need For Your Next Hunting, Fishing Or Camping Adventure!

ARCHERY: Mathews, Bowtech, Hoyt Bows GUNS: Sig, Kimber, Ruger, Remington, Smith & Wesson, Weatherby, Glock, Fierce Firearms FISHING: Lamiglas, Daiwa, Okuma, Shimano, Berkley, Yakima Bait GEAR: Vortex Optics, Swarovski Optics, Stika clothing 1825 N. 1st St. - Hwy 395 • Hermiston, OR 97838 • 541-289-6817 Northwest Sportsman 15 nwsportsmanmag.com | NOVEMBER 2016

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THEEDITOR’SNOTE

C

overing this year’s salmon season messes, I spent some time on the fisheries protest trail as it wound its way through Western Washington. Lacey and the offices of the National Marine Fisheries Service in early May. Shelton and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife’s George Adams Salmon Hatchery in late July. Monroe and the gravel bar at the state’s Lewis Street boat ramp on fall’s first weekend.

I was proud to see hundreds of anglers standing up for fairness in fisheries, for equal access to state-reared Chinook, for better in-season management – and something else too.

A LONG TIME ago now, a Lions Club Scenes from salmon fishing protests at Lacey, Shelton chapter wanted (top, bottom left) and Monroe, Wash. (ANDY WALGAMOTT, ALL) me to join. They clearly needed new blood for their good works, but I demurred. I was too busy fishing, hunting and doing other things outdoors.

Fortunately, there are amongst us Northwest sportsmen those of a more civic nature, and who have more time on their hands. The events at NMFS and George Adams were put together by venerable groups such as Puget Sound Anglers, Steelhead Trout Club and CCA. If the fishermen in attendance were mostly gray-haired and nearing retirement or retired, they had also answered the call of duty.

Which brings us to Lewis Street. With no major angling group involved, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but when I arrived on the banks of the Skykomish I was immediately struck by how young most of those who’d turned out that Saturday morning were, including dads in their 20s and 30s with small children in tow.

That’s not to say there weren’t young fellers at the previous rallies, because there were, but the age of organizers Danny Stonedahl, Kyle Sorenson and Brady McGuire stood in sharp contrast too.

“This is all driven by young guys,” Jeff Mastro, an older angler from down in Duvall, told me. “I am just here to support them.”

Stonedahl and Sorenson spoke as if they were old hands at this, while also representing Northwest anglerdom’s Facebook set. With more coho returning than forecast, they wanted the state to open the river system to, at the very minimum, hatchery silvers.

I’ll be honest: My prediction that the waters would stay closed despite the protest and a powerful lawmaker’s interest turned out as far off as the preseason forecast – the lads got their wish and more.

Hat tip to everyone who worked on and attended all of this year’s protests, and a special kudos to the guys who cared enough to organize and spend that morning on the banks of the Skykomish, tossing hookless lures into the crick. It’s great to see young lions get involved. –Andy Walgamott

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CORRESPONDENCE B-RUN STEELHEAD BUCK FORECAST News on our Facebook page that twice as many B-run steelhead as forecast were expected back to the Columbia River this fall led to some friendly joshing between fishing partners who now needed to find a way to get after them.

USING THEIR THINKING CAPS In this no-holds-barred political season, perhaps the initial allegations about who might have poached and wasted a trophy bull elk in Southwest Oregon were to be expected, but those reacting to the news eventually reached solid conclusions. “How does this end up being a race issue?” Susie Otoole wondered. “Let’s stick to the issue – who illegally shot the elk!?” Added Ceder Adam Rowe, “It gives poachers a bad name – it doesn’t give hunters a bad name. Hunters don’t shoot elk at 2:30 in the morning.”

USING THEIR TRASH BAGS It didn’t take long after the Duwamish River opened for coho that its banks started to accumulate fishing litter. A post showing two Ziplocs’ worth that the editor collected at one hole to put in a garbage can that was all of 15 yards away drew several comments. “Every time I go to my favorite hatchery hole I leave with a big bag of trash. It only takes me a second to pick it up. People are pigs,” wrote Shane Nichols. Added Rob Kuemper, “It always amazes me how people are strong enough to carry full beer cans into the woods, but can’t carry them out when they’re empty.”

MOST LIKED READER PIC WE HUNG UP ON OUR FACEBOOK PAGE DURING THIS ISSUE’S PRODUCTION CYCLE This beauteous picture from Genaro Ramos Jr. was a hit on social media in early fall.

He caught the Columbia River upriver bright at the mouth of the Deschutes on – what else this season?!? – a Super Bait.

(FISHING PHOTO CONTEST)

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(RON CAMP, WILDLIFE ARTIST)

Money For Nothin’ Or Fishing Ain’t Free?

In perilous financial straits, Washington fish and wildlife managers ask state lawmakers, governor to approve license fee increases, but sportsmen are leery.

By Terry J. Wiest

I

never thought I’d be writing on anything to do with politics. But following the worst fishing in my life in terms of opportunities and number of fish, not much to look forward to in the future, and with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife asking for increased license fees, I had to speak up.

When I first heard about WDFW’s proposal, my knee-jerk reaction was, well, something I can’t put in writing. I believe most sports anglers had the same reaction. After calming down and trying to analyze just why and how the agency could even consider it after this disastrous season, I decided to try my best to see both sides of the quandary.

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Before I go too far, here’s what WDFW is proposing: Resident license Current* Proposed* Combo** $55.35 $64.70 Freshwater $29.50 $35.00 Saltwater $30.05 $35.00 Shellfish $17.40 $26.20 Salmon catch card $0.00 $10.00 Steelhead catch card $0.00 $10.00 Halibut catch card $0.00 $10.00 Sturgeon catch card $0.00 $10.00 Puget Sound crab $8.75 $17.00 Razor clam $14.10 $24.00 * Out-the-door cost; ** Freshwater, saltwater, shellfish

MIXED BAG

PICTURE

So as I see it, I would have to pay an additional $48.60 for my license next year, if WDFW’s current proposal is approved as is by state lawmakers and signed into law by the governor.

How can WDFW justify this? That’s a question that not only I but many others have.

The perception of WDFW has to be at an all-time low. Director Jim Unsworth’s first attempt at the annual North of Falcon salmon

negotiations was abysmal. This year he got the initial thumbs up from many sport anglers and clubs for standing up to the tribes and fighting for us during protracted efforts to come up with fisheries. However, the seasons we ended up with were short, nonexistent or came on the back side of runs.

And the trickle-down effect hit not only sporting goods stores and manufacturers of fishing gear and goods but WDFW itself.

According to an anonymous employee, the agency sold roughly 40 percent fewer licenses.

Nonetheless, WDFW has sent its license increase proposal to the governor’s office for inclusion in next year’s budget discussions. With the legislature set to convene in two months, I queried well-respected people inside Washington’s sportfishing world on their opinions, which you’ll see below. And after reading their questions and having many of my own, I conversed with Bruce Botka, WDFW’s public affairs director, to see exactly what they are thinking with this proposal, and how they think they can sell it to the state’s fishermen.

I hope you’ll read all of the information below, then form your own opinion. A special thanks to all those who responded to me when posed with the questions about the proposal. You’ll see that much thought went into their responses.

Meanwhile, whatever happens with this proposal, we should all work together to find a way to get Washington back to the world-class fishing destination it once was, with plenty of opportunity for everyone to enjoy what we used to have.

WHAT FISHERMEN ARE SAYING Ron Garner, Puget Sound Anglers State Board president

WHAT WDFW IS SAYING Terry Wiest A key goal of the proposal – which would generate

We are having troubles coming to terms with the WDFW fee increase. At this time there is no agreement between our recreational fishing groups and WDFW. If they do not come up with some sort of funding, this will hurt our fisheries in the near and long term. General Funds are constantly being removed from WDFW funding, so recreational license fees are primarily now carrying a huge portion of our state fisheries funding. Severe cuts will probably occur to our hatcheries if they are not additionally funded. Funds from the commercial fishing industry are going into the General Fund. General funds are being removed from funding WDFW, so these commercial dollars should be rerouted straight back into WDFW, to help manage our fisheries. Our hatchery systems support $9 billion coastal and $2 billion Strait/Puget Sound fisheries.

I do not understand why general funds are not put into WDFW, instead of cut. Washington state has an obligation through treaties with the tribes to keep them supplied with fish and game. Now our license fees pay for much of the hatchery fish. A very large portion of those fish are harvested by the tribes. Our recreational license dollars are raising fish for the tribes? Ludicrous. Why are the recreational fishers of Washington state being forced to pay for

about $15.3 million per year – is to set fees that more accurately reflect fisheries management costs. So the $15.3 million per year would be directly from license fee increases?

Bruce Botka That amount would be raised through the recreational fishing license fee proposal. In addition, the commercial fee proposal would raise $4.2 million per year, and we are also requesting state general funds.

Looking at what I would consider to be the package that many anglers would purchase, here is what current and proposed fees look like, as well as how much similar ones in Oregon cost, as competitiveness with that state is mentioned in WDFW’s proposal: Resident licenses WA ’16 Combo $55.35 Columbia River endorsement $8.75 Salmon catch card $0.00 Steelhead catch card $0.00 Combined tag N/A Hatchery salmon/steelhead tag N/A Halibut catch card $0.00 Puget Sound crab $8.75 Shellfish $0.00 Total $72.85

Proposed OR ’16 $64.70 $38.00 $9.75 $9.75 $10.00 N/A $10.00 N/A N/A $35.00 N/A $25.00 $10.00 $0.00 $17.00 N/A $0.00 $9.00 $121.45 $116.75

TW What guarantee do we have that this money will stay for fishing opportunities and enhancements?

BB Our budget package (submitted to the governor’s budget office and available at wdfw.wa.gov/about/budget/) describes in detail how we would spend the new license revenue. The Wild Future fact sheets summarize our funding, licensing, and spending proposals.

TW Part of the proposal asks for money from the General Fund to bridge the gap that the license fee increase will not cover. Many believe that much of our current license fees go into the General Fund. Is this true?

BB No. Recreational fishing and hunting license fees go to the State Wildlife Account, not the general fund. Currently, some commercial

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MIXED BAG the fish that the tribes catch? Where is there any incentive for us to keep paying for these fish when we are not allowed to catch them?

This worries me to what the outcome might be.

WDFW funding is a game changer. The state needs to pony up and pay for the tribal treaty right share and not the recreational license holders, as we do not have much opportunity left. In North Of Falcon negotiations, the tribes have forced “in-season management” on us, not the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. This means that WDFW test fishing boats go in when catchable (larger schools of fish) salmon show up where the fishing is good. Within three to four days of good catching, the test boats show impacts on our undersized fish and we get shut down.

So we can fish when fishing is bad, and as soon as it gets good, we lose that fishery for the season. This is something that occurred at NOF a few years ago to get a Puget Sound agreement, and the tribes have made us hold up to it ever since. The tribes do not use in-season management themselves.

We are all going to have to work together to keep fishing but other funds have to support WDFW.

Gabe Miller, fishing buyer for Sportco/Outdoor Emporium, vice president of the Northwest Sportfishing Industry Association The state is really at a major crossroads right now. There are a couple policy issues at the forefront on this fee increase that need to be addressed, or this is going to be a seriously heavy lift for WDFW to move forward with.

Our industry really needs the allocation reforms on the Columbia to continue forward to the 80/20 split next year, as planned. Sport anglers have been paying for this for several years now and it looks like we are about to have the carpet pulled out from underneath us, just as we get to the finish line. Sportfishing is a billion-dollar industry here in the Northwest and the Columbia River is a major contributor to that.

The other major issue is that the North of Falcon process is broken and in serious need of repair. The whole process needs to be reformed so we don’t end up in situations like we did this year and in years past. Sitting on the beach is not good for anyone. Our customers work hard for their money, and want to feel like they are getting a good value out of the dollars they spend on fish and The future of WDFW’s license fee increase proposal is as murky as this day of spring Chinook trolling off the mouth of the Wind River in the Columbia Gorge. But at the same time, as these anglers would tell you, you’re not going to get anything if you don’t put something out there. (ANDY WALGAMOTT)

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license revenue goes to the general fund, but we are proposing to redirect that money to the State Wildlife Account.

TW How much from the General Fund is the proposal asking for?

BB Our Wild Future proposals seek a total of $7.9 million during the two-year budget period that begins July 1, 2017.

TW If the proposal is rejected, how will that affect current fisheries?

How will that affect the department?

BB The department has received the Legislature and Governor’s approval to maintain our current activities through the 2015-2017 biennium, which ends June 30, 2017. If our proposals for the 20172019 biennium are rejected, WDFW won’t be able to maintain the current level of fishing opportunities, nor will we be able to provide the increased opportunities that we are proposing.

TW Most sportsmen I have talked to about this subject are opposed to the increase, unless they are guaranteed that there will be more fishing opportunities. What guarantees do we have if the proposal is accepted?

BB Our proposals specify how we would spend the new funds to maintain and expand recreational fisheries. There are several specific examples in the “Developing New Fishing Opportunities” section of the fact sheet. All of these proposals are described in detail in our formal budget package.

TW WDFW is asking for $2.7 million annually to maintain hatcheries, up from $500,000. What kind of production can we expect and what species are we talking about?

BB WDFW operates 83 hatchery facilities statewide, which represent a $2.5 billion infrastructure investment. Some hatcheries are over 100 years old and others are not far behind. Many hatcheries are deteriorating, and facility and equipment failures are common.

Many facilities require additional maintenance to avoid loss of production and to maintain a safe working environment for staff. Not surprisingly, it’s increasingly costly to maintain the hatcheries, and the existing budget is inadequate to protect the state’s investment.

Our funding request is designed to ensure adequate maintenance and to maintain current fish production into the future.

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MIXED BAG game licenses. I hear the phrase used by our customers that they feel like ”they are spending more and getting less.” I know this is not WDFW’s intention but people’s perception is their reality.

I know that the department has faced huge cuts in general fund dollars over the past several years. The only way to really make that up is through increased revenue into the State Wildlife Account via license sales. It goes without saying that when state legislators cut back General Fund dollars, programs and fish plants end up getting cut back, resulting in less opportunity for sportsmen. With the devastating years the sportfishing industry has faced in 2015 and 2016, less opportunity is not what we want to see in the future.

I think a fee increase is probably warranted, but it’s going to be a tough sell for WDFW with some of these issues we have looming on the horizon. I honestly think their constituents will be more inclined to support it if they feel that the department is working diligently to fix some of these issues, as well as try and create and expand opportunities in Washington.

Additional funds are requested for hatchery production, including $1.3 million to maintain salmon production in the Lower Columbia and $2.2 million for increased salmon production on the Coast and Puget Sound.

TW Will steelhead production be positively affected by the proposed increase?

BB This component of the operating budget request is targeted to maintain the hatcheries’ infrastructure and current steelhead production, which is about 5 million this year.

As a footnote, steelhead conservation and research would also benefit from approval of the Wild Future proposal. For example, we are requesting $780,000 for research into management methods to improve juvenile steelhead survival in Puget Sound. We also expect sales of the new steelhead license plate – available to steelhead supporters in January – to generate $530,000 for steelhead conservation. And our habitat restoration proposals will benefit steelhead as well as salmon.

Tom Pollack, well-known Puget Sound area fisherman There is discussion ongoing to raise the cost of license fees. If this should occur, as in the past the funds WDFW now receives will be cut further. Legislatures are continually looking for more funds for their interest projects. At a meeting I was at, it was stated that once operating funds are cut back, they would never be reinstated.

If license fees are increased, we all would expect to see more opportunities on more fish available. More charge for licenses – we will see less participation by part-time fishermen. The hardcore fishermen who have the larger boats would pay any increase for their licenses – a small amount compared to the investment they have in their equipment. Others would cut back on the new equipment they would be buying. This same user group would have to cut back on the number of fishing trips. Those kids just old enough to have to buy a license could be left home – more time for them playing computer games.

I do not support the increase in license fees. What might be considered is a stamp for warmwater fishing to be directed to make better use of the Rod Meseberg warmwater hatchery. As I understand, it is rearing tiger musky and that is about all. So many ex-salmon fishermen have turned to the warmwater fishery, including myself. There are so many things within WDFW that are not being used wisely.

John Keizer, SaltPatrol.com This is a tough one. I believe the department needs the increase, but I also believe anglers are not for funding just an operational budget without any funds going to increase fishing opportunities, i.e., hatcheries or blackmouth production. Timing is everything when asking for funds, and now following the worse state salmon fishing season in 15 years it’s going to be a very tough sell. Add that the new director is hinting that we can’t or will not get our own NOAA permit and we will be forced to negotiate a season with the tribes once again, makes this increase even harder to swallow.

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TW There is $6.8 million earmarked for “developing new fishing opportunities.” Is this in addition to the $2.7 million for maintaining the hatcheries?

BB Yes.

