The last sliver of green had nearly slipped out of the great maple’s leaves by the time they returned. The die-hard duo hadn’t expected to be gone so long, but the trail was long and the haul was heavy, yet neither of them had ever considered giving up.
A son trying to live up to his father’s footsteps and his old man trying to prove that his young buck hadn’t eclipsed him quite yet. The consequences of quitting could not be measured in any tangible metrics so much as by the pangs of regret that would have echoed in the pits of their empty stomachs and reverberated off of the tin casing of their broken hearts.
On the trail, though, hunger and heartache mattered not. Neither condition would be fatal, for now, especially since they’d been sure to pack plenty of whiskey to sip in between stops at babbling mountain brooks.
Back home the house seemed impossibly empty, like a funeral home after refreshments, so they had decided to head out early in order to scout in God’s country for a few weeks before the season began in earnest. With their good old dogs and a hard scrabble trailer in tow they set out for the bountiful clearings that rolled out in tectonic terraces from the barren goat rocks to the slash and burn timberlands in the drainages below. They drove until they reached the snow line and their tires began to slip and then set up camp beneath a dense canopy of scrawny reprod Evergreen’s that pass for real trees in the age of plastic.
Leaving the dogs behind to watch camp the father and son set out for days at a time along the edge of brushy thickets and over stony alluvial outwash flats at the oxbow bends of a great glacial melt river. At first they found hidden pathways where nimble ungulates had carefully picked their way through the undergrowth. As they followed those ruts they encountered forgotten old growths with great swatches of bark rubbed off at a height that only a decade old alpha bull elk could reach. Amid the flaked bark of one elder they even found a bleached set of big fork sheds that confirmed their suspicions and once again billowed their worn out sails with inspiration of winds from on high.
When they grew tired, they never admitted it, but sometimes they would rest in moments of unspoken but mutually agreed upon stillness. They would speak briefly in hushed tones to refresh their plan, but mostly they would listen to the creaking in the trees, the rushing in the reeds, and the deep mysterious groans of the backcountry that traveled on the same vibrations as humpback whale songs underwater.
In the first few days of the hunt the old boy and his father stumbled upon a number of unsuspecting bull elk that would have been a fine return on any other excursion. But this venture felt different. Neither of them could quite explain it, but while they were eager to bring an animal home they sensed that something better was just around the corner if they were only willing to work a bit harder and suffer in silence for just a little while longer.
A few days later though, after they’d glassed the hills and surveyed the clear cuts until their eyes had begun to go blurry, they both began to wonder to themselves if they’d made a mistake by not taking one of those average animals closer to camp. They’d come so far together that to go home empty handed would have seemed somehow unfair, if somewhat predictable. Maybe it was what they deserved.
When they arose that morning the candy corn embers of the previous night’s fire still flickered and hissed as drops of mountain dew condensated on the leaves and dripped from overhead. They rummaged through their packs beneath a cloud of smoke and fog and split their final biscuit and sheet of last year’s jerky. As they slipped into their boots and began to shuffle along in silence neither of them said it, but they knew it would be their final day together in that place. After all, the dogs were growing restless and the season growing short.
As they rounded the first bend in the path that opened up to the rocky river bank they froze in unison when they saw the stately elk dropping its head to lap at the ripples along the far shore. Pulling his binoculars up to his eyes from where they hung at his chest the father gave hand signals to communicate distance and angle of drop. As he pulled his weapon up to his shoulder and set his eye to the site the son breathed deep and felt the wind move from west to east across his face. With a steamy exhale he squeezed the trigger and saw the bull drop through the telescopic lense.
Where in years past they had whooped and hollered and high fived to celebrate a kill, that day the father and son simply held each other in an embrace and turned their heads to hide the tears in their eyes. In that moment their hearts were full, and soon, so too would be there freezer.
But they knew that nothing would be the same when they got home. Except the house would still be empty.
FISHIN’
The summerlike weather that has lingered for nearly the last two weeks has been great for wrapping up fall chores around the homestead but it has been bad news for fishing prospects on area rivers.
