Northwest Sportsman Magazine - February 2024 by Media Index Publishing Group

FISHING • HUNTING • NEWS

NWSPORTSMANMAG.COM

Good Used Boats, Repair Parts, Quality Service, Knowlegeable Staff

SALES • SERVICE • ENGINES

GETTING YOU THE RIGHT PART THE FIRST TIME

Seastar Solutions Optimus EPS steering

Docking and maneuvering your boat in high winds has never been so easy. Let the Joy Stick do it for you. GPS position hold and heading hold is included.

Mercury Marine Outboard Promotion Horsepower

Consumer Rebate

9.9 Pro Kicker

$100

15 Pro Kicker

$150

40 & 40 Jet

$200

$250

60 & 65 Jet

$400

75 & 80 Jet

$500

$600

115 & 115 ProXS

$1,000

150

$1,250

150 ProXS

$1,500

350

$2,000

400

$2,250

Subject to approval by Mercury and dealer. Subject to terms. See dealer for details. NO SALES TAX IN OREGON

8hp and 9.9hp, and Joystick in stock. Call now!

503-255-8487 • CascadeMarineCenter.com 14900 SE STARK ST. • PORTLAND, OR 97233 HOURS: MON-FRI 8AM-6PM • SAT 9AM-3PM

MOTORS MUST BE CAPABLE OF ACCEPTING JOYSTICK APPLICATION. CERTAIN LIMITATIONS APPLY.

Your LOCAL Hunting & Fishing Resource

Volume 16 • Issue 5 PUBLISHER James R. Baker

YOUR COMPLETE HUNTING, BOATING, FISHING AND REPAIR DESTINATION SINCE 1948.

EDITOR Andy “The strangest collection of emoticons I’ve ever seen” Walgamott THIS ISSUE’S CONTRIBUTORS Jason Brooks, Jillian Garrett, Scott Haugen, Brad Herman, Jeff Holmes, MD Johnson, Randy King, John Kruse, Sara Potter, Buzz Ramsey, Troy Wilder, Dave Workman, Mark Yuasa GENERAL MANAGER John Rusnak SALES MANAGER Paul Yarnold ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Lucas Hoene, Tom St. Clair, Zachary Wheeler DESIGNER Lesley-Anne Slisko-Cooper PRODUCTION ASSISTANT Kelly Baker OFFICE MANAGER/COPY EDITOR Katie Aumann INFORMATION SYSTEMS MANAGER Lois Sanborn WEBMASTER/DIGITAL STRATEGIST Jon Hines ADVERTISING INQUIRIES ads@nwsportsmanmag.com CORRESPONDENCE Email letters, articles/queries, photos, etc., to awalgamott@media-inc.com, or to the mailing address below. ON THE COVER Darrel Smith shows off a beefy Olympic Peninsula wild steelhead he caught on a Western Fishing Operations worm on a jig under a float during a windstorm early last February. Smith was fishing with Mike Zavadlov of Mike Z’s Guide Service. (KNIFE PHOTO CONTEST)

WE OFFER A LARGE INVENTORY OF QUALITY BRANDS

DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and get daily updates at nwsportsmanmag.com.

MEDIA INDEX PUBLISHING GROUP

1-877-426-0933 14 Northwest Sportsman FEBRUARY 2024 | nwsportsmanmag.com

verles.com

941 Powell Ave SW, Suite 120 Renton, WA 98057 (206) 382-9220 • (800) 332-1736 Fax (206) 382-9437 media@media-inc.com mediaindexpublishing.com

US DOLLAR IS WORTH $1.26 IN CANADA! GET MORE FOR YOUR MONEY!

“BEST KEPT SECRET ON THE WEST COAST OF VANCOUVER ISLAND”

FULL LIMITS ON KINGS, SILVERS, HALIBUT, LINGCOD & MUCH MORE!

SCAN TO SEE OUR VIDEO

“BRING YOUR LARGE COOLERS. YOU WILL NEED THEM WHEN YOU FISH WITH US!”

EARLY BIRD SPECIAL

ALL DATES MAY 1- SEPT. 30 AVAILABLE

4 Nights LODGING, 3 Full Days of GUIDED FISHING + ALL MEALS $2050 US/$2750 CA

We are the only region on the west coast of Canada that has FULL LIMITS for SALMON, HALIBUT & LINGCOD BOOK NOW while dates are still available. info@westviewmarina.com

250-934-7672

BOOK YOUR CANADIAN FISHING/CATCHING ADVENTURE NOW! info@westviewmarina.com | westviewmarina.com

CONTENTS VOLUME 16 • ISSUE 5

Muleys, wapiti and bruins, first harvests, families filling the freezer, and more! Our 13th annual celebration of readers’ successful fall hunts shares pics and stories from the 2023 season!

FEATURES 30

THE OREGON RAM HUNT THAT MIGHT NEVER HAVE HAPPENED by Troy Wilder

THE POWER OF PICTURES: PROJECTING A STRONGER, MORE DURABLE IMAGE OF HUNTING by Jillian Garrett

MY SON’S FIRST DEER by Brad Herman

ALSO INSIDE 95

WASHINGTON’S WEIRDEST CATCH They don’t come much freakier looking than burbot – and maybe tastier either! Mark Yuasa profiles this often overlooked species that offers an unusual winter fishery in a number of lakes and reservoirs across the northern half of Eastern Washington. Grab your jigs, plastics and let’s go catch what’s known as the poor man’s lobster!

30 101 ICE ICE MAYBE Northwest hardwater angling can be iffy to begin with, but balancing safety during windows of opportunity can pay off with perch, as a fisherman who got back into the sport found out at Curlew Lake. Jeff Holmes shares safety advice and tips for filling a bucket with yellowbellies from the Northwest’s newest winter destination for big perch.

(KNIFE PHOTO CONTEST)

118 9 FINE LATE-WINTER CABIN-FEVER BEATERS February and March might feel like the nadir of Northwest outdoor ops, but there’s actually a lot of fishing and hunting to be had, especially close to the Lower Columbia and the Northwest coast. MD Johnson down in Cathlamet lines out a bunch of options to consider as daylight grows again in late winter.

SUBSCRIBE TODAY! Go to nwsportsmanmag.com for details. NORTHWEST SPORTSMAN is published monthly by Media Index Publishing Group, 941 Powell Ave SW, Suite 120, Renton, WA 98057. Periodical Postage Paid at Portland, OR and at additional mail offices. (USPS 025-251) POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Northwest Sportsman, 941 Powell Ave SW, Suite 120, Renton, WA 98057. Annual subscriptions are $39.95 (12 issues), 2-year subscription are $59.95 (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 © 2024 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. nwsportsmanmag.com | FEBRUARY 2024

Northwest Sportsman 17

FOR THE LOVE

OF THE TUG

How To Catch A Keeper True, you need good gear and tackle as well as an inkling about winter steelhead behavior, but the power of positive thinking also plays a role in actually catching a keeper. Sara has an all-around pep talk that will soon have you hammering hatchery fish!

(SARA POTTER)

COLUMNS 74

BUZZ RAMSEY 3 Top Steelhead Tactics For Drift Boaters No doubt about it, owning a drift boat opens up a lot more winter steelhead water and the playbook of productive techniques. Buzz shares three tried-and-true tactics for bringing chromers to the net.

113 CHEF IN THE WILD A Sieve, A Handful Of Stoneflies And A Stew If even the great salmon and steelhead angler Buzz Ramsey chases whitefish in winter – as he did after Christmas on the Klickitat – then surely these overlooked river dwellers might be worth a cast or two from you. Chef Randy serves up a unique way to catch your whitefish bait and then cooks up an Argentine fish and potato stew. 137 GUN DOG Cacklers: The Perfect Goose The smallest of our Canada goose subspecies and open to hunt this month to reduce crop damage in Northwest Oregon and Southwest Washington, cacklers might also be the perfect training bird for hunting dogs. Scott shares why. 144 NORTHWEST PURSUITS Solve February’s What-to-do Conundrum With Coyotes Need something to fill the outdoor bill this month? Try coyote hunting! Jason Brooks makes his return to our pages with tips and tricks for getting started on songdogs! 153 ON TARGET Wake Up! Threats To Gun Rights, Hunting On Your Doorstep With state lawmakers in town, Dave W. is keeping a nervous eye on Olympia, where he says gun rights are on the line this session and there are several pieces of legislation that shooters should be aware of. 18 Northwest Sportsman FEBRUARY 2024 | nwsportsmanmag.com

(JOHN KRUSE)

IN MEMORIAM:

‘A Man Who Made A Difference’

Remembering Mike Meseberg, Columbia Basin resort co-owner, conservationist and so much more.

DEPARTMENTS

22 Northwest Sportsman FEBRUARY 2024 | nwsportsmanmag.com

THE EDITOR’S NOTE Now returning to the starting lineup ...

THE BIG PIC 13th Annual Big Game Yearbook

PHOTO CONTEST WINNER Monthly Coast and Kershaw prize-winning pic

THE DISHONOR ROLL Report details new poaching prosecution focus in Washington; Kudos; Poachers catch new Klickitat salmon species; Jackass of the Month

OUTDOOR CALENDAR Upcoming fishing and hunting openers, special events, workshops, deadlines, more

2024 NORTHWEST BOAT & SPORTSMEN’S SHOW CALENDAR Event schedule, web links

WWW.SEASPORTBOATS.COM

28’ COMMANDER

BUILT DIFFERENT HANDMADE IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST CUSTOM BUILT TO FISH ANY CONDITIONS

26’ KODIAK

24’ EXPLORER

26’ KENAI

FIND YOUR NEAREST PACIFIC NORTHWEST DEALER ALASKA MINING & DIVING Anchorage, AK 907-277-1741

ALBERNI POWER & MARINE Port Alberni, BC 250-724-5722

WWW.SEASPORTBOATS.COM/DEALERS

MASTER MARINE Mt. Vernon, WA 360-336-2176

Y MARINA, INC. Coos Bay, OR 541-888-5501

Y MARINA, INC. Florence, OR 541-590-3313

THEEDITOR’SNOTE

ason Brooks is feeling friskier these days, and that’s a really, really good thing. As you may have noticed, Jason’s been on this magazine’s injured reserve list for a few months now since … well, we’ll let him tell that story when he’s ready. But it’s great to have him back in the lineup this issue. He talks tactics for coyote hunting (see page 144), something he’s been doing for decades, including during a stint as an airman at Mountain Home Air Force Base in southern Idaho, where he pulled extra duty bringing in pelts for a local fur company to stretch. While last fall saw him do far more taxi driving than hunting because of his injury, in late December he was there as his youngest not only tagged out on an Idaho cow elk, but helped thin local songdog packs.

FOR THOSE WHO don’t know, Jason is my second longest regular contributor, having begun writing for Northwest Sportsman in 2009 (we published our first issue in October 2008). I still remember meeting him for the first time at the sportsmen’s show near his home in Puyallup earlier that same year. Fun fact: Jason was one of our very first monthly photo contest winners – a pic of his pup Ruby the Vizsla

THE LEELOCK MAGNUM SKEG Drastically improve performance and steering of bow-mounted electric trolling motors with the LeeLock Magnum Skeg. The use of bow-mounted electric trolling motors for salmon trolling is a game changer. Not only does this skeg improve performance, it makes bow-mounted electric trolling motors much more efficient. Your batteries will run longer on a charge. The LeeLock Magnum Skeg can be a vital part of your trolling motor system! The skeg is made of anodized 5052 aluminum. The size is 8 3/4 inches high by 10 inches wide and it’s 3/16 inch thick. The anodization keeps the aluminum from corroding in fresh- and saltwater. The LeeLock Magnum Skeg is available to fit most Minn Kota and MotorGuide (pictured) motors. It comes with clear PVC-coated stainless steel hose clamps. Call 360-380-1864 or write info@ leelock.com if you have any questions about fit.

LEELOCK MOTOR MOUNT This new Leelock Motor Mount is designed for the Minn-Kota Quest series of motors. The mount will fit in any of the LeeLock Anchor System Bases. The mount will be available angled to the port or starboard side. Simply slide your Motor Mount on the base and lock it in with the pin. An optional locking pin is also available to prevent the motor from being stolen.

Jason Brooks approaches a dead coyote taken on an early winter hunt this season with his son Ryan in Idaho. (JASON BROOKS)

360-380-1864 www.leelock.com nwsportsmanmag.com | FEBRUARY 2024

Northwest Sportsman 25

with a Fort Lewis pheasant, if I’m recalling my ancient history. We’ve fished a few times over the years – I still owe Jason some time on the sticks from a float down the upper Quinault (oh, to be able to fish that river again for wild winter-runs) – and have also shared a journey as parents of growing sons. I’ll be honest, I think he’s done a far better job with Adam and Ryan than I have with River and Kiran, but they’re all just blossoming in their own ways, and that’s fine. An all-around Northwest sportsman and a great photographer, Jason has pretty much covered the gamut of everything I’ve ever asked him to write about in these pages, and then some. That’s what makes him so valuable not just to me, but really to you, constant reader. This is not to say that the recent Brooks-less issues have sucked or the rest of my team are slackers, because they didn’t and aren’t. We’ve been extraordinarily lucky to have had all of them in our 15½ years, and this magazine has been richer thanks to Jason and his steady contributions.

I WASN'T SURE Jason was going to be able to come back, given what he suffered. I felt especially bad for him when he told me how hard it was to lift his beloved camera. I’m a devoted photog too and even if my chosen vehicle now is a simple smartphone, it would tear me apart not to shoot. It’s serendipitous, but our annual Big Game Yearbook this issue features Jillian Garrett’s thoughtful article (see page 42) on the power of hunting pics and how we all need to better frame, per se, our hunts to help strengthen their collective future. Jason is a master at capturing the field-to-table experience, and so on that and so many other fronts, it’s great to have him back and reporting for further duty. Here’s to your continued recovery, sir! –Andy Walgamott

26 Northwest Sportsman FEBRUARY 2024 | nwsportsmanmag.com

OREGON EUGENE Maxxum Marine (541) 686-3572 www.maxxummarine.com

WASHINGTON PORTLAND Sportcraft Marina (503) 656-6484 sportcraftmarina.com

28 Northwest Sportsman FEBRUARY 2024 | nwsportsmanmag.com

EVERETT Performance Marine (425) 258-9292 perform-marine.com

MOUNT VERNON Master Marine Boat Center, Inc. (360) 336-2176 mastermarine.com

SHELTON Verle’s Sports Center (877) 426-0933 verles.com

The Hunt That Might Never Have Happened By Troy M. Wilder

t all began on June 12, 2023, when I opened my Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife hunting app. I was looking to see what controlled hunts I might have been lucky enough to draw. In disbelief, I saw I had drawn the Steens Mtn. #1 Bighorn Sheep hunt. I was in shock; I had to look three times to make sure I was not dreaming. Well, I wasn’t; I really had drawn the hunt. This is when it all hit me. Just a few short years ago there would have been no possible way I could have done a hunt like this one. In 2016, I decided it was time to make a change in my life. I was a miserable person who could not do much without being in pain. I really did not think I could ever change at that point. I was 349 pounds and had pretty much chosen to just live like that. Then one day I just said hell with it; it is time to change. I knew what I had

30 Northwest Sportsman FEBRUARY 2024 | nwsportsmanmag.com

to do. I mean, I am an Army veteran. I did not live my entire life like this; I had just let myself go. There is no excuse for what I had done and how I got so big. The change started with a promise to myself that I would never be this big again. I started back in the gym and at first it hurt and I was in pain. I also had a couple friends talk about bariatric surgery. They went and had a gastric sleeve done. So I started to research what that was. After a few months of research and planning I chose to go that route. I met with Bay Bariatrics and did my consultation. I learned that it was not the magic pill but instead another tool to use for weight loss. That is when this journey really began. I had surgery in October 2016 and have not looked back since. Once surgery was complete and my recovery was over, it was time to get to work. I got myself back into the gym. The progress I have made is nothing short of incredible; this is not a brag on myself, but instead a way to show that anyone can do it. I started out slow, but today I crush it each time I walk in the door of the gym. Each week is a challenge to stay on track, as there are so many temptations to go back to the old me. I knew that I was going to have to stay strong and mentally tough to become a new me. Even with the challenges I faced, I did not give up and chose to keep going. This is how I knew I had made the right choice and it was finally the right time to do something about the weight gain. I made the motto “keep grinding” a part of my everyday life, and to this day I still follow that. Three solid

years back in the gym and today I weigh a solid 224 pounds and can honestly say I am in the best shape I have been in in a long time. Just this last week I went in for my skin removal surgery, which starts the next phase of my journey. Results are going to be epic, and I cannot wait to share the pictures from this phase. I have been called an inspiration many times during this journey and that is what keeps me going. If I can get one more person to follow what I have done, I call it a success. I want everyone to read this and make the commitment to do better and go get what you want.

ENOUGH OF MY back story; let’s get to the hunt. After I found out that I’d drawn one of the most coveted tags in Oregon, I began to call my friends and assemble a team to

An Army vet, Troy Wilder admits he “just let myself go,” but after dedicating himself to getting back in shape, he has dropped over 125 pounds the past three years. “I can honestly say anything is possible if you just work hard and go chase what you want,” he says. (TROY WILDER)

Wilder beat the odds by drawing a controlled tag to hunt for a bighorn ram on Steens Mountain, in Southcentral Oregon, and making good on a long-range shot. He credits friends and his big weight loss for making it possible. (TROY WILDER)

nwsportsmanmag.com | FEBRUARY 2024

Northwest Sportsman 31

help. I am a pro staff member of The Fallen Outdoors and we take veterans hunting and fishing by raising money and relying on donations. I reached out to my team from The Fallen Outdoors and got so much support from those guys. They all were on my side and ready to jump in and help. TFO has been one of the most supportive groups that I have been able to be a part of. I can tell so many stories about getting veterans outside and changing lives. We do so much good that it is hard to put into words, but when you can take a group of tough guys out on a boat or in the woods and get them to open up and tell their stories, it is nothing short of amazing. I have seen guys who you would never see talk about their stories truly open up and let it all go. This is what we want to see happen more and more. As a veteran myself, I can tell you this is what is needed to help us. Get them outside with a group of likeminded dudes who understand. This, along with other great organizations out there, is how we truly help our brothers and sisters who have given it all. Our motto is “Living our dreams, because they gave up theirs.” Everyone reading this story can take that to heart and truly think about what that means. Check out more from TFO at thefallenoutdoors.org.

WE KNEW THAT there was still snow on Steens Mountain in mid-June, so I called my buddy Chris and asked if we could go for a plane ride to check out the area. He jumped on the opportunity to take us up on a flight, and so we flew to Creswell to pick up my buddy Jared and then went to Burns to figure out the best course of action. The next day we began our aerial reconnaissance. This was the best way to see the whole area in a short amount of time. We were able to pin some areas on onX Maps and get ready for on-the-ground scouting. Day one took us up to the Kiger Gorge. Jared and I had no idea what to really look for; we just knew we wanted to get out and look. We found a couple smaller rams that day and I sent pics back to friends who knew how to hunt rams, but they all said those bighorns were not shooters. 32 Northwest Sportsman FEBRUARY 2024 | nwsportsmanmag.com

Steens Mountain, a rugged fault scarp that’s part of the Basin and Range geologic region, is home to an estimated 250 California bighorn sheep, about 6 percent of Oregon’s population of the subspecies. A total of six controlled tags have been available in recent years, split between month-long late summer and early fall hunts. (BLM)

nwsportsmanmag.com | FEBRUARY 2024

Northwest Sportsman 33

Wilder’s fiancé Katie spotted what became his “No. 1 target ram,” which she nicknamed Zeus after the Greek god of the Sky and king of all deities, “and let me tell you, the name fit,” Wilder writes. (TROY WILDER) We continued to scout and found several different groups of sheep, but none of them were shooters either. Then came the annual Sheep and Goat Workshop in The Dalles and put on by the Oregon Wild Sheep Foundation. This was the event that changed my scouting and hunting completely. My team and I learned how to look for sheep, what to look for in rams and what the animals do. This was hands-down the best learning platform I attended.

IT WAS TIME to get back to the mountain. My fiancé Katie and I decided to take a trip with just the two of us. We rented a room at The Fields Station motel for one night and slept on Steens for another. Katie hiked with me and learned what this hunt was all about. That is when we found my No. 1 target ram. Katie named him Zeus and let me tell you, the name fit. After two hard days on the mountain, I had learned where sheep were and exactly what I was looking for. At the bighorn workshop I’d also learned who had drawn the other two Steens Mtn. #1 Bighorn tags. We began to talk to each other and share information. That became one of 34 Northwest Sportsman FEBRUARY 2024 | nwsportsmanmag.com

the other top tools I had going for me this hunt. Travis and Tim were great to chat with and we realized we all had different target rams in different areas and knew where each of us had been focusing. This was a great way to share info and not be selfish. I had one last scouting trip planned before the hunt began. We had already spent almost every weekend from June 20 to August 10 on the mountain and by this time knew where there were a few choices. Although Zeus was still the target, we had several backup plans in place. I was unable to go over for the August 15 opening day of the hunt and had to wait until the first full weekend to make the trip. But I was in contact with Travis and Tim and they both got their rams within the first two days of the hunt. This was great because I knew where they had taken their bighorns and that there were no other hunters left for my season. This left Zeus for me to pursue.