TW Looking at the proposed increase, for anglers such as myself purchasing a combo license, fishing for salmon, steelhead, halibut and crab and also needing the Columbia endorsement, it appears my fees will increase from $72.85 to $121.45. That’s a big jump!

BB Throughout the summer, the department hosted public meetings on the Wild Future proposal and accepted public comments online.

The most significant concern raised was the proposed cost of the catch record cards. Based on public comment and the availability of better projections of angler participation, WDFW was able to reduce the proposed cost of the catch record cards (from $17 to $10) in the package submitted to the Governor.

TW The proposal said it wants to align more closely with neighboring states. In Oregon, the same fisheries would cost me $116.75, so $4.65 more than Oregon. Yes, that is comparable, but how do you sell that to anglers who now must pay an additional $48.60 when the opportunities have been decreasing?

BB The Department is seeking additional revenue in order to maintain current services and to provide additional fishing opportunities that the public requested during the public meetings we conducted around the state last fall.

TW Can the state approve the fee increase, but use the money elsewhere?

BB The Legislature and Governor must approve fishing and hunting fees, and they provide our spending authority. Revenue from the sale of fishing licenses will go toward maintaining and increasing fishing opportunities.

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MIXED BAG Mike Perusse, Don Coffey Company, Shimano/G.Loomis rep Approve the increase if the money stays within the agency, earmarked to help restore or impact fish management for the better. You get what you pay for these days, but using the money to fund other programs because of budget cuts is highway robbery.

Kevin Klein, Inside Passage Yacht Sales I come from a different perspective than a lot of people, but there are probably quite a few folks who share my opinion. I don’t really care that much what the licenses cost – to a point, of course. I would pay double what we’re paying now, if it meant we would see more opportunity and increased hatchery production. Also, a plan to deal with the tribes would be beneficial, and go a long way to justifying license fee increases. Honestly, it all comes down to “What do I get for my money?” If (your business) wants to raise rates on advertisers, you have to explain why the customer should still give you their money. Then you have to produce results. State should be no different. Justify it!

Todd Girtz, fishing guide with Todd’s Extreme Fishing A fee increase would not affect the guys who are out there fishing all the time like me very much. I spend thousands of dollars a year on fishing, so a few more dollars here or there is not a big deal to

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TW What can you guarantee anglers with the increased fees?

BB If the Legislature and Governor approved our proposals as written, we could guarantee anglers that the dollars would be used exactly as proposed. However, the Legislature and Governor almost never approve agency budget requests as written, so we will have to wait for the Governor to make his budget proposal in December and for the Legislature to take action on the budget next spring. In the meantime, both WDFW and state lawmakers would appreciate receiving input from the public regarding our priorities and strategies.

TW When can we expect to see changes for the better?

BB Funding for the 2017-19 biennium becomes available beginning July 1, 2017. In the meantime, we are making improvements throughout the state that don’t require new funds or changes to state law, such as improving boat launches and other facilities, so hunters and anglers should see improvements on an ongoing basis.

For example, our crews are right now making major improvements to the South Montesano boat launch on the Chehalis River, which is heavily used by salmon and steelhead anglers who fish both the Chehalis and Wynoochee Rivers.

TW Do you see a change in the way seasons are set, i.e., North of Falcon?

(Continued on page 146)

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READER PHOTOS

^

Nothing like success after putting your time in! Parker King and his dad Rob spent four long, hard days on Rogue Bay before finally getting a bite, this 25-pound fall Chinook.

It was their first time there in their boat. (FISHING PHOTO CONTEST)

Remember Sophie, the sidelined hunting pup with the eye injury in our September issue? Well, she’s back in the field! She and master Roy Fowles (left), along with Jim Wyatt and his dog Gypsy, hit a North Sound pheasant release site early last month and raised this beautiful ringneck. “Our hunting partners are so excited to get out there after birds that they begin dancing from the minute you put on your hunting pants,” notes Roy. (BROWNING PHOTO CONTEST)

Josh, Mason and Stephanie Weinheimer took advantage of the unexpected opening of coho fishing in southern Puget Sound’s Marine Area 13 last month, limiting the boat on six sweet hatchery silvers heading back to the Squaxin Island Tribe’s netpens. (FISHING PHOTO CONTEST)

^

Dungezilla!

Aidan Harpole’s Yaquina Bay crab measured more than 9 inches, and his cousin Dylan Harpole’s Dungeness was pretty big too. They were crabbing in midAugust. (FISHING 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 | NOVEMBER 2016

Northwest Sportsman 33

READER PHOTOS Just as Kyle Wilkinson and his dad Kent were about to head back to elk camp, what should waltz down the wapiti trail than this black bear, which Kyle downed with a 16-yard shot. “Tanning the hide, and the meat tastes delicious – very mild,” reports Kent.

Heckuva first walleye, Haakon! He and his dad Abe Allison trolled up this 30-incher on the Multnomah Channel during an early summer outing for smallmouth bass. (FISHING PHOTO CONTEST)

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^

^

(BROWNING PHOTO CONTEST)

A late September week fishing Tillamook Bay and the waters off the jetty yielded several nice fall kings for Blake Huffman and his stepfather, Bruce Bevard. (FISHING PHOTO CONTEST)

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PHOTO CONTEST

WINNERS!

Angie Volk is this issue’s monthly Fishing Photo Contest winner, thanks to her great capture of her family and their Columbia fall kings, especially 4-year-old Cosette’s priceless reaction. It wins her a pile of loot from the overstuffed office of our editor!

Chad Smith is this issue’s Browning Photo Contest winner, thanks to this picture of himself and the black bear he harvested in Washington’s North Cascades over Labor Day Weekend. 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 | NOVEMBER 2016

Northwest Sportsman 37

38 Northwest Sportsman

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40 Northwest Sportsman

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MIXED BAG

Father, Son Fined For 2014 Trophy Poaching

By Andy Walgamott

A

Southern Oregon man and his father must pay a hefty fine and are sitting out a few hunting seasons after being convicted in a poaching case involving a trophy mule deer buck.

The case began in mid-November 2014 when Oregon State Police fish and wildlife troopers got an anonymous report about a suspected poaching in the Metolius Unit.

Following an investigation, three search warrants were served on Justin Aplin, 43, of Central Point, and Jerry Aplin, 65, of Terrebonne.

After a three-day trial in late September, the duo were convicted in Jefferson County Circuit Court, Justin Aplin for the unlawful take of the buck and borrowing a big game tag, Jerry Aplin for loaning a big game tag and aiding in a wildlife violation.

Per an OSP press release, the Aplins must together pay $7,500 in restitution to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife for poaching the buck, have had their hunting privileges suspended for three years and they’re both on probation for one year.

Jerry and Justin Aplin must pay $7,500 and can’t hunt for three years after being convicted in the killing of this trophy Metolius Wildlife Management Unit buck. (OSP)

JACKASS OF THE MONTH

KUDOS

E

(OSP, BOTH)

B

rookings is well known for its Chinook, lingcod and steelhead fishing, but this fall saw a very unusual critter pulled out of the depths: an elk from a well.

Brandon Smithers, a senior trooper with the Oregon State Police’s Fish and Wildlife Division, was on hand to help pull the cow back to the surface, as was ODFW assistant district wildlife biologist Curtis Edwards. The Gold Beach-based duo clambered down a long ladder into the well, which was about 16 to 20 feet deep and 5 feet wide, and had apparently been covered by an old sheet of plywood that the elk busted through. Smithers and Edwards looped some stout straps around the sedated animal, connecting them via cable to a wrecker from 10-10 Express Towing that was backed up to the well mouth. It took two tries to get the angle on the cable right before the cow could be yarded back to level ground and carefully towed away.

“Once out of the well, an anti-sedative was administered and she was awake in about 10 minutes,” OSP reported. “The cow was not injured and left the area shortly after getting to her feet. Great teamwork and problem solving to all!”

Indeed!

ven if you’re the biggest hater of wolves in the world, nothing gives you the right to intentionally poison carcasses they or other animals will feed on.

But that is what Tim Clemens of Oregon did last fall in Central Idaho. In October, he entered a guilty plea in a county court to single counts of poisoning animals and unlawful take of big game, according to the Idaho Department of Fish and Game.

IDFG says it got a report in January that last fall two dogs had been poisoned in the Middle Fork Salmon, one of which died. Information tied the poisoning to the carcass of a field-dressed deer, and when conservation officers hiked to the scene, they found a dead wolf. The poison in the dogs, wolf and deer all matched. IDFG reports that Clemens admitted to putting poison on his field-dressed deer Clemens was sentenced to pay $10,000 to IDFG for investigative costs, $400 in civil penalties for illegally killing a big game animal – the wolf – and $675 in other fines.

Technically, he can have the court dismiss the charges, but this JOTM will stick.

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Northwest Sportsman 41

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By Andy Walgamott

2016 Derby Series In Home Stretch T

he Northwest Salmon Derby Series wraps up 2016 with a flurry of events this month and next, with bonus prize giveaways and the delayed awarding of the series’ grand prize boat.

First up is the Everett No-Coho Blackmouth Salmon Derby (everettcohoderby.com/temp) on Nov. 5-6. It features a $4,000 top prize for the largest immature Chinook, $2,000 for second and $1,000 for third – as well as the huge stockpile of prizes from what would have been the Everett Coho Derby back in September. Dan Welty won last year’s event with a 10.25-pounder.

Fishing is open on Puget Sound’s Marine Areas 8-1, 8-2 and 9, and with season having just opened the Tuesday before the derby, there should be good numbers of blackmouth around.

The event is headquartered out of Bayside Marine and will be where representatives of the Northwest Salmon Derby Series will draw the winner of a Hewescraft 220 set up with a Mercury 225 Verado, 9.9-horse ProKicker, tandom-axled and galvanized EZ-Loader trailer, Scotty Downriggers, Lowrance electronics and more, a package valued at $85,000!

Usually the boat is given away at the Everett Coho Derby, but with this year’s cancellation of (most) silver fishing in Puget Sound

Flounder Power!

W

hen salmon forecasts and season negotiations put the kibosh on the Everett Coho Derby this year, local fishermen came up with another way to raise funds for local salmon enhancement projects.

Sponsored by Bayside Marine, Performance Marine, Harbor Marine, John’s Sporting Goods and 710 ESPN The Outdoor Line, the first annual Flounder Pounder Fishing Derby sold 117 tickets and raised $3,500 for the Eagle Creek Hatchery.

Operated by the Everett Steelhead and Salmon Club, the facility between Monroe and Sultan produces tens of thousands of fin-clipped coho released in the Skykomish River basin.

MORE RECENT RESULTS Early October: La Push Last Chance Salmon Derby – cancelled

due to salmon season structure Westport Charterboat Association weekly winners (charterwestport.com): Sept. 30: Bryan Coolidge, 25.5-pound lingcod, Slammer Sept. 25: Joe Keyes, 35.15-pound albacore, Fury Sept. 25: James Shannon, 18.6-pound lingcod, Tequila Too Sept. 18: Dan Lemay, 34.65-pound albacore, Tequila Too

Ryan Kies and Mike McCauley both scored $10,000 for winning last December’s big blackmouth shindigs in the San Juans – the Resurrection Salmon Derby and the inaugural Friday Harbor Salmon Classic, respectively.

Their fish went 19.60 and 18.06 pounds. (RESURRECTION SALMON DERBY, JIMMIE LAWSON)

and area rivers (grumble, grumble), organizers pushed that back.

Early December will see a pair of blackmouth derbies in the San Juan Islands, right in time for the opening of Chinook fishing there as well.

We’ll take them alphabetically, starting with the Friday Harbor Salmon Classic, set for Dec. 1-3, and with one whale of a first prize – $15,000. Registration is $550 per boat, with proceeds going to salmon enhancement projects. For more information, check out fridayharborsalmonclassic.com.

The Resurrection Salmon Derby, headquartered out of the Cap Sante Marina in Anacortes, also aims to increase salmon numbers in the San Juans. It features a top prize of $10,000 for biggest Chinook, $2,500 for second and $1,000 for third. Held Dec. 2-3, tickets are $400 per boat. For more, go to resurrectionderby.com.

And for more on all three, go to nwsalmonderbyseries.com.

MORE UPCOMING EVENTS Sundays in late fall and early winter: Tengu Salmon Derby,

Elliott Bay; info: Seacrest Boathouse, (206) 324-7600 Nov. 19-23: Lake Pend Oreille Fall Fishing Derby, Lake Pend Oreille; info: lpoic.org Nov. 19-26: Clearwater Snake Steelhead Derby, waters in the greater Lewis & Clark Valley area; info: steelheadderby.com Jan. 14: NW Ice Fishing Festival, Sidley and Molson Lakes, Molson, Wash; info: edenvalleyranch.net Jan. 19-21: Roche Harbor Salmon Classic, Marine Area 7; info: rocheharbor.com/events/derby Feb. 17-19: Olympic Peninsula Salmon Derby, Areas 6, 9; info: gardinersalmonderby.org nwsportsmanmag.com | NOVEMBER 2016

Northwest Sportsman 43

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NOVEMBER 1 Elk River Bubble opens for Chinook; Blackmouth fishing opens in Marine Areas 8-1, 8-2, 9, 10, 13 2 Reopener of duck season in Oregon’s Zone 1 4 Last day to hunt blacktails in Oregon’s Coast, Cascade centerfire seasons 5 Oregon statewide snipe, Rocky Mountain bull elk centerfire second season opener; Western Washington rifle elk, Northeast late rifle whitetail openers; Steelhead Fishing 101 ($, registration), Glenn Otto Park, Troutdale – info: odfwcalendar.com 5-6 Extended Western Oregon youth deer hunt 6 Last day of Eastern Washington rifle elk season 12 Oregon first Coast rifle bull elk, late Southwest bow deer openers; Northwest Sportfishing Industry Association’s 17th Annual Washington Banquet fundraiser, Twin Lakes Country Club – info: nsiafishing.org 15 Last day to hunt bear in Washington; Last day of any-elk rifle season in numerous North-central Washington, Columbia Basin units; Last day of Oregon first Coast rifle bull elk hunt 16 Last day of Western Washington rifle elk season 17 Four-day Washington late rifle blacktail hunt opener in select units 19 Oregon second Coast rifle bull elk, Northwest Permit Zone goose openers 20 Late turkey hunt opens in select Northeast, Southeast Washington units 23 Late bow whitetail, blacktail, mule deer and elk opener in many Washington units 19 Last day of Oregon second Coast rifle bull elk season 30 Last day of Eastern Oregon bear, Northeast Oregon and Blue Mountain Zones fall turkey and Western Washington pheasant (except select release sites) and quail hunting seasons DECEMBER 1 Blackmouth fishing opens in Areas 6, 7

RECORD FISH C&R’ED IN IDAHO

(IDFG) (IDFG)

With the first year of the Idaho Department of Fish & Game’s new catch-and-release category for record fish just about to wrap up, we thought we’d take a look at the current leaders by length for several of the most popular species: Date

Species

Length”

Water

Angler

8-16-16 7-4-16 2-7-16 2-7-16 9-16-16 8-27-16 4-16-16 4-16-16

White sturgeon* Chinook*** Mackinaw Steelhead Walleye Flathead catfish Channel catfish Rainbow trout

117 41.5 38 33 31.5 30 29.5 27.5

Snake R. Salmon R. Payette L. SF Clearwater R. Salmon Falls Cr. Res. Snake R. Snake R. Snake R.

Multiple** Michael Nicholson Kevin Hamilton Thomas McLeod Russell Isaak Scott Turner Scott Turner Shane Thomas

* Image; ** Kirk, Lawaine, Seamus and Jeffry Fairchild and Homer Brown; *** Ocean-run nwsportsmanmag.com | NOVEMBER 2016

Northwest Sportsman 47

Understanding Elk Movement

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COLUMN

T BUZZ RAMSEY

he bullet caught the elk midstride, causing the animal to sprawl to the ground quicker than a brainshot steer. The shot to the spine dropped the elk as it bounded over

the canyon break.

They say that the best place to shoot an elk is through both lungs, with the bullet hitting at least one shoulder blade. Breaking bones is good because it puts them down. It’s where I was aiming, but not where my bullet hit the fastmoving animal that had first appeared not more than 80 yards away.

I’m not sure what got into me; perhaps the closeness of the elk, since I usually pass up shots at running game, as I’m too afraid I’ll miss or wound my intended target. I can handle a miss, but in no way want to put myself in a position where I’d have to chase after a wounded elk. What I learned long ago was that an adrenaline-filled elk, even one with a substantial wound, can travel many miles and hide where you may not find him.

MY PARTNER AND I were hunting what turned out

We can’t always count on tracking snow during elk season any more, so combining your hunting skills with an understanding of elk movement can go a long way in finding success during the Northwest’s rifle hunts. (BUZZ RAMSEY)

to be a virtual elk-hunters heaven, a huge tract of federal land where it snowed each night of our stay. There is just nothing like hunting fresh snow, especially when there are lots of elk around. And although mine was the first elk we’d actually seen, given their unique ability to be remain invisible, the fresh snow and constant supply of new elk tracks made this trip especially exciting.

