The old jacket full of holes, smoke and sawdust called out to him as it hung faithfully from its rusted nail by the back door. It was summer time and it’d been months since he’d reached for his trusty and tattered coat but even with feathers poking out through pockmark burn holes it’s touch was soft and warm on the inside just as he remembered.
The sky was changing color fast and inside his head he heard a calling that sent him outside to soak it all in.
Oily octopus ink clouds kicked up dusty devil cyclones in the parched garden that twisted pea chutes into jungle rope vines. Pasture daisies turned swayback in the mustang wind while evergreen tips snapped and hurtled like tumbleweeds until they became snared in ragged fenclines.
Overhead Tarantino skies refused to offer warning before firing off apocalyptic fits of hail. Post-solstice rains turned electric in the presence of pent up lightning bolts and then poured forth from the black holes of heaven while thunder claps threatened rapture overhead.
A three-legged squirrel scattered up the stately oak tree that cast afternoon shade on the tall farmhouse. He made his dash with a calm resolve rather than a panic. It was not the first storm he’d had to weather and he knew it would not be his last as he chomped on his hidden stash and waited for the worst to pass.
Basic and beige the brush was the type that lived its life unnoticed but always remained. It didn’t even have a proper name like this or that bush. It never flowered and its foliage was nothing to gawk at but it was a part of that place and nothing would be the same without it. No one knew its common name but baby birds and bunnies knew it as home.
Bent gates sagged on loose hinges and begged the critters to try their luck. Stubborn pigs scratched and grunted until wood posts gave up the ghost and set themselves free. In belly button high grass they rooted around in privacy with a sense of urgency only a greedy hog on the lam can muster. Only the exhilarating wrath of a ravaging summer storm could convince them to turn twisted tails and head back to their designated stye.
With warm rain beading off the salt ringed brim of his cap and a red and black lumberjack jacket clinging close to his skin he peered through the black heart of the storm to see the pinks and reds peeking through on the horizon. He knew they promised another blue sky would arrive tomorrow along with the snake of fog on the river. He could see that future as clear as his past, before all of his hard work and the calluses that caked his creaking hands.
He never ran from the rain though. Not even the bursts of lightning and rockfall rumble of lightning could convince him to flee. The vindictive whip of the braided wind and buckshot pelting from the sky made him feel alive in a way he could hardly recall. It was unfamiliar but comforting. It was soothing and exhilarating all at once and whenever he felt afraid he reminded himself that dead men feel no pain.
FISHIN’
With the solstice behind us and a current of change well underway anglers are increasingly redirecting their attention from area rivers to the great salted waters out where the breakers roll. The bite for sea bass and lingcod is already paying off for anglers who have been hanging close to shore.
Those who have been able to finagle their schedule to fit the sport openings for halibut have also been having their fair share of success. At least when their efforts aren’t washed out. The good news for halibut hunters is that the WDFW has added Saturday (June 29) as an extra day of opportunity in Marine Area 2 (Westport). A press release from the WDFW noted that plenty of Pacific halibut remain in the fishery quota to allow for one extra day in the all-depth fishery. Unfavorable weather conditions contributed to a diminished return for anglers in previous openings.
Marine Area 1 (Ilwaco) is currently open seven days a week. Marine Areas 3-10 will also be open on Saturday. In Marine Area 5 anglers are allowed to retain Pacific cod caught incidentally while trolling deeper than 120 feet on days when halibut is opened. However, retention of lingcod and Pacific cod is not allowed in waters deeper than 120 feet in Marine Areas 6-10. In Marine Areas 1-10 the daily limit for halibut is one per angler. There is no minimum size requirement but there is an annual limit of four harvested halibut. Marine Areas 11-13 are closed for halibut fishing.
Turning our focus back inland from Buoy 10, this week the WDFW went out of their way to remind anglers about ongoing fishery closures on the Columbia River. Currently the waters both above and below Priest Rapids Dam are closed to salmon fishing due to a poor forecast for returning Chinook and sockeye this summer. The area above Priest Rapids are generally open for salmon angling by July 1. The lower stretches of the river typically open even earlier but have already been shuttered by the WDFW.
