E4 - Thursday, October 10, 2013
Skagit Valley Herald / goskagit.com
RECREATION
October turns busy for hunters and fishermen tinue to do so this month for coho fishing. The best action for coho, however, Some of Washington’s will likely be in the rivers most popular hunting later in the month. seasons get underway in “Anglers can still find October. coho salmon in the marine Hunters have the opporareas in early October,” tunity to take to the field said Ryan Lothrop, Puget for deer, elk, ducks, geese Sound recreational salmon and other game birds. manager for the WDFW. Tens of thousands of “But fishing in the rivers hunters are expected to will steadily improve as the pursue deer during the month progresses.” modern-firearms season Several rivers are open beginning Saturday in in October for salmon areas throughout the state. fishing, including the Dave Ware, game manNooksack, Skagit, Cascade, ager for the Washington Stillaguamish, Snohomish, Department of Fish and Skykomish, Wallace, SnoWildlife (WDFW), said he qualmie and Green. expects deer season — as The Skagit River allows well as others coming up for an increased bag limit this month — to be a good this year: a total of four one. salmon with no more than “A mild winter followed two wild coho. Because by a favorable spring regulations vary for each benefitted wildlife speriver, anglers should check cies ranging from deer the regulations pamphlet to pheasants,” Ware said. before heading out. “Also, recent storms have Known hot spots for helped to quiet hunters’ coho in North Puget Sound footsteps in the forest and are trained to make sure include Point No Point, doors to be extremely cau- will run from Saturday blow leaves off the trees Jefferson Head, Possession through Jan. 26 without a they have a safe shot, and tious,” Ware said. for better visibility. Those break. Hunting seasons are Bar, Deception Pass and nonhunters can help ensure While deer draw the are all very positive signs also underway in the region Shipwreck. Fishing regulatheir safety by making largest number of hunters for upcoming seasons.” tions for those areas — and themselves visible in the this month, hunting seasons for grouse, quail, bear and other waters of marine field.” also get underway Saturday cougar. Safety first areas 9 (Admiralty Inlet) Snow geese will be makWet weather has eased for ducks and — in many ing their way to the region and 10 (Seattle/Bremerton) All hunters using modcampfire restrictions in parts of the state — geese — change in October. this month; about 80,000 ern firearms — or in areas many areas of the state, as well. Anglers fishing Marine snow geese winter in westopen to hunting with although hunters should The region’s popular ern Washington each year. Area 9 have a daily limit modern firearms — are check for any local regula- waterfowl hunting season of two salmon, but must Most of those birds required to wear hunter tions in planning a hunting starts in mid-October. The release all chinook. Those congregate in the Skagit orange clothing as specitrip, Ware said. duck season will be open fishing Marine Area 10 Valley, and can be found fied by state law. While Campfires are banned Saturday through Oct. 16, have a two-salmon daily here from mid-October that requirement does not through Oct. 15 at WDFW and then re-open Oct. 19. through early May. Once limit, but must release wild apply to nonhunters, Ware wildlife areas in Benton, An exception is the scaup they arrive, a great place to chinook. suggests hikers, mushroom Franklin, Yakima and Kit- season, which is closed Anglers looking to pickers and anyone else in titas counties, and through from Oct. 12 through Nov. view the birds is at the Fir Island Farms Reserve Unit get an early start on the areas open to hunting wear Oct. 31 at the Columbia 1. of WDFW’s Skagit Wildlife region’s blackmouth seabright, colorful clothing to Basin Wildlife Area in Goose hunts will run Area. son might want to head maximize their visibility. Grant and Adams counties. Saturday through Oct. 24 to Marine Area 10, said “Statistics show that “There are areas of the in the region, then restart Lothrop, adding that wild hunting is a very safe sport, state where wildfires still Nov. 2. The snow goose sea- On the water chinook must be released especially compared to pose a real risk, and we are son in Goose Management Anglers still looking to in this area. Another option most other outdoor activi- asking hunters, campers Area 1 (Skagit and Snostretch their lines as well for blackmouth anglers is ties,” Ware said. “Hunters and others heading outhomish counties), however, as their season can conBy VINCE RICHARDSON Staff Writer
Marine Area 7 (San Juan Islands), where anglers can keep one chinook as part of a two-salmon daily limit. Marine area 7 anglers must also release all wild coho in October. Other salmon fishing options include marine areas 8-1 (Deception Pass, Hope Island and Skagit Bay) and 8-2 (Port Susan and Port Gardner). Anglers fishing those areas in October have a daily limit of two salmon but must release chinook. Chum retention is permitted in all marine areas for October, except for portions of Hood Canal. Some major rivers, including the Skagit, Nooksack South Fork, Cascade, Stillaguamish, Snohomish, Skykomish, Wallace, Snoqualmie and Carbon, prohibit chum retention. Meanwhile, most marine areas of Puget Sound reopened for recreational crab seven days a week through Dec. 31. The exceptions are marine areas 10 (Seattle-Bremerton) and 11 (Tacoma-Vashon Island), where annual quotas were reached during the summer fishery. The daily catch limit in Puget Sound is five Dungeness crab, males only, in hard-shell condition with a minimum carapace width of 6 ¼ inches. In addition, fishers may catch six red rock crab of either sex per day, provided those crab measure at least 5 inches across. All crab caught in the late-season fishery should be recorded on winter catch cards, which are valid until Dec. 31. Winter cards are available at license vendors across the state. Those catch reports are due to WDFW by Feb. 1, 2014.