We’d first caught the track from this elk, along with the others traveling with it, where they had crossed a Forest Service road, no more than a mile from where the elk fell. Once we identified their direction of travel and realized that the elk were heading upwind while side-hilling a northfacing canyon, we decided to split up. Since it was my partner’s turn, he followed the spoor along the timbered face while I paralleled the canyon, mostly staying back from the canyon rim far enough so as to not be seen or heard by the everwary elk.

Of course, it didn’t take long for the elk to realize they were being followed, since the track indicated the group had sped up. And although we knew there was a chance the elk might break out of the canyon, what we really expected was that they would stay on course until a thickly covered draw offered an escape route, which I was

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Northwest Sportsman 49

COLUMN

A stand hunt can be effective at ďŹ rst light, but as the day wears on, organizing a drive to push elk towards awaiting hunting partners can prove productive. (BUZZ RAMSEY)

Elk are more likely to travel the sides of hills, canyons and other geographical features than crests. (BUZZ RAMSEY)

hoping to have a view of.

SERIOUS ELK HUNTERS start their days well before first light, which is good strategy since tracking studies show that elk move the most between 4 and 8 in the morning.

However, research also confirms that elk normally move a half mile or so every few hours during the middle of the day. This is mostly to feed, which might be due to their relatively small rumens, which cause them to eat frequently and take lots of breaks in between to digest their food while snoozing.

Hunting pressure can have a huge influence on elk movement. For example, if there are a small number of hunters in the woods and few shots fired, disturbed elk may only move a ridge over, or circle around when frightened.

But under heavy hunting pressure, and especially when accompanied by rifle fire, elk may run for miles before slowing down.

For example, in one tracking study where there were shots fired, one elk covered 2 miles in 12 minutes. This is why hunter success during the first few days of the season is often had by those watching known travel corridors.

Of course, most hunting pressure subsides after opening weekend. This is when the remaining elk settle into a more low-profile routine than normal. Your best chance during this period might be to stand hunt during the first hour or two of daylight (when elk move the most) and later organize drives or slow hunts designed to push fleeing elk to members of your party watching probable exits.

Keep in mind that traveling elk will normally restrict their movement to brush-covered draws, canyons and the edge of clearcuts. They almost never skyline themselves; instead, the animals choose to navigate the sides of mountains, hills and canyons.

Since you can’t count on snow, combining your hunting skills with an understanding of elk movement can go a long way in finding success. NS Editor’s note: When the author is not hunting big game in fall, he is a brand manager and part of the management team at Yakima Bait. Like Buzz on Facebook.

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HUNTING

Make A Move On Migratory Elk Central Washington archers can fill their tag with these late-season tips.

By Brian Robertson

T

The late archery hunt offers bowmen a chance to intercept elk on their way to winter range. Opportunities vary by location, but in author Brian Robertson’s hunting grounds, cows, calves and spikes are fair game. (BRIAN ROBERTSON)

he alarm clock blares. It is 5 a.m. and the start of another late-season archery elk hunt.

By 5:33 I arrive at my brother Scott’s place. He is outside waiting, chomping at the bit, pacing in the freshly fallen snow. He never has had very much patience for his little brother.

We bounce up a Green Dot road toward a ridge we’ve nicknamed Three Mile, mostly because the darn thing feels like 3 miles straight up. The ascent is brutal on the legs and lungs, but so is every good elk hunt.

By the time we get up to the elevation of the elk, they are either gone or the wind swirls and a stampede ensues. A few expletives are muttered, then we stumble our way back down the hill – to find that a band of elk has wandered no more than 50 yards away from the Jeep. And so goes the season. Stalk after stalk busted – by wind, a stick cracking under the snow, a multitude of blunders usually entirely our fault.

But over the years we have improved our stalking skills to actually begin harvesting elk. Well, at least I have.

Scott is constantly complaining about being “always the bride’s maid, never the bride.” He always seems to be just out of range or one draw over from the herd – points that any good little bro would rub in at every opportunity.

I know it is hard to believe, but sneaking up on an elk is possible. Luck has a lot to do with it, but there are

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Northwest Sportsman 53

HUNTING some key points that have helped me be successful on late archery hunts. Once you start putting them all together, you will find that your success and enjoyment of the hunt will increase.

WHERE THE WAPITI BE First, be where the elk are.

Yes, it seems funny to say, but it is also solid logic. Whatever area you hunt, take the time to learn your unit. I was fortunate enough to have been born and raised in Central Washington.

The Yakima elk herds are, for lack of a better word, epic.

These late archery hunts give you a true opportunity to hunt migratory animals.

The seasons have been relatively constant over the last few years, with this year’s running Nov. 23-Dec. 8. The Nile (Game Management Unit 352),

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Glassing is key to getting on elk as they move out of the high country in fall and early winter.

Trails will look like someone’s rototilled a track through the snow or dirt. (RICK SWART, ODFW)

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Northwest Sportsman 55

HUNTING

Scent control is critical, as there’s no escaping the sharp nose of elk should the wind be blowing the wrong way. (NICK MYATT, ODFW)

Little Naches (GMU 346), Rimrock (GMU 364), Umtanum (GMU 342) and Elk Area 3681 (which is most of Cowiche, GMU 368) all have excellent elk hunting. Just make sure you read this year’s hunting pamphlet and know your boundaries.

When the snow starts piling up, the herds will funnel from their high country summer pastures to lower elevation wintering grounds.

The key to success is finding those migratory routes. Look for the game trails that are in use. I have found elk tend to use the same routes every year. You’ll know them when you see them. It will look like someone ran a rototiller through the snow or dirt. Focus on those areas or areas 56 Northwest Sportsman

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lower in elevation.

A fresh snow is when I really put some miles on the Jeep. I will check for fresh sign of the migration, starting high and working my way down. Once you are on a multitude of fresh tracks crossing the roads, you have found where to concentrate your efforts and it’s time to break out the optics.

I spend a lot of time on the glass.

Once I spot a herd, I’m looking over the terrain for the correct approach and whether other hunters are around, which could play into how I stalk the elk. Indeed, a good pair of binoculars goes a long way. You’ll also find me using a spotting scope, as in open country a good high point

and optics can save you a lot of miles.

ODORS AND ELK Once you start a stalk scent control is one of the most important factors.

Your actual scent output is only secondary to wind direction. You won’t get very close smelling like bacon and eggs. Clean, scent-free gear is a must. While we all know that becoming odorless is impossible, that doesn’t stop me from having a major case of OCD when it comes to trying to stay stank free.

I wash all my camouflage in a scent-free, UV-free laundry detergent.

Dead Down Wind 3D+ seems to work well for me. Once washed, I hang my clothing outside away from

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Northwest Sportsman 57

HUNTING any scent-inducing sources. Then the clothes go into a storage tote with a couple of fresh pine boughs in the bottom. I won’t see my camouflage again until I get to my hunting spot.

This does two things. One, it keeps household and car smells off my camouflage. There is no way to keep completely scent free, but I can limit what scent is imbedded into my clothing. Two, it allows my gear to marinate in the pine scent. This helps mask my naturally stinky self.

Speaking of human odor. We all know the amount of sweat that we produce climbing hills chasing elk. A good no-scent deodorant is a must.

The deodorants still let you sweat, but they kill the bacteria that offgas the elk-spooking odors. That is followed by application of a scentcontrol spray in the field. We will spray down as soon as we leave the truck and periodically throughout the hunt.

I take it a step further. During the chilly late season we always dress in

layers. After I crack the seal on my camo tote, I mist each layer with field spray as I put it on, giving a multilayer scent barrier.

At this point my scent control is up to the elk gods and the wind.

The latter controls every aspect of stalking late-season elk. It is one thing to get close to small groups of elk in September, but this time of year they can be gathered in massive, 100-plus-head herds. It is impossible to fool that many noses, so I do my best to keep the wind in my face.

A side wind is OK, but a quartering wind or worse is a recipe for disaster.

More than once I have started a sneak on elk and called it off due to swirling or flat-out wrong winds.

There is no use trying to push a bad wind. By this time of fall’s seasons, it only takes a hint of human odor to send the whole herd running for another county.

NOISE CUTS BOTH WAYS That said, dealing with large winter herds is not as bad as it sounds.

Late fall often brings fogbanks to the Columbia Basin, so getting above the murk to high spots from which you can put your optics to work will help your hunt. (BRIAN ROBERTSON) 58 Northwest Sportsman

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Elk can be louder than a bunch of high school girls at a Justin Bieber concert. They love the safety of numbers. They know the more ears and noses, the better their chances are of spotting a predator.

Most of the time at least one animal in the herd will hear, see or smell your approach. However, the herd mentality’s downfall is that there are so many more feet and mouths.

Many elk together tend to be loud in the woods. They stumble over rocks, break branches and talk a lot.

As the winter migration starts small bands of elk combine into large masses, but within these masses family groups tend to hang out together. The smaller bands keep track of one another by calling out.

Then there are the youngsters, bless their tender hearts. The calves are always running and playing all over the herd. This keeps the cows talking, trying to keep track of their calves.

The combination of that many hooves moving and that many mouths talking gives a late-season

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HUNTING archer a chance of sneaking in on the herd. Depending on the terrain your one chance on a shot might be long. That’s when practice comes in. I shoot my bow a lot. By a lot, I mean that I shot every day leading up to the season, and at least 30 arrows a day.

It is fine and dandy to shoot on flat ground across your lawn. That’s where you learn your anchor points and muscle memory, but I cannot think of a single time that I loosed an arrow on perfectly flat ground across manicured grass at an elk.

Put yourself in hunting situations.

Practice up- and downhill shots.

Shoot sitting, standing and kneeling – every conceivable scenario. That way you have been there and done that when a real opportunity comes.

When practicing, I also wear everything I would be when hunting – pack, binos, rangefinder, the works.

This does a couple things for you.

It lets you now if any of your gear impedes in your draw, and it tells you whether any gear causes hitches in your anchor. A little weight in your pack may have you leaning back; at longer ranges, that could cause your arrow to drift towards your lean.

Shoot farther in practice than you would at your elk. If you are comfortable practicing at 60, 70 and even 80 yards, your 50-yard shot on a big ol’ tasty cow elk will be a breeze. Did I mention to shoot a lot? It really will help your accuracy.

These animals deserve a well-placed shot for a quick, humane harvest. So practice up.

CLOTHING KEY Remember, we are dealing with a lot of eyes in an elk herd, so matching camouflage to terrain is must. I wear Cabela’s Outfitters Wool for superchilly days. It breaks up my outline at close range, doesn’t turn into a dark blob at longer range, and the brown and green tones blend well with open and treed environments. If the snow gets deep, a set of lightweight snow 60 Northwest Sportsman

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Besides loading the larder with a little extra venison, late-season hunts also can help managers better control the size of elk herds. Dave Anderson did his part with this “east of the mountains” cow he killed in early December a couple seasons back. (BROWNING PHOTO CONTEST)

cover-ups seems to help out.

Whatever camouflage you choose, dress in layers. As you slog up and down, you will build up a head of steam, so the ability to drop layers is a must. If you sweat through your clothes then try to stand on a game trail, you are bound to get cold and have to head back for your ride – and it’s pretty hard to shoot an elk from the cab of a truck.

Brian Williams, a close friend and former Mt. Rainier mountain guide, gave me a tip to “hike cold,” meaning that if you start to sweat, drop layers until you don’t. I have found myself more than once down to a longsleeve T-shirt in a foot of snow. In the mountaineering world, sweat can kill you. We are far from that here, but sweat can make you darn miserable.

Wet, cold feet are just as miserable.

A good set of Gore-Tex boots are key.

For winter hunting, I use Cabela’s Miendel Perfekt Hunter Boots, combined with a set of gaiters. I have found that 400 grams of Thinsulate is about right for stalking in the winter months. If you are going to post up on a game trail or spend a lot of time in one spot glassing, you may want more insulation.

TOUGH HUNT, BUT DOABLE Saying that stalking winter elk is tough is an understatement. At times it feels darn near impossible. You will definitely fail more often than you succeed, but taking some pride in your hunt and concentrating on the details will at least level the playing field. As good friend Hugh King once told me, “You can’t kill ’em from the truck.” Get out there and hunt. NS

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COLUMN The 12-day Westside rie elk season kicks off Nov. 5, and hunters will be glassing clearcuts for bulls like this one author Jason Brooks put down a couple years back. (JASON BROOKS)

Bulls, Ringnecks Power November Ops W

ood smoke rising from stoves inside glowing wall tents means that elk season is here for Washington hunters, and the good news is that bull numbers are doing well in some of the Westside’s best areas, including with the Mt. Rainier herd.

While much of the ground surrounding the snow-capped volcano is checkerboarded with private lands, most of which requires permits to get onto, hunters can still find lands in the form of the Elbe State SOUTH SOUND public Forest, Glacier View, Clearwater and Tatoosh

By Jason Brooks

Wildernesses, and Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie and Gifford Pinchot National Forests around its perimeter. Those lands hold some resident elk, but what rifle hunters want for the Nov. 5 opener is a healthy snowfall in the high country that will push elk out of the national park and down to lower elevations, increasing the number of available animals.

If you can secure access to private lands, then the snows are not as important since most of the elk roaming the lowlands live there year-round. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife has noted increasing populations in Game Management Units 666 and 667, Deschutes and Skookumchuck, where small

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COLUMN tracts of lands can hold elk. In the latter, the 960-acre TransAltaowned Skookumchuck Wildlife Area is popular with elk hunters who locate the small herds traveling through or are being pushed around by other hunters. In 2015 there were 27 elk harvested by 327 rifle hunters for an 8 percent success rate in GMU 667. GMU 666 is mostly private, and to keep damage down it is an “any elk” unit, which yields a better success rate – 9.5 percent last year. But out of the 14 elk killed by the 147 hunters, only one was a bull.

Another unit with a lot of private land but which also has a good number of resident elk is GMU 652, Puyallup. In 2015, 198 reported hunting it, with 37 of them tagging out, yielding a 15.7 percent success rate, highest of all of the South Sound game management units.

FURTHER SOUTH IS the St. Helens herd, which occupies some of Western Washington’s true elk country and which yields some of the best success rates in the entire state. Now in its second year as a general season unit, the Margaret still has a robust population, partly due to private timber companies owning a large part of the unit, while the eastern reaches were made into the Norway Pass subunit, which is not open during the general season. Margaret hosted 536 rifle hunters in 2015, with 72 bulls killed. The relatively high number of hunters might have been due to the fact that the GMU was a coveted permit hunt – if you’ve ever researched Mt. St. Helens’ elk herds online, then you probably read about the

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WDFW reports increasing numbers of elk in the units around Mt. Rainier, and a good crop of raghorns available this year in the Willapa Hills units.

(JASON BROOKS)

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COLUMN Margaret. Now that the glitter has worn off a bit, hunters might go back to their old elk camps and let this unit settle down, which will help with the overall hunting experience. Most of the GMU is owned by Weyerhaeuser, so an access permit is required for entry.

To the north, the Winston Unit is one of the most popular in this region, with 1,086 modern firearm hunters heading to it last year and harvesting 111 bulls. With the high density of roads and hunters, the crowds can be a bit frustrating, but at least there’s state land south of the Cowlitz River reservoirs.

A bit further afield from the South Sound but possibly a good bet this year will be the Willapa Hills. WDFW reports that last year saw the highest elk harvest in 15 years, and it is expected to continue this year, thanks to “exceptional calf recruitment” two years ago that should supply plenty of raghorns this year. There are some bigger blocks of state land here too, but as elsewhere much of the landscape is private and will require access permits, if any are even available at this late date.

SINCE ELK HUNTING is so popular and the areas we hunt are either small tracts of private property or larger, overcrowded forest and timber company lands, it is no surprise that hunters pushing elk often leads to success for other hunters. Elk need a lot of room to roam, and when pushed they go for miles. With all the clearcuts and reprod it is to your advantage to find a high spot and glass. In the morning hours elk feed in the openings, then head to heavy cover for midday. As the sun starts to set, the animals once again come out to feed. At the beginning of the rifle hunt, this pattern starts as normal, but as hunters still-hunt the cover at midday and push elk, you can come across animals just about anywhere at any time, except back at camp.

With a season that is 12 days long – and especially during the weekends when there are more hunters afield – it is better to plan ahead to spend the entire day out hunting for elk. It still amazes me when I find other hunters back at camp in daylight.

Most Western Washington elk haunts have extensive logging road systems. You will have better success finding a landing and setting up the spotting scope while enjoying a sack lunch than going back to camp.

