Slick wheels spinning wild and free send gobs of mud spiraling like tie dye across an original Monet. It spatters glossy eyed onlookers who wear hickory but have no business in the forest.
Old gray squirrels crack walnut shells on creeking limbs and wonder what the fuss is all about down low. Rumors from the mill say that Longview has an entire overhead bridge labyrinth hung from the trees to keep his distant nibbling kin safe from careening cars. That sounds nice and all but the fat old squirrel has always preferred to steer clear of big cities, anyway. It had always seemed much safer, and scenic, that way.
Tom cat silently stalks field mice through the tall grass. Whiskers brush against woody weeds. A long calico tail arches like a cheshire smile. Cold marble eyes grow dark and narrow to see the vibrations of nearly imperceptible squeaks. The grasses would come to a standstill if not for the wind and then the barn bengal hisses as it leaps like a crouching tiger. For a fleeting moment the mouse hears, but it never sees the end coming.
A blue jeaned school boy hops off the bus and runs wild as a bison toward home. Dropping his bulging brick backpack by the doorstep he never stops moving and doesn’t even consider going inside. Instead, he grabs a coffee can full of worms from his old man’s dusty beer fridge and snags his trusty rod from the garage. When times were simpler the father and son used to knock ‘em dead along the bank on days like this but Mamma keeps saying Daddy’s going to be away for awhile. The river is where he learned to wait.
A snowshoe hare crouches hush and still against his native backdrop as an eagle circles overhead. Here in his high country home he’d been taught to be safe — Always move fast when going somewhere. Don’t move at all otherwise. Keep your warren close and stay mindful of your endless list of enemies. The ones that run and fly and bite and rip. As January came to a close, though, his hillside still lay barren and his powder coat flashed bright against the wet stones. There was no snow. Now there is no rabbit. There are only screeching eagles, a fluff of fur and a mess of pin feathers. The grass stained red.
A raccoon waits until dusk to descend from her den in the hollow of a pistol butt hemlock. Inside the nook her gaze of baby ‘coons writhe and coo as the cold rushes over their bandit faces. She knows that it’s safer at night. The cover of darkness is her camouflage and nature’s nocturnal proclivities mean there are fewer foes to dodge by moonlight. After scavenging sweet, sweet garbage from an abandoned campsite she turned tail toward home, hunching slightly under the weight of her finds. As she reached the middle of the road on the edge of her hundred acre wood the sun seemed to rip through the fabric of the night sky. All at once she was bathed in an executioner’s light and her robber’s mask made her look guilty under the glare.
With the radio up and the KC lights on they passed the bottle around the cab and howled cheap imitations at the moon that offended wolves that went unseen. When the dead weight thud concussed the underbelly of the truck the backroaders all let out a war whoop as if they’d really done something special.
“Damned critters shouldn’t be in the road anyway,” they said.
FISHIN’
It feels weird to say it but what we need around these parts is a bit more rain. It seems like it’s been a fortnight since the sun refused to shine and the tears of heaven came a tumbling on down. That break in the seasonal downpour, along with a nightly frost, has caused area rivers to drain down quite a bit and served to put already slow salmon and steelhead runs on pause.
It’s plausible that the Chehalis River has suffered the most from the great drawdown. Winter steelhead were just starting to make their initial push into Lewis County back before the rains quit. Those in the know say that the bite is best when the river is on the rise and while it’s so muddy you feel like you ought to just stay home. When the rain’s inevitable return arrives the fresh rush of water should help to draw another round of silver scaled steelies up into the middle stretches of the system and its assorted tributaries. On Wednesday the Wynoochee River was running at 1,200 cubic feet per second above Black Creek and 443 cfps at Grisdale. Those flows were each down by at least two-thirds from last week.
Down on the lower Columbia River system the effects of the mid-winter drought have not been as acute but anecdotal evidence says that the effort has been nearly as muted. An official creel report from the WDFW will resume in February. Currently the mainstem Columbia River is open from Buoy 10 up to the I-5 Bridge in Portland for hatchery Chinook and steelhead, while anglers can continue chasing steelies up to the border line beyond the dams.
White sturgeon and walleye harvest is also open in the dam pools at Bonneville and John Day. At Bonneville anglers can keep sturgeon measuring between 38-54 inches and at John Day keepers must be between 43-54 inches long. Last week 27 bank anglers released four small sturgeon at Bonneville while 85 boat rods kept 14 legal sturgeon. Those boats also released eight legal fish, 236 small fish, and two oversize sturgeon. At John Day last week 34 bank anglers released two small sturgeon and 59 boat rods released one fish that was too big. Just five walleye were caught between seven rods at Bonneville last week while 36 boat rods caught 33 walleye at John Day.
