Northwest Sportsman Mag - January 2021 by Media Index Publishing Group

FISHING • HUNTING • NEWS

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Sportsman Northwest

Your LOCAL Hunting & Fishing Resource

Volume 13 • Issue 4 PUBLISHER James R. Baker

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

ALUMAWELD STRYKER

EDITOR Andy Walgamott THIS ISSUE’S CONTRIBUTORS Dave Anderson, Jason Brooks, Chase Gunnell, Scott Haugen, Jeff Hoffman, Sara Ichtertz, Art Isberg, MD Johnson, Randy King, Buzz Ramsey, Dave Workman, Mark Yuasa EDITORIAL FIELD SUPPORT Jason Brooks GENERAL MANAGER John Rusnak SALES MANAGER Paul Yarnold ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Mamie Griffin, Jim Klark, Mike Smith DESIGNER Lesley-Anne Slisko-Cooper PRODUCTION ASSISTANT Kelly Baker OFFICE MANAGER Katie Aumann INFORMATION SYSTEMS MANAGER Lois Sanborn WEBMASTER/DIGITAL STRATEGIST Jon Hines

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CONTENTS VOLUME 13 • ISSUE 4

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ALSO INSIDE 91

THE ONLY SHOW IS IN TOWN It’s the winter of discontent for Puget Sound blackmouth anglers after salmon fisheries were trimmed sharply during last year’s state-tribal season negotiations. While many coveted marine areas won’t be available, the waters off Seattle do open for kings this month, and resident expert Mark Yuasa shares how to get after ’em.

105 DECOYS AREN’T JUST FOR WATERFOWL The coldest part of the year is prime time to hunt coyotes, foxes and bobcats, but if they’re a little shy responding to your calls, we have a workaround. Art Isberg details how to use faux bunnies, birds and fellow furbearers to help attract these stealthy predators.

127

(JASON BROOKS)

THE RIGHT WAY(S) TO GET KIDS INTO HUNTING It can seem daunting to recruit kids into the sport these days, and certainly it’s no walk in the park, but there are hunts and special permits that will help boost the odds of early success. In part one of a two-part series, Jason Brooks – who has two young hunters of his own – shares strategies and seasons for ensuring youths are successful afield.

115 LASTMINUTE ADVICE FOR LATESEASON DUCKS Ack! Time’s running out on the Northwest duck season and to find success in January might require a reboot of your tactics. A dozen quacker whackers, including our resident expert MD Johnson, weigh in with tips for the final month of the hunt. 145 UP YOUR GROUND GAME Don’t just settle for ordinary with your venison burger – Dave Anderson shares how to spice up not only the meat, but the whole field-to-plate experience of the harvest.

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 © 2021 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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(BUZZ RAMSEY)

BUZZ RAMSEY

Introduction to Winter Steelehead

“This fishery has captured the imagination of a few hundred thousand anglers around the Pacific Northwest, and I’m one of them,” writes Buzz about the one and only steelhead, a legendary fish in these parts. The equally legendary Mr. Ramsey shares advice for anglers looking break into the sport – top rods, reels, lines and more.

COLUMNS 73

NORTHWEST PURSUITS No-bait Steelhead Eggs, skrimps and other baits haven’t been banned everywhere, but they are off limits this season on Washington’s coastal steelhead rivers. So what other options are available? Jason breaks out his metal and more for a tutorial.

FOR THE LOVE OF THE TUG Return To Fish Camp Last year was a tricky one for all of us, but it provided a chance for Sara to build on her family’s fish camp tradition on a Southern Oregon river. As son Nate eagerly fished for winter steelhead and with daughter Ava on the net, it was also a great opportunity for Sara’s kids to learn about sharing the passion and the waters.

123 GUN DOG The Two-Minute Drill No, we didn’t switch the focus of Scott’s column from four-legged hunting partners to fourth and long and down by 20 late, but there is a certain sameness to short, high-intensity drills to instill obedience in gun dogs. Scott opens up his playbook. 137 CHEF IN THE WILD When Different Game Pops Up The official target that day in the southern Idaho sage was pronghorns, but with two rigs full of kids, jackrabbits provided an entertaining – and ultimately tasty – distraction for Chef Randy and crew. 153 ON TARGET S.H.O.T. Show Cancelled, But There Will Be New Guns, Gear! With the huge Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade Show in Vegas cancelled due to Covid-19, Dave’s taking it upon himself to bring the extravaganza to you – he details new handguns, shotguns, knives, optics and more. 16 Northwest Sportsman

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DEPARTMENTS 29

THE EDITOR’S NOTE On litigation and collaboration

PHOTOS FROM THE FIELD Chinook, crabs, ringnecks and more!

PHOTO CONTEST WINNERS Coast, Fishing monthly prizes

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FEATURED COMPANY Each month look for a new FEATURED COMPANY – part of a special advertising package that is included in the magazine and online at nwsportsmanmag.com. Also, look out for their special e-newsletters throughout the month. This month’s featured company:

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If you’re interested in becoming a featured company, please email your sales executive or give us a call at 206-382-9220. nwsportsmanmag.com

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FEATURED COMPANY

BLACK HILLS AMMUNITION

BLACK HILLS AMMO GOING STRONG

With 30-plus years of success in government, consumer markets, ‘customers know they can count on our ammunition.’ PHOTOS BY BLACK HILLS AMMUNITION

oy meets girl. Boy and girl share a love of shooting, hunting and all things gun. Boy and girl take this enthusiasm and run with it, helping to launch – and eventually run – a successful ammunition company. Not your typical love story, that’s for sure. But that’s what makes Jeff and Kristi Hoffman’s story so great. We’ll let Jeff Hoffman take it from here … I GREW UP hunting, shooting and reloading. My father and grandfather taught me to shoot and I fell in love with it. I had my first rifle at around age 7, and my first pistol at 12. I spent my youth toting a Winchester Model 74 .22 rifle all over the area around Fort Pierre, South Dakota, as I grew up. My grandfather had a carton of .22 shells on his gun cabinet. His rule was I could have as much as I wanted, but I needed to leave 75 cents for every 50-round box of CCI Mini-Mags I took, so that he could buy a new box when that one ran dry. The system worked well. In high school I met Kristi. Now my expenses were ammo, plus gas for my pickup truck to pick her up at her dad’s farm. I didn’t have much money, so a common date was to show up with a full carton of .22s so we could shoot prairie dogs on her family farm. We later went to the same college. She studied accounting and I studied criminal justice. After college I was hired by the Rapid City Police Department. We moved here and in 1980 we were married. Despite making the princely sum of $4.67 per hour, plus working a

Jeff and Kristi Hoffman.

second job, in addition to wages from Kristi’s full-time job, things were pretty tight financially. I was on the department’s pistol team and was buying a case of ammo every paycheck from the department rangemaster, who reloaded ammunition as a way for him to help make ends meet. I was his best customer, buying reloads for $60 to $70 per case of 1,000 rounds.

One day he asked if I thought he could make a living making ammunition fulltime. I said no. He didn’t listen and started Black Hills Shooter’s Supply. He hired me immediately to help load ammunition. That was my third job, in addition to being a cop and working hotel security, all at the same time. As I loaded ammunition on a Dillon 1000, one of the three loaders nwsportsmanmag.com | JANUARY 2021

Northwest Sportsman 23

Black Hills’ HoneyBadger line of fluted solid copper projectile ammunition, available in .45 ACP and 9mm among others, is very popular.

the company owned, I realized I had been wrong. There was a considerable market for ammunition. I would ship the ammunition each night and no matter how much we loaded, it always went out just as fast. Kristi would come down in the evenings after working at her full-time job and load the primer tubes to start the next day’s production at Black Hills Shooter’s Supply, while I prepared ammunition to ship. She also saw the potential. THE COMPANY WAS growing and as is common with new companies, it needed additional cash. Tom, the owner, offered to let us buy a share of the

The 5.56mm 77-grain Sierra MatchKing is the commercial version of the MK262 that Black Hills produces for the government.

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company. I dismissed the thought, as I loved being a cop, and really didn’t have the confidence to jump into business. Kristi nudged a little, saying, “I wish you’d consider Tom’s offer.” I explained I knew nothing about business. She said, “You know a lot about guns, reloading and ammunition, and I know business. We need to do something because what we are doing now is not working.” She was right. Our weekly budget for food was $20. We ate a lot of macaroni and peanut butter. We ate beef only because her dad and mom had a farm and would bring us beef when they would butcher. I agreed to think about the business offer. After much contemplation, we

decided to give it a try. We went to every bank in town, trying to get a loan. We needed $12,000 to buy in. We were so green that we did not really grasp the concept of collateral. We just knew it was a good idea and that we were good for it and the bank should loan us the money. We were politely shown the door with each attempt. Nobody would loan the money. I then asked my dad if he would loan us the money. He said no. He wouldn’t loan us the money, but he would co-sign for us. That was an even better deal because then we would have a bank loan to establish credit. My dad at that time was a trucker. For collateral, he put up his truck. He mortgaged his truck so we could follow a crazy idea that we “knew” would work. The banker thought it was nuts, I could read it on him, but he had good collateral, the title to my dad’s truck. That was a great motivator for us. I had read that the Vikings would sometimes burn their ships when invading a country so that all their men knew there was no turning back. That was that moment for us, when we burned our ships. We could not fail. Failure would mean the banker got the truck. There were many times in the years after that that we should have failed but didn’t because we were too committed, too stubborn, and probably mostly because God looked down and saw that despite our weaknesses and mistakes, we were really trying, and gave us a hand at the moments when we really needed it.

Kristi and I left Black Hills Shooter’s Supply in 1988 and started Black Hills Ammunition Inc. In 1996, we won our first military contract, making ammunition for the Army Marksmanship Unit. Other military contracts followed and by 1999, we had marksmanship unit contracts for the Navy and Marines. In 1999, the Navy asked us to do development for operational ammunition. That became the very successful MK262. After that we developed quite a few other specialty rounds for the military. Development and production of military ammunition has grown to be our primary market, and we are proud to support our country’s warriors in defending our country and way of life. WE SPECIALIZE IN accuracy, quality and good service. We realized early on that trying to sell the cheapest ammunition was a tough way to make a living. There is always someone cheaper because they have a manufacturing advantage, or because they are on their way out of business and maybe don’t know it yet. Our market is folks who want or need the best, at a fair price. That is probably why we have been so successful with the military. They might buy on bid, but they have high standards. Lives depend on their choices. They are looking for the best value, which generally is not the same thing as the lowest price. Our 5.56 The 77-grain MK262 produced for the Navy.

The 5.56mm 77-grain is now available in a polymer-topped version, the Tipped MatchKing, for a higher ballistic coefficient.

77-grain is the commercial version of the MK262 we produce for the government. Same performance, in a commercial box. It has been very popular. We sell probably more types of .223 and 5.56mm ammunition than anyone else. Similarly, our .308 match ammunition is very popular and 6.5 Creedmoor is really selling well. Our HoneyBadger line of fluted solid copper projectile ammunition is very popular. It provides performance equal or superior to the best hollow points but with better uniformity of performance and better barrier capability. Our customers know they can count

on our ammunition. We take great pain to make our ammo the best it can be. We are an “assembly” plant; that is, we do not make any of our own component parts. That means we are free to buy the best components from all sources and combine them into great ammunition. The best powders, cases, primers and projectiles. We have many industry friends who supply us great components. Despite some of them being “competitors” because they may also make ammunition, they are proud to be a part of our success. We take the best components, develop great loads with them, assemble them with care, and hand-inspect every round we produce. We ship dealer-direct; minimum order is one case. We pay all freight to 48 states and we guarantee customer satisfaction. At Black Hills Ammunition, we are big enough to make some of the best ammunition available anywhere, yet small enough to care about every customer. NS Editor’s note: For more information, visit black-hills.com. Also look out for about Black Hills Ammunition in our e-newsletter and on nwsportsmanmag.com. You can sign up for our e-newsletter on our website.

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THEEDITOR’SNOTE

f you’re fed up with overly litigious groups constantly throwing hand grenades into Northwest fish, wildlife and habitat management, you may like news out of a Spokane courtroom last month. A federal judge there tossed out a lawsuit from Montana’s Alliance for the Wild Rockies that had challenged a 50,000-acre OkanoganWenatchee National Forest thinning and controlled burning, culvert replacement and riparian treatment project in Northcentral Washington’s Methow Valley. Now, I’m not saying all lawsuits are bad. Government, businesses and individuals need to be held accountable when it comes to their impact on critters and habitat. The kind I’m talking about are those from purists/zealots who seem to sue to meet some sort of annual quota. I think we all know what outfit has my tail feathers in a bunch (if not, see Big Pic).

THE ALLIANCE CLAIMED the work in two watersheds near Twisp would “be a setback for grizzly bear recovery in the North Cascades,” per the Capital Press. But a U.S. District Court judge ruled forest managers could proceed with their project “because the [USFS] conclusion that it wouldn’t have a negative impact on protected grizzly bears was reasonable,” reported Bloomberg Law. There are no known grizzlies in the area and – for now – the feds aren’t pursuing reintroduction. The goal of the restoration project? Make the forest healthier and reduce the risk of another massive Carlton Complex-like wildfire, as well as support the local economy with logging and other jobs. Side benefit? “Mission Restoration Project near Twisp = more mule deer.” That was the subject line of an email from Chase Gunnell of Conservation Northwest, whose organization has supported the project. “A bunch more thinned and/or prescribed burned stands here would provide a direct, highly visible boost for hunters and deer on the west side of the Methow Valley in a short amount of time,” he said. The area hosts one of the state’s largest and most important mule deer herds.

NOW, I’LL ADMIT, 34 miles of logging roads will be decommissioned, a mix of kelly humps and ripping and reseeding, as I understand it. I have mixed feelings because that will impact some hunters – but also make for less disturbed habitat for them to hunt. Full disclosure: I’ve benefited from decommissioning, as notched tags from multiple seasons in this valley will attest. Then there are the benefits that stream and culvert work will have for federally listed stocks, including spring Chinook, summer steelhead and bull trout. The Alliance was considering whether to appeal the judge's decision, but somebody should appeal to them to lay off the lawsuits for the greater good of fish, wildlife and humans. “Allowing this project to move forward provides a valuable model for landscape-scale forest and watershed restoration in response to climate change and the effects of poor forest management during decades past; we hope to see it replicated around the region,” said CNW’s Okanogan Forest lead Michael Liu, who retired as the local forest ranger. As we also talk about collaborative approaches to the future of steelhead and steelheading this issue, the Mission Restoration Project sounds like a win-win-win-win to me. –Andy Walgamott nwsportsmanmag.com | JANUARY 2021

Northwest Sportsman 29

At A Fork In The River Can Washington’s anglers rise to the challenge of our steelhead crisis? By Chase Gunnell Editor’s note: This article represents the opinions of one steelhead angler and advocate experienced in the conservation and political arena. It is not the official position or views of any organization or agency.

here should be little debate that December 2020 is the low-water mark for Washington steelhead and steelheaders. Can we turn this ship around? Not if anglers and advocates stay stuck fighting amongst themselves. As die-hard Northwestern outdoorsmen and -women begin their annual transition from coho and chum, or bucks and ducks, to the obsession that is winter steelheading, years of declining runs across our region are underscored by the latest grim forecasts for the coast and Olympic Peninsula – indications that even in their rainforest strongholds, our favorite fish are at the tipping point. The shadow of Puget Sound’s steelhead legacy looms large, and with it the possibility of federal Endangered Species Act protections and blanket closures – emergency measures that may well be necessary, but are no guarantee of recovery despite shutting down all fishing. That’s been clear even on promising systems like the Skagit, where returns have fluctuated and closures have persisted notwithstanding herculean efforts by anglers, agencies, tribes, utilities and conservation groups. To triage the situation on the North Coast, and in the Chehalis Basin and Willapa Bay rivers, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife recently announced early closures and largely unprecedented restrictions, including bank fishing or boatsfor-transportation only. These rules are inciting mixed reactions from anglers, guides and stakeholder groups, and I’ll get to them, but first it’s important to acknowledge that these are just

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the most recent in a long line of concessions by steelheaders in the name of conservation. Over the decades, Washington anglers have been willing to leave the creel at home or even hang up their rods in the name of conservation, but don’t blame us for being skeptical of further sacrifice as steelhead runs continue to decline toward extirpation – local extinction – despite fewer and fewer fishermen on the water. The turmoil around Washington’s state fish and our vanishing heritage of fishing for them is not limited to dwindling – and in recent years, undoubtedly overpressured – wild runs on the coast and OP. Upper Columbia steelhead fisheries that were once enjoyed by Northcentral Washington residents and visiting anglers like myself have been shuttered in recent years. On the Snake and its iconic transboundary tributaries like the Grande Ronde and Clearwater, a slight uptick in this year’s run masks years of rockbottom lows, with no solution in sight as long as these fish must run a 300-mile gauntlet of abundant (and in some cases, invasive) predators, gillnets, dams, warm-water reservoirs and, of course, anglers. Flowing into the mighty Columbia further downstream, the Cowlitz River and other Southern Washington tributaries that once provided fall-through-spring opportunities for anglers looking to retain hatchery-origin fish for the barbeque are a ghost of their former fisheries. The storied (and accessible to the bulk of our state’s populace) waters of Puget Sound are in similarly dire straits, with runs ESA-listed and fisheries now constrained to chasing the scraps of once robust but ultimately ineffectual hatchery programs using strictly Chambers Creek stock, smaller steelhead known for returning early in the winter, or after years of inbreeding, not at all. There are some budding bright spots for long-term recovery, thanks to dam removal on the Elwha,

PICTURE

The Quinault River pours out of the Olympic Mountains and is one of the many Washington Coast streams that fall under restrictive fishing regulations this season to protect falling wild winter steelhead stocks. (WASHINGTON D.O.E.) nwsportsmanmag.com | JANUARY 2021

Northwest Sportsman 33

PICTURE

Steelheaders tape a Grays Harbor system buck. Below-escapement runs of natives in the Chehalis and Humptulips Rivers in recent years, including a longtime low for the Hump last winter, are particularly worrying to state and tribal managers. (CHASE GUNNELL) Nooksack and Pilchuck, cooperative habitat restoration most notably on the Nisqually and Skagit, as well as WDFW’s wild steelhead gene bank designations – if ocean conditions and a warming climate don’t deliver a death blow first. And then there are the lawsuits, most recently frustratingly familiar litigation from the usual hardline suspects against an innovative broodstock program (regularly integrating eggs and sperm from native fish to create hardier hatchery offspring with a lower risk of diluting the wild gene pool) proposed with broad support from other conservation groups and local stakeholders. It’s enough to make an angler hang up the waders, put the cover on the drift boat, and fall back on blackmouth, as I’ve done the past few winters. Except there’s little salmon salvation to be found on the salt these days due to similar closures. So if this is the darkest moment yet for Washington steelhead, and for those who cherish them whether for sport, 34 Northwest Sportsman

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sustenance, connections to our natural and cultural heritage, or all of the above, where do we go from here? I’m scratching my head too. But if there’s one thing that’s clear from my more than a decade of experience in the conservation and political arena, it’s that we’re missing the bigger picture, and we can’t keep going down the same divided, disillusioned and effectively impotent path we’re on. Across the region our track record is stark: additional restrictions on recreational angling and lawsuits over hatcheries have not been enough to recover wild steelhead or secured sustainable fisheries. In fact, they may leave us with fewer advocates to fight for these anadromous trout, which have always been little-understood and largely under-prioritized compared to their cousins, the Pacific salmon, by decision makers but especially the general public. Steelheaders and their advocacy groups have become much like Congress: stuck in our information silos and so busy bickering that we can’t address the

elephants in the room. Given the multiple facets of today’s steelhead crisis, changes to fishing regulations and hatchery programs are necessary. But alone it’s not enough to fixate on these topics while failing to reverse habitat loss and address predation, pollution and changing ocean and climate conditions. Without a strategic change of course and a more united front, we’ll fail both the fish and the fishermen.

