Hunting Guide October 2021 by Lewiston Tribune

A special publication of

OUTDOORS SECTION | FRIDAY, OCT. 8, 2021

A TIME TO HUNT

BIG GAME OUTLOOKS CAN BE FOUND STARTING ON PAGE 12 S U P P L E M E N T T O T H E M O S C O W - P U L L M A N D A I LY N E W S

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One hunter’s decadeslong quest for bighorn high school and continued to do so nearly every year. In the spring of 2020, after 27 futile attempts, his name was drawn. “A few tears rolled down my face,” he wrote in a story published in the Idaho Wild Sheep Foundation magazine. Hunting is a curious mix of skill and luck. Random chance played a role in Carignan finally winning a shot to pursue bighorns. Standing near his mailbox, his eyes scanned the letter from Idaho Fish and Game. He realized his permit was for a unit adjacent to the one he intended to apply for. “I was too confident,” he said. “I went in and filled out the (controlled hunt) application and wrote down the (unit) number. It was the wrong one, but it worked out.”

Rich Carignan waited a long time to get a crack at taking a trophy ram in the rugged canyons of the Salmon River. And then came the hard part By ERIC BARKER OF THE TRIBUNE

Rich Carignan scrambled up a craggy ridge in Idaho’s steep Salmon River country. The climb, one of many that October day, put him in position to take a 400yard shot at a bighorn ram. Carignan steadied himself, squeezed the trigger and missed. The ram fled at the crack of the rifle but stopped, giving Carignan another shot. Again he found the big brute in his scope and squeezed the trigger. Again he missed an animal he’d long dreamed of bagging. He felt numb but oddly content as the ram with a heavy full curl disappeared up a rocky draw. “I was satisfied I got the opportunity to harvest one,” he said. “I didn’t know if I would get another chance, and I was actually okay with it.”

Preparation Carignan dove into the planning required for a successful sheep hunt. He pored over topographical maps detailing the nearly vertical area near the mouth of the South Fork of the Salmon River and its many draws and finger ridges that make it ideal habitat for bighorn sheep. He spent hours online peering at Google Earth, which gave him the same view that golden eagles have when they soar over the canyon. He and his dad, Richard Carignan, made scouting trips to the canyon, bumping down the road to Mackay Bar and pounding trails under the hot July sun. He also made it a point to hike and run several times a week in the months leading up to the hunt to boost his physical endurance.

Living a dream Carignan was just 5 years old when Jack O’Connor, the legendary outdoor writer who lived at Lewiston, died. Nonetheless he counts himself a fan of the famous scribe, who thrilled generations of hunters with his descriptive and suspenseful tales of pursuing big game in the deserts and mountains of North America and across the savannas and plains of Africa. The 48-year-old Lewiston resident, who grew up at Kooskia, also belongs to a subset of O’Connorphiles — those especially captivated by the writer’s yarns about

Rich Carignan

The rugged South Fork of the Salmon River Canyon, near its confluence with the Salmon Go time When the season opened, River, is home to one of Idaho’s Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep herds wild sheep hunting. “When I was a kid, me and my dad were interested in Jack’s stories, and he was big into sheep hunting,” he

said. “By the time I was 16, I wanted to try to get one. “They are just amazing animals — where they live and how they look.”

Carignan began entering the annual drawing for Idaho’s bighorn sheep hunting permits around the time he graduated from

Carignan hit it hard. It was still hot, and his early forays proved a bust. On his second trip, in mid-September, he found ewe groups and started to home in on areas

F R I D A Y, O C T O B E R 8 , 2 0 2 1 where the big rams could be lurking. On that trip, he spied one respectable ram, far across the river, but opted to pass it up and concentrate his efforts in October when the days would be shorter but mercifully cooler. For that, he brought on a partner, his friend Steve Schilling. The two had known each other for decades and shared many hunting and fishing adventures. They set up a spike camp and prepared for days of hiking and glassing. While on a thin and steep ridge, Carignan spotted the big ram he would later miss. But the animal was elusive and slipped into a chute. The only chance the two friends had at getting a shot required them to backtrack, lose precious elevation so they could hike downriver and scramble back up the next ridge. That’s the nature of do-it-yourself sheep hunting. Success almost always requires a significant physical commitment. Tired and sweating, they found a perch with a wide view, grabbed their binoculars and “picked apart every rockslide and crevice for about two hours.” They were about to move on when Carignan found the animal. He had invested seemingly endless hours of scouting, study and exercise to get himself to this point. He’d been hunting for days, gained and lost thousands of vertical feet, camped in some of Idaho’s most stunning scenery and located multiple sheep. There were only two tags issued in his unit, and the other hunter had harvested early, leaving it all to him. In short, Carignan was doing what he long dreamed of, pursuing wild sheep in wild country. Perhaps that is why he was fine with the missed shots that would follow. “It was a pretty cool feeling,” he said. “I was the only one that had the right to hunt those (animals) in that whole unit. I was all alone.” Carignan quickly figured out why his two shots failed to connect. The big ram was above him at a 40-degree angle. He held low to compensate. But his range finder had already factored in the angle when it spit out the distance. “I overcompensated,” he said.

Hunt not over

OUTDOORS / HUNTING 2021

FAR LEFT: Bighorn sheep love the steep and hard to access river canyons of the West. LEFT: Steve Schilling wades across the South Fork of the Salmon River while packing out the ram shot by Rich Carignan. BOTTOM: Carignan poses with the bighorn ram he harvested during the 2020 hunting season. Rich Carignan

Carignan and Schilling picked their way down the ridge and headed for their camp, glassing on the way. It was after 5 p.m. when Schilling spotted something in his binoculars across the river. “Big ram,” he said. Carignan rested his rifle on a rock and found the animal in his scope. It stood broadside in a rockslide at about 350 yards. He squeezed the trigger. The big ram lunged, stumbled and then regained its feet. It bounded downhill and died just before reaching the river. Emotions washed over Carignan. “After 27 years of dreaming of this moment, it was happening,” he wrote. The two friends found a place to ford the river. The cold October water that reached their chests made their bones ache. Coming back, they had to hold the ram’s heavy head and horns as they floated it across the South Fork. They found themselves neck deep before they regained the shore. Once there, Carignan was able to pause to admire the animal and take in the moment. “He was absolutely gorgeous and even larger than I thought,” he said.

Sharing the experience Back at home, Carignan met with his dad, the one who had introduced him to Jack O’Connor’s stories and helped him prepare for the hunt. “He was just as happy as I was. That is something both of us have been dreaming about forever — him even longer than me.”

Barker may be contacted at ebarker@ lmtribune.com or at (208) 848-2273. Follow him on Twitter @ezebarker.