There was reel data to parse from the state regarding tributaries to the lower Columbia River but none of them graded out particularly well. The Elochoman had the “hottest” bite with 17 bank anglers keeping four steelhead and releasing three others. There were two bank anglers each at the Grays River, Abernathy Creek and Germany Creek but they were all skunked. Another six bank anglers at Salmon Creek also went home empty handed, as did 16 bank anglers and two boat rods on the East Fork Lewis River.
Results on the emerald waters of the Cowlitz River were only slightly better than those other dismal drainages, but only by a miniscule matter of degree. Down on the lower stretches of river 16 bank anglers and two boat rods had no catch, but above the I-5 Bridge 27 bank rods managed to keep one steelhead while 28 boat rods kept another steelhead and released one more.
At the Cowlitz salmon hatchery last week crews retrieved one winter-run steelhead from the separator and then released it into the Tilton River at Gust Backstrom Park. River flow below Mayfield Dam was down to 5,020 cfps on Wednesday from 7,720 cfps early last week. Water temperature has remained consistent at just under 45 degrees and visibility has hovered right around 10 feet.
As has been the case for a few weeks now, the best odds for lunker fish may be in area lakes and ponds thanks to some hefty hatchery plants by the WDFW.
On Jan. 22 Kress Lake was planted with 17 steelhead weighing about ten pounds each. Another 25 of those lunkers were planted at Kress about two weeks ago, and 31 more were planted close to the New Year. Lake Sacajawea received a load of 75 overgrown rainbows tipping the scales at about 10 pounds each on Jan. 8. Other waters have received a more standard deposit of small fry and little fish, such as Fort Borst Park Pond, which was planted with 2,000 fingerling rainbows on Jan. 10. Munn Lake received 810 rainbows weighing just over a pound each on Jan. 17 and American Lake received 1,017 fish of the same caliber the same day.
HUNTIN’
Time is running short for hunters to report their results from last year. Those who fail to do so will be hit with a $10 fine the next time they attempt to purchase a license. Reports for all activity, successful or not, for each special permit or tag purchased are due by the end of the day on Thursday. Hunting reports can be filed by phone at 877-945-3492 or on the WDFW website.
Back out on the trail all is quiet on the western front, at least for a few more days.
The last of the general goose, duck, coot, and snipe hunts came to a close on Jan. 27 but goose hunters will soon have another crack at the honkers. From Feb. 2-16 hunters can target geese in the coastal strip of Goose Area 2 west of Highway 101 in Grays Harbor County and all of Pacific County. However, National Wildlife Refuges and WDFW WIldlife Areas will remain closed to hunters. Additional goose openings in management areas one and two will begin anew on Feb. 9.
Most designated areas are still open for cougar hunts but hunters should be sure to check with the WDFW before heading out to the field. That due diligence has been required since the new year when cougar areas became subject to restrictions based on cumulative harvest numbers from the fall and winter season. In areas where the take remains below the quota hunting will continue through April 30.
Permits for spring bear hunts will be on sale through the end of February. Those hunts will run from April 1 through either May 31 or June 15, depending on area. Additional information, including purchase requirements, can be found online at wdfw.wa.gov/hunting/permits/spring_bear/.
Bobcats, fox, raccoons, snowshoe hares and cottontail rabbits will all need to to take heed through the Ides of March when those hunting seasons traditionally end. Trapping seasons for beaver, badger, weasel, marten, mink, muskrat and river otter will continue through the end of March. And, as always, coyotes are legal fodder year round.
Roadkill salvage is also legal in Washington with the use of an emergency permit provided by the WDFW. 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.
Back in the boardroom, the WDFW is still seeking public comments regarding proposals for the 2019-20 hunting seasons. Written comments will be accepted through Feb. 13.
“We encourage everyone interested in the upcoming hunting seasons to check the proposed changes and send us your comments,” said Anis Aoude, WDFW game division manager, in a press release.
The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission is set to meet on March 1-2 in Spokane and will also take live public comments on those days. A final decision on the proposals is expected to be announced during the public meetings on April 5-6 in Olympia.
Written comments can be submitted online at https://wdfw.wa.gov/hunting/regulations/seasonsetting/. A complete overview of the proposals can also be viewed at that address.
CLAMMIN’
Another round of razor clam digs are set to begin on Friday. Those digs were confirmed by the WDFW late last week following a round of marine toxin testing that showed the succulent bivalves are indeed safe for human consumption.
