Northwest Sportsman Mag - September 2020 by Media Index Publishing Group

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Sportsman Northwest

Your LOCAL Hunting & Fishing Resource

Volume 12 • Issue 12 PUBLISHER James R. Baker

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

ALUMAWELD STRYKER

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

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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 Jerry Han shows off a nice fall Chinook caught in one of the Columbia Gorge pools last September. (FISHING PHOTO CONTEST)

DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS Last issue’s page 120 cutline incorrectly described the new SpinFish from Yakima Bait as a hinged lure. Rather, the SpinFish is a pull-apart plug with a bait chamber that disperses scent as it’s pulled through the water.

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CONTENTS

VOLUME 12 • ISSUE 12

ALSO INSIDE 65

PATROL THE HARBOR FOR SALMON Fall shines with a special light in the Grays Harbor watershed as Chinook, coho and chums return, runs that in some cases last into the following year. Jason Brooks talks tactics and timing for the myriad waters.

FOLLOW THE FISH Columbia Chinook returns are on the upswing, and the upriver bright component should provide good fishing this season. Mark Yuasa tracks hot spots and top gear for targeting the salmon as they move through the gorge pools and into the Hanford Reach.

149 HUNTING BUCKS IN THE TIME OF COVID With Oregon’s deer hunting season beginning, Willamette Valley-based sportsman Troy Rodakowski shares tips on where to find blacktails and mule deer this fall. 159 TECH IN THE WILD Trail cameras help elk hunters research what caliber bulls are wandering around the woods, but properly placing the devices is tricky. Successful sportsman Dave Anderson has advice on where and how to deploy game cams for best results – both on the SD card and in terms of a notched tag.

111

BIRD DOG SEPTEMBER’S FEATHERED OPS

165 BIG SNOW, BIG BULL Patrick Thomas put in for a Western Washington bull elk permit for almost a decade before finally getting drawn last season. Then a freak early fall blizzard, er, snowed on his parade.

Grouse and bandtail pigeons offer wingshooters in Oregon and Washington a chance to stretch their legs and hunt down dinner. Join MD Johnson in pursuit of late summer’s early birds.

(SCOTT HAUGEN)

SUBSCRIBE TODAY! Go to nwsportsmanmag.com for details. NORTHWEST SPORTSMAN is published monthly by Media Index Publishing Group, 14240 Interurban Avenue South, Suite 190, Tukwila, WA 98168. Periodical Postage Paid at Seattle, WA and at additional mail offices. (USPS 025-251) POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Northwest Sportsman, 14240 Interurban Ave South, Suite 190, Tukwila, WA 98168. Annual subscriptions are $29.95 (12 issues), 2-year subscription are $49.95 (24 issues). Send check or money order to Media Index Publishing Group, or call (206) 382-9220 with VISA or M/C. Back issues may be ordered at Media Index Publishing Group offices at the cost of $5 plus shipping. Display Advertising. Call Media Index Publishing Group for a current rate card. Discounts for frequency advertising. All submitted materials become the property of Media Index Publishing Group and will not be returned. Copyright © 2020 Media Index Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be copied by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying or recording by any information storage or retrieval system, without the express written permission of the publisher. Printed in U.S.A.

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135

(BUZZ RAMSEY)

BUZZ RAMSEY

Preparing For The Hunt Buzz switches gears from rods and reels to rifles and rangefinders, outlining how he gets ready to successfully chase bucks across the Northwest.

COLUMNS 81

FOR THE LOVE OF THE TUG Running The Boat For The First Time Sara is very comfortable working the banks of her Southern Oregon salmon and steelhead rivers, but she also found it “empowering” to call all the shots while trolling the estuary for Chinook aboard her boyfriend’s boat last season.

CHEF IN THE WILD Putting Up, Part II: Smoking It’s harvest time and with hunting seasons opening and salmon runs returning to our region’s rivers, Chef Randy is highlighting ways to “put up,” or preserve, wild game meat. Last issue he focused on canning and this issue he turns his attention to the fine art of smoking – brine, temps, time, best woods and more!

125 GUN DOG Build Confidence With Bridge Words Sit, stay, hunt ’em up and fetch are key commands to instill in our four-legged hunting partners, but they’re not the only words to use. Gun dogs need encouragement that they’re doing the right thing while following instructions, and Scott has some great advice on how to give it. 129 ON TARGET Spend September In The Brush, At The Reloading Bench Insert exploding head emoji. September pulls Northwest sportsmen in many directions and Dave’s no exception. It’s prime in his grouse woods and also “quite possibly the busiest month for me at the loading bench.” He kept it together long enough to serve up tips for bagging birds and brewing big game bullets. 143 NORTHWEST PURSUITS Don’t Waste September Time’s a wasting if you’re a deer hunter sitting around in September waiting on October and November’s general and late seasons. Jason makes the case for getting afield right now! 16 Northwest Sportsman

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(OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK)

THE BIG PIC:

Outdoorsmen To Help Reduce ONP Goat Numbers DEPARTMENTS 23

THE EDITOR’S NOTE Sea lion removal permit granted

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California sea lions gather in Southwest Washington's Coweeman River to feast on smelt during 2016’s run. Columbia managers aim to create “safe zones” for at-risk migratory fish via the recently granted federal permit allowing lethal removal of sea lions. (SKYLAR MASTERS)

inally! Columbia Chinook, coho, chums, steelhead, sturgeon, smelt and lamprey will benefit from the recently issued federal permit to lethally remove sea lions from more of the shared big river and its tributaries. Operations are expected to begin later this year. We’ve been detailing the long fight to do more about marine mammal predation on Endangered Species Act-listed stocks and August saw the National Marine Fisheries Service greenlight Northwest states and tribes to take out up to 540 California and 176 Steller sea lions over the next five years to create “safe zones” for fish. That might not be as many pinnipeds as some would like to cull – and sorry, unlike mountain goats inside Olympic National Park (see Big Pic), skilled volunteer aren’t being recruited for the effort – but it still represents “a really big step allowing us to get on top of a problem that has been building in the region since the 1990s.”

THOSE ARE THE words of Dr. Shaun Clements of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, who said you only have to look back to the Ballard Locks to see what unchecked sea lion lunching at pinchpoints will do to fish runs, a reference to Lake Washington steelhead. At Bonneville Dam and Willamette Falls, ODFW said that previous “non-lethal methods such as relocation and hazing ... largely proved futile.” The falls were the latest proving ground that fish runs could be saved through targeted sea lion removals – 33 in 2018 and 2019. Predation on adult Willamette winter steelhead dropped from as high as 25 percent previously to as low as 1 percent this year. “By removing those animals, we allowed over 1,300 extra winter steelhead to reach the spawning grounds,” Clements said. “We hope to have a similar impact across the basin with this new permit and give these runs the breathing room they need to recover.” ODFW’s state counterparts across the Columbia said that killing and translocating 219 CSLs at Bonneville between 2008 and 2019 “saved 30,000 to 35,000 spring Chinook,” which are among key feedstocks for starving southern resident killer whales. THIS WON'T BE a magic bullet that makes fish runs boom. The Columbia and its habitats are highly altered and there are myriad other issues that need serious addressing. It’s possible better ocean conditions gave Willamette steelhead somewhat of a boost too. And yet to ignore and not address a source of predation in populations that are considered recovered would have been folly. ODFW estimates that as many as 290 CSLs and 130 SSLs use the safe zones – miniscule percentages of either species if they’re removed. I want to give a huge thanks to the coalition of state wildlife agencies, tribal comanagers, Congressmen and -women, the sportfishing industry and even environmentally minded groups like Northwest zoos and aquariums for supporting this effort. Working together we moved mountains. Are we ready for the next area and species that needs to be addressed? –Andy Walgamott nwsportsmanmag.com | SEPTEMBER 2020

Northwest Sportsman 23

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Outdoorsmen To Help Reduce ONP Goat Numbers In a rarity, vetted teams picked for backcountry skills, marksmanship will begin lethally removing the nonnative species from inside the Olympic Peninsulaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s national park.

Three mountain goats stand on Klahhane Ridge inside Olympic National Park and not far from where the first billies and nannies were released in early 1925. Following three years of translocations that bolstered Cascades herds with 325 goats, lethal removals begin this month and will focus in the interior and eastern side of the park. (OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK, FLICKR) 26 Northwest Sportsman

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PICTURE

By Andy Walgamott

wenty-one teams of the “most highly qualified” stateand park service-vetted volunteer outdoorsmen will begin to lethally remove mountain goats from Olympic National Park starting this month. It’s a rare chance for members of the public with, shall we say, certain skill sets to assist in the management of a now-unwanted wildlife species inside what is otherwise an off-limits preserve, and an effort that could be closely watched by anti-hunters. Operations are slated to run Sept. 9-Oct. 17. It will be anything but a trophy or regular hunt, let alone a weekend at deer camp, rather an effort to “eradicate” a nonnative ungulate that is heavily impacting high-elevation vegetation and lands. It’s a task of momentous gravity. And one that’s come full circle, in a sense. A dozen goats were introduced here for hunting beginning in the mid-1920s (see sidebar). Then in 1938 the mountains were declared a national park, which subsequently barred hunting.

nwsportsmanmag.com | SEPTEMBER 2020

Northwest Sportsman 27

PICTURE But since 2018, the National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and numerous Westside tribes have been actively working to get rid of the goats. The goal is for the Olympics to be Oreamnos americanus-free by fall 2022. Until this month, the project has largely focused on capturing and transporting goats to Washington’s North and Central Cascades to help rebuild herds there. A total of 325 were translocated. Another 56 animals went to zoos, died during capture or transport, were euthanized for health or other reasons, or were killed. There were an estimated 725 goats in the Olympics when the effort began. “I hope the park sees an improvement in their ecosystem health,” Brock Hoenes, WDFW big game manager, told Seattle TV station KING 5. “That’s the overall objective there. And it’s also to ensure the preservation of the ecosystem in the future.”

BACK IN APRIL, Hoenes’ agency quietly put out word park officials were recruiting three- to six-person groups of “skilled

An aerial image shows one of the 15 designated mountain goat removal units that the 21 teams are assigned to. This one, the Mt. Seattle unit, sits at the center of the national park, far from any roads. (ONP) volunteers.” Given the extremely rugged, weatherlashed nature of the interior and eastern Olympics (Mt. Olympus receives 220 inches of rain a year, including more than 31 inches in September and October),

Washington sportsmen have previously been helping the goat removal effort in other ways, including driving the animals from the Olympic Peninsula to the North and Central Cascades in crates built by master hunters Chris, Jon and Ken Ness of Castle Rock. (WDFW) 28 Northwest Sportsman

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being physically fit and having a proven ability to operate in the backcountry for long periods were stressed in the application information. Among the requirements, all team members needed to “Provide a physician’s note certifying physical fitness sufficient to support hiking up to 15 miles a day for 7 consecutive days, carrying a 50-lb. pack, in mountainous terrain.” Passing a background check, being available for one of three 11-day-long “removal bouts” in 15 designated areas, and attending a training day were also required. As unpaid National Park Service volunteers, participants must also abide by federal social media and scientific/ scholarly codes of conduct. Groups can include a mix of marksmen, spotters and packers, but only those who pass a shooting proficiency test – putting three out of five shots into an 8-inch circle at 200 yards – right before deployment will be allowed to kill goats. Only nonlead bullets can be used – a park document lists more than five pages’ worth of approved sources, ammo and components for reloaders – and shooters must bring a minimum of 40 rounds. After collecting biological data on the

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PICTURE

THE MTN. GOAT THAT DIDN’T GO

here’s goat roping, and then there’s mountain goat roping. Yes, the latter is as much of a cluster as it sounds. With lethal removals just about to begin in Olympic National Park, I am going to draw your attention back nearly 100 years to the veritable “fifth Beatle” of the peninsula’s original quartet. As she works on genealogy projects, my mom occasionally sends me old newspaper articles about Northwest fish and wildlife back in the day, and one involved a friend of one of her grandfathers. As Smith Miller worked for logging outfits in the Cascades he became acquainted with the Galbraith clan, a collection of tough hombres — timber cruisers, mill builders, farmers. One of them, Joe Galbraith, won the first Mt. Baker Marathon (today known as the Ski to Sea relay) back in 1911, and then in early 1925 a mountain goat inexplicably turned up in his back 40. It’s unclear why the billy had come so far down into the lowlands – Joe’s farm was in the Acme area east of Bellingham – but he immediately set out to lasso it, according to a story in the Seattle Daily Times. What followed was described as “an hour’s rumpus scattered over a ten-acre patch,” a battle that apparently left both the goat roper and ropee pretty banged up. “Galbraith lassoed the goat with a fortyfoot throw, but before he had subdued it he suffered skinned hands and shins, had bumped into stumps and had knocked over a fence post or two,” the paper reported. Afterwards, he tied the goat up and word of its capture quickly reached state game managers. They had just recently acquired four Canadian mountain goats via British Columbia from the Banff area (other records say the Selkirks to the west), and released them on New Year’s Day at the foot of Mount Storm King by Lakes Crescent and Sutherland outside Port Angeles. Between J.W. Kinney, who supervised hunting and fishing in Washington at the time, local federal forestry officials and a

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(DETAIL, “MOUNTAIN GOAT,” 1951, UNKNOWN PHOTOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON STATE DIGITAL ARCHIVES, ACCESSED AUG. 6, 2020)

local hiking club, it was believed that the goats would do quite well in the peninsula’s rugged heights, according to The Murrelet, a local biological journal now published under another title. So Kinney sent word for Galbraith to hold onto his capture “until such time as it has regained its strength” following its trek out of the North Cascades and battle with the farmer, and then arrangements would be made to ship it across Puget Sound to PA. Ultimately, 12 goats were set loose in the Olympics between early 1925 and some point later in the decade, according to The Murrelet, with the bulk coming from Alaska as part of a swap for elk. Their descendants did well in the park and nearby areas – too well, damaging plants and terrain – and now the remaining cantankerous holdouts will be shot. Speaking of cantankerous, that goatroping escapade was thought to be just a warm-up act for Joe’s back-pasture billy. “… (A) row is expected when Galbraith’s

goat faces the buck on guard there” in the Olympics, the Daily Times wrote. But it never made the trip. A “week to the hour” after its capture, it found itself “seeking eternal rest and evergreen pastures in a new stamping ground; perhaps where all goats go when they die …,” reported the Bellingham Herald. “… Joe’s goat, after spending a week in a barn pending deportation to the Olympic mountains by the state game commission turned up its hoofs and passed out.” The billy was said to announce the abrupt change of plans with a “feeble bleat.” All was not lost. Shortly afterwards it was sent to a taxidermist and the mount was given to the local chamber of commerce.. Who knows why Galbraith’s billy died, but the last newspaper story Mom found said that it was estimated to have been 15 years old, making it a very old goat indeed. But then again, maybe it just didn’t want to leave its home mountains for strange heights. –AW

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PICTURE animals they kill, participants can take the “meat and other materials.” The application period closed April 17. “We had over 1,200 groups apply,” said Penny Wagner, an ONP spokeswoman in Port Angeles. “We evaluated all applications and pulled out those that were ranked as most highly qualified. From that pool, we then did a random draw of 40 applications and those were evaluated by a team of National Park Service and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife staff. From that pool, 21 groups were selected.” She said “over 100” of the 1,200-plus groups were ranked “most highly qualified.” Patti Happe, the park’s Wildlife Branch chief who headed up the recruitment and selection process, thanked all those who applied, calling the pool “very impressive.” WDFW’s Hoenes praised ONP’s vetting process, terming it “robust.” And soon it will

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be time for that “highly skilled group of volunteers” to take to the heights. “The task at hand will be challenging, as it will require them to methodically search through some of the most rugged and vast areas of the park to find the few hundred goats that remain,” Hoenes told me. After this fall, aerial culling is slated for 2021 and 2022, according to media reports.