THE ADVOCATES Clad in the oversized neoprene waders of the day, I hooked my first Oncorhynchus mykiss sometime in the mid-1990s sidedrifting an orange Corky and yarn on the Green River. That fish went airborne and spit the hook, but soon afterwards my father landed a bright buck with rose-colored cheeks and emerald green shoulders; an unforgettable specimen. Since then I’ve pursued steelhead with both gear and flies from my homewaters on the Skykomish to Alaska and Idaho; that is, when time off from employment

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PICTURE as a director at a regional conservation organization and work as a public affairs consultant allowed. On top of my day jobs, and to connect my passion for steelhead with my political work experience, I served for six years on the board of directors for the Wild Steelhead Coalition. On nights and weekends, I was a driving force for the WSC (not to be confused with the Wild Fish Conservancy, or WFC, bringer of so many lawsuits), writing policy comments and action alerts, pitching press releases, coordinating the Steelhead Country film series and coauthoring the proposals that eventually led to major regulation changes for OP rivers in 2015, including the end of anglers bonking wild steelhead. My name was not always front and center given the hats I wear, but few steelhead issues did not cross my desk. In short, I know a thing or two about how the environmental, political and social sausage-making of conservation works, and what doesn’t. And from this vantage as a lifelong Evergreen State angler and deeply involved conservation professional, when I consider the greatest threats to wild steelhead and steelhead fisheries today, nothing concerns me more than the siloed state of our community. Sustainable recreational, tribal and commercial fishing regulations; a “portfolio approach” of carefully managed hatcheries providing quality harvest opportunities in certain rivers while other systems containing the best remaining habitat are set aside for wild fish recovery (and where possible, catch and release angling); reversing habitat loss from logging in the headwaters to suburban development in the lowlands to industrialization of the estuaries; all of this I still believe we can achieve to give these fish a chance at a comeback without entirely cutting them off from their best advocates: fishermen and -women. But only by working together as a united movement of anglers, advocacy groups, agencies and tribes – even if that requires checking some of our ideals at the door. Instead, lately we’re pitting gear vs. 36 Northwest Sportsman

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A cold rain pours on a pair of drift boat-borne coastal steelheaders. This season’s ban on fishing out of a floating device was a bitter pill for many anglers, as well as guides, whose clients may not be able to safely get in and out of the boat. (CHASE GUNNELL) fly, tribal vs. non-tribal, hatchery vs. wild, guides vs. weekend warriors, boats vs. bankies, everyone vs. WDFW. Through my work, volunteer experience, friendships with dirtbag gear chuckers and spey Jedis alike, and contacts in government, I see a steelhead community that’s so far down the path of infighting on so many fronts that as a whole we’re on the ropes without much semblance of strategy. And we’re losing the war for steelhead because of it. It doesn’t have to be this way. You see, this is not how other natural resource conservation sectors operate. When challenges are as much political and social debates as scientific ones, we can’t sue, bully or shame our way to a successful conservation movement. Victory does not come by vanquishing adversaries, least of all fellow stakeholders or local government stewards. Rather, it comes by helping them be better for the benefit of the resource. As Sun Tzu argued in The Art of War, “Build your opponent a golden bridge to retreat across.” Practical examples abound. From the fallout of the 1990s’ Timber Wars to the forest collaboratives of today, loggers, environmentalists and agencies have found ways to move past entrenched grievances and work together on behalf of win-wins. Despite detraction from often out-ofstate groups, in Washington, Oregon and Montana, local ranchers and wolf advocates

have been doing the same in pursuit of coexistence. Effective advocacy campaigns use well-defined goals and appealing messages to marshal their ranks and garner influence with decision-makers in both agencies and elected offices. Even as the bulk of salmon recovery proponents are increasingly banding together with a united focus on habitat degradation as the greatest cause of anadromous fish declines, steelheaders, guides and a few overzealous activist groups are off in a corner slugging it out over sideshows.

THE PLAN Still, until the tribulations of 2020, it had seemed like we were making progress moving the needle, with efforts toward greater unity among steelhead allies finding traction. After a decade of scant fish and wildlife funding from the Washington State Legislature, with enforcement officers and field scientists stretched so ashamedly thin that local nonprofits were buying gear for them, funding was finally coming through thanks to “big tent” lobbying efforts in Olympia. Despite generations of fighting, sometimes literally, recreational anglers, tribal commercial and ceremonial fishers, and their respective representatives were pledging unity. Leaders from both camps

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PICTURE were forging genuine relationships and engaging in constructive dialogue to find middle ground to build on, maybe even enough to someday equitably address concerns around the sustainability of gillnet fisheries for winter steelhead shielded by treaty law. Informed by local outfitters, programs were also launched to better track and evaluate for-profit guiding, as the growing fleet of rafts towed by Toyota Tacomas with Montana and Idaho plates rolling through Forks and Hoquiam added to worries about the level of catch and release OP steelhead were being subjected to, estimated at as much as 130 percent of the run on the Sol Duc River in some years. The same collaboration was happening among local anglers, guides, industry reps and conservation activists, led by the WSC and Trout Unlimited’s Wild Steelheaders United. After years of dialogue, in May the state’s Puget Sound Steelhead Advisory Group, or PSSAG, proposed the QuickSilver Portfolio, a fresh approach for managing Washington’s most loved-to-near-death rivers in the interest of both steelhead

recovery and sustainable fisheries. The first of its kind at a basin-wide scale to earn support from so many diverse stakeholders, the proposal includes a mix of continued and new hatchery production, as well as increased emphasis on wild steelhead recovery. It’s exactly the kind of collaboratively developed, river-by-river approach necessary for managing salmonids in the face of complex social and environmental constraints, with broodstock hatchery programs supporting recreational and tribal fisheries in certain systems, such as the Skykomish, and other wild-only watersheds prioritizing steelhead recovery, such as the Sauk. A well-balanced portfolio that hedges our bets for the future while standing up to scientific and social scrutiny; idealism without illusion.

THE HARDLINERS Then, attacks began to trickle in. The Wild Fish Conservancy, serial litigants known for bull-headedly filing cases from Olympia to southeast Alaska, unilaterally released a minority report, parroted through allies in The Conservation Angler’s Osprey newsletter. Despite WFC’s involvement in the PSSAG, and that collaboration’s overwhelming support for the QuickSilver Portfolio, it was clear the

new model for steelhead conservation and fisheries management would face a fight from hardliners. As word that the 2020-21 season might be even worse than previous years’ lows, other advocates began to revert to idealistic fallbacks. A tougher stance on fisheries and hatcheries was required, they argued in the Osprey and email chains, even if it generates backlash and undermines forward-looking collaboration. Others pointed to the recent Artifishal documentary from Patagonia, which due to its apples-to-oranges comparisons of Rocky Mountain trout streams to coastal salmon and steelhead fisheries had largely been panned by Northwest anglers, tribes and elected leaders alike. In July, after two full terms, I left the board of the Wild Steelhead Coalition, burnt out that old-guard activists were still failing to rise above self-righteousness to rally around the balance of biological and social considerations necessary for steelhead recovery under 21st century realities. Instead of picking the same old fights, I’d hoped by now to see us using strategy and simple salesmanship to better reach out to divided and increasingly disillusioned anglers, prospective tribal allies, overworked agency leaders, elected officials distracted by sexier

There’s some bad feelings between flyrodders and gear anglers, given the assumption that all spey fishermen belong to the Wild Fish Conservancy and want to close hatcheries. Certainly some may think that way, but not all or maybe even most, and those moderates could be a key part of a team effort to help Washington steelhead at a time when the fish need all the allies they can get. (CHASE GUNNELL) 38 Northwest Sportsman

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PICTURE causes, and everyday Washingtonians eager to be environmentally conscious, but still open to ordering “steelhead trout” when it’s on the menu. Steelheaders are no doubt a stubborn bunch, myself included.

THE MEETING Then came the winter of our discontent. In late November, WDFW biologists, managers and leadership outlined their projections for coastal steelhead runs this coming winter. Slides showing graphs with familiar downward trends were shown. Alternative restriction options shared, ranging from closing fishing before the coveted late winter/early spring timeframe, to expanded gear and no-fishing-from-aboat restrictions throughout the season, to only opening the Quillayute system, to a blanket coastwide closure starting in a week. Reports were that similarly low steelhead returns combined with pandemic-induced budget shortfalls mean it’s unlikely a Skagit-Sauk season would offer anglers any saving grace. Worse, expectations are that poor ocean conditions will lead to low runs across the region continuing in 2022 and 2023. The conversation and questions on WDFW’s call were surprisingly thoughtful. Many asked about tribal gillnetting, and if it too would be curtailed (most likely, yes). Some debated specific restrictions or pushed back against not being able to fish from floating devices – the most prevalent method on steelhead rivers these days, and a mainstay of guide businesses and subsequent shot in the arm for businesses in rural communities during the wet and dark of wintertime on the outer coast. One meeting participant, writer and activist Dylan Tomine, a producer on the Artifishal film, eloquently compared shortterm closures to “rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic,” alleging that the Sol Duc, where hatchery plants have ended in favor of wild steelhead gene bank status, was the outlier to declining returns elsewhere specifically because its hatchery was closed. An idea worth consideration, 40 Northwest Sportsman

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but also an argument with logical weak spots, given the boost that river received from the now discontinued Snyder Creek broodstock program. Not to mention Tomine’s inaccurate comparisons to the Skagit, where despite cessation of hatchery plants in 2014, recent returns have tracked similar to the coastal rivers with hatcheries: downward. Wild-only rivers can work, but they’re no short-term silver bullet. Widespread habitat loss, convoluted research findings on specific hatchery impacts or lack thereof, tribal treaty obligations, orca life-support benefits, recreational fishing value for Washington’s economy exceeding a billion dollars, and the need to keep anglers around as the fish’s loudest advocate all complicate decisions over whether or not to have hatcheries. I’d generally like to see fewer of them, and the weight of biological science and endangered species law point us in that direction, but in turn I hope to see emphasis on running what hatcheries we do have as efficiently and responsibly as possible, with greater return on investment for both anglers and tribes. They certainly shouldn’t go away entirely. I fired off an email to WDFW’s Fish Program director and regional manager, thanking them for the forum, encouraging the formation of a new Coastal Steelhead Advisory Group in the vein of the PSSAG but with an expedited timeline, and offering support for Option 3: bait bans and more restrictive angling regulations coastwide, but stopping short of new nofishing-from-a-boat restrictions. It would be better to give folks a few months to fish with selective gear and from their boats than close the season early. And most importantly, use the goodwill from averting acrimonious closures as fuel for fresh talks aimed at changing the paradigm for Washington’s coastal steelhead fisheries and recovery.

THE LAWSUIT The following week, as if timed to pour salt in steelheader wounds, the Wild Fish Conservancy dropped their latest lawsuit, claiming unpermitted foul play by WDFW in its actions to lay the groundwork for the Skykomish summer-run broodstock hatchery program suggested by the

QuickSilver Portfolio with the backing of the PSSAG and groups ranging from Trout Unlimited and the Wild Steelhead Coalition to the Wildcat Steelhead Club of Sedro-Woolley and Coastal Conservation Association. There are details to the WFC’s case that deserve to be sorted out; namely, did WDFW have proper National Marine Fisheries Service permits for their actions, and if not, did those actions constitute “take” of Endangered Species Act-listed wild steelhead (or alternatively, were those steelhead actually non-native to begin with as the offspring of hatchery strays trucked above the impassable Sunset Falls)? And while WFC’s breathless lawsuits and obstinate, no-compromise approach certainly undermines community-building and efforts to win steelhead powerful friends in Olympia, they are not all bad, as their leadership fighting against commercial fish farms has shown. Another lesson I’ve learned time and time again working in the conservation world is nothing is ever as simple as black and white. Still, it’s naïve to view this lawsuit as separate from the larger steelhead story. Runs are crashing, fisheries are closing, the angling and advocacy community is divided without a coherent message to WDFW, much less real influence over other leaders at our state capitol, and here we are again infighting from courts to Facebook feeds to commissioners’ inboxes over another hatchery (in this case a broodstock program, an approach that, from the Quinault Reservation to the Oregon Coast, has been shown to be more effective than segregated hatchery programs like the much maligned Chambers Creek effort). In this sense, it is perhaps the Wild Fish Conservancy’s most shameful lawsuit yet – the latest example of Executive Director Kurt Beardslee and his team failing to see the forest beyond the trees. It hasn’t been perfect, but much of our community is now pushing for unity to address the steelhead crisis, exemplified by the model of the QuickSilver Portfolio: limited broodstock hatcheries balanced with wild recovery rivers. Meanwhile, WFC drops yet another lawsuit targeting a product of that collaboration. Imagine how much habitat we could

PICTURE

A bank angler casts to a stretch of an Olympic Peninsula river. “For the fish and for ourselves, it’s not too late for a change of course. We need to build bridges among our brethren and tighten our messages around shared goals, turning strategies into stepping stones that lead towards recovery,” writes the author. (PAUL ISHII) restore and reconnect through focused advocacy, fundraising and implantation efforts, the inroads we could make with tribes and commercial fishers, the momentum from the angling community we could align behind a new, pragmatic approach to steelhead conservation and management, if we weren’t always rehashing old battles over hatcheries and fisheries. If the greater goal of the WFC and every other wild fish group is to recover sustainable runs of wild steelhead (and salmon), we need to be working together with fellow anglers, tribes, agencies and elected leaders in strategic pursuit of that goal, not filing toxic lawsuits and bandying them about like they’re some sort of meaningful conservation action. Even if that collaboration requires some reasonable compromise; and even if that means for once not treating the ESA like a cudgel.

THE DECISION In the second week of December, WDFW announced the decision we’d nervously been waiting for: starting December 14, all coastal steelhead waters would be under selective-gear, no-fishing-from-a-floatingdevice rules, with many closing early, either March 1 or April 1, depending on the system. The agency detailed its rationale in a blog post soon after, stating: “As fishery managers, we know that 42 Northwest Sportsman

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to preserve any coastal steelhead angling opportunity and recover wild fish in the future, we have to catch fewer fish right now. These measures help to support that.” Many guides and outfitters, who had been pushing a more flexible river-by-river approach, felt targeted, even blindsided given the abbreviated decision to institute such a weighty emergency rule change. Some members of the state Fish and Wildlife Commission, which oversees WDFW and its director Kelly Susewind, also grumbled about being caught offguard, promising further discussion and opportunities for public input. Still, given the obviously declining trends of coastal steelhead runs and so many years of eroding fishing opportunity regionwide, can we truthfully say we didn’t see this coming? While the final decision was not what I had called for, in conversations with fellow anglers, in Facebook posts from guides and advocacy groups, and on a Friday afternoon call with the commission, I was generally heartened by the response. People were upset, sure, and a few were clearly going too far in their complaints, as they had in 2015 when selective-gear and catch-and-release regulations were described as a looming catastrophe for the Forks economy and local livelihoods (they weren’t). Wild fish conservation

groups certainly don’t have a monopoly on extremism or unwillingness to compromise. Still, most steelheaders said they were going to make it work, that once again they were willing to make sacrifices to protect the fish without entirely losing remaining opportunities to connect with them, and the rainforest rivers they call home. Covidwilling, they were going to direct their clients to rent from local motels, eat at local restaurants, and buy drinks at Blakeslee’s Bar and Grill to toast that memorable fish brought to hand or to drown the memory of the one that got away.

