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Sportsman Northwest

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Volume 11 • Issue 1

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70th

ANNIVERSARY

PUBLISHER James R. Baker EDITOR Andy Walgamott LEAD CONTRIBUT0R Andy Schneider THIS ISSUE’S CONTRIBUTORS Randy Bauman, Scott Brenneman, Jason Brooks, Scott Haugen, Doug Huddle, Sara Ichtertz, MD Johnson, Randy King, Buzz Ramsey, Troy Rodakowski, Terry Wiest, Dave Workman, Mark Yuasa EDITORIAL FIELD SUPPORT Jason Brooks GENERAL MANAGER John Rusnak SALES MANAGER Katie Higgins

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ALUMAWELD TALON

CORRESPONDENCE Email letters, articles/queries, photos, etc., to awalgamott@media-inc.com, or to the address below. ON THE COVER Andy Noreen bagged his “once in a lifetime” buck on the last morning of his 2017 hunt in Okanogan County. “He grossed 180 to 190 points before deductions and weighed 210 pounds gutted,” Noreen reported. He was afield with hunting partner Chad White. (BROWNING PHOTO CONTEST)

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CONTENTS

VOLUME 11 • ISSUE 1

WASHINGTON DEER PROSPECTS Following Washington’s worst deer season in 20 years, there are signs the harvest may rebound this fall. Editor Andy Walgamott gets out his binoculars to survey the state from border to border in search of 2018’s best buck hunting prospects.

(BROWNING PHOTO CONTEST)

FEATURES 65

COLVILLE WHITETAILS District 1 is well-named. The game management units of the Evergreen State’s northeastern corner are annually the most productive for deer hunters, thanks to plentiful whitetails. If you’re thinking about trying out the area this fall, Randy Bauman has some tips for tagging out. OREGON FOWL FORECAST Oregon duck and goose fans should be generally happy with this fall’s flight forecast. While northern birds are slightly down, local production is up, and what’s more, Eastern Oregon should produce more pheasant and valley quail. Troy Rodakowski has the rundown.

107 NORTHWEST SPORTSMAN PROFILE: BILL SAUNDERS Bill Saunders hails from Colorado, Wisconsin and elsewhere but has made a name for himself in the Northwest waterfowl guiding, competitive calling and call-making scenes. Our MD

Johnson sat down with the Tri-Cities resident to talk about his youth, how he got his butt handed to him in Eastern calling contests, love of walleye fishing, and, oh yeah, bird hunting. 133 SOUTHERN OREGON FALL CHINOOK The tiny fall Chinook river has been a tough one to crack for Sara Ichtertz, and a trip there last year on her 35th birthday during superlow, beyond-clear flows looked like it might end up a bust. But with help from their guide, it yielded unforgettable presents for Sara and son Nate. 155 PUGET SOUND SQUID Plentiful and jiggable from numerous Puget Sound piers, market squid provide a great fall-winter opportunity to harvest tasty treats. Mark Yuasa reports that if this season is like recent ones, jiggers can look forward to harvesting 10-pound limits – just watch out, because they might spray you with ink for your troubles!

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 $39.95 (24 issues). Send check or money order to Media Index Publishing Group, or call (206) 382-9220 with VISA or M/C. Back issues may be ordered at Media Index Publishing Group offices at the cost of $5 plus shipping. Display Advertising. Call Media Index Publishing Group for a current rate card. Discounts for frequency advertising. All submitted materials become the property of Media Index Publishing Group and will not be returned. Copyright © 2018 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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OCTOBER 2018 | nwsportsmanmag.com

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CATCH MORE COHO FROM THE BANK

By the numbers, October is the most productive for Western Washington coho, so what are the best ways to catch ’em from the bank? Terry Wiest has Plan A, Plan B – and Plan F&E.

(ANDY WALGAMOTT)

SOUTH SOUND: Study Should Shed Light On Forest Ghosts Jason Brooks checks in with wildlife biologists who are in the midst of a multipronged five-year study of how blacktail use timberlands across the Westside – and which should yield some good insights for hunters.

CHEF IN THE WILD: The Big Empty A busted buck, bull and bear hunt in Central Idaho’s vast backcountry bummed out Randy King and crew, but out of it was born a new recipe for elk larb – think South Asian spices, ground venison and, instead of a taco shell, a lettuce leaf wrap!

NORTH SOUND: Blacktail Bucks On High, Salmon, Kokanee Down Low “The cornucopia of quarry for October hunters and fishers is near full to the brim,” writes Bellingham’s Doug Huddle, and at the top of his list is blacktail. With more time in the hills than some of us have even been alive, he shares some of the secrets of these wily bucks, but don’t overlook local coho and kokanee opportunities either.

ON TARGET: Prep Now For Productive Waterfowl Season General seasons for Northwest waterfowl take flight this month and good numbers of both local and northern birds should provide solid hunting deep into winter. Dave Workman helps get your shotgun ready for fall, as well as details new loads for duck and goose hunters – plus new ones for dryland wingshooters.

115 GUN DOGS: Pup’s First Upland Hunt If this is your new gun dog’s first fall afield, Scott Haugen has some pointers to make it more productive and safe for your four-footed friend. 127 BUZZ RAMSEY: Rock & Roll Bobber Fishing From Oregon Coast tidewaters to Grays Harbor to deep South Sound rivers, bait under a bobber is one of the best ways to catch fall Chinook, and it also works for coho. Buzz shares his set-up for scoring more salmon! 145 THE KAYAK GUYS: Coldwater ’Bows Bite More Than Just Flies The eruption of Mt. St. Helens created a destination fishery, but while Coldwater Lake is a favorite of flyrodders, hardware anglers can get in on the fun too. Scott Brenneman details the good fishing that he and his brood found while trolling hardware at this lake that’s great in fall. 12 Northwest Sportsman

OCTOBER 2018 | nwsportsmanmag.com

(WDFW)

THE BIG PIC:

THE NEW GUY

WDFW Director Kelly Susewind talks about why he applied for one of the toughest jobs in the state and what he hopes to accomplish at the agency.

DEPARTMENTS 17

THE EDITORâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NOTE All hail NWS writers, past and present

READER PHOTOS FROM THE FIELD Coho, big game and bass!

PHOTO CONTEST WINNERS Browning, Yo-Zuri monthly prizes

THE DISHONOR ROLL Massive clam overlimit; Former fishing guide gets year in jail; Kudos; Jackass of the Month

DERBY WATCH Buoy 10 Salmon Challenge results; More recent results; More upcoming, ongoing events

OUTDOOR CALENDAR Upcoming openers, events, deadlines

BIG FISH Record Northwest game fish caught this month

131 RIG OF THE MONTH From the Vault: Silver slaying slinky set-up

14 Northwest Sportsman

OCTOBER 2018 | nwsportsmanmag.com

Northwest Sportsman magazine covers over the past 10 years.

THEEDITOR’SNOTE

here has the time gone? It’s hard to believe that exactly 10 years ago I sat down to write an editor’s note for the very first issue of Northwest Sportsman. In that one I stressed that our local roots would make for fresher, tastier copy, and I think we’ve succeeded on that front. This magazine sprang from the still-fertile grounds of Fishing & Hunting News after it went under during the Great Recession. Actionable intel on where to catch salmon and tag bucks and bulls was at the heart of F&H’s mission, and it’s one that continues today here and online at nwsportsmanmag.com.

THERE’S SO MANY people to recognize for making it all possible, from our publisher and the sales and design crews to our advertisers and subscribers – a huge thank you for your essential support. But here I want to especially spotlight my writers over the years. There have been so many, from big names – former Outdoor Life editor Andrew McKean, writing under a pen name – to regionally known ones, such as Dave Workman, Buzz Ramsey, Scott Haugen, guide Andy Martin (a fellow F&H alum), Terry Wiest and Bill Herzog. There have been local newspaper outdoor reporters past and present – Larry Ellis, Ralph Bartholdt, Scott Staats, Doug Huddle, Rob Phillips, Terry Otto – and guys who’ve embraced the new, kayak anglers like the world’s tallest Tupperware-borne fisherman, Bryce Molenkamp, as well as Mark Veary and Scott Brenneman. There have been just flat-out local experts and dedicated sportsmen like Jason Brooks, Troy Rodakowski and Tim Bush, and crotchety old hands who I enjoyed gabbing with, guys like Leroy Ledeboer, Wes Malmberg and Jim Nelson. There’s been a Cannuck, Todd Martin; a Panhandler, North Idaho’s Mike Wright; an MD, MD Johnson, that is; and a Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission member, Dave Graybill. I’ve had an unusual number of Tri-Cities writers – Wayne Heinz, Dennis Dauble, Jeff Holmes, Matt Nesbit and Teddy Schmidt. There have been breaths of fresh air – you cannot deny the excitement and exploration of Oregon’s fishing world as chronicled by Sara Ichtertz. And thanks to Chef Randy King, there has been a monthly recipe to go along with everything those writers have put on each issue’s platter since October 2011. To all y’all and everyone else who has contributed copy to this magazine and whose names I’ve inadvertently left out, thank you! I continued on page 19 nwsportsmanmag.com | OCTOBER 2018

Northwest Sportsman 17

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SCENE By Andy Walgamott

Comment f rom the w w w

WILD STEELHEAD A petition to end the retention of wild winter steelhead on 10 Southern Oregon rivers and creeks split our Facebook readers. Arguing in favor, Rich Simms of the Wild Steelhead Coalition said releasing all natives “along with proper handling techniques provides the highest opportunity to share the resource while supporting wild steelhead conservation objectives.” But Chad Price wasn’t sold: “Show me the data that says the wild population needs to be managed differently and I’ll support it.” The Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission ultimately split the difference, dropping the annual limit from five to three and directing staff to consider the issue during development of a new multispecies conservation plan.

PREDATOR PROBLEMS In late summer it felt like if we weren’t doing a blog on Washington wolf depredations we were posting about the hunt for the cougar that killed Oregon hiker Diana Bober. Indeed, toothsome critters posed problems for livestock producers and wildlife managers, and things weren’t helped when out-of-state groups butted into the Evergreen State’s wolf world with a court injunction that put lethal efforts against one pack on pause. Responding to a story about a key hearing between the Center for Biological Diversity and WDFW, Mick Sprouffske wrote, “I certainly hope this goes right tomorrow. The CBD is way out of line here.” It did – and so did another dealing with a different pack two weeks after that. Judge Carol Murphy recognized the importance of preserving social tolerance, but the story will continue later this year as arguments about the underlying case are heard in Thurston County Superior Court. Stay tuned.

MOST LIKED READER PIC WE HUNG UP ON OUR FACEBOOK PAGE DURING THIS ISSUE’S PRODUCTION CYCLE Charlie Bingham’s battle against a Whidbey Island coho, his first ever, was a hit with fellow beach-goers over Labor Day Weekend and online viewers not long afterwards. (YO-ZURI PHOTO CONTEST)

Editor’s Note, continued from page 17 really do appreciate it. It’s all been possible due to you.

THERE’S ONE MORE guy I want to thank in particular, and he’s the dude in the middle of the image on the last page. It’s fitting because he’s been in the middle of everything this magazine has stood for since his first article back in March 2009. That’s the indispensable Andy Schneider. Columbia. Tribs. North Coast bays. Pacific. Spring, summer and fall Chinook. Coho. Summer and winter steelhead. Bottomfish. Tuna. Dungeness. Walleye. Heck, waterfowl too. We share the same first name but that’s where the similarities end, as he’s both a fish-catching machine and an excellent writer. Thank you for your service, Andy, I’ll meet you at the dock soon. –Andy Walgamott

nwsportsmanmag.com | OCTOBER 2018

Northwest Sportsman 19

20 Northwest Sportsman

OCTOBER 2018 | nwsportsmanmag.com

New Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife director Kelly Susewind has been in the hot seat for two months now but is a lifelong hunter. (WDFW)

22 Northwest Sportsman

OCTOBER 2018 | nwsportsmanmag.com

THE

PICTURE

NEW GUY WDFW Director Kelly Susewind talks about why he applied for one of the toughest jobs in the state and what he hopes to accomplish at the agency. By Andy Walgamott

f you were nervous to hear that some guy from the state Department of Ecology was taking the reins at WDFW – guilty as charged – you can breathe a bit easier. Over the course of a 30-minute interview in late summer, I came away with the impression that Kelly Susewind has filled a tag or two and done a bit of angling in Washington in his time and will likely give us and our causes a fair shake. “Basically, my life was hunting and fishing, and I tried to fit in everything else around them,” he recalls about his younger days in Aberdeen. Susewind took his share of upland and migratory birds then, but says his favorite game to hunt now is the big kind. “Elk – I just love chasing elk,” he says. A stint in Alaska put Dall sheep on his bucket list, while five or six years ago, a premo late-season mule deer permit for North-central Washington’s Alta Game Management Unit taught him he didn’t always have to shoot the first big buck he saw. “I saw four-points every day. I had never seen one without shooting it,” Susewind says. And I don’t want to put words in his mouth, but I know a collector who might be willing to make a deal for your Remington Model 31 …

On the fishing front, Grays Harbor, the Olympic Peninsula and Washington Coast provided plenty of opportunity. “I’ve really enjoyed Westport, but also the rivers, the fall runs of salmon,” Susewind says.

And while he admitted to the hosts of The Outdoor Line on Seattle’s 710 ESPN that he’s “drifted away” from fishing over the years, he says he wants to get back into it.

AFTER GRADUATING FROM his local community college with an associate’s degree, Susewind (pronounced SOOS-uhwind) went to Washington State University where he earned a bachelor’s in geological engineering. He landed at the Department of Ecology in 1990, working his way through a variety of roles, most recently as the director of administrative services and environmental policy. At 57, he decided it was time for a career change, one that might be a better fit with his interest in natural resource management – a “passion” fueled by all that time spent afield. But also one that would put him on one

Asked about his management philosophy, Susewind – here seen on TVW shaking an audience member’s hand during the broadcast of the Aug. 10 Fish and Wildlife Commission meeting – points to his engineering background. “My personal approach … is to gather information to make a rationale, reasonable choice.” (TVW)

nwsportsmanmag.com | OCTOBER 2018

Northwest Sportsman 23

PICTURE

With forest fire smoke choking the skies over Washington and its largest city as the editor spoke with Susewind, the director said he would like to teach nonhunters and -anglers about the importance of WDFW’s mission to the health of the state’s fish, wildlife and recreational opportunities. (ANDY WALGAMOTT) of the hottest of hot seats in the state: The director’s chair at the Department of Fish and Wildlife and Everybody’s Pissed At You All The Damn Time For Something Or Other. Which begs the question, Why in the hell would you even want the job, Kelly?!?! “I’m still working on that answer. No, not really,” Susewind jokes. “I did pause, ‘Why would you jump into that blender?’” There’s been a little bit of everything in WDFW’s KitchenAid of late, from hearty cupfuls of wolf management and court battles over furry fangers, to the everyday salt and pepper of salmon, steelhead and big game issues, to dashes of recent agency missteps and sex scandals. Then there are looming budget battles in the legislature and questions about how the agency steadies its financial footing for the future. In late August, the Fish and Wildlife Commission approved asking state lawmakers to raise license fees by 15 percent across the board, with caps on fishing and hunting bundles. “I see these challenges as something I want to be involved with,” says Susewind, who will be paid $165,000 a year to deal with them.

WHEN FORMER HONCHO Jim Unsworth left under pressure earlier this year, the 24 Northwest Sportsman

OCTOBER 2018 | nwsportsmanmag.com

Fish and Wildlife Commission put out a help wanted ad that said WDFW’s next director would lead the agency through a “transformative” period. From a slate of candidates who had decades of experience specific to the field, the nine-member citizen oversight panel unanimously chose Susewind, a selfdescribed “wildcard” among the finalists. But perhaps they wanted someone who could see the big picture a little better. “We’re a small state with 7 million people and a couple million more coming. There’s a budget hole to patch. We also need to look a decade or two down the road,” Susewind says. He feels – as do a number of senior agency staffers and outside advisers – that hunters and anglers have carried too much of the funding burden since the Great Recession 10 years ago, when WDFW’s General Fund-State ration got cut by almost half. It has yet to be fully restored, but Susewind et al are hoping to reestablish a better balance between license revenue and general tax dollars beginning with the 2019-21 budget. “I see our outdoors as defining us as a state,” he says. “We’re at a critical point now – it could go either way.”

Susewind says he wants WDFW to be “more relevant to Washingtonians.” “Anglers and hunters get it. That’s 1 million people. But there are 6 million more out there. We’ve really got to reach those people. If we could get the state as excited about the resources as they are about the Seahawks, it would be a better place,” he says. He wants to strengthen existing partnerships, and vows to be “pretty engaged” with stakeholders, tribes and others. Commissioners lauded Susewind for meeting in his first days on the job with livestock producers over a previously proposed wolf collar data-sharing plan change that would have switched things up halfway through the grazing season, but was wisely put on pause. Now-retired WDFW spokesman Bruce Botka says there’s been an “obvious sense of encouragement around headquarters” with the arrival of the new director. And after talking with him, you can’t help but get a little excited about Susewind and his program … before the enormity of the job sobers you up again.

SUSEWIND ACKNOWLEDGES THAT he needs to get up to speed fast on one of if not WDFW’s most important roles – fisheries management. With Aug. 1 having been his first day, he will have a longer learning curve than his predecessor, who was thrust into the always contentious North of Falcon salmon season-setting process almost immediately. That year saw outrage over the closure of a key fishery, and talks the following year dragged out more than a month longer than usual and cost us opportunity. Expect Susewind to work more collaboratively with the tribes than that, if his quote in the Port Townsend Leader is any indication: “It does no good to fight with each other.” As for that other subject that can make Washington sportsmen a little rabid – wolves – they’re “on the landscape to stay,” Susewind says, echoing WDFW’s company line over the years. “The only way to make that work is

PICTURE have them compatible with other uses on the land,” he adds quickly. He says the species has to be managed and that the agency is engaged with the lawsuit from out-of-state groups challenging its hard-won lethal removal protocol. “We really need to have a postdelisting plan put together,” he notes too. That’s easier said than done, if a recent photo of a wall full of Post-it Notes outlining the process is any indication. But it’s also a start and one hunters will want to watch closely. “In the meanwhile, we need to strive to meet recovery goals,” Susewind adds. We’re definitely there in the state’s northeast and southeast corners, but many more are required throughout the Cascades to hit the current benchmarks.

SUSEWIND IS THE second WDFW director

26 Northwest Sportsman

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In another TVW screengrab, WDFW wolf policy lead Donny Martorello talks about a conceptual timeline for developing a postdelisting management plan. In his first five weeks on the job, Susewind issued three kill authorizations for packs repeatedly attacking cattle in Ferry County. (TVW) from the harbor. Phil Anderson hails from Westport and resigned at the end of 2014 on his own terms after five years in the position and two decades at the agency. “I’m looking for this job to be my job going into retirement,” Susewind says. “I hope I’ll be here eight, ten years.” That of course depends on whether the Fish and Wildlife Commission will keep him around that long.