WHEN FIRST ANNOUNCED that mountain goats would be removed from the Olympics, some asked why regular hunters couldn’t just be tasked with part of the job. After all, the species is among those that can be pursued by special permit in other parts of Washington, it could be done for free – saving taxpayers the high costs of helicopters and ground management – and selling tags would also raise funds for conservation. But there has also long been a prohibition on hunting in national parks and changing that would literally require an act of Congress – a tall order in these

idiotically overly divisive times. Ultimately, the final environmental impact statement for the project suggested “using park staff, other federal personnel, hired contractors from Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service or US Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services, state personnel, or trained volunteers.” The use of select members of the public for lethally removing animals marks an interesting shift in national park management – at least in the Northwest. A decade ago, 52 elk were culled at Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado by a small number of volunteers, 868 elk at Theodore Roosevelt in South Dakota. “Removing elk using volunteers is one example of a novel solution which required compromise by all agencies involved and met the most important needs and objectives of each. We suggest this may be one effective solution to consider, after careful analysis of interested publics, in other NPS units facing similar ungulate abundance issues,” a federal

review concluded. Even so, following WDFW’s call for applications, some sportsmen on Hunting-Washington.com expressed concern about the potential for bad public relations fallout. “Let the Feds pay for their own dirty work, and keep us from getting blamed,” reads one member’s comment. Another responded, “They are soliciting non-employee volunteers to serve in the same capacity as their hired guns would be; to exterminate the remaining goats. They are asking you to perform the same task in the same way they would hire someone else to do it, so where is the black eye?” Someone else worried about park officials’ “preference” that nannies with kids be taken out, which would be more humane than leaving the young goats to just die on their own, but what happens when photos of that get out? “It will be like the guy that took a picture of the family of baboons he shot,” they posted, a reference to the Idaho Fish and Game Commissioner who resigned in fall 2018 after sharing a distasteful safari image.

O.N.P. HAS LONG worried about the “exotic” goats’ impact on alpine vegetation as they search for salt and mineral licks. The animals, which originally came from the Canadian Rockies and Southeast Alaska, are also attracted to places along trails where hikers pee for the salts that accumulate, as well as campsites where they dump dishwater. And in 2010, a man was gored and killed by a billy on Klahhane Ridge near Hurricane above Port Angeles, adding impetus to doing something about the population and helping lead to 2018’s translocation and lethal removal plan. While the park’s social media code includes a stipulation that pictures by volunteer group members of “sensitive topics (e.g., animals …) … shall not be posted to personal social media without approval of the Superintendent, Public Information Officer, or a designee,” participants aren’t barred from talking about the process, ONP’s Wagner said. In that Hunting Washington thread, member Chukarhead indicates their group was among those selected. “When it came down to winnowing those final 40 groups to 21, we may have had an advantage (just guessing here) because we emphasized our team members’ experience in field science, natural resource management, conflict resolution, and public relations on sensitive topics,” they wrote. “I’m 100% sure that we weren’t the most experienced hunters or mountaineers, but that’s only one piece of this, and probably not the most important to the managers,” added Chukarhead. “One member will probably do all or nearly all the trigger-pulling with a suppressed precision rifle, and we only have two shooters designated. This is a lethal removal operation, not a hunt, and we put that front and center in our materials. Good luck to others that were drawn. May the clouds be high and the wind always in your face.” Indeed, good luck in the heights; this is an interesting, unique and rare opportunity for skilled outdoorsmen to shine. NS

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PERSPECTIVES

Asian American anglers and Washington residents Tobey Ishii-Anderson (right) and her brother Paul Ishii smile while holding a hatchery coho. (PAUL ISHII)

Fishing At Ease By Tobey Ishii-Anderson Editor’s note: In the July issue’s “Special Statement” I invited underrepresented voices in the Northwest fishing and hunting world to send in their perspectives on race and the outdoors. Email awalgamott@ media-inc.com.

fter serving in the Peace Corps and working in various international schools around the world, it was time to go home, back to the USA. The Pacific Northwest was where my husband and I decided to retire. My

family, who lived there, bragged about the beautiful mountains, hiking trails and pristine rivers. My top priority was to have my brother Paul mentor me in fly fishing. I was really looking forward to getting involved in this outdoor activity. Since my return, Paul and I have taken a fishing trip at least once a year. We were set to go to Mongolia this year to fish for grayling, lennox and – who knows – maybe the exotic taimen. The rivers are crystal-clear and chilled from the snow. The air is so fresh you could bite into it!

All this came to a screeching halt with Covid-19. No problem, because there are many beautiful rivers around Puget Sound. Our fishing would have to include wipe-downs, sanitizers, social distancing and wearing masks – all logical and understandable.

BUT PAUL AND I faced another challenge. We are Asian Americans. With the atmosphere of anti-Asian sentiments due to the virus, we had to seriously consider where we would go fishing and still feel safe. In the past, we never really had

nwsportsmanmag.com | SEPTEMBER 2020

Northwest Sportsman 37

PERSPECTIVES that concern. Before the virus, we would look at the map, read suggestions from Northwest Sportsman magazine regarding destinations, and go! Now we have second thoughts. I had had a sense of unease when I

entered a restaurant in a town where we were fishing. Heads would turn towards us a tad bit too long as we walked into the establishment. This feeling I get in the back of my head that says “Be alert” is the same feeling I get as an Asian woman fishing,

looking over my shoulder. “Would you like a table, honey? Our place is famous for its artisan pizzas!” The server couldn’t be more helpful. I began to relax and enjoy the beer. I fish with a guide whenever possible for the added comfort of feeling safe. The guide not only knows the lay of the river, but also the town. With a guide, the folks can make the association that I’m with a community member.

AM I BEING overly sensitive? The more I heard about the communities near rivers where I wanted to fish, the more I became afraid. An incident occurred with a multiracial family on a camping trip who encountered a group of vigilantes. They were harassed in a town that had the best fishing spot you could ever imagine! I was so disappointed to be afraid to fish my favorite hole. There it was again, that same fear. I contacted some of the guides I knew. They were disappointed with what had occurred and tried to put me at ease. The feeling of fear started again. Fortunately, the people of the town came out in force against racism. I do not want to be hassled in the outdoors because of my ethnic background. I was born here. I am a thirdgeneration Japanese American. America is my home and I am proud of it. The United States is a unique country where all people have the legal right of freedom to pursue happiness without fear – including enjoying the outdoors with ease. Some of the citizens in countries where I have worked do not have this. Who has the responsibility of protecting others from bullies? It lies with all of us. To be silent when you see injustice is wrong. Fishing is for everyone to enjoy. The fish are as diverse as we are. We protect them, as we should our diverse community. So, I’m back on the river, casting out and softly laying that pink and purple streamer in the water. The steelhead grabs it and leaps into the air to do an acrobatic twist. I can hear my reel singing again! Ishii-Anderson prefers to fish with guides – here she is with Mike Zavadlov – for both their insights on the waters and the message it sends to the community. (PAUL ISHII) 38 Northwest Sportsman

SEPTEMBER 2020 | nwsportsmanmag.com

Editor’s note: Tobey Ishii-Anderson is a fly fishing, rock climbing, storytelling grandma.

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READER PHOTOS A pre-Fourth of July trip to Potholes Reservoir supplied the fireworks early for Jim Goodman. He caught this 5-pound walleye trolling a nightcrawler on a Super Slow Death Hook and bottom walker while fishing with friend Barry Dubnow and guide Shelby Ross. He released his catch “to go make more babies.” (FISHING PHOTO CONTEST)

That A on his hat may not stand for Ace sturgeon slammer, but Brady Broders enjoyed a good day of fishing for diamondsides this summer on the midColumbia. He was out with his dad Troy and guide Darrell Axtell.

The ol’ bare red hooks along with an 8-inch leader and bent chrome dodger worked well for kayak angler Chase Gunnell on Lake Wenatchee sockeye. (FISHING PHOTO CONTEST)

It’s fair to say that Brandon Jewett’s August bear hunting day did not go exactly to plan, between sleeping in, not much going on at one trail cam location and the wind not cooperating at his treestand (one he’d fallen out of). But by late afternoon, the Yakima hunter spotted a bruin 425 yards and decided to take a poke at him, dropping it and filling the first of his two tags. (COAST HUNTING PHOTO CONTEST)

(FISHING PHOTO CONTEST)

For your shot at winning great fishing and hunting products from Northwest Sportsman and Coast, respectively, send your full-resolution, original images with all the pertinent details – who’s in the pic; when and where they were; what they caught their fish on/weapon they used to bag the game; and any other details you’d like to reveal (the more, the merrier!) – to awalgamott@media-inc.com or Northwest Sportsman, 14240 Interurban Ave S, Suite 190, Tukwila, WA 98168. By sending us photos, you affirm you have the right to distribute them for use in our print and Internet publications.

nwsportsmanmag.com | SEPTEMBER 2020

Northwest Sportsman 43

READER PHOTOS Rhonna and Tom Schnell have Central Oregon kokanee pegged. They put together this stringer while trolling Dutch Fork Custom Lures spinners behind Paulina Peak Performer Dodgers. (FISHING PHOTO CONTEST)

John Nunnally’s big Chinook capped off July salmon fishing in Washington waters, giving a hint of a nice grade of fish moving through. He caught his near-32-pounder off Neah Bay while fishing with cousin Chad Huffman and it bit a Silver Horde Kingfisher spoon. (FISHING PHOTO CONTEST)

You’d be happy too if the haying was all done at the old San Juan Islands family farmstead and you could go soak some pots. “Happy crabbers” Dustin Fox, Wyatt Lundquist and Gabe Olivo show off their haul after putting up photographer Gary Lundquist’s bales. (FISHING PHOTO CONTEST)

Annika Miller has been in these pages before with a Neah Bay Chinook, and we’ll bet this isn’t her last appearance either! She caught this beautiful wild king in July. (FISHING PHOTO CONTEST)

44 Northwest Sportsman

SEPTEMBER 2020 | nwsportsmanmag.com

Columbia salmon anglers up and down the big river enjoyed a surprisingly strong run of sockeye (and summer Chinook) this season. Bob Suyama caught his near Tri-Cities. (FISHING PHOTO CONTEST)

“Catfish” might not have been Chad Smith’s first, second or third thought while tossing bass gear at Potholes, but catching this 10-pounder renewed his acquaintance with a species he hadn’t hooked since he was a 7-year-old-or-so angler. It spiced up a summer that also included Chinook and crabs. (FISHING PHOTO CONTEST)

nwsportsmanmag.com | SEPTEMBER 2020

Northwest Sportsman 45

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WINNERS!

Barry Dubnow is the winner of our monthly Fishing Photo Contest, thanks to this shot he sent of buddy Jim Goodman and his Potholes Reservoir walleye from early July. It wins him gear from various tackle manufacturers!

Eric Braaten is our monthly Coast Hunting Photo Contest winner, thanks to this pic of he and his Northeast Washington bull moose. It wins him a knife and light from Coast!

For your shot at winning a Coast knife and light, as well as fishing products from various manufacturers, send your photos and pertinent details (who, what, when, where) to awalgamott@media-inc.com or Northwest Sportsman, 14240 Interurban Ave. S., Suite 190, Tukwila, WA 98168. By sending us photos, you affirm you have the right to distribute them for our print or Internet publications. nwsportsmanmag.com | SEPTEMBER 2020

Northwest Sportsman 47

MIXED BAG

Shellfish Getting Hit Hard By Overlimiters

es, there’s a pandemic going on; no, it’s not like that Gary Larson cartoon of the two guys in the boat saying to heck with the limits as the world blows up. Spring and summer shellfish patrols on Northwest shores turned up numerous instances of overharvesting of clams, crabs and oysters, often by people without licenses or regard for health advisories. “Officers have been extremely busy contacting people harvesting up and down the coastline,” reported Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Police in early August. “Contacts [included] the illegal possession of 900 clams and 250 oysters in the shell, subjects trespassing and harvesting shellfish on private beaches, up to nine overlimits of clams, multiple overlimits of oysters, digging in restricted areas due to health hazards, and hiding shellfish in the bed of trucks or trunks of cars,” wardens stated on Facebook. “So many of these contacts include harvesters failing to have shellfish licenses or adhering to the shellfish rules and regulations.” The Oregon State Police Fish and Wildlife Division’s July newsletter detailed saturation patrols on Alsea and Yaquina Bays which saw nearly 200 crabs seized and returned to the water. In one instance in Waldport, a man

KUDOS

WDFW images show multiple overlimits of clams. (WDFW) was found with 62 undersized Dungies, including 15 females. Not only was he cited for those violations, but also for not having a nonresident shellfish license. Further up the Oregon Coast, plainclothes patrols led to 118 razor clams being seized at Seaside and 50 by an Astoria-based trooper. In maybe two of the most egregious – and dangerous – cases, in mid-June WDFW reported eight people had collected 2,410 manila and varnish clams, nearly 21 pounds of mussels and 30 in-the-shell oysters off a Bremerton-area beach permanently closed by state health authorities, and “even more clams” at another nearby beach also shut down for shellfishing due to pollution.

JACKASS OF THE MONTH

t almost beggars belief, but a Southcentral Oregon man brutally ran down six antelope on a Lake County road in April “because he hates pronghorn,” according to state police. The grisly attack centers on Michael Scott Phillips, 48, of Christmas Valley who sped up to 60 miles an hour when he saw a herd of at least five does and one buck on Fossil Lake Road, smashed through them without trying to slow down or stop, and then went and got a burger, officers allege. A witness reportedly heard Phillips “bragging about accelerating his pickup to hit several pronghorns,” and wildlife

A Lake County man was jailed after allegedly admitting to running down six pronghorns on a local road because he “hates” them. (OSP) troopers responding to the scene found six dead antelope and that the horns of the buck had been cut off. A late May search warrant on Phillips’ house turned up that headgear, which The Oregonian reported he had allegedly planned to use to decorate “a helmet or

(WDFW)

Back in mid-June, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Officer Nick Fosse was named the Peace Officer of the Year for the north-central portion of the state by the Greater Wenatchee Sunrise Lion’s Club for his “‘selfless efforts and tireless dedication’ serving the people of the Greater Wenatchee Valley,” according to WDFW. Kudos! No doubt people are getting outside much more and making use of natural resources in these uncertain times, but that doesn’t mean the regulations or safety advisories are out the window, no matter how dire things may look. “Overharvesting these species will ultimately limit opportunity for all,” stated WDFW Police. motorcycle.” Antelope can be hell on alfalfa and there are a number of center-pivot fields in the area, but the newspaper wrote that Phillips’ antipathy is related to a crash involving his father-in-law and a pronghorn. Christmas Valley is surrounded by vast swaths of wide-open federal lands. The wildlife management unit where the antelope were run down had an estimated 2019 population of 1,000. In maybe the most gruesome part of the incident, an unborn pronghorn fawn was cut out of its mother and placed on top of the carcass, according to OSP. Phillips was thrown in Lake County Jail and at press time was facing charges of aggravated animal abuse, illegal take/ possession of antelope, and wastage. To paraphrase a character addressing Capt. Ahab in Moby Dick, vengeance upon an animal is madness and blasphemous.

nwsportsmanmag.com | SEPTEMBER 2020

Northwest Sportsman 49

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Coho Derbies Up Next; Series Going On ‘Hiatus’

By Andy Walgamott

NORTHWEST FISHING DERBY SERIES EVENTS* Sept. 12: Edmonds Coho Derby Sept 19-20: Everett Coho Derby More info: nwfishingderbyseries.com *Given ongoing Covid-19 precautions, confirm events before attending. A KingFisher 2025 Escape HT boat, motor, trailer, fishing equipment and electronics package worth $75,000 will be raffled off as the abbreviated 2020 Northwest Fishing Derby Series comes to a close in late September for at least one year. (NMTA)

his month’s Everett Coho Derby marks the end of the Northwest Fishing Derby Series until 2022 at the earliest, the result of cascading coronavirus restrictions and upcoming fishery closures. “It was really hard to do because it feels like the end of an era,” said George Harris of the Northwest Marine Trade Association in Seattle, which organized individual fishing clubs’ derbies into the overarching series. This year was set to see major expansions: an increase to 20 derbies, events on Oregon’s Coast, and incorporation of kokanee, lingcod and bass as the series pivoted away from being just about salmon. Covid-19 concerns first led to modifications but then mostly cancellations. The galling closure of winter blackmouth fisheries in the San Juan Islands and eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca coming out of North of Falcon salmon season negotiations with tribal comanagers also played a major role, impacting four key derbies. The series’ one-year “hiatus” in Harris’s words was announced in late June to presidents of the various derbies. “We’re going to take a year off. We’ll see what 2022 looks like,” Harris said.