One exception may be the Willapa Bay system which saw a bump in opportunity this week when the Naselle River opened to salmon angling on Tuesday. The WDFW says coho should be abundant in the system with a fair number of chum as well. The river is now open from the Highway 101 bridge to the Crown Mainline (Salme) Bridge. That opening is set to last until Jan. 31 and allows up to six salmon to be harvested daily, including as many as two adults, no more than one of which may be a wild coho. All Chinook must be released within the Willapa Bay watershed.
The Chehalis system, including the mainstem through the Twin Cities, saw a small bump in action a several weeks ago when it was wet out but once those rain storms passed the bite dried up. While some impatient anglers have been doggedly casting lures during the sun break the best bet is to wait for another gush of water to get the fish rolling in the rivers. On the Wynoochee River on Wednesday river flow was reported at 207 cubic feet per second above Black Creek and 209 cubic feet per second at Grisdale.
“I don't have any good news for all the local rivers,” relayed Andy Coleman, skipper of Andy’s Angling Adventures.
“(The) Chehalis has a few coho being caught around the mouth of the satsop but guys are catching one hatchery keeper to 10 adults.”
Salmon angling remains shut down entirely on the mainstem Columbia River from Buoy 10 all the way to Pasco. That closure includes all salmon and steelhead fishing. However, several large tributaries remain open to varying degrees.
On the Cowlitz River last week the action was primarily found below the I-5 Bridge. According to a creel sample by the WDFW 59 lower river bank rods kept nine coho jacks and released 11 coho jacks while 57 rods on 26 boats kept eight coho and 12 jacks while releasing two Chinook, three jacks, four coho and four coho jacks. From Toledo to Salkum 68 bank rods kept just one coho, three jacks, and five steelhead while releasing 36 Chinook, one jack and two coho jacks. A small flotilla of just 18 rods on eight boats reported keeping just three cohco, 12 jacks, and one steelhead while releasing two Chinook.
According to data from the Cowlitz salmon hatchery there were plenty of fish completing their abbreviated journey though. During seven days of operation crews recovered 1,225 coho adults, 2,584 coho jacks, 256 fall Chinook adults, 49 fall Chinook jacks, 210 cutthroat trout and 49 summer-run steelhead adults during. Those fish workers then released 92 coho adults and 197 coho jacks into the Cispus River near Randle, and released 101 coho adults and 232 coho jacks at the Franklin Bridge release site in Packwood. Another 300 coho adults, 1,176 coho jacks, 38 fall Chinook adults, 17 fall Chinook jacks and 15 cutthroat trout were put into the Tilton River at Gust Backstrom Park in Morton, and 467 coho adults, 890 coho jacks and three cutthroat trout were deposited into Lake Scanewa in Randle.
On Monday river flow below Mayfield was reported at 3,560 cubic feet per second with 14 feet of visibility and a water temperature just over 53 degrees. Fishing is prohibited for the first 400 feet below the barrier dam. Other regulations on the Cowlitz system include a closure on retention of Chinook from the mouth the barrier dam, including all tributaries.
Those state statistics jive with the first and second-hand accounts that Coleman has heard while running area rivers recently.
“Lots of coho jack's with VERY few adults being caught throughout the Cowlitz system. Pressure has been light,” wrote Coleman in an email to the FishRap command center. “We could definitely use a week of hard rain to bring these fish up soon!”
In any case the regulations for the Tilton River were adjusted on Wednesday. Until further notice there will be a reduced closed-water area at the fish release site at Gust Backstrom Park in Morton. That off-limited to angling area now stretches about 100 feet to the posted signs and covers all species. According to a press release from the WDFW the change reverses an expansion that increased the restricted area to 300 feet in early September. That change was intended to allow fish more time to acclimate while river flow remained low. Permanent rules allow anglers to harvest only hatchery coho or hatchery Chinook.
On the Grays River all coho must be released from the mouth to the South Fork and the West Grays River is closed to coho harvest from head to tail. No creel report was reported for either the Grays or Elochoman rivers last week.