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Sometimes the prey finds you Coeur d’Alene hunters’ first foray into hunting sandhill cranes proves unexpectedly fruitful By ERIC BARKER OF THE TRIBUNE

Not paying attention in a blind, no matter how slow the hunting, has an odd way of making things happen. That’s the way it went for Wes Baker. He, his dad and a buddy were sitting in a field near Bear Lake with a spread of sandhill crane decoys in front of them. The gangly birds were flying but shunning their setup. Bored and discouraged, Baker started looking at his phone. “All of sudden I look up, and there are six of them right in our lap — right above us,” he said.

What is that? ABOVE: Wes Baker, of Coeur d’Alene, poses for the snapshot with two sandhill cranes he and his father harvested near Bear Lake in southeastern Idaho. RIGHT: A closeup of the long claw-like talons of a sandhill crane. The bird can be destructive to grain crops and are a nuisance to farmers. Wes Barker

Sandhill cranes are lanky, grayish-brown birds that stand about 4 feet tall on sticklike legs. They have sharp beaks, red skull caps and a squeaky, chattering call that is sometimes incessant. But they were unknown to Baker. He used to work for the Idaho Department of Fish and Game at Lewiston. One day he walked into the office of the late Mark Hill, the lead conservation officer for the Clearwater Region. Hill had a mounted sandhill crane behind his desk. “I said ‘What the heck is that thing?’ ” he remembers

thinking. “I’m from north Idaho and had never even heard of these things before.” Not long after, Baker got his first look at live sandhill cranes while working at the agency’s Red River Wildlife Management Area near Elk City. But he heard them first. “I was trying to figure out what that obnoxious noise was, and there is these two just gigantic birds in a field. They make an awful racket,” he said. “They are just the most obnoxious birds. It’s like it’s never-ending.” Those two experiences planted a seed. Baker, an avid hunter, thought of them each time he thumbed through the back pages of Idaho’s migratory bird hunting pamphlet, where the regulations for the state’s short crane season live. Then last year, he got a first-come, first-served swan permit in the Panhandle region and bagged one of the birds. Why not, he thought, try for a sandhill next.

Crop damage Sandhill cranes can gather in large numbers and damage grain, corn or alfalfa fields. Because of their large wing spans, even just landing and taking off in grain fields can cause damage, said Toby Boudreau, chief of the Idaho Fish and Game Wildlife Bureau. They are seasonally abundant

F R I D A Y, O C T O B E R 8 , 2 0 2 1 in southeastern Idaho and in the lower Columbia River basin of Washington. They are protected in the Evergreen State, but hunting is allowed in parts of 16 states including Idaho and its neighbors Montana, Wyoming and Utah. Idaho turned to hunters as part of a strategy to reduce crop damage. It awards permits in the southeastern part of the state on a firstcome, first-served basis and adjusts the numbers available annually based on population trends in several Western states. “It’s a highly regulated hunt,” said Jeff Knetter, Fish and Game upland game and migratory game bird coordinator at Boise. In each of the state’s hunt areas, some properties, known as lure fields, are offlimits to hunting. The idea is to harass the birds out of the majority of crop fields but teach them they are safe in the lure fields. Farmers who volunteer their fields as bait, are compensated by the Idaho Department of Fish and Game.

OUTDOORS / HUNTING 2021 “The whole idea is to help keep cranes out of grain fields,” said Boudreau.

The hunt Baker, his dad and friend secured permits for the Bear Lake hunt area, did their homework and consulted with friends who live in the area but otherwise hunted blind. Making their schedules line up was a challenge, so instead of hunting the opening weekend when birds are less wary, they hunted during the third week of the season. By that time, most of the wheat fields had been harvested, and the birds had been shot at enough that they were suspicious of anything that looked out of place. On their first day, the men explored, looking for fields with cranes and then contacting landowners for permission. Baker said most of the farmers don’t like the cranes and the damage they can cause. So they are often willing to let hunters use their fields. “It was way easier than I ever expected to get

permission,” he said.

Honing strategies At one field, they tried to sneak up on the birds. “We belly-crawled along this grown-over fence for about 700 yards and go to jump these cranes,” he said. “We think we are a lot closer than we are. They are so big they look like they are in range, but they were never in range.” They went back to scratch and while trying to figure out how they should hunt another field, a stray flock flew over the men. They unloaded and got one. “We were ecstatic. We were on the board,” he said. “It wasn’t really what we had planned, but it worked.” Later that day, they fell back to more traditional methods and set up decoys in a field, found some cover and waited. But not a single flock gave them more than a glancing look. The next morning was their last chance. They planned to hunt for a few hours and then start the nine-hour drive

home. Baker said they set up decoys in a field the birds had used the day before. Soon the cranes were flying. “You can hear them from like a mile away just making an awful racket. Some fly way to the right, some fly way to the left,” he said. “It’s like they know they are being hunted, so they don’t follow any pattern.” That’s when Facebook, via his phone, provided a distraction and maybe, too, a spark. He was looking at his phone and reading a post and glanced up just to check. The flock of six sandhill cranes was right on top of them, half to the left and half to the right. “My dad shoots one of these, and I shoot one of those and we were like yay, yay, yay,” he said. “We got up to get them and some more came in on us, and my dad shot one of those and I shot another.” It worked out, and they were ready for the long haul home to Coeur d’Alene. But one of the birds made it to some cattails. The men spent two hours

slogging through the small wetland unsuccessfully looking for the bird. Idaho allows sandhill crane hunters to use lead shot. Baker recommends heavy loads to bring them down. The birds are long but thin. “Their necks are tiny, their heads are tiny and their body is pretty small,” he said. “They have a pretty squatty body.” But they are also hardy. “We were using lead coyote loads, like 3-inch magnum BBs. We started with 3-inch number 5s, and it didn’t even ruffle a feather.”

Good eating Sandhill cranes have a reputation as great table fare. So good they’ve been given the nickname ribeye of the sky. “It’s very true, 100 percent,” Baker said. “Literally the best. It would be a very close tie for sandhill crane and rough grouse.”

Barker may be contacted at ebarker@lmtribune.com or at (208) 848-2273. Follow him on Twitter @ezebarker.

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E P I D E M I C S AM O N G T H E U N G U LAT E S

Malady killing whitetail found at lower elevations Large outbreaks of epizootic hemorrhagic disease appear to follow region’s waterways By ERIC BARKER

Deer disease hot spots in the region Outbreaks of epizootic hemorrhagic disease, or EHD, that started this summer and continuing have hit whitetail deer populations to varying degrees at several places in the Clearwater Region. This maps shows areass where the largely fatal disease has been more acute.