THE PATH AHEAD And so here we are. WDFW’s new regulations for coastal steelhead rivers have taken effect, and they may well be with us for longer than anyone would like, the agency included. From the Columbia and Snake to Oregon and Idaho, fishery managers will surely be watching, contemplating what to do next in the face of their own declining runs. If December 2020 was our low-water mark, capping off years of division and acrimony among steelheaders with record low runs, widespread restrictions, new closures and familiar lawsuits, let’s recognize this moment for what it is: a fork in the river. In one direction there is a very

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PICTURE predictable future: more division among those who love steelhead, more litigation, more shortsighted selfishness, more infighting with each other, with agencies and tribes. Despite being a relatively small group of fish constituents as it is, we continue picking ourselves further apart until the feds and the ESA intervene, and that’s all she wrote: steelhead fisheries closed statewide with little chance at recovery anytime soon, if at all. It’s the future we deserve if we take this path. The alternate path holds long odds – something any steelhead angler is familiar with – full of uncertainty, but also possibility. As anglers, guides and advocates, we roll with the recent punches, and pivot toward the realization that only together do we stand a chance at recovering these most resilient of fish, let alone restoring our fisheries for them. All sides will need to give: whether

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on accepting some hatchery closures in favor of more wild steelhead gene banks, as science and prudence suggest, or by accepting increased broodstock hatchery production on a few “opportunity” rivers, as economic, recreational and tribal treaty obligations mandate. If the Wild Fish Conservancy should give the QuickSilver Portfolio a chance and think twice before the next low-hanging-fruit lawsuit, guides and industry groups should accept additional restrictions, and the reality that for-profit uses of a public resource are the first to be curtailed in response to scarcity. Anglers too should be willing to stomach giving up harvest or even catchand-release in the name of wild steelhead recovery, as they already are. This alternate path may sound idealist, even naïve. Maybe we steelheaders are too stubbornly set in our ways to change. But if we raise our heads above our infighting and look around, there’s evidence that bigpicture strategy and collaboration works better than either lawfare or bunkering down in our respective corners while the

resource vanishes. Besides, at this point what do we have to lose? It’s time for a paradigm shift to address our steelhead crisis. The me-first, my-wayor-the-highway approach has gotten us where we are today, and whether you’re a wild fish purist or whack-and-stack-’em hatchery hole hero, it’s not where we want to be. Steelheaders exhibit a unique mix of tenacity and adaptability. The fish we pursue require us to keep casting through driving rain and frozen rod guides, changing gear and changing water, doggedly maintaining confidence that our moment will come if we put in the effort. Let’s harness what makes us steelheaders while we still can. For the fish and for ourselves, it’s not too late for a change of course. We need to build bridges among our brethren and tighten our messages around shared goals, turning strategies into stepping stones that lead toward recovery. Let’s take a step back and find our footing, then move forward together. NS

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READER PHOTOS Jake Petosa holds an absolute beauty of a Skagit River coho, caught this fall during a pretty darned good return of both wild and hatchery silvers. Proud dad Nick says his son “is a nut for fishing,” a chip off the old block!

“Swore I had a bass on the line!” says Brad Hole about this jumbo black crappie from a little lake in the (253) area code. After weighing the 2.36-pound, 15 1/2-plusincher, the kayak angler released the spinyray.

(FISHING PHOTO CONTEST)

Well, that escalated quickly! After a long layoff from the outdoors that saw him move from the dry side of Washington to the wet, Scott Fletcher jumped back in with a bang, first hauling up keeper red rocks and then Dungeness from North Sound waters, as well as fishing local rivers for kings, coho and chums. (FISHING PHOTO CONTEST)

It would be impossible to be more excited about catching a fish than young LB was after landing this nice largemouth. He caught it on a private pond while fishing with his grandpa, who recalls, “He was so excited, he was doing a ‘happy dance’ all over the place, shouting out, ‘My dad is going to be so proud of me.’” (FISHING PHOTO CONTEST)

Sometimes we just like to run “a good ol’ photo of a nice king from the Forks area,” and Paul Ishii delivers the goods! (FISHING PHOTO CONTEST)

“Really tough conditions and only got one bite all day, but we made it count!” says Jerry Han, here with a Sixes River fall Chinook and his buddy Jon Crawford. (FISHING PHOTO CONTEST)

For your shot at winning great fishing and hunting products from Northwest Sportsman and Coast, respectively, send your full-resolution, original images with all the pertinent details – who’s in the pic; 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.

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READER PHOTOS You may recognize this guy, as Chad Zoller has been on a couple covers with dandy Northcentral Oregon bucks, and after tagging out again, he put his rifle down and took up his shotgun in mid-October to get in a little ringneck pheasant hunting on the family farm near Ione. (COAST HUNTING PHOTO CONTEST)

Grace Bolt is becoming a regular in these pages! Last issue we featured Grace and one of her January sturgeon, and at the other end of 2020 she bagged a very nice mule deer on a special permit. (COAST HUNTING PHOTO CONTEST) After several very down years, B-run steelhead returns to the Clearwater ticked back up and our old friend Kelly Colliton was there for it. He caught this 38-incher back-trolling a 3.5 Mag Lip. (FISHING PHOTO CONTEST)

We just missed getting Ashley Stanley into last issue’s Real Women of Northwest Fishing feature – and it might have been because she spent so much time on the water last year! In addition to walleye, steelhead and sturgeon trips, she got in on a little smoked salmon fishing on the Columbia in September. (FISHING PHOTO CONTEST)

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PHOTO

CONTEST

WINNERS!

Mark Bonn is the winner of our monthly Fishing Photo Contest, thanks to his absolute shoein of a winning picture of superstoked grandson LB and his great bass. It wins him gear from various tackle manufacturers!

Mike Bolt is our monthly Coast Hunting Photo Contest winner, thanks to this pic of daughter Grace and her special permit mule deer buck. It wins him a knife and light from Coast!

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For your shot at winning a Coast knife and light, as well as fishing products from various manufacturers, send your photos and pertinent details (who, what, when, where) 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 our print or Internet publications.

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MIXED BAG

Donations Help Protect OlyPen Fish From Poachers

ne mid-December afternoon, when I should have been putting together the final bits of this issue, I instead found myself digging through my wayback file for a January 2013 story about a ridealong I went on with Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Sgt. Rich Phillips on the Skagit Delta. It was a very interesting day that left me with the realization of how preposterously much country game wardens have to cover and how much responsibility we’ve heaped on so few, often without enough resources. To that end, a bit of help arrived for some WDFW officers in December 2019, and it was the subject of a great story last month by Gregory Fitz. He detailed how a raft and trail cams that his organization, Wild Steelhead Coalition, donated to the state agency’s coastal detachment (see Northwest Sportsman, February 2020) have helped target poachers on the sprawling and fishy Olympic Peninsula, wrapping it around a floatalong with Sgt. Kit Rosenberger down the Sol Duc this past March. Wrote Fitz: “Rosenberger’s stories were fascinating and eye-opening. Every section of the river seemed to trigger an anecdote. Some were hilarious: anglers fishing out of season who panicked and threw their rods in the river when approached by officers. ... Other stories were far more frustrating. Rosenberger pointed out multiple places where his team had caught, or found evidence, of poachers setting up illegal gillnets at night and killing huge numbers of salmon and steelhead. Or places where they’d caught snaggers multiple times. ... Perhaps most ominously, we also talked about how often poaching must occur undetected.” It’s a big job – and an ever more critical one, if this season’s unprecedented coastal steelheading restrictions (see Big Pic) are any indication. Poachers won’t give two hoots about low native runs, but here’s something that might make them think twice. WSC – not to be confused with Wild Fish Conservancy – is again raising money to get even more fish-protecting gear in the hands of Rosenberger and other West End and OlyPen wardens. Learn all about the problem, what’s working and what’s needed, in Fitz’s story, which can be found at wildsteelheadcoalition.org/news/op-law-enforcement.

KUDOS

A Southern Oregon assistant district attorney was honored with the state police Fish and Wildlife Division’s 2019 Wildlife Prosecutor of the Year Award early last month. Jackson County prosecutor Melissa Leritz was lauded for “outstanding work in 2019, and was specifically nominated for her ability to prosecute any fish and wildlife case that comes to her office, and for her availability any time of day or night,” according to OSP. “She has shown dedication and passion toward the prosecution of those committing fish and wildlife crimes, and despite her increased workload at the district attorney’s office, she continues to request to be lead on fish and wildlife crimes. Assistant DA Leritz also works actively with the Rogue Valley Team by putting on educational training to keep them current with case law.” The Wildlife Prosecutor of the Year Award is sponsored by the Oregon Sportsmen’s Coalition. Kudos, Melissa Leritz! (OSP)

By Andy Walgamott

JACKASS OF THE MONTH

Central Oregon man won’t be fishing anywhere in the country for five years after he pleaded guilty to “the flagrant and repeated poaching” of bull trout in the Metolius River, perhaps done just for the likes and to thumb his nose at the man. Thomas R. Campbell, 29, of Culver, also can’t hunt for half a decade, is on federal probation for that same span, and was ordered to pay nearly $6,650 in fines and restitution by U.S. District Thomas R. Campbell. Court Judge Ann Aiken. (JEFFERSON CO. JAIL) According to federal prosecutors, several times in 2017 and 2018 Campbell knowingly “targeted, kept, and grossly mishandled” Endangered Species Act-listed bulls from the Metolius, which is open for catch-and-release fishing only, and he “encouraged others” to take the native species of char as well. “He also committed these crimes despite numerous warnings from public viewers of his social media boasts about his poaching,” a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office states. “Campbell repeatedly posted photos of his bull trout poaching exploits to his social media platforms where he had more than 1,000 followers.” The case was jointly investigated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service, Oregon State Police and Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs. The Metolius River borders the tribes’ reservation and serves as a sanctuary of sorts for bull trout, as the stock helps to rebuild other populations. The fish are also culturally significant to the Warms Springs community and at Campbell’s sentencing, a tribal natural resources manager spoke about how his grandmother had fished for bulls for subsistence. As part of his sentence for pleading guilty to three Lacey Act misdemeanors, Campbell must also perform 300 hours of community service, either with the tribes or a conservation-focused nonprofit.

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Oldest Winter Salmon Derby Cancelled

or only the second time in its 75-year history, the Tengu Winter Blackmouth Derby – which began shortly after World War II in 1946 – has been called off, this time due to the pandemic. “The board of directors have agreed we should cancel the derby until we can safely fish,” said Doug Hanada, Tengu Derby president. “Sadly, a lot of our members are in that high-risk group (and) there are just too many potential challenges to hold the derby at this time. If conditions improve, we could do a couple (smaller) derbies, which require minimal planning and coordination.”

THE LAST TIME the derby got cancelled was in 2015, when central Puget Sound was closed to all salmon fishing. The 2018-19 season was also cut short by an in-season closure. In a normal year, the derby is held for eight consecutive Sundays on Elliott Bay out of the old Seacrest Boathouse in West Seattle. The derby is for die-hard anglers, since the weather is often chilly, windy, rainy or, once in a while, snowy.

By Andy Walgamott

Beyond the crummy weather, what makes the derby even more difficult is that only blackmouth are eligible for the grand prize, and fishing is limited to Elliott Bay, where legal-sized fish (more than 22 inches long) are frequently scarce. In the derby, only mooching – using a banana-style lead weight to a leader with a herring – is allowed. No artificial lures, flashers, hoochies (plastic squids) or other gear like downriggers are permitted. The outermost boundary was extended in 2016 to the West Point/Alki Point line.

THE DERBY’S NAMED after Tengu, a fabled Japanese character who stretched the truth, and just like Pinocchio, Tengu’s nose grew with every lie. In recent years the catch has ranged from 20 to 23 legal-sized Chinook. In good years, it is not uncommon to have 50 to 100 fish weighed, but catches have dropped off markedly since 2009. The record-low catch total was two fish in 2020, followed by four fish landed in 2010, 2011 and 2019. The record high

The Tengu Derby is named after a mythological Japanese character with a nose that grows like Pinocchio’s. (HAHIFUHEHO, WIKIPEDIA) catch total occurred in 1979, when 234 were weighed-in. You have to go back to 1958 to find the derby’s largest blackmouth, which weighed 25 pounds, 3 ounces, and was caught by Tom Osaki. In the past 20 years, the largest was a 15-5 caught by Marcus Nitta in 2008 and a 13-9 by Justin Wong in 2014. –Mark Yuasa

RECENT  RESULTS

Lake Pend Oreille Idaho Club Fall Derby, Lake Pend Oreille, Nov. 23-Dec. 1: First place: Blake Heather, 26.1-pound rainbow trout, $2,000; second: Bill Shaffer, 24.23-pound rainbow*, $1,000; first place, Mackinaw division: Harvey Landingham, 11.3-pounder, $1,000; first place, junior division: Carson Laybourne, 18.8-pound rainbow*, $600 * Denotes released

Ice Fishing Derby Scheduled

n annual derby in the Okanogan Highlands is a go, according to organizers of the NW Ice Fishing Festival. They have scheduled the 17th edition for Saturday, Jan. 16. Put on by the Oroville Chamber of Commerce, fishing occurs on Sidley Lake near Molson. Last year’s derby attracted 118 anglers who caught 43 fish weighing

105 pounds total, with Elias Solorio winning a $500 grand prize for his 3.310-pounder. Given Covid-19, no word on whether the festival will include the traditional indoor activities of past years – food and merchandise have been on hand inside the Molson Grange. For more info, see NW Ice Fishing Festival on Facebook.

MORE UPCOMING EVENTS*

 Feb. 6, American Lake, VFW Post 5580 trout derby  Feb. 20-21, McNary Pool, Columbia River Walleye Anglers Association, walleye tournament  Feb. 27, Lake Chelan, Something Catchy, kokanee derby * Check ahead for any Covid-19 changes.

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Northwest Sportsman 55

As regular goose seasons wrap up in January, special late hunts for Canadas, snows and other species begin in certain areas across the Northwest. Jastin Stebbins and sons Ben and Ryan had a pretty good day last March with our MD Johnson. (MD JOHNSON)

OUTDOOR

CALENDAR* JANUARY

1 9 10 16

18 24 31

New Oregon, Idaho fishing licenses required; Blackmouth fishing opens in Washington Marine Area 10; Opening day of Washington late cougar season First of 14 brant goose hunting days in Pacific County (others: 10, 12, 14, 16, 17, 19, 21, 23, 24, 26, 28, 30 and 31) Deadline to file Washington big game report for incentive permit eligibility Oregon Klamath, Lake, Harney and Malheur Counties Zone late white and white-fronted goose opener; First of three brant goose hunting days in Clallam and Whatcom Counties (others: 20, 23) and first of two in Skagit County (other: 23; more possible based on aerial counts) Last day to hunt partridge, quail and pheasant in Eastern Washington Last day to hunt ducks in Oregon Zone 2 Deadline to file mandatory hunter reports in Washington, Oregon; Last day to hunt ducks in Oregon Zone 1; Last day to hunt other upland birds in Oregon, Idaho; Last day to hunt ducks and geese in Idaho Area 1; Last day to hunt ducks, coots and snipe in Washington; Last day to fish for trout, salmon and/or steelhead on many Western Washington river systems

FEBRUARY 6

Oregon, Washington statewide, youth, veterans and active military waterfowl hunting day; Northwest Oregon Permit Zone late goose hunt opens 10 Deadline to apply for Oregon spring bear permit 13 Late white goose only opener in Washington Goose Management Areas 1, 4; Late goose opener in Washington Goose Management Area 2 Coast and Inland zones (state wildlife areas, federal refuges closed) 13-14 Free Fishing Weekend in Oregon 15 Last day to apply for Idaho spring bear hunt; Last day of steelhead fishing in select Puget Sound terminal areas 20 Oregon South Coast Zone late goose hunt opens 21 Last day of Oregon Zone 1 snipe hunt 28 Last day of bobcat, fox season in Oregon; Last day to apply for Washington spring bear permit; Last day to fish for steelhead on numerous rivers, creeks on Washington coastal systems *Check ahead. Some events may not take place due to Northwest governors’ Covid-19 orders.

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Northwest Sportsman 57

MIXED BAG

Producers of fishing- and hunting-related shows have had to reimagine how to pull off their annual winter extravaganzas due to Covid-19, with organizers of the Seattle Boat Show going digital only and others postponing events till later this winter in hopes the situation stabilizes by then. A few shows won’t be back until 2022. (SEATTLE BOAT SHOW)

Covid Reshuffles Sportsmen’s Shows T

he show must go on – or at least what passes for it in the Covid-19 era. January is the traditional kickoff of the Northwest boat and sportsmen’s show season, but organizers are doing it vastly differently this year or pushing events back in hopes that vaccines will be more widely available and conditions with the pandemic will have changed by then. In mid-fall, the Seattle Boat Show announced it was going digital-only with its big shindig that up until now has annually been held in the bowels of the

Seahawks’ stadium and on a nearby lake, while early last month O’Loughlin Trade Shows rescheduled their centerpiece events in Puyallup and Portland for March, but also acknowledged the situation was still “very fluid” given spiking coronavirus infections and related restrictions from Washington’s and Oregon’s governors. While Covid brought a flaming garbage train of horror to the Northwest, country and world in 2020, it also produced extremely high demand for outdoor recreation, and the shows

have traditionally been a great way for anglers and hunters to interact with boat makers, guides, charters, sporting goods manufacturers, conservation groups and many others. Enter coronavirus and that indoors face-to-face interaction has become far more challenging to manage. One state fish and wildlife agency has informed this magazine that it won’t have booths at January and February shows.