THAT DOESN’T MEAN that clubs won’t hold their own competitions next year, but it does mean that there won’t be a grand prize boat raffled off by NMTA at the culmination of the 2021 season in Everett. Speaking of, the popular coho derby held there by the Everett Steelhead and Salmon Club and Snohomish Sportsmen’s Club (everettcohoderby.com) was at press

time still a go for Sept. 19-20. (So too is the Puget Sound Anglers Sno-King Chapter Edmonds Coho Derby Sept. 12.) This year’s awards will be smaller, as organizers say that due to the pandemic and resulting tough business climate they decided against asking for money and prizes from supporting companies. But they also “felt that it was important to proceed with the derby to maintain some sort of normalcy” in these “trying times.” To address social distancing, they cancelled the usually exciting Sunday afternoon awards ceremony and big-fish winners will be mailed their checks, while anglers whose large coho score them prizes can pick them up Monday, the 21st, at Bayside Marine in Everett. As for raffling off the derby series’ KingFisher 2025 Escape HT boat, motor, trailer, fishing equipment and electronics package worth $75,000, “Right now the plan is to give away the boat somehow, some way,” said NMTA’s Harris.

THERE IS NO bright side to Covid-19, but it appears to be getting more people outside – “Everybody’s going boating, camping, fishing, old-school activities, said Harris” – and that could potentially lead to a longterm cultural shift benefiting industries and the natural resources they depend on. Indeed, even as he was disappointed with having to call off the series, Harris was buoyed by how relatively healthy the boat market was. A July New York Times article reported “really good boat sales,” while Washington Department of Licensing data

(GRWB STEP)

The Gardiner, Reedsport, Winchester Bay Salmon Trout Enhancement Program will hold a modified version of its annual Lower Umpqua River/Winchester Bay Salmon Derby over Labor Day weekend, Sept. 5-7. The 27th edition won’t feature an awards ceremony or raffle, due to Covid-19 restrictions on the size of public gatherings, and masks are required at weigh stations in Reedsport and Winchester Bay, according to organizers, but there is still some nice cash prizes on the line, including $500 for the heaviest salmon. Last year’s derby was won by Jason Lobato (above) with a 24-pound Chinook. For more info, contact Rick Rockholt (541-613-0589; umpqua.rock@charter.net).

RECENT RESULTS The Big One Salmon Derby, Lake Coeur d’Alene, July 29Aug 2: First place: Mike Mitale, 17.62-pound Chinook, $3,000; Second: Mike Carlson, 17.54-pound Chinook, $1,500; Third: Dan Pierce, 17.22-pound Chinook, $750 for June 2020 showed new boat sales were up 44 percent versus June 2019, he said. And though April-May-June sales were down 6.8 percent versus the same period last year, “Nobody predicted back in March and April that boat sales would only be off 7 percent” in the pandemic, he noted. nwsportsmanmag.com | SEPTEMBER 2020

Northwest Sportsman 51

Youth hunters get first crack at upland birds and waterfowl, thanks to September and October opportunities. Ryan Brooks bagged this ringneck near Chelan on a past early opener. (JASON BROOKS))

OUTDOOR

CALENDAR* SEPTEMBER

Washington deer (bow), dove, grouse, cougar and various small game openers; Northeast and Southeast Washington fall turkey openers; Oregon statewide grouse, dove openers; California, mountain quail openers in Western Oregon; Northeast Oregon steelhead opener 5 CAST for Kids event at Clear Lake (Spokane, registration); info: castforkids.org 5-6 Oregon nonselective coho opener and following Fridays and Saturdays through Sept. 30 or when 3,000-fish quota met 5-6/10/13 Washington September Canada goose seasons (varies by area) 12 Washington bow elk opener; CAST for Kids event on Lake Washington (Renton, registration); info: see above 12-13 Youth Pheasant Hunts, Fern Ridge Wildlife Area (free, registration); info: myodfw.com/workshops-and-events 12-16/20 Oregon September Canada goose seasons (varies by zone) 14 Opening of fee pheasant hunting at Fern Ridge Wildlife Area 15-23 Bandtail pigeon season in Oregon, Washington 15-25 High Buck Hunt in several Washington Cascades and Olympics wilderness areas, Lake Chelan National Recreation Area 17-20 2020 Seattle Boats Afloat Show, broker locations; info: boatsafloatshow.com 19-20 Youth Pheasant Hunts, Prairie City, and Denman, Klamath, Sauvie Island WAs (free, registration); info: see above; Washington youth pheasant hunting weekend 21 Opening of fee pheasant hunting at Denman, Sauvie Island WAs 21-25 Washington senior, disabled sportsmen pheasant hunting week 26 49th Annual National Hunting & Fishing Day; info: nhfday.org; Washington statewide muzzleloader deer opener; Western Washington youth waterfowl hunting day; Klickitat County fall turkey hunt opener 26-27 Youth Pheasant Hunts, Coquille, Irrigon, White River WAs (free, registration); info: see above; Eastern Washington youth quail, partridge hunting weekend 28 Opening of fee pheasant hunting at EE Wilson WA

OCTOBER 1 3 10 17

Salmon, steelhead opener on numerous Oregon streams, and coho opener on select Oregon Coast lakes Oregon Coast, Cascade and most controlled rifle buck openers; Eastern Washington youth waterfowl hunting day; Eastern Washington quail, partridge seasons open Oregon quail, partridge, wild turkey and Zone 2 snipe and early duck seasons open; Deer, elk rifle openers in many Idaho units Washington general rifle deer season opens; Oregon Zone 1 early duck opener

* Check ahead. Some events may not take place due to Covid-19 concerns. nwsportsmanmag.com | SEPTEMBER 2020

Northwest Sportsman 53

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Fall shines with a special light in the Grays Harbor watershed as Chinook, coho and chums return, runs that in some cases last into the following year. (JASON BROOKS)

Patrol The Harbor For Fall Salmon The many rivers of Grays Harbor host enough coho, Chinook and chums to get you through the season. By Jason Brooks

or me, there is nothing better than chasing after salmon on the small rivers of the Olympic Peninsula in my drift boat. Fish start arriving in the rivers in late August but the main runs are in late September through the entire month of October. November usually sees a slowing of the coho returns

and Chinook are almost completely done except for the dwindling run of â&#x20AC;&#x153;winter runâ&#x20AC;? kings, but this is when the chum salmon arrive. After the chums have spawned and died, a second run of coho occurs on several of the rivers, with fish arriving around Thanksgiving and continuing through Christmas and even into the new year.

COHO ARE THE most popular, thanks to

their long run timing and aggressive nature to bite. The fish tend to congregate in deep holes and the soft waters of back eddies and sloughs along the river. A good indicator of a salmon hole is long grass along the edge of the river, as this shows slow water and provides cover. Depth is not nearly as important as cover, as I have caught coho in 2 feet of water, as well as 20-foot-deep holes, both nwsportsmanmag.com | SEPTEMBER 2020

Northwest Sportsman 65

FISHING of which had trees and limbs in the water providing concealment. A good way to fish coho is to pitch a jig into the cover, let it settle a few feet, and then, with a subtle twitch of the rod and a crank of the reel handle, make the jig “dance.” This drives a coho crazy and causes a violent take of the jig. Coho don’t shy away after one has been caught either. My best record so far is three fish in three

straight casts out of one small hole that had a few logs in it. For twitching jigs, a short 7½-foot rod with a sensitive tip and a strong backbone is needed, paired with a 3000 series spinning reel spooled with 30-pound braided line tied directly to the jig. Some anglers will add scent or tip the jig with a piece of prawn, but I have done very well with just the jig itself. Between hatcheries and the myriad small streams, coho production is generally pretty good in these waters. (JASON BROOKS)

Chinook are great bait biters. They will chase after a twitched jig, but it is hard to beat watching a float go under the surface and setting the hook on a large salmon. These big fish like deep and slow water, which is perfect for back-bouncing gobs of eggs or float fishing. A long and stout rod, often 9½ to 11 feet with heavy braided line, is used. This helps force and leverage fish away from structure, where they will try to break you off. A 3- to 5-ounce float, strong 25-pound leader to a 3/0 Gamakatsu Big River hook baited with eggs, combined with a sand shrimp tail or a piece of herring, will draw a bite and help you land the fish. On cloudy days I like to drop the anchor and back-bounce a K14 or Mag Lip 4.5 plug wrapped with a sardine down into the deep slots and holes where the fish are stacked up. This is a great way to take a break and relax while the plug does the work for you, as the fish will often move on these days. Let the plug out and sit back and let the fish come to you. Chums are probably the most aggressive of fall’s salmon runs. Bright-colored jigs in chartreuse or cerise tipped with a piece of prawn and either floated under a bobber or twitched will catch a lot of fish. They also are great to catch on plugs, spinners and spoons. The fish return in late October and early November, with a run that usually lasts two to three weeks, flooding the river with each high tide and quickly going upstream as waters rise with fall rains. Chums are not the best eating fish and most will catch and release these toothy monsters, but they are one of the hardest fighting and willing biters, making them a great way to introduce someone to salmon fishing.

AS FOR WHERE to go to get into these salmon runs, the Olympic Peninsula has several rivers that drain the high peaks that stop storms approaching from the Pacific Ocean. In the fall 66 Northwest Sportsman

SEPTEMBER 2020 | nwsportsmanmag.com

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FISHING Big fall Chinook are one of the big draws of the Harbor’s systems. They’re the earliest salmon stock to return in numbers. This year’s harvest is focused on hatchery kings. (JASON BROOKS)

you will have more days of rain than sunshine, which keeps the rivers full. Every river on the coast has some sort of salmon run, with several that are augmented with hatchery-raised fish. Most rivers have a season where you can keep fish to take home. One unique thing about the Olympic Peninsula is the Indian reservations. Some people get upset that a sovereign nation can implement their own rules and regulations, but they also run their own hatcheries and manage the fish to benefit the runs. They were one of the first to implement a broodstock program that uses in-basin fish to raise in their hatcheries. This means that when a hatchery fish decides to stay in the river and spawn with a truly wild fish, they already share the same genetics and it won’t dilute the native run. Southwest Washington’s Grays Harbor is one of the most popular 68 Northwest Sportsman

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areas for salmon anglers. This region is fed by several rivers, including the large Chehalis drainage. The town of Westport lies on the southern tip of the harbor as it juts into the Pacific Ocean and offers several hotels and motels that cater to the angler. The original Bennett’s Fish Shack offers great food and is right at the fisherman’s wharf. The small town is a tourist hub, with charter boat fishing being one of the main draws. Coho are often caught right off the docks in town and an annual fishing derby is held by the chamber of commerce. This unique event is free to enter and runs Sept. 15-Oct. 31 each year and all you need to do is catch a coho off of the docks inside the marina. The fish are raised in net pens by local volunteer groups and return to the marina each fall.

ON THE NORTH side of Grays Harbor is Ocean Shores, known for the long

sandy beaches and kite flying festivals. Plenty of hotels and restaurants, along with a great ice cream shop, make for a perfect base camp for the angler. A few minutes away is the Humptulips. It’s one of the most popular rivers for fall salmon fishing, as it offers both bank and drift boat access. If it is running very low, most anglers concentrate on the tidally influenced section that has a Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife launch on Lower Dike Road. Float down to the Highway 108 access site or hike down the river a half mile for some deeper holes, where the fish will stage while waiting for fall rains. The Humptulips is a very versatile river, fishable at just about any water level and fishing condition. When the rains hit and the river begins to swell from summertime lows of 120 cubic feet per second or lower to a steady 400 cfs, then the middle

FISHING

Most anglers don’t keep chums, but these fish are aggressive and put up a great fight, as well as provide a bridge between early and late coho returns. (JASON BROOKS)

section is where most anglers fish. This is the stretch from Reynvaan Bar, a long gravel bar that offers great bank angler access as well as a putin or take-out for drift boaters, to the Lower Dike Road ramp. Bank access is limited here due to private land, but Reynvaan is big enough to allow plunkers and float anglers to enjoy a day of fishing together. As fall turns cold and wet, the river continues to rise. Once flows hit a minimum of 600 cfs, you can float the upper stretch, but it is best fished by drift boat above 900 cfs. Starting at the Highway 101, or Hanson Road, launch, which is about a mile above the fish hatchery, it is an all-day float down to Reynvaan. The entire stretch of the river holds fish and you need to be ready to change up tactics. Be sure to carry a float fishing rod and a twitching 70 Northwest Sportsman

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rod, as well as be able to pitch spoons, spinners and plugs. There are several small back eddies and slack water areas for twitching jigs and throwing hardware, and casting plugs in front of the hatchery usually produces a few fish. Be very cautious as you near the hatchery as there is a rapid and you must use the boat chute right along the edge of the hatchery intake gates. As you go through the chute, the bottom end has a hard left corner and a few years ago a large boil formed here that caused a few drift boats to sink as it sucked them back into the current. Stay aware and be on the oars and ready to row into the far right bank and it will push you right through. Bank anglers have a lot of options for the upper stretch of the Humptulips starting right at the hatchery. Fish will hold here and most anglers either

float eggs or throw spinners. Those who want to hike can go down to the famed “wall” and intercept fish in this deep slot that has a clay shelf. Floating eggs is the preferred way to fish here and you will have company. Most drift boat anglers push through this spot, as it is so popular with bank anglers who are limited to the gravel bank.

THE 115-MILE-LONG CHEHALIS is the main thoroughfare for the rest of Grays Harbor’s salmon runs. With a basin that drains over 2,600 square miles, the river provides many tributaries for fish to spawn in. The mainstem slows as it nears tidal waters and bays, where smolts can survive and grow until they are strong enough to venture to the open Pacific. This makes for good runs of coho, Chinook, chums and steelhead. Bank anglers target returning

FISHING adult coho as they swim past a city park in Aberdeen. This logging town known for its historical buildings is the biggest city in Grays Harbor County and is another place where fall salmon anglers can find a hotel. It also offers many coffee shops and places to get food but no real fishing or outdoor stores, so be sure to take any gear you need with you. Larger prop-powered boats can make it up the first few miles of the Chehalis, but those with jet sleds can make it further up and leave the brackish water behind. Once you get above the Satsop, you are above tidal influence and most boat anglers will anchor and fish plugs. Throwing spinners works well for both bank

and boat fishermen. Given the number of feeders, the Chehalis here can turn muddy and rise with fall’s frequent rains. The river is best fished on sunny and clear days. Another option is to launch in the Satsop at the Highway 12 bridge access site and then motor down to the Chehalis. If the water conditions are better in the Satsop, stay there. But if the mainstem is clear, it will be your best bet, as you have a shot at intercepting fish bound for several rivers upstream.

A FEW MILES from Aberdeen is the town of Montesano. This is the county seat and offers a hotel and gas station known as Monte Square that

has a decent tackle section. It is also your best bet to pick up some lastminute bait and other supplies, and is minutes from the Wynoochee and Satsop Rivers. The Wynoochee is best known for its steelhead fishing, both winter and summer. The river offers many access points and 2018’s five-year agreement between WDFW and Green Diamond Timber Company means drift boat and pontoon boat anglers are able to fish the upper stretches via what is known as the 7400 launch. This section was hard to fish after Green Diamond previously closed access. A bit further down is the White Bridge launch and the current upriver boundary for catch-and-keep salmon

NEW TWITCHING JIG FROM YAKIMA BAIT

ashington fishing guide Bob Kratzer has been twitching jigs for coho for nearly 30 years. As such, Kratzer knows what works best when it comes to twitching for salmon, which is why Yakima Bait worked with him when developing its all-new Twitcher jig. The Twitcher features a darter head design that, according to Kratzer (360271-7197), is far more effective than a round head design. He believes the darter-headed jig will outperform a roundheaded jig three-to-one. “It’s the random, darting action produced when this head design is falling that triggers savage strikes from coho

Yakima Bait’s new Twitcher jig features a darter head, which guide and codeveloper Bob Kratzer believes will outperform a round-headed jig. (YAKIMA BAIT)

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salmon,” Kratzer says. The Twitcher is dressed with rabbit fur for a full-bodied look and features a silicone tentacle tail surrounded with strands of reflective tinsel. This combination better imitates the shrimp and squid body look/ profile that coho commonly feed on. The quality of the Twitcher is further enhanced due to the durable powder-coat head paint, cleaned eyelet and heavy-duty 4/0 Gamakatsu presharpened hook. And while the flashy, full-bodied Twitcher jig will likely catch any fish that swims, anglers chasing coho in the Pacific Northwest and Great Lakes will be especially pleased with its look and ultimate performance.