ANOTHER OPTION FOR Northwest sportsmen in November is to spend the last few remaining weekends of the pheasant release program afield at the various sites where the birds are plentiful through Thanksgiving weekend. Even though these hunts can be a bit frustrating, what with other hunters and their dogs running about, they can also be a lot of fun. The birds usually don’t run like the wild pheasants of Eastern Washington but instead hold tight for the flush and then are slow to get up. If you find a flushed bird or miss your initial shot, it’s a safe bet that you will find it close to where it landed and get a second opportunity at it.

Because the birds are slow to rise and don’t run out to far distances before flushing I prefer to use a 20-gauge shotgun with a modified choke. Most of the release sites require nontoxic shot, which I agree with. Not so much because I worry some stray duck pecking amongst the Scotch broom will ingest lead, but because 68 Northwest Sportsman

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Western Washington’s pheasant stocking program on state wildlife areas and other cooperators’ lands runs through Thanksgiving, giving hunters young and old a chance at bringing home a bird or two. Ryan Brooks bagged this pair at Fort Lewis earlier this year. (JASON BROOKS) the nontoxic pellets don’t carry as far, making the fields much safer when you see other hunters approaching from across the meadow. I like to shoot high brass size 4 steel shot, as it still packs enough punch to knock down the pheasants and anchor them.

Unfortunately, I have seen wounded pheasants that can no longer flush run from hunters, who then proceed to finish the birds off on the ground with several dogs running around. Size 4 shot ensures this is unlikely to happen.

Thanksgiving is one of the best times to hit the release fields.

Extra birds are often put out and the four-day weekend allows plenty of time to get to the sites and hunt them during the 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. hunts. Just remember, whether you chose odd or even days, you can still hunt on the opposite day after 10 a.m. For youth hunters there is no odd or even license and they can hunt either day at the 8 a.m. start time.

After the long weekend a lot of the fields stay open for a few more weeks but no additional plants occur. These hunts are to maximize the opportunity to hunt the planted birds, as their survival is highly unlikely, what with various other predators like coyotes, bobcats, raccoons and domestic cats roaming around.

Ringnecks are released on units of the Cowlitz, Scatter Creek, Skookumchuck and Snoqualmie Wildlife Areas, select state and private timberland properties, Fort Lewis and elsewhere. For the full list, go to wdfw.wa.gov/hunting/pheasant/western and download the PDF. NS

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HUNTING

November Prime For Oregon Blacktails Here’s how to hunt the best month for these elusive deer.

By Troy Rodakowski

T

here are only a few magical days a season when blacktail reliably show themselves during daylight hours, and if you want to tag out, you need to make sure you are in the woods during this period. Every year people ask me what makes a blacktail hunter good and why some folks always get their deer. Simply answered, they’re out there when the deer are at their most active.

With these otherwise nocturnal ungulates, paying close attention to the surroundings and what cycle of the rut the animals are in are keys for planning a hunt.

The first cold snaps of the season usually hit about this time of year, making for some great hunting opportunities. By now the rain has dampened the forest floor and made for some very quiet hiking, enabling hunters to sneak to treestands, ground blinds and elevated vantage points. Of course, finding trophy deer is not easy, but with does beginning to come into estrus bucks will be more visible during daylight. Scan the densest cover meticulously with optics before giving up on a good-looking location. The bottom line is blacktail relish the thickest of cover, which they tunnel and weave through, enabling them to go undetected for much of their lives. As a hunter you need to put yourself in the cover or very near it to be successful.

Patience and being in the woods during critical movement periods is key to harvesting a decent blacktail in Western Oregon, says author Troy Rodakowski, here with his November 2015 buck. He took it with a short-barrelled .30-30, perfect for the region’s brushy deer woods. (TROY RODAKOWSKI)

coax them out with fawn and doe bleats, but make sure to use them sparingly. These calls can pique their curiosity and entice them to pop their heads out.

VALLEY DEER Lowland blacktail thrive in small patches of COAST RANGE BUCKS Deer on the coast typically have smaller racks due to genetics, thick cover and the available nutrients. But there are exceptions to this rule, as larger bucks can be found near old burns and logged locations that have opened up the forest canopy, allowing plants other than salal to grow. There are some real monsters out there that would score into the 130- to 140-inch class.

Hunters need to spend time near the perimeters of likely locations that have the lowest human activity.

Archers and muzzleloader hunters enjoy some of the best November opportunities throughout the mountains.

Treestands or elevated locations that allow hunters to watch the thickest cover can provide some excellent chances at bigger bucks. As the animals often spend the majority of their time in the brush, you can sometimes

woods near rivers and agricultural grounds of Western Oregon’s large river valleys. Hunting them can be difficult due to a high percentage of the land being private. But deer numbers have slowly grown and numerous farmers and private landowners have seen increased traffic and agricultural damage.

Harvesting a trophy here is not easy since most land is locked up. Establishing good relationships with multiple landowners is essential in order to find big bucks. With all the human activity, deer here frequently move under the cover of darkness, even more so than in other locations.

Finding a place to hunt that is close to home will be of great benefit for scouting and the number of hours that you are able to spend in the field. Binoculars and spotting scopes are great tools since many locations have nwsportsmanmag.com | NOVEMBER 2016

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HUNTING

Rodakowski found this fresh rub (inset) just prior to harvesting his 2015 blacktail. The buck wasn’t far away and calling and rattling this time of year can work quite well to entice curious deer.

(TROY RODAKOWSKI)

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more open terrain, such as hillsides, agricultural production fields and small meadows. Take time to dissect intersecting cover in these areas where deer will move to and from.

Oftentimes, deer will feed into the edges of fields at twilight and dusk. This is when a hunter needs to be in the field. Ground blinds and treestands are the ticket here as deer seem to rut very inconsistently, with each season presenting different challenges.

I have seen deer exhibiting rut activity in mid- to late October, or even earlier. Also, I have seen a good number of bucks chasing does well into the month of December.

Fellow blacktail hunter and Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife biologist Brian Wolfer at the Springfield office (541-726-3515) prefers hunting when the bucks are most active during the prerut.

“I have observed the most bucks during the prerut in early November, when deer are chasing each other around,” he says.

It is important to pay close attention to the weather, barometer and moon phases, as valley deer seem to be more delicate to environmental changes.

In dry years animals gravitate to local water sources, such as irrigation ditches, slough bottoms and ponds near river systems. Seasons with higher rainfall and early fall rains seem to encourage deer to rut much sooner, which will also extend into early December in many instances.

Heavy rains will also push deer out of slough bottoms as they begin to fill with water.

Even though state wildlife biologists are learning more and more about these deer, blacktail continue to remind us that they can be mysterious and very elusive.

“We have been trying to get a better idea on migration and movements from collaring and collecting harvest data over the last few years,” notes Wolfer.

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HUNTING the valley but the mountains as well, our next stop.

CASCADE BLACKTAILS Snowfall at higher elevations will push deer into migratory mode, and with the rut progressively ramping up, bucks will continue to breed does on the move.

Deer here will travel greater distances in comparison to those at lower elevations. Snowline hunting has become the norm for many late-season hunters as deer drop in elevation with accumulating white stuff. However, it is quite amazing to see trail camera footage and hear reports of large bucks taken in several inches of snow. Indeed, a good number of deer are much slower to migrate and can be found at elevations from 3,000 to 5,000 feet through much of November.

Finding the migration routes and isolated hidey holes of these deer is the key, and many hunters have had success calling, rattling and hunting from treestands in the lower Cascade foothills. Bucks at higher elevation are quite difficult to pattern, especially late in the season as the weather and rut affects their patterns.

It’s all about “taking your time, using decoys, scent and meticulously combing the brush with your optics,” tips Wayne Endicott, archery pro and owner of the Bow Rack Archery Pro Shop (541-746-9711) in Springfield.

Endicott, who has harvested numerous 130-inch and

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larger Pope & Young trophies, also likes to rattle and call when the right conditions present themselves.

“Usually, I have found that the best time to find receptive deer is between the hours of 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.,” he says.

The reason for this is that most does are bedded during midday and bucks that are also resting can become curious and territorial.

“They only have one thing on their mind,” notes Endicott.

LATE-SEASON TIPS There are a few more keys to increasing your odds in the field this November. First of all, make sure to put yourself in good habitat. Higher populations of deer will gravitate to these areas and your success will likely increase over time.

“Deer love high-quality browse, and finding access to private timberlands where forest productions are managed carefully is very important,” Endicott says.

It is difficult to find “prime” habitat on national forest land any more due to management practices and restriction in timber harvest and replanting, but Bureau of Land Management ground is plentiful and, generally speaking, being more actively logged.

Also, patterning deer is very important when hunting these ghosts roaming the jungles of Oregon. Wait, did I say patterning? That’s a contradiction when talking

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Whether you bag that trophy or encounter a spike, consider late-season hunting an ongoing education towards unlocking the mysteries of Western Oregon blacktail. (TROY RODAKOWSKI)

about these mysterious deer, so looking for travel patterns might be a more realistic way to put it. Deer will follow specific routes of travel by scent left by tarsal glands and will stick to them through much of the late season. Finally, patience will be the biggest and most important key to successfully harvesting a trophy buck.

“You can’t just cover large amounts of terrain like when elk hunting.

A serious blacktail hunter needs to move slow and carefully survey all of their surroundings,” tips Endicott.

It has sometimes taken me all day to cover a couple hundred acres of land.

Remember to also expect the unexpected. Most hunters have stories of near misses in which bucks appeared out of thin air and disappeared just as quickly.

Perseverance is probably the biggest thing when it comes to hunting blacktail. Hunters who put in their time in quality habitat will have a greater chance of harvesting a quality deer.

Regardless of what we learn through our experiences with these magnificent animals, they will in many ways always remain a mystery.

But I know this season I plan on trying to solve a little bit of it out in Oregon’s blacktail woods. NS

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HUNTING

5 Keys: Rutty Whitetails Northeast Washington and Idaho Panhandle bucks get active this month, but notching your tag is no slam dunk.

Whether you’re hunting rutty whitetail with a rifle or bow, November and December represent your best odds of notching a tag on one of these otherwise superwily deer. (MARK BOVE)

By Mark Bove

I

n the Northwest, whitetails rut from October to December, with the peak of activity being the entire month of November. This period give hunters distinct advantages. The rut is among the most exciting times to be in the deer woods, as it can see near-constant whitetail movement. Big bucks tend to break out of their nocturnal, and often-solitary existence to search the countryside for hot does in estrus. Too busy chasing tail to worry about their surroundings, they are more focused on finding a lovely lady than self-preservation. Indeed, during the rut bucks can lose up to 30 percent of their body mass as a result of fighting, exertion and lack of nutrition they’re so active.

In Eastern Washington and Idaho’s Panhandle, whitetails inhabit a number of habitat niches, and whether you are chasing big mountain bucks or urban and farmland ones, these tricks will help notch your tag.

UNDERSTANDING THE RUT Whitetail are short-day breeders, meaning that the rut is not determined by a specific weather snap, but rather photo period. That’s the duration of daylight over a 24-hour period. According to the Wisconsin Department of Animal Science, whitetails, in response to the onset of darkness, produce melatonin, and once levels of the hormone reach a certain point, does go into estrus. They’re in heat for a 24-hour period, and if you are hunting around a hot doe, any buck in the area is sure to be nearby. If a doe is not bred during her first estrus cycle, she will go into heat again 28 days later. This timeframe usually coincides with the final days of Washington’s late rifle hunt and the tail end of the late archery season. I have observed and harvested rutting bucks into December.

feeding, and the paths they take between those locations.

As you explore your hunting area, take inventory of things like scrapes, rubs and licking branches. These are all vital clues for where to set up. Whitetails use these signing posts to know who’s who in the zoo; they check these areas periodically for the smells of other deer. These are great places to set up a game camera to inventory the local herd, and it will give you a barometer on rut activity by having 24-hour surveillance on the area. (Note: It’s illegal to run trail cams in Montana during any hunting season.)

If you are scouting or hunting during the prerut, focus on finding does. Once you have the does’ home area pinpointed, you know where the bucks will be once the rut kicks into full gear and one of the does goes into heat.

HUNT A FULL DAY SETTING UP FOR SUCCESS Whether you set up on the ground, in a blind or perch in a tree, it is important to set yourself up along a deer movement corridor. Try to set up in an area with heavy cover behind you. This serves two purposes: It will make it less likely that a deer will sneak up behind you, and it breaks up your silhouette from the animals’ keen eyesight.

It is critical to learn where the deer are bedding and

I can’t count the number of times I’ve climbed out of my treestand only to return and find that the buck I was hunting had waltzed by at high noon. Once the rut starts to set in, bucks will spend more time on their feet in search of does. This time of year it’s basically impossible to pattern a big buck; he is going into the wind, following his nose as pheromones of hot does lure him from one area to the next. Hunters who are patient enough to sit all day are nwsportsmanmag.com | NOVEMBER 2016

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HUNTING

From the Palouse into the Panhandle’s forested heights, whitetail bucks generally behave the same this time of year.

Use author Mark Bove’s tips to improve your chances of success.

(MARK BOVE)

on the ground, especially in the Panhandle or during Eastern Washington’s late rifle hunts. It is important to make more noise than just hitting the horns to together.

You must mimic the sound of two large animals fighting to the death. Break branches, make stomping sounds, and grunt after periods of heated battle noises. When rattling pick an area where you can cover miles of country. Walk a mile, rattle and sit for an hour before moving onto the next area roughly a mile away. This allows you to cover a lot of country, and local pockets of deer. This is a great method when hunting new terrain.

KNOW THE WIND often rewarded with opportunities and encounters during midday sits that otherwise would not have occurred.

SPEAK THE LANGUAGE During peak rut, bucks will have to defend hot does from other bucks. This is the perfect time to rattle and grunt to attract rut-crazed bucks into thinking that two competitors are locked in the heat of battle. Here are some strategies for rattling in a rutting whitetail.

Rattling from a treestand can provide a chance at a harvest, but it is also hard to add the realism necessary to pull in bucks. Rattling is a great tactic when rifle hunting

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As a species, humans smell terrible to whitetails. When an ornery doe catches your wind, she may bolt off a short distant and snort loudly in protest to alert every living thing in the forest to your presence. Or she may run off and not stop till she is miles away. It is vitally important that you hunt with the wind in your favor. With some scouting and trial and error with stand location, it will become easy to know what area to hunt for each prevailing wind direction. If the wind is unfavorable for one of your stands, it is important to have a plan B or even plan C. Good luck during the rut! Hunt hard, know your regulations and respect the wildlife, land, and others while you are enjoying the outdoors. NS

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Northwest Sportsman 81

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COLUMN A hard day of hunting led the author’s friend Ryan to notch his tag with this little buck, and inspired our Chef in the Wild’s latest recipe. (RANDY KING)

Flank Maneuver W

edged into a rock outcropping above an aspen-wooded valley, Ryan and I glassed a decent-sized herd of mule deer. A swollen-necked trophy was defending his harem from an invasive CHEF IN THE WILD horde of smaller bucks. He would run off

By Randy King one challenger after another in one-sided fights. The buck would have been a great wallhanger, but that was not the season we were hunting. Ryan had Idaho’s “general season” tag that allowed him to only shoot a forky in this unit.

We could only simply watch the show and hope that a little buck would show himself. Alas, no shooter did and eventually the herd wandered down the drainage and out of sight. Unphased, we hiked back to the truck.

“If that is the show for the day – hell, the week – this was time well spent,” Ryan said.

“Yeah, not every day you get to watch the rut in action,”

I replied.

We drove off and checked out a series of “trusty” spots for deer.

From one vantage point to another, from one block of buckbrush to the next, we hiked and drove. Doe after doe on the hills, with not a horn in sight.

We stopped and ate a quick hot lunch of packaged ramen off of the camp stove. It slid down with a Gatorade and peanut butter and honey sandwich. Not exactly gourmet, but surely under $3, and that is the point some days.

In midafternoon we made a wide loop and came to the top of a long draw with a great view below. Then I dun messed up.

The giant stick my boot was on cracked, then broke clean in half. The noise reverberated up the valley like a beacon; it was a cringe-worthy moment. But then, still with that “oops” look on my face, I caught sight of a doe head at 100 yards. She was staring right back at me. Ryan was not amused either, but little can be done. The hunt had gone from “spot and stalk” to “spook

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84 Northwest Sportsman

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Northwest Sportsman 85

COLUMN

GOCHUJANG-MARINATED FLANK STEAK WITH RAMEN Sometimes making classy junk food is just fun; done right it can be delicious.

Like many college students I ate an inordinate amount of “ramen” in my day. At 25 cents per package of noodles, they are a cheap way to full an empty belly. But with just a few extra items, a bowl full or salt and starch can turn into decadence. Cue this recipe for venison flank steak.

Located on the outside of the deer’s ribcage, the flank steak is an often-underutilized cut of meat. Most times it is peeled off of the ribs and tossed into the “grind” pile. That is a shame – marinated, quickly grilled and sliced thin the meat is delectable.