And that depends on what he can accomplish in terms of improving the state’s fishing and hunting opportunities; safeguarding its fish, wildlife and habitat; strengthening WDFW’s budgetary position; and working with its host of stakeholders. One thing’s for sure: Susewind has motivation to try hard. “I’ve got a brand new grandson,” he says. “I want him to fish and hunt like I did.” NS

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READER PHOTOS You’ve heard of cloud nine, but Jeff Benson said his son Jack was on cloud ten after bagging this six-point bull on a special youth tag for private land near Hanford. “Great hunt that took lots of patience. As you can see, there isn’t much cover to hide behind,” reports Jeff, who adds that Jack downed the elk with one shot from his .270. (BROWNING PHOTO CONTEST)

It’s only fitting that Mariah Gibson appears in our 10th anniversary issue. Her mom, Chelan, was on our very first cover with a North-central Washington mule deer. Mariah landed her first limit of ocean coho while fishing out of Westport with her gramps, Gary Lundquist. (YO-ZURI PHOTO CONTEST) You can call it Long Lake or you can call it Lake Spokane, but either way, this lengthy impoundment near Spokane produces some nice smallmouth, as Riley Colliton can attest. He went on a tear this summer, catching nice bass in multiple waters around his hometown. (YO-ZURI PHOTO CONTEST)

It was a family affair for Jo Wiebe, who tagged out earlier this season with this great Douglas County, Washington mule deer. Along with husband Tim were her niece and nephews to share in the recovery and field dressing of her buck. (BROWNING PHOTO CONTEST) For your shot at winning great fishing and hunting products from Yo-Zuri and Browning, send your full-resolution, original images with all the pertinent details – who’s in the pic and their hometown; when and where they were; what they caught their fish on/weapon they used to bag the game; and any other details you’d like to reveal (the more, the merrier!) – to awalgamott@media-inc.com or Northwest Sportsman, 14240 Interurban Ave S, Suite 190, Tukwila, WA 98168. By sending us photos, you affirm you have the right to distribute them for use in our print and Internet publications. nwsportsmanmag.com | OCTOBER 2018

Northwest Sportsman 29

READER PHOTOS Behold a unicorn! Or at least a unicoho. Tri-Cities doctor Jon Crawford shows off a hatchery silver caught right before September’s Columbia closures due to low Chinook returns. He was running and Super Bait loaded with canned tuna. (YO-ZURI PHOTO CONTEST)

Jessica Schreiber had a blast salmon fishing this past summer, including off Westport for coho and in deep South Sound’s Marine Area 13, where this Chinook bit a Kingfisher spoon in cookies and cream behind a green-and-silver flasher. (YO-ZURI PHOTO CONTEST)

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Cedar siding, metal roof, carport, dock for boats and planes, garage with the generator room, front & back porch with charcoal barbeques, diesel industrial generator, septic tank, water well, 2 Honda ATVs, 15ft aluminum boat.

38 Northwest Sportsman

OCTOBER 2018 | nwsportsmanmag.com

MIXED BAG

Massive Clam Overlimit At Port Gamble-area Beach

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife officer was neckdeep in policing Kitsap County clam beaches in midsummer, including ticketing three people who allegedly dug up 37 times the daily limit. The cases center around the Port Gamble area, with the most egregious the result of a citizen tip. According to WDFW, Officer Patrick Murray got a call about an overlimit in progress at Port Gamble Forest Heritage Park and after checking with the reporting party for a suspect description, he arrived

KUDOS

ith 40 poaching cases under his belt in recent years, including 16 in 2017 alone, Yamhill County District Attorney Brad Berry was honored in late summer as the Oregon State Police Fish and Wildlife Division’s Wildlife Prosecutor of the Year. Berry was nominated by OSP’s McMinnville Team “for distinguishing himself time and again in prosecuting violators

(WDFW)

on scene as three people were just about to leave the beach. When he contacted them, they allegedly said they weren’t aware of the limit on clams. When their buckets and of Oregon’s fish and wildlife and natural resource laws” in this county stretching from Portland’s backyard deep into the Coast Range. “Brad is easy to get a hold of and to work with regarding cases,” the team said. “It is known within the local hunting community that if you violate the wildlife laws within Yamhill County, the courts will hold you accountable, and Brad contributes largely to that reputation.” Prosecutors are the key link in bringing poachers to justice and Berry is the 11th to be honored with

By Andy Walgamott backpacks were searched, Murray found 1,505 Manila clams. The daily limit is 40 per person. Murray cited the trio with overlimits in the first degrees. That case followed on two instances of clammers caught by Murray without a license, two other overlimits, and was followed by his discovery of a man allegedly in possession of nine times the legal limit on crabs. All the clams were returned to the beach, according to WDFW. Keep up the great work, officer! the award, which is cosponsored by the Oregon Hunters Association. Thank you!

(OSP)

Former Guide Gets Year In Jail For Fraud, Perjury

former Washington fishing guide was sentenced to a year and a day in prison by a federal judge in late summer for a scheme to collect benefits for an injury he claimed left him unable to work. It follows Billy J. Swann’s conviction on one count each of Social Security fraud, wire fraud and perjury following a short bench trial last March. He was acquitted of two other federal charges. In presentencing documents, federal prosecutors Seth Wilkinson and Benjamin Diggs acknowledged that Swann, 53, didn’t actually collect any money from the government and that the average jail term for benefit fraud is 12 months. But they also argued that the Rainier man’s behavior over the years – including illegally fin-clipping ESA-listed Cowlitz River coho

Billy Jim Swann running his sled on the Columbia above the I-5 bridge in spring 2008.

salmon in October 2014 and lying about it to not only a federal agent but also a newspaper immediately after he’d pleaded guilty to it in 2016 – warranted two years of imprisonment. On the other side, Swann’s public defender Linda Sullivan asked U.S. District Court Judge Robert J Bryan that her client serve just 24 months of probation. “The repercussions of the 2014 case

have also been difficult for Mr. Swann,” she wrote in a memo to the court. “He essentially gave up his fishing guide business after that conviction and looked for other ways to support his family. He now has employment that he enjoys, although his daily commute is difficult. He is devoted to his family and spends most, if not all, of his free time with them.” In a testimonial, Richard Aronson, who said he’d known Swann for nearly 20 years, added, “I know he regrets what he did, particularly the grave repercussions for his family. I am confident he will not re-offend and will continue to be a valuable member of society.” But in court Judge Bryan called Swann’s actions a “nefarious scheme” meant to “lie to get money from the federal

nwsportsmanmag.com | OCTOBER 2018

Northwest Sportsman 39

MIXED BAG

JACKASS OF THE MONTH

23-foot boat, pair of downriggers and the fishing gear of a Strait of Juan de Fuca angler who allegedly egregiously violated the regs were seized by state fish and wildlife officers in late August. They say the 74-year-old Kitsap County man had six set-ups out, all of his hooks were barbed, and that he’d kept five times the daily limit – including five native Chinook and coho, which are illegal to keep here. The case went down off Sekiu when WDFW Officer Bryan Davidson and Clallam County Sheriff’s Office deputies spotted a man trolling alone. One thing that caught their eye was that he had a second downrigger deployed but without an accompanying rod. When they asked him to reel up his gear for inspection, he brought in the line attached to his first downrigger, but left that ball down deep. The officers asked him to bring the ’rigger up too, and he began to but stopped part way, so they had to ask again, after which the man complied “reluctantly.” He then unclipped a leader from the cable and officers saw it had a bungee attached to a flasher and lure. “The man then removed a second similar set-up from the same downrigger line,” officers report. When they asked him to bring up the other downrigger, it came up with three more bungee-flasher-lure rigs too! They were described as “commercial-type” trolling leaders. “I’ve been on the marine unit since 2007. I’ve done thousands of boardings in that time. I’ve never seen somebody run that kind of gear off of a recreational boat,” CCSO Sergeant Eric Munger told the Peninsula Daily News. “It was set up like a commercial operation using recreational gear.” Needless to say, the Straits aren’t among the few salmon fisheries in Washington WDFW Officer Bryan Davidson poses with the 23where you can run a second line, let alone foot Maxum Cabin Cruiser, trailer, downriggers, third, fourth, fifth or sixth ones. fishing rod and commercial flasher-lure combos The man then apparently volunteered seized on the Strait of Juan de Fuca following an inspection that turned up egregious fishing rules that he had kept one hatchery coho, which violations. (WDFW) he showed to the officers. However, he hadn’t put it on his catch card, they allege. Between the good bite at the time in the Straits, all the gear the guy had down and his claim to have only one fish, the officers were a bit suspicious there might be more to the story. “Officer Davidson again asked the man if he had any more fish aboard. The man denied having any more. Officer Davidson informed the man that he believed there were more fish on board. The man decided to come clean and told Officer Davidson that he indeed had more salmon and produced two garbage bags from the cabin of the vessel containing headed and gutted salmon,” WDFW reports. Ten of ’em – a wild Chinook that couldn’t be retained, four wild coho that couldn’t be kept either, and five hatchery coho. The daily limit at the time was two fin-clipped silvers. “Due to the egregiousness of the violations and the lengths the suspect had gone to accomplish his criminal activity, the vessel, fish and his fishing gear were seized for forfeiture to the state of Washington. The salmon were donated to the Port Angeles Senior Center, where they were much appreciated,” WDFW reports. Officers planned to cite the man for a number of gross misdemeanors, misdemeanors and infractions and say convictions for keeping wild salmon during closed seasons brings with it a $500 civil penalty on top of a criminal fine. 40 Northwest Sportsman

OCTOBER 2018 | nwsportsmanmag.com

By Andy Walgamott

government.” In addition to the jail time, he sentenced Swann to three years of supervised release after leaving prison and assessed a special fee of $300. The case dates back to 2003 when Swann suffered a back injury on the job, according to sentencing documents. He applied for benefits in 2006, claiming the accident had affected his physical and mental abilities so much that he couldn’t lift more than 10 pounds without fear of becoming bedridden and that he couldn’t concentrate enough to carry on a conversation, according to federal papers. But at the same time he was operating a business, Swanny’s Guided Fishing. It grew to become one of the most well known in this area. Through it or for others he ran salmon and/or steelhead trips in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Alaska, repped for numerous companies, and appeared on radio shows and YouTube videos as well as the March 2009 cover of this magazine. According to federal prosecutors, on the same day in December 2012 that he told an administrative judge in Tacoma that he wasn’t working, “Swann stopped off at a Tacoma Bank of America branch and deposited a payment he had received for a fishing trip.” They say that Swann in fact earned “nearly $600,000” between 2004 and 2015 running clients as many as 300 days a year. Public defender Sullivan argued that “to some extent” attorneys working Swann’s disability claim bear some responsibility. “Testimony at trial indicated that they would only have received payment for their services if his claim was ultimately successful,” she wrote. Federal prosecutors say Swann stood to have gained more than $200,000. In arguing for a strong sentence, they noted Swann was fined by Oregon after last year submitting records falsified to say he’d passed CPR and first aid tests to renew his guiding license there, and that he has yet to publicly apologize for cutting the adipose fins off of the two Cowlitz coho, as another federal judge ordered him to do. He was fined $7,500 in that case. And they say he “failed” to pay state and federal taxes on his income as a guide.

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nwsportsmanmag.com | OCTOBER 2018

Northwest Sportsman 41

By Andy Walgamott

B10 Winners Donate Prizes

his summer’s Buoy 10 Salmon Challenge once again raised good money in support of sportfishing, and the big fish winner was longtime Northwest Sportsman reader Dave Anderson, who was also on the winning team. “The camaraderie and fun we all had was priceless and best of all, we decided to donate all of our winnings back to the NSIA for everything that they do for us,” wrote Anderson in a blog for our website. “I had such a great time participating in the event and I can’t wait for next year!” The annual derby at the mouth of the Columbia River is put on by the Northwest Sportfishing Industry Association and is an important fundraiser for the organization. Anderson, a member of Team Raymarine, termed his near-29pound Chinook one of the largest salmon of his fishing career. “I was chatting with one of my buddies on the phone when I heard my friends point out on the Raymarine Axiom, ‘Look at that fish coming up!’ Immediately line started peeling and I threw down my phone, grabbed the rod and had one of the best fights with a Chinook that I’ve had in years,” Anderson wrote. He and the rest of his six-person crew, which included Capt. Mike Surdyk and Dave Lee of Three Rivers Marine, all caught Chinook that averaged 15.18 pounds, good for first place in the team category. Coming in second was Jason Berg and Team North American Hunting Competition with an average weight of 14.98 pounds, while Dan Green and his third-place team had 14.79 pounds. Everyone who weighed a fish – all totaled, 103 were checked – was eligible for the $1,100 mystery fish prize, and this year’s winner was Dave Jidas. “NSIA is deeply grateful to our wonderful sponsors!” the organization said. “Their support allows NSIA to have a strong voice in local, state, and federal governments, advocating for policies that keep the sportfishing industry thriving in the Northwest.” Sponsors included Brad’s Killer Fishing Gear, Berkley, Weldcraft/ Duckworth and this magazine, among others.

MORE UPCOMING EVENTS Through the end of various seasons: Westport Charterboat Association Weekly Derbies; info: charterwestport.com Nov. 17-21, 23-25, Lake Pend Oreille Idaho Club Annual Thanksgiving Derby, Lake Pend Oreille; info: lpoic.org Nov. 18-24, Clearwater Snake Steelhead Derby, Snake and Clearwater Rivers; info: visitlewisclarkvalley.com To be determined, but possibly Sundays in January, Tengu Salmon Derby, Elliott Bay Jan. 19, NW Ice Fishing Festival, Sidley, Molson Lakes, Molson, Wash.; info: facebook.com/NWIceFishingFestival

Dave Anderson (second from left) and the members of Team Raymarine smile over their Buoy 10 Salmon Challenge-winning catch of Chinook that averaged 15.18 pounds. (DAVE ANDERSON)

MORE RECENT RESULTS 23rd Annual Gig Harbor PSA Salmon Derby, Aug. 1, southern Puget Sound: First place: Jeff Lester, 15.63-pound Chinook, $2,500; Joel Postma, 14.72-pound Chinook, $1,000; Ladies largest salmon, Katie Kelly, 12.41-pound Chinook, $250 1st Annual Lipstick Slayers Salmon Tournament, Aug. 18, Lower Columbia River: First place: Kelsey Van Dyke, $4,000 Vancouver Chinook Classic, Aug. 18-19, Canadian Salish Sea: First place: Graham Harris, Team 4 The Boys, 24.14 pounds of salmon, $15,000; second: Dave Coulson, Team Iona Boat She Ownsa Horse, 21.93 pounds, $7,000 25th Annual Fall Salmon Derby, Aug. 31-Sept. 2, lower Umpqua River: First place: Kevin Wienhoff, 28.4-pound Chinook, $650 19th Annual Coos Bay Salmon Derby, Sept. 7-9, Coos Bay and environs: First place: Luke Wheeling, 22.38-pound Chinook, $500; second: Joanne Lehman, 20.06-pound Chinook, $250 Columbia River Fall Salmon Classic, Sept. 8: First place: Tim Barbieri, 19.12-pound Chinook, $1,000; second: Marc Kinyon, 19.08-pound Chinook, $500 Edmonds Coho Derby, Sept. 8, Central Puget Sound: First place: Bill Turner, 10.10-pound coho, $5,000; second: Shawn Tyree, 9.69-pound coho, $2,500; first place youth: Kozmo Zajac, 8.22-pound coho, $500

nwsportsmanmag.com | OCTOBER 2018

Northwest Sportsman 43

CLOSEST SEAPORT TO PORTLAND, OR!

The Port of Garibaldi encompasses three coastal towns, including Bay City, Garibaldi and Rockaway Beach. Besides housing RV parks and lodging, restaurants, seafood processing, a lumber mill, and commercial and charter ﬁshing, the Portʼs harbor has moorage for 277 vessels. The Portʼs property also features the Lionʼs Club Lumbermenʼs Park and an antique train display. A walking path is also a popular draw for locals as well as visitors to Garibaldi.

OUTDOOR

Brought to you by:

CALENDAR

OCTOBER 1

Salmon and steelhead opener on numerous Oregon streams, as well as coho opener on Siltcoos, Takhenitch and Tenmile Lakes; Opening of month-long fee pheasant hunt at EE Wilson Wildlife Area 4 Seattle DU Banquet, Olympic Hotel, Seattle – info: ducks.org/Washington 6 Washington statewide muzzleloader elk and Eastern Washington quail and chukar openers; Oregon statewide rooster pheasant and partridge openers; Eastern Oregon turkey, California and mountain quail, Zone 2 duck and merganser and Klamath, Lake, Harney, Malheur Counties Canada goose openers 6-7, 13-14 Chetco Bubble Chinook openers 10 Idaho deer, elk rifle openers in many units 13 Washington statewide modern firearms deer, and first duck, coot, snipe and goose openers; Oregon Zone 1 duck, and Southwest and East Zones goose openers; Oregon Cascades rifle elk opener; Last day of Oregon Dungeness crab season in Pacific (estuaries, bays open year-round); Family Fishing Event (free), St. Louis Ponds, Gervais – info: odfwcalendar.com 15 Western Oregon turkey opener 20 Western Oregon Cascade Buck Area second season opener; Northwest Oregon Zone permit goose opener; Family Fishing Event (free), Mt. Hood Pond, Gresham – info: odfwcalendar.com; Eastern Washington pheasant opener; Last day of bottomfish retention off Washington coast 24 Oregon Rocky Mountain bull elk centerfire first season opener 27 Eastern Washington rifle elk opener 31 Last day to fish many Washington lowland lakes listed in regulations pamphlet; Last day to hunt blacktails in Western Washington’s general rifle season

NOVEMBER 1 2 3

Elk River Bubble Chinook opener Last day to hunt blacktails in Oregon’s Coast, Cascade centerfire areas Oregon Rocky Mountain bull elk centerfire second season opener; Western Washington rifle elk, and statewide duck, coot and snipe reopeners 3-4 Extended Western Oregon youth deer season 10 Northeast Washington late rifle whitetail opener; Oregon first Coast bull elk opener 15 Washington late rifle blacktail hunt opener in select units

RECORD NW GAME FISH CAUGHT THIS MONTH Date Species 10-1-97 Albacore 10-5-92 Chinook* 10-6-02 German brown 10-8-06 Westslope cutthroat 10-15-95 Atlantic salmon 10-28-06 Smallmouth (image) 10-29-87 Quillback rockfish * Freshwater record

Pds. (-Oz.) 52.0 68.26 28-5 4.71 13-6 9-11.5 7.19

(IDFG)

Water Westport (WA) Elochoman R. (WA) Paulina L. (OR) Abernathy L. (WA) Deadwood Res. (ID) Dworshak Res. (ID) Middle Bk. (WA)

Angler Kurt Strickland Mark Salmon Ronald Lane Angus Kerr Garrett Buffington Dan Steigers Bror Hultgren

nwsportsmanmag.com | OCTOBER 2018

Northwest Sportsman 45

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OCTOBER 2018 | nwsportsmanmag.com

HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE

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The premier charter fishing company on the Oregon Coast! Our gift certificates are the perfect gift this holiday season. Mention this ad and receive 10 extra on any 100-plus certificate. Call us at 1 - 1 to purchase yours today! www.captainsreel.com

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or over 1 years, Ironmansafe has built professionalquality safes in Idaho. uilt of 10-gauge steel, and rated for two-hour fire protection, an Ironmansafe is powder coated in house to provide a 0 finish that is nice enough for the front room. e do vault doors too. www.ironmansafe.com

