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Sportsman Northwest
Your LOCAL Hunting & Fishing Resource
Volume 12 • Issue 4
Your Complete Hunting, Boating, Fishing and Repair Destination Since 1948.
PUBLISHER James R. Baker EDITOR Andy Walgamott THIS ISSUE’S CONTRIBUTORS Jason Brooks, Scott Haugen, Sara Ichtertz, MD Johnson, Randy King, Buzz Ramsey, Dave Workman, Mike Wright, Mark Yuasa
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EDITORIAL FIELD SUPPORT Jason Brooks GENERAL MANAGER John Rusnak SALES MANAGER Katie Higgins ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Mamie Griffin, Jim Klark, Mike Smith, Paul Yarnold DESIGNERS Celina Martin, Lesley-Anne Slisko-Cooper DESIGN INTERN Jacob Culver PRODUCTION ASSISTANTS Kelly Baker
End of year clearance, better than boat show prices!
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CONTENTS
VOLUME 12 • ISSUE 4
FEATURES 27
95
SPORTMEN’S, BOAT SHOWS TAKE CENTER STAGE Yes, there are still fisheries and hunts to take advantage of this time of year, but it’s also nice to come in out of the cold and check out the Northwest’s myriad sportsmen’s and boat shows for what’s new in fishing and hunting, find deals, and get great advice. We preview top attractions at 2020’s biggest shindigs! A FLY GUY GOES TO ‘FISH CAMP’ Let’s just say that Mike Wright was waaaaaay outside his Selkirk Mountains comfort zone of float tubes, fly rods and cutthroat trout, but an invite to Ed Iman’s famed Fish Camp in the Columbia Gorge last fall gave him a chance to try his hand at hover fishing and trolling for fall Chinook.
103 ISLANDS OF KINGS Hungry Chinook, stunning natural beauty and low fishing pressure make the San Juans a prime destination for salmon anglers in winter. Mark Yuasa has your itinerary in order for hitting the islands for blackmouth during the February-April season. 125 MY OUTDOOR RESOLUTIONS FOR 2020 Yes, they’re damn near impossible to keep, but that won’t stop one Northwest sportsman from making a list. MD Johnson has come up with “good intentions” he’d like to keep this year, including fishing with Tri-Cities duck-call maker turned walleye freak Bill Saunders.
81
(SARA ICHTERTZ)
OUTFISHED – AND FINE WITH IT An annual family vacation to a Southern Oregon winter steelhead river for the first time as a single mom wasn’t easy for Sara Ichtertz, but the bankside experiences – and her kids’ catches – made it worth keeping the tradition alive.
137 SONGDOG STRATEGIES Highly adaptable, hungry for your game and pets alike, coyotes are widespread in the Northwest, and in midwinter their fur is in prime condition. Longtime songdog hunter Jason Brooks shares tips for pursuing them. 145 TACKLING LATE CANADAS Paying attention to the smallest of details while being willing to experiment can pay off at the tough end of Northwest goose season. Lower Columbia waterfowler MD Johnson does double duty this issue in coming up with advice for bagging wary January and February Canadas.
SUBSCRIBE TODAY! Go to nwsportsmanmag.com for details. NORTHWEST SPORTSMAN is published monthly by Media Index Publishing Group, 14240 Interurban Avenue South, Suite 190, Tukwila, WA 98168. Periodical Postage Paid at Seattle, WA and at additional mail offices. (USPS 025-251) POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Northwest Sportsman, 14240 Interurban Ave South, Suite 190, Tukwila, WA 98168. Annual subscriptions are $29.95 (12 issues), 2-year subscription are $49.95 (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 © 2019 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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73
(CHASE GUNNELL)
BUZZ RAMSEY
Plugging For Winter Steelhead Plugging is an older technique and while many new ways have been developed to catch winter steelhead over the years, wise anglers keep it as part of their wider arsenal for how productive it remains on specific sections of rivers. Buzz knows a thing or two about pulling plugs and has, er, a tune-up for this season.
COLUMNS 115 NORTHWEST PURSUITS Looking Forward By Looking Back “Hindsight is 20/20, but there is no reason you can’t use it to look forward to 2020,” professes our Jason B., who takes a look back through his social media feeds to figure out what to target in the new year. 157 CHEF IN THE WILD A Little Love For Legs Chef Randy isn’t normally a dumpster diver, but when he saw a fellow waterfowler casually toss away the legs of a just-killed goose, he dug them out of the trash “and ate better for it.” Randy shares a great way to tame this tougher part of the bird. 163 GUN DOG Dog Food, Part 1: Puppies “Gun dog puppies are very active and their bodies are quickly developing, which means they should be getting the highest quality food possible, from the start.” So writes Scott H. in part one of a two-part series on feeding your gun dog from puppydom through adulthood. 169 ON TARGET Winter Is Upon Us Like A SHOT! As hunting seasons wind down, there’s still some small game opportunities to be had, advises Dave, who also takes a look towards January’s mammoth Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade Show and details new handguns and a range-finding binocular on tap there.
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)
(NOAA)
23 THE EDITOR’S NOTE:
Biggest story of the decade DEPARTMENTS
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27
THE BIG PIC Sportmen’s, boat shows take center stage
35
2020 BOAT AND SPORTSMEN’S SHOW SCHEDULE Dates, links for Northwest events
39
FISHING AND HUNTING NEWS DOI Skokomish border opinion ‘factually and legally deficient’ – WDFW
45
PHOTOS FROM THE FIELD Remembering a Chinook angler; Readers’ salmon, rainbows, game and more
49
PHOTO CONTEST WINNERS Yo-Zuri, Hunting
51
THE DISHONOR ROLL SW WA Man suspected of spree deer killing; Kudos; Jackass of the Month
53
DERBY WATCH Fishing (Salmon) Derby Series expands to 20 events; Ice fishing derby on MLK Saturday; Recent results; More upcoming events
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OUTDOOR CALENDAR Openers, events, workshops, deadlines, more; Record Northwest game fish caught in 2019
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THEEDITOR’SNOTE SAILFISH MARLIN YELLOWFIN TUNA
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(NOAA)
WAHOO
ell, that was quite a decade. Massive fish runs, massive blobs, huge harvests, hungry predators, social media, social strife. Looking back over the 2010s, or whatever they were called, we saw some incredible highs with Northwest fish and wildlife, but also some major lows, and no small amount of angst and anger.
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IF I PICKED the most pivotal moment of the decade, it would probably be 2015. That was the year that an estimated 1.3 million fall Chinook hit the Columbia, providing absolutely stellar fishing. We were all smiles – our smiles couldn’t have been any wider or we would have broken our faces. It was the third of three straight incredible years of king fishing on the big river – and as it turns out a most savage reminder that salmon populations are cyclical. It was savage because of how fast the bottom fell out of nearly everything, and how most runs remained depressed through the end of the decade. Well, except shad, those East Coast imports. In the years leading up to 2015 there had grown this idea that maybe there was a major factor besides nebulous and oftblamed “ocean conditions” that were messing with our fish runs. Researchers began noticing that many Puget Sound smolts never made it out of the inland sea, that harbor seals were taking a sizeable bite. Up and down the coast, sea lions, terns, cormorants and all of the other piscivores lurking in the rivers and estuaries came under sharp suspicion. Way, waaaay out off our coast, it was like the North Pacific heard the news, turned to the Bering Sea and said, “Hold my beer.” Thus was born the Blob and it came and it crushed. A winter without snowpack, overheated streams, disease, gigantic conflagrations, big floods. It was too much for a region that had seen massive fish habitat alterations over the better part of a century and a half. We can rail all we want about the commercials, the tribes and all the other bogeymen, but that year and this decade really illustrated the overwhelming importance of the ocean to our fish and how crucial their freshwater habitat is as well.
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I DON’T KNOW what to do about something as big as The Blob, but I do still have hope for Northwest fish stocks. Like I said, they are cyclical. That’s something we tend to forget in our expectation of constant runs. It may take awhile but the returns will rebuild. In the meanwhile we need to make better strategic partnerships with those who have the same basic interests as we do in terms of habitat and production because there ain’t nobody else in this joint who really truly gives a damn like us. That will help mitigate against the depths of future lows, and we’ll all benefit from the highs. Here’s to the decade to come. –Andy Walgamott nwsportsmanmag.com | JANUARY 2020
Northwest Sportsman 23
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Sportmen’s, Boat Shows Take Center Stage
PICTURE
Winter weekends a great time to check out what’s new in fishing, hunting, find deals, get advice. By Andy Walgamott
A
long with the big racks, the gun raffle he signed up for and the guy with the sparky fire tool thingy, what caught the eye of my youngest son at the fishing and hunting show we attended last winter was a school of fish. Walleye to be exact. As a gaggle of anglers began to settle into their chairs by the massive fish tank ahead of the arrival of the next expert speaker, Kiran sidled up to a corner and a few of the bugeyed Midwestern transplants swam over to say hello. He’ll be able to renew his acquaintance with the fish this year as sportsmen’s show season kicks off in the Northwest. And surely 2019’s debut of the walleye tank is among the best new displays to come online in recent years as organizers look for ways to entice us hunters and anglers to take a day off work or come in on the weekend to see the sights. Yes, that may seem in this day and age like a tough sell as we face low fish runs and harder hunting, but I find it invigorating to walk the aisles with fellow sportsmen, not to mention educational given all the seminars to take in. And if I buy some new gear – expect to see hundreds of new products at some shows – a few scones and maybe book a trip along the way, all the better as I’m supporting our causes and keeping them strong and viable. This winter features two dozen different
Kiran Walgamott eyes up the bugeyes in Walleye Alley, which will return for a second season at both the Washington and Pacific Northwest Sportsmen’s Shows. (ANDY WALGAMOTT) shows in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana and southwest British Columbia, with about half just an exit or three away on the I-5 corridor and many more in key Inland Northwest cities. Here’s a quick look at what’s new and interesting at some of this year’s events:
THE AFOREMENTIONED WALLEYE tank was part of the Washington and Pacific Northwest Sportsmen’s Shows in Puyallup and Portland, and O’Loughlin Trade Shows’ Trey Carskadon called it a “huge hit last year and back again this year with big names.” “Walleye Alley is an opportunity to learn the ins, outs and places to catch walleye in Washington state and the Columbia,” he says. Eastside guides Shane Magnuson and Austin Moser will be in heavy rotation on the tank, and the Midwest’s Johnny Candle will be on tap too.
Also returning in late January to Puyallup is the Outdoor Cooking Championship, where the lords of the grill and barbecue pit put their briskets, steaks and hamburgers head to head – or mouth to mouth, in this case – in competition for points in national and international cooking contests. “It’s a big deal! Last year, we had no idea how big a deal it really was until we started tasting some of the samples – OMG!” gushes Carskadon. The chefs will also be serving up cooking tips in seminars, joining an absolute plethora of regionally renowned anglers, guides and experts on stage – somehow, 40 hours worth of seminars are packed into each day! “It’s a true parade of pros with names like Buzz Ramsey, Robert Kratzer, Del Stephens, Glen Berry, Dan Kloer, Johnnie Candle, Brett Stoffel, Terry Rudnick, Brad Hole, Tyler Hicks
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Northwest Sportsman 27
PICTURE
D
The aisles may be packed at the annual boat, fishing and hunting shows, but it’s always worth checking out new features and products at the 20-plus events held everywhere from Medford to Victoria, Portland to Billings. (SEATTLE BOAT SHOW) and many others,” says Carskadon. Those last two gents – Hole and Hicks – will be at the Kayak Fishing Pavilion, exclusive to Puyallup, as angling out of the nimble craft continues to explode in the region and nationwide. For they and other techy fishermen, there’s a seminar series at Puyallup and Portland in early February that should help new and longtime Garmin owners get the most out of their electronics. In terms of good old-fashioned, hands-on skills, expert Brett Stoffel will be giving advice on how to survive in the wild in case of emergency. For the kids, local bow clubs Skookum Archers and Sylvan Archers members will be on hand for instruction at Puyallup and Portland, respectively, while the Baxter’s Kid’s Trout Pond is “a perennial favorite” at all three shows (the third, the Central Oregon Sportsmen’s Show, is in Redmond, in mid-March), and one which annually yields fish up to 10 pounds. “A little known fact: The uncaught fish at the end of the show are donated to a local food bank,” notes Carskadon. Other fun stuff includes the “Fistful of Corkies” game, in which you dip into a 28 Northwest Sportsman
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bin of the drift bobbers from Yakima Bait, dump them in a cup and if one of those size 12s in fire tiger or whatever has a Toyota logo, fish on! you just won a prize. “There are hundreds of incredible prizes like coolers, apparel, packs, socks, rods, camp gear and much more,” says Carksadon. “At the very least you’ll leave with a handful of Corkies – for free.” You also stand a chance to win a gun safe, rifle, tools or boots from Fort Knox, Ruger, Gerber and Danner, among other prizes, via the Head and Horns Competition at all three shows. According to Carskadon, it doesn’t just have to be a critter you harvested last fall; it can be “one your great great uncle harvested a hundred years ago.” (Speaking of a century ago, see the next page’s sidebar for what was at a 1924 sportsmen’s show in Seattle.) Specific to Portland in early February is the Leupold VIP Movie Night, a first, and featuring “short hunting movies along with the celebrities that are in them.” At press time the lineup hadn’t fully been set, but Randy Newberg, the well-known public land hunter and advocate, was scheduled, and there will be raffles.
Fellow hunter Steven Rinella and several members of his show will be around for what’s being dubbed MeatEater Sunday “to celebrate this wonderful opportunity to learn how to prepare and cook all kinds of wild game.” Portland’s own Maxine McCormick will also be holding fly rod casting seminars, representing “a rare opportunity to learn from the world’s best – not the world’s best teen or world’s best female flycaster, but the world’s best, period,” says Carskadon. Also only in the Rose City, the Englund Marine Bait Rigging lab, with tips on setting up for tuna, halibut, Chinook and other top species from expert anglers, plus what’s known as “Retail Row,” part of what makes the Portland show so huuuuuuuuuuuuge. Along with many of the same features as the other two O’Loughlin events, the Redmond show will see the new Sportsmen’s Cooking Competition, which organizers have high hopes for. You can also check out how fast of a draw you are for free and then clamber through hundreds of travel vehicles at what’s billed as “Central Oregon’s Largest RV Show.” Info: otshows.com
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ONE THOUSAND BOATS, 400-plus different exhibitors, 200 free seminars, nine full days, 3 acres worth of boat tech and gear, and two locations. Welcome to the 2020 Seattle Boat Show, slated again for late January into very early February. Along with all the latest and greatest in fishing boats to drool over, the calling card for this mammoth show primarily held at the Emerald City’s CenturyLink Field Events Center is the huge number of fishing and crabbing seminars led by experts. I mean, if you’re going to have a boat, you should get some use out of it, right?!? To that end, the Northwest Marine Trade Association, which puts on the show, annually puts together a stellar who’s who lineup of speakers, and this year’s is notable because it includes Del “Tuna Dog” Stephens. He’s one of the driving forces in offshore albacore angling since the fishery exploded earlier this millennium (last season saw Oregon’s sport catch of 100,000-plus destroy the old record). Stephens is on deck the afternoons of Jan. 30 and Feb. 1 to talk about the use of new technology for finding and catching tuna and albie fishing from A to Z, respectively. Fellow briny blue angler Tommy Donlin is coming back to touch on those fightingest fish in our Pacific waters, as well as halibut, lingcod and Chinook. In fact, salmon are a topic for many other speakers, including Nick Kester, Chris Long, 30 Northwest Sportsman
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One of the huge draws at the shows is all the seminars, which touch on topics from fly fishing to shrimping, albacore to kokanee, downriggers and electronics to DIY public land hunting. Famed angler Buzz Ramsey talks about steelheading. (ANDY WALGAMOTT)
Keith Robbins, Tom Nelson, Kent Alger, Austin Moser, Aaron Peterson and others. A new speaker this year is Leland Miywaki, who came up with the Miyawaki Beach Popper and who will go deep on fly fishing the salt for coastal cuttroat trout – a wildly overlooked opportunity – and salmon. And Larry Phillips will wave the flag for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife during presentations on coastal fisheries and a Q&A on the myriad issues the agency is dealing with. Info: seattleboatshow.com
COMING AGAIN TO Central Washington are a trio of shows in January and February, and among the highlights is the second annual Yakima Bait Yard Sale at the Sundome in Yakima, where you’ll find fishy lures and more at “ridiculously low prices,” according to Shuyler Productions. Between that venue and halls in TriCities and Wenatchee, Northwest Big Game displays will be on tap, along with head and horns competitions and plenty of seminars from local experts like Wayne Heinz, Jerrod Gibbons, Jesse Lamb, Rob Phillips and others on bass, walleye, kokanee and others species. If you’re looking for some ideas for cooking up your catches and kills, Richy Harrod of Harrod’s Cookhouse will be in the kitchen. The young’ns can try their luck at North, West and South Lunker Lakes, if you will,
SHOWS OF YORE
T
he year was 1924. There wasn’t exactly a walleye tank on site and probably no seminar speakers either over in Tent 4, but that July did see Seattle’s second annual Sportsmen’s Show, held at the corner of 3rd and Blanchard, not far from the Pike Place Market. While doing genealogy research last year, my mom discovered an article about the show in the July 12 edition of The Seattle Daily Times, where it was front-page, above-the-fold news. One of the show’s anchors was the state Department of Game, which had a 15,000-square-foot exhibit with featured a “little brook” running between pens with wildlife, including 11 elk calves captured by “teacher-trapper” Dora Huelsdonk from the Hoh River country, as well as cutthroat and bass. Along with a mammoth reproduction of Mt. Rainier and Snoqualmie Falls, there were also displays of old shotguns and ammo. That year’s show was set to run seven days and was open 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. No word whether fire-starting trinkets were available for purchase, but the event was also a membership drive for the Seattle Sportsmen’s Club. –AW
at all three shows. The Valley Marine Kids Korner will be at each too. And at Yakima there’ll be a fun trout race on Saturday afternoon. I’d put five on Finny McFinface! Shuyler reports that its first show of the season, the Tri-Cities Sportsmen’s Show at the HAPO Center (formerly TRAC), will also have an expanded arena that will feature boats, campers, trailers and more. Info: shuylerproductions.com
AND THE GRANDDADDY shindig in our region, the Big Horn Outdoor Adventure Show, will celebrate its 60th anniversary in mid-March, and organizers are making a renowned event even better. “For the 2020 show we have added a second seminar room and many new outfitters and guides have joined,” reports Wanda Clifford of the Inland Northwest Wildlife Council. The Big Horn show might be best known for its big bucks and bulls
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PICTURE competition – “how it all began,” INWC touts – and as always there will be certified Boone and Crockett and Pope and Young measurers on hand. There’s also a trout fishing pond, gun raffle, shooting and archery ranges and other kid- and family-friendly things to do. “The Reptile Man will be joining us for Saturday and Sunday, and Family Day [March 22] will bring free activities for the family,” adds Clifford. For grown-up sportsmen and -women, ladies night is Friday with half-off drinks. “We are bringing back our $8 entry off an adult ticket for Thursday, and our She Shed was so successful we are bringing in a Man Cave this year as a raffle item,” adds Clifford. Info: bighornshow.com/info For the full list of Northwest sportsmen’s and boat shows, see page 35. NS
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“That’s the one I want to bag!” says Kiran in the Northwest Big Game display. At many shows certified measurers are on hand to figure out what your buck or bull’s rack scores. (ANDY WALGAMOTT)
2020
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nwsportsmanmag.com | JANUARY 2020
Northwest Sportsman 33
THE OPUS OFF-ROAD TRAILER The Air Opus is the industry-leading off-roading trailer. With our patented Air-inflation technology, you can inflate your tent in just 90 seconds! We have made setup so quick and easy, you’ll want to go camping every weekend. The Opus is built for any adventure – the intendent suspension, off-road tires, and fully articulating hitch will ensure that the trailer will follow your tow vehicle through any terrain. Each Opus is outfitted with two 20-gallon water tanks and two 100Ah deep-cycle batteries, so you can get off the grid without any worries. If you plan to stay off-site for a long trip, we recommend one of our solar options to keep you powered the entire time! Each unit comes standard with a Dometic CFX50 refrigerator and a stainless steel pull-out kitchen, equipped with a four-burner stove, sink, cutlery drawer, and dish rack. On the exterior, you also have an additional pull-out storage compartment, along with a foldable cargo rack that can store 500 pounds of gear. On the interior, you’ll find a luxurious dining lounge which can be converted to an additional double bed. Overall, the Opus comfortably sleeps six. Depending on your needs, you can custom-fit the interior lounge with a cinema system, electric air-conditioner/heat combo, or a propane furnace to guarantee you are comfortable while at camp. Find out more about all of our models and options at www.opuscamper.us. Available at your local RV Country. Visit rvcountry.com to find the nearest location.