“Bright colors will likely produce best when searching/prospecting for fish, while darker colors are the go-to when fishing clear water or when encountering reluctant-to-bite fish,” says Jarod Higginbotham, Yakima Bait assistant sales and marketing manager. “And while coho will often be found near bottom, they can suspend at middepth, especially when holding near structure or cover,” he adds. “Twitching” is the method of casting out and allowing your jig to fall to middepth or near bottom, at which time you need to lift and lower your rod tip 12 to 18 inches as you retrieve line. It’s a proven and productive fishing technique for coho as they stage at river mouths or upriver holding areas. And although it first became popular for coho, it works in areas where steelhead, Chinook and other fish hold too. As with fishing any jig, fish will most often take your jig as it is dropping or at the bottom of the fall, at which time you should set the hook without delay by yanking back on your rod tip. Although a new for 2021 product, anglers may see these new jigs begin to appear on retail displays this fall. The Twitcher will be available in 3/8-, 1/2- and 3/4-ounce sizes. –Buzz Ramsey

FISHING angling. No Chinook can be retained on this river. Flows are often too low for jet sleds to go above White Bridge and most put in at Black Creek. There is another rough dirt launch between Black Creek and White Bridge known as “Crossover” underneath a bridge. This area also allows some limited bank access. Black Creek is narrow and if you are in a drift boat and not paying attention, it can be easily missed and hard to row back up to. Parking is very limited here as well. The Wynoochee has a low head dam just upstream from Black Creek and no jet sleds can make it over it. If you decide to drift this section, be sure to row to the far left side of the river and rope the boat over the diversion dam. The Wynoochee’s upper dam makes the river very fishable during a hard rain and it usually stays in shape while all others are blown out. However, with a few days of good

weather following a rainstorm, the reservoir is often dropped and when you think the river will be in shape, you might be unpleasantly surprised to find it muddy and high. The Wynoochee is best fished when the other rivers are blown out and then let it rest after the rain stops.

THE SATSOP IS best known for its November chum run, but it gets a healthy return of coho too. Drift boat anglers put in near Schafer State Park at Decker Creek, a small stream where fishing isn’t allowed but you can slide your drift boat down its narrow banks until you enter the Satsop. From Decker down to the “S” curves, you will encounter many runs and log jams where floating eggs produces the most coho. Bank anglers hike into the curve, as well as Cook Creek, where there is a big back slough and the coho mill around. Here, twitching jigs and

tossing spinners will get you into the aerobatic silvers. Halfway to the headwaters, the river splits into West and East Forks. The East is the one you want to target, as the hatchery lies above the state park. There is a WDFW access site at the West Fork that drift boaters can use as a take-out, but the river changed a few years ago and now the current is often too fast to row across and make it back up the West Fork to the launch. If the water is low, you might be able to still make it with the aid of a motor. Jet sled anglers can put in here, but most put in down at the Highway 12 access just below the bridge. The stretch from the forks to the bridge is best fished by a jet sled and even on high water days the fishing can be very good. The East Fork usually stays low and clear after a normal rain storm. It will take a lot of rain for it to blow out, but once it does, the river often

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returns fairly quickly. This is a very popular stretch of the river, so don’t expect solitude. And as fall turns to winter, steelhead start to show. It is not uncommon to catch a late coho clear until February while steelhead fishing, though the season for retention is closed. The tiny Skookumchuck, like the Satsop and Wynoochee, is yet another Chehalis tributary, but unlike the other two it flows out of the Cascades instead of the south side of the Olympics. It is also fed by a reservoir and controlled by a dam, making it a clear river on a rainy day. Probably the most notable thing about the Skookumchuck is that it is actually a stream and not a river. You could float it on a very high day in a drift boat or a pontoon, but you will have to portage around a few log jams and pull it up onto the high banks of farm fields. Fishing is best near the hatchery and below it for several miles, as the river flows through a WDFW wildlife area. The Skookumchuck is the best destination for bank anglers in all of Southwest Washington. It too gets a very healthy run of winter steelhead that begin to show up in early December when coho are still in the river. A public road parallels the river for miles, allowing those who prefer to plunk an opportunity to park alongside the banks and watch their fishing rods. Most anglers float eggs and jigs tipped with prawns, as this will catch both coho and steelhead. If you don’t have a boat then this is the river for you, and it fishes well all fall and into late winter.

WASHINGTON’S COASTAL WATERS offer so many different ways to chase after salmon. Starting in the summer on the open ocean to early fall and the docks and boat slips in Westport, then to the rivers of the Humptulips and the mighty Chehalis system and all of its tributaries, bank-bound anglers and boaters alike have plenty of places to fish. NS 76 Northwest Sportsman

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COLUMN

Running The Rods T

he days of me fighting salmon off the jetties of my Southern Oregon coast seem to be a FOR THE LOVE somewhat distant OF THE TUG memory, which is By Sara Ichtertz mildly depressing because this girl loves the bank! However, I haven’t given up on fall fish; I just have slightly changed my direction. Although my days of flinging Nautical Creation spinners may be somewhat behind me, I know this growth as a fisher is good for me. I must embrace the boat and this new horizon. As I began that journey in the sleds of the North Coast the past few runs with my fishy friend David Johnson, I felt a little like a salmon-slaying princess, especially in the beginning. I was amazed that all I had to do was simply show up with my camera, snacks, maybe a few jokes and some fish tales, but zero gear. Weird! I’m not going to lie, it was great fun fighting those salmon. I learned to find joy in waiting for the excitement of the takedown. And as the runs swam by, I learned quite a bit from David, who operates David Johnson’s Guide Service, though I never tested my abilities. Even as I fished with him, I was lucky if he would let me tie on the leaders. He did eventually let me help, but not much. Nonetheless I was learning, as he did share his knowledge and motives behind his methods with me. And last fall, for the first time ever, I ran the rods! Calling all the shots, which was super empowering for me, we put our first Chinook in that fancy boat, and I am pretty sure I loved it even more than the young man who caught that beauty or the captain running his own boat.

BEN, MY BOYFRIEND, had begged me to get on his boat long before I ever stepped foot on it. I did reassure him during our discussions of the possibility of me getting

Author Sara Ichtertz is very comfortable working the banks of her Southern Oregon salmon and steelhead rivers, but is also up for the challenge of learning to run the rods on a boat on her own. (SARA ICHTERTZ)

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Northwest Sportsman 81

COLUMN on his billion-dollar boat that – If I did? Maybe? Get on that boat? – Chinook would indeed come aboard and that there would be blood! With such talk, I knew I needed to produce. I think it was super important for me to be able to produce that first Chinook by snuffing out the fear I felt going outside my comfort zone of the rivers’ banks. I knew I wanted to put my money where my mouth was. So that is what I did. I knew how I wanted to rig my rods and I knew what to do with them: It was time to run some naked herring in the jaws of the river and see what we could find! My maiden fall salmon voyage with my lover was upon me. It was the first time that fire and water – us – would hunt for fish together from his boat. I was nervous on a couple levels, though there was no backing out now. We rendezvoused with our favorite young millwright from work, Austin Liles, and headed for the coast, travelling west through a torrential downpour. It never stopped raining, and seemed to increase the closer we got to the coast. I did not fear the downpour, as I have slayed salmon with David in some of the wildest of late summer rains. To our amazement, once we reached the launch, the rain just stopped, like it was our lucky

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Almost in the net! Skipper Ben Potter gets ready to slip his net under a Chinook. (SARA ICHTERTZ)

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COLUMN day or something! Happy I wouldn’t end up a drowned rod rat, I began cutting my herring and getting excited. The jaws were ugly, unfishable. I knew I was going to have to change my tactics slightly as my captain took his favorite spot, the driver’s seat. I explained our plan to Austin. Never questioning me for a second, he listened intently. I explained to him the fishing I had done in the past and how important it was to get to the bottom of the river. I knew how quickly I wanted to get there. I might have paid little attention to David’s fish finder, but I remembered feeling the thunk of bottom while fishing with him. I remember how quickly his weight would get me there and so I went on a feeling that first round. Find the bottom, give it that half a crank up and let it fish. I explained to Austin we wanted to always be in that zone and even as the depths changed, to stay half a crank off the bottom. We want to put the bait in their face. We want them to eat it. Without a doubt, Austin was a

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blessing to the first-timer in me and I trust that this day of many firsts came together the way it did for a reason.

WHEN IT COMES to fall fish from a boat, I have dabbled over the bar a wee bit, but the river lover in me knows the fish will push into their natal stream system, hugging the bottom as they do. These fall salmon stay and gorge on baitfish in the briny, tidally affected waters as long as they can until Mother Nature calls them home. I wanted to find those deep pockets and get my lead where it needed to be. My G.Loomis 1174-2C SATR IMX paired with a Shimano Tranx 400 was ready for its first action. Running Short Bus flashers, 4/0 Big River Bait hooks by Gamakatsu on a fixed mooching rigging with a green label herring (spinning nicely, I might add) and lead, we gave it a whirl. My dreams of running naked herring had gone out the window, though I knew being farther up in the river I had a good shot of keeping the setup clean and free of much hassle,

which is my style. Fishing the jaws was out of the question, but the sun had popped out and I was excited to fish a little further upriver. I am sure Ben had envisioned crossing the bar and while nothing really went according to plan, I was thankful to get this shot at the river. We started trolling in an area I wouldn’t have chosen, though I tried not to be too domineering about it. It is slightly embarrassing that the day’s first fish was on the line without us even being aware of it. I said, “That rod looks weird,” went to reel it in and what did I find? Life on the line! Wanting Austin to fight his first salmon from a boat, I handed the rod to him. He wasn’t too sure there was a fish, but I assured him I had felt one on the line and to keep reeling. And sure enough, there it was, a beautiful little silver. It might have been the most unspunky wild fish ever, but was a little beauty nonetheless. Thrilled to have had a successful interaction with

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COLUMN the fish, we made our way to the deepest chunk of water I had seen and was feeling rather good about it. With fresh bait and the rods running nicely, we trolled.

KEEPING A CLOSE eye on our G.Loomis tips, I saw my rod getting hit. As we waited for the fish to fully commit and pin the rod, Ben gave the kicker a little throttle. When the rod started knocking, I grabbed it and, feeling killer head thrashes and strength, I knew this fish was what we were looking for! In the excitement of it all, I encouraged Austin to take the fish, as he was our guest. I didn’t follow my own rules – if you take it from the rod holder, you fight that fish; no handoffs after the fact – and in the readjustment between two different fishers, that big ol’ Chinook got the better of us humans, thrashing its way to freedom. Despite being blown away by it all, I quickly began rerigging my rod, while Ben got us back into that deep channel of the river. Before my rod was quite ready to find the bottom, there was another fully committed bite – we had another fish! It gave Austin a run for his money, showing him how strong a salty Chinook truly is. No other boaters were around us and it was a good thing, as the fish surfaced like a shark and ran in a huge circle. The only thing missing was the music from Jaws as Austin managed to turn his fish around. I could tell he was in total awe while fighting that fish like a champ. Watching Ben with his tiny net, I laughed to myself. I thought, He is so cute! We will bring my net next year. Nay, buy a new one. I told Austin to stay by the edge of the boat and lift. Ben managed to get that monster in his little net, and we all tasted victory together! Austin’s first Chinook from a boat. My first time running the rods. And Ben’s first time bringing a Chinook on board his boat! Hell yeah, that victory meant so much to all three of us! It meant so much to me! The fishing addict in me wouldn’t let that action go without demanding we not leave until our last herring blew. We might not have had any more action that day, but I found myself quite fulfilled inside my lover’s boat. I wouldn’t ever want him to truly know it, but I pretty much love that 86 Northwest Sportsman

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Austin Liles is all smiles with his king, his first from a boat – and a first for Sara, who found it empowering to call the shots on what to use, how to fish and find success. (SARA ICHTERTZ) boat and I’m pretty sure that it is happy to have this fishy woman join the family. My life is just as different as my approach to fall fish these days. I have grown a lot in these past six years. My perspective may have changed, but one thing is for sure: I am very much a river hunter. I understand what the fish want from me, how gear works and am willing and able to give new things a whirl. I was without one clue seven runs ago and I love

evolving into this angler. No matter the approach, I am up for the challenge. The question, Can I make them bite? is always on my mind. Growing as an angler and as a woman helps ensure that even though everything changes, some things never do. My heart is on the river and I couldn’t change it, even if I tried. NS Editor’s note: For more on Sara’s adventures, see For The Love Of The Tug on Facebook.

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Northwest Sportsman 87

FISHING

Follow The Fish As the Columbia’s annual salmon runs wrap up, here’s how to catch ‘last chance’ kings in the Hanford Reach.

By Mark Yuasa

ave you ever journeyed to a salmon fishing destination where everything is perfect? A place that left you utterly speechless. A place where the opportunity was your piece of paradise. Over the course of four-plus decades, I’ve had a chance to experience a bucket list worth of salmon fishing trips and my piece of heaven that lures me back time after time is the Columbia River. “I don’t think we truly understand how good we have it, and the Columbia is a unique area supporting so many different types of fisheries,” says Aaron Peterson, owner of Peterson’s Northwest Guide Service (petersonsnorthwest.com). Peterson – who spends about 120 days annually guiding on the “Big C” – is spot-on, as salmon are constantly migrating into the 1,243-mile mainstem, destined for hundreds of tributaries in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and as far north as British Columbia. The river is also host to

Columbia fall Chinook returns are on the upswing, and the upriver bright component should provide good fishing on the big river’s freeflowing stretch known as the Hanford Reach. Author Mark Yuasa holds one from the Vernita area. (MARK YUASA) nwsportsmanmag.com | SEPTEMBER 2020

Northwest Sportsman 91

FISHING other native and nonnative fish species like steelhead, white sturgeon, walleye, bass and shad. From February to May, spring Chinook appear below and above Bonneville Dam. By June, salmon are spread out as far up as Pasco. In July and through August, summer Chinook and sockeye can be found more than 500 miles upstream from the Pacific between Chelan Falls and Brewster. Once August rolls around, you’ll find yourself bobbing among thousands of boats looking for fall Chinook and coho at the mouth of the Columbia. Come late August and September, it’s time to head upstream to the Gorge, tracking those same fish before getting a “last chance” from mid-September to mid-October in the Hanford Reach. I refer to this as the “rinse and repeat” of salmon fisheries, which are unlike any other in the world.

IN 2020, I missed out on the spring Chinook fishery due to the pandemic, but made up for it this summer with trips to Chelan Falls and Pateros/ Brewster before heading downstream to the Astoria/Ilwaco area. Those early summer expeditions to the Upper Columbia came on the heels of a surprising summer Chinook run of 65,000-plus – which waxed a forecast of 38,300. The icing on the cake was a phenomenal sockeye run of 340,000-plus, around 100,000 more than were initially predicted. In mid-August, we pursued a fall Chinook run forecasted at 420,450 (379,769 was last year’s actual return, above the 349,600 forecast), plus a modest coho run of 140,190 (212,333 and 611,300) at Buoy 10. “We’ve had an improvement in ocean conditions and started to see a fall Chinook comeback in 2018 and 2019,” says Quinten Daugherty, a Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife biologist with the agency’s Columbia River Management Unit. “Jack returns were better, which indicated we had come out of a trough 92 Northwest Sportsman

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The Columbia’s salmon runs aren’t as strong as they were in the mid2010s, let alone before the dams, but when 2020 is all said and done, more than a million will have swam up the big river, with several stocks, including sockeye, having exceeded expectations. Tegan Yuasa shows off a quartet caught at Brewster earlier this year. (MARK YUASA)

and are building back up again.” Fishery officials take a conservative approach managing fall salmon and will provide an in-season update by mid-September (typically about 50 percent of fall Chinook have passed Bonneville by Sept. 9). “We’ll get an updated adult upriver bright run size and have additional fishing opportunity planned to access the 15 percent harvest rate if the in-season run is at least 200,000,” Daugherty says. My autumn fishing plans consist of chasing fall Chinook and coho in the Gorge before hitching a ride to the Hanford Reach area. This section of the Columbia covers

roughly 150 miles and the scenery ranges from the lush evergreen treecovered mountainsides of the Gorge to high bluffs and arid sagebrush of the Hanford Reach. The Reach is home to the largest salmon run (227,600 is the 2020 forecast) on the West Coast, with some fish exceeding 40-plus pounds. Whatever choice you make, hooking a salmon will leave you living the good life with bragging rights to carry you through the winter holidays. Then in January the same hunger returns, as WDFW unveils the 2021 Columbia salmon forecasts. Shortly thereafter, anglers will once again play out the rinse and repeat process!

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FISHING

REALITY VS. FORECAST

Sometimes derided as upriver boots, the meat of fall Chinook returning to the Hanford Reach cuts rich orange well into October. (FISHING PHOTO CONTEST)

ow have Columbia River fall Chinook runs over the past decade compared to what fish forecasters said they would be? Here’s how the overall run – tules, upriver brights – and URBs alone fared.