MY TIME CAME and we started out in the exact spot I knew Zeus was calling home. Wildhorse Canyon became my goto place. We went in and found rams, but

I knew I had no pressure on me, so when a couple more friends showed up, we took off to go check other spots. The first spot we looked had a great ram in it, so I decided to go after this ram. My buddy Brian from BIGS Outfitter joined us and he and I went after this new ram we had spotted. This guy was big – not quite as big as Zeus, but he was big. We started down the canyon and got to within 75 yards of the ram through the cliffs and rocks. Unfortunately, we could not get around the area we needed to get a shot at him. We decided to back out and sleep in the canyon that night and see what the ram did the next morning. The next morning, we set up and were ready for the ram to do his thing. He did exactly what we wanted. The ram got to within 400 yards and I was ready. He started to back away and so I took a shot at 480 yards. I missed and was so disappointed, but could not figure out why I hadn’t hit the sheep. So we took the gun and tried to dial it in again at 300 yards, but could not get it to zero at all. This is when I knew I needed to find a different gun to shoot. The rest of the weekend we checked several other spots and saw some more rams, but none compared to either Zeus or the new ram we’d found.

I’D LONG PLANNED to come over for 12 days to hunt, and on Labor Day weekend we headed over knowing that it was time to seal the deal on a ram. I had a couple days left with some of the guys who had been there from day one. Braden and Jared both had to go home on that Monday and I wanted to do my best to get my ram while they were there. I also had my friend Brian and my guide buddy Brian with me. We started out after Zeus, and we found him. But this ram was so dang smart; it was like he knew where we were every time we got close to him. I was unable to close the deal on Zeus and he went into an area that no human should ever be in. The terrain was so steep that Brian and I had to literally crawl uphill. On the way up I kept saying, “If you want to get a ram, you have to go where the rams live.” We were there, but it is hard to explain exactly how tough the terrain was. I compare it to climbing up a sheer rock face without any ropes. You must

While Wilder didn’t bag his first-choice ram, he was still able to harvest one of the toughest animals to hunt in Oregon, one that also yielded plenty of great meat for he and his family. (TROY WILDER) hold where you can and make sure you are on solid ground each step up. We went back to camp to regroup for the day and planned to be back out by 1:30. I was bummed at this point; I really wanted to get Zeus, but knew it was not going to happen, as he was just to dang smart for us. This is when I decided to go after my second-choice ram. I had my buddies all with me and the timing was right to get the hunt done. I learned that the biggest ram is not always the target; instead, getting a good ram at the right time with the right people was going to be more rewarding than getting Zeus. We made it back up to the summit of the mountain and the clouds had now come in. We did not let that stop us. We started checking spots one by one. Soon Jared called us all over to a group of rams. It was the herd that had my second-choice ram in it, and he was there. We were able to get set up on this group and after several attempts and changes I had my spot to shoot from. I was in scope for two-plus minutes waiting for the clouds to clear and waiting for other rams to be out of the way. It seemed like an 36 Northwest Sportsman FEBRUARY 2024 | nwsportsmanmag.com

eternity. Finally, the shot was there. I let out my air and let the bullet fly. Success! I was able to drop the ram at 716 yards with a 36-degree downhill slope. What a rush! I had done it! My ram was down! The joy and excitement we all shared was incredible. A group of buddies with a guy who would never have been able to do something like this a few short years ago had just pulled off one of the greatest hunting adventures of a lifetime. When we got the ram to ODFW’s checkin station, he scored 162 2/8 net and 163 2/8 gross. I had made a goal to get at least a 160 ram and with the help of my team, we’d done it. While I was able to successfully harvest one of the hardest animals in Oregon to hunt, I’d told the guys from day one that the hunt was about all of us; I just got to be the lucky one to pull the trigger. WITH THE HUNT now over, I took the ram’s meat to Nickabob’s Meat Market in Roseburg. They produced over 40 pounds of breakfast sausage for me. The rest of the animal was cut into steaks and roasts. My ram is one of the best-tasting animals we

have harvested, and it produced a lot of meat for the freezer. I also took the cape and horns to Wildlife Artistry by Merle Rempel in Vale, near the border with Idaho. Merle has been amazing to work with and we are doing a full body mount to show the sheer beauty of an animal like this. We also sent the horns off to Montana for a replica to be made so we can have something for people to touch and feel and get an idea of the true animal. I want to share the magnificence of this trophy ram. That said, this story was not just about the hunt, but the ability to get yourself back on track and do something to make a change. It will not be easy, but it will be so worth it when you complete something like this. I can honestly say anything is possible if you just work hard and go chase what you want. I also can’t thank my friends Paul, Chris, Jared, Braden, Brian and Brian and my fiancé Katie enough for all stepping up and helping make this hunt epic. Drawing a tag was the first reward; being successful with all the help I got was nothing short of amazing. NS

While Jerry Han and high school buddy Mark Suyama didn’t go, er, whole hog and do the helicopter thing, they did try out night hunting for Texas feral pigs. “Our equipment involved a custom truck with a raised platform in the back with seats to spot hogs, thermal and night vision monoculars and scopes, and AR-style rifles chambered in 5.56 and .308,” Han reports. “We would drive around, use the night vision to look for hogs in fields, and then we would stalk to within 50 to 75 yards. I preferred the .308 due to the greater wallop it has, because these hogs can be very hard to kill and sometimes dangerous if not completely dead. The hogs we got were pretty average, from 75 to 250 pounds, but for a guy from Washington, hunting with night vision was a super-fun deal, and you’re helping the farmers by putting a little dent in the hog population that causes massive damage to their crops.” The outing cost $450, no license is needed or there’s no limit on wild swine, Han says. (KNIFE PHOTO CONTEST) You’ve seen Carissa Nicole Anderson in our Real Women of Northwest Fishing feature and in other issues of this magazine with her Chinook and steelhead, but the Northwest Oregon sportswoman makes her inaugural appearance in our annual Big Game Yearbook with this great mule deer buck, her first and taken last fall in Eastern Oregon. (KNIFE PHOTO CONTEST)

Upon drawing a multiseason deer tag, Jeff Benson decided to dust off an old Hoyt bow he hadn’t used for a decade and a half, restrung it and put in some practice over the summer in hopes of drawing down on a mule deer, a goal he eventually made good on after a couple foiled stalks. Crawling to within 40 yards of this Walla Walla County buck on a steep slope, he waited till the sun forced the deer to get up to find another bed and gave him a broadside target for a pass-through double-lung shot. Then it was on to getting kids Carly and Jack (below) into their bucks between volleyball games and homecoming weekend, and in the end the Bensons all tagged out! (KNIFE PHOTO CONTEST)

Montana’s a great place to hunt, Northwest sportsmen know, but Wyoming ain’t too shabby either! Wyatt Lundquist (right) and his brother-in-law Jesse Thomson, both of Washington, took a pair of pronghorn bucks in the Cowboy State last fall. (KNIFE PHOTO CONTEST)

nwsportsmanmag.com | FEBRUARY 2024

Northwest Sportsman 39

PHOTO CONTEST MONTHLY

Winner!

A 7-mile hike into new alpine hunting grounds turned up some pretty interesting observations for Chad Smith. While on the prowl for black bear with his wife Sara, they spotted some elk, and when he snuck in on the herd for a closer look and tried a couple cow calls on a call he fortuitously had in his pocket, it caught the attention of this bruin. With the bear broadside, Chad downed it with a 270-yard heart shot and then set to boning out the meat for the long pack out. (KNIFE PHOTO CONTEST) Earl Foytack’s grandchildren continued their success afield last fall, with cousins Emily (left) and Alexa both bagging blacktails – the latest of several bucks now for Emily and the first for Alexa! And speaking of firsts, that’s Bryce behind his lead-off black bear! (KNIFE PHOTO CONTEST)

40 Northwest Sportsman FEBRUARY 2024 | nwsportsmanmag.com

More than a building...it’s a solution!

503.668.7211 Toll-free: 855.668.7211 www.wsbnw.com Manufactured in Sandy, Oregon

PRE-ENGINEERED STEEL FRAME STRUCTURES COST COMPETITIVE | MAINTENANCE FRIENDLY

nwsportsmanmag.com | FEBRUARY 2024

Northwest Sportsman 41

The Power Of Imag Projecting A Stron Picture Of Hunting

42 Northwest Sportsman FEBRUARY 2024 | nwsportsmanmag.com

agery: onger ng

The practice of hunting is far more than just the kill ... (JILLIAN GARRETT)

By Jillian Garrett

mages are our most powerful forms of storytelling, whether it’s a picture from a social media post today or a cave painting from 44,000 years ago. They are compelling tools that can transcend the barriers of both language and time. A single photo can portray an entire narrative depending on what it contains and how the scene is framed. When we see an image of a venison roast, cooked medium rare and proudly displayed on a platter decorated with evergreen branches and empty cartridges scattered unobtrusively in the background, it tells a story. That same story can be told in the image of a proud hunter, smiling as they kneel in the forest, holding a recently killed deer with its tongue lolling out and covered in blood. Both pictures describe an identical experience, yet both invoke a completely different set of emotions and messages, especially to those unfamiliar with the tale.

AS A WRITER and a photographer, I spend a lot of my time trying to portray the full experience of the hunt. If you follow my social media feed, you will see countless images and stories of my time spent outdoors and the meals that I make, though I rarely post those classic grip-andgrin harvest photos. My followers include an interesting assortment of both hunters and nonhunters, and recently I was contacted by one of the latter. They mentioned how much they were inspired by my photos and words that so clearly showed my deep connection to – and love of – the land and the animals that I hunt. While I’ve always found personal inspiration in sharing my hunting experiences with the wider world, this comment made me pause for a moment because it emphasized the importance of how I shared them when it came to hunting’s social acceptance by others. The irony in that last statement is that I should understand better than anyone nwsportsmanmag.com | FEBRUARY 2024

Northwest Sportsman 43

It’s part of a story as old as mankind itself ... (JILLIAN GARRETT) the value in how hunting is portrayed. I’ve spent a significant portion of my life on the outside of the hunting community looking in, while also trying to comprehend the realities of where my food comes from and what it truly means to eat meat. As a former vegan hiker turned adultonset hunter, I tend to have a different perspective than most when it comes to the depiction of hunting. I understand simultaneously what it means to revel in the success of the harvest while passing horrified judgment at the gory details of the kill. As a result, the message I have worked hard to convey is that there is a real danger in failing to tell the full story. The future of hunting is in large part a fight for its social acceptance, and whether we choose to acknowledge that fact or not doesn’t change the danger of the situation. When we portray the complete experience of what it means to hunt, we give a less negatively biased picture, one that becomes both understandable and – most significantly – relatable, showing why 44 Northwest Sportsman FEBRUARY 2024 | nwsportsmanmag.com

hunting is important and why it needs to remain so for the future.

HUNTING IS A human inheritance, and in many cases a cultural one too. It is a way of keeping us honest about the hard realities of eating; of maintaining a connection with the land and the animals that feed us. Even without filling a tag, there is something that continues to draw us outdoors in pursuit of wild game year after year. Yet hunting is about so much more than the sum of its success – it is about community, friendship, reconnecting with nature and, most importantly, food. These aspects form the warp and the weft that weave together the finished tapestry of hunting. They are what we need to include whenever we talk about it, because while the experience of hunting is often deeply personal, its portrayal is very public. The outside world is watching us, ready to judge something that they have forgotten how to understand. Our job as hunters is to remind them of the

importance of it, that hunting has both a present relevance and an enduring future. It is humanity’s lodestone, emphasizing our place in the food chain and the sometimes sordid truth of eating. Community. Culture. The outdoors. Food. These are some of the elements we need to remember to show, whether it’s through words or images. They not only provide the complete picture of the hunt, but they give us a common ground for making hunting relatable to the general public. A hiker can understand the draw of the incredible vistas and amazing wildlife encounters that are often experienced during a hunt. A foodie can relate to – or even get excited about – the creative ways of utilizing wild game in the kitchen. A person who has suffered from posttraumatic stress can understand how a veteran might find healing through hunting in the outdoors. Hunting has always been a way of bringing like-minded people together, but with the right voice, it can be used to connect

nwsportsmanmag.com | FEBRUARY 2024

Northwest Sportsman 45

thoughtful in my eating. Though hunting was never my personal cultural heritage, I have enjoyed seeing that aspect in others. When I view images or hear stories of parents teaching their children to hunt, it brings me deep joy, made even more priceless by the understanding of what an incredible gift that knowledge truly is. Most importantly, hunting has taught me humility and that success is never a guarantee. Hunting is most definitely not a trip to the grocery store.

THESE ARE THE elements that make

Of skills learned, practiced and passed to the next generation ... (JILLIAN GARRETT) us with nonhunters as well. We need them as our allies, now more than ever.

MY PERSONAL STORY of hunting has woven together all of these elements, bringing me into contact with so many people that I might not otherwise have met and providing countless experiences that I would not otherwise have obtained. My journey as a hunter has been a river awash with the generosity of so many souls. It has shown me a true sense of community – through mentorship, help processing the harvest, and even assistance in trying to find the animal in the first place. Those acts of kindness, as well as the lasting friendships formed, are gifts that I will always treasure. Hunting has taught me how to open my eyes and engage in the natural world on a level I was never able to achieve as a hiker. It has brought me to the most beautiful landscapes and given me the most heart-pounding wildlife encounters. Because of my time as a hunter, I am better at reading the stories of animals on the landscape, and therefore more able to take 46 Northwest Sportsman FEBRUARY 2024 | nwsportsmanmag.com

pleasure in my time spent out on it. Hunting helped me to find the answer to the question of where my food came from. It taught me creativity in the kitchen and forced me to become a better cook as a way of honoring what I harvested. It also taught me to be less wasteful and more

the story of hunting complete, and while we should absolutely celebrate the successes of our hunts, they should not be the only aspect that we tell. When we limit the story of hunting to a single moment of such a complex experience, we not only do ourselves and the animals that we harvest a disservice, but we put the very future of hunting at risk. In a time when urbanization continues to increase and people’s connection to their food grows ever more distant from reality (and ever more tied to what they perceive on social media and TV), there is danger in failing to convey the full experience of the hunt. When my social media feed fills up every autumn with image after image of gory grip-and-grins, I can easily understand why the outside world considers hunting Of deep immersion in the natural world, campfire camaraderie and a profound concern for conserving the wild ... (JILLIAN GARRETT)

And of providing healthy sustenance for family, friends and others as we harness the meat, the moments afield and the memories to help keep the hunt and all the critters around forever. (JILLIAN GARRETT) a bloodthirsty sport and the antithesis of a fair chase endeavor. Have we done anything to convince them otherwise? Each season, I can count on one hand the number of hunters who talk about – and more importantly show – the other aspects of hunting, regardless of whether a tag has been filled. When I think back over my own past hunting seasons, what comes to mind tends to be the collection of experiences that went into it – not necessarily the end result. I have often heard other hunters make the comment,“Why bother? Nothing we say or do will change the minds of these nonhunters.” Yet I, along with many others, am living proof that minds can be changed – it simply takes the right approach. The more people we sway to our side, regardless of whether they hunt, the more advocates we have to fight for its future. Just recently, my husband interviewed a woman on his podcast who is a nonhunter who fully supports hunting in both America and in Africa. She not only supports it, but 48 Northwest Sportsman FEBRUARY 2024 | nwsportsmanmag.com

she works tirelessly alongside us hunters to fight for its future. We need more advocates like that on our side, and the best way we can achieve that is to inspire them through our own stories and images.

MY POINT HERE is not to say that you need to be a professional photographer or writer to change the way the world views hunting – far from it, in fact. It is merely a reminder of the need to show the full experience … More pictures of the incredible vistas you’ve seen while glassing for bear and elk … Tales of laughter around the campfire at the end of the day … The meals you made with the animal that you harvested … And yes, even taking the time to capture slightly less gory harvest images. Remember that every picture tells a story, a story that can either aid the perception and therefore the future of hunting … or hinder it. Simple changes in how we tell our

hunting stories can have huge impacts in how hunting is perceived. Even through the distance of urbanization and even through the distorted lens of social media, we have the ability to make hunting not merely understandable, but socially acceptable. We have the power to help ensure its safety for the future. So the next time you talk about hunting, ask yourself this: What story do you want your words and images to tell the world? NS Editor’s note: Author Jillian Garrett is a hunter, farmer and conservationist living in Northeast Washington. She and her husband operate a regenerative farm with a focus on wildlife conservation through responsible land stewardship. Jillian’s writing and photography have also appeared in Sports Afield, Bear Hunting Magazine and Blue Ridge Farmer Magazine. A member of First Hunt Foundation, she remains passionate about the importance of mentorship within the hunting community.

CUMBERLAND’S NORTHWEST TRAPPERS SUPPLY Hide Tan Formula has been used successfully by thousands of hunters and trappers across the U.S. and Canada. No more waiting several months for tanning. Now, you can tan your own hides and furs at home in less than a week, at a fraction of the normal cost. Our Hide Formula tans deer hides either hair-on for a rug or mount, or hair-off for buckskin leather. Tans all fur skins – muskrat, mink, beaver, fox, coyote, raccoon, squirrel, rabbit, etc. It also applies to bear, elk, moose, cowhide, sheep and even snakeskin. Hide Tan Formula is premixed and ready to use and produces a soft, supple Indian-style tan in five to seven days. One 8-ounce bottle will tan one deer hide in two medium-sized fur skins. Bear, elk, moose and caribou require three to six bottles. Complete instructions are included. You’ll be amazed how easy it is! Tanned hides and furs are great to decorate your home or camp and also to sell for extra income. Tanned hides and furs are in demand by black powder enthusiasts, American Indian traders, fly tyers, country trading posts and many crafters. Our products are proudly produced and bottled in the U.S. for over 20 years. Available at Cumberland’s Northwest Trappers Supply in Owatonna, Minnesota. Call (507) 451-7607 or email trapper@nwtrappers.com. nwtrappers.com

Cumberland’s Northwest Trappers Supply, Inc. Cumberland’s Northwest Trappers Supply is your one-stop trapping supply headquarters, featuring one of the largest inventories in the U.S. We are factory direct distributors on all brands of traps and equipment which allows us to offer competitive prices. Give us a try. Our fast, friendly service will keep you coming back. Over 50 Years Of Service To The Trap & Fur Industry

Request A Catalog Or Place An Order By Phone, Mail Or On Our Website If you get in the area, visit our store!

We are the new home of “Trappers Hide Tanning Formula” in the bright orange bottle. Retail & dealer inquiries are welcome.

P.O. Box 408, Owatonna, Minnesota 55060 • (507) 451-7607 trapper@nwtrappers.com • www.nwtrappers.com nwsportsmanmag.com | FEBRUARY 2024

Northwest Sportsman 49

HUNTING IN B.C. WOLF

BLACK BEAR MOOSE TAIN GOAT Contact Us To N U O M L YNX Start Your Hunting Adventure 250-644-0081 • telkwariveroutfitters@gmail.com • telkwariveroutfitters.com

50 Northwest Sportsman FEBRUARY 2024 | nwsportsmanmag.com

The Braatens of Northcentral Washington struck out on deer last season, but they enjoyed good hunting for turkeys and predators, including this big mountain lion taken by Eric. (KNIFE

A whole lot of patterning went into Brandon Jewett’s Washington fall bruin, starting back in mid- to late spring and continuing into summer as the Yakimaarea hunter dialed in his boar’s all-hours “rounds,” as he calls them. When the August 1 opener arrived, Jewett found himself in the bear’s area of highest activity. “I knew it was going to be a long sit. After baking in the sun and contemplating a nap in the shade further up the hill, he showed up, silently and suddenly. It was over for him just as quickly. I find chasing bears to be very intimate. If you are going to commit to hunting bears, you come to know them. You have to. It makes the kill personal but honorable for the animal. I hope everyone hunting these animals respects them as much as I do.” Here here. (KNIFE PHOTO CONTEST)

PHOTO CONTEST)

From tuna out on the briny blue to pronghorns in Montana and trout in Northcentral Washington, Kelly Frazier gets out there, and last October was no exception! Here she is with her four-point (five-point including eyeguards) muley.

It was a season of firsts for Cash Craig. Not long after going on his first waterfowl hunt and bagging his first wigeons, he filled his youth antlerless elk tag in Central Washington’s Cowiche Unit. Proud dad Nathan reports Cash passed on an initial long shot at an elk before missing another with his 6.5 Creedmoor. Switching to his .243, he tipped over this young cow at 60 yards. It was his, yep, first elk.

(KNIFE PHOTO CONTEST)

Brennon Hart’s 2023 deer hunt was a little different than usual. After downing a threepointer on day three of muzzleloader season in Walla Walla County, he decided to head out in search of coyotes. As he went to open a gate, he suddenly saw two rattlesnakes right at his feet. “He was able to use his sidearm and take them out, thank god,” says father, Randy. “This was a bit unnerving for a dad to see this; we knew they were there, but in 20 years have never seen a single one. Thankfully that kid of mine is well trained with the firearms … In case you’re wondering, yes, that night he ate the snakes, and a bit of tenderloin.” (KNIFE PHOTO CONTEST) nwsportsmanmag.com | FEBRUARY 2024

Northwest Sportsman 51

Like father, like son! Buzz and Wade Ramsey enjoyed a pretty fine October, bagging bucks on both sides of the Oregon-Washington border. Buzz took his Maupin Unit muley (this image) with a 500-yard shot, per his rangefinder, and then got his blacktail on the last day of Washington’s general season. New papa Wade tagged his deer in a productive week-and-a-half span. (BUZZ RAMSEY)

52 Northwest Sportsman FEBRUARY 2024 | nwsportsmanmag.com

SASKATCHEWAN, CANADA

BLACK BEAR HUNTS SPRING & FALL

Bear hunts cost is $4000 USD + taxes for a 6 day hunt, options to extend your hunt will be at extra cost. Food accommodations, guide and trophy preparation are all included in this price. These hunts will operate in the last week of April, May and October.

