THE MINER
Hunting Guide
OCTOBER 3, 2012 |
1B
2012 Hunting Forecasts for Tri-County area District biologists provide hunting forecasts based on surveys, field work BY DANA BASE DISTRICT WILDLIFE BIOLOGIST
Big game resources in District 1 include white-tailed deer – the most abundant species – mule deer, elk, moose, black bear and cougar. White-tailed deer are found at the highest densities in the valleys and foothill benches bordering the valleys, especially in the farm-forest mosaic within GMU 101. Elk are scattered at relatively low densities throughout District 1, but are most abundant in GMUs 113 and 117, which typically have the highest annual harvest among the district’s seven management units. Moose are relatively common and can be found almost anywhere in the district, but are typically most common above 3,000 feet elevation on the eastern slopes of each mountain range, which receive more precipitation that the west slopes. This district has the greatest number of moose and highest harvest in the state. All big game species except moose are available to hunters who purchase over-the-counter
tags. Moose tags are available only through the special permit draw system, which is typically conducted in May. Small game in District 1 includes three species of forest grouse, ring-necked pheasant, valley quail, wild turkey (Merriam’s subspecies), a number of migratory game birds including several species of ducks and geese, American coots, Wilson’s snipe, mourning doves, and snowshoe hare. This district has the highest harvest in the state for ruffed grouse and turkeys although most of the turkey harvest occurs during spring seasons. The spring of 2012 within District 1 set records for cool temperatures and precipitation, so survival of nest broods of gallinaceous game birds, including forest grouse, turkeys and quail was likely very low. Therefore, the fall hunting season for these birds is expected to be below average. While the cool and wet spring had negative impacts on upland game birds, it was likely positive for waterfowl in that there was more flooded pond and slough habitat to facilitate successful rearing of duck and goose
broods. Most waterfowl hunting in District 1 is concentrated in the Pend Oreille River Valley, including the river itself from Newport downstream to about River Bend and Ruby. The 2012 season will be the second in which a four-point minimum antler regulation is in place for white-tailed deer within Game Management Units 117 and 121. Any antlered buck is legal how-
ever, for white-tailed deer in the other five units of District 1 during the general seasons. For mule deer, the general three-point minimum continues district-wide. The 2012 hunting season will be the first in which only antlered bull elk are legal in the general seasons throughout District 1. Antlerless elk may still be taken, but only by hunters with special permits. This rule came about by hunter-group request through development of the Selkirk Elk Herd Management Plan. Drawing a special permit within the quality buck deer and bull elk categories is the ultimate hunting opportunity for Washington big game hunters, and that maxim certainly applies in District 1. The best advice to most hunters who come here is to hunt the general deer and elk seasons opportunistically, but keep applying for special permit hunts and accruing bonus points, so that someday you will draw a moose or quality deer permit and already know the country for planning your big hunt. There was a total harvest of 22 cougars (highest in the state) in
GMUs 101-121 during the 2011 hunting season. In recent years, the use of dogs to hunt cougar has become generally prohibited; consequently, WDFW has made substantial changes to the season. This new season structure is based upon years of accumulated scientific information, including cougar population dynamics, home ranges, social structure, mortality causes and mortality rates. With the appropriate licenses and tags, you can hunt cougar from September through December using any weapon. Starting January 1, hunt areas (GMUs) where the harvest guideline is met or exceeded may be closed. If you want to hunt cougars after Jan. 1, you need to call the cougar hotline at: 1-866-364-4868 or go online at http://wdfw.wa.gov/ hunting/bear_cougar/ to determine if the season is still open. District one also typically supports the highest black bear harvest in the state and we expect ample opportunities to harvest a black bear again this year. The season in this district starts Sept. 1 and the best success is often early in the season when the berry crop is being targeted by bears. Hunters should be aware that this district also supports a small population of grizzly bears,
DON’T SHOOT Near Power Lines BEER • WINE COCKTAILS
Newport
Careless or deliberate firearm damage to power lines, poles, insulators, transformers, and other utility equipment occurs during hunting season in Pend Oreille County. Hunter damage can cause outages, and the expensive cost of repairs is ultimately paid by utility customers. Pend Oreille PUD asks you to be responsible with firearms and report any damage you may see.