The free oat Palm Handgaurd features a triangular profile that perfectly fits the palm of your hand, giving you a secure and comfortable grip on your R. vailable in eyMod, M-Lok or our new sleek, smooth look and feel. Starting at . and made in the S . www. th ar.com

The new Reactive Vitals Series of R 00 Steel Targets feature distinctive animal shapes deer, coyote, more , each with a reactive apper. Hit the vitals and the apper ips up and closes, ready for the next shot! Targets are rated for pistol at 1 yards or ri e at 100 yards minimum. www.custommetalprod.com

Fishing Butler

ishing utlers are the best tangle-free way to easily transport and store fishing rods. simple-to-use bungee cord and wheel-lock system slides up on the rod and locks into place, also protecting the tips from being snapped off. They come two to a package in a variety of colors. www.fishi t er.com

Lee Lock Anchor Systems

The LeeLock Magnum Skeg drastically improves performance and straight-line travel of bow-mounted electric trolling motors. This oversi ed skeg is made of anodi ed 0 aluminum, is inches high by 11 inches wide and 1 inch thick, and comes with stainless-steel hose clamps. It fits most Minn ota and Motorguide motors. www.leelock.com

Man Gear

Let us help you be the person who gives the perfect gift. Our chest holsters wear in a comfortable position, allowing free range of movement clear of other outdoor gear. In extreme elements there is no need for oiling after being soaked. The perfect balance between exibility and ruggedness. Handcrafted in over models and in three color options. www.ma eara as a.com nwsportsmanmag.com | OCTOBER 2018

Northwest Sportsman 47

Pro Caliber Motorsports Give that special someone the ultimate two-wheel gift this year. Check out the entire line-up of Indian Motorcycles at Pro Caliber Indian Motorcycle. www.procalibervancouver.com

Rogue Jet Boatworks

Rogue Jet Boatworks of Medford, Oregon, builds inboard jet boats for many law enforcement agencies and the general public. The advanced tapered radius hull design with six lifting/turning strakes makes this boat the best handling and performing inboard jet boat in the all-welded aluminum boat industry. Come to the factory for a tour and demo ride on the beautiful Rogue River. www.roguejetboats.com

Bradley Smoker

Add a little intelligence to your culinary war chest this year. The Bradley Smart smoker is capable of monitoring your food’s temperature and notifying you when things are done, or needing attention. www.bradleysmoker.com

Raptorazor

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Raptorazor’s innovative design offers a faster and cleaner way to process game. The hook design on the Big Game Skinner cuts clean and fast, saving you time in the field. The T-grip handle offers complete control and eliminates hand fatigue. Raptorazor makes field dressing easy! www.raptorazor.com

This holiday season, give your fishermen the fishing lures that catch more fish! McOmie’s Custom Lures brings new and exciting design patterns with innovative, vibrant color combinations to fishermen. Our goal in making lures is for you to have a successful and memorable fishing experience. Try these incredible lures the next time you go fishing! www.mcomiescustomlures.com

Rocky Mountain Elk Ranch Pacific Charter Services Pacific Charter Services offers year-round six-pac ocean fishing trips out of Charleston, Oregon, with gift certificates available online. www.pacificcharterservices.com 48 Northwest Sportsman

OCTOBER 2018 | nwsportsmanmag.com

Make those Christmas dreams come true with the perfect gift – an all-inclusive three-day trophy elk hunt on our private ranch in southeast Idaho near Jackson, Wyoming, and Yellowstone Park. Nonhunting guests stay free! Hunts are 100-percent guaranteed and don’t require out-of-state license or tags. www.rockymountainelkranch.com

Vance’s Tackle

Vance’s Tackle Rods are designed specifically for trolling. Starting on top, each guide rotates a small amount so that the tip guide is facing down. This prevents torque, line rub, and hooking the last guide upon downrigger release. Built from highly parabolic E-glass, they’re the perfect rods for downrigger fishing! www.vancestackle.com

nwsportsmanmag.com | OCTOBER 2018

Northwest Sportsman 49

HUNTING

Better Hunt This Fall? Following Washington’s worst deer season in 20 years, there are signs the harvest may rebound. By Andy Walgamott

n the bright side, Washington deer hunters have nowhere to look but up after 2017, one of the worst falls in 20-plus years. That might be the most positive way to look at this season’s prospects across the Evergreen State, where bowhunters took the field last month, muzzleloaders are out there now and riflemen give it a go starting the second Saturday of the month. There actually are some good signs out there – solid postseason buck escapement numbers in places, an easy winter that should mean more available deer in previously hard-hit units, and a liberalized bag limit in a key area for certain weapons types. But it will be interesting to see if the hangover from 2017, when only 23.6 percent of general season hunters tagged out – the second lowest this millennium – has worn off. Indeed, following 2015’s decadehigh overall harvest of 37,963 deer, nearly 11,500 fewer whitetails,

A big harvest in 2015 as well as drought, winterkill and the second lowest number of hunters afield led to an abysmal harvest in 2017 for Washington sportsmen. Despite it all, hunters like Chuck Hartman were able to tag out and can be hopeful for a rebound this fall. (BROWNING PHOTO CONTEST) nwsportsmanmag.com | OCTOBER 2018

Northwest Sportsman 51

HUNTING

A Southeast Washington mule deer buck puts distance between itself and photographer-hunter Chad Zoller last fall. Postseason counts found good numbers of bucks in Columbia Basin units, but lower figures in Chelan and Okanogan Counties. (BROWNING PHOTO CONTEST)

muleys and blacktails were killed during 2017’s general and special seasons, the fewest in more than 20 years. Part of that was probably due to a near-new low number of hunters last year – 106,977, down 46,000 from the last year of the 20th Century – but also lingering aftereffects of 2015’s harvest as well as drought and harsher recent winters that depressed deer production and numbers. Still, crying in our beer ain’t gonna 52 Northwest Sportsman

OCTOBER 2018 | nwsportsmanmag.com

fill a tag, so here’s what biologists around Washington are forecasting for this season:

NORTHEAST In terms of sheer numbers, with all its whitetails and good habitat, harvest in the upper righthand corner of the state will always be hard to beat. And for this year, bowmen and muzzleloaders will again be able to take any whitetail, which hopefully

produces an uptick in the take. “My goal is to keep steadier harvest regulations,” says district biologist Annemarie Princee. Following the windfall of the end of the four-point whitetail minimum in two key game management units in 2015 and bucks-only rules for the aforementioned weapons types the past two seasons, harvest declined by nearly 3,000 deer, or 37 percent. But even as those two GMUs (Huckleberry, 49 Degrees North) saw sharp declines, other units – Kelly Hill, Douglas, Aladdin and Selkirk – have kept on keepin’ on, producing nearsimilar harvests year after year from 2013 to 2017, with generally steady days-per-kill needed to notch a tag. In the region’s core, Stevens County, longterm deer counts show fawn numbers getting back to about average of the past 10 years after a new low in 2016, and that should mean more forked horns and spikes on the landscape. Buck numbers are about average, or at least were going into last season. Prince and assistant biologist Ben Turnock rank the Douglas and Huckleberry Units as best for modern firearm hunters. Those two yielded 1.38 and 2.23 deer per square mile last year, with 36.7 and 38.2 percent success rates. They’re on the lighter side in terms of public land, but it’s a much different story with Kelly Hill, Aladdin, 49 Degrees North, Sherman and Selkirk. The bios rank the first two units higher than the others, but the third actually has a better harvest per square mile than either. As a reminder, youth and disabled riflemen can take whitetail does the first two weekends of general season. Senior hunters nobly opted out to provide more opportunity for others. Prince is also making a special plea to youth and disabled hunters who take a doe this fall to stop by the check station so that biologists can extract their animal’s jaw bone to study body conditions and monitor for chronic wasting disease.

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Northwest Sportsman 53

HUNTING UPPER SCABLANDS, PALOUSE Where Northeast Washington hunting lives and dies by its whitetail numbers, mule deer contribute well to the harvest in Whitman, Lincoln and Spokane Counties, spreading the risk and opportunity. Unfortunately for hunters, both species are still in recovery mode from recent years’ environmental setbacks that led to a 25 percent general-season harvest decline between 2015 and 2017. “Though the white-tailed deer population is starting to rebound from the 2015 blue tongue outbreak and 2016-17 winter, hunters should still expect to have to put in more time to be successful,” biologist Michael Atamian and Carrie Lowe write in their game prospects. “With fawnto-doe ratios rebounding from the droughts of 2014 and 2015, mule deer numbers should also be on the increase. Hunters should still expect

54 Northwest Sportsman

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to put in more time than in previous years to be successful.” Days per kill has doubled in the Roosevelt and Cheney, and Harrington and Steptoe Units versus how long it took to tag out in 2008, rising from roughly 10 and seven to 20 and 15, respectively. It’s also risen in the Almota Unit, though not as much, but it’s now taking fewer days to bag a deer in the Mt. Spokane Unit. The far northern Palouse is very light on public land and even farms offering access through state programs, but there are many more cooperators in the heart of the loess and along the Snake River Breaks.

BLUE MOUNTAINS Better hunting is still a year away, according to biologists Paul Wik and Mark Vekasy. They say that 2015’s drought and the heavy winter of 2016-17 knocked back fawn numbers and led to 2017’s “poor” season and unfortunately the effects will linger

into this fall with reduced numbers of legal bucks. Between 2015 and 2017 general season harvest declined 20 percent. We “do not expect a return to average harvest until the 2019 hunting season,” they write in their game prospects. “Consequently, populations available for 2018 harvest are not expected to improve much over the poor 2017 season.” Looking at recent years’ stats, hunter success has cratered in the wilderness Wenaha Unit, and while it’s dropped everywhere, it hasn’t been as bad in some. Rimming the edge of the mountains, Blue Creek, Dayton, Marengo, Peola and Couse have seen relatively steady harvests. While the knock on them is the general lack of public ground, there is Feel Free To Hunt and other private land that’s available, along with portions of four wind energy facilities. But if last year is any indication, the mostly public Lick Creek and half-

HUNTING

HOW ARE WOLVES AFFECTING DEER? Researchers looking into wolf-deer interactions in Northcentral Washington are reporting initial details about how wolves are affecting adult mule deer and whitetail behavior and mortality, but did not study fawns. Earlier this year a trail camera captured what’s believed to be a Smackout Pack yearling packing quarters of one back to the den. (JEFF FLOOD)

f your deer camp is anything like the one I belong to, the subject of wolves has probably come up since 2008. That’s the year that Washington’s first known modern-day pack set up shop in the valley I’ve hunted since the 1990s and my dad and hunting partners before that. So I’ve been keenly interested in the wolf-deer studies being conducted by state and university researchers. When he was a PhD. candidate at the UW, Justin Dellinger placed small collar cameras around the necks of deer to determine their behavior and mortality inside and outside of wolf country (Big Pic, Northwest Sportsman, August 2013). Some initial findings are surprising – and amazing; one camera recorded the final moments of a cougar attack on a whitetail doe. But Dellinger, who has moved on to become California’s statewide large carnivore specialist, is pretty cautious about reading too deeply into them. “I wouldn’t call anything I’ve done the definitive word,” he says. Don’t get me wrong: Wolves (and wolf people) drive me crazy, but they’re here for the long haul. Being pragmatic, I look

56 Northwest Sportsman

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for insights that deer hunters can use to possibly be more successful where they occur. I’m not going to let Canis lupus have the run of the woods.

DELLINGER’S RESEARCH OCCURRED in eastern Okanogan County and on the Colville Indian Reservation and involved mule deer and whitetails. Frankly, I assumed that only the former species occupied the same sort of ground as wolves – mountainous national forestlands – but Dellinger’s hypothesis is that the long-legged predators’ territories actually overlap more with valley-loving whitetail. “Wolves run – that’s how they catch their prey,” he states, and they can do that better in areas of rolling, gentle terrain than the “steep, rocky stuff” that mule deer prefer in this particular country. But muleys and wolves also occur on the same landscapes, and there the deer generally try to avoid contact with the wild canids because their defensive strategy – stotting off a short ways when confronted with danger – is easily defeated. Thick, rough country “where wolves have to run around obstacles”

works better for them, Dellinger says. “They’re shifting to steeper, more rugged terrain,” he says of mule deer, “getting further away from Forest Service roads, which wolves use as travel corridors, and they’re using areas of more increased cover.” That’s going to make it more difficult for some of us to hunt these deer, and anger and accusations that the herds have been decimated may follow. But as more and more wolves and packs occur in the state’s whitetail heartland, that deer species’ reaction is almost the polar opposite. “They’re selecting for areas with greater visibility, away from cover and out in the open, areas of decreased slopes, closer to roads,” Dellinger says. Those all help whitetails detect wolves early, allowing them to get a head start and “run like a bat out of hell,” he says. That tactic didn’t work out for two study does, though, according to a recent Dellinger paper. It builds on previous research by Washington State University that pegged wolves as the “probable” reason why 137 deer died over the course continued on page 58

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HUNTING public Mountain View Units will still yield bucks. And the almost entirely private Prescott Unit will produce the most; look to get permission to hunt Conservation Reserve Program lands and the breaks of the Snake. Ranking all of their units by harvest, hunter density and success, and public access, the biologists rate Mayview, Peola and Couse highest, but Lick Creek the worst.

SOUTHERN BASIN Mule deer fawn numbers didn’t dip as low in Franklin and Adams Counties as they did higher up in the Columbia Basin, but harvest declined by nearly a quarter here. Still, last year’s postseason buck survey found a healthy 21 per 100 does, somewhat surprising given the open nature of this country. Some of those were obviously off-limits spikes and forked horns, and it’s possible the count included deer that had migrated in from the east and north, but it’s a good sign coming into this fall. With greater than 9 out of every 10 acres privately owned, biologist Jason Fidorra points hunters to the patches of WDFW, DNR and BLM land scattered around the district, but the Kahlotus Unit has some pretty big chunks of Feel Free To Hunt and Hunt By Written Permission properties. Muzzleloaders should be aware that, new for 2018, antlerless mule deer can no longer be taken during the late season in the Kahlotus, part of a changing strategy for managing the herd. That hunt was shifted later in the year, though, wrapping up after Dec. 8, which could mean some nice migratory bucks in the mix.

OKANOGAN COUNTY If there’s good news from Washington’s best mule deer country, it might be that a relatively strong 19 bucks per 100 does were counted on the winter range coming out of last year’s hunt. “And with almost half of those being greater than or equal to three-points, older age-class buck 58 Northwest Sportsman

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Wolves, continued from page 56 Area Species & Sex # Collared Wolf WT buck 6 Wolf WT doe 19 Wolf MD buck 9 Wolf MD doe 18 Nonwolf WT buck 13 Nonwolf WT doe 21 Nonwolf MD buck 12 Nonwolf MD doe 22 Totals 120

Lion 0 1 1 3 1 2 0 4 12

of a two-summer study in much of the same region. That work was based on collars on wolves and cattle, but Dellinger et al did the opposite, putting telemetry on 120 deer – bucks and does, whitetails and mule deer – in wolf and nonwolf areas. That allowed them to follow up when the devices gave out mortality signals. They were able to determine the cause of death for 38 deer, with humans accounting for 16, cougars 12, coyotes seven, unknown three, wolves two and bears one. Lions preferred does (10) while hunters went for bucks (13). It’s easy to overread the data as suggesting wolves don’t prey much on muleys – packs don’t keep settling in the Kettle Range just to eat beef in summer – but that doesn’t mean they’re not having other impacts. The big-eared bounders’ shift to more rugged terrain just puts them deeper into cougar country, Dellinger notes.

WHILE THE RESULTS are “really interesting,” Dellinger is quick to add that the data set is short and it’s specific to North-central availability looks good,” report district biologists Scott Fitkin and Jeff Henlein in their prospects. But while 19 per 100 is at the top end of the management objective, it’s well below the gaudy highs of late falls earlier this decade, and probably a sign of reduced recruitment. “Overall, total general season harvest and success rates are anticipated to be around the 2017 numbers, somewhere above the 10-year low and below the 5-year average,” the biologists forecast. For the record, general season hunters killed 1,966 deer here last

Coyote 0 0 0 2 0 3 1 1 7

Bear 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1

Wolf 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 2

Human 2 0 2 0 6 2 3 1 16

Unknown 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 3

Washington and the early stages of wolf colonization. Another important caveat is that the research occurred during relatively easy winters. Dellinger theorizes that in a severe one, mule deer driven down into open lowland winter range by snow could be preyed upon more heavily by wolves. “Wolf mortality could be additive and really impact deer populations” at that point, he says. Also of note, no fawns were collared, so the impact wolves may be having on the most vulnerable part of the herd, and subsequent years’ adult buck and doe numbers, is unclear. Moose calf survival in central Stevens County east of the deer study area has also elicited concern. Bottom line: Dellinger says that a lot more research needs to be done to get a more complete picture of the interactions of wolves and ungulates here. The state Department of Fish and Wildlife’s big fiveyear Predator-Prey Project in the Okanogan and Northeast Washington should really add to his work. It runs through 2021. –AW

year, including 1,201 by riflemen, numbers that were down 43 and 54 percent, respectively, from 2015, a ridiculously good year when even blundering hook-and-bullet editors could notch a tag. At this writing, things had been hot and dry for months and months, and that may concentrate deer on north-facing slopes where moisture can stick around a bit longer, the biologists suggest. But if rains have returned since, that may green things up a bit and spread the animals back across this beautiful sprawling landscape until high-country snows

HUNTING

New research by state wildlife managers is providing clues about where to look for Westside blacktail bucks, like this Coweeman Unit three-point taken by Brandon Williams during last year’s late rifle hunt. “If a hunter sees signs of deer in an area, but no deer, they need to be patient or change their approach,” they counsel. (BROWNING PHOTO CONTEST)

drive the bruisers to the winter range, providing good opportunities for those lucky enough to have drawn special permits. Meanwhile, glass those burns – Tripod, Needles, etc. – for bucks foraging on high-quality browse, then put a sneak on them. But be aware that the Twisp River’s Crescent Fire caused a large-scale closure that may still affect access into the Gardner and Alta Units. See 60 Northwest Sportsman

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fs.usda.gov/okawen nwcg.gov for more.

and

inciweb.

CHELAN COUNTY The story is similar to the south of the Okanogan but also more positive in part. Buck numbers declined to 18:100 does coming out of last season in vaunted Chelan County due to 2015 and winters, but across the river in Douglas County, the herd

is more stable. “Hunters should consider the Chelan population to be in a rebuilding phase for the next few years. Survey numbers in Douglas County are encouraging, with overall buck-todoe ratios above the objective of 15 bucks per 100 does,” report biologists David Volsen and Devon Comstock. They say that their district’s eastern herd should be bigger and provide more opportunities this season, at least to those with permission to hunt the high, open Mansfield Plateau and its nooks and crannies for generally smaller bucks on private land. The bios report that there is some 150 square miles of farms and ranches open through the Feel Free To Hunt and Hunt By Written Permission programs. And unlike other recent large state acquisitions, the entire 21,140 acres of the Big Bend Wildlife Area – the former Grand Coulee Ranch – is open to general season hunting. Expect it to be crowded on the first rifle weekend, but a boat and a good map opens up possibilities on the upper south shore of Rufus Woods Lake. Note that this wildlife area is also the first to specifically prohibit e-bikes. Volsen and Comstock estimated that in 2017 12,680 deer occurred in Douglas County, but the herd in Chelan County south of the big fjord declined from the 15,000 to 18,000 range to 11,000 as of two years ago. The good news is the bleeding has stopped in the latter county. “Winter conditions in 201718 were more normal. Decreased overwinter mortality should allow the population to start recovering from declines,” they wrote. In the short term they expect a “flatter” harvest of big bucks and that hunters will have to “work a little harder” to find legal animals this fall. But with a stable population, good to improving habitat and the ability of deer to repopulate fairly rapidly, the long-term outlook is good. The district’s best unit, Entiat, was only singed by the Cougar Creek Fire,

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HUNTING Between three private-lands access programs, there are 200,000-plus acres hunters can get onto through reservations, written permission or just walking on. And despite no hunting unit having more than 15 percent public lands, outside of the permit-only Desert GMU, there’s a wide variety of federally or stateowned ground to look into.

but the Chiwawa Unit had big closure areas at press time due to it. Watch the above websites for updates.