OF THE TRIBUNE

Rivers

Onaway Game Management Units The outbreak of epizootic Potlatch 8A hemorrhagic disease that is killing Bovill Areas affects by EHD whitetail deer in north central Idaho Deary Elk River Moscow Troy has stayed largely, but not entirely, in pockets of low elevation areas that trace the Clearwater River, its Kendrick 8 South Fork and the Potlatch River. 10A Genesee Juliaetta Other spots with notable 10 mortality include Lapwai Creek Pierce Orofino Lewiston and parts of the Palouse such as Peck 12 Moscow, Troy and Potlatch. Lapwai Weippe But other areas have either Culdesac Reubens remained free from the disease Craigmont spread by biting gnats or have seen Kamiah Winchester Nezperce less-severe outbreaks. The Idaho Kooskia Lowell Ferdinand Department of Fish and Game 11A 17 11 Stites published a map showing areas where Cottonwood 16 mortality rates have been higher. Clay Hickey, wildlife manager for the department at Lewiston, doesn’t 16A Grangeville 13 want to downplay the loss of animals Elk City in areas that have been harder hit. White But Hickey wants hunters to know Bird 15 there are places deer hunting should be normal this fall — and there are places they might want to avoid. 20 14 “If you are going to want to 19 18 hunt those areas (with higher Riggins mortality) or, say, your honey hole is Cottonwood Creek, this may not be a very good year,” he said. “But Source: Idaho Fish and Game even for nonresident hunters who are stuck to a unit at this point,

they still have the ability to go hunt another area (within the unit.)” Areas that have seen higher mortality, such as Kamiah, have the ability to bounce back fairly quickly. Following a widespread outbreak in 2003 that may have killed as many as 10,000 whitetail deer in the Clearwater Region, overall success of whitetail hunters and the harvest of animals with five or more antler points was not substantially affected in Unit 10A that year or in 2004. In Unit 11A, hunter success dropped in 2003 but ticked up slightly in 2004. The percent of mature deer in the harvest was about the same. In Unit 8A, both success and percent of fivepoints in the harvest were higher in 2003 and 2004 compared to 2002. Hickey said the harvest records from 2003, a more severe outbreak, and the fact that harder-hit areas make up fairly small parts of hunting units, led the agency to leave hunting seasons and regulations unchanged. If needed, seasons could be adjusted for the 2022 season. The disease is not transmittable to humans. However, according to a news release from the agency, hunters should avoid harvesting deer that appear to be sick or disoriented. Some deer recover from the disease, and they can be consumed if harvested. However, the agency noted the livers from recovered deer can be unusually dark and grainy.

Barker may be contacted at ebarker@ lmtribune.com or at (208) 848-2273.

Scientists battle hoof disease with clear eyes WSU research team confirms that disease causing lesions on elk hooves can be transmitted via soil By ERIC BARKER OF THE TRIBUNE

Scientists at Washington State University said their research into elk hoof disease is aimed at finding strategies that can help wildlife managers control its spread and that eradicating the debilitating illness is likely impossible. “We would like to eradicate, to

wipe this disease off the face of the planet, but we have to keep our objectives realistic,” said Magaret Wild, a professor at the College of Veterinary Medicine who is leading the university’s effort to learn more about the ailment officially known as treponeme-associated hoof disease. Wild’s team recently established that healthy elk can acquire the disease via contact with contaminated

soil. The disease first surfaced in western Washington several years ago and has been detected in many parts of the state and in north central Idaho, Oregon and California. No cases have been documented in southeastern Washington, however. It causes lesions on elks’ hooves that can progress to abnormal growths. It is mostly, but not always, fatal and impairs afflicted elk, making it harder for them to move, find food and escape predators. With funding from the Washington Legislature, the university hired Wild

and built a facility to hold captive elk. During initial trials that were delayed and altered because of a human disease — COVID-19 — researchers applied soil mixed with ground-up tissue taken from the hooves of elk that had died of the illness to the feet of the research animals. The results were conclusive: Four out of four of the animals developed TAHD, but none of the animals in a control group that had the same treatment, minus the addition of ground-up tissue from

>> See CLEAR EYES, Page 7

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OUTDOORS / HUNTING 2021

Henry Moore/WSU

Kristin Mansfield, seated, with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, and Sushan Hahn of the WSU Diagnostic Medicine Center examine elk hooves in an effort to understand elk hoof disease.

CLEAR EYES

>> Continued from PAGE 6

previously infected elk, became ill. Three of the infected elk were euthanized when the disease advanced to the point it would soon cause them significant pain. One of the animals recovered. Wild said one conclusion from the initial phase of research is that removing infected animals from herds is likely to reduce transmission of the illness. “If you can remove an infected elk, it also reduces all the future infection that elk could cause by passing the disease on to others,” she said. Wild said while the presence of treponeme bacteria is believed to be key to development of the disease, it has not been identified as the definitive cause, and other factors such as condition of the animals, other bacteria or the presence of chemicals such as pesticides may also play a role. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife is encouraging hunters in the western part of the state, the epicenter of the disease, to submit hooves of the animals they

>>On the Web For more information on elk hoof disease, you can visit these sites: WSU Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology: bit.ly/3FmOtni Washington Department of Fish and Widlife: bit.ly/3oJC5Il harvest to the agency. Under the pilot program, those who participate and submit hooves found to be consistent with signs of the disease will be entered into a drawing for a premium 2022 elk tag. People in Washington who participate in the state’s Master Hunter program can get a permit that directs them to target animals showing signs of the disease, such as limping and lameness. More information is available at youtu.be/XEYXWtDxH4Q. Kyle Garrison, an elk specialist at the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, said hunters continue to help the agency and researchers track the disease by reporting limping and lame animals they witness or harvest. “We found hunter reporting is the most efficient method we have come up with for (tracking the spread of the disease),” Garrison said. n

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A herd of elk grazes on the Chief Joseph Wildlife Area near Joseph Creek in Asotin County. Eric Barker/Tribune

The Blues are a tough neighborhood Incomplete monitoring, postponed by wildﬁres, of region’s elk herds shows high calf mortality By ERIC BARKER OF THE TRIBUNE

Incomplete results from an elk monitoring project in the Blue Mountains show young animals face a high mortality rate with predation as the chief cause. However, the work slated to run through winter has several months to go, and widespread drought and wildfires across large swaths of the monitoring area could complicate interpretation of results. Paul Wik, district wildlife biologist for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife at Clarkston, said 125 elk calves were captured

and fitted with tracking collars in May. Thus far, 97 of those have died, and three of the animals shed their collars, making it impossible to know the fate of those animals. Wik said the majority of the animals that died were killed by predators — a mix of mountain lions, black bears and wolves. When collared animals die, researchers attempt to determine the cause. If it was from predation, they try to identify the species of the predator. “Because of the fires this year, not all of them were investigated as rapidly as we normally would, so we have a number of unknowns,” Wik said.

Elk calves were collared in the Lick Creek, Tucannon and Dayton game management units. Wik said none of the animals died in the Lick Creek or Green Ridge fires that covered vast portions of the Lick Creek and Tucannon units. But he said some calves moved further than is normal while escaping the blazes, and that may have indirectly contributed to some of the mortality. The drought, which was severe, may have caused a few cow elk to abandon their calves. Elk in the Blue Mountains have been on a downward trend over the past five years. The agency undertook the monitoring program to identify sources of mortality in calves. “The population in the Blues is below management objectives and has been on a downward trend since the severe winter of

2016-2017, and in recent years we think calf recruitment is one of the reasons it is not recovering,” Wik said. “We are trying to get the calf survival rates and the causes of poor recruitment to see if we can make management decisions to help this elk population return to objective.” Following aerial surveys last spring, the agency estimated the Blue Mountain elk population to be 3,600 with a calf-to-cow ratio of 22-to-100 and a bull-to-cow ratio of 24.6-to-100. The fiveyear population average is 4,830. The agency has an elk population objective of about 5,500 with a ratio of 22 to 28 bulls per 100 cows.