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which are protected by state and federal law. This extreme northeastern corner of Washington isn’t prime pheasant country but bird hunters did harvest 654 ringnecks in District 1 last season. The pheasant harvest was down from 2010 throughout the district and also down significantly (nearly 40 percent) from the 2006-2010 average. The quail harvest here, although small compared to the state’s best quail areas, was better last year than in 2010. The total harvest in Ferry and Stevens counties was just over 1,000 birds. While the pheasant and quail hunting in District 1 are marginal, not so the forest grouse hunting. Even though the districtwide harvest was down nearly 44 percent from 2010, hunters here bagged 13,357 blue, ruffed and spruce grouse last season, by far the highest district total in the state. Stevens County alone gave up 7,262 grouse in 2011.
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2B
| OCTOBER 3, 2012
HUNTING GUIDE
Washington hunting license fees License Types Resident BIG GAME Deer, Elk, Bear, Cougar $95.50 Deer, Elk, Bear, Cougar W/discounted Small game $117.50 Deer, Elk License $84.50 Deer, Elk License w/discounted Small game $106.50 Deer License $44.90 Deer License w/discounted Small game $66.90 Elk License $50.40 Elk License w/discounted Small game license $72.40 Bear License $24 Bear License w/discounted Small game license $46 Cougar License $24 Cougar License w/discounted Small game license $46 Moose (Random Drawing) $332 Mountain Goat (RD) $332 Bighorn Sheep (RD) $332 Multiple Season Tag $182 2nd Black Bear License $24 2nd Deer Tag (Available by Special Permit) $68 2nd Elk Tag (Available by Special Permit) $66.50 SMALL GAME Small Game $40.50 Small Game Discount $22 3-Day Small Game - Turkey Tag #1 $15.90
Idaho resident license fees
Non-Resident
Resident Senior
Youth Under 16
Disabled
$860
$95.50
$46
$46
$956.80 $739.00
$117.50 $84.50
$54.80 $40.50
$54.80 $40.50
$835.80 $434.30
$106.50 $44.90
$49.30 $21.80
$49.30 $21.80
$531.10 $497
$66.90 $50.40
$30.60 $21.80
$30.60 $21.80
$593.80 $222
$72.40 $24
$30.60 $13
$30.60 $13
$318.80 $222
$46 $24
$21.80 $13
$21.80 $13
$318.80 $1,652 $1,652 $1,652 $182 $222
$46 $332 $332 $332 $182 $24
$21.80 $57 $57 $57 $182 $13
$21.80 $332 $332 $332 $182 $13
$277
$68
$24
$68
$385.50
$66.50
$22.50
$66.50
$183.50 $96.80 $68 $44.50
$40.50 $22 - $15.90
$18.50 $8.80 - FREE
$18.50 $8.80 $15.90
Combination - Adult Hunting and Fishing - $33.50 Combination - Junior Hunting and Fishing (14-17 yrs) $17.50 Combination - Senior Hunting and Fishing (65+ yrs) $11.75 Combination - Sportsman’s Package - $124.25 RESIDENTS ONLY - The Sportsman’s Package includes all rights and privileges associated with a Resident Adult Combination License plus tags for deer, elk, bear, mountain lion, wolf, turkey, salmon and steelhead. Archery and muzzleloader are validated on the license. Receipts will be given if tags are unavailable at time of purchase. Disabled American Veterans - Combination Hunting and Fishing - $5 RESIDENTS ONLY - Letter
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from Veterans Affairs office showing a percentage of disability, letter or statement from Veterans Affairs office showing individual is nonserviceconnected pension or a serviceconnected benefit with at least 40 percent disability. Disabled Persons - Combination Hunting and Fishing - $5 RESIDENTS ONLY License buyer must present to vendor a letter from SSI, SSDI, or Railroad Retirement board showing person is currently disabled and economically disadvantaged or a signed and completed Certification of Permanent Disability form. Hunting - Adult - $12.75 Hunting - Junior - 12-17 yrs - $7.25
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THE MINER
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THE MINER
HUNTING GUIDE