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Brought to you by:
2020 BOAT AND SPORTSMEN’S SHOW
CALENDAR
Anglers inspect products at the Saltwater Sportsmen’s Show in Salem, one of more than two dozen fishing and hunting shows being held around the Northwest this winter. (SALTWATER SPORTSMEN’S SHOW)
JANUARY 8-12 Portland Boat Show, Expo Center, Portland; otshows.com 16-19 Tacoma RV Show, Tacoma Dome, Tacoma; otshows.com 17-19 Great Rockies Sport Show, MetraPark ExpoCenter, Billings; greatrockiesshow.com 17-19 Tri-Cities Sportsmen Show, HAPO (formerly TRAC) Center, Pasco; shuylerproductions.com 22-26 Washington Sportsmen’s Show, Washington State Fair & Events Center, Puyallup; otshows.com 24-Feb. 1 Seattle Boat Show, CenturyLink Field Event Center and South Lake Union, Seattle; seattleboatshow.com 31-Feb. 2 Eugene Boat & Sportsmen’s Show, Lane Events Center, Eugene; exposureshows.com FEBRUARY 3-15 Spokane Valley Boat Show at Elephant Boys 2020, Elephant Boys, Spokane Valley; spokanevalleyboatshow.com 5-9 Pacific Northwest Sportsmen’s Show, Expo Center, Portland; otshows.com
5-9 Vancouver International Boat Show, BC Place, Granville Island; vancouverboatshow.ca 14-16 Central Washington Sportsmen Show, SunDome, Yakima; shuylerproductions.com 14-16 Douglas County Sportsmen’s & Outdoor Recreation Show, Douglas County Fairgrounds, Roseburg, Ore.; exposureshows.com 14-16 Willamette Sportsman Show, Linn County Expo Center, Albany; willamettesportsmanshow.com 21-23 Jackson County Sportsmen’s & Outdoor Recreation Show, Jackson County Expo, Medford; exposureshows.com 21-23 The Wenatchee Valley Sportsmen Show, Town Toyota Center, Wenatchee; shuylerproductions.com 21-23 Victoria Boat and Fishing Show, Pearkes Recreation Centre at Tillicum Mall, Victoria, British Columbia; victoriaboatshow.com 22-23 Saltwater Sportsmen’s Show, Oregon State Fairgrounds, Salem; saltwatersportsmensshow.com
MARCH 5-8 The Idaho Sportsman Show, Expo Idaho, Boise; idahosportsmanshow.com 6-8 BC Sportsmen’s Show, TRADEX, Abbotsford, British Columbia; bcboatandsportsmenshow.ca 12-15 Central Oregon Sportsmen’s Show, Deschutes County Fair & Expo Center, Redmond; otshows.com 13-14 Northwest Fly Tyer & Fly Fishing Expo, Linn County Expo Center, Albany; nwexpo.com 19-22 Big Horn Outdoor Adventure Show, Spokane Interstate Fairgrounds, Spokane; bighornshow.com APRIL 23-26 Mid-Columbia Boat & RV Show, Columbia Point Park & Marina, Richland, Washington; midcolumbiaboatshow.com MAY 14-17 Anacortes Boat & Yacht Show, Cap Sante Marina, Anacortes, Washington; anacortesboatandyachtshow.com nwsportsmanmag.com | JANUARY 2020
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DOI Skokomish Border Opinion ‘Factually And Legally Deficient’: WDFW A sign posted on the south bank of the Skokomish by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife warns state anglers away as 2016’s return of Chinook to the state hatchery filled the Hood Canal river. (ANDY WALGAMOTT)
W
ashington state salmon managers have appealed to the U.S. Department of the Interior to set aside a 2016 opinion that has kept sport anglers from fishing the lower Skokomish River for plentiful hatchery Chinook and coho for four years. Citing research by two independent outside historians who drew on multiple documents, maps and statements from the late 1800s and early 1900s dug out of the National Archives and elsewhere, the Department of Fish and Wildlife says that a federal Solicitor General reached “an erroneous conclusion” that the boundaries of the Skokomish Reservation stretched all the way across the river to the other bank. The letter from WDFW Director Kelly Susewind to DOI Secretary David Bernhardt says the opinion “was issued without input by Washington State, and our subsequent analysis shows it is factually and legally deficient.” And it requests that the matter be given immediate attention as the start of the 2020 North of Falcon salmon season negotiations is just weeks away. “With this new information in hand, I am writing to request that Solicitor Opinion M-37034 be reversed, or at a minimum be withdrawn,” Susewind asks Bernhardt.
THE SKOKOMISH RIVER is important because it sees one of Puget Sound’s larger returns of kings, reared at a state hatchery near Shelton, and is productive from the bank. In the era of starving killer whales and other issues, terminal salmon fisheries
will be increasingly important. But with that DOI opinion hanging over their heads, WDFW has had to close its seasons to keep state anglers out of legal limbo with the feds. Fi shermen rallied in summer 2016 in protest. The 2017 run saw tens of thousands of Chinook in excess of broodstock needs. And so with negotiations with the Skokomish Tribe stalled, and raising the issue with the myriad Western Washington tribes at North of Falcon a nonstarter, the agency is now looking for relief from DOI. While respective of tribal sovereignty, treaty fishing rights and historical links to the Great Bend of Hood Canal, Susewind’s letter just as firmly makes the case that at no time was the entire width of the river part of the tribe’s reservation, nor was it ever ceded to the Skokomish by the federal government before statehood. That argument is supported by General Land Office Survey plat maps from 1861, 1873 – which in particular paid close attention to the boundaries of the reservation, according to WDFW – 1874, 1885 and 1909, along with what Susewind calls “perhaps the most significant piece of evidence on this point,” an 1874 letter discovered in the National Archives. It was written in May of that year by federal Indian Agent Edwin Eells, who is described by Susewind as being tasked with attending to the Skokomish Tribe’s “needs,” and sent three months after President Ulysses S. Grant established the borders of the reservation via executive order. It states:
“The present reservation lies on the North side of the river extending from the mouth about 3½ miles up the river.” According to Susewind, the correspondence from Eells to H.E.P. Smith, Commander of Indian Affairs in Washington DC, was “apparently never discovered or considered” by DOI’s Hilary C. Tompkins, who authored that 2016 opinion. “The correspondence clears any ambiguity about whether the local federal Indian agents intended the Reservation to extend across the entire River to its south bank and encompass the River’s full width – they did not,” Susewind asserts. In her opinion, Tompkins argued that tribal fishers’ use of weirs “required use and control of the entire width of rivers and their beds.” She wrote that the 1855 treaty with the tribe and Grant’s order essentially reserved the riverbed along the border of the reservation so that it did not pass to Washington at statehood under what is known as the Equal Footing Doctrine. At statehood, navigable waters were conveyed to the states by the federal government, an act affirmed in a 1926 Supreme Court decision and essentially upheld in a 2001 ruling that there had to be clear and compelling reasons not to, both cited by Susewind. The Skokomish is considered navigable, in pioneer days to above the reservation’s western boundary.
DOI’S 2016 ASSESSMENT was panned by Dr. Gail Thompson of Gail Thompson Research of Seattle, who stated that nwsportsmanmag.com | JANUARY 2020
Northwest Sportsman 39
NEWS
Federal Indian Agent Edwin Eells’ May 25, 1874 letter to H.E.P. Smith, Commander of Indian Affairs in Washington DC, on the location of the Skokomish Reservation’s southern border states it is “the north side” of the Skokomish River. (NATIONAL ARCHIVES) Tompkins “conducted inadequate research and overlooked much information that would have led to a different conclusion.” “I conclude that the anthropological and ethnohistoric data do not support the Solicitor’s Opinion that the riverbed adjacent to the reservation was included within its boundaries,” Thompson wrote in her 77page report entitled “Anthropological and Ethnohistoric Information Related to the Riverbed Adjacent to the Skokomish River.” “To the contrary,” Thompson continued, “government maps and documents consistently show that the southern boundary of the reservation was located along the north bank of the Skokomish River.” Dr. Douglas Littlefield of Littlefield Historical Research in California also
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looked into the issue, and his 111-page report concludes: “Based upon extensive historical research in multiple archival sources, governmental reports, and historical newspaper accounts, [my] report clearly demonstrates that federal Indian Agents in Washington Territory expressly did not intend to include the bed of the Skokomish River when they established the boundaries of the Skokomish Indian Reservation. Instead, contemporaneous understanding by Indian Agents as well as other historical observers was that the Reservation’s southern boundary lay along the low-water mark of the north bank of the Skokomish River. The historical evidence in support of this conclusion is substantial and includes U.S. General Land Office survey plats and field notes as well as extensive
documentation from the files of the Bureau of Indian Affairs and published annual reports of that agency.” His “Historical Report on the Skokomish River and the Southern Boundary of the Skokomish Indian Reservation” states the border was defined by federal officials in the Office of Indian Affairs and confirmed by Grant’s order. Littlefield’s and Thompson’s services were procured through the state Attorney General’s Office, according to WDFW.
HOW IT TURNS out will be very interesting, but the work WDFW put into challenging the 2016 DOI Solicitor General’s opinion is notable. The depth of the research, the tone of Susewind’s letter and who else he cc’ed it to – the state’s Congressional delegation, numerous DOI officials, the Skokomish Tribe, the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission, and select Olympia lawmakers – lend it a confident air. But the question is whether the feds have enough time to review these new facts and make a decision in time for this coming North of Falcon, or when or if they will even touch the matter. –Andy Walgamott
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READER PHOTOS Some people go to work and think about fishing. But some people go fishing and think about fishing. Scott, you were a great father, friend, and fisherman. It was your turn to go upstream – we know downstream was too mainstream for you. Looks like the Chinook return in 2020 will be higher than expected without you on the water. Rest in paradise. We love you, Scott Kobelin. –Jake Kobelin Spinners are popular for coho in rivers, but they will also work in the salt! Jacob Culver shows off a nice one he caught with a big Blue Fox and light tackle off a beach in Hood Canal in early October. (YO-ZURI PHOTO CONTEST)
Sprague Lake near Spokane served up some nice fat rainbows for Jon Crawford and Trey Hardy before Thanksgiving. They were trolling dodgers and Wedding Ring spinners tipped with worm chunks. (YO-ZURI PHOTO CONTEST)
Jason Voorhees got out for the final day of fall Chinook fishing on the lower Hanford Reach, Halloween. Actually, that’s Troy Broders of Kennewick, one of many anglers who found good angling despite a low run. (YO-ZURI PHOTO CONTEST)
How many sockeye returned to the Kenai Peninsula this past summer? So many that the fishin’ Foytacks put up their rods “a week earlier than planned,” reports patriarch Earl. He sent this pic of granddaughter Emily, 13, and two of her many, many salmon. The Southwest Washington family makes an annual trek to Alaska. (YO-ZURI PHOTO CONTEST)
For your shot at winning great fishing and hunting products from Yo-Zuri and Northwest Sportsman, 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, 14240 Interurban Ave S, Suite 190, Tukwila, WA 98168. By sending us photos, you affirm you have the right to distribute them for use in our print and Internet publications. nwsportsmanmag.com | JANUARY 2020
Northwest Sportsman 45
READER PHOTOS
With the Lower Columbia “on and off again,” Skylar Masters switched gears and headed up to Silver Lake near Castle Rock. “Fall bass fishing is always consistent and entertaining!” he reports. (YO-ZURI PHOTO CONTEST) Pheasants are a little more rare these days on the Palouse, but Brad Mosier and his trusty pup Higgins found this long-tailed rooster during an outing this past autumn. (HUNTING PHOTO CONTEST)
Shed hunting is most popular in spring, but while wandering around her grandpa’s North-central Washington backyard in fall Remington Wiebe found this antler and turkey feathers. (HUNTING PHOTO CONTEST)
Some know it as the day to go shopping at the mall, but for Corrin Campion it’s Blackmouth Friday. She caught this one on the first pass in Canadian waters with her dad Mike. (YO-ZURI PHOTO CONTEST)
Terry Sinkler, owner of U-Neek RV Center, and Victor Leatzow pose with a day-nine moose, the only one they saw during a 10-day guided hunt in central British Columbia in October. The 12- to 14-year-old bull had an estimated live weight of 1,000 pounds. (HUNTING PHOTO CONTEST)
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l, e s
T)
Help Us Celebrate Our 37 th Season in Hakai Pass, BC! JOE’S “CENTRAL COAST FISHING ADVENTURES” INCLUDE: • • • • • •
Round-trip airfare from Vancouver, BC Unlimited use of 17-foot Boston Whalers and unlimited fishing time Delicious home cooked meals Box lunches, beverages and bait A beautiful lounge and sun deck Heavy-duty Wetskin raingear and boots
• Complete fish care: filleted, vacuum sealed, flash frozen and boxed to be flown back with you • Rods and reels all in A-1 condition • Complete boat care: boats are cleaned and fueled every time you come in • Bait and tackle for both salmon and bottom fishing
2020 Season: June 18th – September 6th June 26th–June 30th, 5 day trip special! Regular price: $3,300 | Sale price: $2,250 U.S.
g! n i r p s d n u o p 49 CALL TOLL FREE 1-888-452-8822 email: doug@joessalmonlodge.com
PHOTO
CONTEST
WINNERS!
Stephen Meuchel is the winner of our monthly Yo-Zuri Photo Contest, thanks to this shot of he and Kari Willard and their Columbia fall Chinook. It wins him gear from the company that makes some of the world’s best fishing lures and lines!
Rob Clarey wins our monthly Hunting Photo Contest, thanks to the pic he sent of wife Vanessa and her first big game critter, a very nice bull taken with a muzzleloader. It wins him a knife!