Barker may be contacted at ebarker@ lmtribune.com or at (208) 848-2273. Follow him on Twitter @ezebarker.

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OUTDOORS / HUNTING 2021

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FIELD

FEAST

Entrepreneur Jed Conklin takes his hunting and fishing pursuits to the next level as a big game foodie By ERIC BARKER

OF THE TRIBUNE

ed Conklin, a freelance photographer, real estate entrepreneur and restaurant owner recently of Spokane, doesn’t recall a time when he wasn’t a hunter or angler. “My earliest memories are in the woods with my dad,” Conklin said. “My mom went into labor with me while fishing.” So of course he knows how to cook wild game. But as he grew older and explored the Western United States and the world, Conklin befriended chefs who introduced him to another level of culinary arts. “I really got into the finer nuances of cooking, certainly way more recently,” he said. “I started doing more advanced recipes beyond grilling burgers and steaks and making Crock-Pot (dishes).”

Kentucky roots His family had a farm in Kentucky where he grew up hunting everything from whitetail deer to squirrels and ducks. In college Conklin was known as a sort of provider who would share his deer, ducks and other game with fellow journalism students and his instructors at Western Kentucky University. After graduating with degrees in print and photojournalism, he landed photography internships that brought him west, first at the Pinedale Roundup, in Pinedale, Wyo., and then at the Jackson Hole News & Guide, also in the Cowboy State. He parlayed those gigs

ABOVE: Conklin poses for a photo with a large bull elk he bagged using bow and arrow. LEFT: Smoked wild turkey breast plated and ready to serve. Conklin recomends serving it with spring vegetables. Jed Conklin photos

Jed Conklin

Jed Conklin of Hailey, Idaho, and formerly of Spokane, is a freelance photographer, real estate entrepreneur and restaurant owner. into a position as a staff photographer at the Spokesman-Review in Spokane. With a full-time job and income that allowed him to purchase out-ofstate tags, Conklin started exploring the hunting opportunities of the West. His first elk hunt, with his dad and a couple of college buddies, could not have gone better. On the morning of opening day, he hiked up to a saddle. Soon, a bull bugled below him. “I ripped off a terrible bugle back and sat there.” “About 10 minutes later a group of cows filed past, followed by a big five-point bull, and 45 minutes into my

elk hunting career I had my first bull on the ground,” he said. “I was like ‘S***, this is easy.’ Little did I know.”

Upping his game A chef friend in Missoula exposed Conklin to the world of fine cooking. “I would take him stuff, and he would make s*** you wouldn’t believe,” he said.

He later became a freelance photographer and traveled the globe but returned to Spokane where a friend helped him buy some commercial property. He and chef Tony Brown opened the restaurant Hunt in one of his properties and then Redband — a small event center named for native trout of the Columbia Basin, including the

Spokane River. Through that experience, which included working closely with Brown and other foodies, plus cooking with his wife, Courtney, his culinary skills went through a renaissance. “All of a sudden the sky becomes the limit for new dishes and ways to look at wild game,” he said. “It was sort of a mind explosion.” He eventually started the Instagram account Field-to-Feast and an associated Youtube channel as a way to share what he has learned. Here, he shares a pair of his favorite dishes:

> ELK ROAST “Anybody can do it,” Conklin said. “This is not complicated.” It does take some time, however. Set

OUTDOORS / HUNTING 2021 aside a long afternoon for this dish. Ingredients: 3- to 5-pound roast Rustic cut roasting vegetables of choice Stock 1 stick of butter Fresh herbs — thyme, rosemary, oregano. Salt, pepper Any cut of about 3 to 5 pounds, such as top or button rounds, will do, but roasts with more sinew and tendons, especially those from the neck or shanks, are a good choice for this slow cook. Preheat oven to 400. Pat dry the fully thawed roast and cover it with a rub of salt and black pepper. Conklin likes to add a bit of ground coffee at a ratio of about three parts salt and pepper to one part coffee. Those who like a bit of heat can add a spicier pepper as well. Combine a half stick of butter and ¼ cup of high-heat oil, like avocado oil, in a cast-iron skillet on medium high to high heat. Sear the roast on all sides to the point that it develops a thick, dark brown crust that pings when hit with a fork. “Make sure it’s hard seared all the way around on every single piece and part — no raw meat visible. That is going to take 15 to 20 minutes.” Place the seared roast in a braising dish or a Dutch oven. Conklin said a deep dish cast-iron skillet that can be covered with foil will work, but something with a heavy lid is preferred. Add about an inch of homemade elk stock, store-bought beef stock or any stock on hand and put it in the oven, uncovered at this point, for 30 minutes. Check periodically to ensure the stock doesn’t completely evaporate. After a half an hour to 40 minutes, the roast should start to constrict and shrink as the raw meat beneath the seared crust starts to cook. When it does, add liquid if needed, baste thoroughly and reduce temperature to 275. Cover and roast for at least two hours and as long as 3 to 3½ hours while basting about every 30 minutes throughout the entire cook and adding liquid as needed. While it’s cooking, chop your favorite vegetables for roasting. Conklin uses carrots, potatoes, onions, tomatoes, bell and banana peppers, a sweet potato for color and celery. Uncover, add the vegetables and push them down around the roast. Add fresh herbs like thyme, rosemary and oregano. Add the remaining half a stick of butter on top of the roast and salt and pepper to taste. Cook covered until the vegetables are tender, about 1½ hours. Continue to baste periodically. Once vegetables are cooked and soft, uncover and turn oven temperature up to 350. Roast until vegetables are nicely browned. Finish on a high broil if you

like more of a crust on the vegetables. The liquid should be reduced to a gravylike or heavy au jus sauce thickness and texture. If it’s too thin, pour liquid into a sauce pan and reduce over heat. If it’s too thick, add stock and stir. Plate, pour sauce over roast and vegetables and serve with a nice piece of rustic bread on the side. Conklin recommends pairing with a full-bodied red wine or a juicy IPA. It’s a great dish for people who may be new to wild game. “It’s fork tender and a very delicious home comfort food dish that is easy,” he said. “Most people who make Crock-Pot roasts will find this to be well worth the extra effort.”