WESTERN COLUMBIA BASIN Not unlike Douglas County to the north, Grant and Adams Counties’ best units, Beezley and Ritzville, are mostly private, but last fall’s posthunt survey found buck:doe ratios above what you might expect out of this sort of country: 16- and 21:100. Both were up over the previous autumn, and fawn ratios were also “favorable” last year, with 71- and 73:100, respectively – well up from 2015’s “all-time lows.” “Given the modest escapement of bucks in 2017 and likely good recruitment of fawns, hunters should expect an average year for mule deer hunting throughout the district,” report biologists Sean Dougherty and Ella Rowan.

YAKIMA, KITTITAS COUNTIES If you’re looking for a place to hunt with good road access, plenty of public land and loooooooow pressure, these two South-central Washington counties just might be for you. That’s also assuming you have little interest in notching a tag. Indeed, there may be no grimmer district hunting forecast than the one issued by biologist Jeff Bernatowicz. He writes that last year’s harvest was the worst on record, the success rate

was just 5 percent – two mountainous units produced just seven deer between them for 800 riflemen – and the age-class of bucks that should be on the landscape now is “missing.” “No rebound is expected for 2018,” Bernie reports. It’s actually pretty sad because this herd has been really struggling since the early 2000s. Recently things appeared to be slowly improving, thanks to three years of good fawn recruitment that helped spike the harvest to 1,019 deer in 2015, but that production fell off a cliff due to the aforementioned drought and winterkill, and last year only saw 499 taken.

KLICKITAT The harsh, lingering winter of 201617 and an adenovirus outbreak added up to “very low” success rates last fall on Washington’s side of the eastern Columbia Gorge, with lowest-in-adecade-at-least harvests in the West

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HUNTING and East Klickitat and Grayback Units. But biologist Stephanie Bergh believes that things will begin to turn around this fall, and, even better, fawn survival coming out of last winter was back to historic levels for these units. As a reminder, the Simcoe Wildlife Area is permit only. And new this year, Stevenson Land Company has closed two areas, Snowden and Gilmer, to the general public. But another 65,000 acres of Western Pacific Timber lands west of Highway 97 is open for walk-in hunting, as are Hancock lands, for the time being.

WESTSIDE Last year’s harvest dropoff wasn’t just limited to Eastern Washington units – it was statewide, with all districts declining. Pacific and Grays Harbor County biologists Anthony Novack and Scott Harris report nearly 600 fewer deer were harvested in 2017 than 2016, which they termed

“surprising and without an obvious biological cause.” Part of that could be due to the aforementioned low hunter turnout, but a table the bios produced doesn’t show that much of a decline in South Coast numbers between the years. (More troubling is the longterm drop here, from 7,000 in 2008 to 4,500 in 2017, probably indicative of hunters aging out and the rise of access-fee policies). For those who venture out for blacktail here or elsewhere on the Westside, they offer this advice based on deer collared in the Capitol State Forest: “None of the deer monitored in WDFW’s study used an area larger than 0.38 square miles (243 acres). The average home range size was 0.14 square miles (86 acres). Some deer used an area no bigger than 45 acres in size during an entire year. If a hunter sees signs of deer in an area,

but no deer, they need to be patient or change their approach.” For more on WDFW’s deer studies, see this issue’s South Sound column on page 71. In Wahkiakum, Cowlitz and Lewis Counties, biologists Eric Holman and Nicholle Stephens expect hunting to be “good” this season, thanks to a mild winter. Target regenerating clearcuts near taller second- and third-growth on state and private timberlands. Don’t have a trespass pass? WDFW’s Hunting page (wdfw.wa.gov/hunting) now has two different maps to help you find public land here and across the state. But know that some huntable parcels may not be so readily visible, requiring extra work to sniff them out. For instance, some community forests on various Puget Sound islands are open under varying rules. Westside biologists’ online hunting prospects provide some details. NS

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HUNTING Author Randy Bauman (inset) is excited about this season’s Northeast Washington whitetail hunt, which opens for riflemen this month and again for 10 days next month. Hunting from a stand near deer trails is a good tactic but takes patience. (RANDY BAUMAN, BOTH)

How To Hunt Colville Whitetails High harvest makes Washington’s northeast corner a good October, November bet. By Randy Bauman

t’s well known that Washington state’s northeast corner holds a lot of whitetail. In fact, they’re numerous enough to warrant October and November rifle seasons. This year’s are Oct. 13-26 and Nov.

10-19. A bonus for those with kids just starting their hunting careers is the any-whitetail option in Units 101-121 the weekends of Oct. 13-14 and 20-21. The latest harvest reports indicate that over 16,000 hunters of all weapons types tagged more than

5,000 deer in District 1 game units last year, leading to a 31.5 percent success rate. When you compare those figures with other districts and other big game species across the Evergreen State, pursuing whitetails here is pretty good way to spend your deer season. nwsportsmanmag.com | OCTOBER 2018

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HUNTING Bauman carries a heavy pack, but it allows him to stay out all day, increasing his odds of encountering multiple bucks, one of which just might be a trophy. (RANDY BAUMAN)

GEAR FOR YOUR HUNT I’m a little over the top in what I carry, but I grew up in Scouts and am a firm believer in being prepared. I want to be sure I am 100 percent able to function on my own and not be a burden on my partners. I won’t go too much into clothing, since it’s a regional and seasonal variable that changes on a hunt-by-hunt basis, but this is at a minimum what I would throw in my pack for a day of whitetail hunting in Northeast Washington. At least a quart of water – and a Sawyer filter to treat more as needed; Food to stay fueled up all day – the colder the weather, the more you need. I always have soups, coffee, tea, etc., to help me stay warm on a cold day; A GSI Bottle Cup – stainless steel, can be used on a stove or over a fire; Esbit Folding Stove – quick and easy way to heat water for lunch; Fire starters – at least two lighters, matches, flint and steel and fire starters. It is critical you learn how to make fire and be able to do it every time; A Gerber Multi-Plier – there is always something you need to hold, cut, bend, and this handy tool has been in my pack 66 Northwest Sportsman

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since 1994; Space blanket – use it as a tarp, ground cover or sleeping bag; Rangefinder and binoculars – I like compact models and I pack Leupold products. You need to be able to glass at distance and in thick cover. The rangefinder is handy if you are in a more open area or are shooting shorter range rifle cartridges, a muzzleloader or a handgun; A headlamp and a flashlight – ever boned out a deer trying to hold a flashlight with one hand? I like the ZebraLight for my headlamp. A single AA battery gives me 200 lumens at the top end and multiple lower settings. And I like Surefire flashlights because they always work. I use the G2 series, which are relatively inexpensive and very bright and durable; 50 feet of paracord – get real, madein-the-USA cord. It has a multitude of uses and always comes in handy; Wind-puffer – an easy way to keep track of the breeze and thermals as you move during the day. I use a flip-top Nalgene bottle filled with cornstarch; Stoney Point shooting sticks – any rest in the field will help make your shots

more accurate. The size I use is perfect for sitting or kneeling shots; Map and compass – yep, I have a GPS, but I never use it for navigation because the device will crap out at the most inopportune time. Heavy snow and thick timber will not allow a signal. Carry a topo map and a good quality compass and Learn how to use them together! A compass does not tell you where you are. It only points north; Meat care – I use a Kifaru Meat Bag. These 1-ounce bags will hold 75 pounds of boned meat and you can usually get an average whitetail in one bag. The bag holds the meat in a vertical tube to make it easier to pack out in your backpack. I use two bags for my deer hunting: All the meat that will be ground goes in one, the big cuts go in the other. Because nearly all of our hunting is done in the backcountry we bone our animals on the spot using the gutless method; Knife – I use and endorse the Havalon Piranta. It is a changeable blade knife. You should be able to easily skin, bone and process a deer with two blades. I also carry a couple pairs of nitrile gloves to keep my hands dry and a bit warmer. The nitrile also provides a better grip. –RB

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HUNTING TIPS AND TACTICS

Whitetails are plentiful enough to allow a second long rifle season in the week and a half leading up to mid-November’s peak of the rut, and sometimes the snow flies, leading to ideal hunting conditions for those prepared to stay afield all day. (RANDY BAUMAN)

Because whitetails live in such vastly different habitats, tactics must be adjusted depending on your location. However, there are a few things that remain constant and paying attention to them will help you tag a whitetail. Find the edges: Walk a few yards inside a logged or cleared area and you will likely find a well-used game trail. The deer travel in the cover while going to and from feeding and bedding areas. Find a well-used edge trail and set up where you can see a bit in the heavy cover. Be patient: Whitetails are creatures of habit. They stay pretty close to one area and tend to use the same trails and routes. Once you have found that edge travel route, set up and wait. It’s likely that deer will mosey by at some point if you can wait them out. Stay out all day: Take a look at my pack list (see sidebar, last page). Once I leave camp I intend to stay out until

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dark. I have my lunch, a closed-cell foam pad to sit on and appropriate clothing. Yes, I get cold. Yes, I get bored. Yes, I have sat in pouring rain and wet snow all day. But here’s the deal: By early to midmorning, most hunters go back to camp. But that’s not where the deer are. Use your binoculars: Whitetails like thick stuff. Human eyes are good, but not great. With binoculars you can pick apart the timber. You see more color. You see shapes. One of my professional hunters in South Africa taught me a lot about thick cover hunting. “Look through the bush,” he always said. Hunt late: Whitetail bucks are solitary creatures. However, if you can hunt a late season, your odds go up. In general terms, the rut peaks in mid- to late November and will run through December and January in many parts of the country. This means the bucks are out and moving more. Choose your gear wisely and you’ll be out hunting while others are home watching football. Shoot fast: While on stand keep your rifle across your lap and at the ready. You will often only have a couple of shooting lanes, and even if the deer are just walking you only have a few seconds to make your shot. Have fun: How can you not? You are hunting. You are in the woods, with a rifle in your hands, a tag in your pocket and a whitetail somewhere in the neighborhood. Yeah, you may walk miles. You may freeze on stand. You may get wet. So what? You’ll likely be in camp or home sometime tonight. You can get dry, warm and fed when you get back. Take photos of your gear, your stand, your rifle. Shoot a pic of that pesky squirrel telling the whole basin you are under his tree. Hunting is about making memories and enjoying your outdoor heritage. Tying your tag on a whitetail and enjoying the pure organic protein the venison provides is a bonus. NS

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COLUMN

Study Should Shed Light On Forest Ghosts

Rifle deer season opens Oct. 13 and while many blacktails will be taken that first weekend, hunting only gets better the closer it gets to Halloween and the rut. (JASON BROOKS)

ctober has many opportunities for South Sound sportsmen, but deer hunting overshadows them all. With SOUTH SOUND modern firearm seaBy Jason Brooks son finally upon us it is time to get ready to put some venison on the dinner plate. Those who head for the hills around the lower end of the Sound know that blacktail hunting only gets better the closer we get to November. Some of the best hunting occurs the last few days of October, so if you don’t

get your buck on the opener, don’t give up – the best is yet to come.

CLIFF RICE IS a research biologist with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and he’s in year two of a five-year blacktail study. Mostly concentrating on commercial forest practices, including on Department of Natural Resources lands, that have regular timber harvest, the project’s goal is to help determine deer reproduction and its correlation with how forests are managed. During the first year, WDFW biologists studied blacktail reproductivity starting with pregnant does, and then studied the

fawns after they were born. This portion of the study also noted herbicide uses and how they affected the deer. In the end it was determined that the herbicides did alter how the deer used the forest areas, but it did not provide enough data to determine any negative effects. Fawn survival was mostly dependent on predators and the study noted that predator densities were unknown and that that portion of the research needed to take this into account. Coyotes accounted for 21 percent of fawn mortalities, cougars 14 percent, bobcats 11 percent and black bears 10 percent. As with all things in nature, it can be hard to

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COLUMN determine exactly why every animal dies and in this case, 41 percent of fawn deaths couldn’t be attributed to a specific cause. The first part of the study helped determine the effects of reproduction, including the rate of twinning, and even deciphered mortality differences between female and male fawns. But the research isn’t just about blacktail fecundity; it includes the overall population and how forest management affects the deer. Most notably for hunters is the second phase, which is going on right now and involves bucks. Rice says that 50 have been radio-collared to monitor their locations and habits. The goal over the next few years is to keep a baseline of 50 bucks, so when one dies, another will be collared to keep the study going. This fall, if you harvest a buck with a radio collar, it will be taken into account just like a predator or any other cause for mortality. The hope is to determine a population base for blacktails, which really isn’t known, as well as determine how forest management practices affect the densities and movements of the deer. Rice adds that the “population model incorporates harvest statistics at the GMU level” and they are trying to use these

models to estimate the population of the deer for better management practices. One of the goals for the second phase is to determine buck survival rates in regards to hunting and nonhunting, such as predation, starvation, vehicle collision, disease and other causes of death. In the end they hope to develop a model that will help them estimate deer populations by game management unit. The collars used in the study have GPS capabilities and one of the byproducts is that they can monitor deer movements, including during hunting seasons and time of day. We hunters can use this info to become better at finding blacktail bucks, but will have to wait a few more years until the study is completed. Meanwhile, Westside deer are finally getting some much needed attention that will help determine seasons and management.

SPEAKING OF HUNTING, hopefully blacktail chasers have a better season than last year. WDFW’s 2018 season prospects are published and available at wdfw.wa.gov. For those who hunt in Pierce and Thurston Counties, you might already know that 2017 saw one of the lowest success

State biologists are in the midst of a multipronged five-year study of blacktail use of timberlands across the Westside. They’re looking at reproductivity and survival of does, fawns and bucks, and the research should provide more clues about the movements of these forest ghosts, which should be of interest to hunters. (JASON BROOKS)

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rates ever recorded for deer hunters. This is partially due to changes in regulations, including the “self-imposed” regulations by Hancock Forest Management. Those who put in for antlerless permits in GMU 654 Mashel later learned that Hancock would not allow any does to be harvested except by archery hunters. This included the ever-popular youth hunts that started prior to the general season. Access permit holders had been complaining of low deer numbers but since there are no deer studies (until now) to determine the population on the timberlands, Hancock decided to not allow any antlerless harvest. They also imposed a two-point restriction on bucks after WDFW lifted this to an any-buck unit. Hunters who purchased the popular Vail access pass didn’t see much of a difference in the 2017 season and managed to tag 537 deer last year, with an impressive 455 of those being bucks. A total of 344 were spikes and two-points. Further south, the Ryderwood Unit, GMU 530, yielded 340 bucks, with the majority having two points or more. With a light winter, this and other parts of Lewis County are expected to have a good hunting season that will also be better than 2017. There is more

COLUMN public land in this area as well, and some timber companies in this part of the South Sound still allow hunting without charging an access fee. Look to the Winston, Coweeman, and Mossyrock Units to continue to produce more deer, and those looking for mature bucks should head to the Packwood and Stormking GMUs for deer migrating down out of Mt. Rainier National Park towards the end of October.

OCTOBER ALSO MEANS the rivers are full

Be aware that at least one large private timber company is no longer allowing hunters to harvest does or spikes on their land, even though state regulations and/or permits allow it. The authorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s son Ryan Brooks took this antlerless blacktail in the Mashel Unit, which includes public lands. (JASON BROOKS)

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of coho and Chinook, with some chums showing later in the month. Grouse and planted pheasants are going strong, but it is the modern firearm deer season that I look forward to most. The hunt starts Oct. 13 and will only get better with each day until it closes at sundown on Halloween. Blacktails are a challenge, especially mature bucks, but with WDFW doing studies to help establish a population estimate, we can only hope that this will help us notch our tags and put some venison on our dinner plates! NS

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COLUMN

The Big Empty F

lying in over the Frank ChurchRiver of No Return Wilderness is best experienced CHEF IN THE WILD and not written By Randy King about. No words can explain the vastness of the land and the solitude you feel when dropped off by bush plane. But I will do my best. Roughly 60 miles from the nearest road – a dirt two-track – the airstrip my father, brother and I landed on was actually our second choice. A small Forest Service cabin surrounded by a fire-suppressing sprinkler system met us. Initially we had wanted to land north of this location and hunt whitetail deer and elk in the rut. However, late-burning wildfires shut down that strip and forced us to use this one as our base of operations. It had only opened the week prior, and now our whitetail hunt had turned into a mule deer/bear and elk hunt. Tough choices.

MY FATHER HAD for years wanted to do a flyin backcountry hunt, so my brother Kris and I bought him a trip for his 63rd birthday. We had purchased the “hunter’s special” program and had a maximum allowed weight of 900 pounds. Between the three of us, we weighed in at about 585 pounds. When we added up our gear – about 50 pounds each – it left us with about 150 pounds available for meat on the return flight. That amounted to roughly one bone-free elk, or three deer, depending on the circumstances. We hoped we would not have to book an extra flight for meat pick-up, but took the chance anyway. We boarded the small bush plane in McCall, Idaho, a small mountain town with a famous ski resort. When the snow isn’t falling, it has a bit of a working-class feel to it. As we took off from the airport our little plane dipped and turned at the slightest wind or pressure change. We climbed

Hopes were high as author Randy King and his dad and brother began their fly-in backcountry hunt for deer, elk and bear in the middle of the snowy Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness last September. (RANDY KING)

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COLUMN

AND THAT’S A WRAP!

’d like to tell a good story here about how I learned about larb from some Thai culinary artist or a Laotian sous chef, but I did not. Google taught me about larb. Some of you are reading the word larb and prejudging it by the phonetics – in English larb does not sound that appetizing. I get it. It is like a lard-bard hyphen gone wrong. But this dish will knock your socks off. If you are a fan of heat, citrus and lettuce wraps, this is a dish for you. Larb comes from the Hmong community, for the most part. In the U.S. larb can be found in most Thai restaurants. Typically the dish includes meat – generally chicken – and a lot of South Asian flavors like lemongrass, cilantro and mint. Larb is mostly meat but technically a salad for some reason. That said, it is a flavor bomb. Enjoy!