306-380-6204

noflyzone.info@gmail.com

nfzwaterfowl.com

nwsportsmanmag.com | FEBRUARY 2024

Northwest Sportsman 53

My Son’s First Deer

ctober 15, 2023. It was the second day of the Washington modern rifle deer season and my son Korben and I headed out for an evening hunt. Like all good hunters, we’d started several months earlier by putting in for special hunts and my son was lucky enough to draw a coveted youth antlerless tag. With it, we felt pretty good that he would at least have a few opportunities to fill his tag. I had also been out scouting a little and had an area that I’d seen five bucks and seven doe. With those ratios, I thought it would be a good place to take Korben. The only downside was the 11/2-mile hike to get in, and I do mean a hike. We walked in and found a nice spot to watch over the edge of some reprod in hopes that a buck or doe would come out in the evening to feed. We sat and glassed for a few hours and only saw one little spike,

Korben Herman beams over his first deer, a Washington doe taken on an antlerless tag he’d drawn. He hunted with his proud father Brad. (KNIFE PHOTO CONTEST) but it was not legal since the unit we hunt is three-point-or-better. As the sun fell behind the mountains, we decided to walk out through the clearing since it would be a little faster and there was a possibility of kicking something up on the way out. I was leading the way down the hill next to a nice island of trees when I kicked out two doe. I yelled back to Korben that there was a doe. I pulled up on one of them just to make sure there were no horns, but they were close enough that I really did not need to. I heard my son yell, “Can I shoot?” I told him, “Yes!” Boom! Boom! He got off two quick shots with his 7mm, but I did not see what was happening, since he was behind me and the deer were over the hill. Next thing I knew, a doe came running up between us and disappeared over the edge of the hill to our left. As you can imagine, Korben, who is only 13, was very excited and maybe a bit overcome with buck fever. “Should I reload?” he asked. Not knowing what we had in store, I told him he should. Korben tried to gather himself, but the buck fever was strong and really had a hold on him. We started up the hill in the direction the doe had run; it was obvious

he had hit it, as it was not moving fast. We crested the hill and I saw the doe jump. “Korben, to your left!” I directed. He looked to his right. “No, Korben, your other left,” I said. The deer ran over the hill, which was not very far. We saw it laying down and thought it was dead, but then could see light being reflected from its eye. Korben got down and shot again. The deer ran up the hill but fell and rolled downhill. We got a little closer to it and when we saw its eye again, I had Korben shoot it a final time. We field-dressed the doe and had about a 400-yard drag back to the truck in the dark. Korben had had a successful doe hunt! He had everything I could have hoped for – a hike in, time spent together, peace and quiet with nature, followed by excitement, nervousness, fear and compassion. I am so happy to have been a part of this moment; I will never forget this hunt. Thank you, Korben, for helping to feed our family this season! –Brad Herman

nwsportsmanmag.com | FEBRUARY 2024

Northwest Sportsman 55

Bolt action! Mike Bolt had another great season, including a Washington muzzleloader spike and modern firearms buck, but daughter Grace has really come into her own as a hunter. Her elk was her third bull in four seasons, and with just one day left on her youth antlerless tag, she downed a doe with a 504yard shot, “her farthest shot yet!” (KNIFE PHOTO CONTEST)

nwsportsmanmag.com | FEBRUARY 2024

Northwest Sportsman 57

MIXED BAG

‘A Man Who Made A Difference’ Remembering Mike Meseberg, Columbia Basin resort co-owner, conservationist and so much more. By John Kruse

he fishing, hunting and conservation community has lost a passionate advocate and a very good man. Mike Meseberg, the longtime co-owner of MarDon Resort at Eastern Washington’s Potholes Reservoir, passed away at home with his family around him on December 26th. Mike, who was 71 years old, had been courageously battling cancer and the aftereffects of a stroke over the last four years. Mike was not just the man you saw in the resort’s tackle shop dispensing fishing advice, helping customers fix the broken tips on their rods, or teaching them how to catch the various species of fish found in the lake. He was more than the man who would take you out to the sand dunes to go after waterfowl and then cook up fresh duck kabobs in the blind during a guided hunt with the MarDon Duck Taxi. He also was more than the man who would cheerfully carry on a five-minute conversation for a half hour. He was a man who made a difference in the Columbia Basin and in Washington State.

MIKE’S MOST OBVIOUS legacy is the resort he and his family took over from his mother and father, who purchased MarDon in 1972. When I first started coming here in the 1990s, the wooden dock floats of the marina were approaching the end of their life span, the hook-ups for the RVs were in similar

Mike Meseberg passed away on December 26, 2023, at 71 years old. He and his family have owned MarDon Resort on the Columbia Basin’s Potholes Reservoir for over 50 years, but Meseberg’s legacy encompasses that and so much more. (MARDON RESORT)

nwsportsmanmag.com | FEBRUARY 2024 Northwest Sportsman

MIXED BAG Meseberg was honored in the July 2007 issue of Field & Stream magazine as a Hero of Conservation for his work to restore warmwater species at Potholes. That kind of dedication to conservation runs in the family; a state hatchery elsewhere in the Columbia Basin is named after his father, Rod. (FIELD & STREAM)

shape, and if you were looking for motel-style accommodations, you had your choice between the bunkhouse motel or the older strip of motel rooms near the swim beach that were cooled not by airconditioning, but by swamp coolers. About 20 years ago Mike, his brother Dave and his wife Marilyn removed the old strip of motel rooms and replaced it with several park-model cottages overlooking the swim beach, giving guests a perfect view of the lake and summertime sunsets. Dave then retired, which allowed Mike to have his dream of having his kids work with him as their career choice. Levi and Annie jumped in full time and began an ambitious remodel and expansion of the resort. The dock on the marina was overhauled and additional park cottages were put in, along with other roofed accommodations. As the resort improvements continued, Mike’s son took the lead. The RV sites were completely updated and a whole area was added to the resort west of its historical boundary, with more RV sites and small 60 Northwest Sportsman FEBRUARY 2024 | nwsportsmanmag.com

camper cabins. After that, Levi designed and built a putting course on the resort grounds and the bunkhouse motel was torn down, making room for some wonderful two-bedroom cabins that opened up last year. Mike had a part in all of this, though in truth the entire family helped with planning, permitting and building this ambitious dream that is now a reality. Today, the resort is pretty much full from April through October, a testament to the vision of the Meseberg family.

THE RESORT IS certainly a visible and lasting part of Mike’s legacy, but what he left behind as a hunter, fisherman and conservationist is also very important. More than anything else, Mike should be remembered as the man who saved Potholes Reservoir and made it into the sustainable multispecies fishery it is today, regularly named as one of the top 25 bass lakes in the country by Bassmaster magazine and also known as a quality walleye, panfish, trout and catfish destination. It’s easy to take the fishing for granted,

but if it wasn’t for Mike, his family and a number of volunteers, the fishing would have cratered years ago. Potholes Reservoir was created in 1949 when O’Sullivan Dam was built. The flooded brush degraded over the years and when Mount Saint Helens erupted, the ash that fell not only covered the bottom of the reservoir, but also smothered the fish eggs from the 1980 spawn. In addition, there was severe overfishing of panfish in the 1960s and ’70s, when anglers regularly filled up five-gallon buckets of fish to take home. The sand dunes area at the north end of the reservoir provides great habitat for fish in the spring, but the water drains from there in the summer and early fall, forcing the small fry to enter the main lake. The young fish were met there, in Mike’s words, by a moonscape, devoid of cover, and they were easily consumed by the walleye and bass in the main reservoir. By the late 1990s, the reservoir’s fisheries were in a significant decline. That was the reason Mike’s dad Rod, along with Ron Sawyer, founded the Central Washington Fish Advisory Committee. In 2005, CWFAC became a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. With Mike as the chairman, CWFAC went to work restoring the reservoir and its habitat. Mike got the idea about how to do it when he visited Lake Havasu some 20-plus years ago. Conservationists there were dealing with similar issues of forage fish not having cover and came up with the idea of constructing habitat boxes, made of PVC and surrounded by mesh netting, that were anchored to the bottom and provided a safe place for the small fry to survive from bigger predatory fish. Returning to Potholes, Mike and his family began building similar habitat boxes, but instead of anchoring them, the PVC pipes had holes drilled through them to let them sink and remain on the bottom. With the help of volunteers and through donations, CWFAC began dropping these habitat boxes into the reservoir, forming three reefs at the outlets of the main

MIXED BAG Meseberg on a duck hunting trip at Potholes, home of the family’s famous Duck Taxi. Born in Miles City, Montana, in 1952 and raised in Seattle, Meseberg was drafted out of high school by the Pittsburgh Pirates but chose to go to college in Lewiston to become an educator. After marrying Marilyn, his wife of 48 years, the couple moved to his parents’ resort and eventually took it over and ran it with their son and daughter, Levi and Annie. (JOHN KRUSE)

channels and creeks flowing into the lake. The experiment worked. In 2007, Mike was named one of Field & Stream magazine’s Heroes of Conservation for the habitat work he was spearheading at Potholes Reservoir. To date, over 3,000 habitat boxes have been dropped into the lake. The work has been funded over the years by grants, donations and by anglers through bass and walleye tournaments held out of MarDon Resort.

MIKE ALSO WAS often a lone prophet in the wilderness of Washington advocating for warmwater fisheries as a member of the state’s Inland Fisheries Advisory Group. Mike stood up for warmwater species in a state where coldwater fisheries remain king and fish like walleye, bass and panfish were looked down on by biologists and managers in favor of the salmon, steelhead and trout fisheries Washington is known for. At a time when the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife was pushing to remove limits on many warmwater species, Mike pushed for size and quantity limits for walleye, perch, crappie and bluegill. Today, not only Potholes Reservoir but a number of other lakes and reservoirs throughout the Columbia Basin provide excellent sustainable fishing to thousands of anglers every year, and this is a true gift Mike leaves behind for all of us. 62 Northwest Sportsman FEBRUARY 2024 | nwsportsmanmag.com

Mike’s legacy doesn’t stop with fisheries conservation. He also did a lot for waterfowl conservation and for local students in the Royal School District. In addition to helping Marilyn put on Ducks Unlimited banquets, Mike also served on the Washington State Waterfowl Art Committee. Back when Washington had a physical state duck stamp to put on your hunting license, the committee would steer artists towards an annual stamp and choose the one that would grace the licenses for the year. The funds from the sale of these duck stamps were used to enhance wetland habitat. In addition to serving on this committee, Mike also was a member of the state’s Waterfowl Advisory Group. Altogether, Mike spent close to 20 years serving on the Waterfowl Advisory and Inland Fish Advisory Groups, panels meant to enhance warmwater fisheries, waterfowl and habitat. In 1992, Mike and several other parents came up with a novel way to raise funds for the Royal School District’s after-school and athletic programs. They decided to start a hunt club, known as the Royal Slope Youth Boosters. A limited number of season permits were sold out of the store at MarDon allowing pheasant, quail, duck and goose hunters to access up to 25,000 acres of private land owned by participating farmers in the region. The

program has provided several hundred thousand dollars to the students of the school district over the last 20 years, another memorable legacy.

MIKE LEAVES BEHIND a loving wife (Marilyn) and two grown children (Levi and Annie) who are carrying on the family business of running MarDon Resort, an oasis in the desert for generations of hunters, anglers and outdoor enthusiasts. He also leaves behind a better place for all of us who love to hunt, fish and watch wildlife in the Columbia Basin. I got to speak with Marilyn, Annie and Levi as I prepared to write this article about Mike and I asked them to share some of their memories about him. Annie told me about how her dad would take her and Levi out as young kids onto the lake for an evening of fishing. Mike tended to stay out pretty late, so much so that Annie and Levi would climb into a sleeping bag towards the bow of the boat and fall asleep. Annie especially remembers waking up on the boat ride back to the resort at night and looking at all the stars above her. Marilyn, when asked about Mike’s legacy, said it was probably about how many people he taught to fish. He would teach them how to put a worm on a hook, how to cast, and fix the broken tips of their fishing rods. He went to college to become a teacher but never taught in a school. However, Mike was a natural-born teacher, a lover of the outdoors, and he shared this with everyone. I think we can all agree with Marilyn’s assessment that Mike was very generous with his time and his love. Marilyn also told me that all this being said, Mike’s true legacy lies in the grandchildren that he leaves behind. Mike was a true family man. He rarely missed a grandkid’s sporting or school event. And he has shared his passion for the outdoors with them and has left this earth with the knowledge that they will carry on! NS Editor’s notes: The Meseberg family suggests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made instead to the Central Washington Fish Advisory Committee. Author John Kruse hosts Northwestern Outdoor Radio, a weekly radio show heard on 69 stations throughout the Northwest and beyond.

MIXED BAG

Report Details New Poaching Prosecution Focus In Washington

recent report to Washington state lawmakers details how a budget proviso has increased funding for prosecuting poachers, but also highlights the uphill battle game wardens face just getting fish and wildlife cases adjudicated. A Department of Fish and Wildlife review of its records management system found 2,241 fishing-related criminal citations were filed with courts or referred by agency officers to county prosecutors from 2020 through 2022, and at the district court level, 720 charges went on to be actually filed in court, resulting in 438 dismissed charges, 129 amended to an alternative charge or lowered to an infraction, 115 guilty pleas or similar court finding, 33 charges deferred then dismissed, and one person found not guilty or acquitted. (The final four of those 720 charges are pending.) On the big game hunting side, of 895 charges filed or referred during the same time period, just 266 were entered into district court by officers or prosecutors, with 133 of those charges dismissed, 56 amended to an alternative charge or lowered to an infraction, 41 guilty pleas or similar findings, 35 deferrals or diversions and one charge resulting in a not guilty verdict or acquittal. “The low conviction rate should not be interpreted as a reflection of poor case preparation,” WDFW’s December 1, 2023, report to the legislature states. “Officers take great pride in their cases because of the extraordinary amount of time invested into an investigation. When charges are referred it is because the officer has

By Andy Walgamott

identified those as the most appropriate based on the totality of the circumstance and facts known at the time. Cases are well put together and detail the events to a level seen in many felony-based investigations.”

THE REPORT WAS a requirement of the state’s 2022 supplemental operating budget, which set aside $852,000 from the General Fund for the state Attorney General’s Office to go after fish, wildlife and environmental crimes referred to them by WDFW officers. That has led to the hiring of three prosecutors in the AGO’s Environmental Protection Division, and so far they have reviewed 24 investigations, been referred 22 cases, filed five and declined six. We featured one of the filed cases here in the October issue, the North Bend man accused of illegally baiting bears as well as hunting deer and elk without tags, during closed seasons, exceeding bag limits and wasting game. The new focus has had other benefits. “Although the prosecution of fish and wildlife cases has not drastically increased, the understanding of and education around fish and wildlife law enforcement has grown significantly. EPD prosecutors are becoming subject matter experts in the field of fish and wildlife and the relationships they are creating with officers cannot be understated,” wrote WDFW Director Kelly Susewind in a report introduction to legislators. An agency detective is now on the interview panel for prospective EPD hires, and wardens have been taking prosecutors out on ride-alongs and field trips to give

(OSP)

KUDOS A sick day turned into a payday for Gage, an 11-year-old Oregon boy who received a $1,000 reward for calling in a poacher he saw illegally shoot a deer on private property. State Fish and Wildlife Division troopers were able to track down and cite the shooter. Funding for Gage’s reward comes from the Oregon Hunters Association’s Turn In Poachers program and according to OSP, while the lad wasn’t sure how he’d spend his money, he was considering a pair of virtual reality goggles for gaming. “Thank you, Gage, for making the choice to do the right thing!” said troopers. Here here!

JACKASS OF THE MONTH

Montana man ducked the harshest potential penalties for shooting a semiauto handgun into an elk herd, killing two bulls, while driving home from a party so as to “make these b*****s move,”but last December he was ordered to pay $8,200 in restitution for killing another trophy bull, serve

28 days in jail and can’t hunt for 10 years after being convicted of five game violations. Earl Russell “Road Rage Poacher” Benes, 27, of Roundup, had been facing eight felonies among 24 charges after being accused of killing the three large bulls over several days in 2019, crimes that would have resulted in a maximum of almost $280,000 in penalties and 83 years in jail, but it’s believed that even though Benes

reportedly admitted to wardens he did it, because the gun used on the first two elk wasn’t found, a jury couldn’t convict him on those charges. In Montana, a single juror can derail a verdict. However, the court of public opinion is less lenient, especially seeing as how Benes was convicted in 2018 of running pronghorn down with his vehicle and shooting them, losing his hunting for four years as a result. nwsportsmanmag.com | FEBRUARY 2024 Northwest Sportsman

MIXED BAG

Poachers Catch New Klickitat Salmon Species!

ashington Department of Fish and Wildlife Police reported that a new subspecies of salmon was discovered in late 2023 on the Klickitat River – “Procyon Lotor Kisutch.” Uhhh, say what?!? Raccoon salmon. As the story goes, a group of two-legged bandits were working over late-returning coho – scientifically known as Oncorhynchus kisutch – when they caught the sharp eyes of Student Officer Lehr and Officer Myers from WDFW’s Detachment 53, one of 24 such units around the state. Upon contact, the crew said they didn’t have any fish, but then the officers spotted a nearby garbage bag that happened to be “moving.” “When asked about it, one of the anglers said that maybe a ‘raccoon’ was in the bag,” wardens reported. However, when said sack was opened, there were no trash pandas inside, just “a large number of salmon.” Eight adult and jack coho, to be exact. WDFW Police reports that overlimit charges were filed.

66 Northwest Sportsman FEBRUARY 2024 | nwsportsmanmag.com

them a better feel for the resources and why they need stronger protecting. And there’s a newfound synergy as officers reach out to EPD in hopes of having them prosecute cases instead of counties. The report also offers a high-level rundown of how punishments for fish and wildlife violations have been meted out over the decades and how starting in 2017, WDFW started to see “a troubling trend of fish and wildlife related cases not being prosecuted in a growing number of counties.” That was attributed to overwhelming case loads for prosecutors who often prioritize crimes against people over those against critters, staff turnover, and “failure” on the part of some prosecutors to grasp the wider implications of not going after violators. It had the agency in 2020 requesting code changes to make more criminal violations just infractions so as to get closure on cases but leaving a core of offenses it felt were “most important and necessary to retain.” As of late 2023, WDFW had OKed reimbursing $140,492 billable hours of work by EPD, most of which has occurred since last spring and the hiring of two of the three new dedicated prosecutors. “With the addition of a third prosecutor and the increase in case-related activity, there should be a notable increase in billable hours,” the report states. In a sense, the approach is not unlike what’s being done in Oregon via the state legislature’s focus on poaching and the hiring of prosecutor Jay Hall in the state Department of Justice to go after wildlife violators and environmental crimes. “WDFW Police is excited and encouraged to see this partnership grow and expand so that we may continue to prosecute and deter those that negatively impact our state’s natural resources,” the WDFW report to lawmakers concludes.

OUTDOOR

CALENDAR

FEBRUARY

Oregon and Washington statewide veterans and active military waterfowl hunting day; Washington statewide youth waterfowl hunting day; Oregon MidColumbia Zone white and white-fronted late goose season opener; Portions of Washington’s Skagit and Sauk Rivers open for wild steelhead catch-and-release fishing (open Saturdays-Wednesdays only) 6-12 Tentative razor clam digs scheduled on select Washington Coast beaches, dependent on marine toxin levels – info: wdfw.wa.gov 7 ODFW Intro to Hunting class ($, registration), Sportsman’s Warehouse, Portland – info: myodfw.com/workshops-and-events 10 Oregon Northwest Permit Zone late goose season opener; Deadline to apply for Oregon spring bear permits; Washington Goose Management Area 1 late white goose opener; Washington GMA 2 Coast and Inland Units late goose opener (state wildlife areas, federal refuges closed; select dates) 15 Last day to apply for Idaho spring bear permits; Last day of steelhead fishing in select Puget Sound terminal areas; ODFW Intro to Hunting classes ($, registration), Newport, Portland – info above 17 Washington GMA 4 late white goose season opener 17-18 Free Fishing Weekend in Oregon 18 Last day of Oregon Zone 1 snipe hunt 21-25 Tentative razor clam digs scheduled on select Washington Coast beaches, dependent on marine toxin levels – info above

SAILFISH MARLIN YELLOWFIN TUNA WAHOO DORADO ROOSTER FISH Family-Friendly Travel & Vacationing!