> SMOKED TURKEY BREAST Ingredients: 1 wild turkey breast Brine — 1 cup of salt and 1 cup of sugar for every gallon of water. A 1-gallon brine works nicely in a 2-gallon zip-close plastic bag. Fresh limes Brine breast for at least 24 hours and no more than 48 hours. Remove from brine, rinse lightly, pat dry and set uncovered on a plate or sheet pan in the fridge until the surface gets tacky. Marinate tacky breast in about 1 cup of fresh lime juice, pepper and pinch of salt for about an hour. (Breast will be salty from the brine, so easy does it on the salt.) Remove from marinade and let it dry in the fridge without wiping it off. Place in a smoker with a fruity wood like apple or cherry at a temperature of about 225. If using a pellet smoker, pull when the internal temperature hits 150 and crank the smoker up to 450 to 500. Place in oven-safe dish and baste the top with the juice of one lime and a melted halfstick of butter. Return to smoker and cook until the butter and lime mixture on the breast turns a nice golden brown. If using a traditional smoker, remove when internal temperature hits 155, baste with the lime and melted butter, place in an oven preheated to high broil and remove when the butter and lime mixture on the breast turns a nice golden brown. With both traditional or pellet smoker, ensure the breast reaches an internal temperature of 165. Rest 10 to 15 minutes. Serve with fresh spring vegetables like asparagus, snow peas and leafy greens. Pair with a light white wine or a pilsner. “It’s delicious and a great way to introduce someone to wild turkey,” he said. “It’s just so moist and awesome.”

Barker may be contacted at ebarker@ lmtribune.com or at (208) 848-2273. Follow him on Twitter @ezebarker.

Jed Conklin

The various stages of slow-cooked elk roast, from browning (top) to stewing (middle) to dining (bottom).

OUTDOORS / HUNTING 2021

F R I D A Y, O C T O B E R 8 , 2 0 2 1

I D AH O O U T LO O K: B I G G AM E

Clearwater herds are mostly treading water While recent winters have been milder, drought and diseases aren’t helping the elk and deer populations

Overall, Idaho’s elk herds appear to be stable, but in backcountry hunting units like the Lolo and Selway zones, the populations are not meeting objectives. Siggy Nowak

By ERIC BARKER OF THE TRIBUNE

In general, Idaho big game hunters can expect populations of elk and deer to be little changed from a year ago. Looked at from a statewide basis, the state’s elk and whitetail deer herds are doing well while mule deer numbers, similar to those in other Western states, have seen better days. Last year, hunters in Idaho harvested 22,776 elk, 24,809 mule deer and 24,859 whitetail deer, according to the Idaho Department of Fish and Game. Whitetail hunters enjoyed a 44 percent success rate. Elk hunters had a 23 percent success rate, and 28 percent of mule deer hunters were successful. But drill down a little bit and hunters will find more variation. For example, elk herds in the state’s backcountry units, such as the Lolo and Selway zones in the Clearwater Region, are below objectives. Whitetail herds in the Clearwater Region are generally in decent shape, but an outbreak of epizootic hemorrhagic disease in some of the lower elevation areas has reduced local numbers of deer. (See related story, Page 6.) “We have had some fairly mild winters, and prior to the EHD outbreak I would have said things are rolling along pretty good,” said Clay Hickey, wildlife manager for the Clearwater Region at Lewiston. The weather was mild the last few winters, which generally translates to higher continued into the spring. It survival for elk and deer. stayed dry during a summer However, it was drier than that saw lengthy hot spells. normal, and the drought

go into it as fat, and that is a concern, but there is not a lot we can do about that,” he said. “Old animals and small animals are going to have a harder time in a normal winter, and if it’s a bad winter, we are going to tip over more animals.” He said the region’s elk herds are little changed from where they have been in the recent past. The animals are doing better in places like the Palouse and Hells Canyon zones. The Palouse Zone is the only uncapped zone in the region, and the Hells Canyon Zone is limited to controlled hunts only. The Lolo, Selway, Elk City and Dworshak zones are not meeting the state’s elk population objectives. Because of that the zones are capped, meaning the sale of all or some types of general season tags is limited. Hickey said most deer habitat is in good shape, but there are some factors to note. In addition to places that were harder hit by EHD, fires may have shuffled animals in certain locations. “Some places, like Unit 11, had a bunch of habitat burn up,” he said. In some cases, he said, the animals are in unburned patches within the footprint of burns, such as the Snake River Complex that covered much of the Craig Mountain Wildlife Area. But some animals have likely moved to adjacent unburned areas. Hickey said while that is not likely to affect elk and deer numbers this

year, it may in the future. “If we get an epic winter, (animals) are not going to

Barker may be contacted at ebarker@lmtribune.com or at (208) 848-2273. Follow him on Twitter @ezebarker.

F R I D A Y, O C T O B E R 8 , 2 0 2 1

OUTDOORS / HUNTING 2021

W AS H I N G T O N O U T LO O K: B I G G AM E

Eli Francovich/Spokesman-Review

Three hunters confer on strategy early one autumn morning in the fall of 2018.

Officials expect woods to be less crowded Fires and drought pose challenges for sportsmen in the region but opportunities for successful hunts remain By ELI FRANCOVICH SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

Big game hunters in eastern Washington face a host of uncertainties this year, including the lingering impacts of a drought, forest fires and the outbreak of two wildlife diseases. Biologists with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife say there will still be opportunity to fill a tag. Plus, the crowds will likely be smaller this year, according to early license sale data. In 2020, nearly 10,000 more hunters

took to the field than in 2019. Wildlife officials expect those numbers to drop back to normal.

Districts Eastern Washington is comprised of three “districts” within Region 1 of Washington’s game management system. District 1 (Ferry, Pend Oreille, Stevens counties) is known for its whitetail deer, moose and turkey hunting opportunities. Quality hunting opportunities also exist for other game species,

including mule deer, black bear, forest grouse and cougar. District 2 (Lincoln, Spokane, Whitman) is known for its deer hunting opportunities, including whitetail deer in Spokane and Palouse agricultural lands and mule deer in channeled scablands and breaks of the Snake River. Quality hunting opportunities also exist for other game species, including pheasant and elk, if hunters have secured access to private lands. Moose and bighorn sheep hunters can enjoy quality hunts if they are selected for special permit hunts. District 3 (Asotin, Columbia, Garfield, Walla Walla) is known for its elk hunting opportunities in the Blue Mountains and mule deer

hunting opportunities in grassland/ agricultural game management units. Hunting opportunities also exist for other game species, including whitetail deer, black bear, chukar, turkey and pheasant.