AS IT STANDS, the online version of the Seattle Boat Show will be held Jan. 28-31 nwsportsmanmag.com | JANUARY 2021

Northwest Sportsman 59

MIXED BAG and in November organizers outlined their ambitious adaptation. “Unlike many virtual boat shows that are simply a static listing of boats, the Seattle show will have a number of digital features that will allow attendees to connect with exhibitors in a variety of ways, including an appointmentsetting tool that allows them to schedule in-person, Zoom, FaceTime, or phone meetings and boat and product tours as well as live text chat,” a press release stated. “The three-dimensional show floor will feature the classic red carpet and allow boaters to simulate cruising the aisles. The digital show will happen in tandem with satellite in-person special events hosted by dealers and exhibitors around the region.” As for the many expert seminars that occur during the boat show, some 100plus hours of fishing, crabbing and other presentations will be moved online, and there will be a live stream as well.

DOWN THE ROAD at the state fairgrounds in Puyallup and at the Portland Expo Center, it will be quiet in late January and early February, as O’Loughlin moved their Washington Sportsmen’s Show to March 17-21 and Pacific Northwest Sportsmen’s Show to March 24-28. The latter will include the Portland Boat Show. “Getting the dates moved to March was a Herculean effort,” noted show spokesman Trey Carskadon. “We started that process late in the summer and thanks to the experience and persistence of the O’Loughlins, we were able to make it happen. These new dates, along with the strides we’ve made in working with the states on safety protocols, will allow us to hold shows.” Carskadon outlined some of the “many” safety measures that will be in place for those shows: “mandatory face mask wear by everyone – staff, exhibitors and attendees – timed ticketing to control the flow of people in and out of the shows, wider aisles,

safety monitors, online ticket sales only – touchless ticketing – obsessive sanitation and number of sanitation stations, and oneway traffic patterns through the shows.” The Central Oregon Sportsmen’s Show will occur March 11-14, roughly when it was in 2020 before it became the first major event in the Northwest outdoor world to be cancelled due to coronavirus. At this writing in mid-December, Shuyler Productions, which puts together shows in Central Washington, and ExpoSure Shows, which does Southern Oregon, are a go for February events, and the Inland Northwest Wildlife Council plans on a March Big Horn Adventure Show. On the flip side, producers of the Wenatchee Sportsmen’s Show, Saltwater Sportsmen’s Show, Great Rockies Sportshow, and NW Fly Tyer and Fly Fishing Expo all announced they will be back in 2022. Best advice is to stay tuned to show websites, the news and governors as we grind through these difficult times. NS

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JANUARY 28-31 Seattle Boat Show, digital only; seattleboatshow.com

FEBRUARY Eugene Boat & Sportsmen’s Show, 5-7 Lane Events Center, Eugene; exposureshows.com 19-21 Central Washington Sportsmen Show, SunDome, Yakima; shuylerproductions.com 19-21 Douglas County Sportsmen’s & Outdoor Recreation Show, Douglas County Fairgrounds, Roseburg, Ore.; exposureshows.com 19-21 Willamette Sportsman Show, Linn County Expo Center, Albany; willamettesportsmanshow.com 26-28 Jackson County Sportsmen’s

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& Outdoor Recreation Show, Jackson County Expo, Medford; exposureshows.com 26-28 Tri-Cities Sportsmen Show, HAPO, Pasco; shuylerproductions.com

MARCH Tacoma RV Show, Tacoma Dome, 4-7 Tacoma; otshows.com Central Oregon Sportsmen’s Show, Deschutes County Fair & Expo Center, Redmond; otshows.com 17-21 Washington Sportsmen’s Show, Washington State Fair & Events Center, Puyallup; otshows.com 18-21 Big Horn Outdoor Adventure Show, Spokane Interstate Fairgrounds, Spokane; bighornshow.com 24-28 Pacific Northwest Sportsmen’s Show, Expo Center, Portland; otshows.com 24-28 Portland Boat Show, Expo Center, Portland; otshows.com

11-14

* Check ahead for any Covid-19 changes.

COLUMN

Introduction To Winter Steelhead Y

es, it’s cold outside and the rivers are cooler yet, but what lurks in the drifts and tailouts of many Northwest BUZZ streams are these RAMSEY big, beautiful, hardfishing fish called steelhead – winter steelhead, to be exact. Chasing them is a seasonal sport that begins in late fall and lasts through March and even into April on some rivers. This fishery has captured the imagination of a few hundred thousand anglers around the Pacific Northwest, and I’m one of them. The attraction – besides the opportunity to catch a stunningly attractive fish – is the beautiful winter scenery. The sights that will suddenly capture your attention can be truly remarkable, like watching a water ouzel – a small bird that can walk and fly underwater – attempt to snatch something to eat, or eyeing a pair of latereturning salmon spawning in a shallow riffle, which can highlight the meaning of nature and renewal.

IF YOU’VE NEVER tried your luck for these unique fish, understand that winter steelhead are regarded as one of the most difficult fish to catch. Finding steelhead can be a challenge because they migrate in spurts based on ocean tides and enter rivers that are always changing in terms of flow based on rainfall. When rivers are low due to a lack of precipitation, returning fish can stack up low in the river, perhaps only occupying the tidal zone itself or the first few holes above tidewater. This scenario is particularly true if rainfall has held off for a few weeks or more. And while this description is true

Author Buzz Ramsey holds a freshly caught hatchery winter steelhead taken from Oregon’s Trask River. The absence of an adipose fin, between the dorsal and tail fins, signifies the fish is a hatchery keeper. (BUZZ RAMSEY)

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Northwest Sportsman 65

COLUMN on small- to medium-sized rivers, good numbers of steelhead might flood more than a few miles upstream on larger rivers like Southwest Washington’s Cowlitz or Chehalis and Oregon Coast rivers like the Nehalem, Umpqua or Rogue. The rain associated with big weather fronts can make rivers rise to the point of being unfishable due to the water being just too high and turbid. Good numbers of steelhead will pile into rivers while they are still too high to fish, especially after they crest and begin to drop. As rivers drop from high-water events, steelhead can quickly distribute themselves throughout the system. For this reason, the best fishing is often had when rivers first drop and clear into shape after a freshet. In addition to planning your adventures around when the water is in shape and fish are the most numerous, another consideration is dressing for your winter adventure. To protect yourself from the cold, layer your clothing starting with thermal underwear or one of the newly designed fabrics, like Under Armour, which help to wick away moisture while keeping you warm.

While both baitcasting (top) and spinning (bottom) outfits work for steelhead, and some anglers carry both, your choice will depend on personal preference or which fishing method you use most. (BUZZ RAMSEY) A pair of insulated waders or hip boots is essential if you plan to fish from shore. Keep in mind you may need to step up one or more shoe sizes to make room for heavier than normal socks so as to not restrict the blood flow needed to keep your feet warm. And don’t forget to purchase a quality raincoat; waist-length (short) if your outdoor wardrobe includes waders or rain pants, three-quarter-length (long) if you plan to wear only hip boots. Your raincoat should include a hood. If a hood feels too

confining, purchase a quality rain hat that will actually shed water and not leak.

CHOOSING BETWEEN A spinning or baitcasting reel will be your first tackle choice. Many anglers prefer baitcasters for drift fishing techniques because with them you can easily extend your drift by thumbing out additional line while your reel is in free spool. Likewise, most boaters prefer baitcasting reels when back-trolling plugs. Spinning rods and reel outfits are

Here are two baitcasting outfits, one reel filled with highvisibility monofilament mainline and the other super braid. In combination with an invisible fluorocarbon leader, Ramsey uses the former line for back-trolling plugs and side drifting, and the latter for drift, bobber/float and bobber doggin’. (BUZZ RAMSEY) 66 Northwest Sportsman

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COLUMN

Shown here is the high-speed Revo Rocket spinning reel, one filled with monofilament and the other super braid. Super braid floats, especially when treated with fly line dressing, making it a great choice for float fishing methods. (BUZZ RAMSEY) popular too, especially by those employing side drifting, bobber doggin’ (either style reel works here) and float fishing methods. Learning to successfully cast a levelwind baitcasting reel will take some practice. The secret is to make a wide sweep with your rod tip, one that will gradually increase the speed of the reel spool, which will allow you to maintain better control with your thumb as the line is whistling through the line guides. In addition, you will need to stop the line (with that same thumb) from leaving the reel the instant your lure hits the water. Otherwise you risk a backlash, a tangle that is time-consuming to fix. Although the round side-profile baitcasting-style reels, like the classic Abu Garcia 5500 C-3, remain a popular choice, I’m impressed with the number of lowprofile baitcasting reels I see employed by anglers chasing steelhead. And while the round reels have more line capacity, the low-profile baitcasters are lighter in weight and generally easier to cast. A low-profile reel I’m particularly fond of is Abu Garcia’s Revo. The company even offers it in a high-speed model called a Revo Rocket (the Revo Rocket is available in a spinning model too). No matter which baitcast reel 68 Northwest Sportsman

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style you choose, keep in mind most are available in either a right- or left-hand retrieve versions. To facilitate right- or lefthand cranking, spinning reels allow you to switch the handle to either side.

NOW THAT YOU’VE selected your reel style, it’s time to choose a rod. Spinning rods have larger line guides than those designed for baitcasting reels; the larger line guides capture the large loops of line coming off spinning reels and gradually reduce their size for long, accurate casts. Rods designed for baitcasting reels (besides their smaller line guides) often feature triggers on their reel seats, which offer superior rod control when casting or setting the hook on a big steelhead. There was once a time when rods designed for steelhead were mostly available in 8- to 9-foot lengths. Today, however, longer rods have grown in popularity, thanks to the growth of methods like side drifting and float fishing, with lengths of 9 to 10 feet being the most popular. When it comes to spinning rods, I still prefer 8- to 9-footers for casting spinners, but go a foot or so longer for other methods like float, side drifting or bobber

doggin’, with my favorite being the 9-foot9 ML Air Rod offered by Berkley. As for baitcasting rods, my favorites for back-trolling plugs continue to be the Berkley 8-foot magnum taper rods, which have a light tip so I can see the plug wiggle, and a heavier butt section, which enables a strong hookset. My rods for other applications are in the 9- to 10-foot range. Old-school drift fishing remains my goto method when the rivers are just coming into shape after a high-water event. During times when the water is high and just beginning to become fishable again, I go with a heavy-action or sometimes extraheavy-action baitcaster measuring 9 to 9 1/2 feet long.

FOR FISHING LINE there are three basic types: monofilament, fluorocarbon and super braid. Due to it being nearly invisible and slightly stiffer than monofilament, fluorocarbon is my go-to for leader material. Reel style – baitcasting or spinning – and fishing method employed determines whether I spool those outfits with monofilament or super braid. Although you may choose differently, I’ve settled on the following: Hi-vis

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COLUMN The reward for getting into steelheading in the Northwest is putting harvestable winter-runs on the bank and on the grill or in the oven. This one from the Oregon Coast bit a large Li’l Corky that was drift fished with a baitcaster setup. (BUZZ RAMSEY)

If you are new to the sport, regardless of fishing method, I’d recommend you start off with monofilament in the 10- to 20-pound-test range, with 12 or 14 being a good place to start, and leave the super braids for a later time. Here is another view on the topic of which fishing line to choose: Monofilament

monofilament for back-trolling plugs (14-pound test) and side drifting (10- or 12-pound test), all in combination with an invisible fluorocarbon leader. Due to its low stretch and the fact that it floats, my outfits rigged for drift, bobber/float and bobber doggin’ are filled with super braid in 20- to 30-pound test.

lines for steelhead should range between 8- and 12-pound for spinning reels and 12 to 17 for levelwind-baitcast reels. Limper monofilament lines, like Berkley Trilene XL or Stren, perform best on spinning reels, while stiffer lines, like Big Game or Trilene XT, are more popular for baitcast reels. As far as super braids go (Spiderwire and Berkley Braid is what I use), with almost zero stretch and mostly breaking at the pound test stated on the label, you will need to step up a pound-test category or two over the monofilament you might have otherwise used. You see, most monofilament lines stretch a lot and their actual breaking strength is up to a third over what is stated on the label. The heavier super braid will still be thinner than the monofilament you would have used, while also offering superior sensitivity and lasting much longer than monofilament. NS Editor’s note: Buzz is regarded as a sport fishing authority, outdoor writer and proficient lure and fishing rod designer.

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COLUMN

No-bait Steelhead W

ith coastal steelhead runs in Washington being protected by what some would call NW PURSUITS extreme measures By Jason Brooks limiting where we stand to cast a line, allowing only one barbless single-point hook, and banning bait and scents, Northwest sportsmen need to adjust their angling to catch fish. For me, I have been using nonbait lures and techniques since I caught my first steelhead, which happened to be while drift fishing a pink worm. It is also my largest steelhead to date, and the one that keeps me coming back to the same river and casting pink worms in the seams and behind boulders each winter. Bait is always a good option, when it is an option, but with runs dwindling not only in my home state, but also in the river systems of British Columbia and elsewhere, it is time to look at other techniques that lead to less mortality on wild fish.

PULLING PLUGS HAS always been a top producer for winter steelhead anglers. But if fishing from a floating device is prohibited on your river, how can you continue to use this proven technique? The answer is by using a side planer. It is not the same as watching the rod tips wiggle until a violent takedown pins the rod to the gunnel, but they work, especially on small streams. Be sure to switch out the trebles to a single siwash and pinch the barb. Plugs will have to be retuned with the light hook, but this can be done by turning or bending the eye of the plug with some pliers. Swinging a spoon works both from a boat and from shore, with the latter preferred since you can get a good swing across a tailout much easier if you are standing to one side of it. Brass and silver, or â&#x20AC;&#x153;half and half,â&#x20AC;? is one of the most productive patterns for spoons, but allbrass works well too.

While Washington Coast rivers saw new restrictions this season to protect low returns of wild steelhead, there are still ways to safely pursue these beloved fish without eggs, shrimp and other meaty baits. (JASON BROOKS)

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COLUMN Word that fishing out of a boat was banned on the aforementioned systems had steelheaders wondering if they still had any of those throwbacks to the 1980s – side planers – for plugging from the bank. Just remember, only a single barbless hook is allowed on those rivers. (JASON BROOKS)

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Single hooks are preferred anyway, so that if you bounce your spoon off of a boulder or sunken log, it is unlikely to hang up and get lost. Spoons are not cheap but they last for years, so in the long run they are actually an inexpensive way to fish if you don’t lose the lure. Winter steelhead are often caught in clear and low water, but even when you get that perfect “steelhead green” coloration, spoons work. Pink worms are my go-to and I always have a rod rigged and ready with one on it. They are also very versatile, as you can drift fish, bobber dog and even float them from above through a boulder-strewn run. Some think the worm mimics a large nightcrawler that has washed into the river and offers a big meal to a hungry fish. This is why when I see a seam or a cut bank, I grab the rigged worm and fish it instead of anything else, and it works. If I had only one nonbait rigging for the day, it would be a pink worm set up for drift fishing. For those who like to bobber dog, the lead hook is often the worm and is trailed by a bead, but don’t overlook reversing it

COLUMN and using a smaller 3-inch or 4-inch worm as the trailer. (Note that while that setup is legal on most Northwest waters this season, only a single barbless hook may be used on Washington Coast systems under current steelhead restrictions.) To float a worm where the bottom of the river will grab anything that touches it, simply slide the worm up the hook of a jig head. Sometimes a contrasting color, such as white, black or chartreuse, gives the rig more appeal, while a pink head adds profile. Another great way to fish a worm under a float is to use a sliding weight and an octopus hook with the worm rigged “wacky” style, which is simply hooked in the middle. This is a common bass fishing technique and allows the worm to flutter in the current, which can trigger a bite.

FLOATING JIGS WAS all the rage a decade ago, and for good reason. It is a very simple and effective way to catch steelhead. You can use a standard drift rod, a long noodle rod or even a centerpin outfit – all will float

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jigs. They can be fished in virtually all water conditions and all parts of the river, and you lose very little gear. Anyone who is new to steelhead fishing or only has a few hours to hit a local river should gear up to float jigs. There is something peaceful about heading to the banks of the river with a small box of jigs, a few extra floats, weights and swivels in your pocket. Swinging flies is much like floating jigs. If you have ever seen online videos of the underwater action of a streamer, then you have noticed it looks a lot like a marabou jig. There’s something about watching an angler do a figure-eight cast with a double-hand rod and laying that line out on the water – mending line like a float angler, the violent take of the fly, lifting the rod high to set the hook and working the single-action reel to pull the line and fish in. This takes a lifetime to master, which is why once you give it a try, you will want to break out the fly-tying vise. For those who just can’t get over drift

fishing bait, try an imitation egg cluster. Western Fishing Operations has small rubber clusters that look like a gob of eggs. Offered in various colors, you can fish them just like you would bait, either drift fishing, bobber dogging, boon dogging and such. No matter if you are using imitation egg clusters, rubber beads or rubber worms, be sure they are not scented. No bait means no scent, but winter steelhead are often found in clear water and they are aggressive, so they often strike by sight. I’ve seen a big steelhead in the middle of the run move over to my buddy’s pink worm only to miss it, so I casted right behind him and the fish made sure not to miss the second chance and grabbed the pink worm violently. Indeed, winter steelhead lend themselves to sight fishing very well, a fun way to fish. And since you are offering either bright lures, such as a well-polished spoon or a bright pink worm, you can watch the steelhead grab the hook. A pair of polarized sunglasses will help you find fish. Look to seams, behind large

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COLUMN boulders and deep runs with a gravel bottom. Once you find a fish or two, take note of where they are. As you continue along the riverbank, you can look for these same conditions and then peer into the water to find more fish.