Hunter orange requirements Under the following conditions a minimum of 400 square inches of fluorescent hunter orange exterior clothing is required. It must be worn above the waist and be visible from all sides. A hat, by itself, does not meet this requirement. Anyone hunting deer or elk during any modern firearm deer or elk general season is required to wear fluorescent hunter orange clothing. All modern firearm permit holders must wear fluorescent hunter orange clothing. This includes archers and muzzleloaders while hunting in units (e.g. GMUs, deer, areas, elk areas, wilderness areas, etc.) that overlap modern firearm seasons. Anyone hunting in an area that is open for modern firearm deer or elk hunting must meet hunter orange requirements if they are hunting any of the following species: bear, bobcat, cougar, coyote, deer, elk, fox, grouse, hare, rabbit or raccoon. During any upland game bird (pheasant, quail, and partridge)
season, anyone hunting upland game birds or rabbits with a modern firearm is required to wear fluorescent hunter orange clothing. (Grouse are not upland game birds.)
Hunter orange clothing is not required: • During an upland game bird season for anyone hunting upland game birds with a muzzleloading firearm, bow and arrow,
or for falconry. • While hunting in a muzzleloading or archery only GMU and possessing a valid muzzleloading or archery deer or elk tag.
How to prepare for hunting season Most serious (and successful) hunters know that hunting season doesn’t begin on opening day; it starts in the weeks and months prior to the season. That’s the time to do the homework and the legwork that’s likely to put you in the right place at the right time once opening day actually arrives. While preparing for the fall hunts isn’t a half-day or even a one-weekend project, there’s still time to get ready. Here are some suggestions: • Study the regulations. Be sure you know all the details about the upcoming season dates, license and permit requirements, fees, bag limits and other rules. Many of these details change year to year, so never assume that last year’s regulations are going to apply to your favorite hunting spots this season. Overlooking even a “little” detail or rule change can
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over carefully, especially the sections that concern the species and areas you plan to hunt.
• Take a hunter education SEE PREPARATIONS, 4B
OCTOBER 3, 2012 |
3B
Fire restrictions issued for hunters, other recreationalists OLYMPIA – With unusually dry conditions and wildfires burning in parts of the state, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is prohibiting campfires and other activities on all agency-managed lands. The emergency order, which is effective immediately, prohibits: • Fires or campfires: However, personal camp stoves or lanterns fueled by liquid petroleum, liquid petroleum gas or propane are allowed. • Smoking: Unless in an enclosed vehicle. • Target shooting: Except at shooting ranges developed by WDFW. • Welding and the use of chainsaws and other equipment: Operating a torch with an open flame and equipment powered by an internal combustion engine is prohibited. • Operating a motor vehicle off developed roads: Except when parking in areas without vegetation within 10 feet of the roadway and parking in developed campgrounds and at trailheads. Greg Schirato, deputy director of WDFW’s wildlife program,
said these restrictions are part of a larger effort by state and federal agencies to reduce the risk of further wildfires in Washington. That effort includes a burn ban issued for all forestlands protected by the state Department of Natural Resources, and another issued by Gov. Chris Gregoire for eastern Washington. “With numerous wildfires burning in eastern Washington, firefighting crews are stretched thin,” he said. “So it’s imporSEE FIRES, 4B
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4B
| OCTOBER 3, 2012
HUNTING GUIDE
THE MINER
PREPARATIONS | FROM PAGE 3B
course. Anyone born after Jan. 1, 1972, must complete and pass an approved Hunter Education course before he or she may buy a license or hunt in the state of Washington. Both on-line and traditional classes are available, but there’s a hands-on instruction/evaluation course and test component to both, and those fill up fast, especially in summer and early fall. There is also a oneyear, once-in-a-lifetime Hunter Education deferral option. Those hunting under a deferral must be accompanied by an experienced hunter who has held a Washington hunting license for the previous three years. For details on Hunter Education classes in Washington, see WDFW’s Hunter Education website. • Buy licenses, tags and stamps. Depending on what game birds or animals you plan to hunt, where, how and when you’re planning to hunt them, you’ll need one or more license documents to do it legally. A big game license or small game license is the first step in most (but not all) cases. Deer, elk and other big-game hunters also need species tags for the animals they’re hunting, while waterfowl hunters must have both a federal migratory bird stamp and state validation to hunt ducks and geese (plus authorization and harvest report cards for some species). Most upland bird hunters