Deer District 1 — Deer hunting opportunities in District 1 vary from fair to excellent, depending on the GMU. The best opportunities to harvest a mule deer in District 1 generally occur in GMUs 101 (Sherman) and 121 (Huckleberry). All GMUs within the district offer good opportunities to harvest a whitetail deer. Mule

>> See CROWDED, Page 14

CROWDED

> Continued from PAGE 13

deer are common in some highelevation locations, particularly in Ferry County (GMU 101), but District 1 is not known for its mule deer opportunity. One important rule change: In 2021, hunters of any user group or weapon type will not be able to harvest a doe, according to WDFW regulations. For public land hunters, District 1 can pose a challenge as the best GMUs see lots of hunter pressure. For example, in 2020, GMU 108 had the highest hunter-success rate at 32 percent. There were about three hunters, however, for every square mile on GMU 108. The least-popular GMU was 113 with 1.9 hunters per square mile, but the huntersuccess rate was 16 percent. Still, opportunity remains. According to the agencies’ survey, whitetail and mule deer populations seem to be stable throughout District 1. District 2 — Overall, the whitetail deer population is down in District 2

OUTDOORS / HUNTING 2021 because of a series of events starting with the drought and bluetongue virus outbreak of 2015 that lasted well into October and had deer dying in Region 1 from Canada to Oregon. The relatively mild winter of 201516 helped a little, as did more normal precipitation that spring and summer, but the winter of 2016-17 was one the hardest in the past 10 years and decreased overwinter fawn survival. The population got a break in 2017 and started showing signs of recovery, but the winter of 2018-19 was another difficult winter (though not as bad as 2016), and there was a small outbreak of epizootic hemorrhagic disease in north Lincoln and northwest Spokane counties. The winters of 2019-20 and 2020-21 were mild, which should help the whitetail deer population start to rebound. The lack of precipitation this spring and summer does not bode well for whitetail deer. Overall, mule deer herds are near their long-term averages. The mule deer populations suffered losses because of the same series of events noted above, but mule deer do not typically die from bluetongue and epizootic hemorrhagic disease, and the snows left the basin a bit sooner than in the northeast. The lack of precipitation and the

F R I D A Y, O C T O B E R 8 , 2 0 2 1

likelihood of continuing drought will hurt mule deer and especially fawn survival and recruitment. The reduced recruitment will likely not impact this year’s harvest but will be felt in the 2022 season. In general, the best opportunities to harvest a whitetail deer in District 2 occur in GMUs 124 and 127. The best opportunities to harvest a mule deer in District 2 occur in GMUs 136, 139 and 142. The terrain in GMUs 136–142 is better suited for muzzleloader and modern firearm. There is a 3-point minimum antler point regulation in GMUs 127–142 for whitetail deer, and the late whitetail deer season in GMUs 127–142 is by permit only (the Palouse Special Permit Hunt) as of 2006. Hunter success over the past 10 years is, on average, higher for the Palouse hunt (43 percent versus 30 percent in the general season), with 5-plus-point bucks making up, on average, a greater percentage of the kill (37 percent versus 28 percent in the general season). There are 650 permits offered for the Palouse hunt. District 3 — Large wildfire, namely the Lick Creek and Green Ridge fires, in southeast Washington will impact hunting access, and success in District 3 and biologists recommend checking the most recent fire information and public

land closure information from the Umatilla National Forest and WDFW. As of Sept. 9, the National Forest had reopened most of its lands within the Lick Creek fire area. News to be aware of: Deer Area 1040 (4-0 Ranch Wildlife Area) has been eliminated and is open to general season deer and elk hunting under same regulations as GMU 172. Deer Area 1021 has been eliminated. This area was originally created to control resident deer in the area around Clarkston. Radiocollaring studies showed that it was likely many of the harvested deer were only using the Deer Area for winter range and were not resident deer causing damage issues. Any Deer permits were added for youth in selected GMUs.

Elk District 1 — Traditionally elk hunters in District 1 face an uphill struggle, and 2021 won’t be any different. The mountainous and forested landscape typical of District 1 makes hunting and surveying elk difficult. As of 2021, WDFW biologists haven’t surveyed elk in District 1, relying instead on hunter-harvest reports. Since 2009, hunters have killed between 200 and 300 elk in District 1 each year.

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F R I D A Y, O C T O B E R 8 , 2 0 2 1 If you’re up to the challenge, WDFW biologists say the best elk hunting opportunities occur in GMUs associated with the Pend Oreille subherd area, which includes GMUs 113 (Selkirk), 117 (49 Degrees North), and 111 (Aladdin). Elk hunter numbers in the Colville District have increased over the past several years with hunter participation and harvest well dispersed across the Colville District through all three hunting methods. Hunting elk successfully within District 1 is no small challenge, according to agency biologists. District 2 — All elk in District 2 are Rocky Mountain elk and belong to the Spokane subherd of the Selkirk elk herd. The Selkirk herd originated in Pend Oreille County and has expanded its range over the past 40 years. As elk habitat in District 2 continues to be lost to agricultural conversion and urban sprawl, WDFW’s goal is to maintain the population at its current level (roughly 1,000-1,500 elk) while limiting agricultural damage and conflict within exurban areas. Consequently, an “any elk” harvest is offered for the general season in all GMUs. Elk in this herd can be highly mobile and difficult to locate, so learning their behavior and gaining access to numerous private lands will greatly increase your chance of success. The terrain in GMUs 136-142 is better suited for muzzleloader and modern firearm, with open landscapes predominated by shrub steppe, scablands and dryland farming. The majority of the district’s elk harvest (25-50 percent) is usually in GMU 130, though a high proportion consistently occurs in GMUs 124 and 127. Hunters who gain access to private lands in GMUs 127 and 130 have often had the highest success, though success in GMUs 136 and 139 has been higher the past couple of years. In GMU 130, hunters likely benefit from animals moving on and off Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge during the season. District 3 — Known for its elk hunting, most hunters heading to the Blue Mountains have been doing so for years. New hunters to this area will have to consider several options, such as weapon type, private land access versus public land, the difficulty of hunt desired (wilderness versus landscapes with roads), and, as archery hunters, whether the availability of antlerless opportunity is important. In 2021, wildfire activity will be an important consideration on where to hunt. As of Sept. 9, most public lands on the Umatilla

OUTDOORS / HUNTING 2021

A hunter waits in a blind during a fall deer hunt in 2018. National Forest had reopened. Throughout District 3, the harvest of branched-bulls is regulated through the permit system. All GMUs in District 3 are managed for quality hunting, except GMUs 145, 186 and some hunts in 149. The drawing of these tags can be difficult, and many hunters invest years before successfully obtaining a permit. Once a permit is obtained, district biologists are available to provide information on where to hunt within a GMU. Biologists in District 3 conduct an annual helicopter survey within the core elk areas to estimate the population size after winter. This spring, survey efforts resulted in a population estimate of 3,600 elk. Surveys are conducted along the state line of Oregon and within the state, resulting in approximately 500-600 elk being classified that likely are not available for harvest in Washington during the fall. The average five-year population estimate prior to 2020 was 4,830 elk, which is 25 percent higher than the 2021 estimate. The 2021 surveys documented a calf ratio of 22.0 calves per 100 cows and a bull ratio of 24.6 bulls per 100 cows.

