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Sportsman Northwest

Your LOCAL Hunting & Fishing Resource

Volume 10 • Issue 12 PUBLISHER James R. Baker

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

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Dick Openshaw EDITOR Andy Walgamott LEAD CONTRIBUT0R Andy Schneider THIS ISSUE’S CONTRIBUTORS Mark Bove, Jason Brooks, Dennis Dauble, Doug Huddle, MD Johnson, Randy King, Lt. Col. Steve Osterholzer, Roger Phillips, Buzz Ramsey, Troy Rodakowski, Don Talbot, Mark Veary, Randy Wells, Terry Wiest, Dave Workman EDITORIAL FIELD SUPPORT Jason Brooks GENERAL MANAGER John Rusnak

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ON THE COVER Jerry Han of Tri-Cities caught this nice big Columbia River Chinook last fall. (DAIWA PHOTO CONTEST) DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and get daily updates at nwsportsmanmag.com.

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Northwest Sportsman 9

CONTENTS

53

VOLUME 10 • ISSUE 12

FEATURES 47

NEW TACTIC FOR LOWER COLUMBIA URBS You know it from the Brewster Pool and other Upper Columbia summer Chinook fisheries, and now it’s gaining a following with fall king anglers on the lower river – with a twist. Andy Schneider has more on the hot new thing.

61

REACH FOR IT The Hanford stretch of the Columbia only gave up a nuclear-hot 33,885 adult kings last year – and prospects look just as bright this season.

Dennis Dauble has how to score limits here!

77

IDAHO FALL CHINOOK With fall salmon returns to the Gem State improving of late, Roger Phillips details how to intercept fin-clipped Chinook around Lewiston.

83

NORTH COAST KINGS, CRABS, TUNA Break out the extra big cooler because we’re rounding up a seafood smorgasbord from Tillamook and Nehalem Bays! Andy S. has the wheres and hows to catch ocean-fresh Chinook, filled-out Dungies and the season’s fattest albies!

PICK THE KLICK South-central Washington’s Klickitat River sees big runs of big fall kings, and it’s fishable not only from drift boats but the bank as well. Explore the fishy stream from top to bottom with our Jason Brooks!

117 INLAND EMPIRE BUCKS Deer season’s here and Spokane archer Mark Bove pinpoints the best whitetail and mule deer units in the Channeled Scablands and Palouse, and details best tactics for each species.

129 BIGFOOT’S ANTLERED BROTHER Myth, legend and blackberries tangle together during a bowman’s quest to harvest a trophy Western Oregon blacktail.

147 EARLY BIRDS Get ready to take ’em, boys! Our resident expert waterfowler M.D. Johnson squares you away for September’s Canada goose season.

155 OREGON UPLAND BIRD PROSPECTS This month marks the start of Western Oregon’s grouse, quail and dove seasons, and our Willamette Valley wanderer Troy Rodakowski reports on what this year’s prospects look like.

(JASON BROOKS)

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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

161 SOUTH SOUND

(JASON BROOKS)

73

BASIN BEACON Ever hear of speed-trolling for upriver brights? Don details the tactic he discovered for kings in Priest Rapids’ tailrace.

93

THE KAYAK GUYS From the jaws up past Wheeler into upper tidewater, Nehalem Bay presents plenty of room to pedal/paddle your way into a kayak-caught king, Mark reveals.

97

SOUTH COAST OK, it’s not exactly A River Runs Through It, but Randy knows how to work the upper Rogue’s fly-only steelhead fishery.

103 WESTSIDER September’s salmon ops don’t look stellar at first glance, what with silver season smashed, but our speculator in chief outlines two dozen fisheries to try this month.

Head for the hills with the Brooks boys – September means it’s time to hunt ruffies and blue grouse, and Jason and sons know where to find ’em!

109 NORTH SOUND Samish River fall kings, early-season Canadas and releasesite ringnecks are on tap in Skagit and Whatcom Counties.

COLUMNS

135 ON TARGET Dave details 5 things you need to know about hunting bucks.

43

BUZZ RAMSEY All those fall Chinook that streamed past Buoy 10 last month are highly catchable upriver – Buzz has tips for Cathlamet, Bonneville and elsewhere!

141 CHEF IN THE WILD Randy serves up a “gastronomic” delight for the start of archery deer season across the Northwest.

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

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22 THE BIG PIC: VENISON DENIZEN Hunter-chef Hank Shaw’s latest book takes on bucks and bulls, from kill to pan to plate.

(HANK SHAW)

DEPARTMENTS

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THE EDITOR’S NOTE “In common with,” not seperate access

21

CORRESPONDENCE Reader reactions to recent news

31

READER PHOTOS FROM THE FIELD Chinook, sockeye, kokanee and more!

35

PHOTO CONTEST WINNERS Daiwa, Browning monthly prizes

37

THE DISHONOR ROLL Waterfowl baiter sentenced; Kudos; Jackass of the Month

39

DERBY WATCH Recent results and upcoming events

41

OUTDOOR CALENDAR

41

RECORD NORTHWEST FISH The largest Idaho, Oregon and Washington salmon ever caught!

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THEEDITOR’SNOTE

The answer to a backlog of forest road maintenance issues should not be to bar one group but allow another continued access, though that appears to be the case in part of Washington’s Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. (ANDY WALGAMOTT)

F

requent readers know I’m a strong advocate of and for public lands. There’s real value – recreationally, spiritually and monetarily – to The Great Wide Open. Whether you’re a hunter, angler, hiker or hot springs soaker, the hundreds of millions of acres managed for all of us by the Forest Service, BLM and other agencies provide equal footing for roaming to our heart’s content.

That said, how to maintain the forest roads that lead to all that roaming room is an ongoing problem. There’s a huge maintenance backlog but not enough funds anymore. So rangers are being asked to decide which roads to keep open, which to gate.

That’s now playing out in Northwest Washington, where a nearfinal determination on a new access and travel management plan for the North Fork Nooksack Valley was posted in late July. It closes 10 miles or so of two spurs on Mt. Baker’s northwest and northern sides from May through November to the general public, but, unusually, appears to allow continued access for North Sound tribes.

District Ranger Erin Uloth explained her reasoning, saying, “Tribes have some need for privacy to exercise certain Treaty rights, as protected by law.” When the treaties were signed in the 1850s, we guaranteed tribes would have fishing, hunting and berrypicking rights on open and unclaimed ground, such as today’s national forests. Basically, a group of tribes argued to Uloth that “members avoid certain roads because they are heavily used for recreational purposes, and are not seen as compatible with finding game, or privacy, in pursuing various treaty and cultural activities.”

Now, I think we can all relate to the problems of finding peace and quiet in popular parts of the forest, but in essence this is like saying backpackers – but not backcountry anglers – can use roads leading to the Alpine Lakes Wilderness. Or vice versa. Either way it’s wrong.

Uloth’s decision is more or less final, though those who’ve established standing can comment during the “objection” period, which ends in mid-September. Of note, it would affect access to portions of two Department of Fish and Wildlife special permit hunting units for the largest herd of mountain goats in the state.

Two longtime observers of the Northwest fishing and hunting world tell me they’re worried the seasonal set-aside could become a precedent. While I accept that treaties must be respected, I also understand those off-reservation gathering rights were meant to be shared “in common with” the state’s residents. I grant that this leaves Ranger Uloth’s road-maintenance issues unresolved, but our public lands should not be carved into areas of exclusive access for reasons of one group’s “privacy.” –Andy Walgamott

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Northwest Sportsman 19

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CORRESPONDENCE OREGON COAST COHO A NO-GO Worried that wild coho runs would come in even lower than the already low forecast, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife scrubbed bay and river fisheries, which otherwise would have begun this month across almost the entire coast.

We’ve been lucky in recent years to have had a harvestable surplus in rivers from the Nehalem to the Rogue, but Evan Maros said of the closure, “Good. There shouldn’t be any wild retention. Period.” The quota-driven fishery in federal ocean waters remains open, as do Siltcoos and Tahkenitch Lakes.

TOUGH DAY FOR LITTLE DUTCH BOY Readers liked the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife’s early August breaching of a dike at the mouth of the Skagit River to benefit Chinook – Rory O’Conner somehow managed to give it five likes – and they started looking around for more estuaries to open up. “Do it on the Puyallup and Duwamish also,” suggested Bryan Owens.

FERAL SWINE OPS When WDFW closed part of a wildlife area near Potholes Reservoir for an aerial bombardment of any unwanted oinkers there, some hunters were pissed they weren’t able to get in on the Great Bacon Hunt Of 2016. “Don’t we have a dearth of hunters who would love to hunt those?” wondered Larry Moller. “Why do they have to spend a crapload of money to do what somebody would do for free?” True that, but Josh Pieratt offered, “‘Hunting’ feral hogs is a very inefficient way to remove them.

They are smart; once they are shot at they will scatter and become even harder to remove.” And that’s the imperative.

WASHINGTONIANS TAKING ADVANTAGE OF NEW ROADKILL RULE ODFW, you guys could get this kinda love too! After we reported on one man’s salvaging of a bull elk that had been struck by a vehicle in Pierce County (see this issue’s Reader Photos From The Field), Jessie Lee Coyne had big kudos for WDFW: “Thank you Washington State, you got it right for once!!!”

MOST LIKED READER PIC WE HUNG UP ON OUR FACEBOOK PAGE DURING THIS ISSUE’S PRODUCTION CYCLE Top o’ the evening to you, Linda McDonald! She hoists a pair of hatchery summer Chinook caught off Whidbey Island at the start of the Area 9 marked selective fishery. They bit on Silver Horde Kingfisher and Tailwagger spoons in Irish cream.

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Buck Bad Venison Hunter-chef Hank Shaw’s latest book takes on bucks and bulls, from kill to freezer to pan to plate.

By Randy King

I

t was still dark when Hank Shaw and I sat down in the Idaho sagebrush. It was opening day of general rifle mule deer season and Shaw was on a mission.

He was going to write a book on cooking venison and I was trying to help get him a buck. As we sat waiting for the sun to begin illuminating the hill to the east, a bull elk sounded off. Then another. It was too late for the rut, but the elk serenaded us anyway.

It felt like such an honor to be deer hunting with Shaw. The man’s a legend among the “cook what you kill” movement.

His website, honest-food.net, is a James Beard Award winner – think Oscars for foodies – and I had met him a few years prior when he was promoting his first book, Hunt, Gather, Cook. I’d interviewed him for a local paper and was thrilled to find another person in the wild game chef sphere. He became a go-to source for my wild game culinary questions – a valuable one too. And he had single-handedly gotten me to look at the plants – not just the animals – around me as food. My wife made fun of me for being a “weed eater” as I examined and cooked the contents of my lawn one spring. And now this well-known and well-published author was looking to me for a deer. I did not want to disappoint.

AS SHOOTING LIGHT neared, I was feeling confident. I had hunted this general area hard in archery season and had even missed a doe near the spot we were sitting a month prior. In fact, I’d sent Shaw a map with two Xs proclaiming the locations 22 Northwest Sportsman

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MIXED BAG

PICTURE where he was likely to get his buck. We were overlooking one, out. Then out of the corner of my eye, I caught sight of something playing the waiting game as the deer slowly moved uphill, away else. I took my eye out of the scope to see another buck looking from the water and into bedding areas, as the morning began. right at us. Quickly I pulled up my binoculars to check if he was As the light grew so did our field of view. Two bull elk crested legal – a perfect little 2x2! I turned to Shaw and handed him back the horizon, antlers silhouetting on the ridgeline in the distance. the shooting stick.

We waited and glassed and waited and glassed. But nothing came; “A forky!” I exclaimed, a little louder than I should have. Now it was time to move to X number two. both deer were looking at us.

We were slowly backing out of our location and making a Shaw took the stick back and began to pull up on the buck wide swing to a different ridgeline when Shaw caught sight of the when it started to stot off. first deer of the morning. “Flat head,” he declared in new-to-me “Shoot, shoot, shoot!” I exclaimed, perhaps a little too pushily. terminology for a doe.

“I don’t shoot running The deer was about targets,” Shaw said, 200 yards off and feeding quieting me down and away from us. A good making me check my sign, but not a buck. We ethics. I would have shot; glassed the sage and I felt a little ashamed. juniper country for a Both deer crisscrossed while longer, then Shaw several times and then caught sight of another stopped under the deer. shaded canopy of scrub “I think it’s a little brush at about 100 yards, buck,” he said. I had the broadside and looking better optics and gave at us. Shaw pulled up his the mule deer a gander. .270, fired and one of the Sure enough, a little bucks dropped. I pulled forked horn was feeding up on the other buck, away from us. “Perfect which looked at us for a shooter,” I replied. few seconds, but could We were hunting a not squeeze the trigger. I management unit that was hoping to shoot my limits harvest of general first whitetail that year season bucks to no and wanted to save my more than 2 points on tag for later in the season. one side. This created a Plus, my main mission “trophy unit” for those was now a success: Shaw lucky enough to draw had his Idaho mule deer the tag. It also created a on the ground. “meat unit” for those who Unfortunately in the do not care about such chaos, he had shot the things, so this 1½-yearHank Shaw is a West Coast hunter-chef who is coming out with his third book, Buck, Buck Moose: old buck was a great Recipes and Techniques for Cooking Deer, Elk, Moose, Antelope and Other Antlered Things, just in 2x1 he’d wanted to pass on. To this day, I feel legal option. time for fall seasons. (HANK SHAW) guilty about pushing Shaw and I slipped in him into shooting. But his buck was legal and he seemed happy to behind a large juniper in the distance and began to close in on the have it, so no harm, no foul. What I know about little bucks is that little buck. The lone tree created just enough of a shield to get us they are delicious – this one would be no exception. within 70 yards or so. He was in the lead when we caught better You learn a lot about a person while dragging a buck up a hill. sight of the buck’s antlers. It was not a forky but a 2x1. Shaw turned You learn if they are tough, if they are patient and if they have and whispered to me, “You shoot this one; I want a forked horn at grit to get a job done. Shaw does, and that was good to learn. We least.” trudged the little buck up to a fence line, crossed and situated it in I slipped in front of Shaw and took up my shooting stick, a meadow. I left to get the ATV. anchoring it in a sage, and bore down on the buck. I watched as We were back at camp by 9:30 a.m. and rested the remainder his ears flicked; I could see his chest move as he breathed in and

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MIXED BAG of the day. With meat secured, Shaw soon left for his home in California. We have since foraged, fished and hunted together a number of times, and fast forward three years and Buck, Buck Moose is about to hit the shelves. I might be riding coattails here, but I feel like I helped. Shaw needed a buck for his book and he got one. Oh, and by the way, he got it within 100 yards of one of those Xs on the map I sent him.

Randy King Book three, Hank – what is this one about?

Hank Shaw Buck, Buck, Moose is something of a follow-up to my last book, Duck, Duck, Goose. Where the duck book covered all things

knife and a Sawzall, if you have them.

Buck, Buck, Moose also looks at venison cookery from a noseto-tail and a global perspective. You will see recipes for venison from all over the world. Why? Because every culture in the world has at least a historic tradition of eating deer, elk, gazelles, moose, antelopes and the like. Similarly, it is important to me to open up to home cooks new ways of cooking the animals we bring home to feed our families. I’ll never ask you to eat innards because I think you ought to out of some moral obligation. But I will ask you to try my recipes for things like hearts, livers, tongues and kidneys because they taste amazing. Give them a go and you’ll see.

Shaw’s new book includes tips and photographs on “seam butchery,” a good way to disassemble large muscle masses like thighs. (HANK SHAW) waterfowl, this one, as you might imagine, covers everything you might want to know about prepping and cooking venison – in all its forms. One of the reasons we named the book as we did was to give people a sense that it wasn’t just about whitetail deer – sure, deer bucks, but also antelope bucks, and moose and elk, etc ... Also, well, we did think it was a fun title.

RK There are other venison cookbooks on the market. What makes Buck, Buck, Moose different?

HS It is far more comprehensive, in all respects. The book covers everything from the moment you have the deer on the ground all the way to the freezer, and beyond. I go over food safety, detail general differences in the various meats by species and region, and I offer a style of butchering that can literally be done with a pen knife and a pocket saw – although I’d suggest a proper boning 24 Northwest Sportsman

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RK This book was funded via Kickstarter – full disclosure: I am waiting for my copy – why did you choose the self-publish route versus the traditional publisher route?

HS Primarily for editorial control. I was able to create exactly the book I wanted to, and include as many photos as I wanted to, with no restrictions. It is liberating. Another huge reason is because many (but not all) mainstream, big-city publishers flat out told me they had no idea how to sell this book to the people they normally market books to. Remember, for the most part, people aren’t buying venison, they’re hunting it. It was an eye-opening look at a little sliver of this cultural divide we’re experiencing in this country.

I don’t blame the editors for passing on the book, but it may have proved to be a blessing in disguise.

RK You are about to start the book tour – mind telling me what that

hiT ’em

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Northwest Sportsman 25

MIXED BAG entails? The life of a traveling author seems so glamorous, after all.

HS Oh, God. Yeah, it’s basically like a rock-and-roll tour, only with no explosions, groupies, money or drugs. Long hours in planning every detail – a 55-event tour has innumerable moving parts to it – driving endless miles solo, being in and out of airports (who doesn’t love the TSA?), nights in hotels watching ESPN. You lose your voice at least twice every tour, and Nyquil becomes your best friend because you invariably get sick meeting so many people.

But those are the down sides to this sort of tour. The upsides are the events themselves. Book dinners, presentations, parties, cooking demonstrations and classes. They’re all fun in their own way, but what really keeps me going on all those days on the road are the people I meet. Long-time readers, people who’ve never heard of Hunter Angler Gardener Cook, rich people, poor people, rural, urban, left, right, black, white: I see all kinds when I am out there. And seeing each night how so many people of such disparate backgrounds come together over a shared love of wild food cements why I put myself through this. Gratifying is putting it mildly.

RK Can you tell me about your two prior books?

HS I’d mentioned my last book, Duck, Duck, Goose, which is a fullcolor, hardcover, comprehensive waterfowl cookbook. My first book, Hunt, Gather, Cook: Finding the Forgotten Feast, is something of a primer on the wild world. Experts in each of the many fishing, foraging and hunting sections of that book may not learn too much from the techniques I describe (although most will pick up at least a few new tricks). But the real value of the book is to open up extra skills to someone who loves self-sufficiency and being outdoors. Anglers might learn more about the wild edible plants they are around when they fish the banks and beaches. Hunters might pick up new tricks on foraging. Foragers might read the hunting section and decide to finally take the plunge and begin what can be a lifelong pursuit.

RK Can you tell me more about honest-food.net?

HS Hunter Angler Gardener Cook is the core of what I do. Honest-

the book, and most could be done for a date. But if I had to choose one, I’d say either venison loin with Cumberland sauce or Steak Diane. They are both classic dishes many modern cooks snub, but they are classics for a reason. Both are fairly easy to make, and taste more fancy than they are. If I were back in my 20s, I’d memorize these two dishes: They’d be an ace in my pocket for a hot date.

food.net is the URL to get there, and I gave it that name initially back in 2007 because I wanted to deal with what I call honest food: Nothing industrial, nothing overly processed and certainly nothing that came from a lab. Honest food does not have to be wild, but that is my area of expertise. So the site, over the years, has become the largest source of wild food recipes on the internet. There are almost 1,000 recipes, tips and technique posts covering everything from wild game to fishing, clamming, foraging, mushrooms – you name it. I post every week, and often twice a week, and this is the home of most of my more thoughtful essays on this wild, edible world we live in.

RK Give me a “top three” pieces of advice for cooking venison.

HS 1) Never cook the loin, tenderloin or whole-muscle roasts from

RK And just what is a James Beard Award?

HS Quite simply, it is the Oscars of the food world. There are few

the hind leg more than medium, and cook the shoulders, neck and shanks longer than you think you need to. 2) Don’t grind everything. I like burger as much as the next guy, but unless you are shooting lots and lots of deer (some people do), for the love of all that’s holy, please don’t grind the luxury cuts. 3) Don’t forget the bones for stock! Bones and little bits of sinew and gristle make the best stocks and broths. The only caveat to this is if you live or hunt in a place where there is widespread chronic wasting disease, where you might not want to keep the bones.

higher honors for a chef or a food writer. I was honored to be nominated, which means top three, in 2009 and 2010, and was overjoyed to have won the award in 2013.

RK What is your “date night” recipe in Buck, Buck, Moose?

HS Oh, there are many of them. There are more than 120 recipes in

RK What exactly defines venison? A cow is not venison, but a moose is? What is the line in the sand for determining what is classified as venison? Is a wild goat venison?

HS Venison to some means deer and only deer. But most people in the English-speaking world use “venison” to mean any deer or deer-like animal. So elk, moose, all the deer and antelope, as well as caribou, would all be venison in this sense. This is the way I use venison in the book. The French use venison to mean all wild game.

While I would not call wild goat or sheep or muskox or bison venison, you could use all of these meats as a stand-in for venison for any recipe in this book.

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RK I know you and Steve Rinella, “The MeatEater,” are friends, but in Steve’s new book he proclaims that most red meat is interchangeable with other red meat in recipes – especially in big game. How do you feel about that? Do you think a person can substitute antelope for mule deer in a recipe?

HS Sort of. There are differences, especially if you begin to stray into more esoteric red meats, like beaver or jackrabbit or mountain goat. These are all red, yes, but some can be strongly flavored.

Sticking to venison, there are subtle differences in texture, color and flavor, but most of the flavor differences have to do with diet, age of the animal and proper field care, not species.

One important and true difference is size. You cannot sub a moose shoulder for a whitetail doe shoulder in the same recipe without major adjustments. Sure, in the end they might taste similar, but things like cooking time and the amount of additional ingredients will be vastly different.