! For your shot at winning knives and Yo-Zuri fishing products, send your photos and pertinent (who, what, when, where) details to awalgamott@ media-inc.com or Northwest Sportsman, PO Box 24365, Seattle, WA 98124-0365. By sending us photos, you affirm you have the right to distribute them for our print or Internet publications.
nwsportsmanmag.com | JANUARY 2020
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MIXED BAG
SW WA Man Suspected Of Spree Deer Killing
A
Southwest Washington man is suspected of shooting and killing four blacktails, including a buck and two fawns, during an alcohol-fueled nighttime poaching spree last September. State game wardens reported last month that felony charges of unlawful big game hunting have been forwarded to Cowlitz County prosecutors against the Toutle resident. The Daily News of Longview identified him as Mathew Lipscomb, who is in his mid-40s. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife says the case began when a tipster phoned state patrol dispatch to report hearing several shots after dark and a vehicle with a spotlight. When Officer Blaine Corey arrived on the scene off South Toutle Road he discovered a Jeep that had been highcentered on a stump in a clearcut, and with a man inside. “The subject was found to have been consuming alcohol and was in possession of a spotlight and two rifles. When asked about the shooting he denied shooting any animal,” WDFW reported. While the driver was arrested for DUI, Corey’s initial search in the dark didn’t turn up any evidence, so the next day Sgt. Patrick Anderson returned and circling ravens helped him home in on the carcasses of a doe and a pair of fawns. The
fourth deer, a young buck, was found close to where the man’s Jeep got stuck. With that info, Corey got a search warrant for the rig, which allegedly had deer hair and blood on the hood and bumper. “In the back was a length of rope with blood and hair on it as well. Spent shell casings from both rifles were located inside the cab of the Jeep,” WDFW stated. Wardens believe the man shot all four deer that evening and that when Corey arrived, he dumped them, shut off his lights and tried to back up but went off the road onto the stump and got stuck. Just desserts for an alleged spree shooter. A law passed in 2011 allows poachers who shoot three or more deer,
elk, moose, mountain goat, caribou, cougars, black bears or grizzly bears within 24 hours or “course of events” to be charged straight away with unlawful hunting in the first degree, a class C felony. Previously, offenders had to have a previous wildlife misdemeanor within the past five years to get hit with that charge. The man’s rifles and the Jeep were all seized for forfeiture. WDFW gave a shout out to Corey, a relatively new officer, “for his determination to pursue this case,” as well as the heroic tipster who heard and saw something wrong and called it in. “Without citizens reporting incidents, cases like this would go unsolved,” wardens hailed.
KUDOS Oregon State Police Fish and Wildlife Trooper Zach Cochran was honored last year with the Oregon Hunters Association’s 2018 Turn in Poachers Award. Great work, trooper! (OSP)
JACKASS OF THE MONTH
T
here is catching your second wind in the second half, but two anglers must be having second thoughts about trying to catch a second limit of coho last fall. The duo were observed at a Hood Canal boat access stashing eight of the salmon – their daily limit – into their rig, and then heading back out onto the water for round two. Responding Fish and Wildlife Officers Isaac Stutes and Jesse Ward watched as the two men then netted and kept another pair of fish. That was enough for the game wardens
to contact the anglers, but then things got slicker than a greased pig as the ol’ coho fumblerooski play was called. “One of the men began fumbling around with the fish when they saw the officers,” WDFW stated. “The man dropped both fish in the water between the boat and the dock.” Only problem, the water was so shallow that Ward could see both of the coho a mere 4 feet below the boat, according to WDFW. At first the two men said they hadn’t caught any salmon besides the pair that were fumbled away. But given another chance to tell the truth, one responded, “You probably keep asking me because I’m such a bad liar,”
A pair of Hood Canal anglers got too greedy in midfall. After catching their daily limit, they went back out on the water for more, but were spotted by game wardens with two more, and lost their entire haul. (WDFW) according to WDFW. They eventually allegedly admitted to catching 10 salmon, which were seized. Charges were headed to the county prosecutor. nwsportsmanmag.com | JANUARY 2020
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20 Derbies In Expanded Fishing Series Lineup I t has been a wonderful 17 years for the Northwest Salmon Derby Series but there are big changes happening in 2020 with the rebranding of the series and derbies targeting a variety of fish species other than salmon. “We had a remarkable turnout for events in 2019 and look forward to 2020 with a new name – the Northwest Fishing Derby Series – along with some new events to grow the series and recreational boating across the Pacific Northwest,” says Mark Yuasa, director of the Northwest Marine Trade Association’s Grow Boating program and Northwest Fishing Derby Series. The derby expansion now includes Oregon’s For the Love of Cod Derbies out of Coos Bay/Charleston and Brookings on March 21-22 and March 28-29 respectively; Father’s Day Big Bass Classic on Tenmile Lake at Lakeside on June 2122; and Slam’n Salmon Ocean Derby in Brookings on July 10-12. Other new 2020 fishing events are Central Washington’s Something Catchy Kokanee Derby at Lake Chelan on April 18-19; and Lake Stevens Kokanee Derby in Snohomish County on May 23.
THE SERIES KICKS off in the San Juan Islands during February with three longstanding derbies. The islands are known in the winter for good hatchery blackmouth fishing and it’s not uncommon to catch fish in the 13- to 20-plus pound category. First up are the Resurrection Salmon Derby in Anacortes on Feb. 1-2 (sold out but still taking requests on waitlist); Friday Harbor Salmon Classic on Feb. 6-8; and Roche Harbor Salmon Classic on Feb. 13-15. Each has a first-place prize for the largest fish of $12,000 to $20,000 and are limited to 100 boats for each event. Those are followed by the Olympic
By Andy Walgamott
The 2020 Northwest Fishing Derby Series grand prize KingFisher 2025 Escape HT, here outside Who Dat Towers, will also be outfitted with Shoxs Seats, Raymarine Electronics and a Dual Electronics stereo. (NMTA) Peninsula Salmon Derby on March 1315 with a $10,000 first place prize that normally draws nearly 900 anglers; and the Everett Blackmouth Derby on March 21-22 with a $3,000 top prize for the largest fish. The highlight of the derby series is a chance to win a $75,000 fully loaded, grand-prize all-white KingFisher 2025 Escape HT boat powered with Yamaha 200- and 9.9-horsepower motors on an EZ Loader Trailer. The boat has state-of-the-art Shoxs Seats that provide optimal comfort in the roughest of waters; Raymarine Electronics to get you directly on the fishing spots; and a Dual Electronics stereo. Anglers who enter any of the 20 derbies don’t even need to catch a fish to win this beautiful boat and motor package. You can get a first look of the new derby boat pulled with a 2019 Chevy Silverado – provided by Northwest Chevy
Dealers and Burien Chevrolet – during the Seattle Boat Show from Jan. 24 to Feb. 1 at the CenturyLink Field and Event Center in Seattle. The derby boat will be located in the Tom-n-Jerry’s Marine display area in the North Hall. The Northwest Fishing Derby Series is part of NMTA’s Grow Boating Program which serves the organization's core purpose: to increase the number of boaters in the Pacific Northwest. The derby series is the most visible element of the program, which promotes boating and fishing throughout the region by partnering with existing derbies and marketing those events through targeted advertising, public relations and promotional materials. First started in 2004, the derby series since then has grown from six events to 14 in 2019 and 20 in 2020. For details, go to NorthwestFishingDerbySeries.com. –NWS
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RECENT RESULTS Westport Charterboat Association
Ice Derby On MLK Saturday
2019 derbies, Pacific Ocean: Chinook: Dennis Klain, 26.20 pounds, $10,000; coho: Ronald Baulotte, 11.20 pounds, $1,500; halibut: Jeremy Jording, 60.55 pounds, $1,000; lingcod: Todd Lakin, 33.70 pounds, $1,500; albacore: Rusty Pixton, 32.95 pounds, $1,000
S
ure, mid-January’s 16th Annual NW Ice Fishing Festival is headlined by the derby on North-central Washington’s Sidley Lake, but it’s much more than that. Along with a fun ice hut-decorating contest, there’s a deluxe breakfast, arts and crafts show, bingo, raffles and more at the Molson Grange Hall just up the road in this tucked-away corner of Okanogan County. This year’s event is Saturday, Jan. 18, with fishing occurring from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Last year’s derby saw female anglers do particularly well, with Kristin Williams of West Linn, Oregon, driving the 443 miles back home with the grand prize of $1,000 for her 6.89-pound, five-fish limit. She also won $125 worth of gas money for bringing the biggest trout up through the ice, a 3-pound, 2.6-ouncer. Dawn Lawson of nearby Oroville also weighed a rainbow of the same size, and though a quarter inch shorter, it was still
Pete Valentine of Oroville, Wash., shows off his winning 5½-pounder from 2017’s Northwest Ice Fishing Festival. (ROBIN STICE, EDEN VALLEY GUEST RANCH) good for second and $100. The festival is a derby/community gathering put on by the Oroville Chamber of Commerce and headquartered out of the Molson Grange. For more, see orovillewashington.com and NW Ice Fishing Festival on Facebook.
2019 LPOIC K&K Annual Fall Derby, Lake Pend Oreille, Nov. 23-27, 29-Dec. 1: First place adult rainbow division: Denton McGlothlin, 23.68 pounds, $2,000; first place adult Mackinaw: Becky Sturgis, 17.58 pounds, $1,000; first place youth B (0-8 years old): Lauren Potter, 18.18-pound rainbow
MORE UPCOMING EVENTS Sundays, starting Jan. 5: 74th Annual Tengu Blackmouth Derby, Marination Ma Kai (formerly Seacrest Boathouse), West Seattle
ICE FISHING SPOTLIGHT 16th Annual NW Ice Fishing Festival January 18, 2020 Saturday of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Weekend
Registration 7:00am Fishing 8:00am-3:00pm QUESTIONS? LODGING OPTIONS? Oroville Chamber of Commerce
509-557-5165, or follow our Facebook page NW Ice Fishing Festival www.orovillewashington.com
Grand Prize $1000 Many other prizes!
• • • • • • •
Craft/Vendor Fair Pancake Breakfast Silent auction - to help fund the aerator* & awning for feather barn Thai Lunch available NCRL Libray activites in grange Ice Hut Deceoration contest Sidley lake
The Ad is partially paid by Okanogan County Lodging Tax Fund.
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1 New Oregon, Idaho fishing licenses required; Blackmouth fishing opens in Marine Areas 10, 11; Opening day of Washington late cougar season 4 First of 14 brant goose hunting days in Pacific County (others: 5, 7, 9, 11, 12, 14, 16, 18, 19, 21, 23, 25 and 26) 10 Deadline to file Washington big game report for incentive permit eligibility; Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission meeting, Salem – info: dfw.state.or.us 11 First of three brant goose hunting days in Clallam and Whatcom Counties (others: 15, 18) and first of two in Skagit County (other: 12; more possible based on aerial counts) 15 Last day for Washington partridge, quail, pheasant hunting 16-18 Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission meeting, Olympia – info: wdfw.wa.gov 19 Last day to hunt ducks in Oregon Zone 2; Last day to hunt geese at Willapa National Wildlife Refuge 20 Last day to hunt partridge, quail and pheasant in Eastern Washington 21 Oregon South Coast Zone goose hunting reopens 23 Bear and Cougar Hunting Workshop (free), Denman Wildlife Area – info: odfwcalendar.com 24 Harney, Klamath, Lake and Malheur Zones late white and white fronted goose opens; Last day to hunt ducks, geese in Idaho Area 1 continued on page 60
RECORD NORTHWEST GAME FISH CAUGHT IN 2019 Six new state records were set by Northwest fishermen last year, with a bluefin twice the size of the old high mark and a grizzled old channel catfish among the notable catches. Washington’s book again saw the most turnover, though landlocked Idaho also saw two new records. Oregon hasn’t had to get out its eraser since 2014. Cole Abshere, 16, broke Washington’s 20-year-old state record for channel catfish by 1.5 pounds with this one he caught at a lake near Bellingham while fishing with his grandfather in late summer. (BRAD OTTO, WDFW) SPECIES POUNDS WATER DATE Pacific bluefin tuna 92.15 Ilwaco, WA Aug 12 Channel catfish 37.70 L. Terrell, WA Aug. 20 Redbanded rockfish 17.85 La Push, WA May 2 Common carp (line) 14.35 Snake R., ID Aug. 24 Largescale sucker 7.87 L. Rufus Woods, WA Jan. 20 Green sunfish .67 Fernan L., ID June 25
ANGLER Adam Speer Cole Abshere Darryl Roberts Adrian McConeghy Tom Cossalter John Moore nwsportsmanmag.com | JANUARY 2020
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Calendar, continued from page 59
26 31
Last day to hunt ducks in Oregon Zone 1; Last day to hunt ducks, coots and snipe in all of Washington, and geese in Goose Management Zones 1, 3, 5 Deadline to file mandatory hunter reports in Washington, Oregon; Last day to hunt other upland birds in Oregon, Idaho; Last day to fish for trout, salmon and/or steelhead fishing on many Western Washington river systems
FEBRUARY 1 6-8 8 10 22 15 15-16 16 28
Washington statewide, youth, veterans and active military goose hunting day; Blackmouth fishing opens in Marine Areas 7, 8-1, 8-2 and 9 Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission meeting, Olympia – info: see above Northwest Oregon Permit Zone late goose hunt opens; Coast and Inland portions of Washington Goose Management Area 2 late goose hunt opens (private lands only) Deadline to apply for Oregon spring bear permits Oregon South Coast Zone goose hunt opens Last day to apply for Idaho spring bear hunt; Last day of steelhead fishing in select Puget Sound terminal areas Free Fishing Weekend in Oregon Bait restrictions take effect on several Olympic Peninsula steelhead rivers; Last day of Oregon Zone 1 snipe hunt Last day of bobcat, fox season in Oregon; Last day to apply for Washington spring bear permit
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COLUMN With near-perfect steelhead green waters flowing past their drift boat, Bob Rees and guide Chris Sessions show off a hatchery winter-run caught while plugging the Wilson River. (BUZZ RAMSEY)
Plugging For Winter Steelhead S
ubtle is not a word associated with using an erratic, darting, high-vibration plug for winter steelhead, as these BUZZ finned warriors reRAMSEY spond to plugs in an equally unsubtle way: by delivering arm-wrenching strikes. The most popular way to fish plugs for steelhead is to back-troll them from a drift boat or jet sled. That is, to slowly work them downriver by trailing them downstream from your boat while holding your craft back in the current enough to cause
your plug(s) to dive near bottom. Begin by positioning your boat above likely fish-holding water by holding your craft midstream in the current by rowing or, in the case of a jet boat, with the aid of a trolling motor. Then, free spool your diving plug downstream behind your boat 40 to 70 feet, depending on water speed and depth. When you stop letting out line, the current will cause your plug to dive where steelhead hold. Now, while holding your craft steady in the current, allow your boat to slowly slip downstream such that your plug(s) will dive near bottom while marching downriver at a steady, slow pace. This is the basic premise of back-trolling plugs for steelhead.
You should realize, however, that with experience you may begin to back your boat downstream a little faster in areas where steelhead only sometimes hold, but when you reach an area where you or you see other anglers consistently catch fish, hold your boat steady as though anchored and allow your plugs to wiggle and dive in the same location (the kitchen) for a minute or more before continuing downriver.
TEXTBOOK STEELHEAD WATER is 4 to 8 feet deep and runs the speed of a person’s walk. Under reasonable water conditions most steelhead can be found holding in the tailouts, the lower third or downstream end of a hole or drift, which is the first resting water
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COLUMN Besides tailouts, good places to plug for steelhead include below large current obstructions or underwater drop-offs and along current edges. (CHASE GUNNELL)
located above a fast-water rapid. Steelhead will often be found hugging the deep-water side of a tailout where, perhaps, a steep bank extends into the river. Other places worth plugging are just downstream of large boulders or root wads, immediately downstream from underwater drop-offs, and along current edges – where still and fast water meet. When rivers are low and clear, fish can move into different areas that offer some kind of protection. For example, they may be found in the center or top end of holes, in well-defined deep-water slots, and in fast-water sections where the current is broken up by rock ledges or strewn with large boulders. In the winter, water clarity can range from crystal clear to muddy, with “steelhead green” – a light shade of emerald – considered ideal. It’s when the water is running from steelhead green to crystal clear in color that plugs work the best for steelhead.
BECAUSE STEELHEAD HIT plugs out of aggression, you will have better success if you run all your lures the same distance from your boat. An easy way to gauge the “right” distance with a levelwind reel is to count the passes of the line guide. For example, an Ambassador 5500 baitcasting-style reel will release about 7 feet of line with a single pass of the line guide across the face of the reel spool, so seven passes of the line guide will place your plug 50 feet from the boat. If you employ this method more than occasionally, 74 Northwest Sportsman
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it might be worth investing in a levelwind reel equipped with a linecounter. And while any light- to medium-action steelhead rod will work for plugging, many avid back-trollers will employ magnum-taper rods, which offer a light tip that better reveals plug action combined with a heavy butt section for strong hooksets. The Berkley Air rod series includes an 8-foot magnum-taper rod designed for plugging steelhead, has the action I would recommend and is reasonably priced. When it comes to fishing line, most avid plug pullers use 10- or 12-pound-test monofilament when water conditions are low and clear, and 15-pound test on big rivers, in high water or when using a side
“You can make steelhead even more temperamental by putting a plug tipped with a scent-filled worm in front of them,” tips author Buzz Ramsey. “You might think fish would short-strike this offering, but that has not been my experience, as strikes seem even more savage and the fish better hooked.” (BUZZ RAMSEY)
planer. Super lines can be used too, with 30or 40-pound test the most popular, which is thin compared to mono of the same test. Because seeing your line is important, I use Trilene XT or Big Game in the high-visibility green color, in combination with an invisible fluorocarbon leader of about 36 inches. Once you hook that fast-moving steelhead, the ability to see your line can be critical, especially when trying to get the other lines out of the way while at the same time keeping a fast-moving steelhead from circling the boat. While you can employ rodholders when back-trolling plugs, it’s my belief you will hook and land more fish per strike by holding your rod at a low angle with the rod between the reel and first guide resting firmly on the boat gunnel. When a fish yanks your rod tip down, you should wait until your rod tip bottoms out before setting the hook, and don’t forget to have your thumb firmly planted on the reel spool when you do. Once the hook is set, you should let the reel drag take over.