Bear Washington is divided into nine Black Bear Management Units (BBMUs). District 1 — Black bears occur throughout District 1, but population densities vary among GMUs. The best opportunities to harvest a bear likely occur in GMUs 101 (Sherman) and 117 (49 Degrees North), mainly on account of abundant public land that is open to hunting. Most hunters don’t target black bears specifically, instead hunting them opportunistically. Since 2004, hunter success in District 1 GMUs has varied from 4 percent to 18 percent. The success rate is likely higher for hunters who specifically hunt black bears versus those who buy a bear tag just in case they see one while deer or elk hunting. In 2019, biologists conducted a survey to estimate black bear density in GMU 117. Density was found to be 31 bears/38 square miles. Black bear populations are believed to be stable in District 1. Note: Black bear hunters in District 1 MUST complete WDFW’s online bear identification test each year and carry proof they passed it. Those wishing to prep for and take

Eli Francovich/Spokesman-Review

the test in the Bear Identification Program may visit bit.ly/3oTsv5N. District 2 — Bear harvest in District 2 is substantially lower than in the rest of the Northeastern BBMU, likely because of habitat and hunter access limitations. Most of the harvest usually occurs in GMUs 124 and 127. Although the Columbia Basin BBMU is not thought to support resident black bear populations because of lack of forested habitat, GMU 133 has averaged six bears per year over the past 10 years. Harvest in the other GMUs in the Basin (136-142) is low or nonexistent and would not be worthwhile to hunt for this species. District 3 — Black bears occur mainly in the foothills and forested areas of District 3, but population densities vary among GMUs. The highest densities of bears occur in GMUs 154 (Blue Creek) and 162 (Dayton). District 3 consists of GMUs that are part of the Blue Mountains Black Bear Management Unit 8 (BBMU 8). As in other areas, most bear hunting in District 3 is opportunistic. Since 2001, hunter success in District 3 has averaged just 6 percent and has never been higher than 9 percent. n

OUTDOORS / HUNTING 2021

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W AS H I N G T O N O U T LO O K: G AM E B I RD S

Bird hunters flush with anticipation Record heat and drought dry up water sources and diminish hunting potential By RICH LANDERS

FOR THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

The trends make it easy to be pessimistic about upland bird hunting seasons in eastern Washington. But a hunter with a bird dog has at least one compelling reason to go out. With some planning, foot work and luck — they’ll both be fulfilled, and perhaps pleasantly surprised. Never mind that wildfires in the past 14 months alone have scorched hundreds of thousands of acres and nuked some favorite bird hunting haunts. For example, the 127,000 acres charred by the Whitney Fire in Lincoln County in September 2020, including large portions of the Swanson Lakes Wildlife Area and BLM’s Telford Recreation Area, has yet to recover its habitat potential. This year’s record heat and drought have dried up water sources and hunting potential in many other areas. Farmers who keep improving their efficiency at producing more food to feed the world are leaving less habitat for birds. There’s no shelter or safety net for homeless pheasant or quail without year-round cover. It’s safe to say the heydays of wingshooting have come and gone, but it’s also important to keep what’s left in perspective. It’s not all bad out there. Last year, relentless June rains did not fall favorably for early gamebird nesting. While many first-hatch chicks perished, however, the moisture prompted vegetation growth that likely boosted survival of second hatches of pheasants in

Rich Landers/For the Spokesman-Review

A trained bird dog can help find birds before the flush, as well as downed birds after the shot. July and even third hatches for quail in August. This year, the opposite scenario unfolded. A mild winter allowed good carryover of birds where they had decent habitat. A dry spring provided good weather for nesting and hatching chicks. Unfortunately, the continuation of dry conditions thwarted growth of grasses and forbs in most areas, leaving many broods with

fewer groceries and reduced cover for evading coyotes, hawks and other predators. Brian Gaston, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife private lands biologist for Spokane and Whitman counties, said he’s seen a decent number of pheasant broods of two to nine chicks this summer, but they’re mostly from the first nesting period. “We didn’t really see

much for follow-up hatches as we might expect in a wetter year,” he said. Nevertheless, many hunters are going to have some great hunts. Find habitat and you’re likely to find birds. Last season, Lincoln, Spokane and Whitman counties produced the highest harvest numbers in the past 10 years. Some of that increase owes to the 15

percent bump in small game hunting license sales because of all the free time people had to invest into COVIDeluding outdoor activities. Grant County has been the top pheasant producer in eastern Washington in terms of harvest, with 8,822 pheasants taken in 2019 followed by Whitman County with 7,222, Walla Walla 3,890, Lincoln 2,997, Franklin 2,602, Garfield 2,499, Spokane

F R I D A Y, O C T O B E R 8 , 2 0 2 1 2,214 and Benton 2,117. Don’t get too caught up in the overall numbers. Hunters who spend time scouting have found sweet spots for one species or another from Asotin to Oroville. Scouting involves long, sometimes unproductive walks on public land, and seeking permission to check out private land. Yakima County is the state’s haven for hunting valley quail. Okanogan, Stevens and Ferry counties are best bets for mountain grouse. The steep, rocky canyon slopes of Asotin, Chelan, Douglas, Kittitas and Yakima counties hold the state’s chukarhunting hot spots. Valley quail (aka California quail) are found in a broad area of habitats ranging from thorny thickets to sagebrush range. Orchard country often is rich with them. Nirvana to a quail hunter with a good pointing dog is following a covey that has flushed and fanned out in huntable cover such as sagebrush. Scattered quail tend to hold tighter and flush in singles, doubles or triples while others seem to wait their turn to dodge your loads of 7½ shot. Chukars thrive on rocky, cliffy, cheatgrass-covered slopes above the Snake, Grand Ronde, Yakima and Columbia rivers. These delicious partridge were imported from rugged areas of regions such as Pakistan, which is the first hint that chukar country is more vertical than horizontal — some of the toughest terrain upland bird hunters traverse. Washington’s 2021-2022 chukar season was extended two weeks to the end of January because there simply aren’t that many hunters willing to wear out their boots in basalt scree. Chukar numbers seem to be holding fairly steady, biologists say. Forest grouse — ruffed, spruce and dusky — are the easiest to access since the vast majority of them live on public land, especially on the millions of acres of national forests in Washington. They also have the longest season, which started Wednesday (a change from the traditional Sept. 1

OUTDOORS / HUNTING 2021

Gray partridge, also known as huns, flush fast and usually in a group, making them a challenging target, and a prize to retrieve. Rich Landers/ For the Spokesman-Review

opener) and runs until Jan. 15. Summer hiking/scouting in my favorite grouse haunts indicated that birds numbers are encouraging. Pheasants in particular have ridden the coattails of American agriculture. The best pheasant and quail hunting is generally found in areas with permanent cover, usually associated with private farmland that includes creeks or shrubby habitats. If you don’t have permission to hunt pheasants in good habitat on private land, spend some time on the private lands hunting pages on the WDFW website. “Feel free to hunt” areas are available, often on lands banked with cover through the federal Conservation Reserve Program. “Hunt by written permission” areas can be good if you can make positive contact with the landowner. “Reserve to hunt” areas also are available, but you must compete with other hunters for online sign-ups. Keep in mind that while some of the private properties are worth the effort, others may not be wildly productive for upland birds. Other hunting destination alternatives include the