Chinook retention is also closed on the Cowlitz River and anglers have even been having a hard time hooking steelhead in recent weeks. While the WDFW failed to provide a detailed creel report this week it’s impossible to ignore the anecdotal frustration rolling off the banks and boats of the Cowlitz. If hard numbers are more your style then we’ll have to rely on the Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery report. Last week crews retrieved 17 spring kings, one jack, 40 mini-jacks, 19 summer steelhead and one winter steelhead.
Those crews then released five spring Chinook and one jack into Lake Scanewa. No steelhead have been recycled back down river in several weeks. On Thursday river flow below Mayfield Dam was reported at 2,960 cubic feet per second. That flow was expected to hover around 2,900 cfps through the weekend before dropping to 2,400 cfps on Monday. Water visibility has remained consistent at 10 feet with a temperature of 50.7 degrees.
The boat launch at Mayfield Lake Park is open and suitable for most small to medium-sized vessels. On June 20 the reservoir received 3,920 half pound rainbow trout. On June 13 the lake received another 3,700 rainbows of the same size and one week previous a matching batch of 4,180 rainbows were deposited. On May 30 some 5,400 rainbow trout weighing one-third of a pound each were planted. With warming waters and plenty of growing fish Mayfield will continue to grow in popularity this summer. And, of course, there’s always tiger musky lurking around and trying not to get bonked.
Riffe Lake is currently sitting at just under 740 feet. The boat launches at Mossyrock Park and Taidnapam North are both open, as is the swim area at Mossyrock Park. However, the facilities at Kosmos and Taidnapam Park are currently closed.
The Chehalis River remains shuttered to all fishing with no indication that the emergency closure will end anytime soon. That frustrating regulation was implemented about two months ago in regard to a poor forecasted return of Chinook salmon. However, Coho Campground at Wynoochee Lake is currently open and the lake was sitting at 765.81 of its maximum 800 foot depth on Thursday. Rainbow trout and some panfish can be pulled from the reservoir. There is a 12-inch minimum requirement and a two-fish daily limit.
HUNTIN’
The opening of the first general hunting season of the summer/fall is just over a month away. However, until the black bears begin to feast on blackberries, hunters will remain on hiatus with their focus turned toward boardrooms instead of backwoods.
The WDFW is putting out the call for a new round of applicants to their Master Hunter Permit Program. Currently some 1,650 master hunters in Washington enjoy expanded parameters on their hunting opportunity in exchange for volunteer efforts around the state. A press release from the WDFW noted that, “The program is designed to promote safe, lawful, and ethical hunting, and to strengthen Washington's hunting heritage and conservation ethic.”
Master hunters are credited with providing roughly 15,000 volunteer hours to projects around the state, such as landowner outreach, conservation efforts, and hunter education.
"To qualify for the program, applicants must demonstrate a high skill level and be committed to lawful and ethical hunting practices," explained David Whipple, WDFW hunter education division manager, in the release.
The application process includes a $50 fee, a criminal background check, a written test, a shooting test, and at least 20 hours of community service. Applications can be submitted from July 1 through Aug. 15. Additional information can be found online at wdfw.wa.gov/hunting/requirements/master-hunter.
In other offseason housekeeping matters, the WDFW has planned four public meetings regarding its Landowner Hunting Permit Program.
That program is one of five in Washington intended to help increase public access to large sections of privatized land holdings. There are currently five properties enrolled in the program which make up a total of 116,515 acres.
One meeting was already hosted in late June but three more are set for early July. The meetings will be used to gather information from the general public in addition to feedback from participating landowners. The last revision to the program occurred almost 15 years ago.
WDFW has scheduled public meetings for the following locations and times:
Ephrata: 6 to 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, July 9, in the large conference room of the WDFW Region 2 office, 1550 Alder St. NW
Dayton: 6 to 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, July 10, at the Dayton Memorial Library, Delany Building, 111 S. Third St.
Spokane Valley: 6 to 7:30 p.m., Thursday, July 11, at the Mirabeau Park Hotel and Convention Center, 1100 N. Sullivan Rd.
Of course, coyote hunting is still permitted across Washington. And, it’s always pennywise to remember that state law allows for the harvest of most roadkill deer and elk with the use of an emergency permit provided by the WDFW. One exception is that deer are not legal for salvage in Clark, Cowlitz or Wahkiakum counties in an effort to protect endangered populations of Columbia white-tailed deer. Permits are available online and must be obtained within 24-hours of any deer or elk salvage. Permits can be found at wdfw.wa.gov/licensing/game_salvaging/application.html.