On the Kalama River last week the WDFW contacted 28 bank anglers with one steelhead in the box while two rods on two boats released one steelhead. The Lewis River was far more active, by comparison. Creel sampling on that rivershed found 105 bank anglers with one keeper Chinook jack, seven coho and five jacks in the box with another two Chinook, two jacks, two coho, three jacks, and two steelhead released. Boat rods, of which there were 55 on 22 vessels, kept one Chinook, three jacks, three coho and 20 jacks. Those boats also released one Chinook, three jacks, two coho jacks and one steelhead.
As of Wednesday Drano Lake was shuttered to all fishing until further notice, which is a bummer for salmon anglers since last week 84 rods on 36 boats kept 33 Chinoo, 35 jacks, two coho and two jacks. The closure applies to all fishing in waters downstream from the markers across from Little White Salmon National Fish Hatchery and upstream of the Highway 14 Bridge.
Until those prospects for salmon and steelhead pickup when the rains get the rivers to rising the WDFW is helping to keep piscatorial prospects percolating by planting more than 147,000 “catchable-size” hatchery trout in lakes across Washington by the end of November. A press release noted that those fish will be planted in at least 55 lakes and will serve to buffer deposits of millions of smaller trout earlier in the year.
“Fall is the time to reel in a nice-sized trout, and our crews are working hard to build on a Northwest tradition of fishing through the seasons,” said Steve Caromile, WDFW’s warmwater fish program manager, in the release. “Most of the stocked trout are 13 to 15 inches long, with a few larger ones in the mix.”
Some area lakes bound to receive loads of trout in coming weeks include Island, Lost, Nahwatzel, and Spencer lakes in Mason County and Lake Sylvia in Grays Harbor County. A complete list of lakes to be stocked, along with the state’s complete trout stocking plan for the year, can be found online at http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/fall-into-fishing/.
The impending trout stocking effort was implemented in response to requests from anglers for increased fall and early winter fishing opportunities. Those deposits will include stocks to boost prospects in advance of the annual Black Friday fishery the day after Thanksgiving.
HUNTIN’
We’re right in the meat of hunting seasons and specific hunts are opening and closing quicker than the window to shoot a black-tail in an alder thicket. Speaking of which, in western Washington the early general season for blacktail deer opened on Oct. 13 and will continue through the end of the month.
Each fall some of the best hunting in the state occurs locally in GMUs 530 (Ryderwood), 501 (Lincoln), 520 (Winston) and 550 (Coweeman) and the WDFW insists deer hunters will once again have a good chance of coming away with their tag filled this year.
“Winter conditions in the past ten years, wildfires, fall green-up and weather during the hunting season are just some of the factors that can influence deer numbers and distribution,” said Jerry Nelson, a deer and elk section manager for the WDFW, in a prospect report. “That is why we are encouraging hunters to review the Hunting Prospects on WDFW’s website to find location-specific forecasts.”
Bear hunts will continue until Nov. 15 but the odds are starting to dwindle as the big bumblies begin to tap out their food supplies and get ready for the big sleep. While black bears can be found from the Cascades to the Pacific Ocean the highest density of bears is found west of I-5.
Cougar seasons will continue through at least the end of the year in all open areas, as will hunts for forest grouse, crows, and turkeys in GMUs 101-154 and 162-186. In GMUs 382, 388, 568-578 wild turkey hunts will end at sundown on Oct. 12.
Since Oct. 13 waterfowl and other winged seasons have been underway in most parts of the state. Those openings include seasons for duck, goose, coot and snipe. Ducks, coots and snipe will remain fair game through the end of the month while goose seasons will vary by area. Last season, nearly 445,000 ducks were harvested in Washington.
In Goose Management Area 1 the general season will run through Nov. 25, while most of Area 2 will be open daily through Oct. 28. The Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge is open Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays only while the Willapa National Wildlife Refuge is open Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays only. Dusky Canada geese are off limits in Area 2 from October through March. Area 3 will be open from Oct. 13-25.