Elk Larb ½ small onion 2 tablespoons fish sauce 1 lime, juiced ½ bunch cilantro leaves ½ inch section of ginger, peeled 1 serrano pepper, or hotter, your choice 2 cloves garlic 2 tablespoons sambal oelek – rooster sauce, found in the Asian food section 1 teaspoon coriander 1½ pounds ground elk (or other meat) 1 bunch green onions, sliced ½ bunch cilantro, leaves picked 1 serrano, sliced thin ¼ cup mint leaves 1 head baby romaine lettuce, top and bottom cut off to make “lettuce cups” Classically, this dish comes with a toasted rice powder. I am omitting it from this recipe, but you can add it if you are interested. Add the onion, fish sauce, lime juice, half bunch of cilantro leaves, ginger, serrano, garlic, sambal oelek and coriander to a blender and puree until smooth. This will be bright green and smell pungent! That is OK, it will taste good. 78 Northwest Sportsman

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Fixin’s for elk larb tacos include browned venison in South Asian sauce, and lettuce cups to hold the mixture. (RANDY KING) Next brown the meat, making sure to break down the large chunks. When the meat is almost done cooking add the green mix to the pan. Stir and cook for three to four minutes longer. Toss the new mixture with the sliced

green onions, mint, picked cilantro leaves and serrano pepper. Serve hot or at room temperature. Use lettuce cups to eat it like a taco. For more wild game recipes, see chefrandyking.com. –RK

COLUMN to about 9,000 feet and leveled out. We cruised through mountain passes and could see game trails clearly in the snow. At one point the pilot muttered over the intercom, “The next road in this direction is in Montana.” We were a long way from Montana. The Middle Fork of the Salmon River was below us. Defunct mining operations could be seen on the hillsides and old structures dotted the riverbank. Then all traces of humans vanished. All we could see were forest, mountains and black burns.

But the hunters’ optimism began to fade as their hikes away from the airstrip turned up little to no sign of game, leading to the impression the countryside was barren. Later, King realized that tossing a dart at a map and assuming it would be loaded with bucks and bulls was a mistake. (RANDY KING)

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WE LANDED MORE softly than I would have imagined, given the terrain. The plane bounced lightly down the runway, dropping us off a few hundred yards from the cabin. We waved the pilot off and began to plot our course. It was Sept. 22 and 6 inches of snow greeted us. Our landing strip, the aptly named Cold Meadows, sits at an altitude of roughly 7,200 feet. The large basin we were in was not rumored to be the greatest of hunting locations, but it was our backcountry option. We set up camp and went for a walkabout, heading west and off trail. Kris and I found fresh sign and learned that the entire area was matchstick fireburn walking. If you have never had the opportunity to walk a matchstick fire burn, you are lucky. Imagine 12-inch-diameter trees tumbled every direction, then add in a Christmas tree farm. Not exactly fun hiking uphill through the mess, but we pressed on. The next morning Dad, Kris and I hiked east looking for sign down one of the main trails. It was shockingly empty. Not a doe on the trail, not a hoof print, not a grouse in a tree. Totally empty. Honestly, it was disturbing. That evening I went back west on my own to a lookout peak I had spotted. I would have a commanding view for miles in every direction. I saw one bear about a mile and a half off. He was a black dot in the distance and then gone in a moment. The next day I went north several miles. I spotted a lone doe. I glassed her for over an hour, hoping, praying that something would show up with her. My brother had

gone south, spotting and shooting a couple blue grouse for dinner. I returned by headlamp, sore and feeling a little put out by the lack of game. It was so bad that we called for a pickup. We knew of better places to spend our vacation hunting than this desolate airstrip. After a pizza back in town and a dip in a hot spring, we felt better about life. We then headed out to a new location.

WE SAW MORE deer driving to the hunting spot than we actually did afield there. We hiked into Big Creek out of Edwardsburg, back into the Frank Church, back into country we had dreamed of hunting. True, we were a little more fortunate in terms of game spotted. In three days we saw five deer and two black bears, and I missed a shot on one of the bruins. Kris and I hiked 4,200 vertical feet one day on a 16-mile walkabout. We cut sign, but never elk. Coffee in hand the morning we packed up to leave, I spotted a buck above camp and about 400 yards out. I ran around a small finger ridge to cut some distance but never saw him again. He was the only legal deer of the entire trip. Back at home, with our big adventure for the year now over, I licked my wounds. I had lost about 10 pounds in seven days. I had busted my hump to no avail. What I thought would be the happy hunting grounds was nothing but an empty expanse of wilderness. Was it amazing? Yes, but it was not Nirvana for a hunter. I realized that my home turf, my known areas, produce more game than the most remote sections of the state. I realized that distance does not make a hunting spot better. I realized that seclusion does not make a spot better. Understanding a location, figuring out the animals and then hunting them is what leads to success. Cold rolling into Cold Meadows and Big Creek was a logistical error. We tossed a dart at a board we did not understand or appreciate fully. It is no wonder we missed. Later that fall I dug into the freezer for my last bit of elk burger from the year prior. I needed to make something memorable from it. NS

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Too Much Good Stuff To Do

Look to the foothills for some of the best blacktail hunting in the North Sound. Low and midelevation clearcuts hide bucks like this one Chad Smith took late last October, while mountain meadows provide lush forage for bruisers. Smith was hunting 4 miles in and reports it took him six hours to get the deer out. (BROWNING PHOTO CONTEST)

NORTH SOUND

he cornucopia of quarry for October hunters and fishers is near full By Doug Huddle to the brim. Newly ripe for the picking are the modern firearm season for deer, with its generally mild climate conditions that give hunters the best crack at venison, and the opener for waterfowl, also under Octoberâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s often fair skies, at least to start, that ease gunners into the rigors of that pursuit.

Anglers have perhaps the broadest menu of any time of the year in October, with silvers both in the river and in the lake. Here are a few of critters on the fair-chase list:

MOUNTAIN MEADOW BUCKS Several things that fascinate me about blacktail deer are their fidelity to selected habitats coupled with their adaptation to disturbance. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve seen with my own eyes in the woods on innumerable

occasions during fall hunts their stealthy circumvention of pursuit, stepping off a track and letting olfactory-challenged human hunters forge on past. In one hunt two mates in a trio of subordinate bucks initially fled downslope on a skid row from a landing only to abruptly turn 90 degrees across slope for a short distance then climb back up another skid row. I tracked them in patchy snow while my hunting partner began field dressing their cohort and even was close

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enough behind them in the brush that I could see the trickle of water muddy up in the second skid row as the bucks made their ascent to view the scene of the kill. We’ve had young companion spikes that initially fled, creep back to within a stone’s throw of us while we were gutting a mature animal. On a late hunt one stormy November day in the mountains, in 2 feet of fresh powder snow we got on to and dogged multiple deer tracks in near white-out conditions only to come upon human tracks. It took us a moment to conjure that the deer which we never laid eyes on had taken us full circle in the whiteblanketed reprod. My latest observation was just several weeks ago in a work area on the national forest. Carved out of 50to 60-year-old second-growth fir and hemlock, which provides shade on hot summer days, an open-to-the-sky storage site creates enough browse vegetation on its fringes to keep several deer in the neighborhood. Edible groundcover plants in the surrounding deep shadowy woods are sparse to nonexistent. A set of strategically laid-out game trails thread their way through the screen of transition brush, around obstacles such as boulders and logs, in effect taking the least line of resistance to and from the grassy central staging area. There is even a well-worn beeline several hundred feet to a nearby spring water source. Back in the woods on several hummocks and ridge brows, well-tamped beds in the thick moss, replete with droppings and a few shed guard hairs, mark the regular places where deer wile away the heat of the day chewing their cud. All are where little concealment for predators was higher and where air currents could waft warning scent from approaching threats. Some are even tucked against halfrotten headboard stumps. Only once on a work visit did I catch a glimpse of a resident doe and a yearling fawn tarrying one wet morning, but they alone could not account for all the sign. Later, when I was cutting out sapling alder and cottonwood, I found eight rubs liberally spaced throughout the open area, the claim-staking business of a 86 Northwest Sportsman

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breeding buck. It’s clear that even as human beings toil from time to time there, the deer call this bit of habitat home and like many a human apartment dweller, they simply make themselves scarce when other tenants show up. With today’s crisper, clearer internet aerial photo platforms, distinct signs of animal presence in alpine locales, found on map/satellite photo websites, also demonstrate the cohabitative willingness of summering blacktails. On one sprawling north-facing subalpine meadow in one year’s photo sequence, ATV tracks can clearly be seen entering the semiopen terrain via ridgeline. Vehicle movement is circumscribed by relative slope steepness and vegetation, so riders dismount close to the crest. Most humans are loath to give up elevation once gained unless there’s a very compelling reason and they, like many animals, favor the line of least resistance on the ground or through vegetation, so paths of repeated human use follow predictable lines. But pan to the opposite side along the old growth or drop to the lower edges of this expanse and a web of worn tracks emerges from the natural lay of the land, watercourse and plant growth patterns. On some open spaces between silver fir hummocks, vivid parallel paths worn into the heather, low-bush blueberries or other groundcover leap off photos. These are likely foot-worn feeding terraces. Other tracks obviously link sections of terrain, traverse slopes or follow ridgelines, and at one or two spots multiple tracks converge like spokes to a hub on a shallow tarn or a pool in a creek channel – the communal watering hole. My hikes to and through this picturesque locale through the years have groundtruthed the initial interpretative conclusion that these are indeed game trails. And that’s further supported by the presence of dozens of beds across the slope worn into patches of heather. The only thing lacking in the way of confirmation is actually laying eyes on any of the four-footed denizens responsible for all the wear and tear! But on the north end of the Mount

COLUMN Baker Ranger District such summer deer digs can be found in the upper reaches of Canyon, Dobbs, Barometer, Grouse and Anderson Creek basins. These locale types are less numerous in the Baker Lake basin, but can be found in the Marten and Shuksan Lake areas, as well as the midreach section of Rocky Creek on the northeast side of Loomis Mountain. Timber harvest has produced similar ground in the upper West Fork of Iron Creek in the Illabot Creek basin, but the old 1620 Road is still present. A hike off the end of the 16 Road and cross-country through the old growth accesses such habitat. There is a renowned, built-stout-fromlumber-packed-in tree stand in a meadow setting near at the end of Jackman Creek Road system, as well.

FIRST DUCKS Even in the face of prevailing Tweety bird weather, it’s still possible to find a few local ducks on the webfoot season opener. It takes a road trip and a few prearranged entrees

to private farm lands, but it can be done. Consulting Google Earth or Bing maps on a virtual scouting trip for late-summer spring-nourished watercourses and farm ponds, as well as woodland ponds and upriver sloughs that produce resident mallards, is the best place to start. This is going to be a jump-shooting gambit yielding a few new-crop birds that have yet to follow their mothers to farm fields and bayfronts for the fall. In Whatcom County there are at least three key areas where artesian springs burble water to the surface to which these young poults flock. A secondary profitable pursuit on the season opener is to do some field scouting to build a repertoire of options for later in the season. This preparation allows you to take greater advantage of conditions any given day, enabling you to hunt somewhere no matter what weather (nor’easter’s snows, southwesterly rains, fair conditions) prevails. Options on public lands need far less

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extensive lead work but potential hunting areas on private property requires introducing yourself to owners and getting their permission for access.

MORE SALMON With the Skagit River’s hatcheryaugmented coho population now back in the managers’ abundance “comfort zone,” angling for these salmon is back in full swing in October. Lucrative haunts can be found anywhere from the Highway 9 bridge south of Sedro-Woolley upstream to Finney Creek. This lengthy reach has a considerable number of coho spawning tributaries and early-arriving silvers often stage in main river holes at or below the mouths of these streams. The South Skagit Highway offers excellent access to the river for bank anglers, as does the Cape Horn Road along the river’s north side from Hamilton up to Challenger Road. By now too, the vanguard of the

hatchery stock will have arrived at Marblemount, so exploring the Rockportto-Cascade River reach by boat can be productive.

LATE KOKANEE Several North Sound lowland “sedentary silver” lakes are primed for mic-drop angling in October. With mature fish about to make their spawning runs, schools of 3- and 4-year kokanee in Lakes Whatcom and Samish are often underappreciated. If you have the electronic capacity, when on either lake, determine if it has stratified by water temperature, as they often do. During the day, usually kokanee will be below the first thermal differentiation and you will have to drop your offering to that level to get action. However, fishing close to first light at dawn may catch koke schools that have been in the uppermost layer overnight. Lake Whatcom’s thermal regime has changed in recent years as diversions from the Middle Fork Nooksack have been reduced. Unlike Lake Whatcom, there is no hatchery on Samish to which kokanee home. Several tributaries (Barnes, Mud and Finney) are the de facto targets of mature fish bent on depositing eggs. Focusing troll passes near the mouths of those streams is a good strategy. Smaller lake-style downriggers are most effective at getting offerings down to the optimal depths; however, many Lake Whatcom aficionados will use colorcoded leaded lines instead. Throttling troll speed up or down also enables you to make changes in offering depth. As for terminal tackle, small flasher and bait offerings work well, as do small Jitterbugs, if you can find them, behind short gang trolls.

NEXT ISSUE Late deer and elk hunts, last North Sound pheasant, snow goose hunts and the first steelhead. NS Editor’s note: Doug Huddle lives in Bellingham, is retired from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, and has been writing about hunting and fishing in the Northwest for more than 35 years.

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HUNTING

Fall’s Fowl Forecast Oregon wingshooters should expect to see good waterfowl numbers, hope for upland bird bump. By Troy Rodakowski

h, man, have I been patiently waiting for Oregon’s bird seasons to open this year, but honestly, my best pal Porter the German shorthair has been waiting even more anxiously. And I think my pooch will be pleasantly surprised, as things are mostly looking good.

ACCORDING TO THE annual U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service waterfowl survey, habitat conditions improved from prior widespread drought conditions, with duck numbers continuing to be higher overall than the long-term average. Surveys conducted in the Northwestern Territories and British Columbia showed estimates similar to 2017 and also slightly above typical. Grand scheme, North American mallard, gadwall, green- and bluewinged teal, shoveler and redhead numbers are all declining year to year but still above average, wigeon and canvasback numbers are about average, while pintail and scaup are below average and declining, according to USFWS. In Oregon, Washington and other portions of the Pacific Flyway, winter precipitation was slightly below normal, which led to a reduction in available breeding habitat in comparison to the last few years, but local duck numbers

Oregon duck fans should be generally happy with this fall’s flight forecast. While northern birds are slightly down, mallard numbers are still well above the long-term average, and local production was up. Author Troy Rodakowski shows off a heavily loaded strap. (TROY RODAKOWSKI)

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HUNTING

It won’t be the glory days of yore, but Eastern Oregon should still produce some pheasant and valley quail this season. (TROY RODAKOWSKI)

were actually up, powering better early-season opportunities. “Waterfowl hunting prospects for 2018-19 look favorable,” reports Brandon Reishus, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife’s migratory game bird coordinator. “Duck regulations again fell into the liberal category under federal frameworks, so hunters will have another 107-day season with a sevenbird bag, our 22nd consecutive liberal season for hunters who have been keeping track.” “Species restrictions continue for hen mallards, scaup, and pintails, though the pintail bag limit has increased back to two birds/day this season,” adds Reishus. Population surveys this spring showed strong numbers of breeding ducks in Oregon. USFWS reported 294,000, up from 240,000 last year. That’s also 12 percent above the longterm average. Mallard counts were also up, from 72,000 to 93,000, or 94 Northwest Sportsman

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7 percent above the average. This past winter saw below average precipitation and runoff in most areas of Oregon and that was followed by a very dry summer. “This may impact some wetland areas, especially in Southeast Oregon, and may have impacted the breeding efforts. As always, fall and winter weather conditions will greatly affect bird distribution, movement and hunter success, but hunters will enjoy another long season with ample opportunity to get into the field,” says Reishus. With many ponds, small lakes and creeks likely low on water or close to being dried up, scouting will be the most important factor in October before fall’s real rains come next month. Open farm fields that produced grass, grains, corn, peas, rice or buckwheat will be a good bet, as will draw blinds at various wildlife management units, especially early in the season when officials have the

ability to flood locations that don’t have water. Yet another option is to head to the coast, where there is typically more water due to more frequent rains and daily tidal flooding, and where good numbers of local birds congregate. Also, locating isolated ponds and creeks where there are larger sections of stagnant water will be a good idea, especially for you earlyseason gunners. “As the season progresses and rains return hunting should improve, with the caveat being cold weather,” emphasizes Reishus.

AS FOR GEESE, honker regulations also remain very liberal, with long seasons and high bag limits the norm. Aleutian, western Canada and cackling Canadas, Pacific white-fronted, Wrangel Island and western Arctic snows and Ross’ geese remain above established population objectives. However, breeding conditions were

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HUNTING poor for some Arctic-nesting geese this summer (snow geese), likely limiting the number of young birds in the fall flight. Additionally, cackling and dusky Canada counts were down from last year. Fairly late ice break-ups coupled with coastal flooding during the peak hatch period in Alaska’s Yukon Kuskokwim Delta equated to a poor outlook for production of cackling and white-fronted geese. Coastal flooding in late June can cause increased mortality as nests and goslings are lost, says USFWS. Typically, younger birds, which decoy quite a bit easier, make up the bulk of the harvest. On the bright side – as long as you’re not a farmer or golf course manager – most local flocks are doing quite well.

LAST YEAR WAS a below-average year for pheasant hunting in Oregon, with an estimated 10,333 ringnecks harvested statewide, mostly east of

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the Cascades, and 51 percent below the five-year average. “This number likely reflects the impact of the winter of 2016-17 on Eastern Oregon birds, combined with the continued attrition in CRP acreage in the Columbia Basin. Given the mild weather in 2017-18, I hope to see a bump in pheasant harvest from this low number,” says Mikal Cline, ODFW’s new upland game bird biologist. As for the Westside, wild pheasants once thrived here in early-successional habitats, but those have largely disappeared with clean farming practices and the loss of large tracts of habitat to development. “Weedy fence lines and flood irrigation practices used to produce abundant pheasants, but those habitats are getting harder to find. The last stronghold of wild pheasants throughout the state may be seasonal wetland edges – think cockleburs – where the birds are well protected

from predators and have access to high-energy forage,” notes Cline.

QUAIL, GROUSE AND chukar seem to have fared pretty well and hunters should expect decent numbers of birds. Locations around Juntura, Vale and Ontario are prime for quail and chukar. Look for water sources where birds will congregate and feed nearby. For fall turkeys, biologists point to Grant, Jackson and Josephine Counties as the best bets. Birds are widely distributed across the first, while they should be “very abundant” in the latter two after a big hatch. Turkeys will form flocks beginning in late summer and maintain them through the winter, with toms oftentimes forming groups that are typically referred to as “gobbler gangs.” Flocks can range in size from a half dozen to a couple dozen-plus. The Eastern Oregon birds you found in the mountains in spring will now primarily be in the lower foothills

ntact Bob Krein: 1-800-538-RAFT and near ranchlands where winter snows are minimal, as these hearty birds that can otherwise survive on small seeds and juniper berries seek out easier sources of food. On the Westside, most turkeys will be found in or near oak-savannah wooded locations that provide shelter from the rain, wind and cold weather. On days when the sun peeks through, turkey will seek out openings or old agricultural productions to feed on seeds, fresh plant shoots and small insects. Oftentimes they will make the best use of cover and travel though it prior to venturing out into the open. NS

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Best bets for pheasant and quail will probably be Grant County because Yakima County flocks are still recovering from a harsh winter, state biologists report. Elsewhere expect similar numbers. Of note, in 2017 Douglas County yielded the most Huns in 10 years, while chukar harvest was up in Chelan County. –NWS

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COLUMN

General seasons for Northwest waterfowl take flight this month and good numbers of both local and northern birds should provide solid hunting opportunities deep into winter. (CHAD ZOLLER)

Prep Now For Productive Waterfowl Season A

ccording to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, this year’s “trends in duck breeding populations” show ON TARGET the numbers are By Dave Workman down, but don’t let that keep your shotgun and waders in the closet because “down” is a bit deceptive.