YOUR LURE SELECTION should include a variety of plug types, sizes and colors to match varied conditions. Smaller-sized plugs like a 2.5 or 3.0 Mag Lip work best in clear water, while the 3.5 or similar-sized plug will likely be the most productive when rivers are steelhead green. The top-producing colors include any and all of the metallic silvers, golds, blues,
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COLUMN Plugging is an older technique and while many new ways have been developed to catch steelhead over the years, wise anglers like the author keep it as part of their wider arsenal for how productive it remains in specific sections of rivers. (BUZZ RAMSEY)
greens, reds and pinks, and combinations like the punch card, pirate or double eagle. In clear water, you should not overlook natural crawfish, shrimp or dark-colored patterns like metallic purple or black glitter. When waters are less than clear, try flame (fluorescent red) or any of the chartreuse color combinations. A color to not overlook regardless of water clarity is white/black head or similar mother-of-pearl pattern.
BEFORE STARTING TO plug, check to make sure the ones you plan to run through the holes are “tuned,” that is, running straight in the current and not rolling over or running off to one side. It’s easy: First, anchor your boat where the current runs straight and with 6 feet of line extending from your rod tip simply pull your plug upstream through the water and observe the action. The lure should dive down and wiggle straight. To ensure the best plug action, it’s important to use the round-eyed connector snap equipped with most plugs.
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COLUMN Should you discover an out-of-tune plug you can easily adjust it by bending the pullpoint eyelet (with the diving lip, or bill, facing you) the opposite direction the plug is running. A small pair of needle-nose pliers works best for this fine alteration. A small amount of adjustment is likely all that’s needed to make your plug swim correctly. Plugs like the Mag Lip, Fat Wiggler and Wiggle Wart have fixed eyelets, while others like the FlatFish and Hot Shot are equipped with screw eyes that can be adjusted by turning – rather than bending – their pull-point eyelet. You should realize that the erratic, darting, skip-beat action produced by a Mag Lip should not be confused with it being out of tune. You will find most Mag Lip plugs to be straight running from factory. Rather than pulling this lure beside your boat to check its action, place it in the current behind your boat with your rod tip pointed downstream and observe its wiggle and how it tracks while reeling it slowly in before attempting to adjust the eyelet.
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PLUGGING FROM SHORE is also possible, even if most steelheaders think of it as a boating technique. For it, you’ll need the help of a Hot Shot Side Planer. This surface planer was designed to be rigged inline above your lure and navigated midstream by allowing the current to pull against its rudder. Rigged free-sliding on your line, this surface planer can be locked into position on your mainline any distance from your lure by simply wrapping your line around the tab on the front end. Twenty to 30 feet from planer to plug is the right distance for most places that steelhead hold. Once rigged and suspended from your rod tip with your plug positioned downstream, the idea is to swing your side planer out into the water from your rod tip and let the current pull it midstream. By adjusting the amount of line you let out and rod tip angle you can back-troll your planer and trailing plug downstream, just like those fishing from a boat, by slowly walking along the river bank. Keep in mind that it’s import-
ant to not walk too fast. The idea is to take a few steps and stop and let the plug work for a minute before taking two more steps. When Mr. Steelhead strikes, your reaction should be to yank back to set the hook and which will also trip the arm on the planer, causing the planer to slide down your line. By having a swivel prerigged 3 feet above your plug the planer will end up positioned there.
ALTHOUGH NOBODY’S SURE why steelhead hit plugs so aggressively, the popular theory is that they strike savagely because they consider the lures to be invaders of their territory. One thing for sure, no other technique makes steelhead as bad-tempered. I’ve had them pull rods from my boat in an effort to kill the plug on the end of my line, so hang on for the arm-wrenching strike of your life. NS Editor’s note: The author is a brand manager and part of the management team at Yakima Bait. Like Buzz on Facebook.
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FISHING
Outfished – And Happy With It
A first trip to fish camp as a single mom was very hectic for Sara, but the experiences – and her kids’ catches – made it well worth keeping the tradition. By Sara Ichtertz
O
h, fish camp, you mean so very much to me. You allow me a way as a full-time mom to get after the winter fish in a way that makes the impossible possible. Giving that chunk of time to the river with my family makes winter steelhead fishing with my children so much better. Each fish camp is unique, and I treasure them all for exactly what they are. The moments, the milestones, the growth found within myself, my babes, their dad, and the friends along the way are forever a part of my heart, from the most beautiful laughs of my babes down to the semifrozen cries of Brownie – my daughter Ava – going on strike because she’s had enough! Fish camp allows the mother that I am to balance my life that revolves around them. Heading up the river and out of service with my family each year is one of the best choices I make. Pulling my babes from school for the week, we head out to learn something they will never find in a classroom. Unplugged, we are ready to simply make the most of our time together. Last winter’s fish camp proved how important it is to simply enjoy the time for what it is. Even though this camp would be far different than any other we’ve had, I wanted to know that as a single mom I could and would embrace the cabin we have grown to love so much. I told myself to have very low hopes as far as the fish and fishing, but high expectations that
Hatchery winter steelhead hanging from her handlebars and folding chair slung over her shoulder, Ava Ichtertz prepares to ride back to fish camp on a Southern Oregon river with her catch of the day. (SARA ICHTERTZ) nwsportsmanmag.com | JANUARY 2020
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FISHING Nate, Ava and Mom would indeed independently rock fish camp in our own way.
I HAD TO get realistic and creative with
Author Sara Ichterz, son Nate and daughter Ava take a moment while eating chocolate s’mores during last winter’s stay on the coastal stream for a selfie. It was Sara’s first as a single mom, and one that proved she could successfully pull it off. (SARA ICHTERTZ)\
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my packing, my approach – all of it. It was a whole new ball game: five days, gear for three and everything (aside from firewood and the babe’s bikes) we needed in and on my trusty Subi Outback. I’m not going to lie: I have never independently loaded a huge-ass waterproof bag on the rack of a car before. I have never had to secure one for safe traveling either. I was always blessed to have Roy to help pack up all that we needed to make this adventure happen. I would prep for days and knew that with my car and the truck to put it all in, camp would be a pretty nice setup. So just in the packing last year I felt proud, as it wasn’t easy for me. It’s almost embarrassing to say that, but it’s the truth. I always loved having the outdoor
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FISHING kitchen, knowing it was just going to be me, but the reality this trip was that the kitchen was out. Crock-Pot, toaster oven and tinfoil were in. I had never truly anticipated needing to eat the fish at camp. Yes, I would always cook it fresh on the barbecue as a celebration. This year, though, steelhead over a bed of coals was on the menu. “Of course I will catch fish,” I thought. Never have I not at fish camp.
THERE WAS ALSO a huge difference
“It was a wild thought! Brother go fishing without me? I looked at my boy, his rod and his pack. The eagerness in his eyes and the kindness in Zach’s told me he was ready, so I said yes,” writes Sara about leaving Nate with a fellow steelheader while she ran back to camp to get a soaked Ava into warm clothes. (SARA ICHTERTZ) 84 Northwest Sportsman
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in the time I was able to give to the river as a solo mother embracing this trip. I knew that would be the case. The river was dropping, and I knew I couldn’t leave my babes to get the hole at o’dark thirty. Instead, I would hear other anglers’ trucks arrive at 3 a.m. and have no choice but to stay cozy with my babes and let them get the hole, even though I was literally staying 30 yards from it. It was rough for the fisher in me, but the mother in me cuddled closer to Ava and got some much-needed sleep hearing nothing but the glorious roar of the river. Time on the river is without a doubt something I have given. Throughout that time, you find that you end up sharing incredible moments with perfect strangers. These fellow fishermen in many cases have become some of my greatest friends. The river is what brought us together and is the only thing we truly share, but last year’s fish camp showed me I do very much have friends. The welcome my babes and I received from my friends on the river made this new chapter in my life less scary. It helped put my heart at rest, allowing me to trust in my journey that much more. Rustling Ava out of bed and getting her cozy wasn’t an easy feat. At camp she is used to sleeping till her heart’s content with Roy and I alternating mornings. We fish for serenity and peace as well as steelhead, so when looking for a spot, we use our manners and try not to intrude. I’m not going to hustle in bringing my tribe and all that comes with it.
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FISHING SISTER AND I got back to camp, skinned
Sara couldn’t get up super early like in past years to claim prime spots, but not only did a fisherman named Larry share one with she and her brood but brought gear and convinced Ava – who was otherwise “on strike” – to try her luck. “I am blessed with … the best of river friends,” Sara says. (SARA ICHTERTZ)
Mothering on the river isn’t always easy; I don’t need easy, though I will, however, use my manners. As we walked the river, she had men tucked all along her banks, but I didn’t lose hope. Peaking over edges I recognized some familiar faces who smiled right away and told us to join them. The fact they welcomed me into my favorite hole when they did not have to helps me think I must be doing something right. These men have watched my babes grow winter by winter. They see Nate as no longer just a tiny guy with his mom but as an eager young fisherman. As luck would have it, I lost both biters I found. I saw my buddies land a couple beauties, but then there was Sister, who had been playing up above, 86 Northwest Sportsman
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and now was soaking wet, rubber boots nowhere to seen. Oh, man! Time to head back to the cabin and regroup. That girl! She is a handful, probably two! Nate did not want to go. He had his favorite fishing guy ask me if it was OK if they fished while I went to help out Sister. It was a wild thought! Brother fish without me? I looked at my boy, his rod and his pack. The eagerness in his eyes and the kindness in Zach’s told me he was ready, so I said yes. I was thankful that I did. Nate learning from someone besides me is important for him. Not to mention it’s good for Zach to pay the passion forward to a little boy who is more than worthy of it.
the rabbit and got her warmed up in a fresh new outfit, then made lunch. By the time we arrived back at the hole six hatchery fish lay harvested in the myrtle tree roots. That push of fish had shown up right when Ava needed to check out. No fish for Sara, though I was OK with it. I was thankful just to be there. It’s a beautiful thing to be thrilled for your buddies. I was happy in knowing the fish were there, and proud of the fact I could do this – and not only do it, but love it! Brother gained confidence tailing his first steelhead for his buddy Zach. As a momma I was so proud. There are many adults who have never tailed a winter fish coming in for a landing and thanks to, in a sense, my river family, Brother is out there killing it in the third grade. Nightfall came and we played games as we always do. Once again, those middle-of-the-night rigs arrived but this time I had a hard time falling back asleep. Wanting to make CrockPot chili I went out to the ice chest and rounded up my ingredients, semienvious of the guys already waiting on fishing light. Turning on the cabin light and seeing my babes sleeping so peacefully I couldn’t help but feel thankful, and so I got after creating my delicious buck chili, which would cook throughout the day.
TO MY SURPRISE, that same fishing hole held yet another friend. Larry got it before daybreak and not only wanted us to join him, he was prepared for us. He had everything set up for different fishing methods, so generously did he want my babes to fish. It seriously almost made me cry. These friends truly do support me as a mother on the river, not just a woman. I love that and was so thankful for it. Zach too was there; Nate was so happy, and the fishing was under way. Nate was float fishing with small baits of eggs and had two bobber downs of his very own. One smoked him instantly and he lost a huge fish. The
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FISHING
Even though she didn’t land any herself this trip, cooking fresh steelhead over the coals of fish camp was one of several important firsts Sara was able to accomplish with her kids last winter. (SARA ICHTERTZ)
second was a handsome buck that somecrazyhow escaped his net job and vanished back into the river. Meanwhile I was erupting with pride and joy to see my boy spank those hooksets and fight those fish. The fisherman in Nate was enraged he had lost two fish, and the one at the bank had him a little discouraged, but he was shaking with adrenaline, no doubt. Zach was working the head of the drift with his spinner and doing quite well. Larry had two hens on the bank, and I was going back and forth between them trying to get my drift on and playing with Ava, who was mostly on strike thus far. Zach and Larry both have caught countless fish throughout their lives and so seeing them wanting to put my babes on fish is something I will never forget. Ever. They helped my worried heart on levels that are hard to describe. Larry, bless his heart, convinced Ava to come fish so I could take some casts,
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FISHING and the timing was perfect because she got to see her brother in action just downriver from us. Zach stayed with Nate and helped guide him on Nate’s third hookup of the day. This fish wasn’t going anywhere, and Nate was bringing home supper to fish camp. Not Mom, but Brother. As I headed to check out Nate’s handsome buck, Larry had Ava fishing with him and they had a fish on before we even got Brother’s out of the net. Kindly, Larry helped Ava as I made my way back up to them with the net. The days when she fights these fish in her unicorn jammies, with the rod between her legs, will be a distant memory before I know it, and so I will forever cherish the gratitude I felt towards my comrades that day. Ava with her little hen and Nathaniel with his strapping buck – I was officially outfished by my children. There is a first time for everything and so I believe it was fitting for 2019. Four
fish harvested and joy was abundant on the river for the five of us that day.
IT WAS GETTING late, so Ava and I headed back to camp. It was quite a sight to see Ava riding her bike with her fish on her handlebars. Proud she was, as she should have been. And proud was I to be her mom. After building up the fire and getting her crackling, I gathered what I needed to clean and fillet the fish and Sister and I headed down to the river’s edge. I love that I can show my babes how to process the fish right there. It is by far the best filleting of the year. Something about tending to the fish in the cold of winter at camp is good for my soul. The fire was ripping as Nate and Zach arrived back to the cabin. The chili and soft warm bread were delicious. In that little moment I looked around and could see that I was going to be OK. I felt it in my heart for the first time.
This camp was needed for the growth of my little unit. While I never did land a fish, I did, however, accomplish so very much more. I cooked a beauty over the fire for the first time. And not just a tasty buck but my son’s catch. We have grown so very much since our first camp in the winter of 2015. We have gone through some hard times together but things like family fish camp help me believe we should never give up. That tradition is the legacy I can leave to my children. True friendships are created through passion and I am blessed with the best passion and the best of river friends. My babes mean more to me than anything and this fishless fish camp for Mom just helped confirm it for me. My heart is on the river and I couldn’t change it, even if I tried NS Editor’s note: For more on Sara’s adventures, see For The Love Of The Tug on Facebook.
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94 Northwest Sportsman
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FISHING
A Fly Guy Goes To ‘Fish Camp’ Annual end-of-summer gathering of anglers, guides, industry reps an ‘enlightening and rewarding experience’ for first-timer. By Mike Wright
A
little over 18 years ago Ed Iman, a professional fishing guide on the Columbia River, decided to establish a fishing camp just outside the small town of Biggs, Oregon. Iman enlisted the help of Cabela’s, as well as a number of other sponsors,
in order to introduce new products and techniques and to network with other people involved the fishing industry. He also invited individuals to the camp who might possess special information on environmental or regulatory concerns that might affect salmon and steelhead populations. In addition, Iman sent out invitations to
tournament fishermen, boat operators, writers, guides and other like-minded individuals to attend. Fish Camp is scheduled to coincide with the start of fall salmon and steelhead runs through the Columbia Gorge. A typical day would start out with a predawn breakfast and preparation of sack lunches. As
Fish Camp participants Jim Gaffaney of Reel Sportsman (right) and Bruce Warren of Fishing For Fun Guide Service smile over a fall Chinook caught fishing during last September’s gathering of regional hook-and-bullet writers, fishing industry representatives and insiders. (MIKE WRIGHT)
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FISHING the first rays of daylight began to appear, everyone set out for the day of fishing. After fishing and a return to camp, there were ice chests full of beer, soft drinks and bottles of water waiting for returning anglers. For the early set, there’s a wine tasting room just a short distance from camp, Peach Beach RV Park near Maryhill, Washington. Ample time was set aside for conversations and the ever so slightly exaggerated fishing tales. This was followed by presentations and demonstrations by various sponsors, with dinner served at the conclusion of the presentations. After dinner, most participants head back to their tents for a night of sleep. However, for the more talkative and night owl types there are campfire pits and lawn chairs provided to continue those conversations of the day’s exploits and other topics.
A HARDCORE FLYRODDER, I was invited to last fall’s Fish Camp, and I can say that the angling techniques used for salmon were considerably different
Put on by Columbia Gorge guide Ed Iman, the annual event features gear demonstrations and presentations of interest to Northwest outdoors lovers. (MIKE WRIGHT)
than what I am used to employing to catch fish. Since many of the Chinook were near the bottom, a hovering technique was used. It involves the use of a large amount of salmon eggs secured between two large snelled hooks, with a heavy weight to keep the bait steady in the strong current. The concoction
Author Mike Wright was outside his Selkirk Mountains comfort zone of float tubes, fly rods and cutthroat trout, but hover fishing and trolling for fall Chinook staging off the mouth of the Deschutes, along with the evenings in camp, was a “very enlightening and rewarding experience,” he writes. (MIKE WRIGHT) 96 Northwest Sportsman
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is then dropped to the bottom of the river and brought up a foot or so. The boat operator then slowly maneuvers upstream and slightly across the river, drifts back, moves slightly and begins the process again. The other method used was slow trolling with flashers and heavy weights, again very close to the
Winter Blackmouth Winter blackmouth have arrived throughout the Puget Sound, the San Juan Islands and the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Good areas for targeting these teenage kings is of course Areas 9 and 10, but Areas 8-1 and 8-2 between Whidbey and Camano Islands can be productive too! Launching from Camano Island State Park boat launch is an excellent starting point. Try fishing Elger Bay just south of the launch or cruise west to the eastern shorelines of Whidbey Island around Baby Island and Greenbank further north. There’s typically calmer water here since the area is more protected from cold northerly winds.