30’-40’ Sportfishing Cruisers Los Sueños Marina 10 minutes north of JACO, COSTA RICA

Mark & Merry Coleman US 425-736-8920 CR 506-4001-8430

WWW.CATCHFISHCOSTARICA.COM

Catch-and-release season for wild steelhead on Washington's upper Skagit and lower Sauk Rivers opens February 3 and runs into mid-April, with fishing open Saturdays through Wednesdays of each week. Adam Perez caught this beaut on the Sauk last year. (KNIFE PHOTO CONTEST)

nwsportsmanmag.com | FEBRUARY 2024

Northwest Sportsman 69

22 ODFW Intro to Hunting class ($, registration), Sportsman’s Warehouse, Portland – info above

24 Oregon South Coast Zone late goose season opener 28 Last day of bobcat and fox seasons in Oregon; Last scheduled day of steelheading on numerous Washington Coast rivers and creeks

29-March 1 First Hunt Foundation and Pheasants Forever mentored pheasant hunt (free; new women hunters; 18 years and up), Double Barrel Ranch, Rockford, Washington – info: Rachel Voss, Rachelv@ firsthuntfoundation.org; Kelly Merrick, wow@bmpf258.org

MARCH 1

Lake Billy Chinook’s Metolius Arm opens for fishing; Numerous Eastern Washington lakes open for fishing; Blackmouth opener on Washington Marine Areas 10 and 11 3 Last day of Washington GMA 4 late white goose season 6 Last day of Washington GMA 2 Coast and Inland Units late goose seasons 9 Bottomfish, lingcod, rockfish and cabezon season openers on Marine Areas 1-3 and Area 4 west of Bonilla-Tatoosh line 10 Last day of Oregon Northwest Permit and South Coast Zones goose seasons, and High Desert and Blue Mountains Zone white and white-fronted goose seasons 15 Last day of bobcat, fox, raccoon, rabbit and hare seasons in Washington; Leftover Oregon spring black bear tags go on sale at 10 a.m. 20 Washington sea duck, Southwest Canada goose, snow goose and brant harvest reports due 31 Last day 2023-24 Washington fishing and hunting licenses valid; Last scheduled day of steelheading on remaining open Washington Coast systems; Washington small game, Westside pheasant and migratory bird reporting deadline

APRIL 1

New Washington fishing, hunting licenses required; Opening day of spring black bear hunts in select Idaho and all controlled Oregon units 1-7 Washington youth turkey hunting week 8-14 Idaho youth turkey hunting week 13-14 Oregon youth turkey hunting weekend; 47th Annual Oregon Knife Show, Lane Events Center, Eugene – info: oregonknifecollectors.com 15 General spring turkey season opener in Idaho, Oregon and Washington; Opening day of black bear hunts in most remaining Idaho units 17 Last day of wild steelhead catch-and-release fishing on portions of Washington’s Skagit and Sauk Rivers (open Saturdays-Wednesdays only) 22 Fishing or bait opener on select Oregon waters 27 Opening day of lowland lake fishing season in Washington; Start of Washington Trout Derby at select lakes – info: wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/contests/trout-derby 30 Last day of Washington late cougar season – quota info: wdfw.wa.gov/ hunting/regulations/big-game/cougar

MAY 1

2024 Northern Pikeminnow Sport-reward Program fishery begins on Columbia and Snake Rivers – info: pikeminnow.org 15 Oregon fall controlled big game permit purchase application deadline 25 Last day to hunt turkeys in Idaho 31 Last day of Oregon, Washington spring turkey season; Last day of Oregon spring bear seasons

JUNE 1-2 Oregon Free Fishing Weekend 8 Idaho Free Fishing Day 8-9 Washington Free Fishing Weekend 70 Northwest Sportsman FEBRUARY 2024 | nwsportsmanmag.com

33rd Annual Central Washington Sportsmen Show February 23-25, 2024 Yakima Valley SunDome ADMISSION

$15 per adult $10 per child Children under age 6 are FREE! Special admission prices are also available for seniors, police, fire and veterans. Paid admission is good for all 3 days! Parking is FREE courtesy of JLM Productions LLC

Contact Information Josh and Jennifer McClanathan JLM Productions LLC 110 E 5th Ave, Ritzville, WA 99169 JLMProductions22@gmail.com 907-521-7264 or 907-521-7261 JLMProductionsLLC.com

nce again, the Central Washington Sportsmen Show is set to open the doors at the Yakima Valley SunDome after a successful return one year ago. Josh and Jennifer McClanathan, continue to expand and update this popular show into an all-encompassing outdoors and sportsmen show. The show will feature a new lure demo tank along with other new and exciting changes. The SunDome will once again feature quality exhibits, displays, and presentations with lots to see and do for the entire family. Everything from hunting and fishing gear and guides, outdoor displays and exhibits, fishing boats, camp trailers, tractors, homesteading supplies and ATVs.

2024 BOAT AND SPORTSMEN’S SHOW

CAL EN DAR

A scorer measures a buck’s antlers at last year’s Pacific Northwest Sportsmen’s Show in Portland. Held at the Expo Center, the event is billed as the largest such show west of the Mississippi. (ANDY WALGAMOTT)

FEBRUARY Jan. 31-Feb. 4 Vancouver International Boat Show, BC Place and Granville Island, Vancouver, BC; vancouverboatshow.ca

Jan. 31-Feb. 4 Washington Sportsmen’s Show, Washington State Fair

Events Center, Puyallup; otshows.com Eugene Boat & Sportsmen’s Show, Lane Events Center, Eugene; exposureshows.com 2-10 Seattle Boat Show, Lumen Field Event Center and Bell Harbor Marina, Seattle; seattleboatshow.com 9-11 Douglas County Sportsmen’s & Outdoor Recreation Show, Douglas County Fairgrounds, Roseburg; exposureshows.com 9-11 Willamette Sportsman Show, Linn County Expo Center, Albany; willamettesportsmanshow.com 14-18 Pacific Northwest Sportsmen’s Show, Expo Center, Portland; otshows.com 17-18 The Fly Fishing Show, Meydenbauer Center, Bellevue; flyfishingshow.com 23-25 Central Washington Sportsmen Show, Yakima Valley Sundome, Yakima; jlmproductionsllc.com 23-25 Jackson County Sportsmen’s & Outdoor Recreation Show, Jackson County Expo, Medford; exposureshows.com 24-25 Saltwater Sportsmen’s Show, Oregon State Fairgrounds, Salem; saltwatersportsmensshow.com 29-March 3 The Idaho Sportsman Show, Expo Idaho, Boise; idahosportsmanshow.com

2-4

MARCH 1-3 7-10 8-9 8-10 14-17 15-17

BC Sportsmen’s Show, Tradex, Abbotsford, BC; bcsportsmenshow.ca Central Oregon Sportsmen’s Show, Deschutes County Fair & Expo Center, Redmond; otshows.coma Northwest Fly Tyer & Fly Fishing Expo, Linn County Fairgrounds, Albany; nwexpo.com Victoria Boat and Fishing Show, Pearkes Recreation Centre, Victoria, BC; victoriaboatshow.com Big Horn Outdoor Adventure Show, Spokane Fair & Expo Center, Spokane; bighornshow.com Klamath Falls Sportsmen’s & Outdoor Recreation Show, Klamath County Fairgrounds, Klamath Falls; exposureshows.com

MAY 4

Fly Casting Fair, Ballinger Park, Mountlake Terrace, Washington; flyfishersinternational.org 16-18 Anacortes Boat & Yacht Show, Cap Sante Marina, Anacortes; anacortesboatandyachtshow.com nwsportsmanmag.com | FEBRUARY 2024

Northwest Sportsman 73

74 Northwest Sportsman

FEBRUARY 2024 | nwsportsmanmag.com

COLUMN

3 Top Steelhead Tactics For Drift Boaters

esigned for Northwest rivers, owning a drift boat can provide you with miles of steelhead stream access and enable you to try angling methods not available to those fishing from shore. The feeling of a living river – the Northwest is blessed with many – running under your craft as you maneuver downstream can take your fishing adventures to the next level. And while you might start off catching fish using the same fishing methods you did when angling from shore, having a drift boat will allow you to employ what might be new-to-you techniques, all fun to learn and effective at catching fish – given the right water conditions. You might learn some of these new methods from a friend, by BUZZ RAMSEY booking a trip with a guide, or by reading the balance of this article. What many boaters do is carry several sets of rods, each prerigged for different fishing methods so that they can quickly switch from one technique to another. Water conditions might dictate what fishing outfits you take along. For example, when your chosen river is low and clear, you might place more emphasis on fishing a steelhead jig under a bobber, back-trolling plugs or working a spoon or spinner. Here are descriptions of some of the fishing methods popular among the drift boat crowd.

BACK-TROLLING PLUGS Holding your boat midstream (by rowing) with a diving plug tailing out downstream 50 feet while allowing your craft to slowly slip toward the tailout might sound like a mindless fishing method. But believe me, doing this effectively is more difficult than you might

Fishing for winter steelhead out of a drift boat opens up more water and the playbook of productive techniques for anglers. (CHASE GUNNELL)

nwsportsmanmag.com | FEBRUARY 2024

Northwest Sportsman 75

COLUMN your thumb firmly planted on the reel spool (presuming it’s a baitcaster) when you do. You don’t want to set with a quick snap of the rod; rather, pull the hooks into the fish with a strong and firm upward motion. And while any rod and reel outfit will work when plugging, most dedicated plug fishermen employ magnum-taper rods measuring around 8 feet in length, in combination with a baitcasting reel having a linecounter. A rod having a light tip can enhance the action of the plug and allow you to better monitor its wiggle. The idea behind using rods with a heavy butt section is to facilitate a strong hookset.

Fishing guide Bob Rees shows off a winter steelhead he caught from Oregon’s Wilson River while back-trolling a Mag Lip plug. (BUZZ RAMSEY)

SIDE DRIFTING

think and will absolutely make you a better oarsman. After all, given the combined weight of your gear and friends, your job will be to maneuver a 1,200-pound drift boat in a way that positions a 1/4-ounce plug or plugs in front of a steelhead. Keep in mind, this fishing method works best when river levels are medium to low in height, meaning the color of the river should range from steelhead green (4 to 5 feet of visibility) to gin clear. The idea is to begin your back-troll by holding your boat steady in the river current, at the head end of a hole or drift, let your plugs float out downstream from your boat, engage your reel (this will cause your plugs to dive) and then row just enough 76 Northwest Sportsman

FEBRUARY 2024 | nwsportsmanmag.com

so your boat will slowly drop downstream while allowing the river current to keep your plugs diving near bottom. Under most conditions you’ll want to run your lures 50 feet behind your boat. In short runs you may decide to run your plugs only 30 feet back. The reason: By the time you get your boat stopped and plugs out, you may be mostly through the drift. To facilitate a deep dive or when fish might be spooked due to clear water and/ or heavy boating pressure, try positioning your plugs 60 feet or more from your craft. The strike of a steelhead hitting a plug is likely the hardest one you will ever feel. It’s important to wait until the rod bottoms out before setting the hook and to have

Similar to when back-trolling plugs, the way you maneuver your boat will have everything to do with your success while side drifting. That is, your boat is more than simply a casting platform, since to do this technique correctly, the boat operator must keep the drifter moving downstream at or slightly slower than the river current. Once again, you will be starting at the head end of a hole or drift and begin moving downstream with the current, at which time you will need your fishing companions to cast in parallel out, across and upstream from your craft. It will then be your job to keep your boat moving just ahead of or even with your lines as they drift along in the current. Because your boat is moving at the same speed as your outfits, little or no line belly develops, meaning very little weight is needed to keep your offerings close to the bottom. Unlike when drift fishing from shore, you’re not looking for a steady tapping of your sinker on the river bottom, as an occasional tap is plenty good. Some anglers, depending on river height, will use a single split shot; most employ a short slinky-type sinker consisting of three to six shot, which is the correct amount of weight for this fishing method most of the time. With side drifting, the feel of a steelhead taking your bait will be the same as when getting hung on the bottom. However, there is no big yank necessary as compared to drift fishing; instead, just wait and watch your rod tip until it starts to throb and then pull up slowly and firmly. After all, how can the fish back up fast enough to throw your

SERVING OLYMPIA, LACEY, TUMWATER, SHELTON, TACOMA, SEATTLE AND BEYOND

QUALITY BOAT SALES AND SERVICE EXCELLENCE FOR OVER 50 YEARS!

SUZUKI REPOWER SALE

CALL FOR PRICING ON YOUR BOAT

Winner of Suzuki’s Top Service Award 7 Years In A Row!

ALL MODELS ON SALE NOW!

SALES & SERVICE LOCATED RIGHT ON THE WATER — 8141 WALNUT ROAD NE • OLYMPIA, WA 98516

360-491-7388 • PUGETMARINA.COM

COLUMN

Side drifting an egg cluster yielded this Wilson chromer for Terry Otto. (BUZZ RAMSEY) hook when there is little or no line belly and your outfit is being pulled constantly downstream by your drifting boat? A thumbnail-sized egg cluster threaded on a size 1/0, 1, 2 or perhaps 4 single hook is what works when side drifting. Some anglers rig a double-hook outfit in combination with a size 12 Corky sandwiched between two size 4 singles. This rigging, when fished in combination with a small egg cluster, adds just the right amount of buoyancy – enough to float slightly above bottom (thus reducing hangups) but not so much as to float your offering above the zone where fish hold. Leader lengths average 30 to 50 inches – the clearer the water, the longer the leader. Anglers who excel at side drifting are those who can cast accurately and keep a little slack in their line. Leaving a little bow 78 Northwest Sportsman

FEBRUARY 2024 | nwsportsmanmag.com

in your line allows for a more natural drift, as doing so enables the current to direct your bait to where fish hold – after all, fish naturally position themselves where it’s easy treading and the current will funnel feed (in this case, your bait) to them. Although it varies by region, dedicated side drifting rods are usually of the spinning variety in a medium-light action and measure 9 feet in length. As for line, many anglers rely on 10-pound-test high-vis monofilament or 30-pound-test braid. The idea with high-vis line (in combination with a fluorocarbon leader) is so the person operating the boat can see the lines while maneuvering downstream with the current.

BOBBER DOGGIN’ If not already part of your repertoire, bobber doggin’ is a fishing method you should not

overlook. This method is different than float fishing in that with this technique you want your weight and trailing bait to be bouncing bottom and your bobber used as a strike indicator as the bobber’s drag helps move your outfit downstream. Rigging up for bobber doggin’ requires you to thread a free-sliding bobber onto your main line above your weight. A bead and bobber stop is used to keep your bobber 6 to 10 feet (position depends on water depth) above your weight when drifting downriver. The advantage of having your bobber rigged to slide is it will be positioned just above your weight for casting but slide up your main line after your outfit hits the water. As such, your bobber – especially if it’s a long one – will ride along in an angled fashion. The bobber keeps your offering positioned near bottom where steelhead hold and the outfit drifting straight downriver. In addition, the upward pull of the bobber helps keep your weight from hanging bottom as it bounces along. You will quickly discover that this method does not require as much weight as compared to drift fishing from a stationary position because much of your main line is on or above the water. In addition, you are not fighting the line belly associated with drift fishing. Done correctly, bobber doggin’ offers a more realistic “drift” presentation, because your bobber is pulling your outfit straight downriver, which can result in more bites and subsequent hookups. Here’s how: Cast out, across and upstream using enough weight so it and your trailing bait will sink to the bottom and drift along slightly slower than the surface current. Your bobber will keep your outfit drifting straight downriver, providing you leave several feet of line floating on the surface ahead of it. In addition – and unlike when employing the drift fishing method – your outfit will not swing in near shore as it drifts downriver. While you want several feet of line running downriver ahead of your bobber to keep it riding in line with the current, you may have to mend excess line upriver so that you can set the hook if and when a fish pulls your bobber under. The advantage of employing this

LIGHTWEIGHT. The lightest 200-hp four stroke on the market LIGHTWEIGHT. The lightest 200-hp four stroke on the market POWERFUL. 2.8L displacement and Variable Camshaft Timing give it the best power-to-weight ratio POWERFUL. of any 200-hp four stroke 2.8L displacement and Variable Camshaft

Timing give it the best power-to-weight ratio of any 200-hp four stroke

COMPACT. COMPACT. Nearly 120 pounds lighter than our Nearly 120 pounds lighter than our four-stroke V6 F200 four-stroke V6 F200

THE F200 IN-LINE FOUR.

FORWARD THINKING. FORWARD THINKING. THE F200 IN-LINE FOUR.

Show the water who’s boss with the F200 In-Line Four. Incredibly light, responsive and fuel efficient, it serves up plenty of muscle to handily propel a variety of boats. On top of that, its 50-amp alternator offers Show the water boss the F200 In-Line Four. Incredibly responsive and fuel efficient, the power to addwho’s a range of with electronics, and its 26-inch mounting light, centers and compatibility with either itmechanical serves up plenty of muscle to handily propel a variety of boats. On top of that, its 50-amp alternator offers or digital controls give you the flexibility to easily upgrade your outboard or rigging. Experience the power to add a range of electronics, and its 26-inch mounting centers and compatibility with either legendary Yamaha reliability and the freedom of forward thinking, with the F200 In-Line Four. mechanical or digital controls give you the flexibility to easily upgrade your outboard or rigging. Experience legendary Yamaha reliability and the freedom of forward thinking, with the F200 In-Line Four. OREGON

WASHINGTON

COOS BAY Y Marina (541) 888-5501 www.ymarinaboats.com

CHINOOK Chinook Marine Repair, Inc. (800) 457-9459 www.chinookmarinerepair.com

EVERETT Everett Bayside Marine (425) 252-3088 www.baysidemarine.com

MOUNT VERNON Tom-n-Jerry’s Boat Center, Inc. (360) 466-9955 www.tomnjerrys.net

EUGENE Maxxum Marine (541) 686-3572 www.maxxummarine.com

EDMONDS Jacobsen’s Marine (206) 789-7474 www.jacobsensmarine.com

MOUNT VERNON Master Marine Boat Center, Inc. (360) 336-2176 www.mastermarine.com

OLYMPIA US Marine Sales & Service (800) 455-0818 www.usmarinesales.com

SHELTON Verle’s Sports Center (877) 426-0933 www.verles.com

MADRAS Madras Marine (541) 475-2476 www.madrasmarine.com

YamahaOutboards.com/F200InLine

Follow Yamaha on Facebook® and Twitter™

REMEMBER to always observe all applicable boating laws. Never drink and drive. Dress properly with a USCG-approved personal

YamahaOutboards.com/F200InLine

Follow Yamaha on Facebook® and Twitter™

intended to be an endorsement. 2013 Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A. All rights reserved. REMEMBER to always observe all©applicable boating laws. Never drink and drive. Dress properly with a USCG-approved personal intended to be an endorsement. © 2013 Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A. All rights reserved.

nwsportsmanmag.com | FEBRUARY 2024

Northwest Sportsman 79

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

TOP

DEALER

2023

1-877-426-0933 VERLES.COM

AVAILABLE SIZES

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

18'

20'

VISTA LR SERIES

BUY NOW G N I R P S R FO ! ! G N I T A O B

WE OFFER A LARGE INVENTORY OF QUALITY BRANDS

VERLES.COM

1-877-426-0933

COLUMN method from a boat is that you can extend your drift the full length of the hole by simply adjusting your downstream speed to match that of your bobber(s). Many boaters like to keep their craft floating even with or slightly ahead of their bobber(s), as doing so might help achieve a better hookset. Reeling and setting the hook if and when your bobber disappears is what most guides encourage their clients to do. As with side drifting, spinning rods and reels are the most popular for bobber doggin’, but rods generally are a little longer (9-foot-6) and of a heavier (medium) action. The reason for employing longer rods and a stouter action is to provide more hook-setting power, enough to overcome what might be more than a little line between you and the fish. NS Soft beads, in combination with scent like those offered by Pro-Cure, threaded on your leader and positioned a couple inches above your hook and held in place with a T-stop (inset) is what many anglers use to attract steelhead when bobber doggin’.That’s the technique Brandon Wedam used to catch this winter-run from Oregon’s Nestucca on a B&R Soft Bead while fishing with guide Dan Fisher. (BUZZ RAMSEY)

82 Northwest Sportsman

FEBRUARY 2024 | nwsportsmanmag.com

Editor’s note: Buzz Ramsey is regarded as a sportfishing authority, outdoor writer and proficient lure and fishing rod designer. As such, Buzz is now working with fishing rod manufacturer Douglas Outdoors as a member of their ambassador pro staff.

Transform your boat. T8

UTILITY TOWER

FISH & WAKE TOWER

BAREWEST HAS EXPANDED OUR CUSTOM PROJECT CAPACITY

WWW.BAREWEST.COM (503) 620-2195 18707 HWY 99E, HUBBARD, OR 97032

Rock Harbor Boats 13410 NE 175th Street • Woodinville, WA

SERVICE • SALES • PARTS NEW • USED • CONSIGNMENT Antares 7 Fishing

Monterey M4

Boulton Hook

Antares 8

Boulton Sentinel Pro

— FINANCING AVAILABLE —

PACIFIC NORTHWEST MERCURY REPOWER CENTER

Call or visit our website (425) 481-6934 rockharborboats.com

COLUMN

How To Catch A Keeper H

ow does one catch a keeper? Quite the fitting question for this time of year. FOR THE LOVE Even though there are OF THE TUG great depths to such By Sara Potter an accomplishment, at the end of the day the answers to this question are quite simple. One must possess true desire and total devotion to steelhead. The winter elements in nature will be waiting for you, testing you long before your keeper does, so that lifechanging desire must be there. You have to chase it like you stole it, throwing all caution to the wind. Anything that doesn’t demand you give such a chase probably isn’t worth the worry in the end. Who likes easy anyways? Apparently not steelhead fishermen. That’s for sure! Beyond the desire to chase, one must show due diligence. Not just some mediocre devotion; it must be full-blown! We are talking about a keeper here! That means a total-willingness-to-face-theelements-never-giving-up-despite-allodds type of devotion. Again, if it doesn’t take your devotion to earn that special connection, it probably isn’t that special. Chances are it wasn’t bad, but was it really worth it? Did it tug at your heart strings and you tugged right back? The older I get, the more I realize we must weigh the worths in life.

IT HELPS TO know as much as possible about the creature you are pursuing, it is true. Who they are, what they like, what they don’t like, where their happy place is, what drives them, what their purpose is, how to attract them. So many angles. Time on the river will help you there. You can read this or that and, sure, it’s helpful, but there is no substitution for actually doing! Giving your time to their world will help you find the answers that you seek. Any guy can catch himself a keeper as long as he possesses both drive and devotion.

True, you need good gear and tackle as well as an inkling about winter steelhead behavior, but the power of positive thinking plays no small role in actually catching a keeper. (SARA POTTER) nwsportsmanmag.com | FEBRUARY 2024 Northwest Sportsman

COLUMN catching myself one worth keeping.” You should get to know your gear so well that you believe in it. The more confident you are in your gear and your own abilities, the better chance you have of getting in there and tagging out. These items will go from foreign objects to part of the family if you give a little time and devotion to them. The prep is so important in being ready to rise and slay.