To find the flank simply look under the front quarters and on top of the ribs. This area holds the brisket cut – the “breast meat” off a deer. Behind that, on each side, is the flank meat. It will only ever be about 1 inch thick. It should peel off the ribs with little work, but will be covered in fat and silverskin – the whitish connective tissue around meat. Clean the flank as well as you can without losing too much meat. Slide the tip of the knife under the silverskin and along the meat, discarding the silverskin. I typically lose about 30 percent to trim, but that is way worth it.

The next step is to marinate the flank steak. That can be done for as little as four hours or up to 24. The flavor is great either way, so do this step however you would like. Then grill the steak, which adds a great smokiness to the dish. I then add a poached egg, fresh vegetables and a dash of shichimi togarashi, a Japanese mixture of seven spices that kicks up the flavor of the whole dish.

For a cheap meal that is quick and easy to prepare, this one fills the stomach and tastes great too.

MARINADE 1 deer flank steak (about 1 pound of venison total; really, any cut could work with this) 1 tablespoon gochujang 1 tablespoon honey 1 tablespoon sesame oil 2 tablespoons water 1 teaspoon shichimi togarashi Add everything but the flank steak to a medium-sized mixing bowl. Combine with a fork until mix is smooth and all ingredients are incorporated. Add the flank steak and coat evenly with the marinade. Cover bowl with clear film and leave in the fridge anywhere from four to 24 hours.

Heat grill to medium-high. Take the venison directly from the refrigerator to the grill – do not prewarm the meat at all. Cook flank steak no more than three minutes on each side. Remove to clean plate and let rest before slicing. Slice thin and serve on top 86 Northwest Sportsman

NOVEMBER 2016 | nwsportsmanmag.com

Gochujang-marinated flank steak with ramen, poached egg with a dash of shichimi togarashi and sliced mangos. (RANDY KING) of the ramen bowl.

THE RAMEN 6 cups water 1 tablespoon vinegar, white 2 packages “Oriental” ramen 1 cup broccoli florets 1 cup matchstick carrots 1 cup chopped kale 4 eggs 1 mango, cored and sliced thin In a medium-sized sauce pan add four cups of water and bring to a boil. In a separate sauté pan add two cups of water and the vinegar, then bring to a simmer. Add the ramen (including the flavor pouches, opened), broccoli, carrots and kale to the four cups of water. Bring back to a boil and remove from heat.

Crack, gently, the four eggs into the vinegar water and let simmer until the egg whites completely set but the yolk is still runny, or about 2 minutes.

Portion into four bowls the ramen, broth and vegetable mix.

Top each bowl with a poached egg, sliced mangos and sliced flank steak. Enjoy!

For more wild game recipes, see my website, chefrandyking .com. –RK

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Northwest Sportsman 87

HUNTING, RECREATION, OFF THE GRID, HOME SITES! Seldom do you find this many opportunities in one property. The 403.83 acres for sale here include two lots, and with a lot-line adjustment both could be buildable. Beaver Creek runs through the property and has a good population of redband rainbow trout. There are several springs with power and pond potentials. The property borders the Malheur National Forest for half a mile, and there are a million acres of national forest in the vicinity.

The area has some of the best trophy elk and mule deer hunting anywhere. Antelope also are plentiful. What a “way of life” opportunity!

The property qualifies for landowner preference tags for elk and mule deer. Eligible landowners reportedly can sell their available tags for $4,000 each or more for elk, and $2,500 each or more for mule deer.

The property taxes are $98.46 per year. The acreage is located about 40 miles east of Paulina, about 4 miles from pavement, on private roads and behind gates for great seclusion and privacy.

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253-640-2121 | seaportrealty@gmail.com | www.landmanonline.com 88 Northwest Sportsman

NOVEMBER 2016 | nwsportsmanmag.com

Randy King smiles as he prepares to pack out part of his buddy’s buck.

(RANDY KING)

and shoot” in a heartbeat.

Soon, a herd of deer was filing out of the draw below us. I watched as, tail raised and one after another, they stotted out of the draw.

“Doe,” I said, watching the herd pass by, “doe, doe, doe.”

About 15 filed out, then cut back to a leafless aspen grove following a well-used game trail. But joining them was a new group of deer, appearing from a different section of the draw.

“Doe, doe … %$%& sake – a spike, I got horns!” I proclaimed.

“On him,” said Ryan.

“Cool,” I replied.

“Do I shoot?” said Ryan.

“Your tag,” I replied.

“Yardage?”

“I have no idea.”

“Wind?”

“A little.”

“Dude, you are not helping,” said Ryan.

“Well, you are not shooting,” I responded.

Then he did. A shot from his .280 rang out across the valley. The young buck had been quartering away from us at about 300 yards, and off his shooting stick, Ryan hit it just behind his left shoulder, sending the bullet through the deer’s heart. The buck simply crumpled, never knowing another thing.

Ryan tagged the buck, then started back to the truck for the pack boards. I dressed and quartered the deer, getting him into game bags quickly. Just one trip was all we needed.

“Want any of this guy?” Ryan asked.

“Can I have the flank steaks?” I said.

“Really? That’s it?” he replied.

“I have an idea …” NS

Lakeside Log Home with 1930’s Cabin For Sale Near Nestucca River, Oregon

First lot features a stunning, fully furnished, 3,642-sq ft log home (4 bedrooms, 2.2 baths) built in 2007.

Includes open floor plan kitchen, dining and living area with massive stone fireplace; vaulted ceilings; wraparound; and daylight basement/game room. Two-car attached tandem garage.

Second lot includes charming remodeled (2+ bedrooms and 2.1 baths) 1930’s-era fixer-upper, as well as a 400sq. ft. woodworking shop (tools included) with its own bathroom and shower. This lot also has a floating hut on the pond, complete with fishing tackle and a potbelly stove.

All of this with a private 2-acre lake, beautiful scenery, a pole barn with woodworking equipment (included) and numerous boats (also included). Don’t miss this opportunity to own a unique getaway, retirement dream home, retreat or fishing lodge. Buyer to do due diligence, courtesy to brokers.

See also RMLS.com #16104559 and @NESTUCCALOGHOME on Instagram.

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nwsportsmanmag.com | NOVEMBER 2016

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NOVEMBER 2016 | nwsportsmanmag.com

HUNTING

Holiday Birds With late fall seasons, Northwest hunters have a good chance of bringing home a wild Butterball for Thanksgiving, Christmas.

By Troy Rodakowski

I With fall’s leaves underfoot, author Troy Rodakowski heads out of the woods with a gobbler he harvested in Western Oregon on Dec. 30 last season. Patience and patterning this bird eventually paid off.

Washington and Idaho also see hunting in some areas running well into the last month of the year. (TROY RODAKOWSKI)

love spring turkey hunting but had never spent as much time as I wanted pursuing the birds in fall. While deer hunting late in October or November I’ve often seen large flocks moving through the forests or landscape and wished I could swap my rifle out for a shotgun, at least for just a few minutes.

Needless to say, that prompted me to devote some time and pursue turkeys prior to the holidays and do my part in providing the traditional meat for both Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners.

After all, this is the time of year we enjoy a good roast bird or two, along with stuffing and all of the delicious fixings. nwsportsmanmag.com | NOVEMBER 2016

Northwest Sportsman 91

HUNTING “Turkeys and turkey harvest have been on the upswing over the past few years, and there is nothing to indicate that this won’t continue in 2016,” says Mikal Moore, the Pacific Northwest regional biologist for the National Wild Turkey Federation.

Last season 1,929 hunters were able to harvest 880 fall turkeys throughout Oregon. This includes the controlled hunts on the east side of the state as well. In Washington, 3,653 fall hunters were able to harvest 1,603 birds.

It looks as if this fall will be a good one, especially since we had a fairly mild summer and good rains throughout the spring to produce good amounts of nuts and seeds for turkeys to feed upon. Also, nesting success was quite good, with average broods surviving into early fall.

“In general, the Pacific Northwest avoided some of the devastating stand-replacement wildfires of the previous few summers, particularly in Washington,” notes Moore, who formerly worked for that state’s Department of Fish and Wildlife.

“Fires impact turkeys primarily when flocks are unable to escape the fire and experience direct mortality as a result. The Boise National Forest has seen several examples of this over the past few years and has seen faltering turkey populations as a result. Secondary mortality can result when turkeys are forced into marginal habitat when fires push them out of their traditional summer brood-rearing areas.”

I can say that after being in the woods this summer and early fall, I agree that there are good numbers of birds for the taking.

TIPS AND TACTICS In fall, turkeys move about in larger flocks searching for insects, seeds,

nuts and worms. These flocks consist of hens with yearling family groups, along with bachelor groups of toms staying together and mixing from time to time. On stormy or overcast days birds can be found in scrub oak, fir and pine patches, feeding and scratching through the leaves as the tree canopy provides some cover from the elements.

“The Pacific Northwest had a fairly dry summer, which can be a limiting factor for insect production.

Insects are vitally important to wild turkey poults as a protein source as they are quickly growing feathers, bones and muscle. Healthy riparian areas and wet meadows can really boost poult health and survival as an excellent source for protein,” says

Hunting turkey from shelter and concealment such as an old barn can work to one’s advantage – and in more ways than one during this cold, often wet and sometimes time of year. (TROY RODAKOWSKI) 92 Northwest Sportsman

NOVEMBER 2016 | nwsportsmanmag.com

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Northwest Sportsman 93

Moore. “As summer turns to fall, turkeys will start doubling down on nuts, seeds, and cereal grains to put on body fat for winter. Oak acorns, pine nuts, hawthorn berries, and wheat are some of the favored wild turkey foods in the fall and winter.

These resources are locally abundant in the Pacific Northwest, depending on the region. Oaks are most abundant west of the Cascades and in the Columbia River Gorge. Pines are a vital food source on the east slope of the Cascades, Rockies and Blue Mountains.

Last year it took me until December 30 to harvest my bird. Yes, only one day shy of season’s end, but it was well worth the wait.

What did I do in order to finally bag my gobbler, you might ask?

I patterned a good-sized flock for several weeks, learning where they roosted, where they flew down and, of course, their feeding patterns.

Another tactic that works is to scatter the flock and call them once they begin to regroup. This is very effective and is probably used more on the East Coast than out west.

Where it is legal to use dogs (Oregon: yes in fall; Washington: no), hunters will use hounds to scatter birds prior to setting up. Separated birds want to regroup, especially autumn family flocks. Once they are scattered you can set up near the scatter location and try to call them back to you.

Turkeys will always be near food sources, so if you find plenty of droppings, molted feathers and tracks, you are likely in a very good spot to sit, wait and even call birds.

“For the most robust turkey populations, managers and landowners should focus on providing high-quality habitat that includes plenty of winter food items such as fruit-bearing shrubs and trees, hard-mast-bearing trees such as oaks, and promoting ponderosa pine for structure and nutritious pine nuts,” adds Moore.

This being said, finding a good location with ample food is essential for success during the fall.

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nwsportsmanmag.com | NOVEMBER 2016

Northwest Sportsman 95

HUNTING THREE KEY CALLS If you want to be a successful fall turkey hunter, you’ll need to know how to call the birds.

First of all, the “kee-kee-run” is essential for family groups. Yelps are also necessary to bring both gobblers and hens without young. Raspy yelps tend to work best with gobbler gangs or male birds in general.

Using long series of yelps are what lost hens or younger birds will most often respond to.

When in doubt of what call to use in certain situations, remember that imitating the sounds that the turkeys are already making will usually work.

I have also found that light purring while scratching leaves works during the fall to bring in curious birds.

Remember to use tones that other birds are using. If they are loud and excited, be the same; if they are softly calling to each other, mimic that.

You can use blinds like you would in

Fresh sign in the fall will likely point you in the right direction. Scouting is essential for success on large flocks, as is knowing which call to use when to bring in these social birds. (TROY RODAKOWSKI)

SEASON DATES Idaho: General season in the Panhandle Region runs through Dec. 31, while the western Clearwater Region’s hunt opens Nov. 21 and runs through the end of the year.

Oregon: Western Oregon’s general fall season runs through New Year’s Eve, while in Eastern Oregon’s Northeast and Blue Mountain Zones it goes through Nov. 30.

However, those with permission to hunt private property in either zone have through December to chase turkeys.

Washington: The Evergreen State’s late fall general hunt in most of Northeast and Southeast Washington as well as the Palouse runs Nov. 20-Dec. 15.

See each state’s hunting pamphlet for more details.

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96 Northwest Sportsman

NOVEMBER 2016 | nwsportsmanmag.com

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A Butterball with all the fixings is a standard dinner during the holiday season, but the Northwest’s plentitude of Merriam’s, Rio Grandes and easterns gives hunters a chance to harvest their own turkey, which can provide a very satisfying feeling of accomplishment. (TROY RODAKOWSKI)

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spring, and on a few occasions I’ve used old barns for my hides. What makes them nice is they conceal movement quite well, turkeys are used to them and they keep you out of the sometimes harsh elements nature throws at us in fall. Believe me, being able to huddle up against an old tractor tire in a bed of straw when it is raining or sleeting outside is quite nice. The key is finding cover that turkeys are feeding near or traveling past on a regular basis on the land you are hunting.

Finally, no matter where or when I’m hunting during the fall I like to wear some fluorescent orange clothing on my head or body due to the increased traffic of hunters who may be pursuing deer, elk or other game during this time of year.

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One of the best things about putting a fall turkey or two in the freezer is that there are so many ways to prepare the savory meat. Yes, the traditional method of roasting in the oven is quite delicious, but I have found so many other ways to enjoy it. I have enjoyed turkey roasted, deep-fried, smoked, sautéed, jerked, turkey cordon bleu, crockpotted and, of course, on sandwiches. I like to take the leftover leg and thigh meat, boil it and make turkey noodle soup too. Indeed, there’s no better time of year for a nice warm bowl of soup! NS

Meet a Family with a Battery-Powered Landscape

“We like to do yard work. We like to maintain our property.”

SCOTT CENGIA

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It’s hard to maintain a home with four children. It’s even harder when that home sits on four acres of property dotted with trees and landscaping. But Scott and Kelly Cengia manage it all with the help of STIHL Lithium-Ion blowers, trimmers and hedge trimmers.

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STIHLdealers.com nwsportsmanmag.com | NOVEMBER 2016

Northwest Sportsman 99

Guide

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NOVEMBER 2016 | nwsportsmanmag.com

QIVIUT The Harpoon Cap The Harpoon Cap is a watchman style of hat that is worn fitted to the head with a cuff. Both items pictured above are made from 100 percent qiviut, the undercoat of muskox, and are eight times warmer than wool by weight and do not itch or shrink.

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Northwest Sportsman 101

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HUNTING

Do You Speak Anything Besides Mallard?

Learning a second, third or even fourth duck language could yield bigger bags.

By M.D. Johnson

While we’d all love to bag limits of greenheads every time out, when mallards are scarce but other duck species are prevalent, knowing how to talk bluebill, wigeon or other languages can pay off, as it did for author M.D. Johnson this day. (JULIA JOHNSON)

H

ere’s one you may not have heard before: Ducks are a lot like people. They look different. They act different. They live in different places and they eat different things. Most significant, perhaps, is the fact that nwsportsmanmag.com | NOVEMBER 2016

Northwest Sportsman 103

HUNTING ducks, like people from around the globe, speak different languages.

Think they all spoke mallard? Well, sir, think again.

When my waterfowling career began in the early 1970s, I knew only mallard duck calls and the traditional quack in its three or four variations.

Pop carried a call tucked away in the upper breast pocket of his canvas hunting coat. It was always there, and he’d play it from time to time.

Sometimes the mallards listened; other times, they ignored him. But quack he did, as it was his role, I assumed, as a duck hunter.

When I moved to Washington in 1993, I immediately learned that there was more to life than just quacks and quacking. Oh, I still heard it, but I also heard a wide variety of other ducky sounds. Whistles and peeps. Whines and growls. Rolling trills and odd guttural groans. Audibles seemingly out of place in the duck marsh, but – well – there they were. And what I noticed straight away was that different ducks responded differently to these nonmallard noises. They responded positively; in many cases, much more so than they did to my

go-to traditional mallard quacks.

It was a eureka! moment. From that point on, I decided that if I wanted to attract more ducks – ones that weren’t greenheaded and orange-footed – to my decoy spread, I’d have to learn to speak their language. I’d have to branch out, so to speak, and come to grips with the fact that real ducks don’t quack.

WOOD DUCKS It has been my experience that 99 percent of the woody population will ignore a wood duck call.

However, I did on one occasion see a small flock change course and return to a timbered pothole where a cousin of mine, wood duck call in hand, had just called to them in their “peet – w-o-o-O-O-I-T” rising whistle. Coincidence? Perhaps, but it was enough to convince me that on that one-in-a-million occasion when a flying wood duck wants to listen, he will.