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The key to finding these feeders is bait. Find the bait and you’ll find the salmon; it’s just that simple. Blackmouth are voracious feeders, so once you’re on top of them, stick it out all the way through the slack tidal exchange for optimum results. Think deep, as blackmouth will prey on spawning candlefish and herring near the bottom. Follow 90- to 140-foot contours on your depth sounder and bump the downrigger balls off the bottom, which will stir up sediment, create vibration and attract blackmouth. Use smaller spoons in glow green/ white, and pearl with 38- to 44-inch leaders. Hootchies and tube flies trolled 26 to 34 inches behind a flasher in similar colors and tipped with a herring strip can sometimes coax larger fish. Troll between 1.8 and 2.8 mph, pinch your barbs, add herring or shrimp oil and you are ready to go! Fish will often weigh in the low to midteens and can even exceed 20 pounds! Chinook minimum size is 22 inches and the daily limit is one or two fin-clipped fish depending on area. Always check the WDFW website for updates.
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Northwest Sportsman 97
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bottom. The trolling was so close to the bottom that on one occasion an angler on our boat had a considerable amount of line stripped off his reel, coupled with a tremendous bend in the rod, leading us to believe that he had hooked a true trophy. After a prolonged fight the angler brought up a trophy 20-pound rock. Regardless of which technique was being used on the various boats, the results were very rewarding, with virtually everyone limiting out. The weather in the days leading up to Fish Camp had been unseasonably warm, but fortunately changed just a short time before everyone arrived. Rain and cooler temperatures set in a few days before the start of the camp, and they seemed to be a signal for the fish to move further upstream and congregate near certain tributaries of the Columbia. The area where we concentrated our efforts was near the mouth of the Deschutes River, and while I don’t believe anyone from our group fished it, the mouth of the Klickitat River near Lyle was another hot spot during this time. A short distance up the Klickitat is also an interesting spot to observe the traditional fish-netting technique used by local tribal members. In addition to salmon, at least one of our boats went out for another of the fishing attractions in this part of the Columbia, white sturgeon. This species can reach massive sizes and put up a tremendous fight. Even though no one in our group caught one, there is the opportunity of catching (and releasing) a living dinosaur.
ATTENDING FISH CAMP last year was a
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very enlightening and rewarding experience. Info from the presenters will definitely be advantageous to me in my fishing pursuits. In addition, the insights shared by other attendees will undoubtedly be of value to me in the future. I very much appreciated the invitation to attend the camp and hopefully Ed Iman continues to hold it for many more years. NS
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FISHING
Islands Of Kings Hungry Chinook, stunning natural beauty, low fishing pressure make the San Juans a prime destination for salmon anglers in winter. By Mark Yuasa
T
here’s something very special about the San Juan Islands that gets my heart fluttering with excitement. The beauty and charm surrounding the 172 named islands, with their untainted salty air wafting around every bend of the myriad waterways, are delightful. But the top reason anglers like myself escape to the islands is the significant size of their winter blackmouth, as well as protection from harsh winter weather for smaller fishing boats and the close proximity to major Northwest cities. Just ask Chris Long, owner of Jolly Mon Charters (jollymonfishing .com) and president of the Anacortes Chapter of Puget Sound Anglers (psafidalgo.org); and Derek Floyd, owner of Anglers Choice Fishing Charters (anglerschoicefishing.com), who are both based in Anacortes. Each will give you a long list of why winter salmon fishing here ranks up there high on the “must do” list. “We’ve never had four months of salmon fishing closures in the wintertime like this season, but I feel there will be a lot of fish around that haven’t been impacted by fishing pressure,” Long forecasts. “Like most winter fisheries the successful spots will rely on the biomass of baitfish.” Floyd, who waxes the norm when it comes to reeling in numerous winter blackmouth in the 15- to 28-pound category, is a well-known “ringer” in the NW Fishing Derby Series and also shares the same good island vibes. “What a lot of people don’t realize is that statistically when it comes
Author Mark Yuasa and son Tegan show off a pair of blackmouth, tasty Chinook that stick around the San Juan Islands and elsewhere in Puget Sound to feed. Season in prime northern waters begins in February. (MARK YUASA) nwsportsmanmag.com | JANUARY 2020
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FISHING to salmon fishing, wintertime is a lot better than the spring, summer and fall according to Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife statistics,” Floyd says. Those statistics during 2019’s Marine Area 7 winter season from Jan. 1 through April 15 showed 6,255 boats with 1,236 anglers retained 3,761 hatchery Chinook (plus 15 illegally kept unmarked Chinook) and released 2,555 hatchery and 2,563 unmarked Chinook. “The quality of the experience is like none other,” Floyd adds. “Even if you don’t catch a fish it’s a gorgeous place to fish in the winter, with very little angler pressure.” I’ve had the chance to fish with Floyd a few times in the winter around the islands, and I’m convinced by the choice of his words.
A FEW YEARS ago, my son Tegan and I made the easy drive north on I-5 to
meet Floyd. After a short 30-minute boat ride we found ourselves all alone over a deep, unexposed underwater shelf located just south of Iceberg Point on Lopez Island. We marked a few clouds of baitfish on the fishfinder and quickly deployed two downrigger rods at a depth of 125 to 130 feet. The area we fished was a shelf the size of a football field and we’d make small circles around the bait and fish. It didn’t take long for one of the rods attached to a dodger and plastic squid laced with a herring strip to release from the clip. Bouncing at the end of the monofilament deep down in the briny depths was a feisty 8-pound hatchery Chinook. In a one-hour time span we managed to hook up on a wide variety of Chinook, from sublegal size to 8 pounds and one that weighed a hefty 13 pounds. After the bite faded we moved to
another spot where we finished off catching our limit by early afternoon, leaving us with huge grins from a fishing experience unlike that of anywhere else in the world. It even left us enough time to take in the wonderful and precious sights of the surrounding islands, waters filled with wildlife and whales that many of us Northwesterners take for granted! “I’ve fished these waters for 20 years and never get tired of it,” Long says. “The wildlife and sea life viewing are spectacular. Every time I go out on the water I love how the sun affects the lighting in the morning and evening hours. The colors it gives off is truly a sight to see.”
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BOAT LAUNCHES, MARINA FACILITIES There are many places to launch or moor your boat, but the main points in Anacortes are Washington Park; Skyline Marina;
With four months of salmon fishing closures leading up to the Feb. 1 opener, anglers are hopeful there will be more winter kings around this season. Trolling with downriggers around bait concentrations is the best way to catch them. (YO-ZURI PHOTO CONTEST)
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FISHING and Cap Santé Marina. To the north are Squalicum Harbor in Bellingham and Blaine, both of which have good boat launch facilities. To the south are the Cornet Bay and Deception Pass marinas.
“This is what’s in their bellies,” says islands blackmouth angler Mike Campion of Bellingham. Most troll hoochies, spoons, plugs or herring, either whole or cut. (YO-ZURI PHOTO CONTEST)
ISLAND FISHING REGULATIONS While Area 7 is open for salmon fishing from Feb. 1 through April 15, be sure to take into consideration that early closures hinge on catch guidelines or encounter limits for sub- and legal-size Chinook (the minimum length is 22 inches). Going sooner than later will ensure more time on the water. The daily limit is one salmon, release all coho and wild, unmarked Chinook. POPULAR FISHING LOCATIONS Look for decent action around Waldron Island; Parker Reef; the north side Orcas It can be bitterly cold in the San Juans when the Fraser River outflow is in effect, but these waters are also productive in winter for Chinook, some of which run into the teens. Two bundled-up anglers prepare to net one in a past season. (KEVIN KLEIN)
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Island from Lawrence Point west to Point Thompson; President Channel; Rosario Pass; Sucia Island; Spring Pass; Tide Point; Smith Island; Lopez Pass; Obstruction Pass; and Thatcher Pass. Underwater shelves like McArthur, Salmon, Hein, Coyote, Eastern and Middle Banks provide stellar fishing, but in the winter winds and currents can churn up these exposed waters at a moment’s notice. Also be sure to check the WDFW regulation pamphlet as some banks are located in Area 6, which doesn’t open until March 1. FINDING BLACKMOUTH Locating baitfish schools is vital since these Chinook have one thing on their mind and that’s to hone in on their prey of herring and candlefish. Winter blackmouth – a term used for a Chinook’s dark gum line – tend to stay near or right on the
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FISHING bottom, so keeping your lure or bait bouncing right in front of their noses will lead to more hook-ups. Another key to success is timing and being at the right location, especially along drop-offs, underwater structure and ledges, during certain tidal movements. Lastly, if the fish bit at a certain time of the day, it’s a sure thing they’ll do the same the following day, only an hour later. BEST TACKLE BETS The most effective way to catch winter Chinook is trolling with downriggers since you’re able to cover a lot of ground. This is especially important during this time of year when baitfish can be sparse. Anglers will use a variety of plastic squid, spoons, plugs or herring along with a flasher or dodger set about 8 to 20 feet behind the downrigger ball. To increase your chances of catching fish, watch the fishfinder closely and, again, keep your gear right in front of
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the fish’s nose. Since dogfish aren’t a nuisance in the winter be sure to bring along some frozen herring to “mooch,” a method that first evolved on Seattle’s Elliott Bay during the 1920s. It consists of working a cutplug or whole herring up and down the water column. Most prefer a 6- to 8-foot leader with tandem 2/0 or 3/0 hooks attached to a 2- to 6-ounce banana weight. The weight size is dependent on the current and wind but keeping a 45-degree line angle allows your presentation to stay in the zone. WHAT MAKES FISH TICK Winter Chinook fisheries are dependent on millions of juvenile fish raised and kept in WDFW, tribal and federal hatcheries for one year before being released. This delayed release reprograms them to stick around local waters, where they’ll feed and grow for two to three years instead of migrating to the ocean.
In the hatcheries, these fish have their adipose fin clipped so anglers can tell the difference between them and an unmarked wild fish. ISLAND DERBY SCENE The 2020 Northwest Fishing Derby Series kicks off with three events that occur in the San Juan Islands during February. First up is the Resurrection Salmon Derby in Anacortes on Feb. 1-2 (sold out and there is a wait list) followed by the Friday Harbor Salmon Classic on Feb. 6-8 and Roche Harbor Salmon Classic on Feb. 13-15. Each has a big first-place prize of $12,000 to $20,000 for the largest hatchery winter blackmouth. Each derby is capped at 100 boats. For more details on the events, go to NorthwestFishingDerbySeries.com. 2019 DERBY CATCHES BY THE NUMBERS One hundred boats with 336 anglers at last winter’s Resurrection Derby had
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FISHING 85 hatchery Chinook and released 58 hatchery and 58 unmarked Chinook; 100 boats with 357 anglers at Roche Harbor Salmon Classic kept 148 hatchery Chinook and released 101 hatchery and 101 unmarked Chinook; and 90 boats with 270 anglers at the Friday Harbor Salmon Classic kept 81 hatchery Chinook and released 55 hatchery and 56 unmarked Chinook. MORE BLACKMOUTH OPS While the focus next month is primarily on the San Juan Islands, don’t overlook northern Puget Sound waters (Area 9), which open Feb. 1 through April 15; and the east side of Whidbey Island (Areas 8-1 and 8-2), opening Feb. 1 through April 30. The North Sound remains a very consistent winter hatchery blackmouth choice, one where many anglers will focus efforts around Possession Bar; Midchannel Bank off Port Townsend; Point No Point
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February marks the start of the NW Fishing Derby Series with a trio of high-dollar events in the San Juans, where first place can yield $12,000 to $20,000 for the lucky fisherman and friends. (NMTA)
to Foulweather Bluff; Pilot Point; Double Bluff off the southwest side of Whidbey Island; and the breakwater off Edmonds to Edwards Point. Good winter spots along the east side of Whidbey Island are the “racetrack” between Camano Head and Hat Island; Baby Island; Camano Head; East Point; Rocky Point; Greenbank; Holmes Harbor; Onamac
Point; Elger Bay; and Sandy Point south to the Clinton Ferry Landing, also known as Columbia Beach. Others are central Puget Sound (Area 10), open now through March 15; south-central Puget Sound (Area 11) and Hood Canal (Area 12), open now through April 30; and southern Puget Sound (Area 13), open yearround. NS
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COLUMN
Looking Forward By Looking Back H
indsight is 20/20 and as we head into 2020, a look back at the past year can help us become better Northwest NW PURSUITS sportsmen. Thinking By Jason Brooks back and remembering the trips we took, as well as the ones we wanted to take, reminds us that we need to plan now for the upcoming year. I used to keep a diary of my outings, but with social media documenting my days afield with photos and stories, reviewing the past is much easier for today’s anglers and hunters. It can also remind us of some Northwest pursuits that we have always wanted to try, or new ideas posted by others, a rare positive use for something sportsmen believe brings ruin.
LOOKING AT LAST spring, with its short and cold Chinook season, I admit I skipped out on trying to find any of the ever-dwindling early-arriving kings. Instead, I opted to chase trout and even some late steelhead. Then there was spring turkey and once again my youngest son Ryan and I headed east over the mountains to chase those wary birds. I admit, ever since we headed to our first turkey hunt three years ago I have been addicted to hunting gobblers. The birds are active early in the day, when you set up a decoy and do some calling. Bringing in jakes and toms to a call is thrilling and since the season is so long, with up to three birds allowed, it makes my springtime about more than just dragging a flasher and herring around for a salmon. Don’t get me wrong, I love to eat spring Chinook, but with low runs and unpredictable season closures in recent years, I would rather head to the hills and find turkeys. Maybe you should give
With spring Chinook runs suffering, author Jason Brooks turned to another spring pursuit, turkeys, and will likely be out on the gobbler grounds again this season with his son Ryan, here carrying his tom out of the woods. (JASON BROOKS)
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COLUMN gobbler hunting a try if you haven’t yet.
HALIBUT SEASONS ARE being set and if you have never done this fishery before, be sure to give it a try this year. Charters fill up fast as soon as season dates are confirmed, so if you don’t have a boat that can handle a trip to the halibut grounds and back be sure to book a trip. And since the seas can be “finicky,” to say the least, even if you have the right boat it might benefit you to use a charter to learn the hows and wheres first. Last year a good friend of mine, who had already been out on a few of the earlier days, invited me along for a trip out of Neah Bay. It was a rough ride and I’ll admit I donated breakfast back to the ocean, but I got the better of it because it was well worth the trade-off in fillets. No sooner did halibut fishing end than spot prawns opened. With a short, oneday season, most South Sound shrimpers opted to head to Hood Canal, which eventually saw bonus days. Some of the traditional areas didn’t fish very well, while other places had shrimpers throwing back the abundant crustaceans.
Spot prawns are a definite Northwest pursuit that you should partake in this upcoming year. They keep well frozen and can be used all summer long and into fall if you have any leftover after barbecues and sunset dinners.
SUMMER CRABBING WAS a bust, let’s admit it. Even with a few marine areas having the normal opening and closing dates of early July until Labor Day, most had some sort of adjustment. Again the South Sound was closed and new this past year was a closure of part of Hood Canal. Then there was the early closing and some late openings. Jumping ahead to winter crab, since we are on the topic, non-tribal commercial crabbers took too many and it was closed in some areas before being reopened. I am hopeful that 2020’s crab season will improve but I won’t hold my breath. Those on the Oregon Coast or near the mouth of the Columbia should get out and set some pots, as on a calm day with a low tide exchange these bays are accessible for good numbers of crab. Don’t overlook this option when August rolls around with the famed Buoy 10 fishery.
HOW SOCIAL MEDIA CAN ACTUALLY HELP NW SPORTSMEN We often document our outdoor adventures by posting photos and stories on Facebook, Instagram and other social media. But many of those same sites also allow you to “follow” or join groups and people. By looking at others’ posts, especially photos, you can learn a lot. For example, say a person posts a photo of a recent fishing trip. Even if they don’t mention where they went, you can still learn a lot, such as weather conditions, techniques if they make the mistake of showing the lure, bait, rod, type of fish, etc. You can look back and see when someone caught a lot of coho and using other websites such as NOAA, you can create a virtual log book of weather, river and fish-run timing. Another example is when, say, someone posts a photo of a mule deer hunt in Idaho. Again the date is noted, along with weather conditions in the photo and the size of the buck. The area hopefully won’t be noticeable or mentioned, but it can at least give you a starting idea of when to go hunting. Some people will mention nearby towns or cities and this again is a starting point. Joining groups really helps, as a lot of hunters and anglers share information in the group. It can also lead to a lot of arguments, so be careful what you share as well. Don’t overlook nonhunting or fishing groups either, such as those for mushroomers, berry pickers and hikers. Trail hikers give up a lot of info, especially things like routes into the backcountry, current conditions, directions, and even animal sightings. Regardless of which groups you join, be kind and respect others’ opinions. You will gain more information by not partaking in arguments than by trying to prove your point. –JB 116 Northwest Sportsman
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If there’s one thing you can start looking forward to in 2020, it’s halibut season, which will see a higher quota and an earlier opener in parts of Puget Sound and the Straits of Juan de Fuca. (JASON BROOKS)
SPEAKING OF AUGUST, that month last year saw Washington announce a rule change with bear hunting. With bruin numbers increasing, the Department of Fish and Wildlife decided to open the season statewide on Aug. 1 and also allow a twobear limit everywhere in the state. Prior to this only one could be taken in Eastern Washington, with an overall limit of two. A very productive berry crop meant great bear hunting in midsummer and we soon found ourselves glassing up a bruin that was chomping down on chokecherries. Again, Ryan checked another big game species off his list and harvested his first bear. With bear numbers still higher than in recent years, this coming August will again be a good time to get out in the woods.