But at its core, Steve’s right: You won’t see too many recipes

MIXED BAG in Buck, Buck, Moose that demand you use, say, antelope loin as opposed to whitetail or muley loin. You might see things like, “Use a young animal,” or “This one’s for a big animal, like a moose, elk or big muley buck,” but no species-specific recipes.

RK I hear you did one helluva dinner at the Backcountry Hunters & Anglers convention last year. Care to tell us what was on the menu?

HS Ha! Yeah, I busted out a technique from the 1600s called à la Ficelle, which means “on a string.” I had a bunch of antelope hind legs to cook, and I seasoned them simply with olive oil, herbs, salt and lemon, jammed a bunch of garlic cloves in the meat, and then hung them over hot coals. I twisted the twine holding them up to the point where they’d spin on their own, basting themselves and making sure they cooked evenly. They came out great.

RK Speaking of podcasts – and awkward transitions – care to elaborate?

HS Sure. I started a podcast called Hunt Gather Talk. It is a great way to have fun and talk to interesting people about all kinds of topics that touch the wild world. I’ve done solo episodes, which are something of an audible essay, a few where I answer listeners’ questions, but mostly they are conversations. It’s been a lot of work, but I am learning new skills, like audio editing, and I’ve had a great response.

RK I ran out of gas one time with you in my truck, yet you still came back to Idaho to hunt with me. You either really like to hunt Idaho or are crazy.

HS Both, probably. And my ability to give you a hard time about it until we’re both old and senile was more than worth it. Hunting Idaho is still new to me, though. I’ve hunted deer there, quail, rabbits, grouse. I am hoping to get a sage hen this season, and someday draw an elk tag, or maybe even a moose. You can be sure I’ll be back to bother you every year.

RK Can you tell me some of your favorite activities in the Pacific Northwest?

HS Geez, that’s a hard one. The PNW is a wonderland for a guy like me. Mushroom hunting, wild berries up the ying-yang, salmon, albacore, trout, sturgeon. Blue grouse hunting in the mountains, quail in the lowlands, some of the best clamming on planet Earth.

You name it.

RK What is your go-to hunt at home?

HS Ducks. Northern California is one of the best places to hunt waterfowl in North America. I probably spend more time hunting ducks and geese than anything else. It is the one kind of hunting where I feel very comfortable in the role of a guide.

RK If you weren’t on the book tour, what would you spend September doing in the woods? Foraging, fishing, hunting?

HS Yes. All of the above. Albacore offshore, mushrooms in the 28 Northwest Sportsman

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woods, grouse in the mountains, doves on Labor Day, blacktail deer hunting on the Sonoma Coast. There is always something going on.

RK What book can we look forward to next?

HS To complete the hunting trilogy, my next book will be all about small game, from upland birds to small mammals. As this was what first got me into hunting, I am really looking forward to it. NS

MEDIA MASTERCHEF He’s the man of many platforms – Hank Shaw brings wild game and cooking said meat to the masses via internet, the printed word and more.

For years Honest-food.net has been the gourmet hunter’s go-to website for inspiration. Shaw has accumulated a massive following online with his collection of beautifully photographed and well-written recipes. He’s received a James Beard Award for the site.

With short episodes (about half an hour), Shaw delves headfirst into the podcast world with Hunt, Gather, Talk. It’s a foodie’s podcast, for sure, as wild ingredients and great cooking techniques are frequently discussed. Shaw is at podcast No. 17 at last count, with shows that include in-depth conversations on select species, like rabbits, and recipes, like a dissertation on salami. It’s a must-listen for the commuting hunter and cook.

Shaw’s first book, Hunt, Gather, Cook: Finding the Forgotten Feast, was released in 2011 by Rodale.

The book was a “primer on all things wild” and helped those who “may have never hunted mushrooms or picked up a gun or cast a rod and reel before.”

His second book, Duck, Duck, Goose: Recipes and Techniques for Ducks and Geese, both Wild and (HANK SHAW) Domesticated, was released by Ten Speed Press in October 2013. Targeted at domestics and hunters alike, the book covers Shaw’s favorite animal to hunt: the duck. The recipes are amazing and the color photography – provided by Holly Heyser, a fellow blogger and Shaw’s partner in crime – is topnotch.

His latest book, Buck, Buck, Moose: Recipes and Techniques for Cooking Deer, Elk, Antelope, Moose and Other Antlered Things, publishes this month and covers “all sorts of deer and deer-like things ever produced. I hope it opens up whole new worlds for those who hunt deer, elk, moose, antelope and caribou.”

To promote the book, Shaw is holding a series of book dinners, signings and demos this month in Bend (Sept. 9), Portland (10, 11, 12), Longview (13), Seattle (14, 16, 17), Bellingham (15) and Boise (21, 22). –RK

nwsportsmanmag.com | SEPTEMBER 2016

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His first salmon sure was a memorable one! That’s Jayden Heffron, 9, behind the tail of the 30-plus-pound Chinook he caught fishing plug-cut herring in Winchester Bay with his uncle Blake Olsen last month. (DAIWA PHOTO CONTEST) This year’s parade of large largies continued in midsummer, with this very nice bucketmouth for Dustin Sharpe, caught on a 5-inch Senko at a Willamette Valley pond. (DAIWA

^

^

READER PHOTOS

The lakes along the crest of Oregon’s Cascades provided good catches of rainbows and delicious brook trout for Jacqueline Girard-Lewallen and Mary Walker this summer. (DAIWA PHOTO CONTEST)

– and hooked – for life! James ^Spoiled Hanthro’s first fishing trip ever was to Port

Hardy, on the northern end of Vancouver Island, where he and buddy Mark Reynolds landed salmon, halibut and lings. (DAIWA PHOTO CONTEST)

PHOTO CONTEST)

After state fishery managers opened the Columbia River’s Priest Rapids Pool for sturgeon harvest, anglers like Glenn Steffler (left) and buddy Aulin Smith found the reservoir held oversize fish too. They caught and released this giant in late July. (DAIWA PHOTO CONTEST)

For your shot at winning great fishing and hunting products from Browning and Daiwa, 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 | SEPTEMBER 2016

Northwest Sportsman 31

READER PHOTOS Kokanee action on Lake Roosevelt sizzled for the Schertenleibs. Siblings Cadi and Caleb landed landlocked sockeye from 3 to a whopping 5.67 pounds on midsummer trips. (DAIWA PHOTO CONTEST)

Never too late to start steelheading! Larry Miller, 68, had just started backtrolling a Mag Lip on the Cowlitz with Ace Wade when this nice summer-run bit, his first ever.

(DAIWA PHOTO CONTEST)

Big game season hadn’t even started before Randy Hart Jr. had a freezer full of venison, thanks to a timely stop at a Pierce County gas station where he learned a clerk had just hit a bull. With Washington now allowing residents to salvage roadkilled elk, all he had to do was go find it, contact an officer to put the wounded animal down, cart it off, fill out an online form and he and his family were eating good. “I believe had I not looked for it, this elk would have gone to waste,” Hart said. He was the 41st person in the state to fill out the form after salvaging became legal on July 1 – the first was on the first day it was OK. Great job! (BROWNING PHOTO CONTEST)

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Northwest Sportsman 33

34 Northwest Sportsman

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PHOTO CONTEST

WINNERS!

Drum roll, please! The grand prize winner of our Daiwa Photo Contest is Matt Gibson, whose picture of daughter Wylie in her ballerina getup – donned right after coming home from a successful spring Chinook fishing trip with daddy – won the judges’ hearts.

Matt wins a Daiwa rod-and-reel combo of a Ballistic EX 3000H spinning reel and Tatula 701MFS spinning rod – congratulations!

Patrick Gottsch is our monthly Browning hunting photo contest winner, thanks to this shot of he and his 2015 Oregon muley. It wins him a Browning hat!

Sportsman Northwest

Your LOCAL Hunting & Fishing Resource

For your shot at winning Daiwa and Browning products, send your photos and pertinent (who, what, when, where) details to awalgamott@ media-inc.com or Northwest Sportsman, PO Box 24365, Seattle, WA 98124-0365. By sending us photos, you affirm you have the right to distribute them for our print or Internet publications. nwsportsmanmag.com | SEPTEMBER 2016

Northwest Sportsman 35

protectyourwaters.net

National Invasive Species Hotline 1-877-STOP-ANS (1-877-786-7267)

36 Northwest Sportsman

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MIXED BAG

Idaho Man Sentenced For Baiting Ducks

By Andy Walgamott

A

Boise-area farmer was sentenced to pay $40,000, spend half a month in jail and perform 200 hours of community service after being found guilty of baiting ducks and conspiracy to do so over multiple hunting seasons.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, from 2007 to early 2014 Gregory Obendorf, 61, of Parma had farm workers partially knock down a corn field to purposefully spread kernels around, and then the fields would be flooded. During the 2013-14 season, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service agents flying over his farm spotted piles of corn near blinds, and Obendorf was recorded bragging his spread attracted 200,000 ducks. DOJ said that during his trial, hunters testified they’d taken limits of ducks on the property in under an hour while the baiting was occurring. Baiting is a violation of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. At his sentencing early last month, Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill told Obendorf that not only had the illegal baiting changed duck and goose flight patterns, but it proved detrimental to waterfowlers on nearby public lands. The judge also revoked his hunting and fishing privileges for three years.

JACKASS OF THE MONTH

W

hen Gregory Obendorf was sentenced early last month for illegally baiting ducks onto his Idaho farm (see above story), he asked a federal judge for leniency.

He’d let conservation officers take youth hunters out on his land, he argued, and that should be worth something. The judge didn’t fall for his decoy pattern. As it turns out, after Obendorf was found guilty in May of violating the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, he’d called IDFG to say he would no longer allow that. Foul move, Obendorf.

KUDOS

(OSP)

F

ish and wildlife troopers in the middle Willamette Valley were named the Oregon State Police’s 2015 team of the year. They were credited with being “forward thinking and relentless in their pursuit” of lawbreakers, and last year’s accomplishments included getting the fishing regulations changed to address Chinook snagging at Waterloo Falls and better use of aerial patrols during big game season. Based out of Salem and Albany, the team is led by Sgt. James Halsey (center) and includes (right to left) Troopers Brian Glaser and Steve Kenyon, Senior Troopers Casey Hunter and Ron Clement, Trooper Jim Andrews and former member Senior Trooper Kirk Burkholder.

Different Name, Same Mission

R

ugged Justice, the Animal Planet series focusing on Washington fish and wildlife officers, has been renamed for its third season, which began late last month.

Now known as North Woods Law: Washington State, the show follows wardens as they police fishing and hunting seasons and deal with the public, as well as other fierce furry critters across the Evergreen State. The new moniker follows on the cable channel’s series featuring Maine wildlife officers.

nwsportsmanmag.com | SEPTEMBER 2016

Northwest Sportsman 37

By Andy Walgamott

Salmon Top Fish 17.3-lbr. Wins At Tuna Derby SKC-PSA Derby W

hat happens when the seas are a bit too sporty to make it to the albacore grounds for your tournament?

Stay inshore and fish for something else!

After the Coast Guard “encouraged” organizers of the Oregon Tuna Classic’s Deep Canyon Challenge not to send the fleet through 13-foot seas, anglers targeted Chinook out of Ilwaco instead.

Gus Forster took big fish honors and $2,000 with a 28.4-pound king, and the July 30-31 gathering raised tens of thousands of dollars for local food banks, With offshore fishing washed according to OTC chair Del Stephens. out by high seas, Oregon Tuna “No tuna, but a nice-size check, Classic Deep Canyon Challenge thanks to a very faithful group of participants stayed inside the Columbia and angled for dedicated anglers and others who share salmon. Gus Forster caught the in the cause,” he said. largest, this 28.4-pounder, While some derby-goers swapped reportedly (and fittingly) on a live anchovy. out tuna gear for salmon tackle and (VIA OREGON TUNA CLASSIC) fished the Columbia above the AstoriaMegler Bridge, others grabbed golf clubs for a scramble-style competition. At the dinner gathering, attended by a reported 350, more than $27,000 was bid on fishing and hunting trips and gear, art work and other offerings.

2016 NORTHWEST SALMON DERBY SERIES The derby will go on – for the most part. Organizers of the Everett Coho Derby, held annually in September, saw their event scrubbed due to this year’s low silver forecast, but they came up with a fix: the Everett No-Coho Blackmouth Derby. It’s slated for midfall, and will also be when the Northwest Salmon Derby Series’ grand prize – a Hewescraft 220 OceanPro complete with a Mercury 225 Verado, 9.9 ProKicker, EZ-Loader tandem-axle galvanized trailer, Scotty downriggers, Lowrance electronics and more – will be awarded.

Sept. 3: Willapa Bay Salmon Derby, Willapa Bay Nov. 5-6: Bayside Marine Salmon Derby, Areas 8-9 Dec. 1-3: Friday Harbor Salmon Classic, Area 7 Dec. 2-3: Resurrection Salmon Derby, Area 7 For more info, see northwestsalmonderbyseries.com.

A

17.3-pound Chinook won last month’s South King County Puget Sound Anglers Salmon Derby. Eric Short was the lucky angler, taking home a check for $3,500 at the 15th annual event.

Forty-one fish were weighed in and organizers reported that all of those fishermen collected prizes worth a minimum of $100.

Second place and $1,500 went to Greg Casade, who caught a 16.8-pounder, while third and $1,000 went to Tony Frigerio for his 16.55, which was also the biggest landed by a PSA member.

Jobe Henderson’s 10.85pounder was the largest landed by a member of the Eric Short shows off his derby-winning military, good for $500, while Chinook. (SOUTH KING COUNTY PSA) Savannah Meir took first place in the kids division with her 8.35-pound Chinook, scoring her $300.

The derby was held on Areas 10, 11 and 13. Fish size was down compared to recent years’ events. A total of 224 anglers particpated.

MORE RECENT RESULTS * Aug. 4-6: 11th Annual Brewster Salmon Derby, Brewster Pool: First place (King of the Pool): Mindy Webster, 26.06 pounds; second: Les Willet, 24.77 pounds; third: Cody Simmons, 22.4 pounds Recent Westport Charterboat Association derby winners (charterwestport.com): Aug. 7: Roy Lukens, 33.70-pound albacore, Ms Magoo Aug. 6: Kaitlinn Keany, 22.10-pound Chinook, Pescatore Aug. 4: Ron Odegard, 26.35-pound Chinook, Stardust July 24: Bill Jared, 37.65-pound albacore, Ms Magoo

MORE UPCOMING EVENTS Ongoing through Sept. 5: 2016 CCA Oregon Salmon Round-

up – info: ccaoregonderby.com Sept. 2-4: 13th Annual Slam’n Salmon Derby, ocean off Port of Brookings Harbor – info: slamnsalmon.net Sept. 9-11: 17th Annual Coos Basin Salmon Derby, Coos Bay and environs – info: morgancreekfishhatchery.org Nov. 19-26: Clearwater Snake Steelhead Derby, waters in the greater Lewis & Clark Valley area; info: steelheadderby.com Note: Early October’s LaPush Last Chance Derby is cancelled. nwsportsmanmag.com | SEPTEMBER 2016

Northwest Sportsman 39

40 Northwest Sportsman

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OUTDOOR

CALENDAR

and Follow the Law It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3...

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AUGUST 27 Opening day of bowhunting season for deer and elk in Oregon 27-28 Cabela’s Fall Great Outdoor Days at select Northwest locations – info: cabelas.com 30 Opening day of bowhunting season for deer and elk in numerous Idaho units SEPTEMBER 1 Washington statewide dove, grouse, cougar and deer (bow), and Northeast A, Blue Mountains, Long Island bear openers; Grouse, quail and dove openers in Oregon; Numerous Northeast Oregon streams open for hatchery steelhead; Idaho kings open 9 Family Basic Shotgun Shooting Workshop ($, registration), Mid-Valley Shooting Clays & Shooting School, Gervais – info: odfwcalendar.com 10 Washington statewide elk (bow) opener; CAST for Kids event on Lake Washington at Coulon Park – info: Jessica Kelly (jessica@castforkids.org); Youth Pheasant Hunt (free, registration), Fern Ridge Wildlife Area – info: odfwcalendar.com 10-11 Family Pheasant Hunting Workshop ($, registration), Sauvie Island – info: odfwcalendar.com 11 CAST for Kids event on Henry Hagg Lake – info: Jay Yelas (jay@castforkids.org) 15-18 33nd Annual Portland Fall RV & Van Show, Expo Center – info: otshows.com 15-23 Bandtail pigeon season in Oregon, Washington 15-25 High Buck Hunt in several Washington Cascades and Olympics wilderness areas and Lake Chelan National Recreation Area 16 3rd Annual Pierce Co. CCA Banquet & Auction – info: ccawashington.org /PierceCounty 17 Family Pheasant Hunting Workshop ($, registration), EE Wilson Wildlife Area – info: odfwcalendar.com 17-18 Washington youth pheasant, quail, partridge hunting weekend 19-23 Washington senior and disabled pheasant hunting week 24 44th Annual National Hunting & Fishing Day – info: nhfday.org 24-25 Free Youth Pheasant Hunts at Baker City, and EE Wilson and Irrigon Wildlife Areas (registration) – info: odfwcalendar.com; 5th Annual Salmon Tales Festival & Fishing Derby at Westport Maritime Museum and boat basin – info: salmontales.info 30 Last day of 2016 pikeminnow sport reward fishery – info: pikeminnow.org

RECORD NORTHWEST SALMON Date

Species

Pds. (-Oz.) Water

1910 Chinook (F) 83 Umpqua R. (OR) 9-6-64 Chinook* (S) 70.5 Sekiu (WA) 10-5-92 Chinook (F) 68.26 Elochoman R. (WA) 1956 Chinook (Or) 56 Salmon R. (ID) 10-19-97 Chum (F) 25.97 Satsop R. (WA) 9-28-01 Coho (S) 25.34 Sekiu (WA) 11-11-66 Coho (F) 25-5.25 Siltcoos L. (OR) 8-7-01 Chum (S) 25.26 Sekiu (WA) 1990 Chum (F) 23 Kilchis R. (OR) 10-11-07 Pink (F) 15.4 Stillaguamish R. (WA) 9-22-99 Atlantic (Or) 14.38 Green R. (WA) 11-8-14 Coho (Or) 11.75 Clearwater R. (ID) 8-25-01 Pink (S) 11.56 Possession Pt. (WA) 7-20-82 Sockeye (F) 10.63 L. Washington (WA) 8-14-04 Sockeye (S) 9.37 Sekiu (WA) 8-8-70 Sockeye (Or) 5 Redfish L. (ID) F=Caught in freshwater; S=Saltwater; Or=Ocean-run; * Pictured

1.

The ONE place not to be is in the path of whales. Don’t position your vessel in the path of oncoming whales within 400 yards of a whale.

2.

Stay at least TWO hundred yards away from any killer whale (200 yards = the distance of two football fields or about 200 meters).

3.

Remember these THREE ways to Be Whale Wise: follow the guidelines for viewing all wildlife, check for local protected areas and restrictions, and always be safe.

(IDFG) (POULSBO HISTORICAL SOCIETY) Angler

Ernie St. Claire Chet Gausta Mark Salmon (IDFG) Merrold Gold Johnny Wilson Martin Cooper Ed Martin Fred Dockendorf Roger Nelson Adam Stewart Ron Howard Steve Micek Jeff Bergman Gary Krasselt John Stebly June McCray

Visit www.bewhalewise.org to learn more, download the laws, regulations, and guidelines, and to report violations.

Report Violations: Enforcement 1-800-853-1964 or online at www.bewhalewise.org

nwsportsmanmag.com | SEPTEMBER 2016

Northwest Sportsman 41

(FISHING BUREAU OF AMERICA) 30

Name: Northern Pike Size: 7.5lbs, 30” Wanted for: Invasive species control Last seen: 48.1011º N, 118.2466º W 25

Name me: Wall alleye Size: 5lb lbs, 25” 5” Wanted for: Friday dinner Last seen: 49.0610° N, 94.8475° W

22

Name: e: Largem Largemout outh Bass Size: 8lbs, bs, 22 22” Wanted for: Brotherly competition Last seen: 42.4 4357° N, 82.6915° W 30

Name: Channel Catfish Size: 9.7lbs, 27” Wanted for: Trophy Last seen: 45° 39’ 0” N, 108° 42’ 55” W

available at:

Castable

42 Northwest Sportsman

Bluetooth

Fish Finder

SEPTEMBER 2016 | nwsportsmanmag.com

reelsonar.com

COLUMN

Follow Columbia Kings Upriver S

eptember is the month nearly a million fall Chinook will migrate through the Lower Columbia and when veteran guides like Mike Kelly and Cody Herman will be following them as they migrate upriver.

Kelly caught his first Chinook from BUZZ RAMSEY Washington’s Queets River when he was 14 and quickly learned that, for him, there is no rush like a fish rush. He started guiding (360-269-7628) part-time on the Cowlitz River in 1970. I first met Kelly in 1976, which was about the same time that he decided to quit his regular job and guide full time.

He decided early on that what he and his clients were the most interested in was big fish like Chinook and steelhead.

“What was exciting then and has never changed is the thrill of

hooking into something that is really big,” Kelly says.

In order to keep his clients on plentiful numbers of big fish, he switches fishing locations throughout the year based on run forecast information he gleans from state fish and wildlife agencies.

In addition, he focuses on fishing methods that big fish favor.

After the Buoy 10 Chinook season ended last year, which didn’t make it past Labor Day, Kelly moved his operation upriver to Cathlamet where he and his clients experienced red-hot fishing for fall kings.