ON RIVER SYSTEMS with wild fish, whether those you aren’t allowed to use bait on this winter or waters outside of Washington’s coastal systems, be sure to know how to handle them. First is to respect the steelhead and not use light gear that requires a long fight to get the fish in. Not only are native fish powerful, but cold water and the journey upstream in low, clear flows also means exposure to predators such as eagles. You want to get the fish in and back on its way quickly. A buddy of mine uses 20-pound-test leaders and though this is a bit of overkill, he does get large wild fish in quickly. These aggressive fish are not leader shy, though a clear monofilament, such as Izorline Platinum that has little stretch and good abrasion resistance, in 12- to 15-pound test is often plenty. When you do land that wild fish, try to keep it in the water, which might be a requirement where you are fishing, and tail the fish if possible. We often see people

Drifting a scentless pink worm is a proven winner for wild steelhead. (JASON BROOKS) cradle the fish right behind the pectoral fins but this is where the heart is, as well as internal organs, which can be bruised or compressed when lifting a heavy fish. Tailing the fish allows you to control it while removing the hook and gently reviving and releasing it into soft water.

STEELHEADERS ARE UNIQUE, and those who pursue winter-runs are often the most

passionate of all anglers, traveling great distances, whether to the Olympic Coast of Washington, the Oregon Coast, British Columbia and even Alaska and Russia, just to catch a fish. We want the winter steelhead to thrive and regardless of the causes of the runs’ declines, steelhead anglers will do whatever it takes to help these fish. Maybe it’s best we don’t use bait; after all, we can still catch fish, for now. NS

“There’s something about watching an angler do a figure-eight cast with a doublehand rod and laying that line out on the water,” writes author Jason Brooks, who prefers drift fishing but appreciates others’ approaches. (JASON BROOKS)

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COLUMN

Last year was a tricky one for all of us, but it provided a chance for author Sara Ichtertz to return to fish camp on a Southern Oregon river, where son Nate not only showed off his balancing skills on slick rocks but his budding abilities as a steelheader. (SARA ICHTERTZ)

Return To Fish Camp T

raditions, we all have them. Many we carry on to this day, customs we have embraced our FOR THE LOVE entire lives. I am fond OF THE TUG of them. I love a good By Sara Ichtertz reason to celebrate and I always appreciate looking back on family traditions while embracing the new ones as well. As a grown woman with children, I have found itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s amazing to be able to create new traditions, and not just any olâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; traditions but those made on the rivers. For us. My little family.

OUT OF ALL of them, though, one truly is second to none. Family fish camp really

is my favorite time of the year. There is nothing that means more to me than that time in winter, unplugged in the beauty of nature, with my ever-growing babes. I find it quite fulfilling to reflect on fish camps past. Nate and Ava, so little but what troopers they were in the beginning. I smile huge when seeing where we are today. And I have high hopes, dreaming of our everchanging family fish camps to come. The amazing thing about life and traditions is the constant growth. Roots are the core and are crucial to survival, but once those roots are established, the growth is limitless. Family fish camp, though it may be wet, cold and a bit extreme at times, brings out the best in all of us, I believe, and I am thankful I have never given up on this yearly adventure of ours. It is definitely

done in love, and while maybe somewhat unconventional, I am OK with that. Watching Sister go from a binkysucking bundled baby on the bank to a fish-netting, limit-riding little lady amazes me. She may not fillet the fish yet herself, but she understands what Mom is doing as she does it. She appreciates the work that must be put into hauling a healthy limit of steelhead to the bank for Mom to process before dark. Providing my babes this opportunity to grow is so important to me. Seeing them grow in other ways, like sharing our time at fish camp with our sweet and steelheaddriven friend Lisa Phillips, is equally as important, as I want my kids to know what it feels like to share passion. I do not want them to be stingy and I find that sharing

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COLUMN

Sara and family shared their fish camp with Lisa Phillips, who caught her first two steelhead from the bank with them and provided a key lesson for Nate and Ava about the importance of being willing to share. (SARA ICHTERTZ)

their mom and their rivers are good ways to instill that importance in them. We shared one such a special moment with Lisa at camp – her first ever hatchery steelhead from the bank. Actually, her first two! A handsome buck and the perfect hatchery hen. That is something Lisa wanted badly and I loved helping her make it happen! I pretty much love that she shared those fish with us. If I think about the time and passion she and I have shared, I honestly wouldn’t have wanted her first bank fishing harvest to be with anybody else. There were so many amazing firsts last year. But there was only one 100th. That was mine, and it was incredible having my babes and Lisa share with me my 100th steelhead. Nothing compares to love and steelhead for me. When they go hand in hand, I trust in my journey of life that much more.

SEVEN RUNS AGO, my babes were with me on the bank as I bonked my first hatchery

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COLUMN fish. Having it come full circle, 100 fish later at my most favorite of camps, all while the ones I love excelled in their own ways, was what this camp was all about. Watching my boy Nate gather and ready his gear for the run ahead leads me to believe he will soon surpass his rad accomplishments of 2020’s camp. Last year I was able to see that wildest of winter devotion in him, and in that drive I watched him grow as a steelheader. The love I feel for both my boy and the majestic winter fish made for a camp that I will not soon forget. Day one was just he and I. The river, she was low and I knew what that meant. It was time to break in my new float rod and see what I thought of her. Brother’s heart was delighted, as that boy has always loved to try and get those floats to drain. We fished a hole where I have had pretty good luck, though it can be semi-tricky to get them landed. So this was the first time I have ever let him fish that hole. We stepped up to the bank, discussed a few things, and settled into our spots.

Brother’s spot was one Mom would not stand in because I am kind of a wimp, but he seemed comfortable and the float appeared to be riding well, so I paused in the moment just to watch him and his float fishing in such rhythm. I may not love float fishing, but I can for sure tell when that baby is fishing. I know where those fish like to be and I can’t deny the excitement that takes place when the float does indeed go under. Watching attentively, I saw Nate’s float riding that seam just right, and right before my eyes, it was pulled beneath the surface. In his tight little quarters, Brother quickly removed the slack and perfectly executed his hookset. Mom, being about 8 feet downriver, had the perfect view and watched this mighty fine execution that was followed by the most beautiful of flashing flashes we all hope to find beneath a winter’s river. Brother stood his ground and did amazing. That water really pushes right there and after one too many leaps out of the river, that beauty managed to elude

him. Despite losing the fish, day one belonged to Brother, and I loved that it was just the two of us. He, however, was not impressed that he had lost the fish and seeing the aggravation in his big blue eyes, I knew my boy had got it bad this run. Every waking moment he was flooded by the thought of the fish. He wanted to talk fishing at the campfire and relive the one that got away. He no longer wanted to play all day in the fort, or ride bikes quite like he has in years past. If he wasn’t working on freshening his float rod for next time, he was begging to go throw a spinner. He really could not get enough; Sister had to beg him to play on the merrygo-round, and typically that is one of his favorite things to do.

IN A YEAR of such uncertainty, 2020, I realize how thankful I am to have made these traditions for us. And it’s not just the big things in this particular tradition that matter because the little things make the adventure worthwhile. I’m thankful to

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The tradition of fish camp nourishes Sara’s soul in other ways, including feeding her family with fresh-caught hatchery steelhead. (SARA ICHTERTZ)

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know that. And thankful my babes know what it feels like to ride their bikes in the moonlight. Thankful they know what it means to work together in bringing dinner to the table, and thankful they look forward to camp just as much as I do. Brother ended up hooking five fish at camp and landed one. He was hard on himself to only land the one fish, but I hope he did see what I saw, and what I saw was one amazing fourth-grader giving it his all. I watched my son go from a boy to a fisherman and that is truly all I could ever hope for. I am thankful the fish had such a strong pull on my heart; they taught me to live in the moment, and that is pretty much priceless! I’m sure all of you have fishy traditions that warm your hearts and I encourage you to hold them closer than ever. I encourage you to do what you love with those you love, and live in the moment for all that it is worth. Embrace them for all that they are, as if they could be your last cast. My heart is on the river and I couldn’t change it, even if I tried. NS

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FISHING

The Only Show (Is) In Town

It’s the winter of discontent for Puget Sound blackmouth anglers after resident Chinook seasons were trimmed sharply during last year’s state-tribal salmon season negotiations. While many coveted marine areas won’t be available, the waters off the Emerald City are open for kings. (MARK YUASA)

Seattle’s Area 10 is this winter’s primary blackmouth fishery, and here’s how to work it. By Mark Yuasa

inter Chinook fishing in Puget Sound has been a rite of passage for many decades, but the current landscape of places to fish paints a much different picture. When the dust settled on the 202021 salmon-season-setting process last spring, it revealed an unprecedented loss of approximately 24-area months of winter opportunity compared to 2018-19. It equated to closures in the eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca, San Juan Islands, east side of Whidbey

Island, Hood Canal and northern and south-central Puget Sound. This huge cutback on winter Chinook – better known as blackmouth for their distinct dark gum line and predominantly made up of hatcheryproduced fish – is a bitter pill to swallow and has been the contentious topic of many conversations in the sportfishing community. Sure, we can stew about what we as anglers “can’t do,” but now it’s time to focus on the “can do” list of opportunities (albeit a minimal version of past winters), and start

raising awareness for a better outcome when the salmon-seasonsetting process begins in March.

TOPPING THE LIST to pursue winter hatchery Chinook is central Puget Sound (Marine Area 10), which opens from Jan. 1 through March 31. The daily limit is two hatchery Chinook. “Area 10 is one of the only shows in town for winter blackmouth (and) we’ll be cautious right out of the starting gate,” said Mark Baltzell, a Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife salmon manager. “There nwsportsmanmag.com | JANUARY 2021

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FISHING is a lot of desire to get outside (due to the pandemic) and our goal is for maximizing time on the water.” The preseason prediction of total encounters in Area 10 is 3,751 Chinook. WDFW plans to manage this fishery to ensure it doesn’t exceed 120 percent of 4,501 predicted

encounters. WDFW will manage to 579 unmarked encounters and 3,224 total sublegal encounters. The low total of unmarked encounters had WDFW’s Puget Sound sportfishing advisory group on the edge of their seats during a conference call last month. Many

Tegan Yuasa shows off a pair of blackmouth caught with skipper Justin Wong during the winter fishery. The guide is known for mooching up salmon, but other methods include jigging or trolling bait or spoons for them. (MARK YUASA) 92 Northwest Sportsman

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claim it won’t take much effort to release 579 wild Chinook, although in some years the hatchery-to-wildfish ratio can sway dramatically in one direction or another. WDFW will closely monitor the fishery and if for any reason catch rates soar quickly or large numbers of sublegal Chinook (fish under the 22inch minimum size limit) or wild fish are released, then the fishery could be stopped temporarily to maximize the back end of the season. “We’d like to hit the pause button once we approach about 50 percent of the total encounters, and reopen it when we see bigger fish and better weather in March,” said Carl Nyman, the Puget Sound Charter Boat Association president and WDFW advisory board member. “This way we can avoid a situation where we have to close the fishery early.” WDFW plans to have dockside samplers and test fishing boats on the water, and provide weekly updates. The first catch estimate occurs the week ending Jan. 8. The size and mark-status composition of the targeted Chinook population is gauged using test fishing data.

GOOD PLACES IN central Puget Sound include Jefferson Head; President Point; Kingston; Point Monroe; west side of Bainbridge Island from Skiff Point south to Restoration Point; Rich Passage; Manchester; Allen Bank off Blake Island’s southeast side; Southworth; Alki Point; West Point south of Shilshole Bay; Meadow Point; Richmond Beach; Fourmile Rock off Magnolia Bluff; and near the Fauntleroy ferry landing off Vashon Island. Inner Elliott Bay also has potential if baitfish are present. Another overlooked option is Deep South Sound, Area 13, which is open year-round for hatchery Chinook. The daily limit is two, with a minimum size limit of 20 inches. The two-pole endorsement rule is allowed in Area 13. Target Point Fosdick just south of

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FISHING the Narrows Bridges; Fox Island from Fox Point south to Concrete Dock; Gibson Point on the south side of Fox Island; Lyle Point off the south end of Anderson Island; Ketron Island; Thompson Cove north of Lyle Point; just outside the Narrows Marina; Hale Pass from Sandspit on the western tip of Fox Island east to Ketners Point; and Johnson Point. Further down the road, at least on the calendar, is the western Strait of Juan de Fuca at Sekiu, Area 5, which opens March 1 through April 30. This fishery is managed as a season, meaning there’s no guideline to shut it down prematurely.

ANGLING SUCCESS RELIES on locating schools of baitfish since blackmouth are known to be voracious feeders of herring and candlefish. The fish also tend to hug the bottom, so bouncing your presentation in front of them should create more hookups.

Keep tabs on incoming and outgoing tidal movements and study topographic maps to know where drop-offs, ledges and underwater structures lurk. These fish are fairly predictable, so if the bite occurs at a certain time of the day, it’ll likely happen around the same time on the following day, only an hour later. Downrigger trolling is most effective since you can cover a lot of area, especially in the winter when baitfish schools can be sparse, but mooching and jigging get their share of action. Trolling anglers use a variety of lures, including an Ace Hi Fly or Gold Star Yamashita Plastic Squid, and a Luhr Jensen Coyote Spoon in 3.5 and 4.0 sizes. Other choices are a 602 or 603 4- or 5-inch Tomic Plug; Gibbs Skinny G or Wee G or a Silver Horde Coho Killer spoon; or a cut-plug or whole herring. Leader length should be 36 to 48 inches trailed behind a

flasher or dodger that’s set about 8 to 20 feet behind the downrigger ball. Mooching with a herring or candlefish is another popular method used by anglers to catch winter salmon. This consists of working a cut-plug or whole herring up and down the entire water column with a 6- to 8-foot leader tied to tandem 2/0 or 3/0 barbless hooks attached to a 3to 6-ounce banana weight. The weight size depends on the wind and current, but a 45-degree line angle is the most important factor. Anglers often back up their boat using their main or trolling motor to keep the right line angle. Another technique is vertical jigging with 3- to 6-ounce Point Wilson Darts, Crippled Herring or Buzz Bomb jigs in candlefish or herring patterns. Be sure to take off the illegal treble hooks and add a barbless Gamakatsu 2/0 and 3/0 octopus straight-eye-style hook. NS

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HUNTING

Decoys Aren’t Just For Ducks

How to use faux bunnies, birds and fellow furbearers to help attract stealthy predators. By Art Isberg

he remote, high sagebrush desert country of the northern Great Basin is about as far from any signs of civilization as a man can get these days. Roads, where you can find one, are little more than rutted four-wheeldrive tracks leading off for miles into who knows where. This is the same brutal land that pioneer-era wagon trains struggled through heading west

170 years ago. Nothing has changed. The wagon tracks are still there. I have spent many moons in this vast land camping, hunting predators and just enjoying the sundown solitude. And with every species you can target, decoys can play a role in your success.