Author Sara Potter fills her leader boards with naked drift fishing setups so as to change quickly to find the fish’s preference, but she makes an exception for her pretied soft bead rigs. (SARA POTTER) You will figure it out if these attributes lead your way, even if you don’t have much of a clue when setting out to land yourself a keeper. All you have to do is dive in! Give them your time; give them your best; give them what they want. The key is, you must attract them in such a way 86 Northwest Sportsman FEBRUARY 2024 | nwsportsmanmag.com

that they have no clue they have dropped everything, left their happy place and, without hesitation, are chasing you right back! If you can get them to chase you, you are well on your way. Knowing what your gear is capable of is almost as important as deciding “I’m

RODS RIGGED. BEST to have a couple. I dislike too many rods, but I can handle bringing two. My drift rod can double as my spinner rod, and my float rod can be dickered with easily enough depending on whether I want to fish bait, jig or bead. Having backups or different choices in the float department is a good idea. You never truly know what the water will be doing, so options help. Make sure you have all angles of your lead covered, from floats to the bottom, a vital part of success. You get what you pay for when it comes to the hooks you tie your bait loop leaders with. Gamakatsu is the only hook that has never let me down and because of that, I will remain ever faithful. I prefer a smaller hook than some, and I have been known to drive tiny hooks through the noses of beasts. I think the most important aspect is balance between your lure and your hook. It also depends on how the river is looking as far as what I toss out there. Having a beautiful display of enticers already tied up will help you. I like to have a leader board full of naked leaders. For starters, I like yarn and Corkies, but I don’t like prerigging them. Secondly, having bare leaders allows for a quick changeup if my favorites are not giving me the results I’m looking for – the fish could want the exact opposite or that one color most. You never know for sure, but having a board of naked leaders allows me to make changes quickly, no matter what. Sometimes the water isn’t what I was expecting, or there’s always the possibility that she’s a snaggy b***h. Too many leaders? There’s no such thing! When I am as prepared as I desire, I have another leader board already rigged up with my favorites – some BnR soft beads, the last of my sacred steelhead

COLUMN beads (rest in peace, Aldo), a worm or two, and a couple of beautiful yarnballs. When your hands are numb, being prepared allows you to grin and bear it a little easier. The more prep time you give before the chase, the better.

THERE’LL BE TRIALS and tribulations in this pursuit of

“Manifest yourself a beautiful, majestic keeper you can be proud to call your own and before you know it, she will be yours,” Potter writes. (SARA POTTER)

88 Northwest Sportsman FEBRUARY 2024 | nwsportsmanmag.com

your keeper, no doubt. However, these harder moments do not mean defeat; they mean you are getting there, so never give up. Easy isn’t in this sport; if easy is what you seek, go find yourself a red-eyed demon fish to call your own. We will all be thankful you dragged that one out of the river for good. Without any judgment. We are all intended to be different. Some anglers will just naturally be better with their overall approach and delivery, no matter their prep, no matter the comfort. Even with that, though, I do believe there is a keeper out there for everyone. It just depends on whether you believe it too. At the end of the day the only thing in life that ever really stops you is you. If you really want to catch a keeper worth keeping, you need to go all in and I have no doubt it will be so. Let drive and devotion lead the way and you cannot fail. Manifest yourself a beautiful, majestic keeper you can be proud to call your own and before you know it, she will be yours. My heart is on the river and I couldn’t change it, even if I tried. NS

OREGON CULVER Culver Marine (541) 546-3354 www.culvermarine.com FLORENCE Y Marina (541) 590-3313 www.ymarinaboats.com

WASHINGTON PORTLAND Sportcraft Marina, Inc. (503) 656-6484 www.sportcraftmarina.com

MOUNT VERNON CHINOOK Chinook Marine Repair, Inc. Tom-n-Jerry’s Boat Center, Inc. (800) 457-9459 (360) 466-9955 (360) 777-8361 www.chinookmarinerepair.com www.tomnjerrys.net

TACOMA Tacoma Boat Sales & Service (253) 301-4013 www.tacomaboatsales.com

nwsportsmanmag.com | FEBRUARY 2024 Northwest Sportsman

BEST OF

CHARTERS

BEST OF

Family-owned charter service offering customized 3-5 day guided fishing trips. Fish for salmon, Pacific halibut, lingcod, rockfish, black cod, and demersal shelf rockfish. INCLUSIVE FISHING PACKAGE • Free fish processing for the first 50 lbs per person • Located in Sitka, Alaska with direct flights to and from Seattle • Airport pick up/drop off • Rental car included • Premium Lodging • Chef prepared dinners • Continental breakfast • Top notch fishing equipment and bait • Lunch and refreshments aboard vessel • GAF tag halibut

CALL FOR PRICING BOOK NOW!

907-738-0858 perilsky.com MINIMUM OF 4 PEOPLE, MAX OF 6 FOR BOOKING.

Captain RJ Miller as seen on Life Below Zero: Next Generation

CHARTERS

BEST OF

CHARTERS Where Real Fishing Stories Begin Your premiere salmon and halibut fishing lodge, located on Vancouver Island • Luxurious waterfront accommodation • Locally sourced cuisine served up by our accredited chef • Exceptional value • An easy drive from anywhere in the Pacific Northwest • Float plane service from Lake Washington direct to the lodge

WWW.REELOBSESSION.CA TOLL FREE: 1-888-855-7335 • Rated #1 On Trip Advisor • First Class Lodging And Gourmet Meals

FISHING THE RENOWNED WATERS OF NOOTKA SOUND AND ESPERANZA, VANCOUVER ISLAND’S PREMIER FISHING DESTINATION

UNION GAP

Demo Rides Always Available!

$29,995 1 ONLY!

2023 Lund 1650 Rebel XL

All Cobalt Blue Boat, Complete Vinyl Floor, Mercury 90elpt, Aluminum Prop, Bunk Trailer Lundguard Black, Tilt Steering Upgrade With Seat Slider, Boarding Ladder With Platform - Starboard, Sport Top w/walkway Curtain, 24v Upgrade

$4000 REBATE!

2023 North River 22 Seahawk Fastback

Yamaha 250 HP 4-Stroke Motor Hydraulic steering, Boarding ladder, Bracket for trolling motor, Cleats upgraded to 8”, Walkthrough transom door - starboard side, Bait box, Fish box, welded in floor, hinged door with drain and valve, FULL Fastback aluminum skinned top, Spotter door with DSG window, Rod holder (3) welded to net holder (1), LED light, rear deck, Washdown pump with spigot and hose, Two color full side paint.

Only two remaining. Call or email for current pricing and availability.

$49,995 1 ONLY!

2023 Lund 1875 Impact XS

Includes Mercury 150 Pro XS, Minnkota 36v Ulterra, 3 Bank Charger, Garmin SV93UHD GPS/Finder, Sport Top, and more.

2023 Duckworth 22 Pacific Navigator Hard Top Yamaha 250hp 4-Stroke Motor Yamaha 9.9hp Kicker with Controls at Helm, Two Tone Paint Daytona Blue/Storm Gray, Full Fisherman Interior, Transom Livewell, Full Hardtop with Gullwing Door, Rear Facing LED Lights, Washdown System, Plus More.

2023 Duckworth 18 Advantage XT

2023 Weldcraft 210 Revolution

Yamaha 200hp 4-stroke, Partial Hard Top with Gullwing Door, Washdown, Dual Wipers, Boarding Ladder, Suspension Seats, Rear Bench to Bed Seats, and More. CONTACT US FOR SPECIAL CLOSEOUT PRICE!

FISHING

Washington’s Weirdest Catch They don’t come much freakier looking than burbot – and maybe tastier either! By Mark Yuasa

n the wintertime around Eastern Washington, trout, yellow perch and walleye garner most of the attention, but there’s a less familiar species that shouldn’t be overlooked by anglers. That fish is the burbot – the only freshwater relative of the cod family – and it doesn’t get the respect it truly deserves. At first glance, their appearance is a bit shocking and resembles a mix of a catfish and an eel with a brownish mottled skin pattern. Some people call them eel pouts, mud sharks or even lingcod, due to their elongated bodies and enlarged heads. Unlike a lingcod, however, burbot are in the cod family (Gadidae), distinguished by their single chin barbel. Lingcod are in a family with greenlings (Hexagrammidae). The burbot has a flattened head, a single chin barbel and an upper and lower jaw filled with small teeth. On the top of their serpent-like elongated body are two dorsal fins – a short one followed by a long fin that stretches to the back. On the bottom is another long fin ending at the base of a rounded caudal tail fin. Burbot are a long-lived fish and reach maturity in two to four years (11 to 16 inches in length), with some reaching six to seven years of age (21 to 25 inches) and a few exceeding 10

Often overlooked by anglers, burbot offer an unusual winter fishery in a number of northern or higher elevation waters across Eastern Washington. (AUSTINSNORTHWESTADVENTURES.COM)

years. A Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife survey in the 1990s showed the oldest burbot recorded to date came from Keechelus Lake near Cle Elum. It was estimated to be 19 years old and measured 29.17 inches. The average weight of a burbot is 2 to 8 pounds, but they’re known to grow much larger. The Washington

state record weighed 17.37 pounds and was caught by Mike Campbell at Bead Lake in Pend Oreille County on April 24, 2004. In North America, burbot are found across the northern United States and Canadian provinces from Alaska south to Washington and Wyoming, and east to Connecticut.

nwsportsmanmag.com | FEBRUARY 2024 Northwest Sportsman

FISHING

Heavier jigs baited with a soft plastic and often tipped with a worm or other meaty offering is a standard approach to fishing for burbot. (WDFW)

According to a WDFW stock status report, Washington’s burbot population likely originated from dispersion of fish in the southern unglaciated portion of the Columbia River following the last Fraser glaciation. Only northern lakes and reservoirs in Washington are known to contain burbot and their expansion to more southerly regions is probably limited more by higher water temperatures than geographic barriers. Burbot catches are very low in all Washington waters they inhabit, although there is a core group of anglers who target them mainly in the winter, but most are caught incidentally. According to the 2023 “WDFW Participation and Preferences of Washington Anglers” report, burbot ranked less than 1 percent of the “most preferred” fish by anglers to catch. The top five fish were rainbow trout, salmon, bass, walleye and kokanee. “Burbot isn’t a fish species of concern in the waterways they inhabit around Washington, and from a sportfishing standpoint it is definitely an underutilized fish species,” says Danny Garrett, a WDFW biologist in Spokane. “There is very little effort and interest in catching them, but there are several lakes that provide an excellent opportunity to target this good (or fine) eating fish, mainly in the wintertime.” 96 Northwest Sportsman FEBRUARY 2024 | nwsportsmanmag.com

Beauty truly is skin deep when it comes to a burbot. Despite their slimy outer appearance, these fish have a mild, white, flaky flesh that is surprisingly like their ocean-faring cod cousins and are excellent table fare. Did somebody say, “fish and chips!” Many anglers refer to a burbot as a “poor man’s lobster” in describing their mild slightly sweet flavor and texture.

THERE ARE 11 known burbot lakes in Washington, all in the northern Columbia River drainage, the upper Yakima River basin and the Pend Oreille region. No burbot has been documented in Western Washington, although they’re found in the Skeena and Nass River drainages of western British Columbia. Burbot tend to prefer deep and cold water at depths of 100 feet or more – though they are known to move into shallower water at night – and waterways that house an ample food base of small-sized prey fish, crayfish and amphipods, copepods and cladocerans. Lakes with burbot include Banks in Grant County; Bead and Sullivan in Pend Oreille County; Chelan in Chelan County; Cle Elum, Kachess and Keechelus in Kittitas County; Roosevelt in Stevens, Ferry, Lincoln,

Grant and Okanogan Counties; Osoyoos and Palmer in Okanogan County; and Rufus Woods Reservoir in Douglas and Okanogan Counties. Anglers should always check the printed WDFW sportfishing regulation pamphlet or website at wdfw.wa.gov, but the daily limit is five with no size limit restriction. “Fishing can be quite excellent in some Eastside lakes, if you know where and when to look,” says Bill Baker, a WDFW biologist in Northeast Washington. “Winter is an excellent time to fish for burbot, as they tend to congregate leading up to and during spawning.”

IN LAKE ROOSEVELT, the Spokane Arm holds a good number of burbot during the winter and it is primarily a boat fishery for these deep-dwelling fish. Another winter fishing area is located at the mouth of the Colville River, which can be fished either from a boat or off the shore. “The Lake Roosevelt burbot population is robust, but fish size is generally on the smaller side, with most individuals maxing out at around 26 inches and lots of fish around 20 inches,” Baker says. “Much of the shore fishing is done at night, as burbot tend to be most active during dusk, dawn

HONDA V-8 POWER!!

ALL BOATS POWERED BY HONDA MOTORS

9316 Portland Ave. E Tacoma, WA, 98445 253-301-4013 www.tacomaboatsales.com Always wear a personal flotation device while boating and read your owner’s manual. 2021 American Honda Motor Co., Inc. ®

FISHING Winter anglers can catch burbot through the ice at some Eastside lakes, while other waters stay open and can be fished from a boat or select beaches. (AUSTINSNORTHWESTADVENTURES.COM)

and nighttime. Near the mouth of the Colville River, you’ll see where anglers have had campfires on the shore.” Shore fishing is mostly done by plunking cut bait or worms. Boat anglers may also use that technique or try more active ones such as jigging with a jig heavy enough to get down and baited with a soft plastic lure, tipped with worm or other bait. Sullivan Lake rarely freezes over, and in winter anglers tend to focus their effort on the southern end of the lake near the primary inlet around Harvey Creek. You can drive right to it, so it’s very accessible. The burbot population at Sullivan is stable, according to Baker, and in some years, produces some goodsized fish. However, this can vary year to year and seems to be driven by year-class strength. Due to Bead Lake’s large size and volume, it tends to freeze over mainly later in the winter fishing season. Most anglers fishing for burbot here do so during the ice fishery. Bead has no perennial inlet streams, so burbot tend to congregate on points in 40 to 80 feet of water. 98 Northwest Sportsman FEBRUARY 2024 | nwsportsmanmag.com

“Anglers drill a hole in the ice, use a flasher unit or fish finder to locate them (always near the bottom), and fish using a vertical jigging spoon tipped with worm or cut bait,” Baker tips. “In my experience, the bite is almost always best in the early morning and evening hours, or at night, and can be very tough during the daytime.” Most serious burbot anglers access Bead in the evening and fish into the night or come very early in the morning. The road leading to the public boat launch, owned by the U.S. Forest Service and which is the primary access point, is gated. Anglers planning a trip to Bead should bring a sled to pull their gear the few hundred feet to the lake, then out across the ice. Bead’s burbot population is stable, and in some years the lake produces some large fish. Like Sullivan, size can vary from year to year and seems to be driven by year-class strength.

HERE IS MORE burbot advice, lures, bait, gear, etc., to be aware of: Shallow up: From mid- to late winter, burbot shift to shallower water to spawn. One key to success

is keeping your presentation right on or just off the bottom, where burbot spend most of their entire lives. Best lures: Soft plastic baits on a weighted jighead work well for burbot. Stick to a medium-sized jighead and a twist-tailed plastic in a bright color, so your offering stays visible in the deeper depths. Make it meaty: Bait catches its share of burbot, so be sure to tip your jig with a piece of nightcrawler or a little chunk of fish. Crayfish meat is another good option since these crustaceans are fed on by burbot. Stay mobile: If you’re not finding burbot in one location, move around the lake, as these fish tend to congregate in schools. Gear up: A medium-weight troutstyle fishing rod and spinning reel with braided line is the preferred setup. More info: Be sure to watch the WDFW burbot fishing video at youtube .com/watch?v=w26msbijPks. NS Editor’s note: Mark Yuasa is a Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife communications manager and longtime local fishing and outdoor writer.

SAILFISH MARLIN YELLOWFIN TUNA WAHOO DORADO ROOSTER FISH Family-Friendly Travel & Vacationing!

30’-40’ Sportfishing Cruisers Los Sueños Marina 10 minutes north of JACO, COSTA RICA

Mark & Merry Coleman US 425-736-8920 CR 506-4001-8430

WWW.CATCHFISHCOSTARICA.COM

nwsportsmanmag.com | FEBRUARY 2024 Northwest Sportsman

Fishing for Walleye, Trout, Pike, Pan Fish, Bass, Stripers, Salmon and Whiteﬁsh with Bay de Noc Lures

WWW.BAYDENOCLURE.COM Dealer Inquires Welcome!

INLAND BOATS & MOTORS

111 N. Kittitas St. Ellensburg, WA 509-925-1758 • M-F 9-5pm

inlandboatsandmotors.com

100 Northwest Sportsman FEBRUARY 2024 | nwsportsmanmag.com

SERVING YOU SINCE 1975

FISHING

Ice Ice Maybe Hardwater angling in the Northwest is iffy to begin with, but balancing safety during windows of opportunity can pay off with perch, as a returning ice fishermen found at Curlew Lake. Story and captions by Jeff Holmes

here are very few Northwest outdoor opportunities that are a total slam dunk every year, but there are almost no outdoor pastimes that might not exist at all in a given year. Sure, the weather can be terrible and can keep people off the ocean for long periods, or even out of the fields or off the lakes and streams if it’s cold, windy, wet or snowy enough. But sooner or later the nasty weather passes, and the opportunities open up. Yes, sometimes carefully managed fisheries (steelhead?) get severely limited, but there is almost always some opportunity somewhere. Such is not the case for ice fishing and the many dedicated followers of the sport who root for frigid temperatures. Some years see warm weather patterns dominate. Lakes at or under 2,500 feet of elevation sometimes never freeze or freeze just enough that only psychos venture onto thin or rotten sheets of ice, risking dunkings or death. Sadly, some years are a total bust for Northwest ice anglers, and such was the case for winter 2023-24 until a godforsaken blast of Arctic air blew across much of the U.S. in mid-January and quickly firmed

Success can be defined in many ways, but on this day it was filling a bucket with big perch in fewer than five hours while sorting through tons of dinky rainbows. Northcentral Washington’s Curlew Lake is again giving up great fishing this year, but there is zero guarantee the ice will be safe in February. Check with Tiffany’s Resort before you make the trip. And remember, these perch are just as available during the many open-water months at Curlew and other perchstuffed lakes in Washington. (JEFF HOLMES) nwsportsmanmag.com | FEBRUARY 2024 Northwest Sportsman

101

FISHING driving rain are likely to change that. But then again, we are likely to be hit in February with another Arctic blast, freezing stillwaters hard and opening up opportunities again. In winters like this one, hitting the hard waters during safe windows is the name of the game. Before that wicked mid-January cold snap, only a few lakes in the Evergreen State had reliable ice,

up favorite fisheries. At the time of this writing, daytime temps east of Cascades in the Evergreen State were in the single digits, with overnight lows dipping into negative numbers, even in the warmest parts of the Eastside. Ice is thick enough almost everywhere at this moment in midJanuary for safe ice fishing, but a bunch of forecasted weather in the 40s coupled with predictions of

Weather windows for sitting safely beside iceholes like this one can be fleeting to nonexistent in Washington, Oregon and Idaho. Mild or schizophrenic (cold, warm, cold, warm, etc.) weather can cause ice to be compromised or not to form at all or in thicknesses insufficient to support anglers safely. (DON MCBRIDE)

Filleting the perch in this bucket plus several more that fell out and gooped up my sled was easy by following the directions described in the awesome YouTube video, “Filleting perch 45-second Method.” I highly recommend it, as well as a 4-inch Rapala fillet knife. I filleted and packaged 92 in two hours. (JEFF HOLMES)

those at high elevations in Northeast Washington, the Okanogan and on White Pass. Still, the Facebook ice fishing pages and other internet forums were ablaze with tons of baaaaad questions from obsessive ice anglers trying to mentally manifest ice caps on their favorite lakes. We saw scores of posts like “Does anyone know if Fourth of July is safe to fish on?” Meanwhile, even nighttime lows were still 34 degrees near the popular winter lake south of Sprague. In my neck of the woods near TriCities, temperatures were downright balmy well into January, yet posts started showing up in December reading “Has anyone bin out to Scootenay (Reservoir) lately? How much is there ice?” Uh, none, dude, and nice spelling. A flurry of wishful thinking erupted from the Spokane area in December too, such as “Are there any lakes with open water in Spokane County?” Yah, guy, all of them. This daily chorus of questions stretched from late November until the mid-January deep freeze, each question more hopeful (if I’m being charitable) or dumber (if I’m being myself) than the next. Meanwhile, 102 Northwest Sportsman FEBRUARY 2024 | nwsportsmanmag.com

FISHING

Dedicated ice anglers sometimes have to make long-distance treks to find excellent hardwater fishing during the often mild Northwest winters. Here, Kennewick’s Adam Moldovan and his buddies display their jumbo perch from Idaho’s Cascade Lake, catches that made the 700-mile roundtrip well worth it. Winters like 2023-24 are hard on passionate ice anglers like Moldovan and our buddy, Don “Doniel” McBride from Richland, Washington. (ADAM MOLDOVAN)

a handful of anglers threw caution to the wind and went out on thin, uneven sheets of ice and postholed up to their groins and even experienced full dunkings. Others found success but with poor risk-toreward ratios.

LAST WINTER WAS cold, damn cold. Even Tri-Cities and other lower Columbia Basin ice anglers were drilling holes in local ponds, lakes and reservoirs in November and early December. The uncharacteristically thick ice, plus friends’ enthusiasm, plus the prospect of months of horrible cold weather and inactivity lured me out of ice fishing retirement after 27 years away from the sport. My quitting was spurred by multiple hypothermic events earned by wearing Nikes and cotton and having zero common sense. I also learned about women and about how some of the best 104 Northwest Sportsman FEBRUARY 2024 | nwsportsmanmag.com

open-water trout angling of the year occurs during winter. Last winter some friends’ passion for the sport led me to interview six ice anglers and write a comprehensive how-to for beginners based on the advice of those passionate Northwest hole-drilling perch-eaters. I got myself all spun up and blew a few hundred bucks on a sled, an auger, an ice scoop, new ice rods and reels, and a bunch of tungsten jigs and Swedish Pimples. Just after Christmas I booked a couple nights at a Republic motel and headed north to Washington’s perch Mecca, Curlew Lake. Perch are delicious, and I’m all for nostalgia. On the way north, I took the long route and crossed Lake Roosevelt on Keller Ferry. Unwilling to fully buy in to ice fishing again despite a big hole in my wallet and sufficient ice gear all preloaded into my sled, I brought my Roosevelt plunking gear

for the return trip across the lake, just in case. Maybe ice fishing would be slow or my passion for Roosevelt rainbows would drive me nuts, so I was cautious and brought chairs, rod holders and a bunch of firewood, none of which would ever leave the bed of my truck, as it turned out. If you have not crossed Keller Ferry, accessed via Wilbur and State Route 21, it’s a pretty cool and totally free ride that is super reliable. The ferry route leads you to drive up the Sanpoil River valley through the Colville Indian Reservation, one of the most beautiful river valleys in our state. Elk and whitetail deer showed themselves along the way, later giving way to the mule deer and turkeys that live in the town of Republic.