WHAT WAS SUPPOSED to be a low return of pinks in 2019 was instead a pleasant and rare surprise for anglers in Seattle, Tacoma, Everett and environs: a good salmon fishery. Pinks arrived in droves – nearly 10 times as many showed up at an upstream fish ladder on the Puyallup as were forecast to even return to its mouth – and they were of decent size. The 2017 fish were runts, averaging between 3 and 5 pounds, but this past summer the fish were commonly over 5 pounds, with some around 8. We hoped that Puget Sound’s other salmon species would follow the lead of pinks, but soon realized that the Chinook
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While it feels like sporting opportunities are continuously shrinking in the Northwest, one went the other way last year. The start of black bear season now opens Aug. 1 across Washington, adding a month of hunting on the Eastside, where the fall bag limit was also doubled and Ryan Brooks bagged his first. (JASON BROOKS) fishery was not going to be too great. With a very short Marine Area 9 season and a five-day-a-week fishery in Area 11, the traditional summer king season became very nontraditional. Coho were a mix, with some runs coming in at their predicted size and others dwindling and/or late. Silvers seemed to choke the Strait of Juan de Fuca, but then simply fizzled out.
ONE HIGHLIGHT WAS the tiny Carbon River in Pierce County. With a late opening date of Sept. 1, a lot of the early fish made it back before anglers could gather at the Voight Creek outfall. Then as fall began anglers chose to find other rivers but the fish continued to arrive at the hatchery. By mid-November the hatchery had a return of 8,684 coho, along with 5,089 Chinook. To put that into perspective, the famed Humptulips on the coast had 3,025 hatchery coho and 801 hatchery Chinook back by the same time in mid-November. The Carbon has no boat access and in late summer is a creek compared to most other rivers in the Puget Sound region, but it does have good bank access from the 118 Northwest Sportsman
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confluence with the Puyallup up to Voight and is likely to be one of the best bets for bank anglers in 2020 to catch some salmon.
WHEN BUOY 10 opens in August, anglers head there in droves for the chance at catching an ocean-bright 40-pound Chinook. URBs fight hard and taste even better, but in 2019 anglers once again found themselves with a “one and done” salmon fishery, which included coho. The run is so popular that managers in both states met several times to figure out ways to extend the season, including the possibility of outlawing the use of “inline” flashers. That should tell every angler in the Northwest that those flashers work! Just in time for this past year’s Buoy 10 fishery, Mack’s Lure came out with the Scent Flash, which is an inline flasher that separates so you can fill it with your favorite Pro-Cure Super Gel. As it spins, it disperses the scent in a cloud trailing behind. I was fortunate enough to take two prototypes of the Scent Flash to Nootka Sound in late July. All of our Chinook were caught using those flashers with a Brad’s Killer Cut Plug
trailing behind. They simply hammered the lures, and we landed just as many fish – if not more – as when we used bait. If you are planning a 2020 trip to Buoy 10, be sure to try a Scent Flash – unless, of course, if they get outlawed due to run numbers.
FALL BRINGS ALL of the best of the Northwest, and in Washington it’s the increasingly popular High Buck Hunt. With lightweight “extreme” backcountry hunting hitting social media sites with as much enthusiasm as a Star Wars movie release, it seems that this early wilderness rifle opportunity is no longer one of solitude and Indian summers. Yet I can’t blame the hunters venturing out and finding success in mid-September, as I have enjoyed grand vistas and warm afternoons since my first time over 20 years ago. This past September I was able to find a rare place of seclusion and harvest a mature mule deer there. I also began to realize that the backcountry is a young hunter’s game and though I will keep hiking deep into the Cascades for as long as I can, the number of High Hunts I have left is getting shorter.
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COLUMN Even as some hunts like Washington’s early High Buck opener get more crowded, there are ways to spread out your season, whether it be with the multiweapon tag or going out of state. (JASON BROOKS)
A warm wall tent and good friends are becoming more important and memorable than a tarp and a fire under the Milky Way.
BRANCHING OUT AND trying new things is what makes us become better anglers and hunters. Washington offers a multiseason deer tag for those who apply during the spring draws. If not drawn for the early purchase, which allows you to apply for additional permit opportunities, then you can purchase a leftover tag come August. But you must have applied for the permit to be eligible to purchase the multiseason tag, even the leftover ones. Once again, Ryan decided to check another hunt off his list and practiced with his bow all summer. Taking the bear with a rifle only fed his desire to get a deer with his bow. In 2019 WDFW changed the gear rule to allow archery equipment during muzzleloader season, and it was already legal to use a bow during modern firearm. Ryan took this to mean he would only use archery equipment this year, regardless of the season.
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COLUMN On the second to last day of early muzzleloader season he put four stalks on legal bucks. His last one lasted just shy of two hours and ended with him sneaking within 16 yards of a whitetail buck. The arrow struck and the deer only went 30 yards. After taking several mule deer and a blacktail he really wanted a whitetail, but when we located his buck Ryan admitted that he didn’t realize the species until afterwards. Because of this he said he felt “robbed” of a traditional whitetail hunt – rattling, rubs, glassing, the whole nine yards – so for 2020 we are heading to Idaho. Since Ryan still qualifies for a youth mentored tag (which is significantly reduced in price), we will hopefully experience his vision of a lateseason rut whitetail hunt.
LOOKING OUTSIDE YOUR home state can really add to your outdoor adventures. A salmon fishing trip to the famed Rogue River in Oregon or out of Gold River in Nootka Sound can become a yearly vacation. Four years ago I ventured to Vancouver
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Island and have returned each year since. I started hunting my neighboring state of Idaho in 1992. Friends hunt Montana and Oregon each year. Then there are the famous steelhead rivers and kokaneefilled lakes of mainland British Columbia, bears and blacktails of Southeast Alaska and once-in-a-lifetime moose, bighorn sheep and mountain goat hunts in several Western states. Draw odds vary, with Idaho offering some decent chances, and while in Washington it feels nearly impossible to pull a special permit, you won’t get drawn if you don’t apply. Some of the out-of-state hunts are expensive and others are not, though it all depends on what your definition of “expensive” is. I know Washington hunters who drive a few hundred miles to “deer camp” – a cabin or motel – and then spend a few hundred more dollars on gas to cruise around Forest Service roads in hopes of finding a legal buck during the short 11-day mule deer season. Just over the border in Idaho there
are units that are “any deer” or “any buck” and have seasons that are a month long or more. The tags cost way more for a nonresident, with an increase this year making them even more expensive, but your chance of filling that tag is higher too. For those venturing to Montana, where you can still buy extra whitetail doe tags for pretty cheap – and multiple ones at that – you can fill your freezer pretty quickly, helping offset that initial out-of-state cost. In reality, we say we don’t need to justify filling a tag to buy it but it does help when we bring home some meat. Maybe this year is the year you try a new hunt.
TAKE A LOOK through your social media, diary, log book or photo album of “the good ol’ days” and remember what you accomplished in years past. Take note of what worked and what didn’t and then start to plan out the upcoming year. Hindsight is 20/20, but there is no reason you can’t use it to look forward to 2020. Happy New Year! NS
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FISHING
My Outdoor Resolutions For 2020 Yes, they’re damn near impossible to keep, but that won’t stop one Northwest sportsman from putting together his list. By MD Johnson
I
’ll be brutally honest here. I’m not much on making resolutions. Why? Well, for the same reason most of you no longer make New Year’s resolutions. You don’t keep them. You don’t intend to keep them. You don’t try to keep them. You don’t keep them. Same here. Oh, I may talk the proverbial talk – a bit – but when it comes right down to it, I fail. Miserably. Well, this year, I – at the request of our dear editor – put together a list of the outdoor-related resolutions I’d like to not only make, but keep as we wander through the pages of the 2020 calendar. There are others, of course. Lower my cholesterol by eating more sensibly. Get rid of the 53-foot semitrailer that’s been sitting in my driveway since 2015. Wear size 34 waist pants again (see eating sensibly). Sheetrock the living room. But those are just silly personal and/ or homeowner things that can be done at any time, or, for that matter, by anyone in the post-M.D. years. But I digress. So without further ado, here’s what I’d like to accomplish afield during the 365 days of the Year 2020. Resolutions, you might say. Good intentions is how I’d put them.
FISH FOR WALLEYE MORE I love walleye. I love walleye fishing.
One of author MD Johnson’s resolutions for 2020 is to fish with Tri-Cities duck-call maker and walleye enthusiast Bill Saunders. (BILL SAUNDERS) nwsportsmanmag.com | JANUARY 2020
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FISHING My personal best is a 14.5-pound fish taken near Biggs Junction in August 1996. Haven’t caught one close since. This year, I want to spend more time on the Columbia chasing walleye. They don’t have to be big. In fact, I’d rather they be in that 1- to 3-pound class – just perfect for filleting and dropping into 350-degree canola oil. I’d like to spend time with Bill Saunders, who, in addition to being a Northwest legend in the waterfowl world, is an incredibly accomplished – lest I say fanatical – walleye fisherman. Saunders uses techniques that he won’t even discuss with me, but with which he swears he catches a flat ton of fish. He builds and paints his own crankbaits. Studies the river like a surgeon studies pre-op X-rays. Yes, sir. Walleye on the Columbia with Bill Saunders.
Introducing new people to hunting for waterfowl – or other species, or fishing – is a goal Johnson has set for himself in the past and vows to continue in the new year. Gunnar Velikanje and his dad Bob and grandpa George pose with Yakima Valley mallards and teal. (HUNTING PHOTO CONTEST)
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INTRODUCE AT LEAST TWO YOUNG PEOPLE TO WATERFOWL HUNTING I’m not patting myself on the back. Well, maybe just a little bit, but I do think it’s our responsibility as stewards of our natural resources to introduce X number of individuals to the outdoors each and every year. Doesn’t have to be hunting. It could be fishing. Or hiking. Or camping, mushroom picking, birding. Anything. Just get them outdoors. During 2018-19’s season, I started two of my high school students down the long, muddy path to waterfowling mania. Same story for 2019-20, but two different kids. I want to keep this going into the New Year. I have the stuff, the places, and the support of many fine folks in the industry. And, I’ll be honest, it gives me a warm fuzzy feeling seeing these young
people get involved, do well, and do something that’s foreign to them. Maybe you can find/make the time to do something similar this season?
SQUIRREL HUNT WITH MY FATHER I shot my first game – a big fat fox squirrel – with my father in Howard Klingman’s woods in 1972. That was a long time ago. In the years after, Pop and I spent thousands of hours in the squirrel woods around my native northeast Ohio. It was a fabulous time. When Julie and I moved to Iowa in 1997, Mom and Pop would come out quite often, and every September, me and the Old Man would venture forth into the hardwoods in search of gray and fox squirrels. Likewise, it was an incredible time in my hunting career. This year, I want to go back to Ohio in October, right when the
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HUNTING FISHING leaves are at their finest, and spend a week hunting squirrels with my Pop. He’s 79 now; be 80 in March, and he ain’t getting any younger. I won’t have him forever, and that’s going to be a tough thing for me to face. That said, I don’t want to think of him and say to myself, “Boy, I sure wish I’d had one last squirrel hunt with the Old Man.” My advice to y’all? Do it while you can.
CATCH $100 WORTH OF PIKEMINNOWS One year, it’s $75. The next, it’s $15. This year, I’m going to set as my goal a C-note’s worth of northern pikeminnows. I mean after all, Cathlamet is the spot in terms of numbers for the past couple seasons, and I don’t live but five minutes from the river and the check station. I have plenty of bait, plenty of poles, and, unless the wildfire season is silly busy, plenty of time. No excuses, really. So $100, it shall be. Or more.
OBTAIN MY FIREFIGHTER 1 (FF1) RATING IN WILDLAND FIREFIGHTING I challenge anyone out there who enjoys hard – and I mean hard – work, good meals, life in a tent, mobile showers (maybe), a tremendous sense of accomplishment for the common good, and, last but not least, an excellent paycheck to look into getting involving in wildland firefighting. I joined Wahkiakum District 4 as a volunteer in 2016, got my Red Card (Wildland Certification/FF2) in 2017, and spent my first days on the fire line in 2018 on both the Silver Lake and Boyds Fires in Eastern Washington. My only regret? That I didn’t start doing this when I was a much younger man. I loved it. I loved the work. I loved the people. I loved the regimentation and the discipline. And I did enjoy the sense of giving back. Of a job well done. This year in June, I’ll attend a weeklong training camp in order to receive
my FF1 certification. This means I can take on more responsibilities on the line, and make a little bit more money when all’s said and done. I can’t wait! I’d look into it if I were you. Maybe a call to the Department of Natural Resources, the private contractors in Oregon who handle it for that state or your local volunteer fire department is in order?
TAKE A PROFESSIONAL HANDGUN SHOOTING COURSE One of the first things I did upon moving to Wahkiakum County in 2015 was to apply for and receive my concealed carry permit. My current everyday carry firearm is a Mossberg MC1sc 9mm, and I do carry it every day. I’m familiar with the operation and maintenance of the weapon, and practice with it sufficiently to be confident in my ability to handle it and myself in a situation. That said, I believe I could benefit greatly from several
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FISHING
Blacktails have proven pretty elusive for the author, so perhaps it’s time for him to switch it up and go out for another Northwest deer species. Or double down on chasing the ghosts of the forest. (CHAD ZOLLER)
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They are small but their numbers are mighty – tasty crawdads are found throughout the Northwest, and Johnson’s gonna build himself some traps and have a boil this year. (YO-ZURI PHOTO CONTEST)
Neal’s Marlin 336C .30-30. Go camping away from people: My wonderful wife, Julia Carol, introduced me to camping – and I mean real getaway-from-people camping – in 1993. Sadly, we’ve fallen away from that, and I truly miss it. So this year, it’s into the woods and back into the tents. Shoot a Eurasian wigeon: I’ve seen them. I’ve held beautiful drakes that other guys have shot, but alas, I’ve not shot one myself. If I play my cards right, 2020 will be my Year of the Euro. Spend more time on the North Jetty: It’s open! It’s open! Well, actually, as of this moment, the North Jetty is still closed so that the Corps can remove heavy equipment. That said, come March, it’s Katie, bar the door for some fine black sea bass and lingcod fishing adventures. Rediscover crappie fishing: Silver Lake. Cowlitz County. Late April and early May. Tube jigs under a Mick Thill bobber on ultralight spinning tackle. Need I say more? Build crayfish traps; catch enough for a feed: The crayfish, aka crawdads, in this part of the world are huge! And there are few things finer than a mess o’ mudbugs boiled up, spread out on butcher paper, and eaten like a caveman with your fingers. And that’s what I’m gonna do. NS 132 Northwest Sportsma JANUARY 2020
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HUNTING Highly adaptable, hungry for game and Miss Snookle Pookle Bumps alike, coyotes are widespread in the Northwest, and in midwinter their fur is in prime condition. (JASON BROOKS)
Songdog Strategies It’s prime time in the Northwest to get after coyotes and their pelts. By Jason Brooks
T
he other day I drove my youngest son to school. As we made our way out of the cookie-cutter neighborhood we live in and onto a main arterial road a coyote dashed across the street. The first thing I noticed was that it was a decent-sized male and grey for Western Washington. This began a discussion with my son about my days hunting coyotes for Bennett Mountain Fur Company when I lived in Southern Idaho. The sage-covered flats here produced nice fur, but back then we would get around $25 per songdog. Today’s prices are much better, thanks to trade negotiations with Eastern Bloc countries, where fur is still the main
source for warm clothing for the harsh winters. This brings up the most common reason why hunters chase after coyotes, for money and fur. But there are other reasons why you shouldn’t put away the rifle once the fur starts to be rubbed off in late winter. Coyotes are very resilient and have been hunted, trapped, poisoned and studied for a long time and their numbers always seem to stay steady. The small canine is found throughout the entire United States, with the exception of Hawaii, and even lurk in major cities. The Los Angeles Urban Coyote Project studied their diet and it turns out LA’s coyotes eat a lot of things, including domestic cats, which make up 8 to 20 percent of their diet. They also eat rats, which helps keep
the rodent population under control. But coyotes are canines and they carry a vast array of diseases that can be transmitted to our beloved house dogs, or in the case of LA, designer purse pooches. In the Midwest it turns out coyotes are not only in the suburbs but have adapted to inner city life. National Geographic’s June 2014 online article “Downtown Coyotes: Inside the Secret Life of Chicago’s Predator” describes how an estimated 2,000 coyotes live among the skyscrapers of the Windy City. Biologist put cameras on some of the coyotes and took blood samples, confirming they are truly pure-bred coyotes. The images they obtained showed how some of the dogs learn to live and thrive around people, finding small alcoves nwsportsmanmag.com | JANUARY 2020
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HUNTING A good place to hunt for coyotes is winter range, where the mesopredators lurk in hopes of taking down weather-weakened deer and elk. (JASON BROOKS)
and hiding areas in parking garages. The study also showed that most of the coyotes have adapted to becoming strictly nocturnal. Back on the West Coast, in December 2015 the city council of Huntington Beach, California, voted to adopt a resolution for dealing with their increasing coyote problem. With over 478 sightings and 78 pets killed or injured, up from 37 in 2014, the city decided it needed to control the predator population. Game animals are also on the If you’re hunting for fur for the market, you’ll want to use ammunition that, ideally, only causes one hole in the pelt. (JASON BROOKS)
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table. There have been several studies of coyote predation on deer and elk. A December 2016 online American Hunter article headlined “How Much Do Coyotes Affect Deer Populations?” highlighted studies that showed coyotes contributed to 85 percent of fawn mortality in South Carolina. For the animals out west, Yellowstone National Park conducted a study in 1989, prior to wolf reintroductions, and it too revealed that coyotes did kill adult deer and even elk. Though they mostly preyed upon small animals
such as pocket gophers, voles, and rabbits, the coyotes did form packs very similar to wolves, with an alpha male and alpha female. They would bite the hind ends of elk or deer in deep snow, which would eventually cause the animal to stumble and fall. The coyotes then fed on the animal while it was still alive, much like how wolves kill their prey.