The total population estimate is a whopping 41.3 million breeding ducks in the traditional survey area, according to a Ducks Unlimited news release. While that number is 13 percent lower than last year’s 47.3 million estimate, it is an impressive 17 percent above the long-term average. What’s more, if one goes to Page 8 of the USFWS report, about halfway down on the left column you will read this: “The Oregon mallard estimate was

35% above the 2017 estimate and similar to the long-term average (1994–2017). In Washington, mallard numbers were similar to the 2017 estimate and 51% above the long-term average (2010–2017).” Then go to Page 23 in the right-hand column and you will find this tidbit: “The 2018 Oregon total duck estimate was similar to 2017 and the long-term average. The 2018 mallard estimate increased 35% and was similar

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to the long-term average. According to biologists in Washington, April was a wet month statewide, contributing to good pond conditions. The estimate for total ducks in Washington (281,100) was similar to the 2017 estimate (242,200) and 59% above the long-term average of 176,800. The mallard estimate in Washington was 124,900, which was unchanged from last year’s estimate of 103,400, and 51% above the long-term average (82,800).”

HOW’S THAT TRANSLATE to hunting opportunity this fall? I’d be heading to the store to stock up on nontoxic shotgun shells. Just saying. The duck-hunting framework for the Pacific Flyway again allows for a 107-day season and the overall seven-bird daily bag stayed the same as last year, except the sublimit on pintails increased from one to two birds. Goose regs are also largely unchanged from last season and in several cases, according to the USFWS, are

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“very liberal in an attempt to reduce their abundance (e.g., light geese, resident Canada geese).” When the Washington season opens up for ducks (except scaup) Oct. 13, there will be plenty of local birds to keep wingshooters busy until the northerns decide to come south. In Oregon, the duck and merganser opener in Zone 2 is Oct. 6 and in Zone 1 it is Oct. 13, according to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife’s website, myodfw.com. Now here’s a bit of harvest information over the past two seasons. In 201617, Washington hunters took 196,142 mallards, and last season, according to the FWS harvest survey, they toppled 181,372 greenheads. Down in Oregon, 119,827 mallards bit the dust two seasons ago and in 2017-18, that number jumped to 183,971. You can find all of this on Pages 23 and 24 of the USFWS’ “Migratory bird hunting activity and harvest during the 2016-17

and 2017-18 hunting seasons” report published in August. It’s available online. For the full-bore national breakdown, you can find the report, headlined “Waterfowl Population Status, 2018,” online. It’s 70-plus pages long, with lots of charts and historical data. For mallards on the national level, the breeding count was 9.3 million, the gadwall count was 2.9 million and American wigeon at 2.8 million. Here are the other numbers from the USFWS release: • Green-winged teal: 3 million • Blue-winged teal: 6.5 million • Northern shovelers: 4.2 million • Northern pintails: 2.4 million • Redheads: 1 million • Canvasbacks: 0.7 million • Scaup: 4 million

IF YOU HAVEN’T paid much attention to your shotgun since last season ended, you’re wasting time. Check the bore and if there is even the slightest trace of powder

COLUMN

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residue, break out the bore brush, wrap a patch around it, dip it into a bottle of Hoppe’s No. 9 or Outer’s solvent and start scrubbing. Run dry patches down until they come out clean, and then run a lightly oiled patch down the bore. In the August issue, we talked about cleaning your choke tubes if your gun is so equipped. Clean them up. Get into the action with a good aerosol solvent and make sure there’s no crud to gum up the works. I’ve got a Mossberg semiauto chambered for 3½-inch 12-gauge shells and an ample supply of steel shot in 3- and 3½-inch shells, but being a diehard upland bird gunner, I’ve done some stocking up with steel for Columbia Basin quail with my .410-bore side-by-side double, and will pick up some steel for my 20-gauge overunder while my pals go after greenheads or whatever else they find along the wasteways.

WHILE PREPARING NOTES for this month’s column, the guys at Federal Premium announced new shot size offerings in the improved Black Cloud ammunition line. There are new loads in No. 1 and No. 3, and here are the details: In 12-gauge 3½-inch magnum, waterfowlers will find 1½-ounce payloads

KICK-EEZ® The shotshell makers at Federal have been busy of late, coming out with new shot size offerings for upland wingshooters in its Hi-Bird line (see sidebar, next page), as well as new loads for waterfowlers in its Black Cloud family. (FEDERAL) patterns and the payload consists of 40 percent FliteStopper steel pellets and 60 percent Premium steel for denser patterns. The shells also feature Catalyst lead-free primers and clean-burning propellants to reduce residue, and black nickel heads to inhibit corrosion. The sealed crimps also keep out moisture.

in either No. 1 or 3 shot, both with a reported muzzle velocity of 1,500 feet per second. In 12-gauge, 3-inch you will find a No. 1 load with a 1¼-ounce shot charge that reportedly clocks at 1,450 fps leaving the muzzle, and a 3-incher with a 11/8-ounce payload of No. 1 shot that launches at 1,635 fps. For 20-gauge fans, there are two new loads with 1-ounce charges of either No. 1 or No. 3, both moving out at a reported 1,350 fps. According to Federal, these new loads feature the FliteControl Flex wad for tight

AS IT’S OCTOBER, I’ll mention that I’ve got this “thing” about packing a .22-caliber pistol along during deer and elk seasons, and I’m definitely not alone. My current choice is a Ruger MKIV semiauto, the newest incarnation of a reliable pistol family that dates back to 1949. I’ve spent quite a bit of time lately at the range with this heavy-barrel sidearm, and it is really accurate with Winchester 40-grain RNL bullets and it is very consistent with Federal hollowpoints, as well.

FEDERAL PREMIUM ADDS TO HI-BIRD LINE For upland bird fanatics (like me), Federal Premium has added new shot sizes to its family of Hi-Bird shotshells, all in 12-gauge. While I opened the hunting season Sept. 1 against grouse with my 20-gauge O/U Franchi, I just happen to have a couple of 12-gauge smoothbores too. One is a fine Beretta side-by-side double with chrome-lined barrels and fixed chokes, and the other is a Mossberg 500 workhorse pump gun that has accounted for its share of interrupted flights. It’s got choke tubes for the 20inch vent rib barrel, and during the fall it often rides along behind the seat of my

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truck wherever my travels take me. The new Hi-Bird entries are all 2¾-inchers, with a choice of No. 4, 5 or 8 shot, all with reported muzzle velocities of 1,330 feet per second. Each carries a 1¼-ounce payload, and it’s a safe bet I’m going to get my grubby little fingers on a box or two of this stuff, probably the No. 8s, if I decide to give Westside quail or lateseason ruffed grouse some headaches. No. 4 or 5 shot has always seemed a bit heavy for ruffed grouse, but I’d use No. 5 for those big high-country blues in a heartbeat because I’ve conked some rather big blue grouse over the years

in October and even November. I would also never hesitate to use No. 5s on pheasants. There are times when fat ringnecks take a little bit of muscle. Of course, Federal Premium already offers No. 6 and 7½ loads in the Hi-Bird family in 12-gauge. According to Federal, these loads have a two-piece wad with SoftCell technology that apparently reduces perceived recoil and produce better long-range patterns. And, as a reminder, these are lead loads, so don’t be hunting with them in any steel shot area. –DW

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You can bet author Dave Workman will be chasing deer and elk with his thundersticks this month, but he’ll also be packing a .22-caliber handgun. “Yes, I’ve shot grouse with a deer rifle, and I much prefer a rimfire,” he writes wryly. (DAVE WORKMAN) Before I head out for the deer opener this month, that pistol is going to get a thorough cleaning, because there is nothing more frustrating than running into grouse without something to shoot them with. Yes, I’ve shot grouse with a deer rifle, and I much prefer a rimfire. Do yourself a favor and run that .22 through a good cleaning. Don’t forget to check the magazine if it’s a semiauto, to make sure it is functioning properly. Good luck, be careful with fire, wear your hunter orange and be sure of your target and what is beyond! NS 104 Northwest Sportsman

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HUNTING

NORTHWEST SPORTSMAN PROFILE:

Bill Saunders Tri-Cities-based waterfowler, call maker on growing up, getting his butt handed to him in competition, love of walleye fishing. By M.D. Johnson

t’s no secret that the outdoor community, like most, has its legends. Bass fishing has Bill Dance and Penny Berryman. Shotgunning has Tom Roster. Turkey hunting has, well, a lot of notable folks; Harold Knight, David Hale, the late Ben Lee, and Ray Eye, to name but four. And all goose hunters worth their salt know the names Grounds, Zink, Mann, and Stahl. Legends all. Icons. Is there a common denominator with the above names? They’re Eastern folk, one and all. Not that there’s anything wrong at all with Eastern folks. Hell, I myself am Eastern folk, with roots in Ohio and Iowa. My point with all this is that while the above notables are indeed from east of the Missouri, the West – and the Pacific Northwest, to be even more specific – lays claim to more than her fair share of outdoor legends. Anglers across the region know the name Buzz Ramsey, and if they don’t, they should probably put down their fish

Bill Saunders, 46, hails from Colorado, Wisconsin and elsewhere but has made a name for himself in the Northwest waterfowl guiding, competitive calling and call-making scenes. (BILL SAUNDERS) nwsportsmanmag.com | OCTOBER 2018

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HUNTING

Given just one bird to hunt, Saunders says it would be snow geese for their challenge and all the gear used to bring the huge flocks into range, though he adds, “a great greenhead hunt is hard to beat.” (BILL SAUNDERS)

pole and quietly walk away. Blacktail hunters have their Cameron Hanes. Elk fanatics talk of Glenn Berry. You want to discuss goose decoys? The state of Oregon brings to the table the venerable Dave Smith, and his ridiculously realistic line of full-body goose fakes. And then there’s Bill Saunders. No, Saunders isn’t what you’d technically call a native son, but he and his goose calls have been out here – “here” being Washington state – long enough for his name to have become synonymous with the Northwest. And calls. And calling. And competitive calling. And guiding. And most recently, walleye fishing, but that’s something we’ll address a little bit further on down the line. This month, Northwest Sportsman was lucky enough to chase Saunders down before he had a chance to get his hand-painted crankbaits in the water, and talk a little about life, family, fishing, waterfowl calls, competition, and, of course, goose hunting.

Northwest Sportsman Bill, how old are

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you?

Bill Saunders I’m 46. I figured that out the other day. You know when you get to that age when you don’t remember how old you are anymore? And after 21, who cares? NWS Hometown and family? BS I was born in Pueblo, Colorado.

w w w . b est w est ern w ash in g t on . com / h ot els/ b est - w est ern - ram a- in n

Lived in Wisconsin. I actually lived all over. My dad trained race horses, and I grew up on the back side of a race track. We moved all over while Dad trained the horses. We settled in Wisconsin when it was time to go to school. About fifth grade, Dad wanted to kill an elk, so we packed up and headed west. Story goes that when he got to the turn-off for Colorado, it was either Colorado or Idaho. It was Idaho, so the folks moved us to Boise. My formative years – my hunting years – I spent in Boise.

5 0 9 - 7 5 4 - 7 1 1 1 / 8 0 0 - W E ST E R N / 5 0 9 - 7 5 4 - 7 1 7 1 FA X

NWS When did Washington enter the

1 8 1 8 B asin St . SW

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scene? BS I moved to Washington when I was 22. My wife – my girlfriend then – was pregnant, and I’d come up here to Washington to guide. And then every other week or so, I’d drive home (to Idaho) to see her and then come back up to guide. (Saunders’ wife, Lorri, started out helping him with the call business.) She worked with me until, like any other couple that spends enough time together, we tried to kill each other. (Lorri now works in the MedEsthetics industry, which Saunders explains, involves botox, cosmetic surgery, and other “procedures,” we’ll call them, not suitable for describing in a family periodical. Together, Bill and Lorri have two daughters: Kelsie, 22, and Amanda, 20.)

NWS Your hunting background, Bill. Were you always a waterfowl hunter?

BS Yeah, Dad hunted everything, but he was a duck hunter. The earliest hunts I can remember were either pheasant hunts or duck hunts. Not geese yet. I shot my first duck in Middleton, Idaho. A wigeon. I still have that shotgun shell. Dad made a necklace out of that old shotgun shell with a bootlace. Both my folks are here in the Tri-Cities, about 10 minutes away. Dad hunts and fishes with me as much as he can.

NWS Ducks or geese, Bill? BS Awwww, it doesn’t matter to me, as long as it’s good. If I had to pick one thing to do, it would be (hunt) snow geese. Yes, I am a glutton for punishment. It’s the challenge. To me, snow geese are a combination of hunting ducks and geese. You have those big mobs that swirl around like feeder flocks of ducks in a field. It’s the huge spreads, and you get to use all this cool stuff. The (electronic) callers are somewhat impersonal, but by that time of year, I’m kind of tired of blowing a call and welcome it. Here in Washington, we can’t use e-callers, so we still mouth call them. nwsportsmanmag.com | OCTOBER 2018

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HUNTING “Grounds kid” growing up, and used the Half Breed religiously, but it still didn’t have that yap I was looking for for lessers.

Still, and while everyone knows me as a goose hunter, a great greenhead hunt is hard to beat.

NWS First shotgun? BS The first shotgun I got was a Fox

NWS Your first call? The first one you

16-gauge. That’s what I killed my first duck with. And then Dad got me a Smith & Wesson autoloader. I talked Dad into trading that for 16 747 goose decoys I found in a pawn shop, so I could start goose hunting.

NWS Which came first, the call business or the competitive calling circuit? BS The call business. You have to remember (that) out West, there weren’t any competitions when I started in ’99. I started because there wasn’t anyone building calls designed for lessers and cacklers. And I started so I could “match the hatch” of the birds I was hunting out here. The only thing at the time that was close was Tim Grounds’ Half Breed. I was a

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made and brought to market?

BS The first would have been the original Guide Series. And no, it’s been replaced. Like anything, I figured out a better way to accomplish what we were trying to do with it. I used to try to keep all the different models in stock, but anymore, I look at it like a car manufacturer. They keep making them better and better, so why keep the old ones? But, and that being said, my best-selling call and the call I’m best known for is The Traffic. It’s one of the original calls we built. We’ll forgive the hat due to Saunders’ Upper Midwest roots, and while he traces his interest in walleye fishing back to the region, he recognizes that Tri-Cities is home to “the greatest walleye fishery in the world.” (BILL SAUNDERS)

NWS A little bit about your competitive calling history, if you will?

BS I think it was right around 2001 when they had the first (calling)

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competition out here in Washington. I entered that, and won. Then there were several other contests out West here. I think I won all of those. Then I went to eastern Maryland and got my (butt) handed to me. It was me, Dusty Brown and Dave Smith. We all went back to Maryland to call, and I think we came in last, second-to-last, and thirdto-last. We got our butts kicked, but it was very evident we had a different sound. We were higher pitched. We had a different cadence and a different flow than everybody else. That was our first experience in Maryland. When I was calling competitively, it was truly the heyday of duck and goose calling contests. It was huge.

NWS Where does Bill Saunders Calls and Gear go from here?

BS I’m just going to keep on keepin’

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on, and hopefully run another 20 years. This industry has changed so much. You’ve seen it. I mean, if someone were to say “Hey, you should start a call business” today, I wouldn’t do it. But as far as me, though, I’m just going to keep building calls that I know kill birds. It’s what I do, and it’s what I’ve done for a long time. I’d like to think I build calls that work, and if they didn’t work, I’d build something different that did work.

NWS So, you’re a walleye addict – so much so that you don’t guide in Saskatchewan anymore because, as you told me, it “interferes with your walleye fishing. Why walleye? BS I’m originally from Wisconsin and grew up in Fond du Lac. Fond du Lac (means) “Foot of the Lake, and that’s Lake Winnebago. Dad fished for walleyes. And all my uncles fished for walleyes. It’s in the blood, I guess. It’s what Dad did; he walleye fished every day twice a day. For me, why not? I live on the greatest walleye fishery in the world. The next world record (walleye) will come out of the Columbia River. And there are so many different ways to fish for them here. It’s in my backyard. I love it. NS

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COLUMN

Pup’s First Upland Hunt O

ctober is here, and with it, the opening of many upland bird seasons. If this is your pup’s first fall hunting season, there are some GUN DOGGIN’ 101 things you’ll want to be By Scott Haugen aware of. With our excessively hot, long summer comes increased weed growth and, thus, seed production. If your dog has a long coat, you may want to consider shaving it, or at least cutting it back. One quick pass through tall grass can cover a dog in grass seed, bringing the hunt to a fast halt. If you don’t want to cut your dog’s hair, be sure to have a brush and scissors in your dog bag. Oftentimes ears and facial hair become matted to the point the dog can’t see, and you need to be able to fix it fast, on the spot. One of the most detrimental seeds is foxtail. This seed has tiny barbs that move through a dog’s coat, like a salmon swimming upstream. Once a foxtail seed makes it to the skin, it can burrow in, causing infection and great pain. Be sure to immediately pull these seeds from your dog’s fur, and constantly check the ears, around the eyes, and between the toes for them, as you don’t want them to burrow into soft tissues. Speaking of toes, it’s a good idea to trim the hair from between the toes and pads of your dog’s feet. This hair is a trap for seeds of all kinds. When the seed balls up the hair under the foot, it can become uncomfortable for your dog, and even cause rubbing on the pads, which can result in an open wound, and potential infection.

OCTOBER’S STILL HOT, so make sure your dog has access to water in the field, not just back at the rig. If hiking in the chukar hills, you likely can’t carry enough water for you and your dog. This means you’ll need to be physically capable of several

With hunting season here, being prepared to deal with early fall’s still hot, harsh conditions is key to a healthy dog that can hunt long and hard for you. (SCOTT HAUGEN)

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COLUMN drops in elevation during the day to get your dog a drink in a river or stream. Know your water sources before heading afield. Be sure and wet the dog’s belly when you have a chance, as this cools them down. Wetting the underside of the ears also offers great relief, but make sure the water doesn’t get inside the ear canal. Also avoid pouring it onto the back of a long-haired dog, as this can actually trap body heat. If hunting in areas where rattlesnakes or porcupines are present, go in prepared. If your dog has not hunted in snake country, make sure it doesn’t range too far, and make certain it immediately responds to commands and signals, should you need to call it away from danger. If traveling to hunt, call a veterinarian or animal hospital in the town nearest where you’ll be based. Many vets in rural areas are open on weekends during bird season, or will supply an emergency number to call. On a recent October opener, my partner’s dog got tangled up with a porcupine. There were too many quills for us to pull, and they were buried deep into the mouth. Luckily, we’d called ahead, knew the vet was available, so took the dog there. Sure, we lost an afternoon of hunting, but it was less traumatic for the dog, and she was back to hunting the following afternoon. If hunting in rocky, dry habitat, having boots for your dog is a good idea. You can also make your own from duct tape and

If you don’t shave your dog’s long hair, be sure to carry a brush and small scissors afield to deal with times like this. (SCOTT HAUGEN)

a self-adhering bandage, which I prefer as it’s a custom fit and the dog adapts to it quickly. Before the hunt, be sure and practice running your dog with boots on so it gets used to it. Also, ask your vet

about what medicines to take along as a first-aid kit for your dog. Be sure to get a vial of Kwik-Stop styptic powder, should your dog lose a toenail and you need to stop the incessant bleeding.