CURLEW LAKE IS home to some of the best perch fishing in the state. The fish are not giants like can be caught

BAREWEST IS NOW OFFERING CUSTOM BUILT MINI JET BOATS.

BAREWEST BUILDS CUSTOM MINI JET BOATS USING JETSTREAM & SITKA ENGINEERING HULLS WE CAN WELD A BASIC HULL OR DELIVER A COMPLETE CUSTOM MINI JET BOAT - WHATEVER YOU CAN DREAM, WE CAN BUILD!

FULL SERVICE BOAT & MOTOR REPAIR

• MAINTENANCE • QUALITY SERVICE • COMPETITIVE PRICING

We services all varieties of motors, engines & drive types with particular expertise in early model I/O’s.

vulcanmarineservice.com

503-635-3626 Only 18 Minutes from Lake Oswego.

18707 OR-99E, Suite B Hubbard, Oregon 97032

FISHING

BE EXTRA SMART ABOUT ICE SAFETY

t wasn’t just the huddled masses of info-seeking ice anglers who lacked information and common sense this late fall and early winter when there were very, very few safely ice-capped lakes in Washington. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife blew me away when they encouraged ice fishing over social media when almost no lakes were safely frozen in the state at the beginning of the new year. WDFW’s unsafe advocacy of ice fishing at an unsafe time makes them a suspect source of info about ice fishing, among other subjects these days as we pick through their – in my opinion – greenwashed social media presence that no longer allows comments from the public. It is great, however, to see that WDFW added a sportsman and one of my favorite outdoor writers to their ranks, Mark Yuasa, who also writes for this mag. He, as would most safe and seasoned ice anglers, will be the first to tell newcomers to the sport that safety trumps the quest for trout, yellow perch or any species of fish ice anglers favor. There are times when ice in the Northwest is safe enough to drive a truck on – please don’t, especially this year – but many years are like this winter of

Not many idiots drive full-size vehicles on Northwest lakes like this Albertan did, but we have plenty of idiots who push boundaries by walking on unsafe ice or worse yet, driving snowmobiles, ATVs and side-by-sides on sketchy ice. Ask the folks at Tiffany’s Resort (or read this article) to learn about the four dudes in winter 2022-2023 who crashed through 7 inches of Curlew Lake ice right in front of the resort because they were too lazy to walk and instead drove a side-by-side with 900 pounds of man flesh on ice. (THANK YOU FOR VISITING MY PAGE, WIKIMEDIA, CC BY 2.0 DEED)

106 Northwest Sportsman FEBRUARY 2024 | nwsportsmanmag.com

2023-2024. Ice can be slow to develop, and conditions can change very fast. Picking windows when safe conditions exist and then being cautious is the best approach. Here’s a list of basic safety considerations to pay close attention to this and any year: Avoid wishful thinking. It takes seriously cold nighttime and cold daytime temps to build ice on lakes. Just because things have cooled down and your toes have gotten cold at night doesn’t mean it’s ice fishing weather! Remember also that some of those making social media reports on ice thickness can also suffer from wishful thinking. Some have been overexaggerating lengths for so long in their personal lives that their ice thickness estimates can be highly suspect. Four inches of solid clear or blue-green ice is the minimum. Ice color is never a sure gauge for safety, but generally speaking, white and black ice can indicate compromised ice from thawing or intermittent freezing. Think about safety gear. If you do fall in, having had the foresight to wear a PFD or a float coat or float suit may save your life. Most of us aren’t regular enough ice anglers to buy a full float suit, but don’t overlook the value of a float coat or suit for staying warm while shore or boat angling during

cold weather. Along with floatation gear, a spud bar to test ice integrity in front of you while walking is standard gear for many ice anglers during the early season or those times when there are narrow windows of appropriate ice thickness, such as this year. Don’t go alone unless ice is really thick. Not only can ice fishing with a buddy help you to fish more holes and prospect more territory looking for the mother lode school, but should you fall through, having a helper to extract you and to help to get you to safety and warmth is invaluable. Rescuing yourself is very, very hard. Plus, it’s nice to have company and to split costs. Tread lightly and slowly. Make your way slowly onto a lake or pond and be sure to check the depth of existing holes or to drill your own prospecting holes. As you venture further onto a lake, go slow and test ice integrity with a spud bar as you advance. Ice thickness and integrity can vary across a lake. Further from shore isn’t always better. If you see a decline in thickness or hear cracking, beat a retreat. The key to great ice fishing is first and foremost reliably safe ice fishing. Catching fish and staying warm are right up there in importance, but if you fall through the ice, you’ll avoid both warmth and catching. –JH

Custom Boat Trailers

Reliable Quality Service & Craftsmanship For Over 50 Years!

• NMMA Certified • All Steel Weld Frame, Fenders & Bunks • 2 YEAR WARRANTY

343 Thain Rd., Lewiston, Idaho www.gateway-materials.com 208-743-0720

FISHING from Idaho’s Cascade Lake, but they are very nice, with plenty of tasty 10-plus-inchers. The lake is also home to lots of rainbow trout – in fact, an annoying number at times. Anglers generally access the south end of the lake from Curlew Lake State Park or at the northwest end of the lake from Tiffany’s Resort, a nice location with places to stay and supplies geared toward ice anglers. Tiffany’s has bought all in on the winter perch fishery, which drives a steady stream of anglers to this beautiful lake in sparsely populated Ferry County. They offer reliable and truthful reports on both ice thickness and on the quality of fishing. Before I went up, they reported the bite was OK, better for some than others, which seemed to be true. The sun shone through the clouds and onto me during my day of fishing. I pulled my sled full of new gear and my old Humminbird portable

fish finder from my truck parked at Tiffany’s out onto the ice. As I walked I admired many holes that had been drilled all over. I was careful not to step in them. A short distance offshore was a set of red safety cones where a few days prior four men with questionable judgment crashed through 7 inches of solid ice in a side-by-side. All were over 200 pounds and wearing heavy winter gear. Miraculously, they all lived and lost only their side-by-side, some handguns and their pride for a while. I steered clear of the compromised patch of ice and struck out for midlake. I spotted a few holes with some fins and blood and mangled eyeballs and decided to take advantage of the open holes and evidence of success. I fished two rods using my two-pole permit, each equipped with tungsten jigs tipped with maggots. Within seconds I pulled a big fat perch onto the ice in 36 feet of water, followed by tiny

trout after tiny trout in very rapid succession, almost all of which died from swallowing the little tungsten jigs that sink fast and have become wildly popular. Tiffany’s, in partnership with Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, operates netpens and had released more than 100,000 tiny catchable-sized rainbows in October. Those rainbows seemed to be swarming under the hole I fished, and after landing at least 20 rainbows and just a few perch in well under an hour, I decided to try to stop killing tiny trout and switch over to old-school Swedish Pimples tipped with perch eyes.

I TOOK OFF further toward the lake’s middle hoping to avoid so many trout and find more perch. I saw a cluster of holes with many perch parts and plenty of blood. Scores of anglers were all around on the north end of Curlew, some in ice tents, some braving the sunny, 36-degree weather like I was.

The Perfect Solution For Wiping And Packing Out When Enjoying Nature. Say goodbye to awkward squatting and fumbling with TP and hello to a hassle-free bathroom break in the great outdoors. These nitrile gloves come with an attached cotton pad, providing a convenient and hygienic way to wipe. Potty Gloves ensure a clean and comfortable experience.

ORDER AT POTTYGLOVES.COM 108 Northwest Sportsman FEBRUARY 2024 | nwsportsmanmag.com

FISHING This cluster of holes decorated with carnage was conspicuously absent of anglers anywhere nearby, and I went to work. Abandoning the second rod, I deployed a small silver Swedish Pimple and perch eye and started picking it up 4 to 6 inches and letting it flutter and slam down to the bottom. Immediately, I landed a jumbo, 12-inch perch within a couple inches of bottom in 44 feet of water. I threw the perch in my bucket with three of her buddies and dropped again. Bam, same result. Bam, same result. The results continued, with most of the perch stretching 9 to 12 inches and a 13-incher and a couple 7- to 8-inchers in the mix. I caught several trout here as well, but big perch dominated the catch. Other anglers took notice of my results and moved closer to me, not achieving the same results. I struck up a conversation and invited the locals closer, revealing it was my

first day on the ice in 27 years and that I had stumbled onto the mother lode of gold bars. For some reason, my rod remained the hot rod, and I gave myself a sore back with hard, high hookset after hookset. I checked my watch and my bucket and saw that I’d only been fishing three total hours and that my bucket was twothirds full. Fishing was great, and the conversation with the locals was good too as I showed off, fluking into fish after fish until my bucket was full and my work was cut out for me fileting what ended up being 92 perch averaging about 10 inches.

A TRIUMPHANT RETURN to ice fishing, it was one I hope to repeat locally in a few days when I fish a small lake south of Potholes Reservoir known to be loaded with perch slightly smaller than those at Curlew. When the roads aren’t terrible, Curlew is a great destination, but for those after

Washington’s most popular ice fishing quarry, the not-so-elusive yellow perch, they are nearly everywhere. They are debatably the best-tasting freshwater fish swimming, and there is a vast, perhaps inexhaustible supply of them east and west of the Cascades. Reports from Curlew so far this year have been outrageous, better than last year. With no early or midseason pressure, fishing at the state park at the time of this writing was lights-out for big perch in 30 to 40 feet of water. The ice had just become fishable and safe on the north end of the lake in midJanuary, and with the lack of pressure, fishing is likely to be pretty good. This February – or perhaps even March – there may be windows of safe ice fishing, and the key will be to follow conditions and err on the side of caution. Ice fishing can be a blast, and lucrative, but safety, especially in an El Niño winter like this, must be the top priority. NS

110 Northwest Sportsman FEBRUARY 2024 | nwsportsmanmag.com

SERVING OLYMPIA, LACEY, TUMWATER, SHELTON, TACOMA, SEATTLE AND BEYOND

QUALITY BOAT SALES AND SERVICE EXCELLENCE FOR OVER 50 YEARS!

SUZUKI REPOWER SALE

CALL FOR PRICING ON YOUR BOAT

Winner of Suzuki’s Top Service Award 7 Years In A Row!

ALL MODELS ON SALE NOW!

SALES & SERVICE LOCATED RIGHT ON THE WATER — 8141 WALNUT ROAD NE • OLYMPIA, WA 98516

360-491-7388 • PUGETMARINA.COM

Good Used Boats, Repair Parts, Quality Service, Knowlegeable Staff

SALES • SERVICE • ENGINES

GETTING YOU THE RIGHT PART THE FIRST TIME

Seastar Solutions Optimus EPS steering

Docking and maneuvering your boat in high winds has never been so easy. Let the Joy Stick do it for you. GPS position hold and heading hold is included.

Mercury Marine Outboard Promotion Horsepower

Consumer Rebate

9.9 Pro Kicker

$100

15 Pro Kicker

$150

40 & 40 Jet

$200

$250

60 & 65 Jet

$400

75 & 80 Jet

$500

$600

115 & 115 ProXS

$1,000

150

$1,250

150 ProXS

$1,500

350

$2,000

400

$2,250

Subject to approval by Mercury and dealer. Subject to terms. See dealer for details. NO SALES TAX IN OREGON

8hp and 9.9hp, and Joystick in stock. Call now!

503-255-8487 • CascadeMarineCenter.com 14900 SE STARK ST. • PORTLAND, OR 97233 HOURS: MON-FRI 8AM-6PM • SAT 9AM-3PM

MOTORS MUST BE CAPABLE OF ACCEPTING JOYSTICK APPLICATION. CERTAIN LIMITATIONS APPLY.

COLUMN

If even the great salmon and steelhead angler Buzz Ramsey can chase whitefish, as he did after Christmas on the Klickitat and caught these, then surely these overlooked river dwellers might be worth a cast or two by you. (BUZZ RAMSEY)

A Sieve, A Handful Of Stoneflies And A Stew A

bucket full of winter whitefish is what I was promised. A whole bucket, every time! Snake CHEF IN THE WILD oil, I tell you, snake By Randy King oil. But with enough enthusiasm, I can be sold on just about

any outdoor activity. So I packed up my coldwater fishing gear and headed out into the snow-covered mountains of Central Idaho. Even with low temperatures and bad weather in the forecast, I’d decided to go on this adventure with my friend Denis. When you get invited fishing, you should probably go, or at least that is my rule.

So I met Denis at his cabin in the tiny community of Sweet north of Boise and we set out to catch some schooled-up mountain whitefish.

ON THE SHORT drive to the stream, Denis talked to me about his “spot” and his method for catching whitefish in the winter. They seemed legit. And it seemed nwsportsmanmag.com | FEBRUARY 2024 Northwest Sportsman

113

COLUMN I quizzed her a little for a recipe, then did some research on the topic and made my own version below. Most recipes have you cook the potatoes separately and then add them later. But as a faithful Idaho potato-head, I found this offensive. Cook the spuds, skin and all, with the goodies in the recipe. Potatoes need flavor too!

Chupín de pescado – Argentinian fish stew with potatoes. (RANDY KING)

YOU MIGHT CRY FOR THIS ARGENTINIAN DISH

ones, bones, bones. Small fish with lots of bones make anglers unhappy, and whitefish are no exception – the Idaho Department of Fish and Game jokes they’re “filled with more bones than a prehistoric buffalo jump.” That said, it is not all that hard to get bonefree whitefish meat. Filet the fish like you would a salmon or any other “normal” trout-shaped fish. Then, instead of trying to pull the pin bones with tweezers, just cut them free with a knife by following the angle of the bones on the filet. With the tip of your knife, you will be able to “feel” the bones. Several great tutorials exist on YouTube. While some whitefish prep methods – like cakes and canning – get rid of the bones

114 Northwest Sportsman FEBRUARY 2024 | nwsportsmanmag.com

in the cooking process, for the best-eating experience, I find cutting them free for this dish is your best option. Then cut the filet meat away from the skin.

I FIRST HEARD about chupín de pescado about a year ago from an Argentinian woman I worked with. She was reheating delicious-smelling leftovers in the microwave at work. I was fascinated – olives, capers, potatoes and tomatoes combined to make an awesome-looking meal. My friend was using tilapia for the whitefish meat because it was inexpensive. But I would suggest a firm, flaky whitefleshed fish. Seabass would also be ideal. Mountain whitefish is what I used and it worked great!

2 tablespoons olive oil 1 small yellow onion, diced 1 medium garlic clove, finely chopped 1 cup diced red peppers 2 medium 10-ounce russet potatoes, cleaned and diced 1 (15.5-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed 1 12-ounce can tomato sauce 1 12-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice 1 4-ounce can diced green chilies 12 ounces of water 2 bay leaves 1 tablespoon paprika 12 ounces whitefish filets, diced (any firm, white-fleshed fish will do) 1 8-ounce can chopped clams in juice ½ cup pitted and quartered Kalamata olives 2 tablespoons drained capers Salt and pepper to taste Rough-chopped fresh parsley In a thick-bottomed soup pot add the olive oil and heat on medium until the oil is just about smoking. Next add the onion and garlic to the pot. Saute until the onion is translucent. Added the diced red pepper, potato, chickpeas, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, diced green chilies, water, bay leaves and paprika to the pot. Bring all to a simmer. Simmer for 20 minutes until the potatoes are fork-tender. Season with salt and pepper. (Note that at this point the soup is a great base for all sorts of things. A little bacon and some cream, say, or chicken, sausage chunks, clams – whatever your wish, this soup base is just tasty.) Next add the whitefish, clams in juice, olives and capers. Simmer for five minutes or until the fish is fully cooked. Season as needed with salt and pepper. Serve with crusty bread! –RK

nwsportsmanmag.com | FEBRUARY 2024 Northwest Sportsman

115

COLUMN like Denis had, in fact, caught a bucketful of whitefish the weekend prior. At least according to his iPhone photos. Soon I was standing at the confluence of Gooseberry Creek and the South Fork of the Payette. I reached back to grab my fishing pole but instead was handed two wooden arrow shafts with a metal screen affixed between them. I was confused. Netting fish is not allowed in Idaho. As it turned out, the makeshift net was not for catching fish; it was for acquiring bait. The function of this contraption was to act as a big handheld sieve you place into the water and catch bugs with. As I waded around in the snow-lined creek to get in place to do some sieving, I kept looking over my shoulder for a hidden camera. This was a joke, right? The idea is that in winter stoneflies burrow into soft, sandy stream bottoms. So, if you kick around in those bottoms, up pop the stoneflies and down the creek they go, hopefully into my net. Denis and I did this for half an hour or

so as my left foot got colder and colder. Apparently, my waders had a slow leak. All was actually fine, however, until the wind picked up and the temperature dropped. Then the net kept freezing solid. Yeah, winter fishing is fun … right? But eventually, we caught and kept about 20 or so stoneflies.

CATCHING THE BAIT was just the start. Next up was the fishing. Using a dropshot-like setup, we baited our little circle hooks with the stoneflies and began casting. After a few minutes without bites, I started to get a little skeptical of the system that we were using. Then Denis set the hook, started reeling in and soon put a nice 16-inch whitefish in the bucket. The day had been won. Fishing could only go uphill! Indeed, the rest of the trip was remarkably productive. While we didn’t fill the whole bucket (in Idaho, the daily limit is 25 per person), each of us caught about 10 fish. Not a bad haul of meat for a

few hours of fishing. If you are not inclined to try and strain stoneflies out of the water in winter, I do have a few other suggestions. According to meateater.com, “mealworms, maggots and garden worms near the bottom” are the best bait options for winter whitefish, while the Idaho Department of Fish and Game reports that “Whitefish will generally entertain the same buffet of bait, flies and lures that your run-of-themill rainbow trout would.” Just remember to downsize so your offerings fit in the small, downturned mouths of whitefish. One super-nice part about these fish is that they tend to congregate in deep, slow pools in winter, so finding locations for them is often not too hard. A quick recon via Google Maps of local rivers and you should have a vague idea of where to go. I have found that bridges are not a bad place to start. If you can fish right off the bridge, even better. The slow water and angle of the line makes landing these soft-biting fish that much easier. NS

OREGON

EUGENE Maxxum Marine (541) 686-3572 1700 State Highway 99 N www.maxxummarine.com

116 Northwest Sportsman FEBRUARY 2024 | nwsportsmanmag.com

More than a building...it’s a solution!

503.668.7211 Toll-free: 855.668.7211 www.wsbnw.com Manufactured in Sandy, Oregon

PRE-ENGINEERED STEEL FRAME STRUCTURES COST COMPETITIVE | MAINTENANCE FRIENDLY

nwsportsmanmag.com | FEBRUARY 2024 Northwest Sportsman

117

This time of year can feel about as dreary as it gets given the relative dearth of hunting and fishing opportunities, but a closer look shows that there’s actually a fair amount to do, including digging razor clams on Washington’s South and Oregon’s North Coasts. (MD JOHNSON) 118 Northwest Sportsman FEBRUARY 2024 | nwsportsmanmag.com

FISHING

9 Fine LateI winter Cabinfever Beaters

February and March might feel like the nadir of Northwest outdoor ops, but there’s a lot of fishing and hunting to be had, and here are some good ideas. By MD Johnson ’ll be honest. I never much cared for the month of February. Or March, for that matter. And the reason is relatively simple. For the most part, and with some minor exceptions, of course, there’s not a whole for the outdoor enthusiast to do in February and March, unless you’re into strapping thin skinny boards to your feet, careening down snow-covered hills at breakneck speeds and hoping to God the trees stay out of your way. But, where was I? Ah, yeah. Little to do outdoors in terms of hunting and fishing, camping and glamping, and all that other fun stuff. Hunting seasons have, for the most part, finished. Turkey season is still a couple months away; same with most fishing. And the weather! Rain. Rain. Rain and cold. Wet snow. Four minutes of sunshine, just long enough to get your hopes up, followed by wind and rain. Oh, and more wet snow. It’s just, for me, a tough sell at this time of year. However – and didn’t you see this coming? – in recent years I’ve begun to rethink the months of February and March. To see that I really don’t have to search all that hard in order to find something to do, especially if that “something’ isn’t canceled, postponed or made insufferably miserable by said rain and cold and wet snow and … Well, you get my meaning here. And what might those “somethings” be? For your late winter

nwsportsmanmag.com | FEBRUARY 2024 Northwest Sportsman

119

FISHING fall in. Folks show up with their Taylor Swift buckets and Spongebob Squarepants dipnets duct-taped to a tomato stake. They’re wearing Viking helmets, knee boots that look like Holsteins, and a collective ear-to-ear grin. “Damn, son! We got us a smelt season!” Best of all, many of them have their kids in tow. People are helpful. They’re friendly. They’re looking out for each other. Even if it’s a here-andgone opportunity, people are nice. That’s why I like smelt dipping. Maybe we’ll have a season this year – the forecast is for a run similar to 2023’s actual return, which led to a surprise opener on Oregon’s Sandy and a showing of smelt all the way up to Bonneville Dam. Or maybe we won’t. Stay tuned. I’m sure Editor Walgamott will keep y’all informed at nwsportsmanmag.com.