All Fall Chinook 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

655,800 actual return 664,900 forecast 620,600 actual return 765,300 forecast 525,100 actual return 584,700 forecast 1,268,300 actual return 678,600 forecast 1,159,100 actual return 1,460,200 forecast 1,305,400 actual return 925,300 forecast 642,200 actual return 960,200 forecast 476,400 actual return 613,700 forecast 293,500 actual return 375,600 forecast 375,700 actual return 349,700 forecast

Upriver Brights 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

324,900 actual return 319,200 forecast 322,100 actual return 399,600 forecast 297,800 actual return 295,800 forecast 778,300 actual return 434,600 forecast 684,200 actual return 919,000 forecast 795,700 actual return 518,300 forecast 412,900 actual return 579,700 forecast 297,400 actual return 275,200 forecast 149,000 actual return 205,100 forecast 212,200 actual return 159,300 forecast –MY

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FALL SALMON TIPS AND TACTICS Once Buoy 10 winds down, many will simply hang up the fishing gear, not knowing they’re leaving a lot of salmon on the table. “I know Buoy 10 is one of the most sought-after salmon fisheries in our state,” says Peterson, the Columbia guide. “However, if you follow those same fish upriver, you’ll realize just how good fishing can be in the Gorge. The weather is still perfect and it’s a lot less crowded.” Peterson says it can be “silly good” at Drano Lake, the mouths of Klickitat and White Salmon on the Washington side and the Deschutes on the Oregon side. Be sure to check agency websites (wdfw.wa.gov; myodfw.com) for any emergency closures, openings and boundaries of thermal refuges, such as at the Deschutes. “Even after the kings pass, anglers will fish for coho in October,” Peterson says. “Outside of fishing, you’ve got some of the best wineries and breweries in the state, plus you can watch wind surfers in the Gorge. It’s a special place as summer winds down.” Trolling has become the effective way to fish in the Gorge, and Peterson

will use an 8- and 10-ounce sliding cannonball sinker to a chain swivel attached to a Pro-Troll ProFlash and a leader to a prawn spinner or a Brad’s Wiggler. The water tends to be warmer, so the bite is more instinctive. Further upstream as salmon runs peak at Hanford Reach, the rough gravel boat launch above the Highway 24/Vernita Bridge turns into a small town, with motorhomes, campers and boat trailers stretched across the area. Anglers will back-troll the deeper slots with a size 1 or 2 Spin-N-Glo and a cured salmon egg cluster the size of a golf ball; a colorful Brad’s Super Bait; or a K-14, K-15 and K-16 Kwikfish wrapped with a sardine strip and smeared in scent jelly. When using a Spin-N-Glo/egg presentation, be sure to attach a size 50 Jumbo Jet diver to get it near the bottom. Sharp 3/0 or 4/0 Gamakatsu octopus or Big River hooks are a must to make sure the fish sticks. Many like the trailing hook to be a red Gamakatsu size 2 treble trailing off the egg cluster. There are times when anglers will also flat line a Kwikfish behind the boat. NS

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Sat 9-2pm

COLUMN Smoking game meat – salmon, in this case – is a tasty way to preserve it for later consumption. (KEVIN BACHER, NPS)

Putting Up, Part II: Smoking Editor’s note: It’s harvest time in the Northwest, and with fall big game and bird hunting seasons beginning and salmon runs returning to the region’s rivers, Randy King is highlighting ways to “put up,” or preserve, wild game meat. Last issue he focused on canning and this issue turns his attention to smoking.

S CHEF IN THE WILD By Randy King

moking meat is a timehonored way of “putting up” your food. Think smoked trout, jerky, pepperoni sticks,

country ham, etc. The list goes on and on. While all these foods on their own are delicious, they did not come about because someone thought that smoking meat would make for a culinary delicacy. More likely, it came about as a method of protein preservation. Meat, hung on a stick over a

fire until dried, does not rot. This allows you to store your harvest for longer periods and augment food supplies in hungrier times with preserved meats. How does smoke preserve the meat? It does two things. First, it creates an acidic layer on the meat, creating an environment that bacteria do not like. Smoke slows the spread of rot on the meat by inhibiting bacterial growth (delicious, I know). Secondly, smoking dehydrates the meat. Bacteria need water to multiply and without

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COLUMN it, they cannot spread. So, by smoking meat you create an acidic environment without water – i.e., meat that is resistant to rot. As time passed, humans began to crave that smoked meat flavor, not just the preservative qualities. It became a part of our tradition to smoke meats. We divided and conquered and specialized, as humans do. Nowadays, smoked meat has gone well beyond simple preservation. It’s used for things that will readily rot without refrigeration – think bacon and pulled pork. But that smoke layer has become a part of the cuisine of many cultures. Think cedar plank grilling in the Northwest and mesquite in Texas. The smoke flavor is part of the culture. Each area of the country has its own smoking specialties. Books have been written on the topic, so I won’t delve into that here. However, a few basics on smoking are very helpful when taking the dive.

LESSONS FROM A PIT MASTER Smoked deer heart “ham” on focaccia with whole grain mustard, baby kale, tomato and caramelized onion, and a side of deep-fried zucchini. (RANDY KING)

THE HEART OF THE MATTER (IS TASTY SMOKED)

or this recipe I am choosing an oft-ignored cut of meat: deer heart. While they are delicious in other ways – like steak sandwiches, which we previously wrote about here – I do also like them as a “ham.” Venison heart has a great texture when brined and cooked. I often save several hearts over a season and process them all at the same time, then use the ham in things like dirty rice or sandwiches. Smoked Deer Heart ½ cup brown sugar ½ cup kosher salt 2 tablespoons “pickling spice” 1 tablespoon soy sauce ¼ cup cheap maple syrup 1 teaspoon “pink salt,” i.e., Insta Cure #1 (found at the butcher shop or at

100 Northwest Sportsman

sporting good stores) 2 quarts water 2 deer/elk/moose/caribou hearts, pumped clean of blood Wood chips (your choice, see next page) Combine everything but the deer heart into a large plastic container with a lid. Stir well. Add the hearts and refrigerate for five days. Remove hearts from brine. Rinse clean and let warm to room temperature. Place hearts on the middle rack of the smoker. Insert internal probe thermometer to the thickest section of heart. Smoke the meat at 225 degrees until it reaches 155 degrees internally. Remove meat from smoker and let rest. Chill for later or eat now! For more wild game recipes, see chefrandyking.com. –RK

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Sean Cluff of Grubbin’ BBQ in Middleton, Idaho, northwest of Boise, had a few choice words for how to make wild game better on the smoker. “Fats and moisture have to be present and usually added,” he tips. “I think it works well to put an initial smoke on meats, then braise them. A good oil/acid mop sauce with aromatics/herbs/garlics mixed in is always nice. I think the most important thing is to figure out how not to use bacon as a crutch for fat and moisture, though I love bacon.” Sean and I put both our heads together for a few more words of wisdom: Smoker: The type and quality of your smoker matters. With most game, excluding fish, the best bet is to get a smoke flavor on the meat, then finish it in the oven. Wild game meat does not have the fat content needed to make “brisket” or other pull-apartyet-still-moist meats. Get a good smoke on the meat, then move it to the oven to finish. Brine: With wild game, moisture is always an issue. Adding the meat to a saltwater brine is helpful. It allows flavor and moisture to penetrate the meat. Consider your wood smoke when creating a brine. Use like flavor combinations for your brine and wood choice (see below).

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Northwest Sportsman 101

COLUMN

Not all wood works for all game meats, but it comes down to a matter of personal preference. Author Randy King says that alder’s “smokiness and aroma ... is hard to beat.” (ANDY WALGAMOTT)

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Fat: This is the single hardest part for smoked wild meat. For some applications, like jerky, you do not want any fat on the meat at all. For others, like pulled meat, you need to add artificial fat to keep the flavors and the moisture. I recommend asking your butcher for pig trim fat. I use it for sausages, as well as my smoked-then-oven-roasted meats. Place a slab of fat on the top of a roast or item you’re trying to cook. Wood: Wood is important. The type of smoke you put on will vastly affect the end product. There are reasons that spicy pepper blends are not smoked over grape vines – the flavors would simply not match up (see below). Time: As John Lennon (or somebody earlier anyway) said, “Time wounds all heels.” Well, I don’t pretend to know what that means but you need time to smoke your food correctly. That said, plan on spending a fair amount of time watching temperatures on your meat. Temperature: Too hot and you have dry meat; too cold and you have raw meat. You need a Goldilocks solution, as in just the

COLUMN right temperature, to be successful. Most times that is between 185 and 225 degrees Fahrenheit. An internal probe thermometer is invaluable for testing meat temperature and keeping foods from drying out.

TASTING NOTES ON WOOD SMOKE Standing at the grocery store looking at wood chips is an awful feeling. The amount of memory needed to make a correct decision on what type of wood to buy is disheartening. The internal monologue goes a bit like, “Oh, I like cherry. And alder? Well, I think I like mesquite? Didn’t cousin Ed do that chicken I love with grape vines from Walla Walla? Crap …” A decision is further clouded by assertions from pit masters and backyard buddies: “I only use mesquite,” or “Apple for fish and nothing else,” they claim. How the heck do you know what is good for what? Well, thankfully you have Northwest Sportsman. Below are my field notes on what wood to use on what meat. (Note: I would

put ducks in the game category.) Apple: Solid all-around smoke flavor. Probably the easiest one to use on the most meats. A little fruity but generally mild. Fish/bird/game. Maple: Does not give the flavor that the name implies, but you do get a little bit of sweet. Cooks’ Illustrated says that you get a “resin” flavor on fish. Bird/game. Alder: I have used alder to smoke just about everything. It can give off bitter notes but the smokiness and aroma of alder-smoked meats is hard to beat. Fish/ bird/game. Mesquite: This one is divisive. Do you want Guy Fieri-style “in your face” smoke flavor? No? Then pass on the mesquite. It is delicious with the right sweet heat Southwest/Texas-style rub on the meat. Otherwise you can lose a lot of natural flavor. Game. Cherry: Mild flavor, good for just about everything. Not as good for big bold flavors. Fish/bird/game. Oak: Stronger than the fruit-tree

smokes (cherry, apple, peach) but not as strong as mesquite. A good hearty smoke flavor. Can be a bit bitter if smoked too hot. Fish/bird/game. Hickory: One of the kings of smoke, and a well-loved king. Very popular, so most people will take to the flavor of it well. Fish/ bird/game. Pecan: Divisive for some, what you use for others. Strong like oak and mesquite, but not the best for milder meats. Bird/game. Grape vine: Generally described as “tart,” it is great when used in small quantities. I’m not a huge fan of it on red meat. Fish/bird. Cedar: Use only untreated wood! Otherwise cedar is a bit pitchy and astringent for me to be a huge fan. Cook/smoke meat “on” this wood, not “with” it. Fish. Walnut: Considered strong and bitter, like most of my family. Use with other woods for a complex flavoring. Fish/bird/game. Peach: Though not as commonly used as the other fruit trees, it’s mild like them and good for most meats, providing a nice sweet hint. Fish/bird/game. NS

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Northwest Sportsman 109

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HUNTING

Bird Dog Late Summer’s Feathered Ops

September brings the opening of numerous hunting seasons across the Northwest, including grouse. Birds can be found from lowland riparian areas to highland berryfields. (BREWBOOKS, FLICKR, CC CC BY-SA 2.0)

Grouse and bandtail pigeons offer wingshooters in Oregon and Washington a chance to stretch their legs, hunt down dinner. By MD Johnson

s many of you know, I’m from the Midwest originally; 28 years in Ohio and another 17 in Iowa. Regarding September back East … well, it’s OK. Just OK. The weather’s a bit rough. Hot. Humid. Heavy rains. Maybe drought. Tornados. Buffalo gnats. Ticks. Yeah, it’s just OK. Fishing’s tough ’cause

the water’s so warm, and with just a couple exceptions, those being doves and squirrels, there’s really not a whole lot of hunting available. Here in the Pacific Northwest, though, things are different in September. There’s doves, sure, but there’s also grouse, early Canada geese, and archery deer and elk. Mysterious bandtail pigeons. Bear season has been open for a month,

and salmon fishing should be – should be – in full swing. Of course, there are crabs to catch, steamers to rake, oysters to shuck – and let’s not forget about those golden chanterelles, boletes, hen of the woods and corals. Putting it rather simply, there’s a lot to do out here ’round about Labor Day. Me? It’s primarily the birds that pique my interest; those, and the mushrooms. Long as I can remember, nwsportsmanmag.com | SEPTEMBER 2020

Northwest Sportsman 111

HUNTING

Grouse diet can include blackberries, chokecherries and wild rose hips, as well kinnikinnick and other berries, aspen buds, insects and more. (JULIA JOHNSON)

I’ve been a bird guy, which is in part why I’m huge on September here in the Northwest. So lest I belabor the point, let’s take a look at just what’s available for those outdoors enthusiasts who love all things feathered.

GROUSE Before we get started here, let me tell you a story about my first experience with Washington grouse. And remember what I said earlier about 114 Northwest Sportsman

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having spent all my life, up to that point, in Ohio, where we have ruffed grouse. Only ruffed grouse. So my wife, Julie, and I are on our way through the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. Our destination is the Cispus Learning Center, where we’re slated to spend the week working with school kids from around the region on a variety of subjects – fishing, archery, woodcraft. As my father would have called it in the military, OGA, or

organized group activities. There’s another definition my brother and I were told; however, that one’s not for print in a family publication, I reckon. Oh, yeah, and it’s early September. Can’t leave that out. And as it was early September, I’d packed a couple shotguns in the rig, just in case we see a grouse or had a few minutes to poke around in hopes of seeing said grouse. Anyway, we’re driving through the forest, come around a corner, and there in the middle of the road stands a chicken. A chicken! “What the hell,” I’m thinking to myself, “is a chicken doing up here in the woods?” It’s a strange-looking chicken, I remember, but a chicken nonetheless. Then, from the passenger seat, “Grouse! It’s a grouse. A big blue grouse! You gonna get it?” It’s Julie, now fully awake and all giggly excited about the prospect of a grouse for dinner. So, it’s not a chicken; it’s this blue grouse thing. Ooooo-kay. It is grouse-like, I must admit, but it’s big. And dusky – well, blue. Blue-grey. “Uh-huh,” I tell her, stopping the truck and reaching into the back seat for the 16-gauge double. By now, the obviously not-too-bright grouse has wised up some and scampered off into the roadside alders. Dropping a pair of No. 8s into the breech, I crunch across the gravel and down off the shoulder of the road, whereas the grouse, now totally unnerved, flushes, only to land 30 yards uphill in a slightly larger alder tree. Sporting? Perhaps not in a traditional sense; however, I was nonetheless smiling as I packed my first blue grouse back to the rig. “Nice,” said the young lady, all grins herself. “I’ll do that wrapped in tinfoil on the fire tonight.” And on we went. That was in 1994, if memory serves, and a lot of grouse, both blues and ruffs have come and gone in the quarter century since. Today, I take a bit more of a traditional approach to my grouse hunting; that is, drive in, find a patch of cover that looks

HUNTING

Bandtail pigeons represent one of the rarest hunting opportunities in Washington and Oregon, with season closed for 10 years around the turn of the millennium due to low numbers. But both states hold a limited opener, which typically finds the birds at higher elevations. (SCOTT HAUGEN)

promising, let Sadie Mae, the black Lab dog, out and walk a bit. Am I opposed to poking one off the edge of a decommissioned logging road or, as my first, from high atop an alder or cascara? Nope. It’s all good, and the end result – the culinary end result – is the same. To each his or her own, I reckon. 116 Northwest Sportsman

UNCOVERING THE GROUSE ‘X’ Where are you going to find grouse come opening day on September 1 and beyond? Simply – and admittedly very simply put – if I’ve found grouse in a particular area over the past four or five years, let’s say, I’m willing to bet, short of any natural disaster or radical change in the habitat, i.e. extensive logging,

SEPTEMBER 2020 | nwsportsmanmag.com

there are going to be birds there this year. And next. Maybe a few more. Maybe a few less. But if the elements are present – food, water and shelter/ habitat – I’m willing to bank on there being grouse. “By September and October, the summer broods are breaking up,” observes Mikal Cline, upland game bird coordinator for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. Cline has served in her current role for just two years now; however, she’s been working in an official and professional capacity with a variety of game bird species across much of the West for more than two decades, including a six-year stint as the Pacific Northwest biologist for the National Wild Turkey Federation. “That doesn’t mean they’re going to wander far, far away from their home territories,” Cline adds. “But it’s the males that are more the homebodies because they do set up territories in the fall. And they’ll keep those territories through the breeding season. That’s why you hear drumming in the fall. And if you were to return to that same log in the spring, assuming he wintered well enough, he’s still going to be there. As for the females, they’re going to be in the vicinity. Why set up a territory if there aren’t any females around, right?” We outdoor writers have, since time immemorial, attempted to answer the question, Where? Where are the ducks? Where are the elk? And the black bears in September? They’re where? There are times, though, when the answer to the question where not to go is more beneficial and, ultimately, more productive from a harvest standpoint than is where to go. Predictably, Cline chuckled when I asked my somewhat nontraditional question, Where won’t I find grouse? “One of the tips I like to offer folks,” she said, “is if you’re down in the pines, you’re probably a bit too low in terms of elevation. I’d suggest getting back into the mixed conifers.