COYOTE One would think hunting coyotes

here would have to be duck soup. I did until I seriously spent time going after them. But the fact is that the wily coyote is as wary and smart as his suburban relatives living at the edge of cities and urban sprawl. It was a lesson learned. I’d call in the little brush wolves, only to have most stop well out from my stand and refuse to come closer – no matter what calling change I

Hunters in search of wily and stealthy predators like bobcats, coyotes and foxes can follow the lead of waterfowl hunters and use decoys to help bring in critters. A double decoy set-up for fox hunts is one such tool to help hunters. (ART ISBERG) nwsportsmanmag.com | JANUARY 2021

Northwest Sportsman 105

HUNTING made. That puzzled me greatly. Then I had a brainstorm. Maybe I could use that same open country against them. How about trying a coyote decoy? It changed everything from that point forward, introducing me to a new kind of predator hunting – and a more successful one to boot. I began by looking over a large variety of decoys designed exclusively for coyotes. The list was impressive. I quickly found two perfectly suited for the occasion. The first one is made by Flambeau; the second is from Lucky Duck Yote 3-D. Each was a full-bodied decoy – with legs and all. The Flambeau stood on all four feet and is made of hard plastic. It also has a faux fur tail that waved even in a small breeze. The Lucky Duck Yote 3-D was a rubberized, fold-up model staked in the middle at its balancing point so the entire decoy could rotate in a

Set your coyote decoy out in the open where it’s easily seen by approaching animals – near or far. (ART ISBERG)

This fold-up fox decoy is light, easy to pack and also set up. It works on both red and grey fox. (ART ISBERG)

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wind. It also has the same faux fur tail. That kind of lifelike movement proved to be deadly on suspicious coyotes. It finally started luring them all the way in. Back in my old stomping grounds that spring, I set up my new decoy and began calling with my favorite longrange Circe, a jackrabbit call. A long 20 minutes later on stand produced nothing, but the key to success in this big land is to move if one spot doesn’t pan out. Even here, coyotes are not wall to wall. I four-wheeled another 4 miles and set up again at the edge of a flat-topped plateau above several breakaway canyons thick with sagebrush. This time I staked the decoy about 30 yards away from my stand in a pile of black volcanic rocks, and I began my siren song. I must have been close to the pair of coyotes that came in at a dead run only a few minutes later. They were in a line – one behind the other – weaving through sagebrush until hitting an opening where the lead

HUNTING animal could see the decoy about 40 yards away. He came to a sudden stop, eyeing it as his partner closed in. I would have loved to know what was going through his mind to find his tribe already here and stealing his rabbit breakfast. As all his attention was riveted on the decoy, I lifted my .243 Winchester bolt-action rifle and took a shot I knew I couldn’t miss. The coyote’s pal took off at a blistering run, flashing through sagebrush. I took one running shot as it dodged behind another brushy screen and missed, but I’d learned a most valuable lesson that morning out in the middle of no place. Decoys can work, big time. For coyote hunting, your first priority is to place your decoy well away from your stand and at an angle not on the same line of sight. Lowering a call and lifting a rifle require hand movements that the sharp eyes of coyotes will pick up in an instant. The decoy covers you for this. A second point is elevation. Use it every time you have the opportunity. Coyotes have some of the finest hunting eyes in nature. A decoy placed up on a mound, rocky outcrop or along a ridgeline will be seen at long distances and hold their attention as they run closer. And third, you should choose a decoy that offers body movement, turning with a breeze or wagging tail. That can be absolutely deadly. These three things give you an edge like nothing else will.

FOX As with coyotes, there are a number of very effective decoys that can be used on fox. Such hunting can have startling results that have to be seen to be believed. I live in mountain country of mixed tall timber and brush interspersed with large, weedy flats. There are a lot of red foxes here and, like fox everywhere, they always prefer to live, move, hunt and travel in cover. 108 Northwest Sportsman

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Author Art Isberg’s number one bobcat decoy is this broken-winged woodpecker, clipped to low branches and limbs at a cat’s eye level. (ART ISBERG)

That’s because coyotes, hawks and owls will kill them if they get the chance, and they know it. I’ve found two good decoy choices for these little predators. First is the Lucky Duck Foxxy decoy by Edge Expedite. It is a rubberized, full-bodied fox decoy, which offers the same staked, center body balancing point as the coyote. That allows it to move even in a slight breeze, and with its faux fur tail, the movement is simply irresistible to these little predators. Another decoy I’ve carried and used is made by Renzos. It is made of a flat, durable vinyl body with a picture of a red fox imprinted on both sides. This silhouette decoy folds in the middle for easy carrying afield and then staked on a steel rod in position. It’s also light and handy. The first time I used this decoy, I looked for a spot in tall timber and brush where it could be easily seen.

I found an old logging road, set it up right in the middle, then backed off into blow-down timber and began calling with my cottontail rabbit call, which has a somewhat lower-pitched tone than the bigger call. I stayed on the call for about 15 minutes. Like coyotes, a fox can pick up sound at unusual distances. Nothing showed up except two magpies that perched in a tree and wondered if there was an easy meal to be had. I made another series of calls and had just about made up my mind to pick up and move, but something stopped me. All this took place about a quarter-mile uphill from a large river in the valley below me. I knew both coyotes and foxes moved along that waterway, using it as a travel lane to hunt along and get an easy drink in hot summer months (it was early August now).

HUNTING that. Both decoys mentioned here will work, but remember that body movement is a big plus in your favor.

BOBCAT

The author totes two quivering body decoys that can be used on both fox and bobcat. (ART ISBERG)

I got back on the call and the whole setup just looked too good to walk away from. Five more minutes into calling, the biggest-bodied red fox I’ve ever seen suddenly broke from cover onto the old road. He came to a sudden stop and was eyeing the decoy 20 yards away. His long, fluffy tail was the length of his body and his neck stretched high. He made a little jump forward and froze again; it was fascinating to watch his antics. He was starting to circle to get a scent when I finally took the shot. The long calling time on stand was because he’d made the climb all the way up from that waterway. The key to using fox decoys is 110 Northwest Sportsman

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finding the right spot to place them where they can be easily seen. Choose small openings around mixed cover where the animals must show themselves once they’re close. They like to approach in cover, unlike coyotes, which can come barreling in at a dead run right out in the open. Fox are generally too cautious for that and also have good noses, so watch the wind and pick your location with care. I stop calling when I see a fox approaching – even if well out. I don’t want to give away my location with hand movements. I shy away from staking a fox decoy on high points, as I would a coyote. Fox are too clever to fall for

To me, hunting bobcats has always been a much different game than targeting either coyotes or foxes. The reason for this is the cat’s secretive lifestyle. They are so much slower and more cautious when responding to calling, either mouth-produced or electronic sounds. For example, I’ve never had a cat come to my calling at a run, and I’ve called in more than a few in a lot of different places over the years. Cats want a sure thing, something they know they can overpower and kill without causing any harm to themselves. They are slow-motion stalkers and killers that can sometimes do amazing things when calls and decoys are involved. Once, when hunting with my boyhood pal Jim Cupp, I watched a bobcat stalk the biggest decoy imaginable – Jim himself! I was 8 feet up an oak tree calling as Jim sat at the base under me – his back to the tree – ready to take a shot if Mr. Whiskers showed up. We were situated in scattered oaks next to a very thick brush field while trying to call a cat out of cover into the open along the fringes. I hadn’t been on the call more than six or seven minutes when something told me to look behind us. To this day I don’t know why. I’d heard nothing, nor seen any movement. Twisting quietly into an odd and uncomfortable position, I nearly fell out of the tree with amazement. There, not 30 feet behind Jim, a big bobcat was slinking across the ground step by step and boldly stalking him. Somehow I managed to get the little .243 Winchester bolt gun up and the cat in the scope, as I fought to keep my balance. When I took the shot, Jim jumped up like he’d been stuck with a pin. He was so surprised I’d shot so suddenly. We both talked about that one for a

HUNTING

“Decoys aren’t just for ducks” is a mantra Isberg can’t stress enough to predator pursuers, who can enjoy some outstanding hunting throughout the West while using them. (ART ISBERG)

long time afterwards. It showed how stealthy and unpredictable cats can be with or without a decoy. There are several good decoys to use on cats. The trick is where and which one to use, depending on what type of cover you’re hunting in. It’s important to remember that cats generally hunt close to the ground at eye level, and that level is pretty low. One type of decoy I’ve used is a small, 12-inch-high plastic rabbit called Quiver Rabbit, which is made by Edge Expedite. It sits atop a battery base that supplies power. This gives the decoy a shivering, shaking movement that mimics fear as a cat closes in. It’s easily carried in a daypack that includes extra batteries when needed. Another Edge Expedite rabbit decoy is one with the same type of battery-operated stand, but this time 112 Northwest Sportsman

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with a rabbit-shaped faux fur sock body, which comes in two different sleeve colors for use in different seasons. One is white for winter, the second a grey and black body for summer use. You slide them on and off their wire-shaped body. The erratic, twisting, dancing body is the key to their success. Another option – a small but ingenious one – is a bird decoy, made by Mojo Outdoors and called the Woodpecker. This hand-sized decoy has a battery in the body cavity that drives a single, fluttering wing like a crippled bird that cannot fly. Cats stalk, kill and eat a lot of birds, including game birds like quail, chukars and young pheasants. This bird decoy has a spring-loaded clip on its stomach so it can be attached to low branches and limbs right at the eye level of stalking bobcats. That

fluttering wing rivets their attention on the decoy as they close in for the kill. It is a deadly choice to use in such a small package. The first time I used this bird decoy was in thick brushlands of steep, open canyons topped with rolling hills solid in manzanita, chamise and madron. I had no choice but to go into the thick stuff if I wanted to call cats. I sat in solid cover where I couldn’t see much more than 8 or 10 feet in any direction, and it didn’t appeal to me for a lot of very good reasons. Instead I clipped the decoy onto a brush limb near the ground, found a rocky outcrop nearby, climbed it and began calling. I expected a long wait. But again the cats surprised me. I had called for only about 10 minutes when I noticed a flurry of little birds erupt from cover near the decoy. I stopped calling and waited, concentrating on the spot where the decoy was. Suddenly, as quiet as a ghost, a big bobcat walked into view out of shadows. It sat down and stared at the decoy and its fluttering wing. I slow-motioned a .243 Savage lever gun to my shoulder while taking one careful shot. From that day on, the bird decoy became my number one go-to decoy in really solid cover. It nearly seems to hypnotize cats. Both of the quivering rabbit decoys mentioned earlier can also be used in cover, but I prefer to set them in broken or more open spots of mixed cover rather than the really thick stuff. Places where heavy cover ends next to open ground is a good match. Also, any small opening surrounded by tall, thick brush or timber would be another. Your goal is to size up the area you’re in and then match the decoy that fits it best. Always remember that regardless of what species of predator you are hunting, buy into the mantra that decoys aren’t just for ducks. It will open up a whole new world of predator hunting for you and is one filled not only with excitement but many surprises. NS

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HUNTING

Last-minute Advice For Late-season Ducks A dozen waterfowlers weigh in on quaker tactics for the final month of the hunt. By MD Johnson

o, it’s January. A new year. Nobody really knows for sure where 2020 went, but I’m guessing most folks are relatively glad it’s in the rearview mirror. This new one – 2021 – has got to be better. Right? But – again – I digress. It’s January, and the clock’s ticking for us waterfowlers in the Pacific Flyway. True, we have a full month to play, but it’s a tough month. A challenge. The weather’s as fickle as a prom date. Conditions are constantly changing; rain one day, wind the next, sunshine and 50s after that. The local birds, the survivors, know exactly where the safe spots are, and they take full advantage of them. Even the transients are proving a challenge. Any given day, and decoys don’t seem to work at all. Hell, live ducks frighten live ducks into a new zip code. Calling? Futile, or so it appears. You can’t hide. You’re in a shooting slump. And the kids’ Halloween candy you’ve been squirreling away in your blind bag … well, it’s gone, except for a handful of those Starlite peppermint things, and they suck. The point of all this rambling is, and thanks to Captain Obvious here, the fact that late-season ducks often prove frustrating. Are there ways – tips, tactics, strategies – to help take some of that frustration out of the equation? To help make these

Time’s running out on the Northwest duck season and to find success in January may require a reboot of your hunting tactics. (JULIA JOHNSON)

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HUNTING end-of-the-season hunts a little less challenging and a bit more productive from a harvest standpoint? Anything? Bueller? Bueller? Sure there is, but, and despite me knowing almost everything there is to know about duck hunting – author’s note: lie! – I’ll admit, I don’t know all the proverbial ins ’n outs when it comes to outsmarting late-season ducks. So, and that out on the table, I’ve rallied the troops and asked some of those I consider the best

waterfowlers in the Pacific Northwest and across the country, to chime in with their go-to late-season duck strategies. So, without further, ado, let’s see what these guys have to say; however, as it’s my story, I’ll go first ...

YOURS TRULY Hide. It’s just that simple. If you’re not hiding, you’re not shooting. Sure, we’ve been at it since mid-October – or, if you hunted early geese, since early September – and it’s easy to

get complacent when it comes to concealment, but you have to hide. I’m always, always, always stepping back and looking at the blind. Too much? Too little? Blend in? Right colors? Overhead cover? I’ll wear a ghillie suit. Put a little more stubble on the layout. Touch up the Aquapod. Think about myself, i.e. face, hands and so forth. I also pick up empties; even go so far as to pick up as many wads as I can find. Try not to flatten the cover around the blind as I come and go. Bottom line: There are no insignificant details when it comes to hiding from January ducks.

SCOTT TURNER, DIRECTOR OF MARKETING/ SALES, HEVI-SHOT I use a “Less is more” approach for late-season birds. I reduce the size of my spreads, and use only my highest quality (most realistic) decoys. If I’m seeing birds paired up while I’m doing my scouting, that’s how I’ll set my spread. And don’t be afraid (to incorporate) movement. Create those ripples [note: think jerk cord] and use those flags.

TRAVIS MUELLER, TERRITORY SALES MANAGER, BANDED/AVERY Find running water! Even if it’s only the size of your hallway, the ducks will find it. [Note: Mueller is right.] Come a freeze, ducks can’t seem to resist little, even tiny pockets of moving (open) water. And it’s been my experience that almost nothing is too small. I’ve watched 100 mallards try to land on an inch-deep tidal puddle the size of my living room. They would have done it, too, had I not interrupted their flight plans.

MARIO FRIENDY, VP OF BRAND INNOVATION, MARKETING AND SALES, FA BRANDS

Adding motion to your spread is a good idea throughout the long season, and especially so in the late going. (JULIA JOHNSON) 116 Northwest Sportsman

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Less calling. No more highball mallard hen calls. A few quacks here and there, with some wigeon and pintail whistles thrown in. And more realistic decoys. I keep three or four decoys just for the late

HUNTING season and never hunt them. I’ll clean them up after each hunt, and make sure they’re pristine for the next one. Fewer decoys, too. I usually scale down from dozens to just a handful.

MATTHEW CAGLE, PRESIDENT/OWNER, RIG’EM RIGHT WATERFOWL Ditch the blind. Ditch the spinner (where applicable). Ditch or at least reduce the calling. And change your decoy spread. By now, these ducks have seen a big bushy square, four dozen mallard decoys, and a spinner enough times to know exactly what happens when they go near “that.” In the early season, you used a blind to get hidden. Now, you have to hide what was hiding you. Use a jerk cord and a smaller spread. Sit on the bank and hide

the boat. And stop calling so much!

ALEX SHERBINOW, MARKETING MANAGER, JOHNSON OUTDOORS WATERCRAFT Getting away from the hunting pressure can lead to better success, so I’m using an Old Town canoe to get into the places other boats can’t access. And I’ve found [note: are y’all starting to see a pattern here?] a bigger spread isn’t always better. Birds see megaspreads all over the river, and have become suspicious of five dozen decoys and four spinners. Reducing my spread to 18 to 24 decoys and putting one or two spinners (where applicable) on the outside of the hole has oftentimes increased the chances birds are going to commit.

BRAD BORTNER, USFWS WATERFOWL BIOLOGIST (RETIRED) Hunt where the birds want to be; in other words, scout, scout and scout some more. Keep track of the weather,

Our experts might disagree on calling and how many decoys to set out, but they’re pretty unanimous about doing all you can to stay hidden from super-wary eyes of your quarry. (JULIA JOHNSON)

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wind and tides (if applicable) to try to determine how the birds use or respond to these variables. Are they resting? Feeding? Try to figure out why they’re where they are. Can you hunt them there, or get them as they fly to/from that spot. It’s the “X” you’re looking for.

BILL SAUNDERS, OWNER, BILL SAUNDERS CALLS AND BIG GUNS WATERFOWL Do more or do less of what you’ve been doing all season. More decoys. More calling. Fewer decoys. Less calling. Don’t overlook the easy fixes that can really make a difference, and are easy to overlook. Another one? Keep the spinner (if applicable) at home, and keep your call in your pocket.

TERRY DENMON, PRESIDENT AND FOUNDING PARTNER, MOJO OUTDOORS Late-season ducks are often pressured ducks, and they can become

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HUNTING somewhat decoy shy, not wanting to land close to the spinning-wing decoy (if applicable). Don’t pull it completely. That’s a mistake, as you give up your long-range attraction. Instead, move the Mojo outside the hole, far enough so it (still provides attraction) but doesn’t disturb the birds.

GEFF DUNCAN, PRO-STAFFER FOR AVERY OUTDOORS AND BANDED BRANDS Three, actually. The first is scouting. You have to get in the truck and put in the time and miles. The second is your hide. This is truly number one in my book. You have to make sure your hide is perfect. And finally, calling. It’s not a competition; slow down, call less, use a whistle, and always have some type of motion in the decoys.

TONY VANDEMORE, CO-OWNER, HABITAT FLATS Hunt ’em when they’re going to

move. Typically, we have a 20-degree rule here at Habitat Flats. If it’s below 20 at night, the majority of the ducks are going to move in the middle part of the day or later. If you blow them out in the dark, there’s a good chance that hole will be frozen before they come back. And then they’re gone. You have to hunt smarter and harder during the late season.

FORREST CARPENTER, MEDIA SPECIALIST FOR DIVE BOMB INDUSTRIES AND NINETIME WORLD DUCK CALLING CONTEST QUALIFIER I love throwing big realistic spreads. Typically, I’ll run five to 10 dozen floaters set in tight groups set loosely, along with big bunches of silhouettes on the shoreline. It’s not uncommon for me to set 20 to 30 dozen decoys, even when hiking in over a mile on public ground. And while I hunt often over duck/ goose combination spreads early in

the season, I stick strictly to duck spreads when things get tough, as many (other hunters) in my area hunt over combo spreads.