“The fishing was unbelievable, and while we caught salmon on anchor when the tide was outgoing, when the tide went slack we decided to try trolling and nailed quick limits with the same gear we used to troll Buoy 10,” he says.

According to Kelly, the normal method used for fall Chinook in this area of the Columbia is to anchor fish in 25 to 35 feet of

As fall Chinook move up the Columbia from Buoy 10 this month, move right along with them. Cathlamet, the LongviewRainier area – where this father-son-fish battle was photographed last summer by Melissa McDowell – Troutdale and Bonneville Dam tailrace are all good spots to battle big brights. (DAIWA PHOTO CONTEST) nwsportsmanmag.com | SEPTEMBER 2016

Northwest Sportsman 43

COLUMN water with large wobblers, like Clancys or Alvins, rigged on a 60inch leader and 48-inch weight dropper line. This method works when the tide is outgoing but stops as the current slows due to the flooding ocean tide eliminating the current needed to cause stationary lures to work – which is when most anglers reel in their gear and head for home.

What Kelly did was to try trolling, and he was surprised to discover that the bite was crazy-good.

“Everyone else left while we switched to trolling and instantly filled the fish box. We used the same gear that we’d been using at Buoy 10, a Big Al’s Fish Flash trolled in combination with herring

advisable to check on emergency fishing rule-change notices posted to dfw.state.or.us and wdfw.wa.gov.

SOON AFTER LEAVING Buoy 10 around Labor Day, guide Cody Herman (503-960-9377) of Day One Outdoor TV fame is planning to chase fall Chinook near Bonneville Dam. Last year Cody, like other guides and anglers, discovered that a rotating flasher, like the Pro-Troll, was the hot ticket for fall Chinook in this area.

Herman also found that small Hildebrandt blades, like a 3.5size Colorado, worked best when rigged 18 inches behind this style of flasher.

“I tried larger spinner blade sizes and they just didn’t work as

There’s plenty of opportunities in September to retain Chinook below Bonneville, be aware that wild kings must be released at certain times in certain places this month on the Columbia.

(DAYONEOUTDOORS.COM)

or spinner. What really made it especially easy is that we could troll any direction when the flood tide made the water go slack.”

According to Kelly, his best-producing squid spinner colors were red and white and chartreuse green dot.

He was on the Kenai when I interviewed him and asked if he thought the action he experienced at Cathlamet last year would be as good this September.

“I don’t see why not, with nearly a million Chinook expected to flood into the Lower Columbia again this year,” Kelly replied.

At press time, the Columbia from the Tongue Point-Rocky Point line to the Warrior Rock-Bachelor Island line is scheduled to be open through Sept. 9 for Chinook, fin clipped or not, and switch to hatchery Chinook only Sept. 10-14. After that, this section will close for kings, but remain open for steelhead and coho. Note that the Columbia above the Warrior Rock-Bachelor Island line remains open for all Chinook through the end of the year. But it’s always 44 Northwest Sportsman

SEPTEMBER 2016 | nwsportsmanmag.com

well as the small spinner blades,” he shares.

A lure without too much drag seems to allow these large flashers to impart more of the darting action into the trailing lures that the fish respond to best.

Herman fished his flashers 4 feet behind his weight dropper line and employed 12 to 16 ounces of weight in most situations, but dropped down to 8- and 10-ounce sinker sizes where the current was slower moving.

And while a copper spinner blade rigged in combination with red, green or chartreuse beads (and a size 1 treble) is what worked best early in the season, he found nickel-colored blades rigged in combination with red beads to be a top-producing color as the season progressed. NS Editor’s note: The author is a brand manager and part of the management team at Yakima Bait. Like Buzz on Facebook.

nwsportsmanmag.com | SEPTEMBER 2016

Northwest Sportsman 45

46 Northwest Sportsman

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FISHING

NEW TACTIC FOR

COLUMBIA URBS Upriver summer Chinook technique gains following with fall bright anglers.

By Andy Schneider

T

here is a change happening with every tidal exchange on the Lower Columbia. No, it’s not something that showed up overnight, but it is something that has happened in the span of just a couple years, relatively fast for “a hot new salmon technique.”

The funny thing about the evolution of any “new” technique is that it’s usually not necessarily new. More than likely it’s been used somewhere else successfully and only recently been adapted for local fisheries.

Such is the case with the Super Bait craze. Putting one of these hollow, fillable faux cutplugs, available in a wide array of colors, 3 feet behind a Pro-Troll or Shortbus Super Series flasher has proven to be a very productive technique in Upper Columbia pools over the years, and it has finally made its way down below Bonneville Dam. What is it about a rotating flasher spinning a piece of plastic in a 16-inch Lower Columbia fall salmon anglers have long relied on anchoring up in hoglines on outgoing tides and running wobblers for big kings, like this one caught by Fred Clarke a few seasons back, but they’re also finding that upriver brights also bite trolled Super Baits during the incoming. (DAIWA PHOTO CONTEST)

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Northwest Sportsman 47

FISHING circle that makes it so effective? Maybe it’s something that completely intrigues salmon, maybe it’s mimicking a wounded baitfish more effectively, or maybe it’s something else entirely that we haven’t figured out yet.

Whatever it is, it’s amazing how quickly new techniques surge into popularity. With social media and fast-reacting tackle companies willing to change and add production lines almost overnight, anglers are able to seize these new techniques and learn how to use them with a little YouTube binge watching.

It’s also helping to increase opportunity and salmon catches. It wasn’t more than a couple years ago that an incoming tide on the Lower Columbia would mean empty boat ramp parking lots and a deserted river, all except for the random kayaker or stand-up paddler. Now, boat ramps are just as busy at low tide as they are at high. And while many think that anchoring on an outgoing tide is easier, there is now proof that it’s not the only way to catch upriver brights.

THE SET-UP The term Super Bait actually describes a small variety of products that Longview-based Brad’s Killer Fishing Gear produces: the original Super Bait, Cut Plug and Mini Cut Plug. All of these are effectively fished behind 11-inch flashers. While this technique was founded with the use of downriggers, anglers downriver of Bonneville Dam prefer the simplicity of cannonball weights.

Rigging for the Lower Columbia starts with 50- to 65-pound braided mainline tied to a large duolock snapped onto a triangular spreader – Yakima Bait and Shortbus both make versions. On the bottom of the spreader add another duolock and clip in an 8- to 20-ounce cannonball.

From the third, or back, hole on the spreader, tie 24 inches of 40- to 50-pound monofilament between a bead chain and flasher to ensure the proper rotation of the flasher.

(Utilizing a triangular spreader will help eliminate any mainline twist from it too.) Behind the flasher, the plug should slide down a fixed mooching rig with a final leader length of 36 inches. Two 4/0 barbless hooks on a 30- to 40-pound-test leader should hold up for multiple fish, as rigging a Super Bait, flasher and spreader on the water can be tricky.

The baits have a cavity built into the lure that you can fill with whatever concoction you can think up. The most common ingredients are fresh albacore, canned albacore, herring, sardines, anchovies, salmon roe and shrimp. Just be careful not to overfill, as trying to cram in too much and forcing it closed will break the hinge.

While Super Baits are the most popular bait to troll behind Super Series or Pro-Troll flashers, small spinners and bait also catch fish. Size 4 and 5 spinners in all popular salmon colors are highly effective behind one of these rotating attractors. Plug-cut herring or whole anchovies 48 Northwest Sportsman

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can also be very effective; just make sure to brine the bait so that it firms up for use in the warmer waters of early fall.

There is no wrong speed to troll a Super Bait; if you are having success at a certain water speed, keep doing it! Often times, anglers will deploy other tackle that may be a little more finicky to troll speed, like a standard plug-cut herring behind a triangle flasher. As long as the flasher is turning over and spinning the bait behind it, they are fishing. The average troll speed for these flashers is just shy of 2 miles an hour, which gives the rod a “thump” every second. When trolling against an ebbing tide, your ground speed may slow while your water speed may climb, but as long as the flasher keeps its proper rotation and is not fluttering or spinning, it will still catch fish.

Upriver brights tend to stratify throughout the water column on the incoming tide. Pay attention to your fishing electronics to see where you are marking fish and put your gear at that depth. You may feel like you are constantly moving and adjusting your tackle for what may or may not be a salmon on your fish finder, but if you don’t put the effort into making these adjustments, your results will suffer. As the tide turns and most anglers jockey for anchoring positions, trolling Super Baits can still be effective. As most URB anchor fishermen know, 3 to 5 feet off the bottom tends to be the most productive depth to target Chinook on the move, so it would only make sense to set your baits to that depth as well.

THE GO-TO SPOTS Anyone who has fished the mouths of the Deschutes and Klickitat Rivers in the last decade has either themselves used or seen others trolling Pro-Trolls and Super Baits, and once dam counts start to climb, fishing will be in full swing here again. But it’s mostly downriver waters that have everyone’s attention. While the Columbia around the Lewis seemed to be most productive for anglers two and three years ago, now it seems that just about anywhere someone goes and trolls these baits, they catch fish. Sauvie Island, Caterpillar Island, Frenchman’s Bar, between I-205 and I-5, Reed Island and even directly below Bonneville Dam have all been proven to be good producers.

Waters around tributaries, between wing dams/pile dikes and transitions – where the Columbia deepens and narrows or spreads and shallows – seem to be the most productive.

Give it another season and even more new fishable waters will be discovered. Exploring can be very rewarding, especially when you find success.

While this may just seem like another “flash in the pan” technique craze that has the internet buzzing and anglers racing to tackle retailers looking for popular PokeStops – er, I mean, Super Bait colors – it’s tough to ignore success.

The important lesson learned from this technique is that it’s very versatile and only takes persistence in the presence of fish to make it productive. NS

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50 Northwest Sportsman

SEPTEMBER 2016 | nwsportsmanmag.com

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NOTES Don’t have downriggers but want to get in on the Super Bait-and-flasher craze for Lower Columbia fall Chinook? Or just want to be able to fish the incoming tide? Tie a large duolock to 50- to 65-pound braided mainline and connect the snap to a triangular plastic spreader. On the bottom of the spreader, clip in another duolock and attach an 8- to 20-ounce cannonball.

Clip in a duolock snap or bead-chain swivel and tie a 24-inch leader of 40- to 50-pound monofilament and attach it to the flasher.

On the other side of the flasher, rig up a fix-tied leader with barbless 4/0 Big River Bait Hooks tied an inch and a half apart on 30- to 40-pound-test mono and slide a Super Bait down the line. Fill the plug with flavor and troll away. –Andy Schneider

50-pound braided mainline Duolock snap or bead-chain swivel Duolock snaps

Spreader

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36-inch, 40-pound monofilament leader Fix-tied 4/0 barbless hooks (ANDY SCHNEIDER)

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FISHING

PICK THE KLICK South-central Washington’s Klickitat River sees strong runs of big fall Chinook that are fishable at the mouth, along its banks and in floats on either side of the town of Klickitat. In 2013, the most recent year state catch stats are available, it yielded nearly 12,400 wild and hatchery kings in September and October.

(JASON BROOKS)

Big runs of stout fall Chinook and plenty of access fuel fishery on South-central Washington river.

By Jason Brooks

W

e pushed off into the silty glacial river, the origins of which were well upstream at the base of Mt. Adams. After a few quick strokes

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Northwest Sportsman 53

FISHING

From its glacial origins on Mt. Adams, the Klick cuts a deep valley through basalt. Bank access is copious, and anglers like to fish eggs under a float for salmon. This view looks down on the Pitt Bridge area. (JASON BROOKS)

of the drift boat’s oars, the anchor was dropped. We had slid from one side of the river to the other, where a deep slot ran along the basalt bank. The move was simply a ploy to keep our hole as other boats pulled in behind us to launch in the Klickitat River canyon. We wrapped plugs with herring fillets, and once the rods were set, the anchor was pulled and we slid as slowly as possible down into the slot. On our first pass the inside rod bent over and stayed down. I knew to let the rod load up before even thinking of grabbing it out of the holder. Jeff Geary of Geary’s Guide Service (509-369-2287) knew it too and, using the backstroke of the oars, violently rowed to set the hook.

The rod stayed buried and the fall Chinook was hooked.

We slid the boat back to the middle of the river as I fought the fish until it tired, and then rowed back to the boat launch to land it. Once in the net it was a quick photo session and then back to our slot before another rig arrived at the parking lot. A few more passes and then it was time to switch from wrapped plugs to bait divers and egg clusters. This did the trick as we hooked another fish.

This time it was Loren Dunbar of Hevi-Beads who had the hot rod and a hot Chinook. Soon we found ourselves back at the boat launch with another fish. We joked about how we wouldn’t need the shuttle service, as at this rate we’d limit without having left the put-in.

That, of course, jinxed us: We didn’t hook another fish in the hole, so we moved on, riding a series of rapids and fishing deep runs and holes over the next several miles.

The results were a few takedowns and a few lost fish. It was the ol’ first-hole hex, as we didn’t land another fish, but it was still a good day. It was a repeat for me too: I’ve fished the Klickitat Canyon before and caught fish in that very first hole. I’ve also worked the canyon on foot; the river has a lot of bank access for boatless anglers.

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Besides plugs and divers (along with eggs, sand shrimp is another option), other typical boat techniques used in the canyon include backbouncing eggs and fishing roe under a bobber. There are also several tailouts and long flats that are perfect for swinging spoons or spinners.

The river’s also a very well-known fly fishing destination and several companies offer guided trips. Geary has lived his whole life in the town of Klickitat and knows the river very well. On our trip, we floated from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Ice House, or Mineral Springs, launch down to Klickitat, which has a nice launch/take-out and a long, grassy area that a bank angler can plunk from or float eggs.

OTHER BOAT RAMPS, both above and below Klickitat, provide access to miles and miles of water for drifters and rafters.

Starting at the top of the canyon near the hatchery, where the water is very skinny and strewn with boulders, is a launch for rafters. Further downriver is the Summit Creek launch and another mile downriver is the Leidl Park campground launch. A short distance downstream is WDFW’s Stinson Flats put-in, but online the agency says it “is no longer available due to river erosion.” Regardless, these launches comprise what is known as the “upper river” and have a lot of boulders and technical water.

Only those who are experienced on the oars should fish these stretches, which are also great places to catch a few late summer steelhead.

The Ice House-to-Klickitat float has some rapids and technical water, but is mostly a series of flats and deep slots and pools. You can get by with just one set of rods geared up for bait divers or pulling plugs and do well.

There is some bank access along the way, as the river flows next to Highway 142. Look for a pullout and hike down to the river. For bank anglers, floating eggs under a bobber is the best bet. Some of the access is steep, but with deep holes right at the roadway edge.

Past the town of Klickitat towards the Columbia are several more launches, each offering some bank access.

Upper and Lower Pitt are rough launches around mile marker 10. A four-wheel-drive truck is recommended for these. The next one down is Three Pines, a steep bank where you can slide a drift boat in, but will have a little

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FISHING

At the mouth of the Klickitat is a hover fishery, where boaters suspend eggs a reel turn or two off bottom and watch their rod tips intently for a bite. (JASON BROOKS)

difficulty pulling one out. There is good bank access here; fish the edge of the steep bank, again floating eggs and sand shrimp. There are two more launches, one at 7 Mile and one at 5 Mile, named after the mile markers on the highway. Both are primitive, and the latter is take-out only – note that it is your last chance to get off of the river before it cuts through basalt and is sometimes as narrow as 10 feet, and flows swiftly. No boats or rafts should ever go down this part of the Klickitat, as you are certain to sink your boat and drown. There is a more bank access, though, below 5 Mile, and this can be very good water to fish, especially without any competition from drift boaters.

THE KLICKITAT’S OTHER well-known fishery is at the mouth, the deadline on the Columbia. This is big water and can be just as dangerous as the canyon, what with afternoon winds causing white caps and the long run back to the nearest boat launch, Rowena on the Oregon side of the river. Either Washington or Oregon licenses will work at the mouth, as long as you stay out in the Columbia. A larger boat, at least 16 feet, is a must due to the Gorge’s winds.

The mouth fishery is perfect for hover fishing. This is a pretty specific way to fish. A short, 7-foot rod with a sensitive tip and strong backbone is needed. A levelwind reel spooled with 40- to 50-pound braid is best. Use a slider, 2-ounce cannonball weight and 24-inch leader of 20-pound-test clear Izorline XXX to a size 2 hook. Tip it with a small gob of Pro-Cure Last Supper-cured eggs, 56 Northwest Sportsman

SEPTEMBER 2016 | nwsportsmanmag.com

which is specially formulated for this type of fishery, and a few drops of Pro-Cure Anise Bloody Tuna bait oil. Lower it until the weight hits bottom and take one or two cranks on the reel and put the rod tip just above the water. Watch the tip; when it slowly dips, set the hook hard. The idea here is that the Chinook hug bottom and usually just open their mouth and suck in the bait, but don’t hammer it like in colder running water. As they mouth it, your rod tip will just barely dip as you slowly drift in the stagnant current. For more on hover fishing, see Dennis Dauble’s feature on the tactic in the August issue of Northwest Sportsman magazine.

If hover fishing isn’t producing and you like to troll, go out a little deeper where there is a shelf near the main channel of the Columbia. Using a long rod and 50- to 65-pound braid with either a 8- to 10-ounce dropper weight or a downrigger is a must. Terminal tackle is pretty simple: a Yakima Bait Big Al’s Fish Flash or a dodger with a 48-inch leader to a Brad’s Super Bait in hot tamale or lava stuffed with canned tuna and lathered in tuna gel.

One advantage of the Klickitat is that if the winds kick up on the Columbia, you can head up into the canyon. If the winds are calm, go back to the mouth and fish the big river where more fish stack up and catching can be fast and furious.

The Klick offers a lot of history, Mt. Adams just up the road, a deep gorge where tribal fishing has occurred for hundreds of years, the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area and great fall fishing for big kings. NS

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60 Northwest Sportsman

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FISHING

Reach For It With another massive run of upriver brights expected back to Hanford on the Columbia River, here’s how to fish it.

By Dennis Dauble

R

eset your digital clock to the fall of 2013 when a record 1.1 million upriver brights surged past Buoy 10. Of that total, nearly 260,000 kept on chugging past the mouth of the Snake and poured into the 50-mile-long Hanford Reach, the last remaining free-flowing (albeit still regulated) section of the Columbia River upstream of Bonneville Dam. This huge run was followed by equally huge returns in

2014 and 2015, and the fall of 2016 is forecast to provide more of the same.

Would you believe back-to-backto-back-to-back?

Some us who have studied and fished the Reach for the past 30 years might wonder if it’s all too good to be true. Others of you might say, “How do I get me some of that?!?” What follows is a primer on a topic that could easily fill a book.

BIDE YOUR TIME Examine daily fish passage counts

at McNary Dam (fpc.org) to confirm that fall Chinook have moved into the lower Hanford Reach by midAugust. The challenge, however, is that most of these fish remain in lockjaw mode until seasonal water temperatures cool down. Somewhere near the 64-degree mark appears to be the downward inflection point for the start of serious action. Although periods of stormy weather may spur a bite, don’t count on it. After all, this is the dry side of Washington. Some years, warm weather and low catch

Fall Chinook anglers often try to hit the first-light bite, but because of changing flows through the Hanford Reach during the day, evening and sunset can be a good time to fish for the plentiful upriver brights that return to this part of the Columbia River. (DENNIS DAUBLE) nwsportsmanmag.com | SEPTEMBER 2016

Northwest Sportsman 61

FISHING

Every year since 2010 has seen at least 10,000 fall Chinook harvested in the Hanford Reach, including a record 33,885 adults in September and October 2015– several of which went home with author Dennis Dauble. (DENNIS DAUBLE)

rates extend into late September.

One early staging area for fall Chinook is off the mouth of the Yakima River, where 50 boats or more might work the main channel up to the I-82 Bridge. This fishery is primarily a Pro-Troll EChip flasher with 10-ounce lead ball and Brad’s Super Bait game, where weeds are a particular challenge early in the season. Fish deep, fish slow and manage your troll path to avoid confrontation with other anglers.

By mid-September, salmon have pushed further up the Reach to hold near major spawning areas that include Ringold, White Bluffs and Vernita Bar. Most guides work the first and third because these areas afford easy access for clients and a high proportion of the run congregates around them to either spawn or return to nearby hatcheries.

While the majority of upriver brights are of “natural origin,” hatchery fish 62 Northwest Sportsman

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have contributed an estimated 26 to 46 percent of the total adult return over the past five years, according to the Department of Fish and Wildlife.

FISH NEAR STRUCTURE The Columbia is not your average stream. Salmon don’t seek cover where shoreline vegetation provides shade. This is sagebrush country.

There is little if any shade. Like any big fish, Chinook seek cover in the form of depth, variable current and structure, as afforded by changes in bottom relief. Deep-water holes are favored particularly under conditions of low flow. Prime fishing locations for anglers who like to troll deep and slow include milepost 31 near Ringold, the White Bluffs ferry landing, 100-D area and the King Hole at Vernita.

Look for midchannel “humps” and “reefs,” as identified by areas of turbulent current. Identify the

deepest parts of the channel, or thalweg. Locate these hot spots on your sonar and mark them on your GPS because the Reach is not a static system. Zeroing in on the occasional mulberry tree as a means to mentally map a preferred location is not sufficient. Daily flow fluctuations that approach 6 vertical feet will obscure shoreline features, expose gravel bars and mess up your approach. Take time to study daily and weekly flow patterns at waterdata.usgs.gov for USGS site 12472800 (Columbia River below Priest Rapids Dam) before you fire up your outboard. Having knowledge of flow conditions in your back pocket will lead to more fish – and may also save you a prop.