FIRE |
need only a small-game license to pursue their sport, the exception being pheasant hunters in western Washington, who need a western Washington pheasant license rather than a small-game license. The big-game pamphlet and migratory waterfowl/upland game pamphlet are the best sources of information on license details. Purchases can be made online or at a local license vendor. • Spend some time with maps. A good map can provide a wealth of hunting information, whether you plan to hunt big game, waterfowl or upland game. Besides just showing the way to a starting point, a good map, used the right way, will even lead you to the places where game animals are most likely to be found. There are plenty of map resources available to get you there. Start with the wide screen, like a Washington State road map to help you locate a few areas of interest, then focus down to the point where you’re
studying steep, forested canyons that may hold late-season bull elk or a series of small, shallow ponds more than a mile off the nearest road that looks perfect for jumpshooting a limit of mallards. Good map resources are available both in hard copy and online. Check out WDFW’s on-line GoHunt mapping resource to review Game Management Units, topography, satellite images showing vegetation and terrain, etc. Also, explore the Department’s Game Harvest Reports and Game Status and Trend Reports to gauge how hunters have fared in previous years and what biologists have observed for the health of the population. • Do some scouting. The best way to know what to expect of any hunting area is to get out and see some country for yourself before the season begins. The more familiar you are with a particular patch of ground, and the animals that live there, the better your
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On the Shores of Priest Lake
chances of hunting success. If you scout a deer-hunting spot so often and so well during the late summer and early fall that you know the daily comings and goings of two or three nice bucks, there’s a good chance you’ll be in the right place at the right time on opening morning. • Get to know landowners. Many of this state’s best hunting opportunities are found on private land, some open to hunters under WDFW’s Feel Free to Hunt, Register to Hunt, Hunting by Written Permission or other agreements.
FROM PAGE 3B
tant that we take these steps on WDFW lands throughout the state to minimize the possibility of additional wildfires.” The restrictions on WDFWmanaged lands will remain in effect until conditions improve and the risk of wildfires decreases, Schirato said. Keep checking WDFW’s website (http://wdfw. wa.gov/) for an announcement. Before recreating on public or private lands, hunters and others should check with the appropri-
ate landowner for any restrictions. For more information on fires currently burning in Washington, visit the state’s Emergency Management Division’s websites at http://www.emd.wa.gov/activations/Activation.shtml and http://www.wadisasternews. com/go/site/1105/, the Incident Information System’s website at http://www.inciweb.org/ state/49/, and the U.S. Forest Service’s website at http://www. fs.usda.gov/detail/okawen/alertsnotices/?cid=stelprdb5390935.
It’s the Season of
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Hunting, Fishing, Trapping and Gathering on the Reservation are Prohibited, unless otherwise approved. For waterfowl hunting and fishing opportunities please contact the
Kalispel Natural Resources Department (509) 445-1147
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2012 Elk JR Montieth
WA & ID Fish & Game Licenses John Campbell, Owner 208-437-3636 • N. 307 State St., Oldtown, ID