YOURS TRULY, AGAIN My best advice is to simply do something different, a tactic or strategy, per se, that you haven’t used in the last 90 days. A whistle. No calling. Coot decoys. A small combo spread of eight goose floaters and a pair of mallards off to the side. Motion – always, always motion. Jump-shooting. Pass-shooting. Beg, borrow or – well, stop short of stealing one – a kayak, canoe, Aquapod, Marsh Rat, something, and go further downriver, farther across the lake, deeper into the marsh. Switch to divers. Something. However, if what you’ve been doing for the past 90 days is still working, well, there’s always the same ol’, same ol’. I’m OK with that too. NS

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COLUMN

The Two-Minute Drill S

“

o, how much time should I dedicate to training my dog each day?” asked a gentleman, following a GUN DOGGIN’ 101 long conversation we’d By Scott Haugen just had on the topic. “Well, that depends,” I replied. “Are you looking to train your dog and keep him in shape, or teach him discipline, or both?” “Discipline!” the man said, without hesitation. “My dog is in great shape but does so many things that annoy me, like jumping on people when they come over, not sitting when I say, not staying put when it should, not retrieving to hand upon command, not wanting to get in its kennel each night, and ...” I interrupted him and asked how he’d been training his dog over the past 18 months, since it came into his life as a puppy. What I concluded was the owner thought of training time as a single, elaborate interaction where intensity was the name of the game. While this may be true for some conditioning drills, such vigor is not needed when teaching a dog how to behave. In fact, short and sweet disciplined training sessions are a rule for me, as is carrying out consistent commands throughout the day. “If I were you, I’d keep doing the conditioning part of your training, but think about changing up your obedience training,” I suggested. “For instance, I condition my dogs about 90 minutes a day – 45 minutes either before breakfast or one hour after they’ve eaten, and another 45 minutes in the evening – every day. I also do obedience training, and that lasts about two minutes a day.” You should have seen the look on the man’s face. “Two minutes? What?” he inquisitively asked. I told him how I think of obedience

Professional dog trainer Josh Powell continually applies discipline and maintains control during work sessions. He’s quick to praise a dog, and clearly and consistently communicates his expectations. (SCOTT HAUGEN)

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COLUMN training as a two-minute drill, like in football. We used to practice this all the time in high school and college, and it’s basically a fast, short version of regular practice. The only difference is the level of intensity and the short duration. During these football drills, you have to be very focused in order to succeed, and this maximizes your long-term memory of what it is you’re learning. The same is true with your dog during short training sessions.

I LIKE WALKING my dogs and issuing a command to heel, then suddenly giving the command to sit. I’ll have them stay, then I’ll move forward a few steps, then give them a hand signal along with a verbal cue to come to me. Then they either sit or heel, depending on what I instruct

them to do. The drills and commands are always changing, as I never want a dog to get bored or anticipate what’s coming. One day we do it in the driveway, the next in the yard, a field, in the hills, along a river bottom, or on brushy hillsides, even inside the house on a rainy day or after dark if we didn’t get to it during the day. My goal in the two-minute drill is to maintain constant eye contact with my dogs (don’t wear sunglasses or a hat that shades your eyes) and get them to immediately respond to my verbal cues and hand signals. The key to success is clear, consistent communication and reprimanding them the instant they fail to comply; also be sure to issue quick verbal praise when they do good. If you’d like,

A two-minute drill can involve many trainable moments, including getting a dog to sit, maintain eye contact, and respond to verbal commands, as well as hand signals. (SCOTT HAUGEN) 124 Northwest Sportsman

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you can give your dog a small treat when they do well. Personally, I never give treats when training, as I want the dog’s desire to please me and receive verbal praise to be the driving force behind what they do and why they do it. “But what about when I’m conditioning my dogs? I’m doing obedience training then, too, right?” asked the man. It was an excellent question and I knew right then this guy got it. Fact is, obedience training never stops, even during physical training or, for that matter, from the time your dog wakes up to when it goes to bed. When letting it out of the kennel in the morning, a controlled exit is the priority. Same for when you open the door for it to go potty; it should be a calm exit, not a violent charge. When you feed your dog, you’re giving orders for it to maintain control and not jump, run, bark or whine until it gets what it wants. When company comes over, or someone is in the kitchen, or you go for a ride or a walk, you should continually be directing your dog to do the right thing. So, yes, the man was right; obedience training is a never-ending process. What the two-minute drill does is it sets aside a specific time for you to teach your dog the commands and signals you want it to respond to. Taught in a controlled situation, obedience training allows a dog to learn with and without distractions. It shows the dog you mean business and expect fast compliance. Quickly the dog will understand and respond more readily when you give it a command anytime, anywhere. Be certain all family members are on the same page with commands, hand signals and maintaining eye contact. This is to ensure the dog receives the same messages from different people throughout the day, thereby allowing it the chance to properly respond. And remember, if a dog doesn’t get it, it’s usually the teacher’s fault, so constantly evaluate your teaching style and pay attention to how commands are issued. NS Editor’s note: To watch Scott Haugen’s series of puppy training videos, visit scotthaugen.com. Follow Scott on Instagram and Facebook.

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HUNTING

The Right Way(s) To Get Kids Into Hunting

The Brooks boys work a draw for quail early in their hunting career. It can seem daunting to get kids into the sport these days, and certainly it’s no walk in the park, but there are ways and special seasons that will help boost the odds of early success. (JASON BROOKS)

Advice from one successful Northwest dad to other parents and guardians who have youngsters interested in chasing game – part I of II. By Jason Brooks

ne day, while I stood with all of the other parents at an outdoor lacrosse practice, I got to talking to one of the other dads. He knew we hunted and my youngest son Ryan had missed the previous weekend’s game to pursue deer. He asked how we did and when I mentioned that Ryan got a nice buck, I heard him whisper, “Of course he did.” Maybe it was the competitive nature of kids’ sports or just that I found it rude how he said this under the breath, so I confronted him.

Turns out the dad used to hunt when he was younger and now his kids wanted to too, but they hadn’t had any success. It was jealousy and that was a surprise, as most other times in today’s video game, drive-thru hamburger/frozen pizza world, the response is more like, “Why hunt?” Our discussion continued and it turned out that he figured since I was an outdoor writer, Ryan’s hunts had all been “canned,” on ranches, shooting preserves or private property, and guided. When I told him that I have never been on a guided hunt, or hunted private ranches, and that

Youth hunters can get deferments to hunter education classes, but there’s no substitute for hands-on firearms advice – from mom, dad and instructors alike. (JASON BROOKS)

Ryan’s buck from the weekend before had been taken on public land, he was a bit surprised. How long had it been since he’d really “hunted,” not just driven around hoping to find a buck? Did he even know that success rates go way up if you open the truck door, step nwsportsmanmag.com | JANUARY 2021

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HUNTING

DABBLE BEFORE YOU DIVE

hen it comes to younger hunters who are just starting out or trying hunting for the first time, it is important to keep them comfortable. Often, adults get excited when their child wants to go hunting and they buy new “hunting clothes,” boots, maybe even a rifle. This can add to the stress of both the mentor and the youth, and often isn’t necessary. Look and see what they already have, especially when it comes to clothing since hunter orange is often required and camo isn’t that important. Fred Bear is known to have said, “The best camouflage pattern is sit down and be quiet. Your grandpa hunted deer in a red plaid coat. Think about that for a second.” Do be wary of hand-me-downs, especially when it comes to boots. Remember what kind of gear you have and what is essential. Staying warm and comfortable is way more important than looking good. Same goes with a rifle. There are several commercial loads now that are “reduced recoil” and accurate out to 100 yards, which is plenty for a new hunter. You probably don’t need a new rifle to start off, but when the young hunter decides they want to continue hunting, the purchase and setup process is another way to keep them interested. Afield, at the end of the day ask the young hunter if they were warm. How do their feet feel, and are they worried about the recoil of the rifle? Same goes for long hiking trips, and if legal to do so, maybe you should carry the heavy rifle. Always have plenty of snacks and drinks along. Stop and take breaks. Maybe build a fire and break out some s’mores kits and have fun. Don’t overemphasize the harvest; instead, make it a fun time in the woods. –JB

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Grouse represent perhaps the best wild-game starter hunt for kiddos, as in the early season of September they’re plentiful, typically can be found along forest roads and even if shot off a tree limb, will bring a smile to the face of a successful youngster. (JASON BROOKS)

out and actually hike a ridge?

OVER THE NEXT few weeks we continued to talk about how to be successful at getting kids into hunting. The first thing is to remember that killing an animal is a big deal. Some kids just can’t do it, and others might find it enjoyable to the point that it doesn’t have to be a buck or bull. Small game and upland birds are a great “test” for a newer hunter, regardless of age. If there is one animal that is perfect for starting out a hunter, it is grouse. You can often find them each time you go out, the season starts early when the weather is still nice, and shooting

them off a tree limb with a .22 is not only fun but productive. And when you get home and fry up the breast, it tastes a lot like chicken, so the new hunter wants to eat what they killed. This concept was lost on that dad at the game and he had been taking his kids out deer hunting, which even for a seasoned hunter usually runs around a 25- to 40-percent success rate. Instead of teaching his kids how to be successful, he gave them a heavy dose of failure and it rubbed off on him. The hardest lesson to learn as a hunter is the lesson of not filling the tag. Even hunting as long as I have, after I flew into Idaho’s Frank Church-

HUNTING Along with numerous youth hunting days and openers, there are plenty of special or controlled permits for kids to put in for, including antlerless deer. Adam Brooks’ doe was a three-generation affair. (JASON BROOKS)

River of No Return Wilderness and passed on bucks every day in search of a mature mule deer, I felt like a failure coming home empty-handed. Yes, I had killed a nice buck in Washington and Ryan had already put an Idaho and a Washington deer in the freezer, but it’s not a good feeling to have an unnotched tag at the end of the season, though it is also not a failure. There really is no “failing” when it comes to hunting, and that is the most important lesson to pass on.

BUT THERE ARE ways to increase your odds of success. Most states, including those here in the Northwest, offer youth seasons or youth hunts. Take 130 Northwest Sportsman

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advantage of these, even if it means traveling a long distance and you personally are not able to hunt. This past November I drove nearly 700 miles to southeast Idaho, a trip that took us into Montana and back down the Bitteroots to the Salmon River, where Ryan had drawn a youth season cow elk tag. We spent five days learning a new area, finding elk and on the last afternoon, made a three-hour stalk that ended with Ryan taking a cow elk. Filling the tag was great, but that morning we also talked about just how much fun we were having and how we wanted to return. Cottontail rabbits were everywhere and we tried calling coyotes a few times.

Take a good look through the regulations booklets – all of them, big game, upland bird and waterfowl, and spring hunts. Some states offer youth-specific seasons or units open for bucks and does for young hunters. Controlled hunts and special permits offer a chance to take a doe or cow elk, have extended seasons, and opportunities for youth. But don’t just look at the youthonly hunts. Depending on the type of hunting license being offered, you can usually put the kids in for regular controlled tags such as doe permits. Montana offers over-the-counter doe tags for deer and antelope in certain units. Idaho also offers a reduced-

HUNTING A long trip to Idaho and five days of hunting produced this elk for Ryan, as well as fantastic father-son time afield in stunning country. “Filling the tag was great, but that morning we also talked about just how much fun we were having and how we wanted to return,” writes his dad. (JASON BROOKS)

price mentor license, and some states have a hunting “passport” or oneyear deferment for hunter education. This allows you to buy the kid a license and take them hunting before they attend a hunter ed class. Oregon has a couple of programs that help promote hunting to youngsters. One is the Mentored Youth Hunter Program, which allows a new hunter who is between the ages of 9 and 15 to hunt with an experienced adult hunter and use the adult’s tags as long as they are enrolled in the program and follow its specific rules. Oregon also offers a Youth “First Time” Program that allows a youth tag holder to draw a permit in a series of units. They also have youth-only seasons with elk and deer opportunities. Sometimes it’s hard to get into a class or to attend a hunter ed class, so these programs 132 Northwest Sportsman

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help motivate the mentor and the student in making it a priority, or maybe learn they don’t want to hunt.

NOW MAY NOT seem like the best time to be talking about youth hunting because the aforementioned opportunities are mostly past, but if, say, you find yourself itching to get out, remember that spring offers a long turkey season. Gobblers are not only fun to hunt but great to eat. They respond to calls and provide the rush of taking a big game animal. And with a plentiful bag limit, once the younger hunter gets one, you can keep hunting too. Most states, including Oregon, Idaho and Washington, offer an exclusive youth gobbler season as well. Idaho’s is a week long, while Washington’s and Oregon’s occur on a weekend before the general spring opener.

I have accompanied my youngest son on several of these youth turkey hunts, me calling and Ryan setting up to shoot. Hearing gobbles and hen clucks, finding roosting trees and scratching areas are all part of the hunt. Getting a bird is the goal but even on the trips where we didn’t bag a tom, we felt like we had been successful as we scouted out places for future hunts.

BACK TO THAT dad who thought I was taking easy hunts. He actually had a good idea, which is to head to a private game preserve. They offer bird hunts in which pen-raised birds are placed in fields the morning of the hunt, or a day or two before. You can hire a guide, or dog handler with their own dog, and know that you will get into birds. This is the one hunt that the dad

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HUNTING had done for his kid and what caused all the misplaced jealousy. They were successful that day and the kid wanted to keep hunting, but they weren’t successful on their own. Turns out, he didn’t know about the youth seasons or controlled hunts. That next spring, I called the dad and told him that the deadlines for special permit applications were due. I then gave him all of my picks for what I knew were good hunts, sharing my research and why I thought one tag was better than another. When the next lacrosse season came around, he came up to me excited and smiling, and showed me pictures of his son’s first buck. He then asked me for recipes and that started a whole ’nother conversation. NS Editor’s note: In part II next issue, Ken Witt – whose son was featured in last year’s Bucks and Bulls Yearbook – will talk about “life after the miss.”

The next good kids hunt is just over the horizon: early spring’s youth turkey hunting opportunities in all three Northwest states. They offer an early crack at gobblers before the general season. (JASON BROOKS)

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COLUMN

The official target that day in the southern Idaho sage was pronghorns, but with a carload of kids, jackrabbits provided an entertaining – and ultimately tasty – distraction. (MATT LAVIN, FLICKR, CC BY-SA 2.0)

When A Different Game Pops Up I CHEF IN THE WILD

By Randy King

t was supposed to be an antelope hunt, we all knew that, but the jackrabbits just kept popping up in the road in front of us. It was a good problem

to have, to be sure. In the sagebrush flats outside of Gooding, Idaho, southeast of Boise, my buddy Nate and I had spotted a herd of 50 antelope about 3 miles off. Half were

bedded on public property just above a green center pivot. The other half of the herd stood in the field eating, the white and tan sticking out from the cut alfalfa. All of them were keeping an eye to the horizon for trouble. We were that trouble.

AFTER A FAILED onX Maps frontal assault (the road that was shown on the map did not, in fact, exist at all) we took a much longer and circuitous route – literally over the river and through the valley – to make

an approach from the south side. It was on that drive when brake lights from Nate’s Suburban flashed and then he was at a full stop. I watched as he got out, grabbed his .22 and started walking the sage. Two of his children quickly hopped out to join him (he has like nine kids, by the way, so no matter what he does, a child is quickly by his side on all occasions). “Toren saw a jackrabbit,” Nate explained. Not to be left out of an adventure, my son Cameron quickly grabbed our

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COLUMN Sardinian hare stew on rice, inspired by Hank Shaw. (RANDY KING)

CAN’T OUTDO HANK’S JACKRABBIT STEW

ver the years I have heard it all about jackrabbits, mostly from people who have never eaten them. They say they taste bad. They say they have bugs. They say that you can starve if you eat them. I covered all of this in a previous column in these pages. Suffice it to say, I eat jackrabbits, they taste good and I am (as my Covid belly will attest) decidedly not starving. That said, I do understand the stigma that is placed on jackrabbits. They are Depression-era food that has a bad cultural

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bias placed on it. Some may never convert to jackrabbits, but if one recipe can make a convert, it is the one below. A point of clarification about what we call “jackrabbits.” They are, in fact, not a rabbit; they are a hare. Cottontail rabbits are a “rabbit” in the phenotypic sense. This is a big deal when preparing food. Easy way to remember it? Hares work for a living – they run to get away from predators. So this makes their meat red and tougher. Rabbits typically hide from predators; they have nice, soft white meat.

You can see this distinction in the habitat bunnies are found. Jacks prefer open sage and grassland, places they can step on the gas and get away. Cottontails prefer thick brambles and rocks that allow them to hide, quickly. Understanding that one is dark and full of flavor and the other is lighter and kind of bland like chicken is hugely important in the kitchen. I first heard of Sardinian hare stew from an episode of Meat Eater that featured my buddy Hank Shaw. Hank was cooking for show host and jackrabbit skeptic Steven Rinella. It seemed like the jackrabbit Hank shot in the show was turned into culinary gold. But being a slight nonconformist, I refused to try another wild game chef’s creation, especially since it was a jackrabbit, my favorite of critters. I wanted to do the research and find classics from other cultures to create my own dish. Man, was I wrong. I should have just tried Hank’s recipe – it is that freakin’ good. Anyhow, if you want the “to the word” authentic Hank Shaw version of this recipe, please go to page 227 of his cookbook, Pheasant, Quail, Cottontail, or his website, honest-food.net. Or just google Sardinian hare – it will be Hank’s recipe. That said, I too am a chef, and I cannot – will not – stop adjusting recipes to make them my own. I am not a better wild game cook than Hank, but I will certainly adjust any recipe to fit what I like and prefer. Below is my slightly-changed-but-certainly-verymuch-inspired-by-Hank-Shaw’s Sardinian hare recipe. 1 jackrabbit, or 2 cottontail rabbits (note: consider one rabbit to consist of two back legs, two front legs and the backstraps) 2 tablespoons olive oil 1/2 cup chopped parsley, plus another 1/4 cup for garnish 10 cloves garlic, halved and smashed 1 large onion, chopped 1/4 cup capers (rinse them off in a strainer first) Large pinch saffron 11/2 cups warm water, to bloom saffron 1/4 cup high-quality red wine vinegar Salt and pepper

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COLUMN 1/8 cup kalamata olives

20-gauge. Almost involuntarily I had my .22 in hand next. Just over the ridge was the pronghorn herd, but here we were chasing jackrabbits. It made zero sense, but sometimes a father must humor a child when hunting. I understood. While we hunted, Nate’s daughter had apparently climbed onto the top of his vehicle to be the de facto lookout. “That way!” Cora yelled, binoculars on her face pointing south.