TACTICS AND STRATEGIES Salmon respond to changes in flow, particularly a spike or sharp increase in discharge to meet hydropower

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Northwest Sportsman 63

WHY SO MANY FISH? Fisheries managers and hydro operators have worked together to implement several significant changes in flow management practices that benefit the life cycle of mid-Columbia fall Chinook populations. For example, higher flows are provided downstream of Priest Rapids Dam during the spawning and post-hatch incubation periods. The Hanford Reach Fall Chinook Protection Program was also enacted to limit stranding and entrapment of juvenile salmon during emergence and early rearing. In addition, passage conditions for smolts at lower dams, primarily increased springtime spill practice and structural modifications to existing facilities, have increased smolt survival during migration to the Pacific. Benefits were realized as early as 2010 when run size to the Reach eclipsed 100,000 adults for the first time. –DD

demands, by becoming more active.

Some anglers say this scenario “jacks them up.” As a general rule, a slug of water takes approximately eight hours to move from Priest Rapids Dam to Ringold. This means a peak flow of, say, 150,000 cubic feet per second released from PRD at 6 a.m. won’t be realized the 49 river miles downstream at Ringold until 2 p.m.

Also be aware that extreme flow changes will require significant weed management. Expect a lull in action during an extended low-flow period.

Plan your time and place on the water accordingly.

Many anglers profess that you must fish early to be successful, that the best bite occurs at first light.

You’ll get no argument from me there, although I would point out the daily flow pattern should also be considered in your game plan.

Late afternoon and early evening, assuming flows are favorable, are often very productive. You are also more likely to find an open parking spot at the launch. If you prefer to sleep in, wait for the sun to drop behind Rattlesnake Mountain and work the shaded side of the river.

Since a high percentage of salmon will be on the move during periods of increasing flow, focus on migration corridors instead of deepwater holding areas. These occur where the river channel crosses over downstream of islands or is where the channel is constricted, such as at the powerlines downstream of the Energy Northwest intake and at the Hanford townsite.

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At some point in the season you should have fresh roe, or at least know someone who does. Cure up different colors: rocket red, natural orange and hot pink. Add a Mustad size 4 treble as a stinger below your barbless main hook to increase the odds of a successful hookset. Back troll a Spin-N-Glo above a chunk of roe across tailouts of deep holes, through fast waters with moderate depth and along narrow troughs adjacent to gravel bar islands. And take advantage of the two-pole endorsement to flat-line a Magnum Wiggle Wart or Mag Lip 100 feet behind your boat.

Every year can be different.

I caught salmon at several new locations last year but didn’t bang a fish in a section of river that yielded several boat limits the year before.

I fished similar flows, same time of day and the same gear. The only thing that changed was the behavior of fish. The lesson learned is, don’t rely on the same old technique in the same old places. There are more miles of shoreline than you can possibly explore. Get away from the crowd, try new water and test different methods. Old dogs can learn new tricks.

One thing I have learned over the past several years is that every technique has a time and place. For example, a flasher and Super Bait rig is typically trolled upstream or downstream, depending on current speed and depth. Troll too slow, too fast or too shallow and you won’t be successful. Wrapped Kwikfish work

FISHING best when back-trolled off a lead ball dropper or a Jet Diver. This setup is meant to work near bottom.

The only argument is whether to wrap your plug with sardine or tuna belly and what size or color elicits a strike. Flat-lining Warts or Lips is a relatively safe and effective technique, especially in shallow water where salmon are rolling. My favorite “lazy boy” technique is to back-troll a juicy cluster of roe or a scented tuna ball behind a SpinN-Glo or a Mack’s Lure Flash Lite Troll embellished with a series of UV beads. You might also locate a patch of biters by dragging a size 5 Vibrax along the bottom.

LATE-SEASON ACTION Let’s say it’s the end of September and you’re struggling to put fish in the box. Do not fear because catch rates typically double or triple by the first week in October. The flip side

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In addition to large Kwikfish, bait-holding plugs behind flashers and big spinners, brights will bite back-trolled Spin-N-Glo set-ups baited with eggs, especially in shallow runs. (DENNIS DAUBLE)

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is that not all upriver brights are in great shape this time of year. A large proportion have mottled flanks with canine teeth in evidence, particularly if they have been on the spawning grounds for a month or so.

If your desire is to fill a smoker with thick-skinned, complacent fighters, then launch your boat at Vernita Bar during the latter part of the run. If it’s orange-fleshed salmon you seek, then focus efforts on the lower 15 miles or so of the Reach. Over a thousand fish a day, many in prime condition, continue to migrate to upstream spawning areas through early October.

Crowds have thinned, fish are more aggressive and you should have worked the kinks out. Set your home chores aside and go fishing. The garage trim can be painted next spring.

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What makes the last four years of record runs remarkable was that only 12,000 adult upriver brights returned to the Hanford Reach to spawn in 2007. This total was a concern because it was several thousand below what biologists estimated was necessary to sustain the population.

Yet look at where we are today: an order of magnitude more fish, a six-salmon limit (i.e., three adults and three jacks above the Highway 395 bridge) and a season that lasts through October. In other words, the life history of salmon plays out in ways that are both uncertain and complicated. One thing I know, however, is there’s no better feeling than having a 25-pound king on the end of your line while you bask in the awesome scenery of the Hanford Reach National Monument on an Indian summer afternoon.

Like B.B. King (rest his soul) once said, “Let the good times roll!” NS Editor’s note: Dennis Dauble is author of three books about fish and fishing: Fishes of the Columbia Basin, The Barbless Hook, and the upcoming One More Last Cast. He may be contacted at DennisDauble.com.

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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 Highway 539, and began to produce pilothouse-style boats.

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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COLUMN

Speed-trolling L Vernita

ast year was my f i r s t g u i d i n g at Vernita, though I have fished BASIN BEACON this stretch

By Don Talbot of the midColumbia hard for over 20 years. Guiding here doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t ramp up until the third week of September, but I was on the water on the first day of the month. Why? Darin and Christina Arnall of Ephrata challenged me to a fishing guide contest with their two children Joel and Jace. I told them it is a 50/50 proposition and they told me it was the last day of their summer vacation and they were counting on me to make it exciting.

I FIGURED ONE thing out right

Members of the Arnall family of Ephrata celebrate landing a huge fall Chinook Sept. 1 last year with the author below Priest Rapids Dam. (DONSFISHINGGUIDESERVICE.COM)

away by accident: Early kings can be huge. I dropped in right above Vernita Bridge, where Highway 24 crosses the river, and ran all the way up to the hatchery to figure out how to get a takedown. I had exactly one other boat below the Priest Rapids hatchery hole to contend with and this particular fisherman wanted to back-troll the 20-foot line right below the hatchery. I never back-troll when using Bradâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Super Baits and a Pro Troll Flasher. I was just standing still in 6-mile-an-hour current with a 60-inch leader to one of the new colored Cut Plugs. It was dead until my back-trolling friend cut me off and I took the inside path up the shoreline approaching 2 mph on

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COLUMN FOR THIS FISHERY, I use a 10-foot Tica downrigger rod with a my GPS in about 16 feet of water to avoid a collision. I use bottomtracking Cannon downriggers and just happened to have two yellow-tipped Scotty downrigger clips holding my 40-pound mainline. Without the clips, the flasher would come disconnected from the cable due to the tremendous water pressure. I never even looked back while passing the back-troller. The rod next to shore, set 13 feet down in 16 feet of water, got bit and the entire boat shook as a 30-plus-pounder tore off over 100 yards of line before Darin could get it out of the rodholder. What a fight this fish gave him in the strong current. It took at least 20 minutes to land the beast.

Afterwards, we all agreed to try speed-trolling again in shallow water just to see if more aggressive big fish wanted to play. I set the rods to 13 feet in 16 feet of water and trolled 1.5 mph forward on the GPS right next to shore. About 30 minutes later another huge strike took over 100 yards of line off the back rod, a really nice 25-pound king. Before the end of the day we’d landed four kings speed-trolling with dual clips, and the Arnalls were extremely happy to head back to their central Grant County hometown with over 100 pounds of early salmon.

I worked Vernita every day through Sept. 15 before I saw another guide on the water. During that period I averaged three 20-plus-pounders a day and even shot a video with Northwest Fishing Reports. It shows me cruising very close to shore most of the time, and we landed seven really nice fish on camera.

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serious backbone to be able to handle these early hot fish. I changed over to Tica Striper Reels as well due to the super smooth drag they offer. I always attach 75 feet of 40-pound Big Game mono to my 50-pound Spider Wire that I use as backing. If you use too short a top shot, like 20 feet, you’ll have a large splice knot when the Chinook is right next to the boat, a mistake that will cost you many lost fish. I also use Orca Rod Holders to prevent the rod getting completely stuck to the holder while trying to get it out.

The key is to release the rod from the top of the holder, which can be done with one hand. Use this release and you will forever thank me when setting into a big fish.

I learned a ton early last September about catching hawgs running next to shore. Big fish are not afraid of chasing down bait right behind a noisy boat. I learned that right below Priest Rapids Dam there’s a nice slot on the left for speed-trolling the first couple hours of every morning. I learned guides shouldn’t be afraid of taking on Vernita. The fish are hot and extra big.

I also found that the speed-trolling hawg fishery is over around mid-September. The fish prefer to rest more and fight less, necessitating finding slack water to catch lazy kings down deeper.

If you see a yellow guide boat below Priest Rapids Dam the first half of the month, that’s me speed-trolling in shallow water. If you have any additional questions about this subject, feel free to contact me at Don Talbot’s Fishing (509-679 8641; donsfishingguideservice.com). NS

Snake River Steelhead!

While September opportunities still exist for summer run steelhead on the :estside, the bulk of those fish traditionally taper off this time of year.

Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a serious PHWDOKHDGHU to do but follow the fish upstream!

The mighty Snake River may be big and intimidating but the sheer quantity of steelhead makes up for the lack of defined tell-tale steelhead water. Combine that with a catch and keep season that lasts from September all the way thURXJK April and a trip over to this scenic gem should be a bucket list priority!

Bonner Daniels holding a customerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s prize catch!

Veteran steelhead guide Bonner Daniels of Bonnerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Fish 2n Guide Service will be showing off his new 23 IRRW Wooldridge Alaskan XL powered by an Evinrude 225HO E 7ec on the Snake this year. This LV WKH SHUIHFW FRPELQDWLRQ IRU D VDIH SURGXFWLYH DQG TXLWH comfortable day of steelhead fishing on the big Uiver.

Bonner says the huge population of A-run steelhead will migrate into the river first followed by the world famous and world record sized B-ruQ steelhead shortly after. Bonner explains that a steelhead is a steelhead whether fishing medium size rivers or a river as large as the Snake. Basically, side drifting still steals the show day in and day out there is no reason to change your tactics up either.

Typical baits such as roe, coon shrimp, dyed prawns and even artificial yarnies or beads are all very productive on the Snake River.

The only time Bonner wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t side drift is when the wind kicks up and side drifting becomes too difficult. This is when he will change up his tactics to pulling plugs or bait divers. Just be sure to have fresh coon shrimp for youU bait diver combo this makes all the difference in the world!

Typical limits allow anglers to keep three hatchery fin-clipped steelhead per day. This is a multiple license fishery (WA, ID, OR) so be sure to know state boundaries before heading out. Idaho licenses will cover the entire &OHDUZDWHU. Be sure to check for changes and updates online.

Bonner Daniels can be reached at 425 281 8772 or go to his website bonneroutdoorjournal.com. Be safe and have fun out there!

nwsportsmanmag.com | SEPTEMBER 2016

Northwest Sportsman 75

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FISHING

Idaho Fall Kings A ‘Nice, Easy Fishery’

This year’s forecast calls for 32,000 hatchery and natural-origin Snake River fall Chinook, like this one caught near Lewiston last September by Boise angler Stuart Rosenberger. That’s lower than 2015’s 59,299 past Lower Granite Dam, but still above the 10-year average. To get more of these ESA-listed salmon back to Idaho, the daily limit on the Columbia from Washougal-Troutdale to Tri-Cities was reduced from three to two. (ROGER PHILLIPS, IDFG)

As returns of fall Chinook back to Idaho have increased, anglers have dialed in catching them.

By Roger Phillips

B

ig fish, and lots of them.

What’s not to like?

When it comes to Idaho’s fall Chinook, the answer is not as simple as you might think, but the fall Chinook are in Idaho in nearrecord numbers and anglers are catching them.

“The runs have gotten progressively better, and so has the fishing,” Chinook angler and

Idaho Power fish biologist Stuart Rosenberger says.

Fall Chinook are big because they spend longer in the ocean than their spring- and summer-run cousins. According to Joe DuPont, Idaho Department of Fish and Game Clearwater regional fisheries manager, most fall Chinook spend three years in the ocean, and lots are in the 15- to 20-pound range, and some exceed 50 pounds.

DuPont suspects Idaho’s 54-pound,

state-record Chinook that has stood since 1956 could be broken by a lucky angler who catches a supersized fall Chinook.

While fall Chinook runs have dramatically improved over the last decade, and fishing for them is growing in popularity, it’s still an overlooked fishing opportunity. Part of the reason is because the peak season is much shorter than it is for spring and summer Chinook.

Many people fish for salmon because they are excellent to eat, so that’s a major attraction. As salmon get closer to spawning, their table quality declines. Chinook arriving

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FISHING “The fishing is pretty basic,” says Rosenberger, here trolling near the mouth of the Clearwater River at daybreak.

“If you know how to operate a downrigger, that’s about all you need for this fishery.” (ROGER PHILLIPS, IDFG)

in Idaho during spring and summer stay in good condition for weeks, but fall Chinook arrive almost ready to spawn, so there’s a shorter window when they’re in the best shape and good to eat.

Catching a fall Chinook you can harvest is another challenge. Only about a third of the returning fall Chinook are available for harvest by sport anglers because they can only keep those with the adipose fin clipped. The ratio of clipped to 78 Northwest Sportsman

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unclipped fish is much lower than spring or summer fish. The numbers of clipped and unclipped fish released are specified in a management agreement negotiated among the states, tribes and federal agencies in the Columbia Basin. The clip rates were developed in part to ensure sufficient numbers of fish remained in the system to supplement and rebuild the wild population.

But fewer “keepers” doesn’t mean you should ignore fall Chinook

fishing. There are many things that make it attractive.

A GENTLEMEN’S FISHERY Fall Chinook start arriving in Idaho in mid- to late August, and the peak run crosses Lower Granite Dam in mid-September. The tail end of the run usually crosses Lower Granite during late October or early November.

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weather is cooling, river flows are low and friendly for boating, and prime fishing is so close to Lewiston it almost makes fall Chinook an urban fishery.

“It’s a nice, easy fishery,” Rosenberger says.

He describes fishing for fall Chinook as a lot like fishing for kokanee salmon in Idaho’s reservoirs.

His favorite method is trolling a large flasher trailed by a Brad’s Super Bait filled with canned tuna. He uses a downrigger and usually trolls within 5 feet of the bottom unless he sees fish on his fish finder suspended in midwater.

“The fishing is pretty basic,” he says. “If you know how to operate a downrigger, that’s about all you need

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www.slamnsalmon.net nwsportsmanmag.com | SEPTEMBER 2016

Northwest Sportsman 79

FISHING for this fishery.”

Rosenberger uses about 10 different colored plugs, and he says colors that fall Chinook prefer seem to change from year to year.

He adds anglers interested in catching and keeping fish should hit the Lewiston area in mid-September because that’s when the fish are in the best shape and the run is at its peak.

“We catch a lot of really bright fish,” he says.

Anglers may have to land a number of fish to find that elusive keeper, but they’re sure to have fun catching these large, hard-fighting fish that are fresh from the ocean.

BEYOND SEPTEMBER While September is prime in the Lewiston area, most of the Chinook keep moving up the Snake River, which means anglers can catch them anywhere in the river system below Hells Canyon Dam. As fish move farther upstream, anglers tend to shift their methods and tactics similar to those used for spring Chinook in the Clearwater and Main Salmon Rivers. They catch them by back-trolling plugs or side-drifting with bait and/or yarn.

Rosenberger recommends Kwikfish or similar deep-diving plugs wrapped with sardines or herring fillets and fished in the deep holes.

When the fish stack up below Hells Canyon Dam, bank anglers also have success using bobbers and jigs. That area provides a rare opportunity for bank anglers to catch a fall Chinook because the fish stay in the main rivers to spawn, unlike spring and summer Chinook that migrate high into tributary streams that are easily accessible for bank angling.

MAKE IT A PLUS ONE The Snake, Clearwater and lower Salmon Rivers are popular for steelhead anglers during late summer and fall, and fall Chinook give them added fishing opportunity.

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Just as with their brethren elsewhere in the Columbia system, Snake River fall Chinook anglers are finding that Super Baits stuffed with tuna work well in reservoirs, while in moving waters such as the Clearwater and Salmon, side-drifting baits and back-trolling deep-diving banana plugs are effective.

(ROGER PHILLIPS, IDFG)

Anglers can target Chinook, or fish for steelhead and hope to catch Chinook incidentally.

Chinook to tend hang closer to the bottom, and they also like deep holes. Deep-diving plugs will get you down to them, and you might also hook a steelhead, so incidental catching works both ways.

BRIGHTER FUTURE Idaho resumed fall Chinook fishing in 2008 after it had been closed for decades, and runs have skyrocketed since then. But that’s only part of the story behind their meteoric rise.

Fall Chinook were listed under the Endangered Species Act in 1992, and during the 1990s, the average annual return was only 1,300 fish. Like Idaho’s sockeye salmon, hatcheries were largely responsible for the return of Idaho’s fall Chinook. Fish and Game is in partnership with Idaho Power, the Nez Perce Tribe, and Oregon and Washington on fall Chinook recovery.

Hatcheries released about 5.9 million smolts during spring, and the increased adult returns in recent years resulted in more fish available for natural spawning and fishing opportunity.

DuPont says he’s optimistic Idaho will continue to have healthy returns of fall Chinook. Hatchery smolt releases should remain steady, and fall Chinook tend to do well in the ocean and return in good numbers, even when spring and summer Chinook don’t.

“They (fall Chinook) have a life cycle that’s doing well,” Dupont said last fall. “It’s nice to have that diversity out there because they can do well when other runs aren’t doing so well.”

Fish and Game will continue to work on getting more liberal fishing rules in response to the large returns and the high proportion of unclipped fish.

“In the future, we would ideally like to see the harvest of some unclipped fish,” DuPont says. “If we could do that, that fishery would really take off.”

Fish and Game would also like to move into the next phase of managing the fishery, and if large runs continue, fall Chinook could be Idaho’s first salmon removed from the endangered species list. NS Editor’s note: Roger Phillips is a public information specialist with the Idaho Department of Fish and Game.

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FISHING

SEAFOOD SMORGASBORD This month’s prime on Oregon’s North Coast for fall Chinook, crabs, albacore.

T

he morning chill in the air is tough to deny and no matter how much you try and convince yourself that there is still some summer left in the season, the wind now has an edge that’s just too much for a light sweatshirt anymore.

It’s time again to put the flip-flops away and pull out the fleece. And just as seasons are bound to change, so does our fishing. Instead of extremely competitive fisheries like Columbia River spring Chinook and Buoy 10, we transition to the slower pace of angling for fall Chinook in small estuaries on Oregon’s North Coast.

September also offers some of the best crabbing of the year here. Not only are Dungeness filling out after their molt but the estuaries’ salinity is very high, both positives for pot pullers.

And it’s not uncommon to have greasy-smooth ocean conditions all month long. Two-foot swells at 15 seconds make the ocean resemble a quiet lake. Albacore push in closer and closer to the beach and the average size of fish approaches 30 pounds!

September brings fall Chinook into Oregon’s North Coast bays, which are also prime for Dungeness crabbing, while albacore, including some of the biggest of the year, close in too. (DAIWA PHOTO CONTEST) nwsportsmanmag.com | SEPTEMBER 2016

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FISHING TILLAMOOK BAY CHINOOK It’s tough to not feel some excitement driving through the pungent cow pastures in the predawn light and see the bays slowly fill and cover the abundant shallows.

With each tide series, fresh salmon push in, looking for places to stage while they wait for fall’s first freshet.

Some Chinook will push to the top end of tidewater, where the stained, tannic waters of the Coast Range provide concealment. Meanwhile, other Chinook will be swept into the bays and get flushed back out with each tidal exchange, preferring to wait for the rain in the safety of deeper, cooler briny waters. No matter where these brawny fish await rising river levels, there is an opportunity for you to pursue them.

While many think that deer and duck season openers compete with peak action on Tillamook Bay, the reality

is that Chinook fishing will have been going strong for almost a month already. September offers much more stable weather, calmer oceans and multispecies opportunities for anglers venturing to the Cheese Capital of Oregon. Most guides and anglers are making a seamless transition from Buoy 10 straight to Tillamook Bay, and September’s becoming a favorite month for many of its longtime fishermen.

The most popular rigging for Tillamook starts with 50to 65-pound braided mainline tied to a six-bead chain swivel. Above the swivel and on the mainline, run a plastic weight slider and an 8mm bead. Adding a Tee bead above the weight slider will also help shed some seaweed.

Below the swivel, tie 2 feet of 40-pound monofilament to another six-bead chain swivel. From this second swivel, tie 5 to 6 feet of 30-pound fluorocarbon leader to two 5/0 fix-tied hooks. From your weight slider tie a 16-inch

September’s sweet at Tillamook because it offers fall Chinook fishing opportunities on the ocean, along the jetties and at the head of tidewater. (ANDY SCHNEIDER) 86 Northwest Sportsman

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Northwest Sportsman 87

FISHING dropper line to your cannonball. When fishing the ocean, 8 to 12 ounces is usually adequate, while inside the jetties, 16 to 20 ounces will more than likely be needed during peak ebbing and flooding tides. When rigging your tackle for Tillamook Bay, make sure to utilize weed guards on all your swivels to keep the abundant seaweed out of them and help keep you fishing. Blue-label plug-cut herring is the most popular bait for fall Chinook, but using purple label for its extra flash is a well-known technique for the lower bay, while the smaller green-label baitfish work well in the upper bay. Since ocean Chinook is open again this year, barbless hooks are required once outside the bay’s demarcation line.