Years ago in an interview, Phil Robertson, the Duck Commander, had this to say about calling wood ducks: “Wood ducks themselves are among the most difficult ducks to

call. Wood ducks are called much easier if they’re already sitting out there. And by that I mean, it’s easier to get a wood duck – with a wood duck call, now – to swim to you than it is to get him to fly to you. What most people don’t realize is that if a wood duck is flying, it’s got a ‘creeeek – creeeek – creeeek’ call. It’s a flying call. But when they’re sitting on the water, it’s a totally different sound. So they have a sound they make when they’re flying, which is what you don’t want to do because if they’re flying and you give them a flying call, nobody knows where to come back to.”

Sometimes the high-pitched

Wood ducks are very difficult to call, especially when flying. Instead, hope they land and try a whine to bring them towards your position. (GEORGE GENTRY, USFWS) 104 Northwest Sportsman

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HUNTING You can get by with a mallard calls for blue-winged teal, but for greenwings, a teal whistle call would be better. (JULIA JOHNSON)

‘creeeeek – creeeeek’ in-flight call of the wood duck will get a flock’s attention; then, when they’re within 100 yards or so, the whine, the aforementioned peep-whistle – peet – w-o-o-O-O-I-T – or simply the rising whistle portion of the call, can convince them to alight. Better yet, wait until the birds have landed, entice them closer with the promise of company using the whine, and then practice the art of jump-shooting.

TEAL There is a difference between teal in terms of calls and calling. The basic call for blue-wings is very similar to the hen mallard’s greeting call; the differences being the pitch, which is much higher, and the cadence, which is much quicker. Many folks, myself included, use a traditional mallard call on blue-wings. More air 106 Northwest Sportsman

NOVEMBER 2016 | nwsportsmanmag.com

and tongue pressure increases the pitch, and all that leaves is to step up the cadence or rhythm. Teal-specific calls, however, are tuned higher out of the box. They do, however, require more air pressure, and a radical departure from the traditional mallard cadence.

Green-winged teal, on the other hand, are what I’ll call peepers – they make a high-pitched, whistled “Peep!” that is short in duration and high in volume. The rhythm when calling them can be seen phonetically as “peep! Peep-peep! Peep.” Several teal-specific whistle-type calls are available; a plus to the whistle is its versatility, as you can imitate not only teal but drake mallards, pintails and wigeon with it.

PINTAILS “There are only so many sounds that

pintails make,” says Rod Haydel of Haydel’s Game Calls in Louisiana.

“The hen does sound similar to a hen mallard, only much softer and more monotone, for lack of a more descriptive phrase. She’ll usually make three or four low-pitch quacks, but again, it’s a monotone sound.”

“The drakes whistle, but you have to roll your tongue to make that sound,” he adds. “It’s very simple and easy to do; you block the exhaust port at the end of the call completely with your finger, and do about a onesecond trill by rolling your tongue.

The sound comes out of the top of the call. We start a lot of young kids down here on a pintail whistle.”

The Cajun did offer a couple tidbits of advice for those targeting pintails specifically.

“If you are going to focus on pintails, you’ll want to hunt the

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Northwest Sportsman 107

HUNTING larger openings in the marsh as opposed to the smaller potholes.

Pintails just seem to favor larger ponds. And in terms of decoys, and again if you’re targeting them specifically, you’ll want at least half your decoys to be pintails.”

Haydel went on to explain a quick calling tip he uses.

“If I’m dealing with small groups of pintails – six birds or so – I’ll make one short trill, and then wait four or five seconds. Another short trill, and wait. It’s really important, especially later in the season, to tone down your calling. If we have a bunch of guys in the blind, we’ll have one doing a little hen (pintail) quacks, and another on a whistle. Just calm calling.”

GADWALL I’ll never forget the first time I actually heard a drake gadwall. I’d

always heard about their odd nasally “dink … dink-dink … dink … dink” call, but hadn’t heard it personally until that morning. It was over a small pond, literally across the street from where we lived in Iowa, and the best that I could tell, the gadwall migration was on that morning, for small flocks of grey ducks kept coming and going throughout the day. This particular bird was a loner, a high-flying drake that locked up without hesitation upon seeing the small spread we’d set just outside the smartweed. To accompany his descent into the decoys, he repeatedly made that now-familiar dink … dink-dink sound. That is, until my father crumpled him right smartly with an ounce and quarter of steel No. 4s.

“Was that him making that sound?” the Old Man asked, wading

out to pick up his prize.

“Sure was, Pop,” I told him.

“Weird,” he said.

And it was – and still is to this day.

Instruments designed to reproduce the dink … dink-dink call of the drake grey duck are available. Some men – four-time Tennessee State duck calling champion, Bill Cooksey, being one of them – can mimic the strange sound almost perfectly, using nothing more than a single reed mallard call. And the dink … dinkdink can work in some situations, particularly where it’s being used as a confidence call. However, and especially late in the season when guy gadwalls are really starting to chase the girl ducks, there’s another trick callers might want to toss in their blind bag.

“I push grey ducks really hard, and I mean really hard,” said Lamar

Pintail, alighting on Oregon sheet water with shovelers, present a strong challenge for callers. (GEORGE GENTRY, USFWS) 108 Northwest Sportsman

NOVEMBER 2016 | nwsportsmanmag.com

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HUNTING

Wigeon have a readily replicable call; when trying to pull a flock in, have as many fellow hunters in the blind whistling to create the impression of many ducks. (JULIA JOHNSON)

Boyd, who together with his father, Mike, operates Beaver Dam Hunting Services on the legendary Beaver Dam Lake in Mississippi. “With grey ducks, I immediately try to figure out how much (calling) pressure they will stand, and try to get them on the water as soon as I can. Gadwall are easily distracted, and if something up the lake catches their eye – anything at all – they’re gone. I try to force them to be captivated and entranced by what they’re seeing and hearing.”

To do this, Boyd uses what he describes as a non-traditional, uncoordinated version of a hen mallard.

“It’s a hen gadwall on the water,” the young man says, “and I absolutely rely on it. It’s four or five quick notes – coarse, and not at all pretty. Dirty quacks, I guess, with a quick cadence.”

down to keep the pea inside from rattling and producing the trill. In some cases, and where it could be accomplished without totally ruining the device, I’ve simply removed the pea from inside the whistle. Others, my wife being one, use their natural voice to whistle in baldpate. Still others opt for a more conventional wigeon call or whistle.

Phonetically, the wigeon’s call sounds like “woo, whIT, woo,” with each sound or word being produced in a breathy, back-of-the-throat sort of way. The drake also makes a twonote whistle – “whIT, woo.”

Because wigeon are so chatty and, at least where I’ve found them in the Northwest, typically travel in larger groups, I’ve found it advantageous to have as many callers as possible blowing whistles, so as to create the aural illusion of many ducks making lots of noise.

WIGEON Wigeon are vocal birds, both in the air and on the water, and it’s easy to imitate their simple two- or threenote whistling call. For years, I used an ordinary dog whistle – upside110 Northwest Sportsman

NOVEMBER 2016 | nwsportsmanmag.com

BLUEBILLS, CANVASBACKS, AND REDHEADS There’s nothing quite like watching a flock of mallards lock up and commit, especially over water. It’s indescribably breathtaking, ’tis

true. However, when I can growl at a bunch of bluebills, the entire flock barely clearing the surface of the Columbia, have them turn on their wingtips and bore straight into the long-lines while I sit shaking behind a pile of driftwood and anti-aircraft netting, well, that does it for me.

To make the low-pitched breathy guttural growl, or rising “bbbuuurrrrrr” of the bluebill – note: cans and redheads utter similar sounds while on the water, along with what can best be described as sharp barks – I use an older J-frame single reed and flutter my tongue while growling into the call. If you’re wanting a diver-specific call, Haydel’s DC-14 is incredibly user-friendly, and features a removable exhaust plug that, when pulled, allows for greater volume. On big water attracting divers by sound is often exclusively a matter of volume.

Volume is important, yes; however, gaining the attention of any duck – any duck, that is, other than a mallard – is simply a matter of speaking their language. NS

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Author and longtime Northwest gun writer Dave Workman reports Sig Sauer’s new P229 Legion model pistol in 9mm is accurate, reliable and the perfect match for Sig’s Elite Performance ammunition. (DAVE WORKMAN)

New Gun Shines As Late Hunts Arrive

S

ince this is a “guns and shooting” column, now seems like a good time for a little change of pace.

Sig Sauer has ON TARGET

By Dave Workman introduced a new series of semiauto pistols that have some improved features, and they’re called the Legion. Chambered in 9mm, .357 SIG and .40 S&W, this series of self-loaders have double-stack magazines, tritium night sights, a Legion Gray PVD finish on the stainless-steel slide

and alloy frame, solid-steel guide rod, contoured beavertail, custom G-10 grips, low-profile slide release and decocking levers and enhanced checkering on the front strap and under the trigger guard.

There are three versions at this writing, the P226 Legion SA/DA, the P226 Singleaction in 9mm only and the P229, which was the version I tested, in 9mm.

Right up front, this pistol is a real shooter and straight out of the box, it proved to be pleasingly accurate.

I’ve fired other P229 models in all three calibers, and this one was as delightful as the others, and maybe more so.

It carries 15 rounds in the magazine, and is a comfortable carry piece. There’s an accessory rail on the front of the frame.

Empty, this pistol hits the sale at 29.6 ounces, according to Sig Sauer literature.

The barrel is 3.9 inches long and the pistol has a 5.7-inch sight radius.

As it happened, I have a good supply of Sig Sauer V-Crown Elite Performance ammunition, in two bullet weights, 115 and 124 grains. Over a chronograph set about 18 inches ahead of the muzzle, the former averaged 1,140 feet per second, while the latter warped along at an average of 1,079 fps. They were both very accurate rounds at 15 yards, as the photo on page 118 attests.

I also had some Black Hills 124-grain hollowpoints and they moved right out at 1,152 fps on average. At 25 yards, I was able to hit chunks of broken clay targets

nwsportsmanmag.com | NOVEMBER 2016

Northwest Sportsman 115

Brought To You By:

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using a two-hand hold.

Now why the interest in a handgun like this? Earlier this year, there were a couple of stories about firearms and personal protection in this magazine. I wrote one of them. A growing number of average citizens are arming up, including outdoorsmen and -women. If you’re going to carry a sidearm for self-defense, it may as well be one of the best on the map, and my experience with Sig Sauer pistols has been first rate.

My younger son owns a vintage P220 in .45 ACP, and it’s a really good specimen, capable of terrific accuracy.

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Up in Washington, the late blacktail buck hunt runs Nov. 17-20, while the late whitetail hunt is Nov. 5-19 in northeast game management units such as 105, 108, 111, 113, 117, 121 and 124.

For the smokepole crowd, there is a Nov. 23-Dec. 15 late blacktail muzzleloader hunt in several units, and for whitetails, there are hunts in a handful of units (Nov. 23-Dec. 8 in Unit 113 and Nov. 25-Dec. 8 in Units 130, 133, 136 and 139). A Nov. 20-Dec. 8 hunt for antlerless or threepoint-minimum bucks is open in Unit 172 (except in Deer Area 1040) and Unit 181.

And there’s a Nov. 20-30 hunt for any deer in Units 379 and 381.

Eastern Washington rifle elk kicks off in several units on Oct. 29, running through Nov. 6 in a majority, and continuing to Nov. 15 in several 200-series GMUs. Westside elk runs Nov. 5-16 in most units.

OK, now that we’ve got that blizzard of dates out of the way, think about preparation. Sharpen your knives, stick a spare pair of gloves in your daypack, along with matches and other gear.

On the subject of gloves, here’s a little trick to help keep your hands warm: Put on a pair of those blue plastic gloves one finds in auto parts stores. I keep several of these in my pack for cleaning game to keep the blood off my hands, but putting

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on a pair and wearing them inside your gloves helps retain body heat, and if your gloves get damp, that won’t transfer to your hands to make them cold and stiff.

Make sure you have a small hatchet for cutting through bone, and see that it has a good edge. It could come in handy in an emergency, such as in the event you get stuck overnight away from camp.

A good emergency fire starter is dryer lint mixed with a bit of sawdust or paper shavings. Press this into the cup of a paper egg carton. You can get a dozen or 18 of these, depending upon the egg box. Cut them separately, keep a few in a plastic bag along with strike-anywhere matches and stick them in your daypack.

NOVEMBER 2016 | nwsportsmanmag.com

Whatever else you’re doing, do not forget to vote Nov. 8, or before with a mail-in ballot. There is a lot riding on this election, including the White House, the balance of the U.S. Supreme Court, the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, the legislatures in every state, and governorships in Oregon and Washington.

Hillary Clinton has made gun control a cornerstone of her campaign. Donald Trump was endorsed by the NRA. Should be pretty easy to figure that one out.

Anybody who thinks it doesn’t matter and that their vote doesn’t count is fooling himself or herself. Don’t lull yourself into that position. This year your vote may count more than ever. NS

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COLUMN

‘Record’ Snow Goose Flight Inbound

Washington waterfowl managers are expecting a “record” flight of juvenile snow geese to descend on the Skagit Delta and nearby fields this season. (KAORUOKUMURA, FLICKR)

B

arring referral to a calendar, historically, the sudden need to

By Doug Huddle call in late to work or leave early made it clear November had arrived here in Northwest Washington.

One was the urge to grab your shotgun to go out to meet the dawn flights of snow geese descending on Fir Island. The second was a yen to take the afternoon off, drive a half hour and prospect for a bull elk on a favorite logging road in the nearby foothills.

As bellwethers go, the latter is not so much catered to any more, but the former

NORTH SOUND

is still a viable waterfowler itch.

SNOW GEESE IN FULL SWING The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife is expecting good things this year.

“Reports from the breeding grounds on Wrangell Island indicate another record high number of breeding pairs and young, and we expect record numbers of juvenile birds,” notes North Sound wildlife biologist Fenner Yarborough in his annual hunting prospects document.

But it’s likely the snows won’t all just swamp the Skagit Delta. WDFW’s dedicated Snow Goose Quality Hunt Program has dwindled in scope in recent

years and those few remaining designated units are now under the agency’s Private Lands Access Program. One of the reasons for this is that the wintering snow geese are now spreading their own wings in Skagit and northwest Snohomish Counties and the need to cope with them on the intensively cultivated farmlands of Fir Island and around Stanwood is less compelling for game managers.

It’s largely up to white goose hunters to make their own arrangements for field access on private land, though the department still does have a few prearranged or facilitated public hunting units in the Stanwood area and up in

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Northwest Sportsman 125

COLUMN central and northwest Skagit County west of Interstate 5.

The snow goose gunning strategy that makes the most sense from the standpoint of time invested is to: * Organize a small group of fellow like-minded hunters to share the decoy work load; * Get permission for access to one or two fields by prior agreement with their landowners. If you can get an exclusive, so much the better, but look for fields that have been seeded to winter wheat either as sacrificial cover or summer grain harvest; * Rig out ahead of time a sizeable decoy spread of white bags – 400 is perhaps the minimum number considered effective, especially in late season. One rule of thumb a Washington State University snow goose squad used was 250 bags per hunter in the party on any given day. This hunting group was made up of eight to ten Cougar grads, not all of whom went out every time; * Day-of-hunt mandatories include

126 Northwest Sportsman

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getting the decoy spread deployed before the first dawn flight of the day; * And have a designated shot caller who decides when to open up. One of the tactics the Wazzu gunners used was to lie still – as snow goose eyesight is exceptional, white coveralls are good camo for lying out among white dekes – and let vanguard birds actually land among the dekes before calling the shot. Snow geese flocks also have the aggravating habit of circling, in huge vortexes, a set of decoy or other birds on the ground, sometimes for minutes at a time, before the first lead birds actually set and drop.

Other rules to hunt snow geese by include not driving on farm fields, parking off public roads but not in field accesses or ramps, and not digging any pit blinds without permission.

If you want to hunt in an upright, concealed position, use existing ditchlines and adjust your decoy spread.

Do not discharge your shotgun at, from or along a public road, nor within 100 feet of said thoroughfares. Set a self-

imposed safety (no-shooting) zone of 500 feet around all dwellings and roads.

Also, make sure you have permission to access downed birds in adjacent fields.

If you chase snow geese for passshooting, do not use outbuildings or vegetative screens next to houses, barns or equipment sheds as cover.

Many of these rules in the snow goose zones are codified in WDFW hunting regulations, and if broken could result in suspension of snow goose and perhaps other hunting privileges – not a good plan with this year’s forecasted record flight.

ELK HUNTS FOR THE STUBBORN Few elk hunters residing here today stalk elk in Whatcom and Skagit Counties. Not only does a stay-at-home hunt require a great deal of on-the-ground homework, success relies on even greater doses of serendipity and perseverance than elsewhere.

The North Cascade herd is one of Washington’s smallest, hovering between 1,300 and 1,600 animals, and is still, after more than a decade, striving to reach the

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COLUMN target 1,950-head population goal. In Skagit County, considerable controversy continues to boil over the presence of elk bands on the valley floor between Sedro-Woolley and Marblemount.