RELOCATIN’
For the second summer in a row mountain goats will be taking helicopter rides out to their new homes away from the Olympic Peninsula.
Beginning on July 8 a mess of state and federal agencies will come together in an effort to capture and relocate mountain goats, which are non-native to the Olympic Peninsula, to the North Cascades, where they are a native species. The caprine capture efforts will take place within both the Olympic National Park and the Olympic National Forest.
Mountain goats, which aren’t technically goats at all, were introduced to the Olympic Peninsula by government agencies in the 1920s. Since that time they have acclimated a little too well and their numbers have grown exponentially. A goring death of a hiker several years ago brought the issue to the forefront of the public, wildlife managers, and legislators. An estimate in May 2018 put the total Olympic Peninsula population at 725 animals.
“A project of this magnitude would be impossible without our partner agencies and the expertise and cooperation of hundreds of people,” said Olympic National Park Wildlife Branch Chief Dr. Patti Happe, in a press release. “The interagency collaboration and the support from everyone involved is extraordinary.”
The action, which includes roundup helicopters and tranquilizer darts, is also supported by numerous Native American tribes including the Lummi, Muckleshoot, Sauk-Suiattle, Stillaguamish, Suquamish, Swinomish, Tulalip, and Upper Skagit. In September of 2018 a two-week effort to remove mountain goats successfully removed 115 animals. A third round of removal efforts is planned for Aug. 19-30.
“Mountain goat relocation will allow these animals to reoccupy historical range areas in the Cascades and increase population viability,” added Jesse Plumage, USFS Wildlife Biologist, in the release.
While mountain goats have returned to several areas of the North Cascades over the years, the animals are still missing in many parts of their historic range area. Mountain goats are attracted to salt deposits which can lead to interactions with hikers who unintentionally create an invisible trail of salt along popular routes by sweating and urinating. Experts believe that those conflicts will be diluted in the North Cascades due to its nature.
“The north Cascades has natural salt licks, while the Olympic Peninsula has virtually none,” explained Dr. Rich Harris, a WDFW mountain goat specialist, in the release. “We’d expect salt hunger to be lower in goats that have natural sources available to them.”
Several roads and recreation areas will be temporarily closed during the removal efforts. Hurricane Hill Road, beyond the Hurricane Ridge Visitor Center parking lot, to all access during operations. However, Hurricane Hill Road will remain open up to Picnic Area A on July 5 and July 6 during the setup of the staging area. The road will then be closed beyond the Hurricane Ridge Visitor Center again from July 7-20. That closure includes the Hurricane Hill Trail, Little River Trail, and Wolf Creek Trail. The Klahhane Ridge area will also close temporarily on July 8-9. Elsewhere, the area of Seven Lakes Basin/High Divide/ Heart Lake/ Hoh Lake/ to Cat Basin will be closed to hiking and overnight camping July 7-11. The area of Lake of the Angels, accessed from Putvin Trail #813 off Forest Road 25 in Olympic National Forest, will be closed at mile 3 at the park boundary from July 9-18.
Access will also be impacted in the Cascade range when the mountain goats are released. On the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, land adjacent to the roadway at the junctions of Forest Service Roads 49 and 4920 will be closed from July 9-21. The Mount Ellinor trails system and Forest Road 2419 to Mount Ellinor, as well as Forest Road 2464 leading to Forest Road 2419, will be closed to the public from August 18-30.
PHOTGRAPHIN’
Aspiring photographers with an eye for the natural world should head to the Seminary Hill Natural Area on Saturday morning. Beginning at 10 a.m. teacher and photographer Marlene Hodge will teach a workshop that’s been dubbed “Photography on the Hill.”
Hodge will cover composition, lighting, close-up photography and other key elements of turning the natural world into captivating still shots. Participants should bring their own camera, either digital or film, or even smart phones with camera capabilities. The event is free and will begin at th Barner Drive parking area.
Future events at the Seminary Hill Natural Area include: “Art on the Hill” at 10 a.m. July 13; “Music on the Hill” at 10 a.m. Aug. 10; and the Autumn Work Party at 9 a.m. Sept. 14.