WITH PEOPLE MOVING into the suburbs there are more conflicts with the savvy predator, because many residents just don’t understand that coyotes will not simply move away once they move in, but will adapt. This brings on a new era of hunting where game management, predator control, and hunters play a role in urban areas. Sure, I would rather head out to BLM lands, where thousands of acres are open without a house in sight. But then I would be passing up an opportunity to hunt for prime pelts and along the way do some predator control, providing cocker spaniels, house cats and songbirds a sense of security from the wily coyote. For the urban predator hunter finding public lands intermixed with private tracts is sometimes more
HUNTING
Whether you’re looking to make some extra money, reduce the number of hungry predators targeting hunted species, or just get outside, pursuing coyotes is a good way to spend a winter day. (JASON BROOKS)
difficult than finding the coyotes themselves. Instead of the normal large tracts of desert BLM lands where fur hunters often hunt, one must try to find small tracts of public lands mixed with farms, golf courses or other larger tracts near residences and commercial buildings. These areas tend to hold a lot of coyotes because they aren’t normally hunted. Food sources are readily available, with domestic cats and other small farm animals as well as garbage or even pet food that’s left out. Coyotes are opportunists and don’t need much room to live as long as they have food. With hobby farms popping up in rural areas and the foothills of 140 Northwest Sportsman
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the Cascades, Columbia River Gorge, Willamette Valley and Puget Sound, you might find a few landowners willing to give you permission to hunt coyotes, especially if they have lost a pet to one.
NO MATTER WHERE you are hunting, concealment is a must. Coyotes have keen eyesight and pick up movement very quickly. They are used to hunting mice scurrying along the ground and patient rabbits hiding in the brush. I often wear camouflage when out on large tracts of public lands, but if I am hunting an area near homes or private lands I will just wear earth tone colors. By sitting with your back
against brush or alongside it you can break up your outline. Coyotes pick up on movement, not camo patterns or your clothing as long as you break up your shape and stay still. If you have an electronic caller that is remote controlled, set it as far away as you can. Make sure to sit still, which means making yourself very comfortable before you start calling. I use a foam pad to sit or kneel on and always sit with my back to some brush. A shooting tripod or shooting sticks can really help, especially to prop the gun on while you call with one hand or work the remote. I tend to wear a face mask to stay warm as well as break up my face. If you are hunting with a partner, one can use a rodent distress call and the other a bird call, and together you can make a real ruckus. The idea is to get the coyotes excited to come see what is going on. Sometimes they come running in real fast, other times they wander in slowly; either way you need to be ready to shoot. If you plan on calling near homes or farms, using a lower volume might be beneficial. You want to call in nearby coyotes but not wake everyone up in the neighborhood or cause alarm. Because of this you need to call more often and use a series of calls. Start with a dying rodent call on a low volume. Another option is to use a fighting bird call, which imitates crows or other scavenger birds causing a ruckus. Howling can still be used to locate the dogs at night, as most people who live in the area have heard coyotes howling and won’t be too alarmed, but expect to cause every domestic dog in the neighborhood to bark. This might not be the best idea there, but in rural farm lands it isn’t as big of a concern. Don’t overlook calling one stand for the usual 15 to 20 minutes and then simply moving 50 yards and calling in the opposite direction.
WINTER PELTS OF coyotes and other predators are worth more money, so
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HUNTING you don’t want to use your deer rifle if you plan on hunting for fur. There are several fur buyers who will buy the coyotes whole or skinned, as long as the fur isn’t damaged. I have three guns in my “coyote hunting arsenal.” The first is my allaround rifle, a Winchester Model 70 Ranger chambered in .223 Remington. This caliber is light, fast and perfect for shooting coyotes from 50 to 200 yards with little pelt damage and is the rifle I use the most. If I am hunting the wheat fields or sage flats where shots can be very far, I take my Thompson Center Encore in .243 Winchester. I also take this rifle for hunting where I might run into a cougar (when the season is open). Lastly is my 12-gauge Mossberg 500 with a modified choke. The shotgun goes with me on all of my hunts and sometimes is the only gun I take when hunting dense timber stands and is used for shots from 40
yards and under. Today’s modern urban hunter even has high-powered air rifles, where legal, that can take coyotes and other predators with little noise to draw attention. Plus, their ballistics drop off quickly with their short range. The ammunition you choose also makes a big difference. You want a light bullet that enters but does not exit. The idea is a small hole going in, and none coming out. Shot placement makes a big difference in this as well. For the shotgun there are several specialty loads such as Dead Coyote and Heavy Magnum Coyote. I prefer the BB-sized shot in 3-inch magnum 12-gauge. The BBs are lead and nickel coated, so do not use these for a goose hunt or ducks, even if you jump some while out coyote hunting.
SOME PEOPLE HAVE a hard time shooting an animal and not using it in some way. During the warmer months predator fur has no value
on the commercial market. Once the breeding season starts, usually around mid-February, coyotes start to rub and this ruins the fur as well. So why hunt coyotes? Simply put, they are predators and kill a lot of deer fawns and elk calves. As hunters, we owe it to our quarry to conduct sound wildlife management and as we build shopping malls and suburbs, we shrink the amount of healthy deer and elk habitat but coyotes can still thrive in these same locations. If a nonhunter challenges you about hunting coyotes, remind them that they also carry a variety of diseases including parvo and mange that is easily transferred to our family pets. And speaking of family pets, coyotes love to eat our furry friends and have even tried to grab toddlers and young kids, though very rarely. Just because deer and elk season is over doesn’t mean hunting season is over. Head out and hunt coyotes. NS
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HUNTING
Tackling Late Canadas Paying attention to the smallest of details while being willing to experiment can pay off at the tough end of Northwest goose season. By MD Johnson
S
o I’m not going to bother with a long-winded introduction. No from-the-field anecdote. It’s too late in the season for that. Across much of the Northwest, goose hunting is winding down. Some, the fortunate few, will enjoy another go-round in February and into early March. It’s all good, but it’s not easy. Anything but. These Canadas are veterans, survivors of – what? – almost five straight months of hunting pressure. They know the
program, and they know it well. The untried birds of September? They’re gone, living in someone’s freezer. The lessers and cacklers that came down and didn’t know their way around in late October? Oh, yeah; they’ve wised up and then some. It’s work now. Hard, often frustrating work. But fooling late-season geese isn’t impossible. It’s not easy, but it isn’t impossible. Personally, I enjoy the challenge presented by these flyway veterans during January and then into early March. Do I get trounced
from time to time? Absolutely. But when the cards do fall into place, boy howdy, now that’s a good feeling. That said, here’s a handful of things I pay attention to during the late season. What I don’t go in-depth on here is my “What do I have to lose?” mindset. Think of it this way: What you’re currently doing isn’t working. So, then, what do you have to lose?
HIDE, AND HIDE WELL Every time I would give a goose hunting seminar in the Northwest – hell, a duck hunting seminar, for that
Downing Canada geese this late in the season isn’t impossible, says author M.D. Johnson, here heading back to his blind in a field off the Lower Columbia with a pair, but it’s not easy either. You’ll need to bring you’re A-plus game. (JULIA JOHNSON)
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HUNTING matter – people would walk away somewhat disappointed. Why? Am I that terrible of a speaker? Don’t I know what I’m talking about when it comes to ’fowl? True, I get beat up on from time to time, but I’d like to think that after 45 years, I’ve come to know a little bit about putting ducks and geese on the ol’ strap. Yes, sir – but just a little bit. No, they’d be disappointed because for the most part, they’d come to the Blue Theater to hear a 60-minute in-depth dissertation on decoys. Or calling. Or decoys and calling. Or some sort of magical, n’er before
heard secret to waterfowling success. Kind of like a spinning wing decoy, only different. Oh, I spoke of calling. And decoys. And magical things. But what I concentrated on, for the most part, was hiding. Why hiding? Because it’s without question true. You can hunt over the most realistic decoys. Your calling can be spot-on, better even than the real thing. You can be on the proverbial “X,” the spot where the geese want to be. But if you’re not hiding, you’re not going to do well. Sure, there might be an exception or two, but for the most part the
Picking a designated and experienced pit boss at the start of the hunt is part of paying attention to all the little details that will be the difference between success and failure on these wised-up birds. (JULIA JOHNSON)
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only thing you’re going to get is an education in Flaring Canadas 401. That, by the way, is the advanced course. Is it because these geese are smart, smart in the way my 5-year-old granddaughter, Camila, is smart? And she really is quite bright. Smart? No. Wary? Cautious? Nervous? Experienced? Veterans? Survivors? Absolutely. In my corner of Southwest Washington, many of the big geese I’m hunting in January are the same big geese I started hunting in early September. They’ve seen it. They know the program. Those that didn’t jump on the fast track have already seen the inside of my Insta-Pot. So they’re leery of that clump out there in the pasture. That fenceline. Hedgerow. Group of willows. Levee dike. Stand of cattails. And, lest we forget, the layout blind, box blind, A-frame or whatever that’s still sporting October’s stubble. The raffia grass isn’t the right color. The bunch grass has faded to brown. This doesn’t match. That doesn’t match. It just doesn’t look right, and the geese know it. Smart? Not necessarily; they just don’t cotton to getting shot at. So there’s a reason why I’m so OCD when it comes to working up my layout blinds. Every time. New bunch grass gets cut. The old comes off; the new goes on. Not too much. Not too little. I stand back periodically and admire my work. Does it blend in? I mean really blend in? Is it natural? Not too high? The corners and lines? Have they disappeared? Box blind? Same thing. Pit cover? Same. AquaPod? Yes, sir. Can you have too much camouflage; that is, can you cover something to the point that it’s more visible now than when you began? Sure, and it’s easy to do. But, and here’s the tough part, it’s just as easy to have too little. You don’t blend in. You stand out. Maybe not like a Styrofoam cup in a coal bin, but you
HUNTING
Identifying different kinds of geese at a distance is not only important for avoiding duskies – off limits this season – but will help determine how you play them. For big geese like Westerns, Johnson goes light with his decoy spread and calling, while with smaller ones like lessers and cacklers he adds plenty of volume. (GEORGE GENTRY, USFWS)
still stand out. And then there’s – well, there’s you. I don’t like to wing-shoot wearing a headnet, so I opt for the face paint. Yeah, I know, but some of us were doing it before YouTube made it cool. Light fingerless jersey gloves on my hands. Hat down low. This late in the game, there’s no such thing as an insignificant camouflage detail. How do I know if something’s wrong? I let the birds tell me. If they slide g-e-n-t-l-y one way or another, there’s something slightly amiss. A touch-up here. A touch-up there. Stand back and look things over. If, however, they commit and then pump out, i.e. flare wildly, at 75 yards, there’s something radically wrong. Is someone looking too hard? Empties? A blind bag? Grass flattened around the blinds? Doors not shut? Hands? It’s something; you just have to find it. 148 Northwest Sportsman
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PICK AN EXPERIENCED SHOT CALLER Typically, and because I have few friends and even fewer who hunt, I go afield by my lonesome. That’s OK; I only have myself to make arrangements for, and only one guy to blame when a hunt turns into a clown show. However, when I do hunt with two or three other guns, I always make sure we have an experienced ’fowler calling the shot. A pit boss, per se. One guy or gal who can read the birds, and knows when to sit up and when to let them make one more swing. Ah, the ol’ one more swing. The pit boss is determined at the start of the hunt, and is in command of the operation. Fields of fire can be/should be discussed; again, at the beginning of the hunt. This may seem excessive, but it’s all in the name of organization, coordination, and efficiency. No sense in doing
everything right, getting the birds where you want them, and then initiating a cluster-event once the time comes to seal the deal.
WHAT SUBSPECIES IS THAT? Now this is just what I’ve observed, but come the late season, it’s more important than ever to know what subspecies of Canada you’re targeting, and to adjust accordingly. I know, I know. It should go without saying, but I believe there are a lot of folks out there, perhaps especially the newcomers, who don’t understand the correlation between subspecies, setup and execution. Big geese like Westerns, and I go small – note: we’ll discuss this momentarily – on the spread and light on the calling. Often, I won’t make a sound until the birds get by me, and/ or I’ll rely on a flag. When I do call to the big ones late, it’s often nothing
HUNTING more than soft clucks and cluck/ moans. Nothing excited; nothing that says stay away! Conversely, with the little ones, the lessers and cacklers, I’ll throw as many decoys out as I can muster, and (usually) call until my lungs and the lungs of everyone involved explode. With the little ones I’m not afraid to mix full-bodies, shells, silhouettes, socks, rags – anything to build the numbers and present the big black holes I’m looking for.
SHOOT ON THE CORNERS
Conventional wisdom is that you have to go big with decoy spreads, and there is truth to that, but at the same time, setting out just a few can provide results as well. You might not bring in the mega-flocks but should attract pairs and other smaller flights. (JULIA JOHNSON)
I do like the sight of those big black webbed feet dropping in at my 12 o’clock; however, sometimes the storybook ending is just that – a storybook ending. When geese approach your hide from directly downwind, they’re looking not only at your decoys (ideally), but at all your blind or blinds
LATE CANADA OPS OREGON Northwest Permit Zone: Open through Jan. 16, then Feb. 8-March 10 (dusky geese closed) South Coast Zone: Open through Jan. 11, then Feb. 22-March 10 Southwest, East and Klamath, Lake, Harney and Malheur Counties Zones: Open through Jan. 26
WASHINGTON Goose Management Areas 1, 3, 4, 5: Open through Jan. 26 (select dates in Area 4) GMA 2-Coast: Open through Jan. 19, then Feb. 8-22 (select dates each period; dusky geese closed; national wildlife refuges, state wildlife areas closed in latter period) GMA 2-Inland: Open through Jan. 12, then Feb. 8-March 7 (select dates each period; dusky geese closed; national wildlife refuges, state wildlife areas closed in latter period) Feb. 1: Statewide, youth, veterans and active military –NWS
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HUNTING Remember that geese are classified as waterfowl, counsels Johnson, so don’t overlook setting up a decoy spread on lakes, rivers, side channels, oxbows, etc. (JULIA JOHNSON)
as well. Throw in a 25 mile per hour wind, and the entire bunch can hang motionless and pick everything apart. There’s Bill’s moon-pie face. You told him about that. There’s Ted digging in his nose. There’s movement here and movement there, and it’s all scary to the birds. They slide off, and you get no shooting. None. To combat this, I offset my blinds to the wind; that is, I’ll position my blind(s) with the wind blowing left to right or right to left instead of the traditional from being. Yes, and theoretically, this means the birds will approach accordingly; however, they’re now looking only at the decoys, and not the gunners laying in wait. Set a realistic spread, and that’s what the geese see – geese. 152 Northwest Sportsman
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GO SMALL February 2019, and the 18 full-bodies that had worked for me throughout December and into January are now getting ignored, with flight after flight (albeit small bunches of four to a dozen) of big Western Canadas being drawn as if by a tractor beam to – ready? – two live geese on the opposite side of the field. That’s right – two. One standing, one sitting. The birds would approach, work my meager spread momentarily, and then slide across to land with the pair, which, by the way, had never made a sound. After watching this play out for a hunt or two, I, brilliant man that I am, packed one bag – six full-bodies –
into the field. Then four. And finally, two – a sentry, and a sentry minus the base. Did I decoy the bigger flocks, the lesser/cackler groups, or the 20-plus-bird groups of Westerns? No. Did this two-bird spread prove deadly on the singles, pairs, and fourpacks? Yes, it did. Will four decoys always work like magic? They will not. Maybe your situation calls for eight. Or 10. Or 12. Regardless, it can’t hurt to try, and it’s much easier to pack eight full-bodies into the field than it is 80. Plus, when birds work to eight decoys, the chances are ridiculously good they’re going to be right where you want them. If they land wide, they’re still at 30 yards, and I’m shooting.
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Goose hunting, it seems, has become all about fields. Field this. Field that. Layout blinds. Pits. Trailers. Huge spreads of full-bodies. Just a reminder, though: Geese are indeed waterfowl, with the key portion of that word being “water.” Yes, it’s hard to argue with success, if it’s success you’re having. You’re killing birds in the fields; no need to stop a good thing. However, if you’re struggling in the fields or, as is the case for many of us, our access to good or even decent fields is limited, then why not hit the water? A dozen Canada floaters on a little backwater, bay, riverine eddy, farm/pasture loafing pond, or secluded shoreline section of the Columbia can work wonders on pressured birds. Why? For the most part – and I can only speak for my little piece of Southwest Washington – the birds here aren’t hunted over water. It’s a lot of work. The decoys are heavy, hiding can be tough, and, no, you’re not going to drive that truck and trailer out into the middle of the river to set a spread. Or at least you shouldn’t. Here, the birds feel safe and secure on the water. Now, that doesn’t mean they’re easy, just that they might be a little less hesitant to work a waterbased spread where they haven’t been hunted as opposed to a green-field or ag-field situation where they’ve run into trouble.