Only peripheral Game Management Units 407 and 448 will be open for the general season, and those zones are dominated by private land ownership, interspersed with some public timberland.

For Westside modern firearms tag holders, the best of a slim Nooksack herd elk hunt option in the 12-day general season from Nov. 5-16, centers on a strip of ground along the eastern flanks of GMU 407 in Whatcom County.

It’s there that very small bands of elk persisting in the lower South Fork Nooksack River valley range from cultivated farm fields on the flats adjacent to the river up into public and private timberlands managed mainly by the state Department of Natural Resources or owned by Seefeld Corporation.

The more lucrative GMU 418, where

Northwest Washington elk hunters have a tough go of trying to harvest local wapiti – there’s a good-sized herd, but the animals tend to hang out where they can’t be pursued or up in the Nooksack Unit, which isn’t open during the general season. However, author Doug Huddle notes a few options for bulls like these. (CHRIS DANILSON, WDFW)

the bulk of the elk reside, including some splendid trophy bulls, is closed to general season hunters.

Four roads (Highway 9, Mosquito Lake

Road, Mount Baker Highway and Silver Lake Road) serve as 407’s east boundary (with GMU 418) in Whatcom and northern Skagit Counties. West of this demarcation

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COLUMN are lower forests of southeast Sumas Mountain, Stewart Mountain, Anderson Mountain and the Van Zandt Dike, on which these rag-tag bands spend some of their time.

This should be considered a very low-percentage hunt, though with some careful preseason scouting, good intelligence and landowner ground work, a shot at a big-racked bull may be possible.

On southeast Sumas Mountain look to the private timbered slopes west of Welcome and north of Deming. Most forest access roads are gated here.

On east Stewart Mountain prospect for elk sign along the county’s Turkington, Hillside and Caron Roads.

The Van Zandt Dike locale just east of the north/south-trending Mount Baker Highway-Highway 9 line, occasionally harbors elk that plague several farms in the Acme-Clipper area of the South Fork Nookack Valley.

A complex network of roads on DNR’s Van Zandt Dike management area carve

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up these second-growth forests and often deter elk presence, but two valleybottom peripheral county roads, Strand and Homesteader, run along the base of the ridge, intersecting possible elk trails from forest to field. The Dike’s mainline industrial route takes off north from Mosquito Lake Road about 1.3 miles east of Highway 9.

Hunters should be aware that lower elevation grounds are privately owned and the elk have many advocates among residents there who don’t want hunters on their property.

For their late stanzas in late November and December, archers also get to hunt the 407, but muzzleloaders are locked out in theirs.

young bucks, and GMU 407’s foothills fringes off the end of logging roads are concealing some nice older branchantlered animals. In either venue scouting and patience are necessities.

Thanksgiving’s version of fish fingerfood in the form of the Nooksack’s hooligan run is in the offing toward the end of the month. They may be netted (one of a few places where freshwater dipping is still allowed) in the lower river above Marine Drive when they start showing anytime after the 20th, especially on dropping flows following a big storm.

NEXT ISSUE

ALSO FOR NOVEMBER

Nooksack River hatchery steelhead, late archery hunts and Whatcom and Skagit webfoot options.

Though GMU 418 is not on the menu, the four-day late buck hunt soiree will be no less lucrative this season, if preseason sighting and sign rates are any indication. Lowland Whatcom County farmlands have a good crop of

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. NS

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FISHING

The Kings Of Kings Northwest’s biggest Chinook return this month, and here’s how to catch Chetco, Elk and Smith toads.

By Randy Wells

A

utumn’s colors are here, rifle hunters are either eating backstrap or tag soup, late-season archers are praying for snow and a heavy blacktail rut, and Southern Oregon salmon chasers are ready for huge kings and hoping for “just enough rain.”

Indeed, the joy of chasing fall Chinook on the small coastal streams in the Beaver State’s South Coast is only tainted by two things: no water and too much water. Each October I start anticipating the rain, hoping it’s enough to bring my favorite coastal river up to 1,500 cubic feet per second but not over 2,500 cfs. In addition, I hope for rain to stick around and maintain those river levels. But each fall, me and my fellow anglers deal with two meteorological truths.

Either the rain hits Southern Oregon in fall and keeps on pummeling us, or pulls the ol’ hit and run, like it did in 2015, when we barely had enough water to drag a drift boat down the river until late November, and by then the salmon were dark.

Yes, you could say that I watch the river gauges carefully, and that’s my job as a full-time fishing guide – to follow the flows during salmon and steelhead seasons. As an outdoor writer, I also share tips to aid you, the reader, in an effort to maximize your time on the water. So this month I’ll share some of what I do to fill fish boxes with fall kings.

BE VERSATILE NOT only with your baits, lures and techniques but your river options as well. Learn where

November’s prime time to fish for giant fall Chinook on the rivers of Southern Oregon and northernmost California, and one of the best is the Chetco, which guide and author Randy Wells calls his favorite.

(OREGONFISHINGADVENTURE.COM)

and when to fish them so that if one river is too low, too high, has no fish or too many boats, you can still have a successful trip. Although I live in Brookings during the winter and prefer to fish the Chetco, this river like others doesn’t always fish well. Therefore, over the years, I have had to branch out to stay on fish. Never leave fish to find fish, but never be afraid to leave your river to find fish either.

During salmon season I am following the water levels, fish counts and forecasted precipitation, or lack thereof, for the Chetco and Elk in Oregon and the Smith not far over the border in Northern California. I highly recommend you learn at least

three rivers within a five-hour drive from your house.

The Chetco, my favorite, fishes best for kings two to three days after a blowout, and is tough when the river is above 3,000 cfs or under 1,000 cfs. The magic flows are between 1,500 and 2,500 cfs, as the river maintains color.

The Smith will fish well above 1,200 cfs up to 4,000 cfs for salmon.

This river does have the potential of a low-flow closure between Oct. 1 and Jan. 31st when it drops below 600 cfs. You can and should always check the flow by calling the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s North Coast Rivers hotline, (707) 822-3164. The recorded message nwsportsmanmag.com | NOVEMBER 2016

Northwest Sportsman 135

FISHING

For high-water Chinook, Wells likes Yakima Bait’s Hawg Nose FlatFish, but when flows hit that sweet spot, he’s all about bait-wrapped Mag Lips in the 4.5 or 5.0 sizes. After use, he takes special care in how he rinses and readies them for the next day’s fishing. Here’s a peak (below) at his favorite colors for the Smith and Chetco. (OREGONFISHINGADVENTURE.COM)

is updated by 1 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Note that if you’re new to the Smith, there are definitely some spots that take special attention and should be avoided by inexperienced oarsman. For a shuttle or a guide, contact Mick Thomas (707-458-4704).

The Elk has become extremely popular, and when the flows are perfect, expect 50 to 80 boats all competing for a place to fish on this small river. Personally, I only fish the Elk when the Chetco or Smith are blown out. The Elk will come into shape almost overnight, whereas the Chetco can take two to three days. However, the Elk will also drop out fast unless it gets steady rain to maintain flows. It fishes best at 4.3 feet, but when it get low and the 136 Northwest Sportsman

NOVEMBER 2016 | nwsportsmanmag.com

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boats go away, it can be some crazy good bobber fishing. To check flows or hire a shuttle, call (541) 253-7001.

Wells calls this batch of cured eggs “perfect” for fall Chinook. (OREGONFISHINGADVENTURE.COM)

AS FOR FISHING the abovementioned rivers, when they’re running high pull plugs on their edges, as the salmon won’t be in their normal areas. They’ll hold instead in what I call “the path of least resistance.”

Yakima Bait’s Hawg Nose FlatFish is a killer and runs true in high and fast water. It stays down in current up to 5 mph and dives down to 20 feet. A big plug – at first I thought it was too large – it has slayed so many huge kings that it is my go-to lure in high water.

When flows are perfect I fish a Mag Lip 4.5 and 5.0. True-runners that flat-out produce fish, I always wrap these with sardines and load them up with scent. I take care every night to wash my plugs with WD40 and let them dry without rinsing it off. After the plug is dry, I wipe or rinse, sharpen the hooks, wrap the plugs and add Pro-Cure Bait Sauce, then place them in a clean container and put them straight into the fridge. I wrap at least six plugs each night, and have a bunch of precut sardines that are marinated in my favorite Pro-Cure bait sauce and oils.

I run linecounter reels with 40-pound monofilament mainline and 3 feet of 30-pound mono leader.

I do not use a swivel to attach my leader; instead, I use the Albright knot. That way there’s no swivel that might get reeled into my rod guides.

To learn this knot and many more, check out animatedknots.com.

If you do not have linecounters, no problem. Get a tape measure and in your driveway make marks at 20, 30, 40, 50 and 60 feet. Then put the tip of your rod on the ground and pull your line out to the 60-foot mark.

Get out some Sharpies and color your line at the 20-, 30-, 40-, 50- and 60foot marks. I use different colors to identify each distance. For example, red for 20 feet, blue for 30 feet and so forth. I am a firm believer that when 138 Northwest Sportsman

NOVEMBER 2016 | nwsportsmanmag.com

pulling plugs, they all need to be the same distance out. If one plug is at 40 feet and the other is at 30 feet, you have created a pocket that those fish can slip through and your “wall of death” is no more effective than the US-Mexico border ...

As for rods, I recommend using those built for plugging, as you’ll miss fish using other or more generalpurpose rods. Plug rods are designed to take the massive bite produced by big kings, whereas a bounce rod is designed with a stiff backbone and light tip to feel those soft bites, yet has the power to drive the hook in deep. I run the Lamiglas Kenai Kwik 934 when plugging.

Back-bouncing eggs has got to be my favorite way to hook kings when the rod is in my hand, but it’s an extremely hard technique for some to teach. Some guides stick to divers and bait or pulling plugs in an effort to avoid the frustration that comes with teaching someone to “find bottom.” My father, who was a guide and taught me at 6 years old to bounce eggs, took pride in his ability to teach others, and that pride was passed on to me. Many times I have had anglers tell me “I can’t bounce eggs!” but anyone can bounce, and I believe I can teach almost anyone

nwsportsmanmag.com | NOVEMBER 2016

Northwest Sportsman 139

FISHING with a simple solution: add more weight. Finding bottom with half an ounce of lead in moving current is hard for anyone, and last year I had an angler who just couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t. But I was determined to teach this man to bounce, and after going up to 8 ounces of lead not only could he ďŹ nd and stay on bottom, he hooked and landed a few kings.

Most anglers think that in order to catch kings while bouncing you must walk the bait a fair distance from the boat, but this simply is not true. Put the boat on the ďŹ sh, put the bait on the bottom and hook up!

When bouncing eggs I run a 40-pound mainline, 20-pound leader and a 4/0 hook. Some anglers like to add spreaders and droppers, but I say, keep it simple: Put the weight on a sliding swivel, run 24 inches of leader and thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s it. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been curing my eggs in the Pro-Cure Double Red Liquid Cure and I add sand

shrimp oil just before I drop my bait in the water. On a side note, if ďŹ sh are rolling but not biting, cut some of your eggs up, add the Pro-Cure Slam-ola and borax and let those baits sit for a few minutes before you ďŹ sh â&#x20AC;&#x2122;em. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s something about that combo that can turn a bite on when ďŹ sh are lockjawed. In addition, I always add a small piece of yarn to my bait loop; it holds scent, makes it easy to open the loop, and the yarn will get caught in the salmonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s teeth, therefore helping maintain your hook-up. Also, fall salmon on the coast love sand shrimp â&#x20AC;&#x201C; never ever hit the river without them!

If ďŹ shing with a Puff Ball to keep your bait off the bottom, add a Bait Button. The Bait Button will keep your bait and Puff Ball in place. If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re bouncing in colored water, add a Spin-N-Glo to your rig. This will keep your bait off bottom and adds an attractor.

As hinted at above, when bouncing

eggs being able to feel the bite is key.

Chinook bite lightly, and if you miss, it may be the only chance you get. I run the Lamiglas G1000Pro 10-25lbrated rods because of the sensitive tip that was designed for feeling egg bites. Manufacturers spend a lot of time developing technique-speciďŹ c rods and, believe me, the correct one will make all the difference.

GROWING UP, I thought that if the water was low, there was no need to ďŹ sh for salmon. How wrong I was.

Since I started ďŹ shing the Chetco and Elk Rivers Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve had to adjust my approach to low-ďŹ&#x201A;ow conditions, and over the years Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve come to love bobber ďŹ shing with light tackle for kings. If you have never tried this approach, hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a brief outline to help get you started.

For starters, a bobber rod is a must. I like a 9.2-foot, 12-30lb-rated InďŹ nity IFS 92 HS spinning rod, which is long enough to mend line

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Northwest Sportsman 141

FISHING and strong enough to set the hook.

For example, when your bobber is floating downstream you always want your mainline upstream from your float. If you’re fishing your bobber set-up correctly, you will have some line floating on the surface. You need this slack to allow your bobber to float freely, which provides a natural presentation. Because of the slack, you need a bobber rod that is at least 9 feet long, has a fast tip and good backbone. When your float goes down, reel in the slack quickly and then set the hook. So many times I’ve watched folks set the hook before they reel, but all that happens is the bait gets stripped. With too light or too short of a rod, you will not get the needed hook-set, nor will you be able to mend your line, i.e., keep your mainline upstream of your bobber.

As for the set-up, I run 50-pound braided mainline and a 20-pound

A rigging tweak Wells employs is running a larger bead between weight and swivel on his bobber fishing set-up. That prevents the weight from smashing the knot, making it stronger.

(OREGONFISHINGADVENTURE.COM)

fluorocarbon leader. On the former and in order, I use a BnR Tackle bobber stop, a slip bobber then a small bead, an egg sinker and another small bead above a swivel. Be sure to match the amount of weight to your bobber size or you will not get a proper presentation.

While bobber fishing the coast I’ve found I better have sand

shrimp, and a lot of the time I just run straight sand shrimp. When I do add eggs, I fish a very wet cure.

My bobber eggs needs to be a soupy bait that will withstand being casted without flying out of the egg loop.

I use Pro-Cure Tidewater, a sweet cure that produces the perfect bobber egg. But again, if salmon are rolling but not biting, add the

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On a November 2011 day that yielded over 160 pounds of fall Chinook for her and her husband, Brenda Chapman of Powell Butte reeled in the biggest, this 50-pounder. Naturally, it was her first time out for kings. The fish bit a Hawg Nose FlatFish in chartreuse. (FISHING PHOTO CONTEST)

aforementioned powder.

WHATEVER RIVER YOU hit or technique you use, the most important thing is to follow the flows and rains closely.

Keep a log each fall to compare conditions year to year. Doing so will help you predict flows. Being on these rivers the first day the water is green with your gear ready can lead to the perfect trip. NS Editor’s note: Randy Wells is a full-time fishing guide in Oregon and Alaska. His websites are oregonfishingadventure. com and fishsewardalaska.com. He can also be reached at (541) 500-7885. Feel free to contact him with questions or fishing reports.

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Northwest Sportsman 145

MIXED BAG (Continued from page 28) me. It’s my friends and clients who only fish a few times a year who will be affected the most. The increase may even keep them off the water.

If the state wants to charge more, I would like to see more in return. Things that have a direct benefit to the fishermen – more fish being planted, in the rivers, lakes, and even the saltwater, or buying more access points on rivers, lakes and the salt where no or limited access is available.

It seems like we are losing opportunity in all our fisheries, be it from closed seasons, shortened seasons or loss of access – even closed fish-cleaning stations have made things tougher. If WDFW can prove the extra money will be spent on real things that fishermen want, like more fish and more access, then I am all for the increase. But deep down I feel that the extra money will go to waste shuffling papers, or be transferred to projects that have nothing to do with fishing. I hope I am wrong, and that our fishing funds will be spent wisely on things that benefit fishermen will. NS

BB The North of Falcon process was a topic of discussion at the recent Centennial Accord meeting with Washington state tribes, Governor Inslee, and several state agencies. The Governor’s staff is working with the tribes and WDFW to ensure a successful outcome this next year.

Several items in the Department’s budget proposal are designed to address the North of Falcon process to provide more fishing opportunity, including additional staffing to complete the US v.

Oregon Management Agreement and the Puget Sound Harvest Management Plan, both of which are critical to securing authorization to conduct fisheries under the federal Endangered Species Act. TW Why are the recreational fishers of Washington state being forced to pay for the fish that the tribes catch?

BB Revenue from recreational license sales is targeted to activities designed to improve fishing opportunities for recreational anglers. The department is requesting General Fund dollars for activities to benefit tribal fisheries.

TW Where is there any incentive for us to keep paying for these fish when we are not allowed to catch them?

BB The Department is seeking additional revenue in order to maintain Editor’s note: WDFW is also proposing a roughly 10 percent increase on hunting license fees.