HUNTING But it’s going to be an elevational hunt. Your ruffs are going to be down a little lower in your creek bottoms. And your blues are going to be up on the ridges in the open brushy meadows adjacent to the evergreens and the firs. So, start low with your ruffs, and work your way up to find your blue grouse. Certainly, they do overlap but they do each have a little bit of a habitat preference difference.” Throughout my conversation with Cline, one word – riparian – came up repeatedly. Riparian, for those unfamiliar with the term, means, by definition, “relating to the wetlands bordering or adjacent to creeks, streams, or rivers.” And here again, as in the association between habitat and both grouse and turkeys, the connection makes sense. Grouse thrive on succulent vegetation, berries and buds, which can typically be found in abundance in such damp or wet riparian areas,

even in those regions of the West prone to being dry. A good place, then, to start one’s search, perhaps? “I would say it’s going to be easier to zero in on grouse in Eastern Oregon because you’re looking specifically for those riparian areas,” Cline said, “whereas in Western Oregon, there’s so much of that type of habitat available that finding grouse can be challenging. As my predecessor said, ‘They are where you find them.’”

NONTOXICS FOR GROUSE Nontoxic shotshells have come a l-on-g way since I began using them by federal mandate as a waterfowl hunter in the early 1990s. Powders, primers, metallurgy and, perhaps most important, wad design have all contributed to these night-and-day improvements. What’s more, and thanks to advancements in arenas such as bismuth and softer tungstenbased combinations, many of these

nontoxic offerings can be safely used in older fixed choke shotguns like those fine Model 12s or my father’s Model 24 16-gauge. Admittedly tough to hit – I know, I’ve missed plenty! – grouse aren’t that difficult to bag should your aim be true. That said, and particularly during the early part of the season when the foliage is thick, I’m partial to moderate charges of smaller pellets, e.g. No. 6, 7/71/2, or even 8. Pattern density is what matters when Ol’ Mister Ruff rockets from the thicket and careens through the alders, and you want something with that high pellet count and corresponding pattern density to help put pellets through the greenery and on-target. For traditional steel shot, I recommend a 11/8-ounce load of No. 7 or 71/2 for grouse; however, Winchester makes a wonderful load in their 1-ounce charge of steel No. 8 shot at 1,350 feet per second known

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as their Super Dove, while the folks at Federal offer their Upland Steel, a 11/8-ounce load of No. 71/2. The variety and versatility, though, lies in the long list of nonsteel nontoxics available today. From HeviShot, there’s Hevi-Bismuth Waterfowl, which, while only dropping as small as No. 6 shot, is suitable for all shotguns and is available in sub-bore offerings, including 16-, 20- and 28-gauge, as well as .410. Likewise in No. 6, Kent Cartridge has their Bismuth Upland label, it in 12- through 28-gauge. A relative newcomer to the shotshell field, Boss Shotshells lists a nice little load of copper-plated bismuth No. 7 in 12- and 20-gauge, along with a tiny 5/8-ounce charge of the same in .410.

A WORD ON BANDTAIL PIGEONS Admittedly, my firsthand experience with bandtail pigeons is very limited, again, owing in part to my having been born and raised far to the east of bandtail populations. That said, they are indeed a fascinating migratory game bird, and do most certainly provide an excellent, albeit brief wingshooting opportunity throughout much of the Northwest. “Bandtails are a unique creature,” says Kyle Spragens, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife waterfowl coordinator and overseer of all things migratory. “There are actually two versions – one inland to Colorado and New Mexico, and then a Pacific Coast population extending from British Columbia down into coastal central California.” These large pigeons have strong ties, says Spragens, to forested habitat, both for breeding and for forage. In Washington and Oregon, it’s huckleberries, cascara and a select handful of others; in California, however, bandtails often congregate enmass to feed on the berries of the madrone tree. Find the food, i.e. berries, he suggests, and chances are good there might be bandtails. Another interesting characteristic of bandtails is their dependence on

mineral sites. Salt licks, perhaps, is a more familiar term. “Come late summer,” says Spragens, “these birds have to visit (these) mineral sites on a frequent basis.” Remote, isolated and extremely difficult to pinpoint, these sites can and do occur in conjunction with inland springs or creeks, or, in many instances in Southwest Washington, at low tide in estuarine environments. At times, bandtails will congregate in “massive numbers” around such sites, and “can drop down into a spot no larger than a kiddie wading pool.” It’s something to see, I would imagine. Where established bandtail hunting seasons do occur, they’re usually quite brief and carry a very small daily bag limit. For good reason, Spragens says. “Bandtails do hold a heightened monitoring status,” he notes. “In the 1970s, Washington would harvest thousands of bandtails, 10,000 to 20,000 annually. Currently, we don’t harvest more than 300 in a typical year.” The most dramatically impacted gamebird in Washington, even sporting a closed season from 1991 to 2001, bandtails are now an afterthought to the vast majority of hunters, save for the most dedicated. “The number of hunters pursuing bandtails ranges,” says Spragens, “but it’s somewhere around 500. Maybe. It used to be thousands, but now we see roughly 500 people (annually) asking for the harvest report cards or the permit specific to bandtail pigeons.” For this year, Washington’s as well as Oregon’s bandtail pigeon seasons run Sept. 15-23, with a daily bag limit of two and a possession limit of six. While Oregon hunters need a hunting license, HIP validation and bandtail permit, Washington sportsmen require an encyclopedia of paperwork, including a small game license, state migratory bird permit, migratory bird authorization and a bandtail pigeon harvest report card. Got all that? Good, you’re ready to roll. NS 122 Northwest Sportsman

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COLUMN

Build Confidence With Bridge Words W

ords. They’re one of the most important aspects of life. Vital to a successful marriage, relationship, raising children, even your job; words GUN DOGGIN’ 101 are powerful. Clear By Scott Haugen communication is important to getting a point across, even when it comes to your dog. A lot of emphasis is placed on commands given to dogs – words like sit, come and fetch – but what happens between the time a command is given and when it’s achieved can vary, and this is where “bridge words” come in. Bridge words are of utmost importance when it comes to communicating with your dog. Bridge words are simply words you deliver to your dog to let it know it’s doing the right thing, or behaving appropriately. “Good boy” or “good job” are examples of bridge words that encourage a dog to keep doing what it’s doing until the task is achieved. If the dog is searching for a toy that you commanded it to fetch, it may be having trouble locating it. If the dog is close and working hard, repeating “good boy” or “good job” confirms to the dog it’s doing the right thing, and it will keep doing it until the goal is met.

WHEN TRAINING A dog for the hunt, figure out the bridge words you like, keeping them short, simple and clear. Dogs don’t comprehend complete sentences; after a while, you start sounding like the teacher in the Peanuts cartoon to them. Don’t ramble on with bridge words. When on a hunt and I want my dogs to start searching for grouse, quail or pheasant, for instance, I

Establishing eye contact at a young age is important, as it will allow you to clearly communicate exactly what you expect from your dog. Bridge words confirm to your pup that they are doing the right thing. (SCOTT HAUGEN) say, “Find a bird!” I don’t say, “OK, it’s time to start hunting, so go and find us some birds …” A buddy uses the bridge words, “Hunt ’em up!” to get his dog searching. If I knock down a bird, then give the

command “fetch it” and my dogs fail to mark the falling bird, they’ll start cutting the wind, trying to smell the bird. This is where I keep offering bridge words, specifically “good girl” or “fetch it up.” This

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COLUMN Giving your dog words of reassurance lets it know it’s doing the right thing, whereby encouraging it to continue that behavior. Here, author Scott Haugen is encouraging his dog to pose for a photo at the end of a successful dove and bandtail pigeon hunt. (SCOTT HAUGEN)

tells the dog they’re doing the right thing, going in the right direction, and soon they’ll find the bird to fetch. When I want my dogs to come to me and sit, I give the command come. As they come to me, I say “good boy” or “good girl” (I have one of each) to confirm they’re doing what I want. As they get to me, I’ll give them a hand signal they’ve learned and say sit, if that’s what I want them to do. I taught my dogs to always sit at my left side because I carry a gun in my right hand. I’ll follow with complimentary bridge words of praise that reaffirm they’re doing the right thing.

ATTENTION-GETTING

WORDS

ARE

commands given to instantly get your dog to stop what it’s doing and make eye contact with you so you can deliver the next instruction. This is a great way to calm down your dog, too, as it forces them to stop, wait, listen and immediately look for 126 Northwest Sportsman

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the next command. For instance, when I command sit and the dogs do it, I often follow up with a command to look. This is because I want to calm them down and get them to look me in the eye so I can give the next command. When they look me in the eye, I’ll follow up with the bridge word “goooood” or “good boy.” These bridge words keep them looking into my eyes for as long as I desire. I started this when my pups were 12 weeks old, by holding a piece of dog food between my thumb and index finger, passing it by their noses while they sat, then holding it against the outside of my eye socket at the temple, while simultaneously commanding them to look. Now that my dogs are adults, I don’t use a treat, but rather just command them to look, and keep them doing what they’re supposed to be doing – sitting and looking at me – with bridge words. This is a great

command to get the dog to pump the brakes, focus, and regain self-control, and it’s done in a controlled manner, thanks to bridge words.

THE MORE YOU work and communicate with your dog, the more you’ll discover the importance of bridge words. Keep them short and deliver them with confidence, while maintaining a positive gesture or body language. Bridge words are not words of intimidation, but rather words of invitation and reassurance to your dog to let them know they are doing the right thing. Bridge words keep your dog doing what you want them to, just like when we give or receive praise from other people. NS Editor’s note: To watch Scott Haugen’s series of puppy training videos, visit scotthaugen.com. Follow Scott on Instagram and Facebook.

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COLUMN

Spend September In The Brush, At The Reloading Bench S

eptember is one of my two favorite months because grouse and rabbit seasons kick off (I long ago learned ON TARGET that dove hunting is for By Dave Workman fanatics of a different variety and they are good at it). I’ve been scouting grouse prospects, and making sure my shotguns are ready for action. The grouse opener in Washington and Oregon is Sept. 1. Over in Idaho, the season kicks off Aug. 30. Considering the weather we had in April, May and June, in some areas hens probably brought off good broods, while in other places, not so much. Watch your local weather reports for signs of lightning and thunderstorms. Make sure you have copies of the regulations, one for the house and the other in your truck/SUV. The daily bag limit in Washington is four grouse, only three of which may be the same species (i.e. blue or ruffed/forest grouse), while the daily bag in Oregon is three birds. The Idaho daily bag is four grouse “in the aggregate.” (See page 6 of the regs.) If you like blue grouse (dusky and sooty), hunt the high ridges mornings and evenings. Don’t be surprised to find them along gravel road edges wandering in and out of the tall grass often found on those edges. I also find them around huckleberry fields. Keep a .22-caliber pistol or revolver handy, and if you want a recommended shot size for the bigger blues, I like a high-base No. 6 in either

Author Dave Workman ruffled feathers on opening morning last year, high on a ridge north of Cle Elum in Eastern Washington. (DAVE WORKMAN)

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COLUMN 12- or 20-gauge, and if I’m using my .410 double, I go with 3-inch shells. Carry plenty of water. It will be very dry out there. Ruffed grouse like lowland mixed hardwoods and conifers. I find them in alder thickets, around vine maple and crabapples. I have yet to find a ruffed grouse that couldn’t be tumbled with a load of No. 6 or 7½ shot. Grouse taken early in the season need to be field dressed ASAP. I keep a couple of pairs of rubber gloves in my pack or vest and carry a small pocketknife. Get the guts out and put the bird’s carcass in a cooler with ice as quickly as possible. Try grouse breasts as a substitute for chicken and cook up grouse parmesan, with spaghetti and a good sauce. Try them on a barbecue with a good barbecue sauce (not too much!) and fried or baked potatoes.

MORE ON HANDLOADING September is quite possibly the busiest

Keep a .22-caliber pistol close at hand, as one never knows when a fool hen will come wandering along, even around camp. Workman’s sidearm here is a Ruger MK IV. (DAVE WORKMAN) month for me at the loading bench, and that goes as well for other serious hunters who also brew up their own ammunition. As I wrote last month, summer is when

RCBS offers a number of new reloading kits. (RCBS)

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serious shooters do their serious reloading, and since most of September still falls within the summer season, I wasn’t fudging. The loads I brew up in September are always fresh. Here are a couple of tips I didn’t mention last time. 1) Store your propellants in an old ice chest/cooler, without the ice, of course. The purpose of this is simple. It protects your powder from dramatic changes in temperature, and it is far less likely to suffer from condensation because it is in a cool, dry place. 2) Keep notes of your reloads. I had a pal who was such a fanatic about this that he kept records of his handloading for many years. Store your reloads in a good plastic aftermarket container, such as the ones you can buy from Cabela’s or MTM. Label these with a blue or black felt-tip pen. 3) After priming each resized and polished case, stand it up on the case head, on a flat surface. If the case wobbles, your primer isn’t fully seated. Fix it! If you don’t, the primer could cause trouble, such as making it impossible to chamber the round because the case head doesn’t glide onto the bolt face. Just as I was preparing this column, RCBS announced it had started shipping “five new product kits designed to simplify

COLUMN

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the Rebel Plus Reloading Kit, the Rebel Master Kit, the Partner Reloading Kit-2, the Explorer Reloading Kit-2 and the Case Prep Kit. With prices ranging from $274.95 to $649.95, these kits help answer the needs from both entry-level and expert reloaders alike. “Each of the kits is packed with premium RCBS items along with several new items released for 2020. The Explorer Reloading Kit-2 and Partner Reloading Kit-2 have been upgraded from earlier offerings to include the new 1,500-Grain Digital Pocket Scale for the most accurate measurements possible. The Explorer Reloading Kit-2 also contains the new Uniflow III Powder Measure, which was designed with a single metering screw to accommodate both rifles and pistols while promoting consistent, reliable accuracy for any load needed. “The Rebel Plus Reloading Kit and Rebel Master Kit also include the Uniflow III Powder Measure but have been updated with the new Rebel Single Stage

Press. Constructed from a solid cast iron frame, the Rebel Single Stage Press has been meticulously machined to exacting tolerances and features the tallest opening of any RCBS Single Stage press on the market.” I’ve been using RCBS equipment for decades. My single-stage and progressive presses are RCBS products. I’ve got loading dies for many of my favorite calibers. About the same time the RCBS notification arrived, Nosler announced it was offering a free Reloading Guide No. 8 for a limited time for anyone purchasing $150 or more worth of bullets and/or brass. I’m particularly proud of that volume, since it contains a couple of my reports on two popular cartridges, including my personal favorite handgun caliber, the .41 Magnum. By now, those books may be gone, but even if they are, Nosler bullets and brass are top quality. Also, look online for the YouTube video from RCBS titled “Intro To Handloading RCBS: Rules To Reloading.” NS

COLUMN Preparation is the key to success when it comes to tagging out each fall. Author Buzz Ramsey switches gears from fishing to hunting this time of year, with good success. (BUZZ RAMSEY)

Preparing For The Hunt H

“ BUZZ RAMSEY

o n e y , you’ll n e v e r guess what happened – someone broke into our travel trailer and stole the salad dressing and catsup!” I said over

the cell phone. “Where were you when this happened?” she questioned.

“We were out scouting for deer,” I replied. “Oh no! What else did they take?” my wife answered, excitedly. “That was it, near as we can tell,” I answered. “Did they take your hunting rifle or that new Leupold range finder?” she asked. “Nope, they’re still here,” I said. At this point, my hunting partner could no longer keep a straight face. I managed to hold my composure and continue the phone conversation with my now troubled wife.

“You’re sure they didn’t take anything else?” she asked. “Yes, everything seems to be here. Near as I can tell, the only things missing are the salad dressing and catsup,” I reassured her. “Wow, considering what they could have taken, we were pretty lucky!” she exclaimed. “Yep, we were amazed they didn’t take more,” I replied. “Don’t suppose you could pick up another bottle of salad dressing and catsup on your way over here tomorrow?” I asked.