SO, BACK TO the beginning. Lateseason Canadas aren’t impossible. They do take a little more work, planning, preparation, and, above all, attention to the details. Every detail is important, regardless of how seemingly insignificant it might be. Pay attention to those details, and be willing to experiment, e.g. a two-decoy spread. I know, it’s tough to think about the 98 full-bodies sitting in the truck while you hunker behind two pieces of plastic, but you just might find late season geese to be a little less intimidating. NS 154 Northwest Sportsman
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COLUMN The secret to cooking the sometimes tough and chewy leg meat on geese is to give it plenty of time to allow the tendons and membranes to break down. The “confit” style of cooking is perfect for making the most of your kill. (JAIMIE JOHNSON)
A Little Love For Legs I
think at this point in my life I have heard every reason for someone not to like geese. CHEF IN THE WILD Tastes like liver. Too By Randy King tough. “Gamey,” whatever the heck that means. Tastes like duck. Only good for jerky. The list goes on and on. The bad part with geese, in many ways, is that I totally understand what they are talking about! Let’s do a little thought experiment here for a second. Imagine a cow that is born and raised on some idyllic little pond and watches six out of ten of its fellow nestlings get murdered in short order. Then when it gets cold, it has to migrate 2,000 to 3,000 miles with its parents. Migrating, as we
all know, is not easy. Then have that cowbird do that same trip multiple times over multiple years. Do you think that cow will be delicious? Tender? Lacking in flavor? No. Why? Well, because it had to work for a living. The red meat most Americans eat from the store is about 18 months old at slaughter, basically a teenager in cow years. So we shoot some 7-year-old banded goose in a farmer’s field and want it to cut like grocery-store steak? We don’t want it to have flavor, because the beef that we are used to doesn’t have that type of flavor. Want to know what happens to old cows? Sausage, that’s what. You grind up old dairy cows because they are not good for steaks. Because geese/ducks/deer/turkeys/ etc. are not domesticated and have had to make a living in the wild that affects
how their meat should be prepared. Yearand-a-half-old cow, slightly overcooked in a stir fry – delicious. Five-year-old goose? Toss the pot. Knowing is half the battle and knowing is what makes cooking them fun.
GOOSE NEEDS LOVE to be good. Show that love in the kitchen with how you prepare them. Recipes for corned goose (think corned beef), goose sausage and goose confit are all great ways to tackle the “off” flavor issue. If you are bound and determined to grill a goose breast and eat it, I might recommend a few things. First, brine the meat. This will give it flavor inside the meat and extra moisture. Second, grill to 115 degrees and no further. Third, let the meat rest. When it reaches the ideal temperature, remove it from the grill and stare at it for nwsportsmanmag.com | JANUARY 2020
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COLUMN Goose leg confit with roasted Brussels sprouts and gnocchi. (RANDY KING)
five minutes or so. Fourth, slice it thin. Five, change your expectations and understand it will not taste like beef. I remember standing in 6 inches of snow watching a man “breast out” a goose. He grabbed it by the feet, stood on its wings and pulled. After some ripping noises, a bunch of swearing and the comment “This works easier on ducks,” he had removed the breasts from the rest of the bird. He then grabbed the feet and tossed them in the trash. I was a little appalled. It was just plain wasteful. We shook hands after the hunt and the man walked into his house. I dug the legs out of his trash, tossed them in the back of my truck and ate better for it. Again, I do understand why most hunters find goose legs hard to eat. If roasted whole, the legs are chewy and full of tendons. No better than dog food, for the most part. If goose legs are fried up like chicken, they are nearly inedible. The problem with those styles of cooking is that they do not allow enough time for the meat to break down. What cooking goose legs requires most of all is time and love. It takes a while to break down the connective tissue; count on at least four hours.
GOOSE LEG CONFIT
T
oday we’re going to make goose leg confit with roasted Brussels sprouts and gnocchi. Here’s how:
1 tablespoon confit oil ½ pound Brussels sprouts, cut in half 2 goose legs, confit (see above) 1 clove garlic, crushed ½ cup cream ¼ cup chicken stock Shredded Parmesan Salt and pepper 12 ounces prepared gnocchi (or make your own) Heat oven to 425 degrees. Heat a 12-inch sauté pan on medium. Add 1 tablespoon of the confit oil to the pan. Add the Brussels sprouts to the pan, cut side down. 158 Northwest Sportsman
Let cook for three minutes, or until the sprouts have browned on the cut side. Flip the sprouts over. Next add two goose legs worth of confit meat, about 10 ounces, to the pan. Place pan in the oven and let cook for 10 minutes. Carefully remove the pan from the oven and place on a burner set to medium. Add the garlic clove to the pan. Let the garlic become fragrant. Next add the cream and chicken stock. Bring all to a boil. Reduce heat and let cook for three minutes. Next add the prepared gnocchi. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with shredded Parmesan. Serve hot. For more wild game recipes, see chefrandyking.com. –RK
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MOST TIMES I get past this toughness by cooking my goose legs confit style. To confit something is to slow cook it in oil and spices. Then you let the meat chill while completely covered in oil, creating a protective layer of fat. Confit is an oldschool Egyptian preservation method for duck, and it works great on goose too. The reason that this cooking and preservation method works is because salt creates a hostile environment for microorganisms. Cooking the meat in the hot oil also kills most microbes. Top that off with a layer of microbe-inhibiting fat covering the meat and you can keep confit for up to six months in your cellar or fridge. It was created for keeping meat in the time before refrigeration. To confit something you need to follow three basic steps. Cure the meat in salt; brown the meat; then poach it in oil. Below is the basic method of cooking any type of meat confit style. Step 1: Clean the meat very well after
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COLUMN the harvest. Then pat the meat dry with a paper towel while looking for any extra feathers, arrowheads, shot or undesirable blood clots that need to be removed. Step 2: For every pound of meat, you’ll need an eighth of a cup of kosher salt, 1 tablespoon of cracked black pepper and 1 tablespoon of garlic powder. Toss the meat with the salt mix in a gallon-sized Ziploc bag. I make sure to pour off any juice that accumulates. After 24 hours I will rinse the goose off and pat it dry. Step 3: Brown the goose meat in a couple of tablespoons of hot oil. Step 4: The next step is the hardest – not technically hard but emotionally. The smells from the cooking goose will tempt you. Ignore the temptations and let it cook. If you snack on it through the whole cooking process, it will not be the same! After the meat is brown it needs to be poached in oil. Below is a list of ingredients for the oil poaching: 1 cup rendered bacon fat (if you have it; if
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not, two sticks of butter) Canola oil – enough to barely cover the meat 8 cloves of garlic 16 each black pepper corns 2 each bay leaves 2 each sprigs of rosemary 4 each sprigs of thyme 10 each sage leaves Pack the browned goose into the bottom of a home-style cake pan. Then place on top of the goose the garlic, pepper corns, rosemary, thyme and bay and sage leaves. Add the bacon fat and then pour enough canola oil to cover the meat. Tightly wrap the whole mess in tin foil and place it on a cookie sheet. Put the goose in a 350-degree oven for two hours, then turn the oven down to the “keep warm” setting. Let it cook for two more hours. Then turn off the oven and let the meat cool for one hour. Next, remove the pan from the oven and let it cool. Then get some latex gloves. Remove the meat from the bone and
transfer it into clean and sanitized Mason jars. Fill to within 1 inch of the lid. Gently reheat the poaching oil. Pour it over the top of the meat, making sure no part of the meat is exposed. If meat is exposed it can turn faster than it should. Cool the jars in the refrigerator and when totally cooled, cap and store them in the back of the fridge. The confit can keep for up to half a year. Keep the oil from batch to batch of confit, as it gains more and more flavor over time. To eat, remove the metal lid and microwave the jar for a minute or so – just long enough to melt the fat but not heat up the meat. Then remove the amount you would like to eat and make sure to recover the meat in oil. I use confit meat in a variety of ways. I have made pizzas, pastas, potstickers, tacos and many other dishes with it. And I have used this method for all sorts of animals, like jackrabbits, rockchucks and ducks. In all, confit is a great way to keep your freezer free of odds and ends, and it tastes great too. NS
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Dog Food, Part 1: Puppies Gun dog puppies are very active and their bodies are quickly developing, which means they should be getting the highest quality food possible, from the start. (SCOTT HAUGEN)
A
s a dog trainer, hunter and person who has been around a number of dog breeders, one thing that’s struck me is GUN DOGGIN’ 101 the low quality of food I continually see being By Scott Haugen fed to gun dogs. These working canines are not like lap dogs, or dogs that never go afield. Gun dogs are like athletes and they require the healthiest food available. Even nonhunting dogs will have a higher quality of life when they are fed nutrient-dense food.
WHY DO OWNERS and breeders settle for low-quality food? It’s simple, and comes down to money and a lack of understanding of ingredients. Hunters
who opt for discounted, high-volume dog food often do so because of price; they can get more food for less money. Breeders – some, not all – often use and promote dog foods that are of lesser quality because they get large quantities at a large discount. Furthermore, these breeders often refer their foods to their clients, the people who are investing in their puppies. But when you take a close look at the ingredients in dog foods, and the daily feeding guidelines, it’s easy to see some of the best foods aren’t any more expensive than the lesser quality brands – and that’s not all. “Recent studies are showing that the longer dogs are on a certain food, the more likely they are to develop allergies to that food,” shares Chris Wright, owner of McKenzie Feed & Tackle in my hometown
of Walterville, near Springfield. “The oldschool thought of feeding your dog the same thing all the time, it’s whole life, is gone. You want to make sure they’re getting all the nutrients, amino acids and building blocks they need, and these requirements change as a dog ages.”
WRIGHT HAS ENLIGHTENED me a great deal about dog food since I switched my pudelpointers, and our family lap dog, to NutriSource dog food (nutrisourcepetfoods.com). The changes we’ve seen in our dogs since switching to this high-quality food is something every dog owner would appreciate. Our 13-year-old lap dog is running around like she’s 5 again. Our female pudelpointer, who is 6 years old, has greatly increased her range and agility, lost weight, and
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When it comes to choosing dog food, quality should be top priority. The author has been amazed with his pudelpointers’ performance and health since switching their diet to NutriSource, which offers a lot of nutrient-rich variety. (SCOTT HAUGEN)
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her coat quality is the best it’s been. Our 3-year-old male pudelpointer has become one of the most impressive, versatile gun dogs I’ve had the honor of hunting with anywhere in the world. These changes, and more, are directly related to their diet. “When it comes to puppy food, a large-breed dog, one that will be over 60 pounds as an adult, is going to be better suited going with a large-breed puppy food until it’s 1½ to 2 years old, or until the dog is spayed or neutered,” says Wright. “After 6 months you don’t have to feed as much food to your pup as puppy food is nutrient-dense,” he adds. “In other words, keep feeding it puppy food, but feed it smaller portions. A puppy will eat a lot more adult food, and this costs more, so stay on puppy food, just in smaller servings. Also know that less food equates to less droppings to clean up.” I was amazed at how many fewer times our dogs went number two, and how much smaller their droppings were, after switching to NutriSource. This is because they efficiently metabolize the quality
COLUMN ingredients, thus they pass less waste. Wright suggests, however, that if your pup is acting more hungry after 6 months of age and just keeps wanting to eat and eat, switch to adult dog food. If they start getting pudgy as a puppy, take them off the puppy food, as you don’t want a pudgy puppy after 10 weeks old. It’s far better to have a thin dog than an overweight one, as being even a pound or two overweight can take years off the life of a dog.
SO WHAT TYPES of foods does Wright recommend for your puppy? “We don’t suggest going grain-free for puppies,” he shares. “A rotational diet with puppy food is ideal, changing out flavors every bag (this is even key for adult dogs). For puppies, chicken and rice is easy to digest and they love it. If a pup is having allergies, try going grain-free. Corn and wheat are best to stay away from, as dogs digest very little of these.” “Beef is also good, but it has to be high quality,” Wright offers. “Make sure it’s sourced properly, with higher quality meat.
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Look at the bag closely; you want chicken and chicken meal as the first ingredients, not chicken byproducts, for instance.” Read the labels and avoid buying any foods that say meat byproducts as these are common coverups for low-grade meals. I learned a lot by checking the guides offered by NutriSource as to how to read their labels. “With our two griffons, we feed them a grain every three or four bags just because they digest this differently and it’s good for the dogs to have that change,” points out Wright. “Dogs break down things differently – rice versus legumes, potatoes versus oats, oatmeal versus brown rice. Peas, lentils and potatoes aren’t grains, so they are good grain-free food options. Potatoes are not a concern until a dog has an issue with it; then it’s time to switch it out.” Wright concludes with a note on something else to watch for. “Itchy dogs are very often food allergy based. Ninety percent of the time the problem is corn or wheat, be it given as a treat at the gas station, popcorn while
watching a movie at home, Cheerios at breakfast, and so on. One little bit can keep a dog uncomfortable and acting subpar for months,” he says. When we switched our three dogs to high-performance foods, their lives changed and their performance reached a whole new level. There’s a science behind quality dog foods, and every dog owner should be cognizant of that.
NEXT MONTH WE’LL take a look at adult dog food. Until then, do some homework and you’ll see that while quality dog foods appear more expensive at first glance, many are actually less pricey because less food is being consumed, thus you get more servings of a higher quality food per bag. You owe it to your dog, and yourself, to feed them the best food possible. NS Editor’s note: To watch Scott Haugen’s series of puppy training videos, visit scotthaugen .com. Follow Scott on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, and check out his TV show, The Hunt, on Amazon Prime.
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Savage Arms’ new Minimalist series of bolt-action rifles is chambered in .17 HMR, .22 Long Rifle and .22 Magnum. (SAVAGE)
Winter Is Upon Us Like A SHOT! H
ON TARGET
By Dave Workman
unting seasons are winding down for waterfowlers and upland bird hunters, but there are still opportunities for rabbits and coyotes on
the horizon. We detailed the season finales last month. By no small coincidence, Savage has just announced a new line of rimfire rifles perfect for popping cottontails and other small game. It’s the Minimalist series, with models chambered for .17 HMR, .22 Long Rifle and .22 Magnum. Each one features an 18-inch carbon steel button-rifled barrel, user-adjustable AccuTrigger (I’ve got one on my Savage American in .308 Winchester and it is superb)
that may be set between 2.5 and 6 pounds, and a detachable 10-round magazine. Perhaps just to frustrate Seattle antigunners, the Minimalist is a bolt-action design, and it’s rather impressive. You won’t need a “literacy test” or waiting period to buy one. The barrel is finished in matte black and threaded at the muzzle with a protective cap. Yep, for those who like to use a suppressor, the Minimalist is all set with ½-28 threads. Now, these rifles come with green or brown laminate stocks and factoryinstalled two-piece Weaver scope bases. Slap on a good adjustable scope and you’ve got what will likely be a dead-bang accurate rimfire. It weighs 5.8 pounds without a scope. Rabbit hunting in Washington runs through March 15, in Idaho through March
31, while Oregon’s season is year-round. Check the regs for details. My guess is that the Minimalist will be one of the highlights at this month’s Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade Show in Las Vegas starting Jan. 21. That’s the biggie, where every gun maker will be strutting their new wares, along with ammunition companies and accessory makers. It’s not open to the public, alas, but all the gun writers will be there.
NEW FROM KIMBER, per a new products announcement in mid-November, are several new Model 1911 pistols. One is a high-performance model called the Rapide. It’s loaded with features handgunners will like, including a match-grade trigger and Tru-Glo TFX Pro Day/Night sights. There are also two additions to the Micro 9 series called the Amethyst nwsportsmanmag.com | JANUARY 2020
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and Triari. According to Kimber’s announcement, “The Micro 9 Amethyst addition includes all the features consumers have become accustomed to across Kimber’s Gem Tone Line.” The Triari “features aesthetically pleasing, fully functional, deep relief laser engraved, stacked cube, front and rear cocking patterns on the slide.” It is widely known I like revolvers, and Kimber says it is adding three new variations to the K6 family. They are the DASA 4” (Combat) and (Target), and the K6s DASA (Texas Edition). All three have distinctive features to set them apart from the crowd.
IN THE OPTICS arena, German Precision Optics has entered the laser rangefinder binocular field with the new RangeGuide 10x50 model. This thing really reaches out; it’s
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KICK-EEZ® Author Dave Workman says Kimber’s new Rapide is “loaded with features” that fellow handgun enthusiasts will like. (KIMBER)
capable of precise ranging on reflective targets out to nearly 1.75 miles! This compact model is surprising, having made a debut at the NRA convention in Indianapolis last year, but this month’s SHOT Show will introduce it to the industry. I’ve been testing a pair of GPO binoculars for several months, and while they’re not
the RangeGuide model, I can say they boast some of the best optics I’ve ever used. What makes a good binocular? For openers, they must deliver edge-to-edge clarity. I’m a stickler for that, having used some good and not-so-good glass over the years. That long-range clarity is very important. Now, adding rangefinder capability to any binocular is something not to be underestimated in terms of necessity. I once shot at a four-point buck over on the Snake River that I could have sworn was only about 250 yards away, but when the landowner arrived, he told me the actual range was closer to 400 yards. I didn’t have a rangefinder at the moment but he did, and the next day he put me on
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a different deer at 350 and I clobbered it with one shot. Needless to say, I’ve never hunted without a good rangefinder since, and having one built into a binocular is smart. According to GPO, the RangeGuide “features an eye-safe Class 1 laser for instant readings (0.25-second response time) with true-range angle technology that calculates the proper distance to the target after measuring the angle to the target.” If you can’t decipher that, it translates to near-instant accuracy. The RangeGuide even measures ambient temperature in either Fahrenheit or Celsius, according to GPO. The Class 1 laser will “reliably range a tree at 1,093 yards and a deer out to 766 yards,” the company says. Now, I don’t condone shooting at any game that far out. But this does help give one an idea about just how far one must stalk in on an animal before pressing the trigger or loosing an arrow.
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KICK-EEZ®
German Precision Optics’ RangeGuide 10x50 model features a laser that can range targets out to nearly 1.75 miles. (GPO)
ONE LAST NOTE. This month, legislatures in Oregon and Washington get back to work, and if you are a gun owner who cares about the future of your rights, that is not a good thing. Anti-gunners are in control on both sides of the Columbia River and you all need to stay on top of what’s happening. Ignore this situation at your own peril. Anybody who thinks for even a heartbeat this crowd isn’t interested in your firearms
is in denial, if not delusional. To paraphrase a Greek philosopher, you may not be interested in politics, but politics is interested in you. There is a federal lawsuit still pending against gun control Initiative 1639 in Washington, and no doubt down in Salem, the gun control crowd is cooking up some poison for Oregon gun owners too. Get in the game! NS
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