LATE GOOSE HUNTING

Smelt dipping is a much more iffy proposition than other opportunities gathered here, but state managers expect this year’s run of the oily fish to be similar to 2023’s, which led to a surprise opener on Oregon’s Sandy River. Will there be a Cowlitz dip? (MD JOHNSON)

reading enjoyment, what follows is my list of outdoor possibilities available during the months of February and March. Your list, I’m certain, might look a bit different, but for me, these are the go-tos. (Author’s note: The list that follows is in a particular order, albeit a very personalized one, with priority based on how highly each activity rates on my so-called Enjoyment Meter. Again, your sequence may and very well will differ; however, the fact of the matter here remains – get outside! There actually is stuff to do!)

SMELT (MAYBE) I’m absolutely in love with smelt dipping, so February 2023 was a heartbreaker for me when Laura Heironimus, the smelt/sturgeon/ 120 Northwest Sportsman FEBRUARY 2024 | nwsportsmanmag.com

lamprey lead for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, announced there would be no smelt dipping season due to what looked at the time like a small run. I understand, I truly do, but that doesn’t mean I wasn’t disappointed, which I was. Now, to be honest, I don’t like to eat smelt. Never have. They do, however, make excellent sturgeon bait, whether for keeper season or for catch-andrelease fishing. So why then do I enjoy smelt dipping so much? Fun. It’s just fun. It’s the carnival atmosphere that I enjoy. I mean, think about it. You put 50,000 people together along a short stretch of the Cowlitz River for five hours on a Saturday morning, and you’re going to have something to watch. People

Truth is, I love late season goose hunting as much or more than I love smelt dipping. Why? Because late geese, for whatever reason, make me feel like I know what I’m doing when it comes to waterfowl and waterfowl hunting, and goose hunting specifically. Here in Southwest Washington’s Goose Management Area 2, we have two seasons. In the Coast Unit of Area 2 (Pacific County and that portion of Grays Harbor County west of Highway 101), the late season runs from February 10-21 on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays only. In the Inland Unit of Area 2 (Clark, Cowlitz, Wahkiakum Counties, as well as Grays Harbor County east of Highway 101), the season runs February 10-March 6 on the same three days of the week. National wildlife refuges and WDFW wildlife areas are closed to goose hunting during this late season, leaving private lands the only option. But all that regulatory mumbojumbo – albeit necessary and important mumbo-jumbo – aside, this late goose opportunity is an incredible chance to learn a whole lot about Canada geese and the intricacies of goose hunting. I enjoy the late season

FISHING

Whether your spread contains just a handful of decoys – author MD Johnson’s approach – or dozens upon dozens upon dozens – Scott Haugen’s tactics on page 137 – late goose hunts in Northwest Oregon and Southwest Washington can be productive in late winter. (MD JOHNSON)

for several reasons. One, I’ve killed enough ’fowl over the past 107 days that it doesn’t bother me in the least if one or two or 200 either ignore me, which they often do, or get out of the spread without being harassed. Two, the little geese are gone, and I’m left with the big Western subspecies, and I prefer that. And three, after the 2023 late season, I downsized my spread to four – four! – decoys; a pair, one sentry and one with no base on the ground, and separated by 20 to 25 steps. No calling, or almost none. No flag. And I watch what the first geese do, and then move my layout blind, not the decoys. No, four decoys isn’t going to work all the time everywhere, but when it does … !

RAZOR CLAMS Julie and I are currently sitting on 122 Northwest Sportsman FEBRUARY 2024 | nwsportsmanmag.com

plenty of frozen razor clams, cans of clam chowder and tins of smoked clams, thanks to a productive spring 2023 season. However, that’s not to say we won’t take the lanterns, headlamps and the rest of the gear over to the Ocean Park Approach and spend the evening wandering around with the shellfish gypsies. It’s a good way to kill a few hours, and the grandkids will love it. Plus – and you ready for the sick ’n twisted part? – I actually enjoy cleaning razor clams. Strange, huh? At least a dozen tides at the time of this writing early last month have been listed as “tentative” openers by WDFW for the month of February (Oregon beaches are open daily). Of note, not all Washington beaches are open on each of these tentative dates, so it’s highly advisable to make certain

the sand you’re planning to overturn will, indeed, be on the “open” list. Also, new fishing licenses are required come April 1, 2024, so keep that in mind. So double check the dates and beach openings, get that 2024 fishing license and then grab your Taylor Swift Series clam bag – are you seeing a pattern here? – and venture forth. Oh, and save your clam necks.

SURF PERCH I’ve been seeing a lot more interest in surf perch the past two or three years than I have in seasons past. I’m not sure why that is; maybe it has to do with fewer or more restrictive salmon and steelhead opportunities, no smelt season, no sturgeon retention below Bonneville. I don’t know. But I like to see folks getting outside and wetting a line, regardless of what the target

WINTER STEELHEAD JANUARYMARCH SEPTEMBERNOVEMBER

YAKIMA SMALLMOUTH BASS

Bogachiel, Sol Duc, Calawah, Hoh, and Quillayute Rivers

MAY-JUNE

KLICKITAT STEELHEAD YAKIMA TROUT

SEPTEMBERNOVEMBER

YEAR ROUND

DESTINATION TRAVEL MONTANA: JUNE-OCTOBER

Trout fishing on the Stillwater, Boulder, Yellowstone, Bighorn, Shoshone, and East and West Rosebud.

ESPIRITU SANTO BAY: MARCH-JULY

Bonefish, Tarpon, Permit, Barracuda, Cubera Snapper.

BOOK YOUR TRIP TODAY! 253.370.2494 topflyguides@gmail.com

topflyguides.com

nwsportsmanmag.com | FEBRUARY 2024 Northwest Sportsman

123

FISHING Between weather windows to get out onto the Pacific off Oregon for rockfish, Washington’s bottomfish opener next month, and lings and surfperch off the jetties and beaches, there’s more to the Northwest coast than just steelheading and clamming this time of year. (MD JOHNSON)

species might be. Surf perch are fun, IMHO, because they’re simple. Not that they’re always easy to catch – they definitely are not – but the equipment needed to catch them can be as elemental as an 8- or 9-foot rod; spinning or baitcasting reel spooled with 30-pound braid; terminal tackle assortment of snap swivels, 15to 20-pound monofilament leader, size 6 baitholder hooks, ½- to 3-ounce bank sinkers; and a bag of Berkley Gulp! 2-inch sandworms in the camo color. Or some razor clam necks (see above). Or ordinary nightcrawlers. Or salad shrimp – the wee little ones – soaked in Garlic Smelly Jelly. Or sand shrimp, though they’re spendy and awful darn tough to keep in the hook without using Stretchy String. Where to fish? Nine times out of 10, I’m fishing the ocean side of the Columbia’s North Jetty on the incoming tide; however, the sand from Beards Hollow (southernmost end of the Long Beach Peninsula) to just 124 Northwest Sportsman FEBRUARY 2024 | nwsportsmanmag.com

above the Ocean Park Approach has been very good to me over the years. Tips? Look for the “brown” foamy water. Go at low tide and drive the beach looking for the deeper troughs and then fish those on the flood tide. And do not try to cast to Maui. A goodly number of perch are caught within 20 to 30 feet of where you’re standing. Oh, and for Pete’s safe, be careful.

BOTTOMFISH OPENER While Oregon rockfish and lingcod are open year-round, Washington’s bottomfish season opens on the second Saturday in March and runs through the third Saturday in October. Daily bag limits can be somewhat convoluted, at least to me, so a walk through the current fishing regulations pamphlet and the section titled Marine Area Rules beginning on page 108 is in order. For Oregon regs, see myodfw .com/sport-bottomfish-seasons. We had a good year off the North Jetty in ’23 in terms of bottomfish; not

as good, mind you, as ’22, when the fishing was red-hot right out of the gate and stayed good until midsummer, which is somewhat unique for the jetty, but good nonetheless. No huge black rockfish/sea bass, but a lot in the 1½- to 2-pound range. Lingcod were a little slow, with only a couple fish in that 24- to 25-inch class that we felt good putting on the stringer, and others below the 22-inch minimum size restriction. So the bottom line on bottomfish? It should be another good one. And don’t forget the dozens of charter boat captains just itching to get on the salt this spring out of ports like Chinook, Ilwaco, Astoria, Garibaldi, Westport and other harbors up and down the coast. Oregon anglers may want to get an early start on the 2024 season, as next year looks to be more restricted. “Oregon recreational and commercial fisheries will be looking at a significant decrease in the federal allocations of both black rockfish (33 percent) and canary rockfish (58 percent),” warns Lynn Mattes, ODFW bottomfish lead. That’s based on updated stock assessments that indicate lower catches are necessary to keep the stock sustainable over the long term. Mattes says ODFW “will be reaching out to anglers throughout 2024 to gather input on how to structure the 2025 season to allow as much opportunity as possible, while staying within these lower limits.” And from Heather Hall, WDFW bottomfish lead, a reminder that anglers need to be diligent this season in releasing copper, quillback and vermillion rockfish in May, June and July, and use descending devices to do so. Both are critical, Hall emphasizes, for us in terms of keeping mortality of these species below our federal harvest limits and avoiding additional restrictions in future years.

CRAPPIES I know I’ve said this before, but I was raised a crappie fisherman by a diehard crappie fisherman back in Ohio in the 1970s. That was a long time ago, but

Handcrafted in Colorado

“We look at Sweetgrass Rods as our opportunity to contribute to the fine tradition of bamboo fly rod building as well as to share our beliefs in what can be accomplished if we all work together for a common good.” GLENN BRACKETT FOUNDER / MASTER CRAFTSMAN

yellowfinrods.com

CUSTOM & STOCK RODS (406) 782-5552 Sweetgrassrods@gmail.com sweetgrassrods.com

The only tackle and kite shop in Westport

We specialize in slow pitch jigging and of course kites. westporthookersandblow@gmail.com

westporthookersandblow.com

nwsportsmanmag.com | FEBRUARY 2024 Northwest Sportsman

125

FISHING February into April is prime time to target trophy and keeper walleye in the eastern Columbia Gorge pools, and that will have sharpies like Bill Saunders deploying their gear above John Day and McNary Dams. (BILL SAUNDERS)

today, I’m still of a mind there are few freshwater fish that compare with the good old-fashioned crappie when it comes to entertainment and, more significantly, excellence on the table. Fortunately for folks in the Pacific Northwest – in fact, along all of the West Coast – there are an almost infinite number of good to excellent crappie fisheries just waiting to be fished. Here in Washington, Cowlitz County’s Silver Lake turns on in March and continues through May. WDFW has done extensive work on Silver with crappies, efforts that have included the implementation of a 10fish daily bag and a 9-inch minimum size restriction and are showing promise as we head into 2024. Other 126 Northwest Sportsman FEBRUARY 2024 | nwsportsmanmag.com

crappie possibilities in Washington include the southwest corner of Vancouver Lake (Clark County); Coal Creek Sloughs (Cowlitz County); Lake Washington (King County); Horsethief Lake (Klickitat County); Bonnie Lake (Spokane County); and several of the I-82 Ponds in Yakima County. In Oregon, there’s Henry Hagg, Prineville and Brownlee Reservoirs and the so-called Freeway Ponds southeast of Albany. If big, big, big crappies are what you’re after, you might want to head south to California’s Clear Lake and give Ed Legan – fishingwithed .com; 702-497-8938 – a holler. After interviewing Legan a handful of times over the past couple years, I can’t not go down and fill a cooler.

WALLEYE The bad news is the Columbia Gorge from Bonneville Dam up is going to be a terrible place in February and March. It’s going to be cold. The wind’s going to blow. The snow will fall horizontally … unless it’s rain, and then it’s going to come in horizontally. It’s going to miserable. The good news, however, is that some of the biggest, if not the biggest walleye of the year are going to be caught during late winter and early spring, i.e. from late February through April. What’s this mean? It means layer up, make sure the boat heater works as it should and start trolling those crankbaits. Or ripping those blade baits. Jigs and pulling ’crawlers? That

BEDLINERS | ACCESSORIES PROTECTIVE COATINGS

WHEN PROTECTION MATTERS MOST, LINE-X IT.

Washington Line-X Plus 3508 C St NE Auburn, WA 98002 (253) 735-1220 www.linexofauburn.com

nwsportsmanmag.com | FEBRUARY 2024 Northwest Sportsman

127

FISHING And for those who’d rather experience the outdoors while indoors, there’s a plethora of sportsmen’s and boat shows to take in. Along with good deals from vendors, there’s sure to be a hot bite at the kiddie trout pond! (ANDY WALGAMOTT)

comes a little bit later in the year with the warmer water. Boardman. Umatilla. Biggs Junction. Maryhill. You walleye fanatics know where you’re going; you don’t need me telling you. In fact, if you’re targeting walleye on the Columbia in February, well, then, you’ve already got the bug for bugeyes.

CRABS FROM THE NORTH JETTY Here’s another fun one for February and March – throwing crab snares off the North Jetty. Trust me, it’s no secret. Day in and day out, there will be warmly dressed folks heaving small wire mesh baskets filled with fish parts surrounded by loops of heavy monofilament off the rocks. They’ll wait for, oh, five minutes or so, and then with a mighty pseudo-hookset, will begin reeling for all they’re worth. Sometimes they’ll have one – a Dungeness, that is. Sometimes they won’t. Often their prize will come unintentionally untangled and will fall, sans ceremony, back into the 128 Northwest Sportsman FEBRUARY 2024 | nwsportsmanmag.com

river, accompanied by much wailing and gnashing of teeth. No, wait, maybe that’s just me! If you’re not familiar with the art of crab snaring, what you need? Well, there’s 101 different makes and models of crab snare available online, any one of which will – or should – work. Mine are primarily Danielson’s and cost from $7 to $10 each, though I’ve found several at garage sales over the years for $1 or so, which makes losing them a whole lot less painful. Into each snare, I zip-tie a 3- or 4-ounce flat “sand” weight, and then the baited snare is flung clumsily into the salt while tethered to either our ancient 11-foot Custom Made Columbia River Bank and Surf rod or an Ugly Stik Bigwater heavy action rod, also an 11-footer, both armed with Shakespeare Intrepid 60 (SS 3860) spinning reels, those spooled with 100-pound braid. For bait, it’s tuna bellies, old salmon, chunked smelt or shad.

REGIONAL SPORTSMEN’S SHOWS Like to look at outdoor gear? Drool on outdoor gear? Listen to some of the most experienced hunters and anglers ever to sit a stand or troll a hoochie? Fish elbow to elbow with all walks of life that’s not at Blue Creek on the Cowlitz? That, folks, in a nutshell are the sportsmen’s shows, and there are plenty to choose from in February and March – Puyallup, Portland, Salem, Redmond, Medford, Boise, Klamath Falls, Yakima, southern British Columbia, Roseburg, Seattle, and on and on and on. Whether it’s steelhead or springers, mountain goats or mountain quail, bass or billfish, there’s something for everyone at the sportsmen’s shows. And the kids? Plenty for them to do, including the O’Loughlin family’s time-honored free kids trout pond. For a complete list of this year’s shows, dates and websites, check out page 73. NS

THEY WRITE COUNTRY SONGS ABOUT MORNINGS LIKE THIS.

BUT AT 70 MPH YOU CAN’T HEAR THEM.

It’s a glorious sunrise, viewed in fast forward thanks to the power of your 250 ProXS. Because you need to get there while the fish are still eating breakfast. Learn more at mercurymarine.com or visit your local dealer, today.

CONNECTICUT Connor’s and O’Brien Marina Pawcatuck, CT connorsandobrien.com Defender Industries Inc. Waterford, CT defender.com O’Hara’s Landing Salisbury, CT oharaslanding.com

Captain Bub’s Marine Inc. Lakeville, MA captainbubsmarine.com

Obsession Boats East Falmouth, MA capecodboatcenter.com

Doug Russell Marine Worcester, MA WorcesterBoating.com

Portside Marine Danvers, MA portsidemarine.us

Everett Bayside Marine

1111 Craftsman Way Essex Marina LLC. Essex, MA98201 Everett, WA essexmarinallc.com (425) 252-3088 McLellan Brothers Inc. www.baysidemarine.com Everett, MA

NEW HAMPSHIRE Dover Marine Dover, NH dovermarine.com

Master Marine Boat Center, Inc. Winnisquam Marine

Belmont, NH 503 Jacks Lane winnisquammarine.com Mt Vernon, WA 98273 RHODE ISLAND (360) 336-2176 South Attleboro Marine Billington Cove Marina Inc. www.mastermarine.com North Attleboro, MA Wakefield, RI Riverfront Marine Sports Inc. Salisbury, MA riverfrontmarine.com

M A S S AC H U S E T T S

mclellanbrosinc.com

www.sammarine.com

bcoveyc.com

Action Marine & Watersports Inc. Holyoke, MA actionmarineholyoke.com

Merrimac Marine Supply Methuen, MA merrimacmarine.com

Wareham Boat Yard W. Wareham, MA wareham-boatyard-marina.com

Jamestown Distributors Bristol, RI jamestowndistributors.com

Bill’s Outboard Motor Service Hingham, MA billsoutboard.com

Nauset Marine-Orleans Orleans, MA nausetmarine.com

nwsportsmanmag.com | FEBRUARY 2024 Northwest Sportsman

129

Remote, Comfortable & Affordable

Our remote Alaskan fishing lodge is situated on the upper stretches of the beautiful Egegik River. You’ll watch some of Alaska’s most stunning sunrises, complete with a distant, active volcano. We are a fishing camp specializing in coho fishing, brown bear viewing, and flyout fishing adventures to even more remote destinations in the Last Frontier.

Coho Fishing The Egegik River

The Egegik River is touted by many experienced anglers as the best silver salmon stream in all of Alaska. Becharof Lodge On The Egegik River was the first fishing lodge to become established on the breathtaking Egegik River, and is less than a 5 minute boat ride from some of the best fishing holes on the entire river.

Now Booking for 2024 Coho Fishing Trips Included in your fishing trip: • 5 days fishing/5 nights stay in camp • Experienced, fully guided fishing. • Comfortable cabins furnished with beds, cozy comforters & bedding. • Home cooked meals, snacks, and nonalcoholic beverages. • Transportation from the lodge to prime fishing holes on the Egegik River. • Freezing and vacuum sealing of your fish, up to 50 lbs., per angler.

$4,850

per person

Includes round trip charter from King Salmon. Call for more details.

Book Your Trip Today!

Mark Korpi: 503-741-1333 or 503 298 9686 George Joy: 360-562-7701 Email: becharoffishing@gmail.com

becharoflodgefishing.com

DESTINATION ALASKA

Viking Travel is a full-service travel agency that has been around for 42 years. We are here to help you with your Alaskan Adventure.

Alaska is big and can be confusing to navigate, so let us alleviate the stress that comes along with planning your fishing, hunting or sightseeing trip to Alaska!

800-327-2571 • AlaskaFerry.com

DESTINATION ALASKA

THE PREMIER SPORTINGDESTINATION GOODS STOREALASKA ON PRINCE OF WALES ISLAND FOR ALL YOUR FISHING, HUNTING, AND CAMPING NEEDS! KNOWLEDGEABLE STAFF WILL LET YOU KNOW WHERE, WHEN AND HOW!

134 Northwest Sportsman JANUARY 2024 | nwsportsmanmag.com

DESTINATION ALASKA

136 Northwest Sportsman FEBRUARY 2024 | nwsportsmanmag.com

COLUMN

Cacklers: The Perfect Goose D

istinct, highp i t c h e d sounds of cacklers broke the morning silence. The fog was thick and GUN DOGGIN’ 101 while we couldn’t By Scott Haugen see the relatively tiny geese, Echo’s and Kona’s ears were perked, eyes fixed to the sky. My buddy Austin Crowson hit the call. That got the dogs shaking in eager anticipation and triggered the cacklers to chatter even more. The closer the flock

got, the louder Crowson called, the more the cacklers replied. When the geese emerged from the dense fog, their wings were set, necks craned, looking for their calling counterpart. By then it was too late. The flock of a dozen cacklers was already in range. Crowson and I emptied our guns and Echo and Kona got to work. Soon we were admiring six geese, our daily limit. Crowson and I were targeting ducks that day and happened to be at the right place at the right time when the cacklers passed through. Thanks to Crowson’s

superb calling, which pulled the cacklers in range, the dogs got some bonus work.

WHILE DUCK SEASON has come to a close, waterfowl hunters in the Pacific Northwest don’t have to hang up their shotguns just yet. With the third and final goose season upon us, cacklers in the valleys west of the Cascade Range make for one of the best bird hunts a dog lover could ask for. Cacklers typically approach big decoy spreads in large flocks. We’ve often had more than 10,000 birds funnel into the decoys, sometimes nearly twice that. With

Cacklers are the smallest of our Canada geese and are the perfect training bird for dogs in need of some work. Plus, they’re fun geese to hunt this time of year, thanks to late-season opportunities in Oregon’s Northwest Permit Zone and Washington’s Goose Management Area 2 Coast and Inland Units. Waterfowlers must have passed a state goose identification exam to participate in the hunt. (SCOTT HAUGEN) nwsportsmanmag.com | FEBRUARY 2024

Northwest Sportsman 137

COLUMN Author Scott Haugen did the photography work for Big Al’s silhouette cackler decoys in the Willamette Valley. The decoys have been doing well for cack hunters in the region. (SCOTT HAUGEN)

so many geese in the air and the fact they can be heard and watched for such a long time, they’re perfect for reinforcing restraint and basic obedience in gun dogs. When you get massive flocks like this, their calling is so loud you can easily offer verbal commands to your dog without fear of the birds hearing you. If your dog whines, fidgets or tries to break on approaching birds, cacklers offer a great way to correct this. Being able to fix unwanted behaviors while actually hunting is a welcome opportunity, and dogs usually respond well in these situations. On top of that, cacklers are easy for dogs to mark and their small size makes for an easy retrieve. Get a dog on a 12-pound honker and you’ll have your hands full, but pups will quickly, confidently and efficiently retrieve cacklers – the smallest subspecies of Canada geese – as fast as they can.