Techniques don’t differ much from September through November on Tillamook. As ocean conditions tend to cooperate a little more early in the season, there is more attention to fishing just outside the jetties now. If the ocean is calm, most anglers usually make this their first stop for trolling herring. Last winter, however, much of the ground in front of the jetties shallowed, making trolling much more difficult and dangerous when swells are large. The waters directly behind the South Jetty were the most productive for spring Chinook this season, and there is no reason not to believe they will be just as productive this fall. As you troll behind the South Jetty, or anywhere else in the ocean, make sure to stagger your bait depths. While dragging bottom tends to be the most productive inside the bay, many times fish will suspend off bottom when approaching and moving into Tillamook.

When the ocean doesn’t cooperate, staying inside can be just as productive, especially from Lyster’s Corner to the Coast Guard tower. This stretch along the North Jetty can be very productive; hold or troll with the tide. This troll can also become very busy when fishing is good, so having skilled anglers onboard to monitor their own gear makes life much easier when continual course corrections are needed by the person running the boat.

Just because it’s September doesn’t mean that fish are not in the upper bay already. During large tide swings, fishing the lower bay becomes more of a chore than fun, as seaweed can almost make it impossible to fish, and that makes the upper bay about the only productive place to fish. While a lot of the upper bay has filled in in recent years, it still can be good for trolling herring or spinners.

From the West Channel and Sheep Corral all the way to Memaloose are multiple deep-water slots to work.

NEHALEM BAY FALL SALMON While Tillamook is usually the most popular North Coast estuary for fall Chinook, Nehalem can be equally as good. Though the summer Chinook fishery proved to be a little slow this year, hopes are high that those fish were just late and will have no reflection on how fall angling 88 Northwest Sportsman

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is going to be. While coho usually are not targeted, they are an abundant bycatch and can make for a fun day on the water. Hatchery coho do return here, but this year no wild silvers can be kept because of expected weak runs.

Techniques don’t differ much from Tillamook Bay; Keeping a plug-cut herring spinning close to the bottom is going to be the most popular technique from the mouth all the way to the town of Nehalem. While this estuary stretches quite a few miles, there are only a few spots that seem to be the most productive. The South Jetty is usually the most popular spot to intercept newly arriving fish. Incoming or outgoing tides can be equally productive, though smaller exchanges always tend to be best. But when ocean conditions are rough, Chinook tend not to cross the bar into the estuary. The shallow shoals in front of the Nehalem make it tough for fish to come in when there are large swells. During an incoming tide with rough ocean conditions, suspended sand will push a couple hundred yards into the bay, making for difficult fishing. Downtown Wheeler is probably the second most popular area, with the waters around the Highway 101 bridge a distant third.

CRABBING Nehalem, Tillamook and Netarts Bays are all pretty equal when it comes to September crabbing. The northernmost offers crabbing very close for boaters and some of the best dock crabbing in the entire state. From Nehalem Bay State Park all the way to the jetties, any water deep enough to cover a crab trap is going to produce results.

But as the tide starts flooding in, make sure to move your traps out of the heavy current.

Tillamook Bay has its famous Crab Harbor, which is one of the most consistent producers on the entire West Coast, but Lyster’s Corner and the South Jetty’s elbow are also solid.

When the ocean is calm and you’re comfortable heading over the bar, there is no equal to the quality of ocean Dungies. From Tillamook’s North Jetty all the way to Manzanita, success is almost guaranteed when dropping pots in 40 to 100 feet of water. Just make sure you don’t put your set too close to another crabber’s, since you will end up splitting those available between the two of you. Sometimes it’s worth the extra fiveminute drive to go another 2 miles up the coast to find less pressure.

As September falls in the midst of albacore season, tuna carcasses should be bountiful for crab bait. They’re some of the best around and usually are plentiful in fish-cleaning station dumpsters or hopefully abounded during your summer adventures. But if tuna isn’t available, shad, beef liver, carcasses of salmon, steelhead and bottomfish, as well as turkey and chicken legs are all good options. No matter what bait you are using, change it after an hour for best results.

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Northwest Sportsman 89

FISHING The best, and really the only, tide to crab is the incoming. The outgoing not only can create dangerous conditions at the mouths of estuaries, the current can carry your traps out to sea or pull your buoys under.

Strong ebbs cause Dungeness to bury themselves in the sand and await calmer conditions to go back on the hunt.

ALBACORE While albacore are larger and can be as close to the beach as they’re going to get in September, the catch is they start to get picky. Gone are the days of dragging clones around and having multiple hookups around each group of feeding fish. With sardines, saury and mackerel replaced by anchovies, squid and other small baitfish, this is the time of year that anglers who are not matching the hatch usually struggle to hook multiple fish a trip.

Live anchovies are usually the cure for finicky lateseason fish, but they are not available in every port and many anglers are just not equipped to keep a couple scoops of live bait kicking all day long. IQF, individually quick frozen, anchovies are the next best thing.

When arriving on promising-looking waters, pay attention to your electronics and the ocean’s surface for any activity. Slowly trolling swimbaits or diving plugs is one way to locate fish later in the season. While trolling,

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keep a small amount of chum going overboard. Keep doubling back on your track where you have chummed the waters. It may take upwards of an hour for a chum trail to produce results.

Once you locate fish, turn the boat off and start another round of chum with IQFs. Then deploy 140gram butterfly jigs, swimbaits and IQFs on hooks to start reaping the rewards of your chumming. Netting your albacore and keeping the blood inside the boat will help make sure that no sharks move in to crash your fishing party. In the midst of all the action, don’t forget to keep just enough chum going overboard to keep tuna interested and around the boat.

GET OUT THERE! September marks the transition from summer’s heat to fall’s crispness, shorter days and kids going back in school, and it can also be one of the best fishing months of the year. Whether taking a long weekend with the family or just escaping during the week for a reprieve from work, our plentiful North Coast estuaries and their fisheries are only a couple hours away. Don’t wait any longer to take that last trip over the horizon for albacore, or think it’s too early for a fall Chinook and Dungeness crab combo trip. September is a versatile month that can easily become everyone’s favorite. NS

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COLUMN

It’s All Good S

unrise at the mouth of the Nehalem: A waning outgoing tide makes you think twice before pushing off from the jetty fishery. Waves stand proud across the bar, breaking in slow motion against the dwindling outflow, only to stand and pitch again. You’ve Kayak Guys checked and rechecked the tide prediction.

By Mark Veary Low slack is in 45 minutes. Go! Sunrise on Nehalem Bay: Morning fog spreads across the dune grass and driftwood opposite the town of Wheeler. Locals pitch spinners from the town dock toward unseen Chinook, pausing between casts to inspect your rigging and ask questions.

Sunrise on Nehalem Bay: The morning air hangs still over the slough behind the town of Nehalem. A line of ducks follows you to the edge of the main river before heading back to the quiet docks.

Ahead lays a mix of old and new buildings overhanging your trolling lane to the Highway 101 bridge.

Sunrise on the upper Nehalem tidewater: This far from the beaten path, bird songs and the splashes of rolling salmon ring

THE KAYAK GUYS

clear in the chilled morning air. Few power boats venture here and it’s possible to spend a morning drifting eggs without seeing another soul.

At over 10 miles in length, the question of where to fish the estuary of the Nehalem River can be overwhelming one. Who’d have guessed that an overabundance of potential could be so frustrating? How do you choose?

WHEN APPROACHING ANY coastal fishery, a savvy kayak angler will let the conditions dictate his or her approach. Wind, tide and swell should all be taken into consideration in the days leading up to

Nehalem Bay offers plenty of fishing opportunity for fall Chinook from the jetties, up past the towns of Wheeler and Nehalem, and into upper tidewater. (MARK VEARY)

nwsportsmanmag.com | SEPTEMBER 2016

Northwest Sportsman 93

COLUMN your fishing trip.

Fishing the incoming tide along the Nehalem’s south jetty is, for many, the venue of choice, as fresh Chinook and coho will be entering the bay throughout September. These salt-fresh salmon will be chrome bright and feeding aggressively. Plug-cut herring behind a flasher can be deadly, when conditions allow.

Small tide exchanges present the best opportunity for success.

Take full advantage of low slack to cover ground and get in position. When the current starts to fill in, you’ll want at least 8 ounces of weight to keep your bait in front of the fish. Expect a very slow, almost stationary troll into the flood.

As with any river mouth fishery, it’s important to avoid getting caught in an outgoing current. At full ebb, it’s nearly impossible to fight the flow from a kayak. To make matters worse, the Nehalem bar is one of the most dangerous on the North Coast, eliminating the option of simply paddling out and around to a nearby beach.

In addition to powerful currents, swells and wind can each be deal breakers. September is start of “big wave season” in the Northwest. On the incoming tide, even moderate swells will push between the jetties, breaking on the sandbar that forms inside the north jetty. On larger days, waves will often closeout across the mouth. Add a gusting north or onshore wind to a moderate swell and the mouth is unfishable.

A solid second choice is to fish one of the midbay stretches.

Like Tillamook, these venues fish well on the incoming, with results

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improving through and just beyond peak high. As water fills in, salmon will follow the tide. Some are simply acclimating, while others are making the push through to freshwater.

Herring and size 5 or 6 spinners will catch fish in the Wheeler and Nehalem stretches. Use an 18-inch dropper to avoid the sculpin, snags and river grass that litter the bottom of these areas.

Something to keep in mind is that the lower and middle bays are fully exposed to predominant fall south and valley-heat-driven west winds. If the tides line up for the area, check iwindsurf.com or windyty.com to identify the best wind window or opportunity.

Also, fishing the mouth of any Oregon coastal river requires a wetsuit or drysuit. Don’t let enthusiasm trump common sense.

THE BEAUTY OF the Nehalem tidewater is that even if the swells, tides or winds won’t allow for fishing the jaws or the middle bay, there’s still hope. The uppermost tidally affected areas often provide sheltered fishing.

Many of the corners in the twisty upbay end offer deep holes where transitioning Chinook hold up while they acclimate to freshwater. When you find holding water, anchor up on the edge of the hole and drift quarter- to half-dollar-sized gobs of eggs under a bobber. For a little extra enticement, add a sand shrimp to your presentation.

In a single season, it is possible to fish the entirety of the Nehalem tidewater. To optimize your game, focus (conditions permitting) on one venue until you have it wired before proceeding to the next. NS

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Northwest Sportsman 95

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COLUMN

‘Steelheader’s Dream’ – Rogue Now It’s not exactly A River Runs Through It, but drifting Prince Nymphs or other patterns behind a floating bubble works well on steelhead on the fly-only waters of the upper Rogue in early fall. With Table Rock Mountain as a backdrop (inset), John Strenk of The Reel Tech battles a summer-run. (JONGEYERFISHING.COM)

S

eptember on the upper Rogue brings warm days, cool nights, huge bug hatches, spawning kings and summer-runs that are gorging themselves, making this section of the famed river a steelheader’s dream.

Since 1890 my family has been hooking SOUTH COAST

By Randy Wells fish on the upper Rogue, and being the 40-year-old son of a former guide here, you can believe I have as well. What’s more, September is one of my favorite times of year to do so. This month, anglers putting in their time on the water can hook six to 10 summer steelhead ranging from 23 to 27 inches and 3 to 7 pounds, with the

occasional 30- to 32-incher.

THE RIVER BETWEEN the Fishers Ferry boat ramp and TouVelle State Park and launch has changed drastically for the better since 2010’s removal of Gold Ray Dam, which was just above the Fishers nwsportsmanmag.com | SEPTEMBER 2016

Northwest Sportsman 97

COLUMN Ferry ramp. Before, the water was a slough and had no steelhead habitat at all, but now it is one of my favorite areas to fish for summer-runs. However, this section of the Rogue, Casey Park to the Rogue Elk Campground, and Dodge Bridge to the TouVelle ramp can be dangerous, especially when river flows are below 1,000 cubic feet per second. A popular float for first-timers to the river, or anglers still getting time in on the oars, is Takelma to Dodge Bridge. This is where I first learned to row, and I have put many friends on many a summer steelhead there as well.

Above TouVelle, anglers have a great chance to hook up on both fresh and “retread” steelhead. A retread is a hen that showed up at the hatchery early and was stripped of eggs so it wouldn’t spawn in the river. Once stripped and hole punched on the lower back half of the gill plate, these fish are put in a tanker and trucked to just upstream from the TouVelle ramp, where they are released to make the run again, providing more opportunity for steelheaders. You can expect over 1,000 summer-runs to have hit the Cole Rivers Hatchery by Sept. 1. For updated fish counts, water temp and river height, call the Army Corps of Engineers hotline at (800) 472-2434.

TO PROTECT SPAWNING salmon, the river from Fishers Ferry upstream to the markers below the Cole Rivers Hatchery dam is restricted between Sept. 1 and Oct. 31 to flies with no additional weights or attachments except for a float bubble or a strike

To get the most out of every drift, tie a 12inch dropper line to the shank of a slightly heavier fly and attach a second pattern.

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Northwest Sportsman 99

COLUMN WITH WARM TEMPERATURES continuing into September, work the seams of deep pocket water during midday and traveling water indicator. Nonfly anglers may feel this restriction prevents them first thing in the morning. When fishing from a boat, I have my from fishing this section of river, but trust me, it doesn’t! best luck on anchor while drifting my bug-n-bubble through A bug-and-bubble is a tried-and-true summer steelheadevery possible section of holding water. Once I am confident I’ve getting’ rig, and once you are outfitted correctly and learn to fish covered the entire hole, I pull anchor and slip down to the next it, it will become a go-to rig – even when it’s not required. hole while fishing traveling water. You can take a short section The set-up is simple but the rod is the most important part. You need a long, light-action rod so you can mend your line upstream of your float to ensure a natural presentation. The long rod is also needed when setting the hook because your float may be a fair distance away; the rod will lift your line off the water for a quicker hookset. I use a Lamiglas 10-foot-6 Infinity light spinning rod for the bug-n-bubble and it doubles as my winter steelhead bobber rod – two fish with one rod.

Additionally, your mainline needs to float.

Because you want your fly to drift at the natural speed of the current you are fishing, the last thing you want is any of your Expect lots of hook-ups with feisty steelhead (inset) in the waters of the mainline dragging your upper Rogue. A mix of hatchery and wild fish, many will run between 2 and float downstream too fast.

2½ feet long, with a few over 30 inches. (JONGEYERFISHING.COM) I have found that regular braid works best, and I use 15-pound test. If need be, add a bit of fly line floatant to the of river and work it last 10 feet of your braid before your float. Note that I have tried all day with the the yellow floating line in the past, but found it frays badly when bug-and-bubble. If using the following knots to attach leader material. fishing from shore, I use an Albright or a surgeon’s knot (see animatedknots put on your waders .com for tying tips) to connect a 10-foot leader of 6-pound and cover some monofilament to my first fly. On the shank of that fly I tie a 12-inch ground. With that 10-foot-6 Lamiglas, you can cover a lot of water section of 6-pound mono, followed by a Prince Nymph or Copper from shore.

John dropper.

If you plan on trying this fishery, stop by The Fishing Hole For my float I use the Adjust-A Bubble because you can add tackle shop in Shady Cove for a great selection of flies, floats water to gain casting distance. The flies you use with this set-up and helpful info. For a shuttle, call S&W Shuttle Service (541-840are weighted with a beadhead. Popular patterns include Glo Bugs, 4190). Or hire a guide. Jon Geyer (jongeyerfishing.com) puts the Prince Nymphs, Agent Oranges, Woolly Buggers and Egg-sucking bug-and-bubble to work every day on the upper Rogue. He’s a Leeches. Remember, the fly closest to your float is always heavier knowledge guide and a blast to fish with if you are looking to learn than the dropper. these waters. He can also be seen in the current Lunker Junkies TV During your presentation drift, whether from shore or boat, episode that focuses on this fishery, youtu.be/WO5r00mgvlg. NS you want your flies bouncing off bottom without snagging up.

Use your first few drifts to find the correct depth by adjusting your Editor’s note: Randy Wells is a full-time fishing guide in Oregon float. On the upper Rogue with 1,100 cfs, I tend to run 10 feet from and Alaska. His websites are oregonfishingadventure.com and my float to my last fly. fishsewardalaska.com. He can also be reached at (541) 500-7885.

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Northwest Sportsman 101

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COLUMN

Silver Lining: Fair Chinook Ops W

oe is us.

If you’re a Westsider, it may seem like there’s nothing to fish for, let alone reason to exist this month. Puget Sound’s a ghost town, the rivers are shut down. Access to the Skoke’s been choked, the Puyallup walloped, while the Nisqually closed as Chinook fishing was set to get jolly. Coho a no-go or low-shows. No humpy to thumpy.

Sockeye already in their Christmas suits, chums just starting to shop for running outfits. By god, it’s September and September means salmon fishing in these parts ... or at least used to anyway.

Will the last person leaving Seattle unplug all the smokers.

But before we slit our wrists, let’s take one last, desperate glance across the landscape for something, anything – please, God, we’ll be better this time, we swear – chromy to catch.

Ahem. As it turns out, there actually is a fair amount of opportunity to be had this month, a mix of fisheries just leading off, coming into their prime or maintaining August form.

WIESTSIDER

By Andy Walgamott Guest Columnist

MUCH IS WRITTEN about the Humptulips, and a great deal more will be. That goes with the territory of being a pretty reliable river for fall kings, both hatchery and wild, with good bank and boat access. That can make for combat fishing, and with all the conservation and other closures in the region this year, expect a veritable Battle of the Five Armies meets Tet Offensive and Siege of Stalingrad when things catch fire on the Hump. September marks the start of the Chinook and coho runs, with October representing the peak for both stocks. Running the river before the crowds arrive sometimes pays off. Eggs under a bobber are a favorite here, but consider adding sand shrimp too. There are four ramps from Highway 101 (as ever, beware the slot just above the Stevens Creek salmon hatchery) down to Highway 109, and bank spots off Kirkpatrick and Ocean Beach Roads.

Also note that before they reach the river, these salmon are available in the Humptulips North Bay Fishery, which is open through Sept. 24. Try standard estuary tackle in the channels.

The Chehalis River is better known for coho, but it gets some Chinook too. It opens on Sept. 16 for one adult hatchery king a day, and local state fisheries biologist Mike Scharpf told us that he is anticipating a good return this fall. Troll various styles of diving

Humptulips River fall Chinook – both wild and hatchery stocks – represent one of Western Washington’s best opportunities this salmon-starved season.

The river opens in September and really kicks into high gear in October.

Darrel Smith caught this beaut in early fall 2014. (DAIWA PHOTO CONTEST) nwsportsmanmag.com | SEPTEMBER 2016

Northwest Sportsman 103

COLUMN plugs lower in the river.

The East Grays Harbor Fishery opens starting Sept. 24. Find the two channels north of the Johns River and head east in them on the incoming tide, trolling your tight-spinning cutplug about a foot off the deck and slightly faster than the current.

Chinook and coho are caught on West End streams in September, but they’re more of an October opportunity, so we’ll save them for a later date.

However, to the south of Grays Harbor, September represents the peak of the hatchery Chinook fishery in Willapa Bay’s three major tribs, the Naselle, Nemah and Willapa, at least by angler catch – 396, 1,359 and 567 this month in 2013, the most recent year catch data is available for. You can use two rods on the lower Naselle and Willapa, and expert LeeRoy Wisner suggests trolling large brass spinners or a cutplug with the tide, but these waters aren’t deep, so you’ll need to be very attentive to your rod to work around snags.

MOVING EAST INTO Southwest Washington, the Cowlitz produced the second most September kings in 2013 of any Westside river outside of the Columbia and which is also open this month this year. They’re headed for the salmon hatchery at Barrier Dam, and anglers target them free-drifting, running a diver and bait or hover fishing, all with cured eggs. Most fishing is from the mouth of the Toutle on up, and harvestable though darker hatchery fish are released at Gus Backstrom Park in Tilton and in Packwood.

(The Cow’s hatchery sea-run cutts also start returning this month.)

The Lewis, Washougal and Kalama also see returns of Chinook, and the first is, of course, where the fine art of hover fishing was born. Note that with management changes on the Kalama, hatchery kings are being collected at the weir near Modrow Bridge, limiting harvest opportunities on the stock to below there.

There are a couple rule changes in this neck of the woods too.

For starters, coho limits have been sharply reduced this season, from as many as six hatchery adults to just two. Secondly, a host of small streams are open for the first time for fin-clipped coho and Chinook. Now, hatchery salmon weren’t actually stocked in them, so there won’t be a lot caught. Rather, the idea is to reduce the number of strays and make our federal fishery overseers happier.

The change affects 16 creeks and rivers.

HEADING BACK NORTH, while the Puyallup is closed for Chinook this year, the lower 2 miles of its tributary, the Carbon, opens Sept.

10. The glacial river runs on the milky side and anglers rely on the 4L method – luck, large Corkies and long leaders in hopes of connecting with fin-clipped kings returning to Voights Creek.