>>Washington’s bird hunting seasons Dates for upland bird, dove and grouse seasons in eastern Washington: Crow

Sept. 1-Dec. 31

Mourning dove

Sept. 1-Oct. 30

Forest grouse

Sept. 15-Jan. 15

Youth season for pheasant, quail, partridge Pheasant, seniors only

Sept. 18-19 Sept. 20-24

Pheasant

Oct. 23-Jan. 17

Quail

Oct. 2-Jan. 17

Partridge (gray)

Oct. 2-Jan. 17

Partridge (chukar)

Oct. 2-Jan. 31

PLACES TO HUNT Online resources: Find bird hunting areas on public and private lands in Washington at wdfw.wa.gov/hunting/locations million acres of state wildlife lands, several hundred thousand acres managed in this region by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, and the 50,000 acres of habitat areas mostly along the Snake River managed by the Army Corps of Engineers. Perhaps the surest bet for finding a pheasant on public land is at the 29 sites served by the WDFW Eastern Washington Pheasant Enhancement Program. Each

year, about 3,500 pen-raised pheasants are released in the Spokane Region alone. The sites, which are listed and located on the department’s website, are found on selected state wildlife areas as well as federal land such as Fishtrap Lake Recreation Area and Corps of Engineers habitat areas along the Snake. The release sites are open to licensed sportsmen without additional fees. Note that hunters must

use nontoxic shot at these areas. If you plan to hunt another area before or after you hunt a pheasant release site, be sure you’re not packing any lead shot. Pheasant stocking schedules are unannounced, but hunters can usually count on fresh releases before the September youth pheasant hunt, just before the October general pheasant season opener and in November around Thanksgiving. The absolute surest way to find pheasants to hunt is at a private preserve, such as Miller Ranch and Double Barrel Ranch near Spokane. For a fee, the operators stock their fields with pen-raised birds and let you, your partners and your dogs hunt by reservation. If you’re introducing wingshooting to new hunters, young or old, make sure they have hearing protection. Without earplugs or some other sort of protection, a great day of hunting could ultimately take away the future delight of hearing the sound of partridge “chuckling” up the slope and the whir of wings on a flush. Bird hunters should always be thinking ahead. n

OUTDOORS / HUNTING 2021

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I D AH O O U T LO O K: G AM E B I RD S

Moderate winter turns into extreme summer Heat, drought play havoc with insect populations, which meant a shortage of food for young game birds By ERIC BARKER OF THE TRIBUNE

There’s lots of weather that can affect upland game bird broods and thus overall populations. A long, hard winter with deep snow and brutally cold temperatures can be deadly. Next up are the perils of spring. Pheasant and chukar chasers often keep a wary eye out for the killer combination of wet and cold that, when timed with spring hatches, can spell doom. By those two measures, the bird populations of north central Idaho likely did alright. The winter was mild and drier than normal, which likely prevented out-of-the-ordinary post-hunting season mortality of adult birds. Spring saw the same pattern: warmer and drier than normal. That should mean hatchlings weren’t prone to mortality from hypothermia. But the warmer and drier pattern hit overdrive in late spring and throughout the summer. The result was abnormally hot weather, fullbore drought across the region and fires in many areas, including south of Lewiston on the breaks of the Snake and lower Salmon rivers. According to the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, the drought may have led to a decline in insects, an early food source for young

Idaho Fish and Game

A youngster takes aim at a rooster during a youth pheasant hunt. birds, and in ground cover — bunch grass, brush and forbs. “If you are trying to raise a brood, and there is not much for seeds and not much for bugs, you

are going to have a harder time,” said Clay Hickey, wildlife manager for Fish and Game at Lewiston. Bird numbers were down, according to surveys of broods

conducted in the Clearwater Region. Each year in the late summer, biologists drive 12

>> See BIRDS, Page 19

Pandemic again nixes feds’ annual survey of ducks and geese By ERIC BARKER OF THE TRIBUNE

For the second year in a row, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service canceled its annual survey of ducks and geese on breeding grounds in North America. The surveys were nixed when the Canadian Wildlife Service and many state and provincial wildlife agencies signaled they would not be

able to participate because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The U.S.-Canada border was still largely closed last spring, complicating the surveys. COVID-19 also led to cancellation of the counts in 2020. The surveys that cover about 2 million square miles in Alaska, Canada and the upper Midwest are conducted in the spring to estimate waterfowl

population sizes and guide the setting of waterfowl bag limits and season lengths. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officials considered conducting the surveys only within the U.S. but determined doing so would yield incomplete data and thus not justify the cost and risk of the surveys that involved helicopter and fixed-wing aircraft. In the absence of the

breeding survey data, the Fish and Wildlife Service said it would rely on long-term population trends as well as information from other spring and summer monitoring programs when setting hunting season frameworks. The agency also signaled that because waterfowl populations are considered healthy based on long-term data, its hunting seasons in most cases would mirror those of recent years.

Because waterfowl populations cross state and international borders, the federal agency sets frameworks, such as allowable season lengths, for hunting seasons, and states set their seasons based on those parameters. Both Idaho and Washington have largely set their duck and geese seasons with the same bag limits as recent years and kept the same season lengths. n

F R I D A Y, O C T O B E R 8 , 2 0 2 1

A German shorthair pointer poses next to a pair of pheasants. >> Continued from Page 18 preestablished routes near dawn and count the number of birds, broods and predators they see. Biologists say because the survey method produces low detection rates, the data are “imprecise and should be interpreted cautiously.” Nonetheless, the data give them an idea about long-term trends.

Pheasants They observed 48 pheasants, down from last year’s 86 but close to the 10-year average of 48.5. Five broods were counted, down from 13 last year but near the 10-year average of six.

Gray partridge, also known as huns They counted 38 hunts, down from last year’s count of 75, a decline of nearly 50 percent. The 10-year average is 93.4

California quail Surveyors tallied 169 quail this year. They counted 239 last year.

OUTDOORS / HUNTING 2021

Joe Kozfkay

That is a year-to-year decline of about 30 percent and about 9 percent off the 10-year average of 93.4.

Chukar The agency doesn’t survey chukar numbers. However, chukar populations have been healthy over the past few years, and the agency said river users have reported seeing large broods of the birds this year. A big chunk of chukar habitat on the Craig Mountain Wildlife Area south of Lewiston burned in the Snake River Complex. The loss of cover there likely displaced birds and may have reduced brood success there.

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The agency said anecdotal reports indicate ruffed, spruce and dusky grouse were “likely higher than average.”

Barker may be contacted at ebarker@ lmtribune.com or at (208) 848-2273. Follow him on Twitter @ezebarker.

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OUTDOORS / HUNTING 2021

F R I D A Y, O C T O B E R 8 , 2 0 2 1