WITH FALL HUNTS underway, pay attention

A porcupine encounter is stressful, and something that must be anticipated and prepared for. Here, the ends of the quills are being snipped, to relieve pressure before being pulled out. (SCOTT HAUGEN)

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to your pup. Learn from its body language and facial expressions, paying particular attention to the ears and tail. This is how the dog communicates how it’s feeling and what it’s sensing; things you need to be aware of when hunting anywhere, but especially in hot, dry habitats. Have plenty of water and don’t overwork your pup. Remember, gun dogs are born to hunt, and oftentimes pay no attention to their “off button.” NS Editor’s note: To watch Scott Haugen’s series of short puppy training videos, visit scotthaugen.com.

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COLUMN

Bank Coho: Jigs or Spinners? W

hat’s with this year’s coho run? It’s actually a good one! Puget Sound has been on fire. Sekiu once WIESTSIDER again produced crazy numbers of fish. By Terry Wiest Westport was lights out. This is great news and it only should get better for those of us who target these insane fighting fish in the rivers and streams of Western Washington. Coho can be extremely aggressive, especially when first entering freshwater. But once they’ve been out of the salt for awhile and acclimated to the sometimes warmer rivers, their determination to annihilate your presentation goes to the wayside. In order to entice them into striking, one must have a few different techniques ready to roll to see what will do the trick. Fishing from the bank, I generally carry two rods, giving me two different approaches – three if nothing’s working and I decide to string up a bobber and bait. If I had to choose one technique to use for coho, hands down, it would be twitchin’ jigs. Unfortunately, effective twitching requires a certain type of water, like frogwater, for the jigs to really drive these fish nuts. Ultimately it will be the type of water you’re fishing that should determine what technique you start with, and then go from there. The idea is to be open and utilize those that the river is giving you. But if twitching isn’t doing it, then I’ll more than likely switch to spinners. And if both those fail, well, I’ll rerig one of the rods and use a float and eggs if bait is legal. When fishing the banks I like to constantly be moving and have action, so the first two techniques are more appealing

By the numbers, October is the most productive month for coho fishing in Western Washington, and bright fish can be caught from the bank by twitching, casting spinners and eggs under a float, author Terry Wiest attests. (STEVETURNER.COM) to me. Float fishing is more boring – except when the float disappears.

JIGS As I implied above, the perfect water for twitchin’ jigs is slow moving or froggy. Throw in some trees and stumps and you have ideal coho water. When I come around a bend in the river and see a nice slow-moving pool, my heart starts racing. The jig: The jig itself is quite simple. Ba-

sically it’s a large steelhead jig with a little longer material, or a tail. It’s this extra material or tail that creates the magic that drives coho nuts. If you can’t find a jig like this, attach a paddle-tailed pink worm on the end; this can be extremely effective. One-quarter to 5/8-ounce models will do, with 3/8-ouncers probably the most popular size. Colors? Bright ones have always done well, notably cerise. But my favorites have to be black and purple. Make sure you

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COLUMN have a high-quality hook that is sticky-sharp. Owner or Gamakatsu are great choices. Aero Jigs makes some incredible pretied coho jigs that are perfect for the Northwest. If you see any in spooky nightmare (a nightmare with white legs), snag ’em! This has been my go-to pattern for twitchin’ the last four years now. The rod: Getting set up for this technique is very simple. First, a fast-action rod is very important, and ideally it’s very sensitive. The idea is to move the jig in approximately 1-foot increments on the retrieve (the twitch) and to reel up the slack on the fall. A slower-action rod will continue to pull the jig after the twitch action is done, thereby not allowing it to quickly drop as you reel in the slack. My go-to is the G.Loomis TWCHR 9000S for most situations, but I will occasionally use the company’s TWCHR 931S in heavier water. Both rods have a sensitive tip, plenty of backbone to set the hook, but are very light, which is nice when you’re planning on several hundred casts a day. Reel: I like a spinning reel for the ease of casting and also controlling the slack while twitching. I fish 2500- or 3000-series reels from Shimano, as they have the size, smoothness and the drag you will need to have a great fishing experience with these fish. Nothing like a smooth

drag – like butter. The line: When it comes to twitching you gotta use PowerPro or a similar braid, in my opinion. Caution should always be used when using braid, as when a coho rips your jig it’s very possible to snap your rod on the hookset, especially if that coho turns out to be a log. I use 20-pound PowerPro – not for the strength but because it’s the diameter of 6-pound mono. Anything smaller and I can’t manage very well when trying to tie a knot. I tie a palomar directly to the jig – no leader whatsoever. The technique: First of all, you have to remember this is twitchin’, not snagging whatsoever. In fact, a snagging motion, or anything more than a twitch, is far less effective than the controlled motion of the twitch. Cast your jig and let it settle down towards the bottom. Engage the reel then set your first twitch. It’s all in the wrist! I’ve found the best position is to hold your rod across your body and pointed at approximately 11 o’clock (your jig is at 12 o’clock). Then, using your wrist only, twitch the rod towards your body so the tip only moves approximately 1 to 1½ feet. When first getting started, you will notice there isn’t much movement at the point of the wrist, but this is the most effective motion.

The top 10 Westside coho rivers, per 2016 state catch stats, were the Cowlitz, Klickitat, Skagit, North Fork Lewis, Naselle, Humptulips, Duwamish-Green, Tilton, Willapa and Chehalis, but many more also yielded hundreds of silvers that fall, meaning the species is widely available for anglers across the 206, 253, 360 and 425 area codes. (TERRY WIEST)

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The longer the rod, the less wrist action is required but is also more difficult. After the initial movement, return the rod to the 11 o’clock position while reeling in the slack. This is also very slight, most often just a half to three-quarters of a crank of the handle. Experiment with different cadences until you find what the fish are looking for. Some days it will be a little more of a twitch; others I’ll give the jig two or three twitches and then let it fall to the bottom. Find what the coho want that day and you’ll be busy hooking fish. With a sensitive rod you can actually feel missed hits, but continue to twitch and they will just annihilate it. But if for some reason the fish just aren’t into your twitching, it’s time to try a different technique.

SPINNERS Spinners would be my second choice for slow moving or frogwater. But if the water is moving a little swifter, I’ll start with them, then move to a jig. Faster and I’ll just stick to the spinners. Just don’t try water that’s moving too fast, as coho really do like the slow stuff. The spinners: A No. 4 or 5 Vibrax or similar spinner is usually money. Presented very slowly – just fast enough to get the

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blade moving – these lures can cause some vicious strikes. I like bright spinners, with chartreuse, cerise and neon orange producing great results. On sunny days in low-water conditions I’ll use a black-bladed lure. If you don’t own or can’t find one, a Sharpie will do wonders! Blue, green and red pens are in my fishing pack. Wicked Lures also falls into the spinner category, though there is no spinner body or weight associated with the product. These are fished like drift fishing, with the weight about 4 feet above the lure. This “weightlessness” yields more action in the current, according to its inventor. I have to agree, as they have been super effective on coho for me. The rod: In most cases I love the IMX 1043-2C for throwing spinners. It’s only rated 6-12 pounds, so this may scare some anglers away, as the 10-20-pound sticks get more fishermen for some reason. A coho is not going to break a 1043, plus the greater sensitivity allows you to feel every spin of the blade, so when it stops, nail it! For a less costly option, the G.Loomis 1084-2S is a great spinning rod that is light and has the right action for spinners. A super-sensitive 9-foot rod with fast action is what you’re looking for. The reel: I use the same spinning reels as I do for twitching – and float fishing, for that matter. As for a baitcaster, the new Shimano Tranx is the bomb. These are incredible reels with silky-smooth drags that will last for many years if taken care of. The line: Again, I’m a PowerPro guy. This way I can switch my reels to whatever rod I want. That said, if you pull the spinner from a fish’s mouth, you may want to either switch to mono, or at least add a 5- or 6-foot section of mono bumper between the braid and the spinner. The technique: If fishing frogwater, cast away, let the spinner fall beneath to near bottom, then twitch the rod once to get the blade moving. Retrieve in a steady, slow manner until the spinner is back at the bank. If the spinner nears the surface, either slow down your retrieve while keeping the blade moving, or go up a lure size. Coho are going to be near bottom, which is where you want your spinner to be.

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If the water is moving, make sure and cast slightly upstream. As above, twitch the rod to get things moving and then reel in as slow as possible while maintaining the spin. You’ll have to reel slightly faster when the spinner is above you, then slower or even just let it drift as the spinner moves downstream of you in the current. Just make sure the spinner is near bottom when it reaches the hole.

PLAN F&E There may be instances when neither technique works. Coho are notorious for catching lockjaw. If bait is legal, this may be the time to run some eggs below a float. This can be killer and may be the only thing that triggers the fish that day. The set-up: A float and eggs is most effective in slow-moving, deeper, darker slots of around 6 to 12 feet deep. Again, most fish are going to be near bottom, so use a bobber stop and an adjustable float. I use a “dink” in this case, placing the stop on the mainline, then threading it through the float. Tie that off to a swivel, then a 2to 3-foot leader of 15-pound mono with a 2/0 hook. I take a piece of pencil lead and secure it to the swivel, as well. If using a 1-ounce float, use 1 ounce of lead. If the lead pulls the float under, simply snip off a little until only about ½ inch (the top color) of the float is above the water. The technique: Secure a nice golf ballsized glob of eggs on the hook, then lob your presentation above the hole. This is important because you want the eggs to sink down towards bottom by the time they enter the hole itself. You want to maximize your in-the-zone time. When the float disappears, set the hook! If the float “pops up,” set the hook. If the float looks strange, set the hook! You get it! So hit the fisherman’s trail down to the river this fall. You don’t need a boat to be successful at coho. Pack two rods, if you can, and switch up techniques if one isn’t producing. See you on the banks. NS Editor’s note: Terry J. Wiest is the author of Steelhead University: Your Guide to Salmon & Steelhead Success and Float-Fishing for Salmon & Steelhead, and is the owner of Steelhead University, SteelheadU.com.

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COLUMN From Oregon Coast tidewater to Grays Harbor to deep South Sound rivers, bait under a bobber is one of the best ways to catch fall Chinook, and it also works for coho. (JASON BROOKS)

Rock & Roll Bobber Fishing C

oncerned that we were offending those anchored near us, I asked my fishing BUZZ partner to turn the RAMSEY radio down. In a serious tone he theorized how the music, particularly rock-and-roll, attracted fish. “We have two fat salmon in the boat already, don’t we?” he replied I rolled my eyes and told him that even if the music did attract fall Chinook, it did matter if it offended others fishing nearby. He finally agreed to turn the music down, but only a little. The salmon bite stalled as the sun rose and burned away the mist that had surrounded us all morning. The skies turned a beautiful bright blue, which brought out the fall colors surrounding our tidewater location just upstream from Tillamook Bay. Although we were anchored in only 6

feet of water, the fish alarm on our Humminbird fish finder began beeping – signaling that fish were moving under our boat. “See, the music is attracting them,” my partner reminded me with a grin. I reeled in from where I’d been casting, a deep-water slot on the far bank, adjusted my bobber stop so that my bait would be a foot above bottom, and dropped my outfit straight down. My bobber only drifted a few feet before quivering a couple of times, as though a mud cat was trying to steal my bait. Taking no chances, my friend grabbed the net, and I set the hook. The fall Chinook felt big as I set and pulled it to the surface in a single motion. Disoriented, the fish surged away only a few feet before I pulled it back and into the waiting net. The quickly landed king thrashed in the net thinking it might yet get away but had no chance. Was it the rock-and-roll music, quickness of the capture, or feeling of the net’s clutch that had it thrashing so mightily?

THE SECRET TO bobber fishing for salmon is to rig your bobber so it slides freely on your line while using a bobber stop to position your bait at any depth. What happens is that after each cast your main line slides through the bobber (as your weight pulls your weight, bait and main line downward) until your float comes up against the stop gripping your main line. The most popular bobber stop is fashioned from a short length of braided Dacron line, which is attached on your main line above your bobber. Here is how to rig a bobber stop: 1) Start with an 18-inch length of 20-pound-test braided Dacron. Super line works but is a lot slicker than Dacron so doesn’t grip your main line as well. 2) Make a closed loop with the opposite ends of your Dacron parallel to your main line. 3) Wrap one of the Dacron ends inside the loop (and around your main line) five times and pull the loop closed.

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COLUMN 4) Trim the excess line from your bobber stop, but leave a few inches on each side of the knot will allow you to tighten your stopper knot should it loosen. 5) Make sure your stopper is snug enough to hold your bobber in position, but loose enough to adjust up and down your main line. This will allow you to quickly change the depth of your bait when switching locations. 6) Add at least one plastic bead to your main line, between your bobber and bobber stop, to prevent your stopper from sliding through the hole in your bobber. This type of bobber stop is small enough to be reeled through your rod guides. That makes casting your outfit a lot easier than if your bobber were rigged fixed on your main line – with a sliding bobber you can reel your float, sinker, and bait close to your rod tip for casting. Bobbers come in different shapes and sizes. Pencil-shaped bobbers will tip with the slightest drag and signal a lot more

Eggs and sand shrimp under a bobber are a great combination for fall Chinook, but don’t overlook eggs and sardine or tuna belly strips. (JASON BROOKS) about what’s happening with your bait than a round one. Although bobbers capable of floating an ounce are the most popular, I like those that can float 3 ounces of weight because in current they will keep my bait from sweeping upward and away Author Buzz Ramsey likes to use a very large bobber when float fishing “because in current they will keep my bait from sweeping upward and away from the often bottom-hugging salmon.” (BUZZ RAMSEY)

from the often bottom-hugging salmon.

YOUR LEADER, FROM swivel to hook, should be 18 to 24 inches in length. Single hooks in sizes 3/0, 4/0 or 5/0 (like those made by Owner) are the most popular when snelled with an egg loop to hold your bait. Superlines like Trilene Braid, Spiderwire and TUF Line are popular among the bobber-fishing crowd since they float on the waters’ surface better than monofilament, especially if treated with a fly-line dressing. The preferred bait is a large salmon egg cluster combined with a sand shrimp. But other types work, especially when two are used in combination. Some combos that have worked for me include an egg cluster and sand shrimp, fillet of sardine or tuna belly. Chinook will often hold near bottom but can suspend at any depth. If you’re fishing deep water and unsure how far to suspend your bait below your bobber, start off by setting your bobber stopper 8 feet from your bait. That’s a good place to start when searching for Chinook in the estuary zones along the Oregon and Washington coastlines, where fall Chinook can be found this month. If you try, this don’t forget to bring the tunes. Some rock-and-roll just might be the edge you need to find success. NS Editor’s note: The author is a brand manager and part of the management team at Yakima Bait. Like Buzz on Facebook.

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FISHING

The Birthday Present Sara and son enjoy fall Chinook success on a tiny Southern Oregon stream. By Sara Ichtertz

A Southern Oregon fall Chinook puts a big bend in the float rod of Nathaniel Ichtertz. This trip with his mom, author Sara Ichtertz, and guide Cooper Hedgecock was the first chance he had to really fish for salmon. (SARA ICHTERTZ)

t seems as though there are milestone birthdays in life that just hit like “Wow! I am really here right now.” Ten. Thirteen. Sixteen. Eighteen. Twentyone. And then, this one – 35! (I know there are many milestones to come and while it may be funny to some of you, hey, it’s a big one for me.) Somehow 35 felt more like a milestone to me than 30 did. I feel like that in the span of those five years Sara has done a whole lot of learning and a whole lot of growing, the type of growth that made me feel older, wiser, stronger and semiseasoned. When I see myself in the mirror at 35 I trust that I have earned these little wrinkles that just keep showing up since I started chasing fish. The rivers have helped me discover who I actually am, and with each new adventure they push

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FISHING

The tiny river has been a tough one to crack for the author, but when she was able to land her first Chinook from it, she felt that having her son on the net meant more to her than the fish. (SARA ICHTERTZ)

me just a little further and further away from the 25-year-old Sara who honestly was so trapped within her own anxiety she hardly existed at all. She surely didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t live even though

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she was living. I feel thankful I decided to see what I was capable of both in motherhood and in learning to hunt the rivers for salmon and steelhead. Diving into

the rivers alongside being a mom has made for the most beautiful of chapters in my life. The fact that my 35th birthday was spent with my boy, on a river I love (yet has handed my ass to me repeatedly), doing what I love, made my heart smile. I welcomed this lap around the sun feeling ready for whatever might come my way. Timing and life have a funny way of trying to pry us away from the things we pursue simply for joy, for our own happiness. At times itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not easy to keep the sparkle of adventure alive and well. Truly believing that success is not the key to happiness but rather happiness is the key to success, I never give up. We should make that time for ourselves. Just as a spring running so full it spills over is able to give most plentifully, so too is it with our souls.

OCTOBER IS SUCH a beautiful time of the year in Southern Oregon. The colors.

Snohomish Silver Salmon! The Snohomish River between Monroe and Snohomish will be a piscatorial playground this month as anglers try their hand at the silver (coho) salmon run! These fish enter the system in mid- to late September, while the main run shows up in October. Every high tide now means a shot in the arm to the number of silvers arriving into the Snohomish. Wooldridge Boat’s own Danny Cook has been targeting these fish for years and considers it one of the best salmon fishing opportunities in the region. “The first concentrations of fish will always slow down and stage just downstream of Thomas’ Eddy access. October

Big hook-nosed coho on the Snohomish!

is peak time and by then, they usually spread out to various spots around the 522 bridge stretch. My suggestion is to look for deep pools and lumber piles. You also want to keep moving with a keen eye on the river to watch for rolling fish. Once located, drop anchor and start casting. If nothing is biting, many times this means the fish have been in the river awhile and are stubborn. Keep moving and look for fresh fish breaking the surface.” Cook suggests casting 50/50 “Wee” size Dick Nites on a 4- to 5-foot leader of 10-pound test and a 1/4-ounce dropper. Once you feel bottom, just reel super slow. Casting Brad’s Wigglers is another great technique. Fish them around the woodpiles with a single siwash hook and reel them in slow. Fire tiger is the most popular color, but shades of metallic work well too. If the weather turns cold, eggs are tough to beat as well. Danny will be fishing out of his Wooldridge 17’ Alaskan XL in search of coho this month, so if you see him say hello! Current WDFW limits allow up to two adult coho of hatchery or wild origin, but it is always wise to check their website for current updates. Have fun and be safe out there!