At least by the forecast, Hood Canal is the lone brightish spot for Pugetropolis silvers this year. Unfortunately, that doesn’t do you a lot of good since your calendar now reads “September.” Most of the fjord’s coho are caught in Dabob and Quilcene Bays and the Big Quilcene River in August, though some will undoubtedly be late. Those will be available for jiggers in the salt, while in the river, figure out when high tide is and get in front of the fish as they

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So few coho are forecast to return to most Western Washington streams – even hatchery systems like the Cascade, where Hunter Shelton caught this pair drifting eggs – that the fishing regs for them don’t even include a salmon season this month or next. (DAIWA PHOTO CONTEST) make the short dash to the federal hatchery.

The only other September saltwater fishery in all of Puget Sound and the Straits – usually CQ, PA, PT, Everett and Edmonds are solid coho choices this month – is in the San Juans, where Chinook are open. Go with large Silver Horde spoons or hoochies to try and intercept some of those big Fraser-bound kings.

And finally, this month marks the peak of Chinook fishing on the Samish. Though the Skagit County river has its issues – not the least of which is a nickname that rhymes with pitch and witch – there’s a niche for anglers who want to do it right. In a video put together by state fishery managers, biologist Brett Barkdull said its kings are partial to spinners such as Blue Foxes and Aglias in chartreuse or green, free-drifted eggs and roe under a bobber.

ON ONE HAND, this month really does mark the nadir of what The Blob hath wrought on Western Washington’s (and the region’s) coho stocks and the dispiriting results of this year’s North of Falcon salmon-season negotiations for river anglers. But on the other, there are fish to be had. Woe unto those who sit at home as fall salmon return. NS Editor’s note: Regular Wiestsider columnist Terry Wiest was eaten by The Blob and will return next month.

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COLUMN

Samish Chinook, Plus Birds On Tap

The Samish system produces good numbers of fall Chinook, both in the river and the bay, where these anglers hope to jig up a nice king. (MILES HUNTER)

NORTH SOUND

N

orth Sound anglers and bird hunters are the beneficiaries of several significant variations on

By Doug Huddle traditional themes in September venues.

The technicalities governing access to private property on the lower Samish River are likely to be a little less complicated and perhaps costly.

On the gunning side, bird hunters this month reap the benefit of the calendar cycle moving up the always anticipated take-tofield days. And early archery deer hunters get a little more room to stalk, thanks to black bears.

LOWER SAMISH RIVER ACCESS Anglers after the Samish River’s fall kings will have freer – and less costly – reign to get at them in the small Skagit County stream’s lowest section. Samish River Services, LLC, is not leasing riverbank land nor selling entrees for this year’s September-October run of hatchery fall Chinook, says corporation representative Tony Breckenridge.

Control of access upstream from Bayview-Edison Road, mainly along the east levee coming in from Farm-to-Market Road, will remain in the hands of several individual landowners.

Breckenridge says it is his understanding that the owner of the parcel south of Bayview-Edison Road, who in past years was the main entry point, will open it to all fishers.

Another traditional access to the south (further upstream)

is anticipated to be available again, this time fee-free, but the property owner there will require anglers to get a written permission to trespass across the field to the stream’s levee.

The status of bank access across private property at the Farmto-Market Road Bridge was not known at the time of this writing.

In the recent past, the resident on the home on the southwest side of the span was not allowing anyone to come down the bank on his driveway.

However, the landowner to the west had allowed anglers to cross a field along a fence line to get to the levee, where they could inch their way along the inside face.

The next upstream crossing at Thomas Road also has been available in past years to anglers; however, it’s not known whether the levees up- or downstream of the bridge will be posted against trespass or open. That location’s worth checking because the dike off the southwest side has several good fishing stands along its run.

Even at the height of the Chinook run, the time of low tide each day is the preferred period for fishing.

BAY BEFORE THE MELEE If you want to get away from the hand-to-hand combat fishing scene these Samish-Nooksack-stock fall Chinook attract, they can be sought in September in close-in Area 7 venues, including Bellingham (between Cypress and Guemes Islands) and Guemes (between the namesake island and Anacortes) Channels. Also, as

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COLUMN they round the final pole at William Point on Samish Island and enter southern Samish Bay proper, the kings are vulnerable all the way in to the east-west Fish Point deadline.

Jigged baitfish imitation offerings, including Point Wilson Darts (American made), Stingsildas (if you can get the old Norwegian lures) and Zzingers (made in Canada) excite these Chinook to bite.

When you first mark salmon at depth, drop larger versions of the candlefish or herring models, but downsize to the smaller 2½-ounce size if you don’t spark action.

The spot in Bellingham Channel most often worked by bayboat fishers is just south of the Indian Village on Guemes’ west shore and directly opposite Cypress Head.

On the southeast side of Guemes Island, trollers hook these fall kings as they swing past Southeast Point. The nearshore troll line between the 10- and 20-fathom lines runs from Cooks Cove through to Long Bay opposite the refinery piers.

After an eye injury that put a damper on the end of the 2015 pheasant season, Sophie the Lab as well as her master Roy Fowles of Bellingham can again take to the field this month.

Ringnecks will be released on the Whatcom Wildlife Area’s units for the start of the hunt later this month. (BROWNING PHOTO CONTEST)

No matter which way they circumnavigate Guemes, Samish kings always come together at William Point on Samish Island.

While gillnet boats stretch their webs in the relative shallows of inner Samish Bay, the big purse seine vessels make their roundhaul sets in the 30-plus-fathom waters off the isthmus island’s western tip.

Saltwater fishers get one last crack at these fish before they draw into the river off the Samish main island’s north shore, where a submarine river channel forms on the bay bottom.

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falls away at the bay’s 3-fathom shelf line. The other is further east in water that’s charted to be less than 6 feet deep over the submerged channel.

For many decades now this has been a Buzz Bomb-dominated fishery, and the pink and blue 2.5s still work here. Retrieval in the shallows is nearly horizontal, so a variety of alternative spinning lures are effective. The key is anchoring as close as you can to the channel’s deepest line for short casts without spooking the fish.

FIRST-CHANCE HONKERS Resident Canada geese are as plentiful as ever in western Whatcom County, spread across an array of habitats not always associated with later season gunning for migratory honkers. Besides the more expansive venues of the broader marshes (Lake Terrell) and bays (Birch), as well as the flat, open west-county farmlands, these big birds surprisingly parachute into remarkably compact waters in the Cascade foothills each spring to breed.

Spring snowmelt into these upvalley wetlands provide protection from terrestrial predators during nesting, and also foster the grass and aquatic plant growth and invertebrate insect production that both young and old birds need. The geese often take to using river bars and back shallows.

Unlike their lower valley counterparts, which often move on a daily basis between night roost and field foraging areas, these birds just make short hops between pond and fields or often simply stay put. As fall progresses, if otherwise undisturbed it’s not until the waters freeze solid in December that these honkers move from their uppermost valley digs.

Mid-upper valley clan-type flocks (multiple families, mostly related) in gaggles of 30 to 40 birds visit lower reaches of the Nooksack’s forks as part of their daily routines. During other parts of the day they drop in on small pastures scattered around the valley confines.

Baker Lake and Lake Shannon offer these resident honkers both grass forage and relative obscurity on a few out-of-the-way seasonal emergent terraces. Packing a shotgun and a few shells on a sockeye or kokanee quest may expand your take-home haul (just be aware of the no-shooting areas on Baker). Look for lounging honkers in the very upper ends of both reservoirs, especially Shannon north of Thunder Creek.

Hunting Canadas in mountain valleys in the six-day-long, Sept.

10-15, resident honker stint is quite different from farmland forays for them. These wary upvalley stay-at-homes must be stalked or pushed to get them in gun range.

Stalking is often facilitated by cover in these areas, but to prosecute to a shot requires a hunting party which can position shooters on a swimming pathway while one hunter makes an overt stalk that pushes the birds into range.

A second tactic involves setting decoys on grass-covered haulout locations, especially points. Hunters may take advantage of close-by natural cover or build a makeshift blind, which you should be in before daylight. Once the encounter has occurred, whether you bag one or more or not, you might as well move on.

There’s relatively little intermarsh movement.

Front-country pursuits of these birds follows a more traditional

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COLUMN pattern, requiring previous-afternoon scouting to set the stage for next-dawn intercepts with decoys and calls under morning flight paths the norm.

Loafers on ponds or lakes at some distance can be drawn to feeding, tip-up and shore-deployed goose dekes. Flights can be drawn by flagging or loud calls, but once they’re turned, hunters best drop out of sight, turn silent and wait until the flock closes within gunning range before popping up for the jump.

September right up to gun day.

For youths, pheasants will be released on Terrell, birds for the senior-disabled hunt will be let go on two units, and when the general season arrives, all three of the spacious upland gamebird venues – Terrell, Intalco/Alcoa and BP – will get birds.

Skagit County’s pheasant hunts are much less numerous.

Ringnecks will be released only for the youth hunt and only on the Samish Unit northwest of Burlington.

GATE SWINGS FOR EARLY ARCHERS INITIAL RINGNECK RECKONING September’s fortuitous calendar cycle has nudged forward pheasant and youth bird pursuits, loading a couple extra days into this fall’s season. The traditional youth bird hunting weekend falls on Sept. 17-18 this year. The senior – and now disabled hunters – set-to with pheasants comes right in the heels of the younger set’s option. Meanwhile, the main Western Washington pheasant season runs a full last seven days of September; 2015’s began on the 26th.

The Whatcom Wildlife Area’s Lake Terrell unit serves as the focal point for much gunning action for pheasants, as well as some ducks and, occasionally, resident Canada geese. Before any serious gun-toting action takes place, pheasant hunters may warm up their canine companions on the unit near the headquarters area.

No guns are allowed, all permits must be in wallet and no birds may be harmed, but prosecute-to-flush is permitted in early

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While they won’t be open for their general season rifle counterparts, bowhunters get a little bit of timber company largesse directed toward black bear hunters on several Whatcom County tree farm plantations.

Early archery deer stalkers will find some gates open to about the middle or third week in September in several locales, ostensibly for bruin hunting. Do be aware that these barriers are subject to closure at the discretion of landowners at any time after the first of September, which marks the opening of bow deer season.

NEXT ISSUE Early snow geese, general blacktail deer season, Nooksack River coho. NS Editor’s note; Doug Huddle lives in Bellingham, is retired from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, and has written about hunting and fishing in the Northwest for more than 33 years.

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HUNTING

EMPIRE OF BUCKS

From the forested heights of Mt. Spokane and Mica Peak to the Channeled Scablands to the breaks of the Snake, you’ll find good numbers of mule deer and whitetail, though less in the way of access for the start of archery season in the Inland Empire.

(BROWNING PHOTO CONTEST)

Spokane forests, Channeled Scablands, Palouse offer good bowhunting for whitetails, muleys.

By Mark Bove

W

ith every opening day, Inland Empire bowhunters have to make a choice. A choice between hunting velvet whitetails in ponderosa forests or searching the scablands and rolling hills for mule deer. Many enjoy glassing wide-open country, spotting their quarry from a great distance and making a stalk to get within bow range. Others prefer the serenity of being “the fly on the wall,” high up in a tree, waiting for a rush of adrenaline when a mature buck walks into view, giving the hunter a momentary shot opportunity.

Washington’s Inland Empire offers excellent public land mule deer and whitetail hunting, and if you are lucky enough to get access to private land, it can be world class. This part of the Evergreen State is not known for Boone and Crockett-class deer, but each year bucks in the 130- to 150-inch range are taken by lucky hunters, and archery hunters’ overall success rates typically hover in the 30-percent range in most units.

The Inland Empire offers the bowhunter the unique opportunity to hunt varied habitats and terrain without having to travel great distances. On the eastern border of the region are the towering Rocky Mountains, to the west

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HUNTING the Columbia Basin, with scabland, lakes and rolling hills occupying all points in between. With this contrast comes a wide range of habitat, including Douglas firs, larch, ponderosa pines, aspens, sagebrush, grasslands and large fields planted with various agricultural crops.

Below is a breakdown of the region’s game management units and some scouting tools that I have found to be most helpful in finding access to prime hunting grounds.

($40 plus tax for an individual, $65 plus tax for a family) that can be purchased at one of the locations listed on the company’s website (iepco.com/recreation.htm).

Mica Peak, GMU 127, had the second highest success rate in the Inland Empire, 35 percent. This unit is mainly private, but there is an excellent hunting opportunity with the paper company’s permit. This area has been designated as walk-in only, and those willing to hike can hunt undisturbed country.

Eastern Washington’s publicly accessible land includes a mix of state wildlife areas, Bureau of Land Management recreation sites – this is Lakeview, near Odessa – and private ground such as Inland Empire Paper property outside Spokane or farms and ranches enrolled in Department of Fish and Wildlife programs. (BLM)

WHITETAIL DEER Top Units Mount Spokane, GMU 124, had the highest success rate for archery hunters in 2015, with almost 40 percent taking home a deer. The unit holds a ton of whitetails and access is easily obtained with an Inland Empire Paper permit 118 Northwest Sportsman

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Cheney, GMU 130, hosts mule deer and whitetails. This unit had a 21 percent success rate in 2015, and the best public access is the Bureau of Land Management’s Fishtrap Recreational Area, which encompasses 7,000 acres of public access. A mix of forests, rolling hills, wetlands and lakes, it is a great example of the diverse habitat found in this region and why it carries both species of deer.

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HUNTING Whitetail season in these three units is open Sept.

1-30. In Mt. Spokane, any whitetail can be taken, while the other two are open for three-point minimum or antlerless deer.

Equipment List For years I missed a number of quick hunting trips because I was disorganized with my equipment. Last year I purchased a Sitka Gear Launching Pad to keep all my whitetail gear in one place and ready when I am. This pack/suitcase/bow case allows me to, at a moment’s notice, run to the stand and be ready to hunt. Below is my early season kit/checklist that is encapsulated in my Launching Pad. This allows me to change into my hunting clothes when I get to the trailhead and prepare for the hunt.

Optics: Vortex Ranger 1000 rangefinder and 8x42 Vortex Razor HD binoculars and Sitka Bino Harness; pack: Sitka Tool Box; spare SD card for game camera and AA batteries; water bottle; Havalon knife; game bags; tags/ license; treestand bow holder; first aid kit; headlamp; flagging (for marking blood when tracking); calls; GPS attached to outside of pack; bow: release; arrows: fixedblade broadheads; and clothing: Sitka Early-Season Whitetail System.

ACCESS OPTIONS As most of the land in the six game management units I list in the main story is privately owned, if you do not have any ranchers or farmers on speed dial, the best place to start your search for hunting access is on WDFW’s website (wdfw.wa.gov). The Hunting Access pages list a number of properties open through the Feel Free To Hunt, Hunt

by Written Permission and Hunt By Reservation programs.

They’re mostly in Whitman County’s Steptoe and Almota GMUs, and largely better suited to upland birds, but some present opportunities for deer hunters.

Another great tool is the map chips and mobile apps from OnXMaps (huntinggpsmaps.com). These GPS chips and smartphone apps give users instant access to landowner names with property boundaries (both public and private), game management unit boundaries, water data (lakes, rivers and streams), roadways and topographical data. This is an invaluable tool in the field that provides peace of mind in knowing that you are within the boundaries of the land that you have permission to hunt. –MB

Tactics The success of a whitetail hunt greatly hinges on knowledge of deer movements and setting up an ambush point in which bucks will neither smell nor see you when they move past. This is accomplished by scouting, and at this time of year, deer are primarily moving from bedding areas to food and water and vice versa. One must determine whether to set up on a trail or a food source. I have found that the best way to determine where to set a treestand is to place game cameras in prospective areas two weeks before season. The day before the opener, around midday, I check my cameras. After reviewing photos I determine the final hunt and stand location. This strategy paid off for me last year when I harvested a mature five-pointer after patterning him with my game cameras.

MULE DEER Top Units Harrington, GMU 136, offers the largest tract of public land in the Inland Empire to hunt mule deer.

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SEPTEMBER 2016 | nwsportsmanmag.com

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Northwest Sportsman 121

HUNTING surrounded by BLM property with more federal ground around Pacific Lake. However, according to Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife harvest survey data, only 112 people hunted this unit and they experienced a 25 percent success rate.

Steptoe, GMU 139, offers both mule deer and whitetail hunting opportunities, though predominantly the former species. The unit offers very little public land access, just small, scattered chunks of state land, including the 2,291acre Revere Wildlife Area and eastern portions of the BLM’s Rock Creek Recreation Area. In 2015, 33 percent of those who hunted the GMU were successful.

Almota, GMU 142, is predominantly a mule deer unit, and offers very little public land, though the small tracts that are available could offer the opportunity to harvest a trophy deer. In 2015 18 percent of archery hunters in this unit were successful.

Mule deer season in these three units is open Sept.

1-30 for bucks with at least three points or antlerless deer.

Equipment List While my packing list is very similar to what I’d bring for whitetails, mule deer inhabit open spaces that require long stalks and hours behind glass, so there are couple

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tweaks. When it comes to optics, I include 15x56 Kaibab HD binoculars, Nightforce TS 80 HD Spotting Scope and a Vortek Optic GT Pro tripod, as well as the Vortex Ranger 1000, and have the bino harness for 8x42s when I make the stalk. It’s also important to be prepared to remove deer you harvest from the field as quickly as possible, as September often has warm temperatures and spoilage happens quickly if you are unprepared. I highly recommend investing in a pack that is capable of being used as both a daypack and a pack frame. The Easton FullBore 3600 is the best midsized daypack I’ve used that has a meat shelf. I’ll also use a water bladder instead of bottles, and dress using the Sitka Early Season Big-game System.

Tactics The Webster definition of hunting is the activity of searching for something. To hunt mule deer is to search for a buck in a sea of grass, sagebrush and hills.

My favorite strategy for hunting mule deer is to hike to a high glassing knob before daylight. A glassing knob is a place with a 360-degree view and at least a mile of visibility in one or all directions. Once morning comes I will start gridding off the country with my 15-power binoculars on a tripod. Once I see a deer I want to stalk

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or a “shooter,” I watch the buck till it beds down. While doing this I make mental notes of where other deer are in relation to it.

Once my buck is bedded, it is time to plan a stalk. It is important to understand and consider three factors: wind, eyes – those of the deer you are stalking and other deer – and topography. The best advice I have ever received is to be patient. If a good stalk opportunity is not available, it is better to wait for one to present itself rather than blowing a deer out of the area due to haste.

Once you are within bow range, you have a couple options. You can sit and wait till he stands, or try and awaken the deer with a rock or a doe grunt. A few years ago I stalked within 30 yards of a bedded mature four-point mule deer. I decided to do a doe grunt at the deer to get him to stand up and expose his vitals.

Apparently he didn’t speak the language that I was, and he spooked out of town without giving me a second look. So again, with mule deer it’s best to be patient.

Good luck out there. Hunt hard, know your regulations, and respect the wildlife, land and others while you are enjoying the outdoors. NS

Bowhunters’ tactics vary whether they’re glassing open country for muleys or perching in a treestand in hopes a big flagtail, like the author’s five-pointer, comes through. Either way you’ll need to be smart and exercise patience if you want to bag a trophy this month. (MARK BOVE) 124 Northwest Sportsman

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HUNTING HU H UNTI NT TING NG G

Bigfoot’s Real Myth, legends and blackberries – bowman’s quest to harvest a trophy Oregon blacktail no easy feat.

TROPHY TR HY TALE

By Lt. Col. Steve Osterholzer

B

igfoot.”

That single word filled my mind as I watched the last rays of the setting sun fade, vanishing from the November sky like wisps of campfire smoke. As day began to slip into night and the close of the season, it occurred to me that the hope of shooting a Pope and Young blacktail was my version of finding Bigfoot.

“He doesn’t exist. He’s just a myth,” I thought

gloomily. Despite having hunted hard nearly every day of that archery season, I’d yet to even glimpse a buck. I swiveled my head slowly to the right for what seemed like the thousandth time that day, the previous 999 times revealing nothing along the woodline’s edge – but not this time!

My breath locked in my chest and my eyes widened in stunned amazement. “Oh, my gosh, it’s a buck! And not just any buck – a beast of a buck! Bigfoot does exist!”

Well-versed in hunting whitetails in the Eastern United States, Lt. Col. Steve Osterholzer found Oregon blacktails to be a completely different animal, one that required all of the early and late archery seasons to finally notch his tag on this fine buck. (LT. COL. STEVE OSTERHOLZER)

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HUNTING From nearly impenetrable blackberry brambles to head-tall salal and sword ferns, blacktails roam some of the thickest country possible, rarely giving hunters a shot at them. (BLM)

As my trembling hand drew the string back, I prayed myth would become my Pope and Young legend.

SEVERAL MONTHS EARLIER, I’d eased from my Jeep parked at the end of a logging road on public land, as full of optimism, hope and confidence as the afternoon was sunny. Eager for preseason scouting, I talked to myself as I slung my stand across my back. “OK, you’re a seasoned whitetail hunter. You understand their terrain, can identify feeding and bedding areas, and know how to spot their travel corridors. You know how a whitetail thinks. Sure, these are blacktails, but c’mon, just how different can they really be?”

Then I turned to stare slack-jawed at this new hunting world, realizing just how naive my rationale had been.

Before me rose an almost-impenetrable wall of thorns crowned with a canopy of moss-covered trees interlaced so tightly day seemed to turn to dusk. And it wasn’t just one thicket in the forest. For as far as I could see the entire forest was a thicket. Br’er Rabbit’s heaven. I’d read blacktail terrain was thick, but this? “This is the scene from The Empire Strikes Back,” I muttered as thorns tore bloody scratches across my face, “where Luke Skywalker crashes his fighter into Yoda’s swamp. This place is so dark and thick I’ll call it Yoda’s Basement.”

Decades of hunting the oak flats and cornfields of the 130 Northwest Sportsman

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East had honed my skills in whitetail country, but this clearly was not whitetail country. I had to learn how to hunt all over again.