1/8 cup green onion, sliced thin

Wash all the hair off the meat and pat dry. Sprinkle salt on the hare. Score the back legs by cutting two vertical lines in the meat on both sides of the bone. This will help the meat cook quicker and get flavor to the inside of the muscle. Heat a 10-inch cast iron pan on medium for three minutes. Add the olive oil. Then add the hare meat. Brown on all sides. Do not crowd the pan; make sure you get nice and brown meat. This might need to be done in batches. While the meat is browning, microwave 11/2 cups of water until very hot. Add the saffron to the water and stir. This will turn the water an awesome-looking yellow/red and make the room smell epic. Fair warning. When the meat is brown, add the onion and garlic to the pan. Stir it around and make sure to keep the brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Cook the onions and garlic for about four minutes. Next add the capers, and stir. Then add the saffron water and vinegar. Stir and get all the brown bits off the bottom. This is called the “fond” and is an important flavor-building component in stews and soups. Add the ½ cup of parsley and turn the burner to a simmer and stir. Cover the meat with a tight lid and cook for 60 to 90 minutes. This is a wide range, I understand, but you want to cook the meat until it is falling off the bone. On a young jack this might be 70 minutes; on a cottontail it might be 60. When the meat is falling-off-thebone tender, remove the meat to a plate. Pick the bones clean and put meat back into the remaining sauce. Then add the remaining parsley, green onions and kalamata olives. Serve over rice, polenta or orzo. Hank Shaw recommends a big red wine too. I believe him. For more wild game recipes, see chefrandyking.com. –RK 140 Northwest Sportsman

Eager young jack hunter Toren hoists a brace as the author’s son Cameron looks on. (RANDY KING)

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“Pew … Pew,” went the little .22s, missing by several feet the jackrabbit on a dead run across the bunchgrass hillside. It was like a misfit band of pirates in a sea of sagebrush, but at that point the fun had to be had.

MISSING THE JACK was of no consequence, and knowing that we had antelope close by, we all quickly unloaded and began the convoy toward the herd. Over the hill and

to the next ridge we drove and when our vehicles dropped into a gully out of view of most of the field, we got out and started the stalk. A few minutes later, Nate had a collared antelope doe on the ground. While Nate and I skinned and gutted the goat, Cameron took the other kids for a walk. Toren was dead set on finding a jackrabbit. Off the kids went into the sagebrush looking for one. After the evisceration was concluded, we all piled into the rigs again. We had one more goat tag to fill and we knew the general direction the herd had gone. Out across the desert we went, stopping and shooting two jackrabbits along the way. Cameron scored one with the 20-gauge and Nate took one down with the .22. I was on a conference call in the cab of my truck â&#x20AC;&#x201C; priorities need reevaluation. Eventually we caught back up with the herd and then watched them bolt. They ran about four counties south and onto some private property. But two other speed goats, to the north of us, had come ambling into view. Access to them was across a sagebrush flat with a few rolling hills â&#x20AC;&#x201C; ample cover in antelope country. As the light faded and the antelope seemingly vanished into thin air, a jackrabbit bolted and then came to a stop at about 50 yards. I shouldered the .270 my son was carrying and put the jack down. Three jackrabbits, a gaggle of smiling children and an antelope was a good day. Next came the pizza in town. NS

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HUNTING

Up Your Ground Game Don’t just settle for ordinary with your venison – here’s how to spice up not only the meat, but the whole field-to-plate experience of the harvest. By Dave Anderson

hen it comes to hunting, my number one goal is to have an enjoyable trip with friends and family. Next at the top of that list is hopefully being successful at harvesting a big game animal so that I can provide quality organic protein for my family. I am persistent when it comes to filling my tags and I spend a lot of time preparing for my hunts to increase my chances at being successful in the field. It is so important to me to be able to provide for my family and I take pride in processing the animal from field to freezer. Over the years, my home processing techniques and methods have evolved and become more efficient, especially with the addition of quality processing equipment and products. In this article, I will discuss the different methods I use when it comes to processing deer and elk maybe you can take away a few new ideas for the next time you want to butcher and process your own meat.

A batch of ground venison awaits spices and seasonings that will turn it into tasty Italian sausage or bratwurst, or some other delight like summer sausage. (DAVE ANDERSON)

A LARGE PORTION of my cuts will go to steaks and burger. With the remainder of the meat – or if we have a year with a more than average amount of meat – we will make bratwurst, and Italian, breakfast and summer sausages. For the burger, I will only use clean, solid red meat. There is no viscera, silver skin or tendons in any of my burger. Typically, I will mix some beef suet with the red meat at a ratio of 10 to 15 percent. I will only use beef since I enjoy my burgers more medium rare. I am also a creature of nwsportsmanmag.com | JANUARY 2021

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HUNTING The new Meat! chamber vacuum sealer for packaging meat for long-term storage helps eliminate sealing issues and makes for easily stackable packages, an improvement on the often lopsidedly filled chub bags that refuse to stack like cordwood in the freezer. (DAVE ANDERSON)

habit, so I always use beef suet when making my burger because not only does this add a bit of flavor but it also acts as a binder to make better burger patties or meatloaves.

FOR THE SAUSAGES that I make, I use diced pork from pork butts to add to my mixes. This helps to make the sausage go further and gives it more fat, since most of the sausage variations I make need the fat to produce a good quality product. The venison that I use for my sausage blends will be more of the cuts of meat that would not meet my standards for burger. I am sure others may have different ideas about what ratio of pork to venison creates the best end product, but here is what works best for me. Italian sausage, bratwurst and breakfast sausage are made with 60 percent pork and 40 percent venison. When it comes to summer sausage, I have gone as high as 70 percent pork and 30 percent venison because I tend to run shorter on red meat by For author Dave Anderson, providing quality organic meat for his growing family, as well as friends, is of high importance and why he puts so much effort into grinding and packaging his own burgers, sausages and more. (DAVE ANDERSON)

the time I consider making summer sausage.

FROM NEW YEARâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S through March is a great time of year to make sausage at home. I always keep my eye on the ads during this time to find a good deal on pork to cube up to make all the different sausages. Generally, the weather is also very cooperative, allowing you to process meat and make sausage in your garage due to the cooler temperatures. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ideal for not only safety but convenience. I also have a set of stainless-steel tables that I set up in the garage and top them with large food-grade cutting boards. To make burger and sausage, you will need to look at purchasing a meat grinder. When I first started processing all my own meat, I started with the smallest, cheapest grinder from Cabelaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s. It took us several days to grind through 100 pounds of meat. At that point, I decided to upgrade

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HUNTING to a 1-horsepower grinder. It was a huge upgrade and allowed us to grind through several pounds of meat in just one day. I have since upgraded to the Cabela’s Carnivore 1.5hp grinder, which is a huge difference from where I first started. My family, friends and I always get a good chuckle when we think about the effort we once put into grinding meat – it took days if not weeks compared to a day or two now, depending on how much meat we are processing.

Processing your own venison allows you to experiment with flavors. For his summer sausage, the author uses seasoning from Spokane Spice. (DAVE ANDERSON)

TO MAKE BRATWURST and breakfast sausage, you will need to purchase casings to stuff the sausage mix into, and you will either need to purchase a sausage stuffer or have a grinder with the capability to attach a nozzle on the end to use as a stuffer. I use natural hog casings and a commercialgrade stuffer with a motor, since I am typically doing several batches. I have found the stand-alone stuffer to be more efficient than the attachment on my grinder. I also prefer to run all my batches of sausage through the grinder and into meat tubs so I can stack the tubs in the fridge to keep the meat nice and cool while I’m operating the stuffer. Stuffing the casings to create bratwurst and breakfast sausage can be the most time-consuming part of the whole process, but it is well worth all the time and work to have a delicious product.

The payoff for all that hard work? The delicious smells in the kitchen as you brown the meat – in this case venison Italian sausage for spaghetti– and on the table and in the smiles and hearty appetites of loved ones. (ANDY WALGAMOTT) 148 Northwest Sportsman

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FOOD STORAGE IS another big component when it comes to home processing. Burger and sausage can be put into a plastic chub bag or you can vacuum seal the meat into bags. Depending on how you want to store your burger or sausage in the freezer may determine what you use. I have become quite fond of vacuum sealing the meat into bags and pressing them flat. I have found that this is the best way to maximize the amount of ground meat you can store in your freezer. I use the Meat! chamber vacuum sealer for all my

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food storage needs. Once again, this was a huge upgrade over the Food Saver sealing system that I once used. Gone are the days of having bad seals due to moisture or the sealing strip overheating. Purchasing the Meat! chamber vacuum sealer was probably my best investment when it comes to home processing.

FINALLY, WHEN IT comes to seasonings to create all these delicious sausage blends, I am once again a creature of habit. I only use seasonings from Michlitch Company (spokanespice .com), makers of Spokane Spice. My favorite seasonings are the Bratwurst (original) flavor for bratwurst, Snider’s sweet Italian sausage seasoning and the Yankee breakfast sausage seasoning. For summer sausage, I prefer to use their summer sausage seasoning for a 25-pound batch. These are the seasonings that I have come to love over the years, even though there are so many others to choose from. For our bratwurst, we will also make a few different types by mixing in cheese and minced jalapeño for jalapeño cheddar brats or bacon and packets of ranch dressing mix to create bacon ranch brats. PROCESSING YOUR OWN meat and making sausage is a lot of fun. We typically have our barbecue running nonstop when we are making sausage so we can try all our creations with what is leftover in the throat of the grinder or stuffer. Not only is it a lot of fun, but we also have extremely full bellies by the end of the weekend! I am sure there is so much more I could go into, but this gives you a bit of an inside look at how I process some of my venison. I thoroughly enjoy filling my freezer with wild game to avoid the meat department at the grocery stores. And there is nothing better than being able to share the result of all your hard work and successful hunts with family and friends. NS

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SHOT Show Cancelled, But There Will Be New Guns, Gear!

or the first time in its history, as we noted last month, the annual Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade, or SHOT, Show ON TARGET that traditionally By Dave Workman unfolds in Las Vegas in January has been cancelled, no thanks to the continuing Covid-19 pandemic. However, that doesn’t mean you won’t be seeing new guns and gear for 2021. It will take more than a virus to put the brakes on a vibrant industry that adds billions of dollars to the country’s bottom line, including the hundreds of millions of dollars raised annually via the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration

Act. This special excise tax on firearms and ammunition is critical to hunting, habitat and big and small game populations. Trust me on this, while gun writers and videographers do miss an opportunity to sample the goods in the big Las Vegas convention center where SHOT is held at, nobody is going to be too sorry about not traveling in the middle of a pandemic. But getting all the details could be a rather interesting endeavor, so watch for more in this column next month.

WHAT SHOULD HUNTERS and shooters look for in 2021? Sturm Ruger has gotten into the habit of introducing firearms throughout the year, and they’ve been a busy bunch. We

traded emails with Paul Pluff, Ruger public relations manager, who tipped us off to the most recent introductions. Those include: The PC Charger, a 9mm pistol with a 17-round magazine. It’s got a 6.5-inch alloy steel threaded barrel cut with six lands and grooves on a 1:10-inch right-hand twist. This semiauto is set up for optical sights with a rail on top of the aluminum alloy receiver. This pistol has interchangeable magazine wells so pistol magazines from either Ruger or Glock may be used. Then comes the American Pistol Compact model, also chambered for 9mm. It features a stainless steel slide, highperformance glass-filled nylon grip frame with a molded accessory rail ahead of the trigger guard, all finished in gray Cerakote.

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SAR USA’s new 9X Platinum is a striker-fired 9mm semiauto with a lightweight polymer frame and 4.5-inch hammer-forged barrel, and 10- or 17-round magazine, depending on state sold. (SAR USA) The 3.55-inch barrel is cut with a 1:10inch right-hand twist with six lands and grooves, and the slide is topped by Novak LoMount Carry three-dot sights dovetailed front and rear. They are joined by the Ruger-57 pistol with a 20+1 capacity. It’s got a 4.94-inch alloy steel barrel cut with a 1:9-inch righthand twist with eight lands and grooves. The barrel has a black nitride finish, while the slide wears a black oxide finish. The rear sight is adjustable and the front sight has a fiber optic tube.

ONE NEWS ITEM that came back on Sept. 30 was that the Marlin Firearms Company has been purchased by Ruger. For all of those lever-action fans who have lamented over the breakup of the Remington Outdoor Company, which owned Marlin, look for some good news over the horizon in 2021. The purchase price was reported at $30 million, and levergun fans will figure that was money well spent. At the moment, the plan calls for Marlin production to crank up during the second half of the year. Meanwhile, Mossberg will be introducing a new family of over-andunder shotguns called Reserve. We can’t provide all the details, but we know three of these guns will have a Schnabel-style 154 Northwest Sportsman

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forend. A couple of specimens will be chambered for 12- and 20-gauge and .410bore and there’s one in 28-gauge. Being a sucker for double-guns, when this series is available for hands-on testing – whenever that is going to be – my sweaty palms will be grabbing for any of these guns within reach. We heard from SAR USA about the new SAR 9X Platinum striker-fired 9mm semiauto pistol. This model has a lightweight polymer frame, a 4.5-inch hammer-forged barrel with recessed crown, three-dot sights and optic-read

mount. It has an ambidextrous safety, three interchangeable backstraps and an overall length of 7.6 inches. The SAR 9X Platinum comes in a package with a paddle holster, double magazine pouch, magazine loader and accessory flashlight. The pistol has a Cerakote finish on the slide and the magazine capacity is either 10 or 17 rounds, depending upon the state of sale. The handgun weighs 27.5 ounces empty. Want to jazz up your Ruger 10/22? Rival Arms just announced a new chassis system that wraps around the 10/22 barreled action. It will accommodate up to a 1-inchdiameter barrel. This chassis is CNC-machined from billet aluminum, and it only weighs a pound. It wears a hard black anodized finish, but is also available with a KG GunKote flat dark earth or satin gray finish.

BEYOND FIREARMS, THERE will be at least two new knives from Outdoor Edge, but we can also anticipate some new blades from Kershaw, Spyderco, CRKT and just before the holidays, it was announced that GSM Outdoors in Irving, Texas, had acquired the legendary Cold Steel brand. We’ve used Cold Steel knives to take the hides off three mule deer bucks and so far haven’t had to touch up the edges. Meopta announced the new MeoStar B1 Plus binoculars in 8x32, 8x42, 8x56, 10x42, 12x50 and 15x56, all HD models.

The new MeoStar B1 Plus binoculars come in 8x32, 8x42, 8x56, 10x42, 12x50 and 15x56 models and feature HD FL lenses with MeoBright coatings, rubber armor exterior and twist-up eyecups. (MEOPTA)

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Alliant’s new propellant designed for .410-bore loads is a flake powder for low charge weights and optimum loading characteristics. (ALLIANT) They feature HD FL lenses with advanced MeoBright coatings, and a central locking diopter. The exterior is rubber armor and all feature twist-up eyecups. Also, look for new scopes and

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binoculars from German Precision Optics to be announced at midmonth, as would be happening if there were an actual SHOT Show in progress. Keep an eye open for new optics from Swarovski, Bushnell, Weaver, Leupold and all the other reliable optics firms that never disappoint when it comes to new glass. We also expect some hot new ammunition introductions from Federal, all of them on the heels of Federal’s unveiling in November of the Swift Scirocco II centerfire hunting loads. These entries are all topped with Swift bullets, and our guess is that you’ll see a few more offerings for hunters with projectiles from Swift. Watch also for new cartridge/load choices from Winchester and Remington. And for handloaders, Alliant recently introduced a new propellant designed for .410-bore loads (who said the .410 is useless, eh?). Appropriately dubbed 410, this new flake powder is designed for low charge weights and optimum loading characteristics, according to Alliant.

We’re looking forward to hearing from Winchester, Weatherby, Benelli, Sig Sauer, Browning, Beretta, Colt, Smith & Wesson, Kimber and all the other big name companies we would normally be meeting face-to-face, and actually putting through the paces during the annual pre-show “Range Day” held for outdoor writers.

COVID-19’S THROWN A nasty curveball at the firearms industry, as well as every other American industry. We know a couple of companies that have made significant contributions to the National Shooting Sports Foundation to help that industry umbrella group make it through. One thing about the firearms industry is that it is resilient, and no doubt the arrival of perennial anti-gun Democrat Joe Biden in the White House is likely to liven things up considerably. The outcome of the U.S. Senate race in Georgia Jan. 5 will determine whether the Senate remains in Republican control and can serve as a barrier to Biden’s extreme gun control agenda. NS