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COLUMN the animal a short distance – or better yet, driving to it – this is not always possible. Being prepared to pack the meat means taking along a backpack capable of doing the job, along with boning bags, a fillet knife, flagging tape and perhaps some rope or parachute cord to hang the meat with. I remember when getting a deer out whole and in the same day was important. However, once the animal is gutted, hide off and meat hanging, either whole or quartered, it’s OK to leave it in the woods for a day or two before returning for the meat.

Bringing enough gear on an Idaho road trip for a spike camp allowed Ramsey to successfully bag a mule deer buck high above his main camp, which was set up in a more more heavily pressured area. (BUZZ RAMSEY) “No problem. See you then,” she replied. My sometimes-gullible wife had hardly hung up before she realized the prank in my call. Certainly, we could have gotten along fine without the salad dressing and catsup. However, there are several items that no hunter should leave home without.

IF YOU ARE planning a fall hunting adventure, your obvious must-have list should include your hunting license and deer or elk tag, rifle and ammo, knife (a sharp one, along with a spare, would be good), game bag, binoculars, range finder (providing you’re hunting open terrain where long-shot opportunities might present themselves), rope, water jug, first aid kit, extra car keys (hide-a-key), flashlight, toilet paper, gallon-size zip-lock baggy (for your deer liver, providing you like venison liver), flagging tape, and your cell phone. Unless you’re hunting familiar ground, 136 Northwest Sportsman

where there’s no chance of getting lost, it would be a good idea to take along a map of the area and a compass. A GPS, now available via a phone app, can be a terrific tool for finding your way back to your vehicle, but remember to take that compass along too as a backup. Electronic marvels can malfunction and batteries go dead, but a compass always works. An onXmap of the state you are hunting, downloadable to cell phone or GPS, is a great tool for keeping track of where you are, the terrain, and property boundaries. The above list can be much larger. But if you plan to day hunt, it covers the basics, except for food, extra clothing and items needed for an overnight stay. If you’re hunting alone, make sure to tell someone exactly where you will be and when you plan to return. And while getting a deer back to your access point might be as easy as dragging

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MUCH MORE PREPARATION and gear is needed if you plan to hike into a remote area to hunt and camp for a few days. Hunting Idaho in recent years, where the game is mostly pushed away from easy access, the terrain rugged and steep, I’ve made camping out part of my regular routine. Spiking out a night or two and then returning to my base camp has proven its efficiency. Sure, it requires me to add a small tent, sleeping bag, ground-insulating pad, food and water – along with everything needed to hang the meat – to my pack. However, doing so saves me an hour of hiking, often in the dark. The advantage of spike camping, besides reducing the amount of time it takes to get to and from the best hunting areas, is more time to hunt. The biggest factor in how long you might stay out is having access to water. After all, you can only pack in so much. I carry a Grayl Ultralight Water Purifier that makes filtering water quick and easy with no pumping or sucking required. Designed as two bottles in one, you just fill the outer bottle with water and press the inner bottle (having a filter on the end) down into the outer bottle; this quickly filters the water, which you can instantly drink. I HAD A friend once who bragged regularly about the accuracy of his hunting rifle. After missing what should have been an easy shot, he admitted that he had never rechecked his rifle for accuracy or cleaned the barrel since first purchasing the 7mm 10 years before. Rifle barrels get dirty, stocks warp, mounting screws loosen and scopes get bumped, which can all affect rifle accuracy – sometimes in a big way. If you haven’t

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COLUMN Backcountry hunters have numerous products for filtering water and the Grayl Ultralight Water Purifier is the author’s choice. “It makes filtering water quick and easy with no pumping or sucking required,” he writes. (GRAYL)

already, now would be a good time to give your rifle a quick check to make sure everything is in order, clear the cobwebs out of the barrel by cleaning, and shoot it several times to confirm its accuracy. If your scope mounts are loose, you might consider removing the screws and adding a few drops of Loctite to the threads before reinstalling. I just replaced the scope mounts on one of my rifles with a new set from Leupold. Their scope mount rings now come standard with screws having Torx heads, rather than the Allen head type. Torx screws can be adjusted numerous times without scarring, unlike Allen head screws. A dirty barrel is usually the biggest culprit when accuracy fails. You see, every shot adds a layer of powder residue and copper inside of your barrel. Restoring a well-used barrel to cleanliness will require a lot more work than just a few passes through it with a solvent-filled patch. If your rifle barrel is due for a deep cleaning, try swabbing your barrel several

times with a solvent-soaked patch, then make no less than 10 passes with a bronze brush, followed with several patches until one comes out clean. If your rifle hasn’t been cleaned for more than a few years, you may need to repeat this process several times.

The above is the cleaning method I used for many years, but have since switched to less scrubbing and more soaking by using a product called Wipe Out in combination with 10 passes with a nylon bore brush, followed by several cloth patches. It’s

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COLUMN Getting zeroed is just part of preseason prep for your rifle. Have you checked that your scope mounts are tight? Is your barrel due for a deep cleaning or even replacement? Those are just some of the things hunters should consider before deer, elk and other modern firearms seasons begin. (BUZZ RAMSEY)

important, especially if you’re a long-range shooter, to shoot several rounds through your rifle after cleaning to lightly refoul the barrel, as the first few rounds through a squeaky-clean barrel can change point

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of impact, especially at long range. Once done, I generally don’t clean my hunting rifle again until after the season ends. To improve the accuracy of one of my 30-year-old bolt-action hunting rifles, I

recently had the steel barrel replaced with a graphite one from Oregon Mountain Rifle Company (503-312-9844; omriles.com). Wow, not only is my favorite memory-lane rifle 20 percent lighter, it is consistently more accurate than ever before due to the graphite barrel providing bull-barrel accuracy. And while replacing a steel rifle barrel with a graphite one isn’t cheap, doing so is a lot less expensive than buying an all-new rifle. If your rifle won’t shoot straight or you forget an important item, it could limit the effectiveness of your hunt or cost you the deer or elk of a lifetime. Still, I like a little catsup on my meatloaf, and lettuce ’n veggies are pretty boring without salad dressing. Guess we were lucky my wife had planned to meet us at hunt camp the evening before opening day. NS Editor’s note: Buzz Ramsey is brand manager for Yakima Bait Company and a member of the management team. For more, go to yakimabait.com. Find Buzz on Facebook/ Instagram.

COLUMN

Don’t Waste September F

or a 13-year-old, bowhunting can be rather challenging. Throw in pursuing deer in the open terrain of Eastern NW PURSUITS Washington’s loessBy Jason Brooks covered lands and it is almost impossible. “Almost” is the key word because it is not completely impossible, as my son taught me last September. After drawing Washington’s multiseason tag, which allowed him to hunt all three

weapon seasons, Ryan decided he was going to use his bow for all of them. In Washington, it is legal to use archery gear for each of the weapon seasons, so if you have a muzzleloader tag, you can use archery gear if you so choose. Same with modern firearm seasons. Choosing to use archery gear is tough enough. When we found ourselves up on the Columbia Basin plateau, overlooking mule deer that were using sage-covered hills for daytime cover and feeding in wheat and canola fields at first and last

light, I thought there was no way Ryan would get a buck. My brother had joined us for the morning, as he knew the land well – where the public parcels were, where the deer would run to escape pressure. It was opening day of muzzleloader season and a few other hunters were driving the county roads looking for deer. After a tour of the area and having my GPS with its mapping software in hand, I felt comfortable enough on our own so that my brother could head back to town to get some work done.

Ryan Brooks drags his whitetail buck back to the rig after taking it with his bow on the opening day of muzzleloader season, allowable with Washington’s multiseason tag in his pocket. (JASON BROOKS) nwsportsmanmag.com | SEPTEMBER 2020

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COLUMN

Time’s a wasting if you’re a deer hunter sitting around in September waiting on October and November’s general and late seasons. You could be in the field now – or mountains in the case of riflemen – with Brooks, here with his bow, and his dad. (JASON BROOKS)

MID-DAY OFTEN MEANS bedded deer and this was no exception. Spotting a deer in the shadow of a tall sage, I began picking apart the hillside. Eventually I counted eight deer, with two legal bucks, a spike, and the rest does. Ryan and I discussed the route he should take and he set out. I stayed behind to watch through the spotting scope. Each time I heard a truck approaching, I put the scope away and waved, hoping the other hunters kept driving. Soon I saw Ryan emerge from the steep draw, but it was one cut away from where we discussed he should come out and the deer were now locked onto him. The high jump and running of a mule deer is called “stotting” and Ryan got to see it up close as the herd busted out of the draw. But then, like most mule deer, they slowed down and began to walk about half a mile away. It appeared that the deer had never winded Ryan, only spooking when they saw a weird object walking towards them, so they settled down quickly. Ryan took off towards the small buttes where the 144 Northwest Sportsman

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deer were headed. About an hour later, my cellphone rang. It was Ryan, asking me to pick him up a couple of miles down the road. Turns out he had snuck to within 40 yards of one of the mature bucks and launched an arrow right over its back. That is when he noticed the other legal buck standing just 15 yards away. Bowhunting is not easy, and it is even harder when you don’t notice bucks in tall sage.

WHAT MAKES SEPTEMBER so special is that it’s the opening of deer season. Not just for archery hunters, but also for muzzleloader hunters and even riflemen in some areas – in Washington, for those who head to the backcountry for the High Buck Hunt. Several days before Ryan tried his luck, I took a mature mule deer with my rifle. Heading into the backcountry with a high school friend and making the most of a four-day hunt in a wilderness area, we found the buck during the evening and I filled my tag on opening day. Most hunters don’t realize all the great

opportunities offered to them in September and instead wait for the general openers in October. But that is letting an entire month of deer hunting go by. In Washington, the modern firearm general mule deer season is only 11 days long, yet in September the High Hunt is also 11 days long. By waiting, you are cutting your season in half, which makes no sense if you have the ability to hunt the backcountry. Even blacktail hunters can chase the grey ghost of Pacific Northwest forests with their rifles in September. The Olympic Peninsula has several wilderness areas and all of them are open for the High Hunt, which annually runs Sept. 15-25. Note that like mule deer hunts, they are restricted to a three-point minimum. September is one of the few months when rainstorms are rare on the peninsula, yet few hunters head here then. Muzzleloaders can enjoy the High Hunt too, and their general season starts the last weekend of September and goes until the end of the first weekend of October. With

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Plan The Hike To Succeed the High Hunt ending on a Friday this year and the next day being the opening of muzzleloader season, this means the muzzleloader hunter will have 20 consecutive days to hunt the early seasons. Yet most still wait until later. Archery hunters have the best seasons, with most being three weeks long or longer and some with either sex units. Sure, we all want to harvest a big buck, but any deer with archery equipment is a good deer. Plus the fact that you can hunt when the deer are still in their summer habits, during good weather and with long days of daylight makes September the best month to be a bowman.

SPEAKING OF, SEVERAL hours later Ryan was saying how tired he was after making the long stalk that hot morning. That is when I spotted a small whitetail buck sneaking along a cut wheatfield and heading for the tall grass of some public land. The buck disappeared and we figured it had laid down to wait out the afternoon.

Still, Ryan was soon heading out to do another stalk, while I watched and hoped hunters kept driving by. Another hour passed and the cellphone rang again. This time it was met with a few simple words: “I stuck an arrow in him.” I thought there was no way; Ryan has killed several deer already with a rifle and a muzzleloader, but at 13 and pulling back 45 pounds on his compound, I figured we were out there on what could be considered the greater Palouse just for fun. I told him not to move and I would be there as soon as I could. In reality, I took my time, as I knew we needed to let the deer lay down and die. As I hiked to Ryan’s location, I noticed a trail in the tall grass, a route often traveled by deer, and I purposely cut around it in case it was the way the buck had fled and I didn’t want to jump it. Meeting up with Ryan, he stood where he had shot. I asked him where the deer had been standing when he released the arrow and Ryan pointed out a rosehip bush that ranged at only 16 yards. Finding blood in the

tall grass, we walked out that trail I went around and just 30 yards into our trailing was the buck, dead. The unit was open for any whitetail buck and the two-by-three was much smaller than the mature mule deer he had missed earlier in the day, but Ryan didn’t care. It was an accomplishment that even I haven’t done in my 36 years of deer hunting, taking a whitetail buck with a bow in open country.

INDEED, THIS MONTH offers many options for the deer hunter, but is also one of the underutilized months of fall. Maybe that’s because we are out chasing elk and grouse, or fishing coastal rivers for Chinook and coho. These are all good reasons to miss out on the deer hunting opportunities. They are also the same reasons why I hunt deer in September while everyone else is out doing those other activities. Pick up your rifle, muzzleloader or bow so you don’t regret not going out for deer when this month wraps up. NS

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HUNTING

Oregon hunters get an early enough crack at deer that bowmen will find blacktails and other bucks still in velvet. Key in on water sources in the early season. (TROY RODAKOWSKI)

Hunting Bucks In The Time Of Covid

Advice for tagging out in Oregon as 2020â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s deer season begins. By Troy Rodakowski

ovid deer, corona bucks? How about letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just call them deer and hope our local governments keep the seasons and lands open this fall. Considering we

had a fairly mild winter and very good spring with good forage, Northwest herds should be somewhat healthy this coming season with a few exceptions. Blacktail are doing fairly well in the western half of Oregon and Washington. Early season hunts may

be tough due to dry conditions and fire danger. However, if you have done your scouting, chances are you will have some good success. Early in the season deer will be found near good water sources adjacent to locations with high-quality nwsportsmanmag.com | SEPTEMBER 2020

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HUNTING forage and browse. On overcast, rainy and/or stormy days I find myself searching for deer in the timber or under canopies of older growth, vine maples and reprod forests. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m not saying they wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be in clearcuts, but I have found more deer in locations with cover during these periods. Drastic changes in barometric pressure will get the deer moving, no matter your location. Hunting during drier conditions or in foggy weather, blacktails will be more likely to venture into meadows, field edges and clearcuts especially, during the early mornings and right before dusk. This is when I like to be in the woods.

MULE DEER ARE decreasing in many units across the Northwest. Predation and habitat have been major factors in the slow decline of populations over the last decade. Though states have implemented initiatives and studied disease, predation and habitat loss, the herds have been slow to recover. Adenovirus hemorrhagic disease is continuing to impact local populations too. Still, late spring rains gave the herds a boost, providing better forage and available water.

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Author Troy Rodakowski with his 2019 muzzleloader buck. Deer in the rut will oftentimes move at midday. (TROY RODAKOWSKI)

HUNTING Good populations of mule deer border private ranch and range lands. Conservation Reserve Program grounds also have some very good numbers of deer. Much of this land is supplemented with government funding to overseed and plant native grasses and broadleaf plants that create excellent food sources for deer and other animals. In the Columbia Basin, the land is enhanced with CRP and the multitude of cereal, grass and forage crops produced in the region. The wooded sections of the Umatilla National Forest also hold good numbers of big game. Additionally, there is a multitude of Bureau of Land Management, national forest and ranches in this section of Oregon that are a prime ticket for hunters looking to score. Good optics are always necessary, regardless of the terrain you choose to hunt for mule deer. Searching shallow

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draws and depressions in open country will at times help to locate bedded deer taking a nap or just hiding. Likewise, scanning the Westside’s dense underbrush thoroughly can pay dividends. The slightest tail twitch or ear flick can be seen even amid the brushy terrain. According to Randy Lewis, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife assistant district biologist for the Bend area, last winter was average but spring and summer conditions were dry, making available water in some areas scarce. “As always, weather conditions prior to and during hunting season will have a big impact on hunting conditions and success,” says Lewis. Unfortunately that’s not a pretty picture to report for the upcoming deer season. But it’s not all bad news. “All age classes of bucks are present but we are receiving quite a few reports of people seeing some nice

bucks in the district, so we know there are still a few good ones out there for hunters to pursue,” adds Lewis. Overall deer populations are below management objectives and ODFW reduced tags by an average of 30 percent in each of the Paulina, Metolius and Wagontire Units. ODFW also reduced tags in the Upper Deschutes by 15 percent. Habitat loss/ fragmentation, disturbance, poaching, predation, disease and roadkill are all contributing factors in the mule deer population decline here.