ON SEASON’S LAST afternoon, I sat on my stand reflecting on what I’d learned. I’d found out what it’s like to crawl through thorn tunnels. I’d learned that there were no travel corridors, no feeding or bedding areas for blacktails.

As far as I could tell, all of it was one big bedding area, and the deer seemed to wander aimlessly, grazing with neither rhyme nor reason. I learned what it is to hunt literally from dawn till dusk for days on end without seeing a single deer. I didn’t just eat humble pie; I gorged on it. And though several tantalizing rubs proved a good buck was in the area, I came to believe my odds of seeing Bigfoot were better than the odds of laying eyes on a mature buck.

Now in November, my only hope lay in the fact the blacktails were at last in rut. Thinking the big boys would mimic their whitetail cousins, I surmised they’d be cruising for hot does during daylight hours. I gambled and radically changed my strategy. Abandoning the confines of thick woods I cast my lot with the liberating openness of a field. “Eureka!” I rejoiced, “I don’t know if I’ll actually see a deer, but I can at least see further than 20 yards!”

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HUNTING solitary confinement.

Like most hunters I’m normally optimistic, charging out into predawn darkness, bursting with confidence that today is the day! But week after fruitless week had drained my enthusiasm for the hunt. Weeks of straining with bloodshot eyes to spot the outline of an animal in the dimly lit forest had worn me out. This final day of the season found me simply going through the motions as I hauled myself into my stand. My bow hung lazily on a branch and my body lay slouched like a drunk sprawled on a bar. I possessed all the sharpness of Winnie-the-Pooh.

Osterholzer poses with the mount he had made from his well-earned Beaver State blacktail.

(LT. COL. STEVE OSTERHOLZER)

WEBSTER’S DEFINES SHOCK as “a sudden or violent disturbance of the mind, emotions, or sensibilities.” An understatement of massive proportions, still it described my reaction when my lazily drifting eyes turned and settled on an enormous buck 31 yards away! It wasn’t just the suddenness in which the buck appeared; it was the shock of actually seeing a buck! I couldn’t have been more surprised if Bigfoot himself had been standing there!

All at once I was a man having a seizure high up in a tree. Totally forgetting to move ever so slowly when a deer’s in sight, I did everything short of jumping jacks on my stand while leaning to grab my bow. Fortunately the buck’s head was turned the other direction as I drew back

to settle the 30-yard pin behind his shoulder and tried desperately to control my shaky nerves.

This was it. This was the moment I’d worked so hard for. A Pope and Young blacktail stood before me. I was at full draw, nock tucked into the corner of my mouth, arrow armed with the destructive power of the broadhead straining to be unleashed. Our quiet world was about to explode.

A quote from Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar flashed through my brain.

“Cry havoc, and let slip the dogs of 5 bd | 3 full bath | 2,985 sqft | 212,137 lot war!” All the razor-sharp thorns, all the maddening brambles, all the vain days spent in the darkness of An amazing shy Oregon’s rain forest came down to 5-acres on low bank Cowlitz River this single second frozen in time. frontage that includes And with a tiny click I tripped 2 nice homes situated in a the release. picturesque wooded park I’d like to say my shot was like riverfront setting. The main perfect, that the broadhead struck home is a 2113 sq. ft. 3BR, 2BA rambler. The second home is a 845 home in a classic heart or doublesq. ft 2BR, 1BA rambler. Both homes lung downing of the buck. Truth, are on their own well and septic systems. however, is often far from what we Numerous outbuildings garages, hope for. My aim wasn’t so true as sheds and work shop are also I’d have liked it to be. Instead of present on the property.

Property is located in a watching the fletching sink into the secluded area of the river; buck’s boiler room, I watched in a one of kind opportunity. horror as the arrow arced high and An hour to Portland, OR spined him. He collapsed instantly Call Curt Christopherson and Olympia, WA. with Sea-Port Realty in the high grass, out of view.

I looked around the field in utter amazement; the scene was exactly 5HSRUWV DYDLODEOH WR TXDOLƓ HG EX\HUV as it had been not 30 seconds before.

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the trees. It was as if the event had never occurred at all! The sudden materialization of the majestic buck, my frantic hopping around on the stand, the arcing flight of the arrow – had it all really happened? An arrow rest minus shaft was my only reassurance I hadn’t imagined the whole scene.

Climbing down from the stand I shook so hard I thought I might slip, making my journey to the ground a very quick one indeed. I found and dispatched the buck with another arrow, speaking to him as I drew back for the final shot, whispering words of deepest respect.

When the deed was done, I sat next to him awhile, absorbing the beauty of the world around me like a sponge absorbing water. A full moon rose slowly over the conifers.

Unbelievably huge, it seemed to light the grass with silver fire. Crickets began their nighttime melody. The hoot of an owl I’d often seen at dusk floated upon the still air, his hunt beginning as mine finished. How long I sat there, I don’t know. What I do know is I felt a strong connection with the hunts of our ancestors, hunts harkening back to the time of mastodons and crude spears. I ran my hands over the massive antlers in the moonlight. Replaying the exasperating season in my mind, I could scarcely believe the buck existed at all.

Dragging him out through the brush was maddeningly difficult and exhausting, with those awesome antlers constantly catching and snagging in the brambles. Exactly as it should be. My season-long nemesis of thorn and nettle reached out to torment me a final time as I battled my way through the morass with my prize. It was well after midnight before I finally wrestled the massive animal into the back of my Jeep. I sat a minute on the tailgate, admiring the great antlers wet and gleaming with dew in the moonlight, and grinned. “Bigfoot does exist.” NS nwsportsmanmag.com | SEPTEMBER 2016

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Brought To You By:

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®

COLUMN

Things You Need To Know About

DEER HUNTING

The rise of the Hunter’s Moon is just around the corner, so it’s time to start thinking about deer season. (DAVE WORKMAN)

ON TARGET

By Dave Workman

eptember means the arrival of early deer seasons and sets the stage for the general season openers just over the horizon.

If you think you’ve got it all dialed in, there’s always something you’re overlooking. For example, I know somebody who got to camp one year and discovered they left their ammunition at home. To prevent making the same mistake, I habitually keep at least one box of ammunition for each of my primary hunting rifles in my truck, and each one of my rifles has an elastic shell

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COLUMN

Brought To You By:

KICK-EEZ

carrier band on the buttstock.

But there are other things one should pay attention to in order to improve your odds of notching a tag, especially this fall. Here are five things to know that just might make the difference between filling the freezer or burning an empty tag in the Christmas fire:

FULL MOON CYCLES Deer are nocturnal feeders, and if there’s a full moon and a clear sky, when it gets light enough to shoot they may Do you know the woods as well as your quarry? Probably not, but there’s still time for scouting, says the author. (DAVE WORKMAN)

®

already be headed to their beds.

September’s Harvest Moon falls on the 16th, October’s Hunter’s Moon rises on the 16th and in November, there’s a full moon on the 14th. According to The Old Farmer’s Almanac, the November full moon will be a “Supermoon.” It is going to be extra bright and closer to Earth than it has been since January 1948.

As the openers in our region loom, study the weather forecast.

In the Northwest, it’s been my experience that whatever the longrange forecast, you can move it up a day or two and that’s what you will experience. If the forecast calls for rain on Friday, you’re liable to be wet Wednesday or Thursday.

YOUR HUNTING GROUND Take a weekend and do some scouting this month, and take a shotgun along for grouse. Deer need water, food and shelter. Find all three and walk the ground to locate the trails that are being used. (Just don’t pee in or near them!) I’ve done this more than once and scored.

Years ago, for example, I was hunting a new spot on opening weekend. On the first day, I stumbled upon a spring and a little pool of water about 100 yards back into a stand of timber, away from an older clearcut. The ground around that spring was chewed to pieces with fresh elk and deer tracks. I backtracked along the trail coming in from the clearcut and the next morning I was sitting on a log about 100 yards uphill from where the trail came out of the forest.

I hadn’t been there 10 minutes before a two-point mule deer appeared, moving from the clearcut into the timber. This was the year before Washington adopted the three-point minimum rule.

One shot from my .257 Roberts ended my season. I was back home, about 90 miles away, by 10 a.m., hanging that buck in my woodshed.

YOUR RIFLE’S BALLISTICS Way too many people do not understand bullet flight, and this accounts for misses, near misses, lucky shots and bad shots. If you’re shooting across flat ground, trust your rifle’s zero and aim dead on. However, say you’re shooting uphill or downhill.

You need to hold lower because the bullet trajectory changes on a steep angle.

Hey, it’s happened to me! A few years ago over on the Snake River, I shot at a buck at just over 200 yards. My first round went just over the top of that critter’s back. I actually saw it graze the fur.

Had that deer been on level ground, I would not have had to fire twice. My second round went where it was supposed to go.

There is something else to remember. You need to know the velocity of your ammunition. Say your bullet leaves the muzzle at 2,600 feet per second. Even considering drag and loss of velocity, that bullet can cross more than 500 yards in a second. I shot a 2x3 buck across a canyon with a .30-06 five years ago. The bullet was a Nosler AccuBond, and it clocked just under 2,750 fps when it left the muzzle. The buck was 350 yards away and even as the rifle was in recoil, I saw the buck fall stone dead and roll down a hill.

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COLUMN

Brought To You By:

KICK-EEZ

THE ESCAPE ROUTES If you think deer don’t know their escape routes, good luck with that. This is their ground, and you’re trespassing.

They travel it every day; you don’t. This is why it is important for you to do some scouting, and to have a good pair of binoculars to sit still, glass the area you’re hunting and pay attention to anything that moves.

Once you fire that first, and hopefully last, shot, expect all hell to break loose. I’ve seen deer break world land-speed records disappearing into the brush or over a ridgeline, usually in directions you might not have expected.

You know how bucks grow such big antlers? By not being stupid.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR Hunters typically see part of a deer rather than the whole animal. The animals don’t wear neon signs or fluorescent caps. Even on open ground, you might just see part of a buck, bedded down next to a rock outcropping or between clumps of brush.

Be patient and glass the terrain slowly. Look for an ear flicker, or an antler sticking up. Look for horizontal lines where trees are vertical. What may seem like a fallen tree might be a deer standing there looking at you.

There’s one more thing I learned over the course of many

®

years of being bamboozled: If a buck spots you, don’t make any sudden moves. Act like a deer. Look attentive, but nonthreatening. Lay down.

Many years ago, I stalked a group of bucks across a small valley in southern Utah. These bucks had us pegged, so my two companions sat still while I slowly and carefully made my way down through the brush on all fours.

During the course of this misadventure, I actually had to crawl through a small herd of cattle. It may have looked stupid on video – and there is one somewhere because I saw it – but after about 45 minutes I was in position to shoot.

Before I got there, I had to pretend I was bedding down as a couple of small bucks watched. After a while, they seemed to shrug and move away, feeding as they went, so they weren’t alarmed.

In the June issue, we discussed “group therapy.” Since then, you should have been visiting the range to make sure your rifle is zeroed. By now you’ve got your license and tag. Your hunting knives should have razor edges. Your hunting clothes should be hung outside to air out. Know whether your stoves work.

Nobody can tell you when to shoot. But shoot straight, make sure of your backstop, and good luck.

Oh, and take a camera along. Snap photos of your success and share them with Northwest Sportsman. NS

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COLUMN

The Fire I

stood at a window of my suburban home and watched the red glow in the distance dance. I watched as it slowly took hill after hill, canyon after canyon, and ranch after ranch. I didn’t cry, but CHEF IN THE WILD I came close as the flames took what I

By Randy King consider my “real” home. The Soda Fire did not flinch at my heartache, however; it simply kept burning the sage, juniper and grass that I hold so dear.

The mountains outside Nampa, Idaho, are called the Owyhees and they have helped to feed five generations of my family. When

iPhone apps and Pokémon Go, my family still uses the area for the bulk of our wild game diet.

So as I watched the flames roll from hill to hill I knew that they were doing incalculable damage. Deer, elk, rabbits, hares, chukar, Hungarian partridges, quail, pheasants, sage grouse and many other animals were losing their lives, or at least their homes. The fire was traveling at one mile every eight minutes, faster than a herd of wild horses can travel. Twenty-seven equines passed away when the fire rolled over them.

As a hunter I watched much of my prime public lands burn.

My favorite sage grouse honey hole became a black hillside. The mountain I shot my second deer on and which is named after my deceased uncle John, turned into a charred slope. The stands of wild currant bushes, in a meadow I fished as a child, were just blackened twigs sticking out of black ground. My surprise camas bulb-gathering area, one I had only found in the previous year, was gone. I truly hoped the bulbs could survive the flame and

Author and chef Randy King glasses his beloved Owyhee Mountains after the Soda Fire burned large portions, but not all, of the Southwest Idaho range. (RANDY KING)

we initially migrated to Idaho in the early part of the 20th century, we set up home in a community called Jordan Valley. At that time, life was different in the West; one could not help but live closer to the land. My family hunted and foraged out of necessity, not out of some yearning to reconnect to the land. Now, in this era of PS4s,

come back the next spring.

The Soda Fire simply took what it needed to live; it took food.

But fire can be stopped. With the tremendous effort of brave men and women firefighters no lives were lost. Sure, some buildings, cattle and fence were consumed, but no human life was. As the

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A GASTRONOMIC DELIGHT Sometimes steak, corn and mashed potatoes are just what the doctor ordered. This is no exception. The only “twist” I add is the huckleberry “gastrique.” Don’t let the fancy French word fool you – a gastrique is just a simple sauce. Serve this with your favorite garlic mashed potato recipe.

Sauce ¼ cup apple cider vinegar ¼ cup frozen huckleberries 1 /8 cup sugar 1 cinnamon stick ½ cup chicken stock Salt and pepper Bring all to a boil in a 2-quart sauce pot. Reduce the heat to medium and let cook until slightly thick. Remove from the stove and let stand. Remove and toss the cinnamon stick. This sauce will keep for a week in the fridge, so you might have extra but that is OK. (For extra credit, puree the sauce and then strain before you serve it.)

Venison with huckleberry gastrique, creamed corn and mashed potatoes. (RANDY KING)

Corn 1 tablespoon butter 2 strips of bacon, diced ¼ medium onion, diced 1 sprig rosemary 1 pound fresh or frozen corn kernels 1 teaspoon sugar ¼ cup heavy cream Salt and pepper With a tip of the hat to recipe inspirer Alton Brown, put the butter in a 3-quart stockpot and melt over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook until crisp. Next add onion, salt and rosemary and sweat until the onion is translucent, about five minutes. If you are using fresh cob corn, cut away the corn from the cob. When all the kernels have been removed, turn the knife around and use the spine of the blade to carefully scrape out any remaining pulp from the cob. This will add a great taste and texture to the dish.

Add the corn and sugar to the pan and continue cooking over medium-high heat until the liquid from the corn thickens a bit, about two minutes. Add the cream, reduce the heat to medium and cook until the corn is very soft, two to three minutes. Season 142 Northwest Sportsman

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with salt and pepper.

The Meat 6 to 8 4-ounce venison steaks; backstrap is a good choice Salt and pepper 1 tablespoon olive oil Turn oven on to “warm” and place a plate inside. Heat a large, heavy-bottomed pan on medium. Season both sides of the steaks with salt and pepper. Pour oil into pan; it should be on the verge of smoking hot. Place the steaks in the pan and let brown for two to three minutes. The steaks should be a nice golden brown before flipping.

Flip and cook for an additional two to three minutes.

Remove promptly from heat if blood starts to show on the top of the pepper-crusted section; this will mean that they are about medium. Place steaks on the plate in the oven to keep warm while the rest of the steaks are cooking.

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Northwest Sportsman 143

COLUMN West continues to burn around us, keep those who fight fires in your mind.

As the old legends of the Phoenix go, a fire is needed for a beautiful creature to rise from the ashes. The cycle of birth and renewal will continue. Juniper trees, once encroaching on valuable sage grouse and mule deer habitat, are now gone. Large tracts of land will be planted with native grasses, keeping the invasive ones at bay. Rebirth is years away, though, maybe a generation in certain spots. My children will be my age before they understand what has really happened.

But as I stood there looking out the window, I knew that when the smoke cleared and the fire was out, I would make my move, carefully, with a light step, into the land that feeds my family. The whole range is not gone, just a few hundred thousand acres out of an area roughly the size of Rhode Island. Most of the Owyhees remained untouched. I would soon don my boots, take up my bow and go hunting for real food, Soda Fire be damned.

THE HUNT A few days later I found it irresistible not to head into the mountains and survey the damage – with my recurve bow and on opening day of archery season. I soon found deer, a lot of them. They were congregated on the burn line, in a small creek drainage.

Success! son before pose withwe headed out Drew and I glassed the herdFather for aand while Noah’s goat.

(RANDY KING) on a big sneak across the valley.

Slipping down the willow bottom

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of a small creek I found a velvet two-point buck at 20 yards. I placed an arrow in his last rib, a little far back but still in the vitals.

I was confident of my shot, so I sat to wait the customary hour before tracking.

We found no blood. My heart sank. This was my first deer with a bow. The first arrow I had made connect with a deer in my whole life. The shot was good, the buck was going to die, but I could not find a trace of it. I called for backup, my father. Dad has tracked more game over his life than anyone I know; surely he could find the buck. Hours later we found one spot of blood on the buck’s known route. But not one other drop.

We found the tip of my arrow. It had been a pass-through. The blood on the cedar shaft looked dark, like a liver shot.

I was looking for a needle in a haystack, but I didn’t have a magnet. After the three of us spent 10 hours looking for my deer we called off the search. I’d lost the buck. He fed coyotes, not my family.

I struggled with my next actions. Sh*t happens; I get that. But I will always wonder what I could have done better. What clues could I have missed? Should I have spent more time shooting foam in the backyard? I took a life and couldn’t even respect it with a good meal.

The Soda Fire had already taken so much from the area and now I’d taken even more. I will not be the last generation to feed my family from this land, I promise you that. But to keep the tradition alive I will need to redouble my efforts to hunt well and to eat well. NS

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Northwest Sportsman 145

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HUNTING September’s Canada goose seasons give Northwest hunters a great opportunity to head afield for early birds, as well as help control overpopulations of resident honkers.

(JULIA JOHNSON)

Early Birds

Tips for successful September Canada goose hunts

By M.D. Johnson

W

hat’s a waterfowler to do during the month of September here in the Northwest? Sure, there’s decoys to be checked and readied. Calls to be cleaned, blown and, because we web-footed folk are always in need of yet another short reed, calls to be purchased. There are dogs to be worked, blinds to be built and mended, boats to be maintained and ammunition to be hoarded.

But what about the real deal

now? What about the hunting part of the equation? Sadly, season’s still six weeks away. Or is it?

Welcome to the joys of early goose season. Historically, September Canada seasons – and you’ll note I specifically said Canada goose, as others, i.e. specklebellies, snows and brant, are strictly off limits – were established first by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which then passed the decision-making process down to the individual states, to address the problem of burgeoning resident

populations of Canadas. These are the birds that never leave – the ones that have decided that the golf course or the housing development, the state park and the municipal water supply ponds are definitely the way to go. It’s no secret that thanks to humankind manufacturing what amounted to ideal gooserearing facilities, populations of Canadas exploded. And surprise!

Greenskeepers began bellyaching about big fat honkers lounging and pooping on the putting greens. Fancy

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HUNTING townhome lawns died, thanks to the nitrogen content of goose poop. And heaven forbid, some public ponds and lakes were closed to swimming.

Why? Ah, yes, it’s the goose poop again, or rather the alarmingly high levels of fecal bacteria now contained in the water, thanks – again – to the hundreds of Canadas roosting in safety there. Take a dip in your septic tank? It’s about the same difference.

So, and to make a long story short, states across the country were

given the green light by the feds to establish early Canada goose-only hunting seasons in the hopes that such seasons would help lower the numbers of these nonmigratory migratory birds. Effective? In some instances, yes; in many cases, no.

Why weren’t these seasons a slam dunk? After all, aren’t these just dumb ol’ home-grown Canadas, and young ones at that?

Here’s why September goose hunting is every bit as tough, if not more so, than gunning the same

You won’t need winter’s massive spread of decoys – a handful of dekes, including a couple that look like they just stepped out of a loafing pond to graze, is often all you’ll need. (JULIA JOHNSON) 148 Northwest Sportsman

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birds in December, followed by what you can do to remedy the situation and – hopefully – have plenty of dark geese for the grinder by midmonth.

FIRST, LET ME say this about September Canada goose seasons, or more specifically, about the birds themselves. For years, I’ve have had hunters, many of whom I consider accomplished waterfowlers, describe in detail the problem with early goose season.

“You’re educating all those geese, M.D.” “Don’t show ’em every card in your hand during September, M.D.” And my personal favorite: “September seasons make hunting geese later almost impossible ’cause they’re too smart.”

My response? “Well … OK.” Do I buy into these early goose seasons being the damnation of goose hunting for the whole of the season?

No. For one, the geese I’m hunting in September make up only a very small percentage of the transient goose populations I’m hunting come November or December. True, that’s not always the case for every hunter across the Northwest, but I think I’d be safe in saying it’s the case for the vast majority. That said, I do believe that the geese I’m targeting in September are the same geese I’m looking at near my home in Southwest Washington during the February and March seasons. However, that late hunt is another story all together, with both similarities and differences we’ll likely discuss after the first of the year.

So, does this justify being sloppy during September? Ignoring the basics of scouting and concealment, decoy placement and effective calling? Absolutely not; all these variables apply as much in September as they do in November. However, what I am saying is this: Don’t worry about, as I’ve been told, “giving the birds their diplomas in September.”

I don’t know it for fact, but I’m reasonably sure the three birds you don’t kill out of a flock of eight in

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Northwest Sportsman 149

HUNTING

September aren’t going to be carrying Mensa membership cards when you see them again in January. So have fun, and give some thought to these lessons learned the hard way about early Canadas.