The three day dig will last the weekend with three dates at Twin Harbors, two at Copalis, and one date at Mocrocks. Those digs will take place on the following dates, tides, and beaches:
Feb. 1; Friday; 4:48 p.m.; 0.2 feet; Twin Harbors, Copalis
Feb. 2; Saturday; 5:28 p.m.; 0.0 feet; Twin Harbors, Mocrocks
Feb. 3, Sunday; 6:04 p.m.; -0.1 feet; Twin Harbors, Copalis
No digging will be allowed on any beach prior to noon but WDFW coastal shellfish manager, Dan Ayres, says the best results are typically had about one or two hours prior to low tide.
“Razor clams are relatively easy to dig, they are very good to eat, and they draw friends and families to some of the most beautiful coastlines and communities in the state,” said Ayres in a press release.
Another set of razor clam digs has been proposed for Feb. 15-21, but those dates are subject to final approval based on upcoming marine toxin tests. Those digs would include three dates at Kalaloch Beach, which had a set of openings shuttered earlier this month on account of the shutdown of the federal government.
State law allows diggers to harvest up to 15 clams per day. All dug clams must be kept regardless of size or condition. Anyone age 15 or older is required to possess a fishing license. Additionally, diggers are required to extract their own clams and carry them in a personal container.
MEETIN’
Fish officials from Washington and Oregon are set to participate in a run of public meetings that will include discussions regarding Columbia River salmon policy.
The Joint-State Columbia River Salmon Fishery Policy Review Committee was formed by the two state commissions to achieve mutual goals established in 2013. The public meetings are slated for the following dates, times and locations:
· Feb. 6, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife’s (WDFW) regional office at 5525 S. 11th St. in Ridgefield, WA
· Feb. 26, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the main office of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife at 4034 Fairview Industrial Dr. S.E. in Salem, OR.
· March 14, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the WDFW regional office at 5525 S. 11th St. in Ridgefield, WA
A review of the work conducted since 2013 was recently finalized by the WDFW. According to WDFW Columbia River policy coordinator, Ryath Lothrop, the results have been a mixed bag.
“The intent of the joint working group is to improve the management of the Columbia River,” Lothrop said, in a press release. “Having differences in policies in joint waters presents real challenges in managing, implementing and enforcing fisheries.”
A copy of Washington's Comprehensive Evaluation of the Columbia River Basin Salmon Management Policy is available on WDFW website at https://wdfw.wa.gov/publications/02029/.
"These initial meetings will work within a short timeframe for possible 2019 changes in order to give policy direction to the fishery managers as the salmon season-setting process begins this spring," Lothrop noted, in a press release.
SNOWIN’
Powderheads will finally be able to hit the slope at Hurricane Ridge now that the shutdown of the federal government has come to at least a temporary end.
The unique destination, one of only two areas within National Parks to still offer skiing, was set to open for the season back on December 22. Then, on the same day that the slopes were set to open the shutdown was announced. For five weeks the gate uphill remained locked and plows let snow accumulate. With funds flowing again and staff back on duty in the park skiers and snowboarders will be able to head to the most western ski area in the continental United States beginning Saturday.
Hurricane Ridge will be open for skiing on Saturdays, Sundays and holiday Mondays as long as conditions, including political temper tantrums, allow. The intermediate and bunny tow lifts will be open this weekend. A message on the ski area website noted that the tube run, POMA lift and terrain park will all be opened as time and snow condition allow.
“Winter isn’t over yet, it’s just beginning!” insisted an optimistic update on the Hurricane Ridge website.
While the lifts have continued running at White Pass the powder has been missing for the last week or so due to a dogged case of bluebird skies.
On Wednesday morning the temperature up top was 20 degrees with a reading of 35 degrees down below. Additionally, no new snow had fallen in at least 24-hours. Snow totals as of Wednesday night had dropped from 84 inches at the summit down to 77 inches, and from 46 inches at the base down to 37 inches.
However, a new round of storms was forecast to hit Thursday and stick around through the weekend. That means that powderheads will likely be flocking to the mountain in search of a fresh wave of the white stuff.
The downhill slopes at White Pass are currently open daily with the nordic terrain open Thursday through Sunday each week. The tubing ara is open weekends and the Monday of Presidents Weekend. Night skiing is offered with the purchase of a general lift ticket each Saturday through March 2, in addition to the Sunday of Presidents Weekend.
Up to date information on operations and conditions can be obtained by calling the White Pass snow-report hotline at 509-672-3100.