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current services as well as to provide additional fishing opportunities that the public requested during the meetings held last fall around the state. NS

MASTER MARINE SERVICES Northwest Marine Industries is a new company with old roots, and we’re very excited to announce the onset of a new chapter in our history.

At the helm of our operation is Ron Wright, who established the SeaSport line of boats over 30 years ago with his brother David Wright and nephew David A. Wright.

The family business dates back to 1955 when Sportsman Boats was located in Bellingham’s Fairhaven District and Ron and David’s father Frank was the owner. In 1977 the business moved to a nearby location along Guide Meridian, also known as High- A Pacific Northwest original design used for offshore fishing and cruising for over 25 years. From 24 to 30’ models that will way 539, and began to produce pilothouse-style boats. provide lifetime family boating activities.

After a hiatus from the boating industry, Ron decided to return as the head of Northwest Marine Industries. He brings his expertise in creating quality boats, as well as his stellar reputation as an up-front and honest businessman. Ron has partnered with his son Mark Wright, son-in-law Ryan Binning and our new production manager Greg Little. This distinguished team is committed to producing and distributing the highest quality products for boaters around the world.

With SeaSports known in the industry as one of the most versatile and rugged boats available, we are proud to announce that Northwest Marine Industries will be building all models of the C-Dory, Osprey, TomCat and Skagit Orca lines. Our employees have a long history with these boats and are prepared and motivated to construct them all with superior and unparalleled craftsmanship.

Northwest Marine Industries has established an extremely strong dealer network by building relationships through trust and professionalism. Our dealers share our values and are an extension of the family. Master Marine in Mount Vernon is one of our dealers. All boats ordered are considered “custom” and great care is taken in the details.

We are intent upon changing the boating landscape in the Pacific Northwest and around the world. All of our boats have familiar names, lines and hulls, but our hope is to continue to upgrade finish and options according to the desires of our customers.

Northwest Marine Industries is a customer-driven family business and we intend on continuing our industry-leading marks for customer service.

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RIG MONTH

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NOTES Rig of the Month is going hookless this issue to

highlight a gear tip from Southern Oregon salmon and steelhead guide and South Coast columnist Randy Wells.

As you read in his article, he really likes back-bouncing with eggs for fall Chinook on the Chetco, Elk and Smith Rivers, which are not exactly snag free. Rather than risk losing his leader, hook and gob of roe with each snag-up, he uses a simple weight dropper set-up that will break off easily, saving his terminal gear. He takes a short hank of fishing line and makes a knot with the tag ends. He then runs loops through the eye of a barrel swivel and his weight and around their backsides, pulling tight and securing them to each other and the line. The other eye of the swivel runs along the mainline or connects via a three-way snap swivel to the rest of the rig. “That way when the weight gets hung up, the knot breaks and you only lose the weight,” Wells explains.

Barrel swivel

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Northwest Sportsman 149

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FISHING

Make It Rainbow Friday Rowland Lake, one of the waters where the “Fish Friday” idea was spawned back around 2011 or so, yielded these nice stringers for Chris Sessions and Blake Ramsey the day after Thanksgiving last year. They were dragging Mag Lip 3.0s in gold-red head and tipped with a white PowerBait grub. (BUZZ RAMSEY)

Plenty of trout stocked for fishing the day after Thanksgiving, and the rest of fall in Washington.

By Jason Brooks

L

ong lines at shopping malls and door-buster sales are not my idea of a good time. Instead, I would rather be on a lake trolling lures or soaking PowerBait for large rainbow trout. Thanks to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, that’s possible on the busiest shopping day of the year, otherwise known as Black Friday.

Once again, WDFW is stocking trout for fishing on the day after Thanksgiving, and it’s upping its

game when it comes to its Fall Into Fishing releases too.

“Yes, we are going to plant rainbows in several lakes this October and November; in fact, we are expanding the program,” notes Larry Phillips, the agency’s Inland Fish Program manager.

Not only are more lakes receiving trout, but more regions are getting the fish, including several in Eastern Washington.

One-plus-pound trout began going into the lakes last month, giving the fish time to acclimate to

the water, with others being released in the days just before Thanksgiving.

On the latter lakes and with several others near Spokane, fishing reopens on Black Friday.

While a lot of the anglers are busy with hunting seasons early in November, once the big Turkey Day weekend comes around they switch back to trout fishing. A lot of this is due to the program that Phillips helped develop a few years ago, trying to get anglers out on the water during the late fall break when families gather. This is a perfect time to get extended relatives and longdistance friends who are in town visiting to go fishing.

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FISHING are larger than spring’s stockers. Fall trout average around a pound each, with some even larger. All of the lakes are popular places to go, and most have WDFW access points for bank-bound anglers. Phillips notes that a handful of lakes will receive the fish a few days before the holiday.

As for those stocked earlier, the fish should disperse, making them better opportunities for boaters.

In November, water temperatures cool as the month goes on, as will the weather, so be prepared. Dress to stay warm through the day.

AS FOR TECHNIQUES, since these are

freshly planted hatchery rainbows, one of the most popular offerings is PowerBait and similar doughs, but don’t overlook single cured salmon eggs, along with a marshmallow to float them off bottom. One of the things that I do to increase my catch rate is to add scents to the jars of eggs. I prefer to use Pro-Cure bait oils and pour them into the jar the night before and then write on the jar which scent I used. Top producers for me are Shrimp Oil, Bloody Tuna Oil and Anise.

When fishing with bait make sure to extend your leader and use a sliding weight system. This is a simple way to fish, with a ½-ounce egg sinker

MORE FALL TROUT RELEASES Along with the Black Friday fish releases, the state’s stocker trucks have been busy swamping other lakes with nice-sized trout for the Fall Into Fishing program. Since midOctober, these waters have been hit: Beaver Lake in King County; Bonney, Bradley, Harts and Kapowsin in Pierce County; Campbell and Grandy in Skagit County; and St. Clair and Lawrence Lakes and Longs Pond in Thurston County. –NWS

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on 10-pound Izorline Premium HiViz mainline tied to a size 7 snap swivel. The leader is 4 to 6 feet of 8-pound Izorline XXX clear to a size 8 baitholder hook. The weight allows you to cast a significant distance, but because it’s an egg sinker the fish doesn’t feel resistance when it bites and tries to make off with the bait.

I learned a trick as a kid. Instead of reeling your line in tight, causing it to drag through the weeds and get stuck or cover your bait, I reel up most of the slack but then leave a slight belly in the line. The above leader is long enough to get above the weeds to the fish. As I get a bite I will see the high-visibility line go tight, and by the time my rod tip moves, the fish is on for good. It is much easier to see this style of line because it’s made to be seen for this very reason.

Those with a boat can either find a place to anchor away from the crowds and fish with bait, or give trolling a try. With the water cooling and fish being new in the lake, it is best to troll very slow.

For gear guys this means using Mack’s Lure Flash Lites with a ¼- to ½-ounce banana weight in front to keep it fairly close to the surface where the fish will be if seeking warmer waters. On the business end, I prefer the Mack’s Lure Double Whammy, which is a modified Wedding Ring spinner with a Smile Blade and two small hooks. Tip the front hook with a piece of shoepeg corn marinated in Pro-Cure Anise bait oil and then a nightcrawler.

If you want to troll a simpler but effective set-up, tie on a couple quality barrel swivels and a Yakima Bait Rooster Tail. Those in blacks or greens and either in - or ¼-ounce sizes are perfect. Dab a drop of scent on the blade, which disperses it while spinning. With the trout still finding their way in the waters the scent can help bring the fish to your hook as you slowly troll around.

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W.E. Coates Guide Service Your premier fishing experience for all Washington waters Wade Coates Pro Fishing Guide

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Just cast out and slowly retrieve or use kick fins and troll along the edge of cattails or in shallow coves where the water temperatures will be a few degrees warmer than out in the deeper areas.

LAKES GETTING TROUT for Black Friday are spread across the state. WDFW’s Phillips notes a couple highlights, including 2,000 rainbows slated for North Elton Pond by Selah between Nov. 21 and 23. He also points out that Spokane County’s Hog Canyon Lake received 15,000 fry this past May that will be the perfect size for catching over the holiday weekend, as will the 80,000 fry and fingerlings released in Fourth of July Lake in Lincoln County. Both reopen the Friday after Thanksgiving, as do Hatch in Stevens County and Rowland (2,500 1.25-pounders) in Klickitat County.

For Westsiders, Black Lake near Olympia will get 3,000 1-pounders just in time for Black Friday. Offut Lake will see 1,000 as well, while Long Lake in Thurston County is scheduled for 1,000 the week of Nov. 17. All three are open year-round.

For Lewis County anglers, Fort Borst Pond Park in Centralia and South Lewis County Park Pond in Toledo will each get 2,000 poundand-a-quarter ’bows between Nov. 21 and 23. In Pierce County, American and Tanwax Lakes will see plants those same days, as will Battleground Lake and Klineline Pond in Clark County and Kress Lake in Cowlitz County. While American and Tanwax are open year-round, the other five close Nov. 21, then reopen on Black Friday.

THIS THANKSGIVING WEEKEND, instead of standing in long lines, fish along the shorelines of your local lake.

Invite relatives or friends who may be in town, grab some extra rods and spend some quality time on your favorite trout fishing waters. You’ll be thankful you did when you heft that big stringer at the end of the day. NS

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How To Not Die While Kayak Fishing

COLUMN

A dory piloted by Mike Kent brings in kayaks and kayakers who had to be rescued off of Oregon’s Cape Kiwanda when a 10- to 15-mile-an-hour east wind came up during otherwise calm seas. (SANDY WEEDMAN)

Y

ou may have wondered why, for the last seven years, nearly every Kayak Guys THE KAYAK GUYS column I’ve written Kayak Guys

By Mark Veary has included a brief “Requisite Note on Safety.” The reason is simple: The articles are focused on how to make the most of limited opportunities once you’re on the water. They’re written to excite and entice fellow or future kayak anglers by showing what’s possible. Thus, there’s been limited space for an in-depth discussion on what might kill you.

Until now.

According to U.S. Coast Guard statistics, paddle sports deaths (those that involve canoes and kayaks) have been on a steady rise for the past 10 years. To be specific, since 2005, these unfortunate occurrences

have increased by a staggering 78 percent.

This trend doesn’t need to continue.

Nobody who finds him- or herself in a life-and-death situation starts that day thinking they’re going to die. If they had, they’d have taken the time to avoid the scenario that has them scrambling for redemption. Better yet, they’d have long since identified all of the potential threats to their continued existence and acted to minimize those risks.

Of course, the statistics aren’t specific to kayak fishermen, but you can be sure that all of the responsible failure modes are applicable to our humble craft. To make matters worse, pursuing the Northwest’s premier species offers a whole new catalog of threats.

The first threat that comes to most people’s mind is drowning. While this is often a USCG official cause of death, it’s

facilitated by controllable factors such as hypothermia, adverse weather, fatigue, inexperience or lack of preparation – things that can be mitigated with proper equipment, an action plan, practice or informed avoidance. Let’s look at both:

THIS IS WHAT’S GONNA KILL YOU Cold shock: An immediate, physical reaction to sudden, unprotected contact with cold water, cold shock causes an involuntary deep inhalation followed by uncontrolled panting. This involuntary breathing can facilitate drowning. If that weren’t enough, the added strain on a victim’s heart can, in some situations, induce cardiac arrest.

Hypothermia: Defined as a drop in the body’s core temperature to below 95 degrees Fahrenheit, mild hypothermia is characterized by shivering, loss of small

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COLUMN motor control and confusion. Moderate hypothermia results in profound confusion and loss of strength and large muscle control. Severe hypothermia will cause your heart to stop beating.

Hypothermia can happen even in water approaching 70 degrees, though it happens progressively faster as the water temperature drops.

Constraint/constriction: Every length of cord, cable or line on your kayak is potentially deadly. All it takes is one loop around a limb or your neck to limit your mobility and thus your ability to reach the surface or re-enter your kayak. If that line is attached to an anchor, a crab trap or a big angry fish, you’ll have mere seconds to react.

Blunt force trauma: This is probably the least controllable threat and includes a wide range of events that culminate in a great deal of kinetic energy being transferred to your body. Sources include

but are not limited to contact with a transiting power boat, hitting a branch while floating through rapids, getting hit in the head by your cannonball weight or having a large fish land on you. Don’t laugh, this has killed people.

Weather: Freezing temperatures, gale force winds and lightning are, of course, threats to your survival. That’s obvious.

What’s not so obvious is the impact of wet clothes from a spring squall, a thick fog bank or an unexpected change in wind intensity or direction that catches you miles from your take-out.

Surf: Surf conditions in the Northwest can be deceptive. What looks like a 3-foot swell from shore might actually be twice that high as you roll across the outer sandbars. Worse yet, given our proximity to the swell-generating North Pacific, a morning of flat and glassy conditions sometimes turns into an afternoon of 12- to 15-foot swells.

Medical emergency: This category

Northwest waters, especially the ocean, are way too chilly to go out on in blue jeans and other garb that is all but useless for warding off cold shock and hypothermia. Along with crashes, entangling in ropes and fishing line (inset) is another very real risk for kayak anglers. (SCOTT BREWER, BOTH)

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speaks for itself and becomes more of an issue with age.

STRATEGIES FOR SURVIVAL PFDs: A personal floatation device won’t save your life on its own but it will give you the time you need to implement your recovery plan. A properly sized and adjusted PFD is the first piece of safety equipment that a kayak angler should purchase. It should not obstruct re-entry to a kayak in the case of a “wet exit” and must be comfortable enough to wear all day.

To increase the likelihood that you’ll wear your PFD consistently, regardless of conditions, select one that can be used to store your most common fishing accessories such as scissors, pliers, fishing license, etc.

Immersion gear: Most bodies of water in Oregon and Washington are too cold to be tolerated for long without appropriate immersion gear. The colder

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COLUMN the water, the quicker symptoms of hypothermia will manifest.

Nobody expects to fall out of their kayak while fishing, unless they’re performing a surf landing, but accidents do happen. Thus, anytime that you’re fishing in cold water, regardless of the ambient air temperature, you should be wearing a wetsuit or a drysuit with underlayers appropriate to the water temperatures. This is doubly true in the ocean where waves, currents and chop can complicate, and thus delay, re-entry to your kayak.

Safety flags: Nobody wants to be run over by a power boat, and there is simply no better way to be seen on the water than by flying a safety flag. For maximum effect, the flag should be brightly colored and fly at least 5 feet above the water line.

Safety knife: This tool has one purpose

and one purpose alone: to cut you free from something that is constraining or constricting you. It isn’t for cutting bait or cleaning fish. It is to save your life under the worst possible circumstances.

Your safety knife needs to meet the following criteria every time you fish from a kayak: 1) Be sharp; 2) be attached to your person at all times; and 3) be readily accessible to either hand.

You will hopefully never have to access your safety knife on the water. That said, you will want to practice drawing, holding and using it until you’re sure that you can do it with either hand, upside down, in moving water, with a cord around a hand, your torso or your neck.

Re-entry practice: There is no substitute for experience, except maybe for practice.

Even experienced kayak anglers benefit from regular practice re-entering their kayaks. This should be done while wearing your fishing PFD to ensure that

Two points for flying a safety “flag,” but the urge to get on the water should never trump safety considerations. (SANDY WEEDMAN) 164 Northwest Sportsman

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you know how to accommodate the added girth.

If you aspire to fish the ocean, practice re-entry in the surf. Better yet, practice paddling out and surfing back in, on small days, without your rods or tackle. The surf landings will provide ample opportunities to hone your re-entry skills.

If you struggle to re-enter your kayak, consider purchasing a “Self Rescue

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Northwest Sportsman 165

COLUMN Ladder.” These handy devices help to keep your kayak upright while assisting you in climbing over the rail. Just remember to store this device in an area that is easily accessible but doesn’t create a constraint or constriction hazard.

Fish with a partner: There are many threats that can’t be planned for. In these cases, it’s extremely helpful to have a reliable partner nearby. Sometimes, simply having a level head to talk you through a difficult situation can be a game changer.

Research: In the age of the internet, there’s no excuse for getting caught off guard by weather or ocean conditions.

Hourly forecasts with excruciating detail are just a click away. Some of my favorite sources include: iwindsurf.com for accurate, pinpoint wind forecasts; and magicseaweed.com for detailed info on swell height, direction and period.

For further information on venues, rigging and best practices, check out NorthWestKayakAnglers.com.

No doubt about it, fishing out of a kayak is risky, but it’s a manageable one for those who prepare for immersion, carry rescue gear and go out with partners, like author Mark Veary, here fighting a fish on a cold day in the Columbia Gorge. (MARK VEARY)

THE REQUISITE NOTE ON – FUN! What you just waded through may seem ominous, scary or overwhelming, but in practice becomes the background for a

lifetime of fun and exciting fishing trips.

There’s no need to be afraid when you’re prepared. Enjoy kayak fishing in the Northwest! NS

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