ACCESS The problem: September geese, whether in Washington, the Willamette Valley or Kentucky, are all about access. Early geese don’t do much; they don’t have to. Typically, the weather is mild, food is abundant and caloric requirements are low.

But how do these elements relate to access? Well, if 100 state park geese – a park where hunting isn’t permitted – don’t feel the need to leave the confines of said park or sewage lagoon or fairway pond, well then shooting them is going to be difficult, if not just a bit illegal.

Elsewhere, the crops, e.g. corn and 150 Northwest Sportsman

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Your camouflage will need to reflect the surroundings of where Canadas gather this time of year. (JULIA JOHNSON)

other grains, are still standing, and public land … well, public land often doesn’t lend itself well to early goose hunting. Exceptions, yes, but for the most part, September goose hunting is a private-land deal.

The answer: If you haven’t done your scouting and procured permission to hunt a piece or two of private ground, it’s getting late.

September geese do two things: they eat grass, and they loaf. Occasionally, they fly from one patch of grass to another, or one loafing pond to the next, but they don’t do it very often.

Again, because they don’t have to.

Now I’m looking for green grass fields – cut or pastured – that either have geese now or the potential to hold birds in September. Ideally, a pasture will have one or more small ponds where the birds can loaf, waddle into the grass, pluck a sprig or two, sleep and waddle back. Of the two, grass or

pond, I’ll pick the pond every time. I enjoy hunting geese, any geese, over water, and it’s my belief that geese decoy a little bit more readily over water because they feel secure.

My plan of attack, then?

Scouting reveals two or three loafing ponds that hold birds midmorning. I get permission, then find a natural blind – can you say blackberries or Scotch broom?

– within effective range of water’s edge. I’ll rig a half dozen floaters, a couple full-bodies that appear to have just walked out of the water, and a half dozen full bodies, no stakes and belly down resting, on the shoreline. And here’s where I’m a bit of a “No educatin’ ’em, M.D.,” hypocrite, I reckon, but I will try – key word: try – to shoot into the first small family groups that arrive, get what birds I can, and get out, so that any follow-

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HUNTING up flocks can arrive and loaf unmolested. That way, I can shoot ’em up the next day. And the next.

ROUTINES The problem: Basically, early Canadas have none; again, they don’t have to live by a routine. If they have anything close to a pattern, it’s an early morning – and by early morning, I mean break-of-dawnwhile-it’s-still-cool early – flight to feed on short greens, and then it’s back to the loafing pond for the rest of the day. Occasionally, there might be a training flight or two meant to instruct the young-of-the-year in the finer arts of flying; however, these are usually brief, limited to the immediate, i.e. the loafing area, and offer few, if any shooting opportunities, except for those right place/right time situations.

The answer: This one’s tough simply because, as mentioned, September Canadas don’t often show any kind of feeding pattern or routine. That said, the simple answer lies in scouting. Dedicated scouting. Windshield time. Lurkingin-the-bushes time. Loafing ponds, for whatever reason, seem to be a bit more predictable during this early opportunity. Canadas from several different short-feed fields or night roosts may descend on a loafing pond from every point of the compass, and scouting – the sit-wait-watch kind – will show this, if it does indeed happen. When the birds do arrive, check your watch; early Canadas, at times, can be quite punctual.

FAMILY TIES The problem: This one pertains more so to observation and how it relates to decoys and decoy placement during this early season. Geese in September, more than at any other time of year, are family animals. That is, you’ll have the goose, the gander and this year’s crop of little ones, now almost as big as their parents, in very obvious family groups, both 152 Northwest Sportsman

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on the ground and on the water.

There will be a definite spatial distance between these groups of from four to 10 individuals, with little mingling among groups. This changes as the season progresses, especially on Eastern Washington agricultural ground, where highprotein grain feed is at a premium and competition for food plays more of a role.

The answer: In September, I set definite family groups of the aforementioned four to 10 decoys, with several steps in between each group. And I won’t set many – 18 is typical; five dozen would be the top end. I like silhouettes at this time of year. The new flat decoys, like Avery’s ultra-realistic silos, are light, easy to pack and incredibly lifelike. Plus, these geese haven’t been exposed to three months of decoy spreads, either, meaning that while I’ll occasionally set full-bodies during September, I’m not sure it’s a necessity from a realism standpoint. And as a final note regarding decoy spreads and early Canadas: Because these geese are so family-oriented and show a tendency to be anti-social, I’ll set my blind to a hole in the spread, an open area, devoid of decoys, where an incoming family flock hopefully won’t hesitate to alight.

CALLING EARLY CANADAS The problem: If you’re waiting to read some magical passage detailing the secret of calling early Canada geese, I’m afraid I might disappoint you. Truth is, my calling style, which if given a name would best be described as conservative, doesn’t change much from September to December, with the major exception of, perhaps, intensity.

The answer: During the early season, I’ll get a flock’s attention, throw in a cluck or two once they’ve cut the distance, and then pipe down.

If I’m hunting a loafing pond to which the birds are already coming, I won’t call at all. The less calling I have to do, the better.

Later in the season, though, I’ll plead with the birds more; trying to get them to do what I want versus what they’d like to do. That means aggressive clucks, moans, cluckmoans and comeback calls. But again, I don’t do any more than is necessary, and I always let the birds dictate my calling style, i.e. intensity, frequency and volume, for that particular day. NS Editor’s note: The author is a wellknown waterfowl hunting writer who resides in Cathlamet, on Washington’s Lower Columbia.

SEPTEMBER’S CANADA GOOSE SEASONS OREGON Northwest Permit Zone: Sept. 10-18 Southwest Zone, Eastern Oregon: Sept. 10-14 Daily bag/possession limit: 5/15 WASHINGTON Management Areas 1, 3: Sept. 10-15 Daily bag/possession limit: 5/15 Management Area 2: Sept. 3-11 Daily bag/possession limit: 5/15 Notes: Former Areas 2A and 2B are now simply Area 2; Pacific County daily bag/ possession limits remain 15/45; a migratory bird authorization permit, aka Goose Card, not required during this early season Management Areas 4, 5: September 10-11 Daily bag/possession limit: 5/15 Statewide youth hunt: Sept. 17-18 Note: Open to young hunters under 16 years of age Daily bag/possession limit: 4/8 –MDJ

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HUNTING Mountain quail are doing well throughout Oregon’s hills. (TROY RODAKOWSKI)

d r i B d SEASONS

n a l p ULOOKING GOOD Sept. 1 marks start of Western Oregon’s grouse, quail and dove seasons, with pheasant ops upcoming.

By Troy Rodakowski

M

aybe it was the fairly mild winter and favorable nesting conditions coupled with the abundance of prime habitat. Maybe it’s because for once

I’ve actually been paying attention to our fine feathered friends instead of looking for furry four-legged creatures.

Regardless of the exact reason, there seems to be good numbers of birds throughout much of the Beaver State for this fall’s seasons. And one other thing is for sure: I’ll be

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HUNTING focusing a bit more on upland game once again this year.

MOUNTAIN QUAIL Last season, plentiful seeds and berries and abundant insects made our bird hunting adventures phenomenal.

Add in prime weather conditions and the ingredients were more than excellent for Oregon wingshooters. Just over 4,800 hunters harvested approximately 6,745 mountain quail, and it seems as if we are looking at something just as good for 2016.

Berry patches and logging roads adjacent to clearcuts are where hunters need to search for these western topknots. They love to move in and out of the high grass along roadsides. Having a good gun dog is almost a requirement throughout the brushy, thick hills of Western Oregon, as downed birds often fall into the brambly abyss.

Morning and evening hunts are easy if you have some places prescouted. Coveys will be regrouping at dawn, as well as prior to sunset, and can often be located by listening for quail calls. Old logging roads or trails are best hunted with two or more hunters walking. Having a dog or two out front at about 15 to 20 yards will help immensely.

Once birds are located, be ready to shoot several times, since the covey will flush in various directions. Make sure to wear plenty of hunter orange and know where your

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companions are at all times in these situations. For safety, when hunting logging roads it is best to designate one or more shooters for uphill shots and the same for downhill ones. Using multiple dogs in the hills is also a good idea, since larger groups of birds can be spread out, enabling a hunter to obtain multiple points or flushes.

National forest and Bureau of Land Management parcels are my favorites to hunt, especially since access to private timberlands may be closed during September and October due to fire restrictions. A short 30- to 45-minute drive into the hills from your home will likely put you in prime mountain quail country.

GROUSE Some of the same places you search for mountain quail will also hold grouse. Last season, 8,643 blue grouse hunters harvested 12,715 birds, and reports from many who ventured into the woods were that they saw more grouse than ever before. The scuttle holds true for ruffies too; 11,008 hunters harvested 38,943 in 2015, an increase of 31.8 percent on the year.

PHEASANT Things may be looking up since last year when 5,382 hunters harvested 24,885 roosters in Oregon, and 2016 looks to be just as good if not better. My advice is to look for locations with fence rows and adjacent fallowed land, where birds have plenty of shelter, food and water.

Variations in crops and postharvest manipulation play large roles in pheasant survival. A good majority of the Conservation Reserve Program lands in Eastern Oregon are more suited for upland birds, but unfortunately we have less of that on the west side. Grass seed is one of the major crops here in the Willamette Valley and elsewhere, and that has played a major role in the decline of wild pheasant populations.

“Grass seed fields usually only provide cover for a few months of the year, they don’t provide much in the way of food, and the annual fields are usually tilled immediately following harvest,” says Brandon Reishus, the Department of Fish and Wildlife’s game bird biologist (503947-6330).

Grains usually provide better habitat for birds but seem to only be used as a smaller rotation crop here.

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Northwest Sportsman 157

HUNTING provides enough cover and feed for a few months, and the stubble is also quickly removed, which makes it tough on bird populations,” Reishus adds.

Landowners are becoming more conscious of habitat improvement/maintenance through cooperation with ODFW, Pheasants Forever, Ducks Unlimited and CRP.

DOVES, PIGEONS AND CALIFORNIA QUAIL I always find myself looking for prospective sunflower, corn, wheat, millet and other small grain-production fields. Upland birds love places where they can find grit in small pebbles near field edges to fill their crops with

and farm roads in agricultural lands are where you will oftentimes find coveys feeding and milling about. Now is the time to scout these roads and look for prime locations to hunt. Most of mine is done while I scout for deer and elk by traveling numerous road systems. Knocking on farmers’ doors for permission to access their lands is another very important key to success. Mountain quail can also be found near clearcut edges running to and from patches of piled slash and berry brambles. I like to listen for regrouping calls at dusk and dawn in order to pinpoint where birds are likely to covey up.

For doves, locations near small streams or rivers where

Ruffies are among Oregon’s upland bird species that open for hunting this month, and they’re also the most harvested – 38,943 last year. Author Troy Rodakowski made a quick shot through a dense Douglas fir stand to bag this nice one. (TROY RODAKOWSKI)

the needed digestion aides. If you find good ground cover like blackberry patches, scrub brush, Scotch broom, oak patches and tall grass, quail will move in and around them feeding, while seeking cover from predators. Logging 158 Northwest Sportsman

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they can find grit are excellent places to be in the evenings.

I like to set up in a blind and just wait for inbound birds.

Any agricultural lands that border these areas are also hotbeds for success. Water sources are critical to upland

game, so make sure to refine your searches to areas that have plenty. Last season I set up near an open-limbed dead oak tree in the mornings and evenings where doves would perch to rest and scope out the land before descending to feed. Scouting for places like this will make your hunt that much easier this month.

In Western Oregon, mourning dove, grouse and California and mountain quail seasons open Sept.

1, with pheasant openers Sept. 12, 19, Oct. 1 and 8, depending on location and type of hunt. Don’t forget that Eurasian collared doves are open year-round, as they are classified by ODFW as an invasive species. NS

SAGE GROUSE Permits for this year’s nine-day sage grouse season, which opens Sept.

10, were expected to be available at the same levels as 2015. Hunters who were lucky enough to draw one last year experienced drier than normal conditions, but 466 birds were harvested by 422 wingshooters.

This season there looks as if there might be a bit more moisture around, since seeps, small creeks and watering holes held water later into summer.

Overall, habitat conditions seem to be better this year because of increased precipitation.

“However, some of that precipitation (late snow event in May) also caused total brood loss for some radio-marked hens with young broods,” says David Budeau, ODFW’s upland game bird coordinator in Salem (503-947-6323).

Statewide, the 2016 spring breeding population of sage grouse was up 14.8 percent over 2015, but the increase was not evenly distributed.

“Generally, the breeding population increased the most in the southwest part of their Oregon range and even decreased in the northeast portion,” adds Budeau.

No permits will again be distributed for the Sumpter and Lookout Mountain Units. –TR

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Get Behind Gates For Grouse

A boy and his first bird – the author’s son Ryan proudly shows off his ruffed grouse, shot in the Elbe Hills State Forest while afield with Lucy the Vizsla. (JASON BROOKS)

SOUTH SOUND

By Jason Brooks

H

iking the old Pierce County logging road, Lucy began to get excited and then locked up on point. Before I could

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COLUMN tell my boys to get ready the grouse flushed from some ferns into a nearby fir. The thick canopy made it hard to find the bird at first, but there it was, perched on a branch. As the 20-gauge shotgun barked the bird flew off. Just to be sure we hiked down but never found a feather, just a few green branches. Such as it goes when it comes to young hunters and grouse. A quick rush of adrenaline and sometimes despair. In this case, though, it didn’t take long before our Vizsla found another bird and Ryan redeemed himself.

It was the new hunter’s first game animal, just like with his older brother Adam, as well as myself. Grouse is how we learned to hunt.

Indeed, the ruffed grouse is probably one of the most prized game birds, at least one of the most coveted for new hunters. They are great quarry to start young guns on, as well as a lot of fun for those who’ve pursued game for many years. Sure, there are the purists who think the only birds that should be taken are from the flush, but anyone who has hunted ruffies in Western Washington knows that at times this is impossible. Besides, they are a greattasting bird and I have no problem filling a camp cook pot with a few that I took off of limbs. Diced grouse breast, a little olive oil and some Harrod’s Cookhouse Game Bird Seasoning in a frying pan over my camp stove is a traditional deer camp food for the High Buck Hunt in mid-September.

FINDING THE BIRDS is simple. Just drive along logging roads in

midafternoon after the birds have feasted on bugs, fir needles and clover all day. They seem to congregate near stands of alders with a running creek nearby. Grouse need gravel to digest their food and the two-tracks provide this.

Of course driving can get a bit boring, so find areas with decommissioned logging roads and spurs that lead to overgrown clearcut landing decks and go for a walk in the woods. Ridgelines and creek bottoms are other places where ruffies like to call home.

They’re never far from berry bushes either, as they will feast on huckleberries. Bugs caught in spider webs in blackberry bushes can provide a few meals for grouse too. Most of the time when you find one bird, there will be others around.

When you see a bird the game begins. It always seems that if you drive by they simply run into the brush, but if you approach on foot you will notice the telltale sign of the bird’s head bobbing as it becomes nervous. If you’re a wingshooter, get ready; otherwise, pay attention to where the bird flushes to and find it in the trees.

I don’t advocate ground shooting simply because of the dangers of a ricochet, and besides, if you’re on a logging road, you can’t legally shoot on or across it anyway. Instead, flush the birds and go after them because they don’t go far. You can usually flush the bird a second and even a third time before they set their wings and put some distance between you and it. Of course, most of the time there is no previous observation of the ruffed grouse but

MAP IT! State forests provide public lands with great access. This also means a lot of other recreation user groups as well. Be aware that certain trails are often designated for uses such as ORVs, horseback riding, mountain biking and hiking. Most notable are the ORV trails. I try to stay away from them as riders go alarming speeds and more than once I’ve had to dive into the brush as a jeep came racing around a corner. Plus, I haven’t found too many birds on them, probably for the same reasons. A Discover Pass is needed in all state forests, and you can order maps from the Department of Natural Resources (dnr.wa.gov).

A GPS, map and a little hiking can put you in a great grouse area with nobody around. I have found pockets of DNR lands that have gated roads and so the other user groups tend to stay away from them. I simply hike out the gated road and hunt in solitude. Though I can hear other people a few miles away, I know I am safe and can enjoy a day in the woods. Most state forests are fairly close to metropolitan areas and can be great places to get out for a few hours or an evening hunt not too far from home. –JB

State forests provide room to roam for all, and a map from the Department of Natural Resources is a great way to figure out where to go.

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Hunting at Wild Horse Wind and Solar Facility

Puget Sound Energyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Wild Horse Wind and Solar Facility is located on 11,000 acres of rangeland in Game Management Unit 329.

While this land is open to hunting from April through November, special rules apply to ensure the safety of wind-facility workers, visitors, hunters, and local residents.

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COLUMN instead a heart-pounding flush right at your feet.

My preferred weapon for ruffeds is a 20 gauge loaded with number 6 shot, a load that seems to penetrate through the dense forest and still provide a big enough pattern to hit the bird with enough pellets to bring it down. I have also taken many birds with .22 Long Rifle out of both a small handgun and a rifle. A scoped .22 rifle is deadly on grouse. Another favorite is my Thompson Center Contender .410 pistol loaded with 2½-inch shells with size 4 shot. For the archer, flu-flus tipped with blunts makes for some fun practice and a quiet way to take a few birds while deer hunting in early September.

SOME FAVORITE PLACES of mine to go for grouse are state forestlands throughout the South Sound. At the top of the list is the Elbe Hills near Ashford. With active logging creating new roads and several gated roads for stretching the legs and getting away from the truck, this area has been an early September go-to spot for myself, as well as is where Ryan took his first bird. One nice thing about the Elbe Hills State Forest is that it has several areas that are gated on Sept. 1, providing for miles of great gravel-getting roads for ruffed grouse and no worries of ORVs driving by and leaving you in a dust storm.

If you are also after blues, or sooty grouse as they’re now known on the Westside, you will need to head a little higher in elevation. Forest Service Road 74 near Alder Lake climbs high

into the mountains around The Rockies east of the Vail Tree Farm and I have been successful with a few blues up on the open ridgetops and found some ruffs on the way back down.

Stop in Elbe and get a hamburger at Scale Burgers, a must when in the area, and from there head into the Elbe Forest to finish off the day.

Other areas for blues include up along Stampede Pass and near Greenwater in the shadow of Mt. Rainier. For the latter, take FSR 70 to the myriad roads and trails that lead to the old Naches wagon trail, where you reach higher elevations and blue grouse.

If you live on the Kitsap Peninsula or near Olympia, try the Tahuya, Belfair and Capitol State Forests. All three offer public access and some good ruffed grouse hunting. Hood Canal hunters should look to the Forest Service roads near Lake Cushman that head up towards the alpine slopes of the Buckhorn Wilderness.

According to the latest state harvest data, in 2014 nearly 4,500 grouse were estimated to have been killed in Lewis County, 1,741 in Pierce, 1,486 in Mason and 947 in Thurston.

The great thing about grouse hunting is that the birds are found everywhere, from lowland clearcuts to alpine meadows, ridgelines and mountaintops to creek bottoms and old logging roads. Grouse are great eating, a lot of fun to hunt and give us some heart-pounding excitement as we await fall’s other hunting seasons to open up. NS

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Back Page

PICKING UP THE DEER RIFLE AT 65

By Andy Walgamott

system and, finally, an abundance of time – was leading Barnard in our direction.

He explained his thinking in a blog shared by the Oregon f you’ve read Associated Press stories focusing on Northwest Department of Fish and Wildlife, writing: environmental issues over the past couple decades, you “The most compelling argument for me for why I would want probably recognize his name. to go through this process is that hunting gives you a connection Jeff Barnard covered the logging wars, efforts to remove to the wild that nothing else does. Natural history writer Pete major dams, salmon and steelhead issues and, over the past few Dunne writes in his essay, ‘Before the Echo,’ that as a birdwatcher, years, the arrival of wolves in Southern Oregon. he is part of the audience watching the great play of the natural world.

But as a hunter he is on the stage, one of the actors. Richard Nelson writes in ‘Heart of the Hunter’ that ‘The sharply whetted concentration of hunting brings on a relaxed, almost hypnotic state that I’ve never experienced any other way, even while stalking animals with a camera.”

He’s chronicling his journey for ODFW at medium.com/@MyODFW, and does acknowledge that he’s being paid to do so to promote hunting in the Beaver State. Though he didn’t have to because of his age, in late July Barnard took the agency’s online hunter education course and found that it was well worth his while.

As for his weapon of choice, in Jeff Barnard was an Associated Press environmental reporter in Southern Oregon for over three decades before retiring last year and deciding to take up hunting, which he talked about in a video posted on the Oregon Department a video posted to ODFW’s website, of Fish and Wildlife’s Facebook page earlier this summer. (ODFW) Barnard sits with the old Army surplus 1903 Springfield he bought as a youngster for somewhere around $25 and partially modified Those footloose predators have new competition – Barnard from battlefield to woods-and-field use – but never actually fired himself. a shot through until last year.

Since retiring as a wire reporter last year, the 65-year-old Having covered environmental issues for so long, Barnard has Grants Pass man has decided to become a hunter. a pretty clear idea what ails our woods and waters and why the That’s a bit rare, as most of us take up hunting as kids, natural world needs more advocates like we Northwest sportsmen. teenagers or young adults, a time when we have older mentors “The more people who care about preserving the habitat, the who can guide us afield. better it is for the world around us and all of us, I think,” he says.

But you could say that over the decades, the trail – an old boltBarnard’s journey is worth a follow – good luck, Jeff! NS action, an interest in outdoor issues, steelheading on the Rogue

I

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