AGAIN, FOOD, WATER and cover are the most important things relative to deer activity and movement. Finding locations to place a stand or ground blind where animals will move from cover to feed and water or traverse heavily used game trails is essential to finding success, no matter what time of year you decide to hunt. Starting off by finding heavily traveled areas

HUNTING is a must. Movement will change as the rut approaches, so keep this in mind as we move through the seasons toward early November. Urine-based scents are no longer allowed or legal in Oregon due to the potential spread of disease from farmed to wild deer populations. Finding some sort of synthetic scent system will greatly help you to not only conceal human odors but attract curious deer. There are several very effective products on the market that work very well. Make sure to check the regs before heading to the field. During the early season, browse is at its peak for deer, so water is the main factor hunters will need to focus on. As the rainy season begins, it will be fresh feed from newly sprouted grasses and broadleaf plants. During the rut, hunting at midday has worked for me quite often. Bucks are smart and know most hunters have left the woods by lunchtime.

LAST YEAR I had an opportunity to hunt around Nov. 10. Dad and I set up on a small ridge and did three to four sequences of calling and rattling for a couple hours and decided we should move after only seeing a small spike. We slowly made our way about 50 yards out from the tree line and stopped to glass a small opening. With patches of timber on either side of us it would be a great place for deer to cross. I recalled the words of the late great Eugene-based blacktail hunter Boyd Iverson: “Deer will get up to stretch and pee or relocate during the middle of the day, so be ready.” Well, it was straight up noon and we figured this was a good place to see some activity. It hadn’t been long before Dad whispered, “Don’t move, there is a buck moving across about 80 yards behind you.” I slowly turned my head so I could

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peek out of the corner of my eye and eased the hammer back very slowly. He was a nice four-point and was walking at a pretty good pace. At this point I knew I’d have to swing fast and make a quick shot. Taking a deep breath I ran the scenario through my head and swung, settled my peep on his chest and pulled the trigger. The smoke was thick like puffy thunderheads and its sulphur aroma filled the air and burned our nostrils. Through the fading smoke Dad hollered, “You got him good.” My heart was pounding out of my chest like a piston as I saw the buck drop about 150 yards away. Finally, I could really breathe again and compose myself. My four-by-three blacktail had a beautiful double white patch and a very swollen neck. We believe he had heard our calling but approached very cautiously, possibly thinking the deer he had heard had moved across the opening at noon of all times.

AS FOR BEST options for blacktails, the Alsea, Siuslaw and Trask Units all hold great deer. However, the Evans Creek, Applegate, Melrose and other Southern Oregon units hold some of the biggest bucks in the state. BLM, national forest and private lands near Medford and Grants Pass have produced some very nice bucks over the last several seasons. Additionally, recent fires have made for some prime habitat. For mule deer, the Grizzly, Sled Springs, Beulah and Metolius Units have seen good success ratios on bucks the last few seasons. Other hot spots include the Paulina and Maury Mountains. Some of the best draw hunts include the Steens Mountains, Juniper, Hart Mountain, Owyhee Mountains as well as locations around Burns, the Jordan Valley and Malheur lowlands. Hunters with permits for Fort Rock, Silver Lake and Upper Deschutes near Bend and La Pine should find a few good deer around as well. NS

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HUNTING

Trail cameras are now widely used by time-pressed hunters as the devices can “help put together a lot of puzzle pieces” before the season begins. (DAVE ANDERSON)

Tech In The Wild

Trail cameras help elk hunters research what caliber bulls are wandering around the woods, but properly placing the devices is tricky. By Dave Anderson

echnology in today’s hunting world has drastically evolved over the last several years. We have so many more options today when it comes to scouting, equipment and attire than we did 15 years ago. Now that over-the-counter qualitytype tags are extremely limited or nonexistent, once you do draw a quality elk tag it’s almost essential to properly prepare and do some homework to increase your odds and success at filling those tags. For me, I have found that using trail cameras can really help put together a lot of puzzle pieces prior to getting out in the woods with boots on the ground chasing elk. Trail cameras are also great for doing research for upcoming general tag seasons as well.

TO GET STARTED, let’s talk about cameras. You have a ton of options to choose from and which camera you end up picking will depend a lot on the area you will be hunting. Most of the areas I hunt, I have zero cell service, so it would be a waste of money to purchase a cellular camera if the area you are hunting has little to no service. The last several years I have been using Browning trail cameras and have had a lot of success without major technical issues. They are easy to use and the battery life is great. I personally prefer the Browning Recon Force Trail Cameras. I have a dozen of them and tried several other brands before ultimately making the switch to all Browning cameras. One of the features that I love the most is the fact that these cameras

have a security box and a cable lock system that work very well. The cable lock is strong enough to keep bears from destroying them and the honest people away. Unfortunately, if someone really wants your camera, they will find a way to get it. Since I primarily hunt public land, I know there is always a risk of other people or hunters coming in contact with the area/region I set my camera up in. The other feature that I love about the Browning Recon Force camera is the video quality. I originally set up a couple cameras as just images and had a few in video mode, but quickly found that the video mode was way more efficient at capturing everything in the detectable range. I personally like to set all mine at 30-second videos. nwsportsmanmag.com | SEPTEMBER 2020

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HUNTING

Elk rubs, like this one that author Dave Anderson’s wife Kristina points out, along with well-used game trails, intersecting wildlife paths, and water sources are good locations to put up trail cams. Getting well away from roads reduces the odds of your cameras begin stolen. (DAVE ANDERSON)

When hanging a camera, choose a spot that has few branches, grass or other natural material that might wave in the breeze and inadvertently fill your device’s memory card with Bob Ross-like happy nature scenes. (DAVE ANDERSON) 160 Northwest Sportsman

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I feel like this gives me enough content while also not depleting the battery. There are a few newer models that also have a Smart IR video feature that will continue to record video as long as the critter is moving in the camera range but not drain the batteries. Now let’s talk about attractants. When I set out my cameras, I always use a Trophy Rock All-Natural mineral lick. I place this dead center within the camera’s focus. I’ve used several other licks and natural attractants and the Trophy Rock outproduces them. I’m not sure what the reason is, but these rocks are like crack for elk. They are great for seeing what type of big game animals are in the area and will help keep them close by.

ONE OF THE most important things to think about when utilizing trail cameras is placement and choosing areas that will not only produce good pictures or videos, but also in an area where foot traffic by humans is limited. I always keep in mind minimizing the potential of them being stolen or damaged by others. I generally always start out at least a mile away from any roads or easy access. For me, my number one objective is to try and be alone in the area I’m hunting if at all possible. Sometimes this can be challenging when hunting public land, but from my experience I usually don’t see nearly as many people the further I get off main access roads or welltravelled areas. The other thing to keep in mind is the time of year and season you will be hunting. If I’m hunting early in the season on a quality archery tag, the bigger bulls are still going to be near the summer areas, so I will try and target those areas with some cameras. If I’m not hunting until later in the season, I will generally find bigger bulls in large groups of cows. With general season, when our only options are limited to targeting spikes or cow elk, I’m going to keep my cameras in areas that hold large groups of cows and young bulls.

HUNTING Some other things to consider when putting up trail cameras is to look for rubs or well-used game trails. I search for areas where there are multiple game trails that come together or intersect and I place my cameras at these intersections. I will also stay close to areas that lead to water or good cover. Once I find a good tree to secure my camera to, I survey the area to make sure there isn’t a ton of branches or tall grasses that will set the camera off with windy or breezy days. This is important, as I have made this mistake before and ended up with an SD card full of trees and branches blowing in the wind. Over the years, I have also learned to make sure that your camera isn’t in a spot where the sunrise or sunset will cause the images or video to be overly bright, making it difficult to see any critters. Also, if you are in an

The payoff for all that camera work– Anderson’s Central Cascades permit bull, taken on an archery tag in 2016. (DAVE ANDERSON)

area with active logging, don’t secure them to a tree that could potentially be cut down. I lost one of my cameras to a logging operation, but was able to recover the destroyed unit days later. It showed videos leading up to the tree being stripped and removed. Needless to say, I got a good laugh and had a funny story to tell.

Checking what the trail cam has captured is part of the fun of using them to scout for elk, deer and other critters. (DAVE ANDERSON) 162 Northwest Sportsman

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OVERALL, USING TRAIL cameras can be really beneficial when scouting new areas or preparing for upcoming seasons. Hiking in and out of these areas several times before the season

also helps get you in shape and ready to go come opening day. In addition, the whole process of setting the cameras up and seeing what you get on them is not only fun, but also a great activity to get children and spouses involved in. Being able to enjoy the mountain air and hike around in the woods is fun for the whole family. If you have never tried using trail cameras, I would highly recommend giving it a shot the next time you want to scout an existing area you hunt or a new area. NS

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HUNTING

Big Snow, Big Bull Western Washington hunter fills his special permit with dandy elk as freak early blizzard hits South Cascades. By Patrick Thomas

s I looked through the glass, waves of powder ripped up the western slope and crashed home against the charred black trunks of the burn. This was more of the same that we had seen all day – wind and snow, with no sign of elk. I repositioned my body on the ridge and scanned right, focusing on a small ledge about 300 yards below. Brown shapes against surrounding white and green came into focus. “Elk; right there,” I whispered to my buddy Justin, who crouched two steps behind. A branch-antlered bull and half a dozen cows were standing among the scrub cedar trees on the ledge below. I could feel the adrenaline flood in as the bull turned to herd his cows into the timber. A faint bugle rose through the wind as the elk disappeared into the trees. I couldn’t tell exactly how big he was, but we were finally on elk, a welcome change to how the day had gone up to that point.

WHEN YOU DRAW a tag, you can’t help but imagine how the hunt will go. Through planning, scouting and talking with other hunters, a picture starts to form of the possibilities. A picture you think about every day for the weeks leading up to the hunt. After a nine-year wait to hunt this area for elk, a freak October snowstorm

Patrick Thomas had been putting in for a Western Washington bull elk permit for almost a decade before finally getting drawn and making good on his tag with this Mt. Rainier-area six-point. (PATRICK THOMAS)

that dumped 30 inches of snow and brought low visibility and gale force winds to the Western Cascades was not in that picture for me. Instead of spending opening morning glassing elk and preparing a stalk, we dug out of the tent, slogged

through drifts in the fog and got blown off our glassing knob by the wind. By 10 a.m., we retreated into a clump of spruce trees and made a fire, using the backpacking stove tipped on its side like a blowtorch to get the wet, frozen wood going. nwsportsmanmag.com | SEPTEMBER 2020

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HUNTING I’d seen a great bull the week prior in this basin, but the storm had likely pushed him 2,000 feet below into the sanctuary of the impenetrable secondgrowth timber. We hadn’t seen even an elk track all morning, and the lower elevation waypoints on my GPS were starting to look pretty attractive. I’d be lying if I told you we didn’t consider bailing off the mountain and throwing in the towel for the day. We stayed by the fire for a couple hours, ate lunch and joked about how just one bull could change the day. Thank god for hardcore hunting partners who embrace the opportunity to suffer with you on the mountain. At 11:30, a text came through from our youthfully optimistic buddy Andy, who said, “I think the weather might break at 1 p.m.” Later investigation revealed this text to be a white lie, but in the moment it was what we needed to get us on our feet and down the ridge in an attempt to find the herd we had seen the day before. I’m not sure if the weather actually “broke,” but visibility improved, and we were on those elk by 1 p.m. They

Thomas had imagined he’d spend opening morning glassing the heights and stalking in for a shot, but October had other ideas, dumping 30 inches of snow on his camp near the crest of the Cascades. (PATRICK THOMAS)

were heading north and we decided to parallel them from above, keeping the wind and trying to catch them as they crossed into the next basin. We side-hilled the burn, snaking through the black trees, carefully feeling out every step in the snow. We couldn’t see the elk, but faint, intermittent bugles assured us of their progress. After half a mile, we crested the last

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finger ridge. The timber gave way to a steep, open hillside lined on the high side by thin stands of burned noble fir, continuing up and wrapping west to the peak above the open bowl. It just looked like elk country. When we put up our binos, we could see a group of elk feeding 1,000 feet up on the peak. Directly below us and through the timber was a tan

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HUNTING rump of a cow. As we studied the cow, multiple bulls sounded off from below us and from across the basin. After not seeing a hooved animal all day, we had stumbled into a full-blown elk party.

WE MADE A quick game plan. It was time to get aggressive. The bench below was a flat, narrow meadow stretching from the edge of the timber under a rocky cliff face and extending out to a small knob, where it dropped into a creek bed. The hillside across the creek jutted up sharply toward the peak, where the other group of elk fed. From our position, it was too cluttered to take a shot through the timber and we had no line of sight into the bench, as the rocky knob obstructed the view. I needed to get out in the open, directly above that rocky knob. Justin stayed back to watch the elk in the timber and I crept out across the open snow. I moved further and further out

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Things looked grim by lunch as Thomas considered heading off the mountain, but a friend texted to say the storm might break in early afternoon. “Later investigation revealed this text to be a white lie, but in the moment it was what we needed to get us on our feet,” he writes. (PATRICK THOMAS)

onto the open hillside. Now 60 yards out on the open face, I rose to my knees and could see the upper half of the elk feeding on the bench. The cliff was still 50 yards below me and I needed to get just above it to be able

to shoot over the crest of the hill. Pack on, rifle on my lap, I slid inch by inch down the hill. Tiny snowballs tumbled gently toward the cliff with every scoot on my backside. I slowed my pace as I prayed that I wouldn’t

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HUNTING Despite the big dump of snow, some elk were still in the heights, and Thomas and his buddy Justin began stalking a “no-doubt shooter.” (PATRICK THOMAS)

send an avalanche over the cliff onto the feeding elk below. Twenty-five yards above the cliff, I could now see at least 15 elk milling around below me. As I set up my pack in front of me to rest my rifle,

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a bull appeared, screaming as he chased a cow into the open about 200 yards below me. So much for the rut being over. I could see clearly he was a heavy six-point, a no-doubt shooter for

me. I got behind the rifle and peered through the scope. Just then, a heavy gust bringing a cloud of snow came up the hill from my left side. All I could see was white. I cleared the scope and slid down the hill 10 more feet. I set up again. An elk immediately appeared in my scope, and it was much closer than I had expected. In my focusing on the herd bull, I hadn’t noticed a lone spike feeding below me just to the right of the rocky cliff. I froze. He was within 20 yards of me. I waited for what seemed like five minutes until he finally put his head back down, completely undeterred by the clumsy camouflage snowballmaker above him. I moved a few feet to my left to clear the spike and set up for a third time. I sat down with my rifle rested on my pack. I peered through the scope. The heavy six-point reemerged from the timber and stopped, slightly quartering away. The wind seemed to ease as I settled the crosshairs behind

HUNTING his near shoulder. I didn’t hear the shot, but the elk did. A stampede burst across the bench, with the herd bull bringing up the rear. They crashed through snow at full speed and disappeared over a knob about 100 yards from where the bull had been standing. I stayed on the bull during the melee, but a follow-up was too risky with the weaving, scrambling mass of elk filtering in and out of my scope. The cows sprinted up the far hillside toward the top of the next peak, where the other group of elk watched intently from above. The shot felt good, but I wasn’t ready to celebrate just yet. Justin dropped down to me and we worked our way down the face to where the bull had been standing on the bench. After following his tracks for about 50 yards, I could see good

blood in the snow. Just over the hill’s crest, he was piled up, stone dead.

WE HUGGED, WE

high-fived and experienced that knee-buckling feeling that only hunters know. That overwhelming sense of accomplishment and reverence magnified by the solemn reality that these moments in life are few. Despite the craziness of this hunt, it was 2:30 p.m. on opening day and I had a bull down. I had waited 10 years for this tag and I’d fulfilled the goal of a mature Western Washington six-point bull. Life was good. Our buddies Andy and Dan hiked up to meet us and we were back down to the truck with half the elk by 11 p.m. The next day, I came back with my brothers-in-law Andy and Kelly and my nephew Drew to pack out the remainder of the meat.

After getting his bull down, the hard work packing the elk meat off the mountain began, aided by friends and family members. The mules of a buddy’s uncle and crew helped haul out their camp. (PATRICK THOMAS) 172 Northwest Sportsman

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The grand finale of the hunt was one more trip up the mountain, following the mules owned by Dan’s uncle and his buddies to pack out camp. I was back home by Sunday night – tagged out, off the mountain, completely exhausted and fulfilled. There is something special about drawing a “local tag.” In Western Washington, the prime elk tags come few and far between, so you try to make the most of it when you have one. I am so thankful for the advice and help of friends, previous tag holders and the love and support of my wife and family. I killed the biggest bull of my life on this hunt, but the best part was being able to share that experience with family and friends. Keep that in mind when application season rolls around again and remember that there’s no place like home. NS

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