LATE-SEASON CACKLER HUNTS are largely depredation hunts that take place on farm 138 Northwest Sportsman FEBRUARY 2024 | nwsportsmanmag.com

fields where they’re causing excessive crop damage. For this reason they’re often highvolume hunts with lots of guns. I’ve had several hunts with multiple friends where the dogs have retrieved over 50 geese in a morning. With the three-bird limit, that’s a lot of hunters, and when embarking upon these hunts I like to be the only one bringing dogs. This allows me to focus on their retrieves and not have to worry about other dogs competing with mine or other hunters hollering at their dogs. Big decoy spreads are the norm when hunting cacklers this time of year. We’ll often set out 15 dozen Dave Smith fullbody cackler decoys, along with another 20 dozen Big Al’s silhouette decoys. If your budget is tight, going with all silhouettes can work. When doing this, I like setting up the flat decoys in long lines so it appears they’re spread out feeding. We’ll run big spreads when doing this, sometimes over 50 dozen silhouettes. Then again, running

a couple dozen silhouettes can do the trick, especially if it’s foggy or there’s a low ceiling due to bad weather. If you can’t find a field to hunt them in, you can often set up and intercept cacklers between roosting and feeding locations. This is where scouting is key, so you can learn the travel routes and times geese are moving. I’ve had better luck trafficking cacklers over water with a dozen floating honker decoys and sprinkling the shoreline with a couple dozen silhouettes if there’s room, rather than trying to pull them over dry fields they’re not feeding in. I’ve not had cacklers land in the water, but they routinely circle and drop to within easy shooting range.

THESE GEESE ARE tiny, not much bigger than a mallard, and are easy to bring down. I’ve been loving Kent’s bismuth No. 4 shot on cacklers, and it was my favorite duck load last season. This is the best pure bismuth

Also Available: Hunts in Saskatchewan, Canada!

• Mallard Corn Pond Hunting — Total of 75 acres of flooded corn ponds for the 24-25 season in addition to our many other flooded ponds • Freeze Up No Problem! Aerators & Springs in Most Ponds We normally average 6 ducks per person during a season E. Washington Tri-Cities • 509-967-2303 • pacific-wings.net Check Us Out On

See our videos on YouTube @PacificWingsHunting and Jay Goble

COLUMN load I’ve ever shot in my Browning Maxus. As for the calls, Crowson is one of the best waterfowl callers I’ve had the honor of hunting with. His go-to cackler call is actually a Slayer Calls Tar Belly. While the call is designed for white-fronted geese, Crowson ranks it as his top one for cacklers. “I’ve used just about every cackler call out there, and I’ve turned more cacklers with the Tar Belly than any other call. It took some work to break it in, but once there, this call is amazing. It’s the best cackler call I’ve ever run,” he says. The Willamette Valley is dubbed the grass seed capital of the world, and that’s what draws all the cacklers. Big flocks, warmer weather and multiple retrieves – these are just some of the reasons you and your dog will enjoy getting after one of the most popular geese in the country. NS

A Slayer Calls Tar Belly goose call and Kent Cartridge’s pure bismuth loads are two more tools that Haugen loves when it comes to hunting cacklers. (SCOTT HAUGEN)

140 Northwest Sportsman FEBRUARY 2024 | nwsportsmanmag.com

Editor’s note: Scott Haugen is a full-time writer. See his puppy training videos and learn more about his many books at scotthaugen.com and follow him on Instagram and Facebook.

nwsportsmanmag.com | FEBRUARY 2024

Northwest Sportsman 141

142 Northwest Sportsman FEBRUARY 2024 | nwsportsmanmag.com

Solve February’s What-to-do Conundrum With Coyotes F

ebruary is the one month for Northwest sportsmen that creates a problem, a challenge, a dilemma of sorts. To get fancy, the shortest month is a conundrum for us. Before the steelhead fiasco on the Washington Coast, it was the top month for NW PURSUITS chasing sea-going trout, but now with closures, By Jason Brooks restrictions and political fodder leaving only a handful of rivers open anymore, those who want to get outdoors have fewer options. This is where coyote hunting can fill the bill for those needing to get out and enjoy the Pacific Northwest in winter. Hunters can use this month to help out wildlife such as upland birds and big game, as well as livestock – not to mention pets, given the increase of housing developments encroaching onto wintering grounds – as the wily coyote thrives in all these different environments. A friend of mine who lives in Tacoma posted on social media last month how while they were taking their dog for a walk around the neighborhood, a coyote jumped out of the brush and ran off. Yes, even in major cities the coyote can survive. Though of course we cannot hunt them in urban areas, the incident is a testament to how adaptive the coyote is, so there is little argument against harvesting these mini-predators from rural areas, unlike their bigger cousins, gray wolves, or other large predators that headline news stories. Late-winter coyote hunting offers some great opportunities as the songdogs pair up for breeding season. Like the bugle for elk or the strut for turkeys, the breeding season makes coyotes easier to target and vulnerable throughout the day as males look for females in heat, plus the animals are pretty social. The waning of winter also finds them hungry, as most natural prey has either already been caught and eaten or retreated to safety. To make the most of a coyote hunt, be ready to employ a few different tactics, depending on how hard they have been hunted, as well as their food base, and of course the timing of the breeding season from mid- to late February.

CALLING IS THE most common technique used to pursue coyotes, but by the time February rolls around, most huntable populations of dogs have heard just about every kind of cottontail, jackrabbit or excited chicken call on the market. Some really hungry coyotes 144 Northwest Sportsman FEBRUARY 2024 | nwsportsmanmag.com

Hunting coyotes on the edge of ranches and wildlife winter range can be productive this time of year. Ryan Brooks bagged this one earlier this winter in Idaho. (JASON BROOKS)

COLUMN

nwsportsmanmag.com | FEBRUARY 2024

Northwest Sportsman 145

COLUMN

Calling and decoying are great ways to bring in curious songdogs in February, but don’t overlook mixing it up from traditional prey-in-distress offerings to lure in wised-up coyotes. (JASON BROOKS) might still fall for these calls, but to be successful in late winter, your best calls will be social noises. Try to mimic a female that is looking for a springtime soulmate by using some howling, yips and barks. If you see a pair of coyotes, try some pup yips, as this keys in on the female that is ready to make a new pack, as well as might bring in an adult male that is ready to make room for more puppies in the territory. The life of a coyote is just as cruel as it is for other predators and that means adult males rule the area and won’t like other coyotes, especially younger ones, encroaching on 146 Northwest Sportsman FEBRUARY 2024 | nwsportsmanmag.com

their territory. One way to find coyotes is to head out at night, either right after sundown or a few hours before sunrise. If it is legal to hunt at night where you are, those with night vision or thermal scopes have a clear advantage, but remember that you are trying to reduce predators and that hunting at night, even when allowed, can stress deer and elk. Instead, during the hours of darkness use a locator call such as a howl. The idea is to find which areas have coyotes, plus it is really exciting to get a few dogs howling back at you. Once you have located areas with high

concentrations of coyotes, you know where to return when daylight arrives. While prey calls may have been overused during the earlier winter months, that doesn’t mean you should abandon them altogether. Instead, change things up a bit, such as by using a raccoon distress. Birds fighting can signal carrion that has been recently exposed from melting snow. Roadkill is high during winter, so a wounded rabbit might not work as well along high traffic areas or within a mile or so of a road that is littered with dead deer, but coyotes are like any other dog and very curious. Exploit their

COLUMN Borrow a trick from pronghorn hunters by combining a cow decoy with a call mimicking a lost calf to attract the attention of coyotes during the calving season. (JASON BROOKS)

curiosity with the use of unusual sounds such as a lost calf elk, domestic sheep and even a pet dog barking.

DECOYS WORK VERY well in February. Try pairing one of the coyote-looking decoys with a call that makes coyote sounds such as barks and yips or other decoys. Antelope hunters have been using cow decoys so as to resemble domestic bovines out on the range, but by late February cows are dropping calves, so a well-placed Montana Decoy cow and a call mimicking a lost calf can work well if in a ranching area. Cattle ranchers hate coyotes for good reason, as they tend to harass herds of pregnant cows, and calving season often arrives this month. Songdogs will eat the afterbirth but won’t hesitate to grab a newborn calf if they can distract the mother just long enough. Coyote Predation of Livestock, first 148 Northwest Sportsman FEBRUARY 2024 | nwsportsmanmag.com

published in 1998 and reprinted in 2010, states, “The coyote is the major predator of livestock in Alberta and accounts for more than 75 percent of all livestock predation each year.” The report also gives insight to how coyotes kill cows, noting that they prey on the young, with 85 percent of calves killed by coyotes being less than a month old. Last month, as my son Ryan and I were heading back from Idaho, we saw a newborn calf that had just dropped. The little cow looked to be less than an hour old, as its coat was still wet and its mother still had signs of giving birth. Two days beforehand my son had taken a coyote that was within a few hundred yards of a large cattle ranch as we cruised along a BLM road. Noting how a coyote could easily kill this calf, Ryan felt good about taking the Idaho dog and knowing he was helping a local rancher. Back to decoys and unorthodox

ways to bring in coyotes, I know of a few hunters who use their own dogs to lure the furry predators. I would never use this technique, even with a well-trained dog, because my wife would not allow me to take our beloved pet out to be placed on some vista and used as a sacrificial lamb of sorts, but if you have the time to train your canine companion, this is a sure way to draw in a coyote in February. Rabbit decoys and those motorized twitching fuzzytails work well to distract the coyote too. Some electronic callers come with such decoys attached and you can control how erratic they twitch, along with change the sounds being emitted. If you don’t have an electronic caller, try utilizing today’s technology with a small Bluetooth speaker and your cellphone. Download some MP3 files and you are all set; just make sure it is legal to do so where you plan on hunting.

nwsportsmanmag.com | FEBRUARY 2024

Northwest Sportsman 149

COLUMN THIS TIME OF year is more about predator management, as fur prices for coyotes are low, so putting up fur is not the main goal. But you might still find dogs that haven’t started rubbing, something they do as the breeding season gets going and their body temperature rises, which causes them to scratch and shed, and a thickfurred coyote looks good on the wall. Skinning is best done right away, but if you leave a carcass overnight and it freezes, be sure to thaw it completely before skinning. My son learned this lesson last month as he tried to skin a coyote out but the legs and head were still frozen. Luckily, it was a learning experience for Ryan and even fleshing it put just a few extra pinholes in the hide. For a decorative fur this is not a big deal, but be sure to do it right if you plan on putting up a fur for auction. You don’t need a specialty predator rifle this time of year if you don’t plan on using the fur and the goal is to help deer, elk or livestock. However, a .30-06 might be a bit overkill, as a lot of coyote hunting is done near ranches, well houses, irrigation sprinklers and other places where you don’t want a bullet traveling for a mile or more before it hits the ground. Plus with the cost of most big-bore rifle ammo being high, it is best to use a moderate cartridge. I use a .223, which is the same rifle I have had since 1993, when I first started hunting for Bennet Mountain Fur Company in southern Idaho. It is a bolt-action Winchester Model 70 Ranger that has been rebarreled. Other calibers that won’t cost a fortune to shoot are rifles chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor, .38 Special, 9mm and .204 Ruger. Personally, I stay away from the rimfires, as I don’t want to wound a coyote and these bullets tend to lose energy fast past 50 yards. FEBRUARY CAN BE a bit problematic when

Coyote pelts aren’t as lustrous now as they are earlier in the winter, but can still make for a fine piece to hang on the wall. Author Jason Brooks, who hunted for Bennet Mountain Fur Company, advises skinning them right away or, if you have to wait till later, making sure the carcass is completely thawed. (JASON BROOKS) 150 Northwest Sportsman FEBRUARY 2024 | nwsportsmanmag.com

it comes to finding something to do outdoors. Our great steelhead fishing is all but gone, with the remaining open rivers attracting a few hundred of your notso-closest friends. But you can still head afield this month to stretch the legs a bit, increase your shooting skills and help out a few deer and elk, along with some ranchers. Use February’s conundrum to kill some coyotes. NS

Choose quality Alaskan-made gear when planning your next adventure. GUN SCABBARD waterproof gun bag

ATTENTION NORTHWEST SPORTSMAN READERS

Mention this ad for a FREE carry strap with purchase of the gun scabbard.

Shop nomaralaska.com to see all the gear we make for outdoor adventures. Homer, Alaska • 800-478-8364 • nomaralaska.com

152 Northwest Sportsman FEBRUARY 2024 | nwsportsmanmag.com

COLUMN

Wake Up! Threats To Gun Rights, Hunting On Your Doorstep M

ore than 100 years ago, the late Gideon J. Tucker – an attorney, politician and newspaper editor ON TARGET – wrote a sentence By Dave Workman that should be carved in stone at the entrance of every state capitol building in the country: “No man’s life, liberty or property are safe while the Legislature is in session.” Despite our interest in late-season hunting opportunities – rabbits, coyotes – and new products (Hornady and Ruger are celebrating their 75th anniversaries with some new introductions we’ll discuss in a moment), off-season shooting and firearm maintenance, the sad truth is that if you own guns in Washington, you need to pay attention to what state legislators are considering. Protecting your gun rights is not a spectator sport, and this is about your firearms, not some other person’s guns.

IN OLYMPIA, LAWMAKERS are currently looking at House Bill 1902, which would create a permit-to-purchase for anyone hoping to buy any firearm, with a training requirement that includes a live-fire demonstration of competency. This would be an expansion of the training requirement and 10-day waiting period on all gun purchases that kicked in on January 1. The bill – sponsored by more

than 20 House Democrats (no Republicans signed onto this legislation, which was prefiled in December) – also would set up a “state firearms background check system account” that would be managed by the state treasurer. Here are the names of HB 1902’s sponsors: Representatives Emily Alvarado, Liz Berry, Lisa Callan, Lauren Davis, Beth Doglio, Davina Duerr, Darya Farivar, Joe Fitzgibbon, Roger Goodman, David Hackney, Sharlett Mena, Greg Nance, Strom Peterson, Gerry Pollet, Julia Reed, Kristine Reeves, Cindy Ryu, Tana Senn, Tarra Simmons, Monica Jurado Stonier, Chipalo Street, Jamila Taylor, Hy-Linh Thai and Amy Walen. Remember their names in November. Meanwhile, the Seattle-based gun prohibition lobby announced its agenda The state capitol of Olympia is a battleground right now and your gun rights are on the line, says author Dave Workman. Democrat lawmakers are pushing hard to adopt the anti-gun-rights agenda of the Seattle-based Alliance for Gun Responsibility. (DAVE WORKMAN)

nwsportsmanmag.com | FEBRUARY 2024

Northwest Sportsman 153

COLUMN just before the holidays. Here are a few of the highlights: • Do away with state preemption. This will allow cities and counties to adopt their own gun restrictions. Washington was a pioneer in this arena in 1983 and 1985, adopting a law that provides uniformity from one border to the other. What’s legal in Spokane is legal in Seattle, as it should be. (HB 1178) • Require a permit to purchase firearms. We just discussed this above. Similar legislation was already declared unconstitutional in Oregon. This turns a right to keep and bear arms into a government-regulated privilege. (HB 1902) • Limiting gun purchases. Anti-gunners say this prevents gun trafficking, but what they’re not telling you is that within a 30day period, you don’t get exercise your rights more than once. (HB 2054) There are other items on the antigun wish list. Readers should acquaint themselves with all of these. They can be found on the Alliance for Gun Responsibility’s website. That’s the billionaire-backed group behind anti-gun Initiatives 459 (2014) and 1639 (2018), which were peddled to voters as tools to bring down violent crime and murder. If you’re a gun owner, these people are not your friends. The Legislative Hotline number is (800) 562-6000.

ANYONE WHO HAS read Northwest Sportsman Editor Andy Walgamott’s coverage of the grizzly bear controversy should understand the backers of reintroduction are also not your pals. Wolves are already having an impact on deer and livestock in Washington, and reintroducing grizzlies will only compound the problem. We’ll state this bluntly so nobody can misunderstand: As hunters, you are considered competitors to the predators, and endangered species will invariably get the priority consideration, especially with the current Fish & Wildlife Commission. There were at least two nasty encounters between humans and grizzlies last year in Montana, one involving a hunter who was severely mauled. It’s been my observation that the strongest advocates of grizzly reintroduction 154 Northwest Sportsman FEBRUARY 2024 | nwsportsmanmag.com

Handloaders will warm to Hornady’s new ELD-VT, or Extremely Low Drag VarmintTarget, bullets, which are offered in .224, 6mm/.243, 6.5mm and .30 caliber. (HORNADY)

are people who will not have to live with the results on a daily basis. As explained in a Fox News report back in September, “When you look closer at the in-state comments, the support dropped as you got closer to the areas where reintroduction is considered.” That report also noted, “While grizzly reintroduction would allow Washington to regain a historic species, the location overlaps with the efforts to recover wolf populations. Wolves have already become a concern thanks to attacks on sheep and cattle, rankling ranchers … Wolves have also been blamed for reducing elk populations, which in turn can harm big game hunters.”

NOW, SOME FUNNER items. If you’re a handloader, this is a big year for one of the big names in the business. Hornady is celebrating its 75th anniversary. New from Hornady for 2024 is the ELD-VT bullet, and it has the earmarks of a sizzler, especially for varmint hunters. ELDVT stands for Extremely Low Drag VarmintTarget projectiles, and they’re offered in .224/62 grains, 6mm/.243/80 grains,

6.5mm/.264/100 grains and .30 caliber/174 grains. All come in 100-count boxes. Hornady has also announced a clickadjustable bullet seating micrometer. For a precision shooter, this could really pay off in the field. Each click adjusts 0.001 inch for precise bullet seating. Hornady has also introduced V-Match ammunition. There are five loads in the line, including Hornady’s new .22 ARC with a 62-grain pill, a 6mm ARC pushing an 80-grain bullet, a 6mm Creedmoor, also topped with the 80-grain projectile, a 6.5 Grendel with a 100-grain bullet and, likewise, the same bullet in a 6.5 Creedmoor. The .22 ARC, or Advanced Rifle Cartridge, is offered in three bullet weights: 62 grains (ELD-VT), 75 grains (ELD Match Black) and 88 grains (ELD Match). Hornady offers new loads in 5.7x28mm, both with 40-grain projectiles. One load is in the V-Max Black family, while the other is an FTX Critical Defense load. I’ve personally used Hornady ammunition and bullets for reloading, and I have yet to be disappointed. I keep my .38

nwsportsmanmag.com | FEBRUARY 2024

Northwest Sportsman 155

COLUMN Workman loads his Colt Diamondback with Hornady .38 Special ammunition, and his loading bench is no stranger to Hornady loading dies, bullets and loading manuals. (DAVE WORKMAN)

Special Colt Diamondback stoked with Hornady XTP loads. Sturm, Ruger is also celebrating its 75th anniversary, and to commemorate the occasion, the company is offering special anniversary models of their MKIV .22-caliber semiauto pistol, two different versions of the legendary 10/22 semiauto rifle and an LCP MAX compact handgun, as detailed in this space last issue. Founded in 1949 by the late Bill Ruger, this company has become a leader in the American firearms industry, having sold millions of handguns, rifles and shotguns over the years. Ruger has designed and sold more “classic” firearms than I can count, among them being the Blackhawk, Super Blackhawk, Single-Six, Bearcat, SP100, Redhawk, M77 rifle, No. 1 Single-Shot rifle, Red Label shotguns and more. I will confess to having more than one Ruger in my gun safe. Ruger now has facilities in New Hampshire, Arizona and North Carolina, it owns and manufactures Marlin leveraction rifles and it is a brand name that is 156 Northwest Sportsman FEBRUARY 2024 | nwsportsmanmag.com

immediately recognized around the globe. Another anniversary in progress is the Second Amendment Foundation’s 50th, and the Bellevue-based organization is on the leading edge of gun rights litigation. The organization’s motto is “Winning Firearms Freedom, One Lawsuit at a Time.” Among the 57 lawsuits SAF is pursuing at this writing are ones challenging gun control laws here in Washington and neighboring Oregon. If you’re looking for a place to donate money to support legal actions, SAF is a good spot. And just for perspective, SAF founder Alan Gottlieb is still on the job, serving as executive vice president. Known for his trademark bowtie, Gottlieb launched SAF in the summer of 1974 (some of us were around then!) and he still seems as energetic and politically savvy as ever.

ON THE HUNTING front, remember that rabbit season continues through March 15 in Washington (it’s open year-round in Oregon), and if you’re looking for an opportunity to conk a bunny, grab a

.22-caliber rifle or pistol, or a shotgun stuffed with No. 7½ shells and start working the brush country, wild blackberry tangles out in the Columbia Basin and anywhere else rabbits might call home. Meanwhile, putting the hurt on yodel dogs does a couple of important things. First, it reduces the predator population. For every coyote put out of action, you might be helping pheasants, grouse, chukars, rabbits and even deer fawns and elk calves. Second, you keep your shooting reflexes tuned up, which is no small consideration.

Winter months also provide me with an opportunity to do any postseason maintenance on my rifles and handguns. Every one of them gets a midwinter cleaning; Hoppe’s No. 9 down the bore with a bronze brush followed by dry patches and then a pass with a lightly oiled patch. Then a drop of oil on moving parts, and an examination of the stock for scratches, which are rubbed with – believe it or not – either a touch of linseed oil or neutral shoe wax. NS

nwsportsmanmag.com | FEBRUARY 2024

Northwest Sportsman 157

OREGON MEDFORD CRATER CHAINSAW 1321 North Riverside (541) 772-7538 www.craterchainsaw.net

158 Northwest Sportsman FEBRUARY 2024 | nwsportsmanmag.com