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The fog. The temperatures. The mountains open from restrictions. Deer season. I could write a book on the reasons I love this month, and in it I would detail the river where Nathaniel and I shared our first salmon adventure. The tiniest of jewels that is this river snatches a piece of my heart each time I step foot on it. Year after year I battled monsters both at its mouth and upriver, though I always walked away without a fish. The rejection I felt from this stunningly beautiful river was hard to bear. She played hard to get like no other, and yet I never considered not coming back. With an invite from our friends Cooper Hedgecock (of Indigenous Adventures; you can find him on Facebook) and Nichole Shipman, my boy was willing and ready to do something Mom had never gotten to do before: hunt for fall fish on that stunning little river from a boat. Even with the lowest of waters, Cooper had been into the fish and encouraged us to join them for my 35th birthday. And so we did. Having drifted this river once the prior winter for steelhead I was in disbelief when I saw the boat launch. While it drops into a tropical aquablue shade unlike any other Southern Oregon river I know, it was past that, so low and gin-clear that I honestly was in awe of what I was seeing. Making our way downriver I was so excited to be sharing such a sight with Nate. It was like we were above our very own massive river aquarium, able to see absolutely everything. Even though it was stunningly beautiful it made me quite nervous as to how our approach would go. Cooper was confident in his fishing, though, and I love seeing me a little confidence on the river! The technique was simple, as we were float fishing with bait. The approach mattered just as much as the egg cure this day. We had to be stealthy in order to make those fish bite without getting spooked. Having

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FISHING “Watching him grasp onto his first-ever king salmon, so proudly holding it for his mom to get his picture before he released the fish so carefully back into the river is the type of moment that confirm my beliefs about what success is,” Sara writes about her son, here with his “golden Chinook.” (SARA ICHTERTZ)

never fished for salmon in water like this, when my little float gave a flicker Cooper informed me, “You missed it, Sara. That was a fish!” In total disbelief I reeled in, shocked that my beautiful bait was gone! Cooper explained that the fish bite so faintly and quickly when the water is low that when you see movement, set the hook or you will have missed your shot. Taking his advice seriously my line was back in the water, and there it was. With my G.Loomis 11432S I gave a quick and direct hookset. The fast-action tip of this E6X was just right, leading to that beautiful headshake. It was a birthday fish and the mother in me quickly handed it off to my boy. It was an amazing feeling, a one-of-a-kind birthday gift, one that we shall never forget. I knew Nate had that fight in him. He’d caught many steelhead, but I hadn’t been able to put him in a salmon fishing situation he could partake in simply because of safety. 138 Northwest Sportsman

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So this was a dream come true for him, and at the exact same time for his mother as well. He fought the salmon sitting down, which cracked me up. I could never do that. But he did it with a huge smile on his face! When the fish first surfaced, we all said, “That’s a coho?” Sure enough it was! Though the river doesn’t have a run of coho, we loved having nature give us such a surprise, and oh how I loved seeing Brother land his first salmon!

WE COULD LITERALLY see the fish we were targeting. With our floats in the water Nichole and I watched a Chinook come up and hammer her sinker! It was unreal, but there it was again, only this time it bit the bait and Nichole had herself a fish on. What an incredible sight, one I had never seen before and the fact Nate was right there to see it too warmed my heart. Despite that clearest of clear water we were catching fish and our adventure

was off to a spectacular start. The river was so low that we got out of the little drift boat quite a few times. Walking the boat down this beautiful tiny river with the colors of late October all around us, I was so happy I had said yes to this amazing invitation. The connection my boy felt with Cooper was incredible. One year later Nathaniel still talks of his time on the water with his friend the guide. Nate talks all about how Cooper has been working in Alaska since he was 12. He tells his dad he can be like Cooper and head to Alaska to work cleaning fish, that he can work his way up too, preparing him to be a guide after he’s out of school. Cooper did indeed head to Alaska when he was 12. He followed a chance given to him by family friend Denny Hannah to be a deckhand and grunt working for Baranof Wilderness Lodge. To this day he spends his summers guiding there. Cooper and Nichole live for the pursuit of chasing fish, and very much

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Northwest Sportsman 139

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have a love for the tug, one so strong and true I could see it in all their actions the entire day. He really did impact Nate right then and there. He open-heartedly fly fished with Nate, which is something the boy so desires. His mom, she’s stuck in her ways, even though she would love to fly fish. Cooper had Nate laughing and casting that fly rod across the river literally within minutes. Not only did he share his methods he shared stories and inspired my boy throughout the day, and it’s still with him today. I honestly haven’t fished with a lot of guides, but seeing how amazing Cooper was with Nate I would highly recommend those wanting to fish the Southern Oregon coast (with their kids) to book a trip with him. He had a gift worth sharing with Nate, that is a fact. Not everyone can take children fishing on the rivers, but those who can amaze me.

THROUGHOUT THE DAY we continued to fish pockets of crystal-clear water, finding fish in far more than I expected. Getting out of the boat and doing some bank fishing led us to a glorious span of time where we all hooked fish. The moment I had dreamed of for four runs and the moment Nate had dreamed us most of his little life was unfolding before us. I had hiked many a mile fishing this river without ever grasping onto a fish. Whether I was cracked him over the head or let him swim didn’t matter; I just wanted to land a fish on the river that had been haunting my autumns like no other. Nate, on the other hand, had seen salmon caught by his mom, and his dad back home, seen our photos and fillets. He hadn’t ever got to target the salmon himself, making his want for that first Chinook serious. When his time came I was astonished by his ability. My boy was in the river fighting his first Chinook with all the grace a fisherman could ever hope to have. The bend in his rod, the way he kept it so tight, lifting up and winding down like the champion that he is; my

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Northwest Sportsman 141

heart was a spring overflowing with joy! Watching him grasp onto his firstever king salmon, so proudly holding it for his mom to get his picture before he released the fish so carefully back into the river is the type of moment that confirm my beliefs about what success is. We hooked a lot of fish that day, far more than I was expecting, that is for certain. We should not fear the trickle but rather embrace it. Every time I have, whether it be salmon or steelhead, I have not been disappointed. I fought and landed one fish that day. That was all I even desired. Seeing my boy get his fill was all the magic I could have hoped for. This day I had been long awaiting was my 35th birthday for a reason. I must trust in my journey knowing that things do not happen even when we want them to, sometimes simply because the plan already set in place is out of my control for a reason. Having my boy wading kneedeep waiting to net up his momma honestly meant a whole lot more to me than the fish did. It’s kind of ironic, since I had been hunting for that fish for literally years. Nate scooped him up like he had netted a few hundred salmon, and my birthday wish came true right before me. Together in an environment so fitting of the nature lover that I am, my boy, my friends and I all got into fish. Happy birthday to me. The joy I find in simply being with those who matter most is precious. Chasing fish that give you no guarantee has helped me to see what truly matters. I might not know all of the answers in life, but I trust that if I find time to keep my spring of life running strong, the joy within will overflow into others, giving me great purpose in knowing. My heart is on the river and I couldn’t change it, even if I tried. NS Editor’s note: For more on Sara’s adventures, see For The Love Of The Tug on Facebook. 142 Northwest Sportsman

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nwsportsmanmag.com | OCTOBER 2018

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COLUMN

Coldwater ’Bows Bite More Than Just Flies

Formed when the eruption of Mt. St. Helens dammed a Toutle River tributary, Coldwater Lake offers a self-sustaining population of rainbow and cutthroat trout. Author Scott Brenneman’s daughter Grace shows off one caught while fishing out of her dad’s kayak on a cool, foggy late summer weekend. (SCOTT BRENNEMAN)

t. St. Helens is the area of interest for our family weekend getaway. I get off work THE KAYAK GUYS later than expected. By Scott Brenneman Trying not to delay our start, I rush to pack the truck. I cinch down a tandem kayak on the rack and load an inflatable along with all the gear I think we will need into the bed. We set off, heading south on I-5. This is an intentionally unplanned adventure, so we have no place to stay and do not know where we will fish yet. We stop in Kelso to find a room for the night. We pull up to a hotel and my wife Kristen gets out to check on the price. She

is an expert at scoring hotel bargains and gets a “sticking it to the man” rate on the first attempt. In the room, I narrow my selection to three lakes I haven’t fished before: Merrill, Coldwater and Castle. Castle Lake, which was created by the eruption of St. Helens, can be a challenge to get to via a series of logging roads and a steep trail that descends to the lake. Disagreeable weather this weekend and having the entire family along eliminate it as a viable option. And since I only packed spinning gear, Merrill, which is fly fishing only, is also crossed of the list. I sleep surprisingly well considering that Kristen and I share a double bed with our 6-year-old, Jack, who doesn’t sit still when he is awake or when he sleeps. A

gray morning light peeks through the partially closed drapes signaling it is time to get up. After breakfast, we swim in the hotel’s pool, then checkout and make our way towards Coldwater Lake.

THE 1980 ERUPTION of Mount St. Helens transformed the canyon that Coldwater Creek flowed through into a beautiful 766-acre lake that is 4.5 miles long, 205 feet deep, and holds a self-sustaining population of rainbow and cutthroat trout. Misty rain and fog limit our views as we travel east on Highway 504. There is no chance of seeing St. Helens today. Nevertheless, we continue on to the Johnston Ridge Observatory. I query a ranger about fishing Castle and Coldwater. nwsportsmanmag.com | OCTOBER 2018

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COLUMN

Coldwater has an excellent paved launch and floating dock but no combustion engines are allowed. Along with selective-gear rules, the daily limit is one, 18 inches or better, and the lake is open year-round. (SCOTT BRENNEMAN) We take in the exhibit for a while, then head back down to Coldwater’s ramp. The cool damp and foggy weather was unexpected. We were not prepared with warm enough clothing for everyone. I

offload and pile all my gear and get ready to fish. Kristen and the kids will go check out the Forest and Science and Learning Centers. We plan to meet back at the ramp in a couple hours. If the fishing is

The lake’s a fave of fly fishermen, but hardware anglers can get in on the fun too. Brenneman and his brood found good fishing while trolling Mepps and Dick Nites, but he rued not bringing a fly rod, what with all the evening surface activity by trout like this. (SCOTT BRENNEMAN)

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good, I will take my kids if they want to go. The weather, while uncomfortable to us, is ideal for fishing.

PEDALING OUT, I pass the point that defines the inlet to the boat launch, and as I round the corner I notice a fish leaping out of the water ahead. I tie on a size 1 Mepps brass Aglia spinner with red dots on the French blade to my spinning rod. Selective-gear rules apply, so I convert the treble to a single-hook set-up by breaking off two of the three hooks and then crimping the barb on the remaining one. The depth finder goes from 30 to 13 feet, revealing a nice shallow shelf that results in a vicious strike that does not stick. I continue past and the water deepens to 22 feet and I experience another drive-by. The water depth rapidly shallows to 2 feet, so I turn around and head in the direction of Hummock Island. After one more lost opportunity I reel in to inspect my spinner. I cut off the red tubing around the hook shank and offset the hook a bit. I cast behind me and start to troll. The next take sticks and I land a nice rainbow. The trout aren’t big but they

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sure are slamming my lure. Surprised and thrilled by how hard these fish attack my little Mepps spinner, I do not use a rod holder the rest of the day. Circling Hummock I land three more rainbows. Then, looking to catch something bigger, I attempt to make it to the north end of the lake. Coldwaterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s north side is similar in depth and vegetation to the southern end, but receives less pressure. I decide to turn around at the halfway point so that I can take my kids out and get them into some fish before it gets dark. As the water starts to shallow on the way back to the ramp, I start catching fish again. I land the first at 42 feet and continue to hook and land and lose some as I near the dock.

BACK ON SHORE I check to see if my kids want to go. The weather is much less than ideal, but they are eager. Grace, my oldest, goes first. She hooks into and lands the smallest fish, then quickly hooks and loses another. Then the bite dies off. We pedal around for another half hour with no action. Ben is up next and he lands a nice 10to 12-inch rainbow. Since it is starting to get dark, we return to give Jack a chance. Paddling out with Jack we notice more and more fish surfacing. Jack hooks into but loses the nicest one of the day. Dusk increases surface activity and I now regret not bringing a fly rod. With the abundance of these aggressive biters so close to the launch, I can see why this is such a popular place for flyrodders. It is the ideal place for a beginner to learn how to fly fish. My regret doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t last long as the rainbows finally start to attack the 50/50 chrome-brass Dick Nite spoon that I had flat-lined earlier without success. I hand it off to Jack but we lose another. The next hit breaks the leader at the knot. With night approaching fast we call it and return to the launch. I hurry to load up while everybody huddles together in the truck as the heater blasts warm air over them. I hop in and we pull out of the empty parking to make our way home through the pitch black of night. NS 148 Northwest Sportsman

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OCTOBER 2018 | nwsportsmanmag.com

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FISHING Fishermen work jigs off a Bremerton-area pier last winter for squid. Numerous Puget Sound piers offer good access to this fishery that peaks from midNovember to midwinter. (JIM AHO)

Heaven Forbid You Miss Out On Squid Plentiful and jiggable from numerous Puget Sound piers, market squid offer great fall-winter opportunity to harvest tasty treats. By Mark Yuasa

he nightlife on many Puget Sound piers takes on a raucous atmosphere beginning in autumn and carrying on well into winter. Many would think it’s absurd to hang out at a pier on a chilly, rainy (even snowy) night, but these partylike night owls are motivated to reap the rewards of catching some finetasting denizens of the deep known as squid. Often referred to in the culinary world as calamari, squid belong to a class of mollusks known as cephalopods, which include octopus. However, squid are a decapod, with 10

tentacles compared to the eight arms of an octopus. Squid are very prolific marine creatures that attract large groups of fishermen to piers throughout Puget Sound. “We’ve seen a good number of squid caught at the Edmonds Pier and along the Seattle waterfront,” reported Mike Chamberlain, owner of Ted’s Sports Center (425-7439505) in Lynnwood, in late summer. And things should only get better in the coming months. “Many are small (4 to 5 inches), but they’ll grow as the season progresses,” Chamberlain says. “The past two seasons were outstanding, and it is

looking like it may be that way again.”

PUGET SOUND IS one of top marine areas where squid return annually to lay their eggs along gently sloping rocky bottoms at depths of 15 to 60 feet. And before spawning they pack a strong desire to gorge on small baitfish and crustaceans. Nighttime is the best period to go squidding as the jet-propelled species is attracted to light, which is why public piers are great spots to catch them. Squid tend to hide in the dark, shadowy edges of lighted water and then dart out into the light to catch their unsuspecting prey. The inland sea’s squid are commonly known as Pacific squid or market squid and measure 5 to 12 inches. Their life cycle is nearly as short as another Pugetropolis species, pink salmon, at just 18 months. There are many different types nwsportsmanmag.com | OCTOBER 2018

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FISHING of squid in the ocean including the more popular giant Humboldt squid that roam the West Coast and can weigh up to 100 pounds and grow to 8 feet long. A common defense mechanism of squid is to shoot a dark-colored ink out of their body as they flee from other prey. It is not uncommon to find anglers on the docks who have fallen victim to getting “inked.” The prime time for squid jigging usually happens from midNovember through February, but it isn’t uncommon to catch them in late summer, as has been the case this and the past few seasons.

KEEP GEAR SIMPLE This isn’t a very complicated fishery; a simple trout-style fishing set-up will efficiently get the job done. A sensitive long rod and spinning reel with lightweight fishing line of 5- to 6-pound test will help you feel the subtle tap or vibration of an attacking squid. Weighted luminous or lightup plastic jigs come in a variety of colors like pink, chartreuse, blue, red, green, orange or no color at all. Jigs don’t have “hooks” and instead have upward slanting sharp prongs. Unweighted lures are also used by squid jiggers who attach them to a 1-ounce lead weight. Many anglers will also “gang-tie”

Squid were already reported being caught back in September, and if this season is like recent ones, jiggers can look forward to harvesting 10-pound limits of the delicacy – just watch out, because they might spray you with ink for your troubles! (MARK YUASA)

multiple jigs to their mainline, but remember, the regulations say no more than four lures may be used at one time. Squid don’t bite a jig and will wrap their tentacles onto the jig’s prongs. This is where you need to reel with steady upward pressure, giving no slack in the line; otherwise, they’ll let go. Raise the rod tip up to about 10 o’clock and then slowly lower the jig back down to make it resemble an injured fish. Squid school anywhere from just below the water’s surface to about 20 to 25 feet down, but it’s good to work your lure from top to bottom in the water column to catch them. Peak time for catching squid is during or right at high tide. Many

These aren’t your ordinary jigs! Squid jigs have multiple barbs that hold the decapod after it attacks the lure with its tentacles because it thinks it is prey. (TEDSSPORTSCENTER.COM) 156 Northwest Sportsman

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say the best period to catch them is during middle of the night, but often they’ll stay on the bite into the earlymorning hours. When squid are plentiful you can even catch them on a midday flood tide. There is no minimum size, but the daily limit is 10 pounds, or 5 quarts, plus up to five Humboldt squid. Each angler must keep their catch in separate containers. Again, no more than four lures may be used at one time. And a forage fish dip-net or hand dip net may be used. A state shellfish license is required for ages 15 to 69, and 70 and older need a senior shellfish license.

WHERE TO CATCH SQUID Just like any other fishery, if the action isn’t happening along one pier, it would be beneficial to move to another location. Some of the most popular places to catch squid are along the Seattle waterfront at Piers 57, 62, 63 and 70 and the Seattle Aquarium, Pier 59. One of the top locations was Pier 86, off Elliott Avenue, but it was closed in 2017 until further notice due safety concerns. State fishery managers are trying to determine its fate, since repairs to fix the cracked piers as well as failing electrical and water systems will be costly. Other locations include the Seacrest Boathouse Pier in West Seattle; Edmonds Pier; Des Moines

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FISHING his vegetables are grown on a rooftop garden that gives new meaning to fresh-off-the-vine.

Pier; Redondo Pier; A-Dock and Shilshole Pier; Point Defiance Park Pier; Les Davis Pier in Tacoma; Fauntleroy Ferry Dock; Illahee State Park Pier; and the Waterman and Indianola Piers in Kitsap County. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife’s website has a wealth of info on squid jigging. Go to wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/shellfish/squid.

Taichi’s Deep-fried Calamari Vegetable oil for frying 1 pound of squid bodies 2 cups flower 2 tablespoon soy sauce 1 tablespoon sake 1 teaspoon grated ginger 1 teaspoon sesame oil

HOW TO PREPARE SQUID Seattle sushi chef Taichi Kitamura, owner of Sushi Kappo Tamura on Eastlake and winner of the Food Network’s Beat Bobby Flay in 2015, is a lifelong angler who enjoys catching everything from squid to salmon and this summer took a fishing adventure to Alaska. Kitamura was born and raised in Kyoto, Japan, and came to Seattle area as a high-school student and eventually graduated from Seattle University in 1997.

Sushi chef Taichi Kitamura shares his recipe for deep-fried calamari. (TAICHI KITAMURA)

He started working at I Love Sushi before opening his first restaurant, Chiso, in Fremont in 2001. Kitamura uses local, seasonal and sustainable products, which are an important element in Japanese cuisine and provides his guests with a high-quality food source in an open-style kitchen. In fact, some of

In a large pot, add 3 inches of oil and bring to 360 degrees. Clean and cut the squid into ¼-inch rings then towel dry the pieces. Add the soy sauce, sake, ginger, sesame oil and squid to a large bowl then mix and strain into a colander. Toss the squid pieces in flour then into the hot oil. Fry the squid for one to two minutes. Remove to a cookie sheet and drain. Serve with lemon wedges. NS

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