Pheasant hunts are also underway. In western Washington the general season will continue through Nov. 30 from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. daily. The best odds for pheasants in southwest Washington can be found at the Skookumchuck, Kosmos, Scatter Creek, and Lincoln Creek release sites. The daily bag limit is two birds of either sex. Hunts for quail and northern bobwhite will also continue through Nov. 30 in western Washington. Mourning dove hunts will continue through Oct. 30.
Hunts for small game like bobcat, fox, racoon, rabbit, and hare will all continue through March 15 but it is legal to hunt coyotes and salvage roadkill all year round.
CLAMMIN’
The first three clam digs of the season took place last week and first-hand accounts from Twin Harbors last Friday indicated that easy limits were there to be had as a good crowd descended on the sand beneath clear skies and a red sliver moon.
The next round of succulent bivalve digs is proposed to begin next week on Oct. 25. Confirmation of those digs will depend on marine toxin testing that will likely be conducted before the end of this week.
That upcoming batch of razor clam digs are proposed for the following dates, evening low tides and beaches:
Oct. 25, Thursday, 7:55 p.m.; -0.5 feet; Twin Harbors, Copalis
Oct. 26, Friday, 8:36 p.m.; -0.7 feet; Twin Harbors, Mocrocks
Oct. 27, Saturday, 9:19 p.m.; -0.7 feet; Twin Harbors, Copalis
Oct. 28, Sunday, 10:08 p.m.; -0.6 feet; Twin Harbors, Mocrocks
According to the WDFW’s coastal shellfish manager, Dan Ayres, the best results for digging typically happen in good weather and about one or two hours prior to low tide. He also suggests using a classic lantern rather than a headlight for night digs since they cast a more even illumination. However, he says that LED headlamps are also adequate.
The rest of the proposed razor clam digs for 2018 are listed below:
Nov. 8, Thursday, 6:57 p.m.; -0.8 feet; Twin Harbors, Mocrocks
Nov. 9, Friday, 7:36 p.m.; -0.7 feet; Twin Harbors, Copalis
Nov. 10, Saturday, 8:15 p.m.; -0.4 feet; Twin Harbors, Mocrocks
Nov. 11, Sunday, 8:56 p.m.; 0.0 feet; Twin Harbors, Copalis
Nov. 22, Thursday, 5:55 p.m.; -0.7 feet; Twin Harbors, Copalis
Nov. 23, Friday, 6:36 p.m.; -1.1 feet; Twin Harbors, Mocrocks
Nov. 24, Saturday, 7:20 p.m.; -1.3 feet; Twin Harbors, Copalis, Mocrocks
Nov. 25, Sunday, 8:05 p.m.; -1.3 feet; Twin Harbors, Mocrocks
Dec. 6, Thursday, 6:01 p.m.; -0.7 feet; Twin Harbors, Copalis
Dec. 7, Friday, 6:40 p.m.; -0.7 feet; Twin Harbors, Mocrocks
Dec. 8, Saturday, 7:16 p.m.; -0.6 feet; Twin Harbors, Copalis
Dec. 9, Sunday, 7:53 p.m.; -0.4 feet; Twin Harbors, Mocrocks
Dec. 20, Thursday, 4:51 p.m.; -0.3 feet; Twin Harbors, Mocrocks
Dec. 21, Friday, 5:35 p.m.; -1.0 feet; Twin Harbors, Copalis
Dec. 22, Saturday, 6:20 p.m.; -1.4 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks
Dec. 23, Sunday, 7:05 p.m.; -1.6 feet; Twin Harbors, Copalis
Washington state law requires all diggers age 15 and older to possess a fishing license. Daily harvest is limited to the first 15 clams dug, regardless of size or condition. No digging will be allowed prior to noon on any beaches.
WARMIN’
The U.S. Forest Service and its partners are marking the opening of a new winter warming shelter at Marble Mountain Sno-Park in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest.
That new structure will provide a respite for snowmobilers, skiers, hikers and snowshoers on the south side of Mount Saint Helens. Forest officials are inviting the community to celebrate the opening of the shelter during a ribbon cutting ceremony on Oct. 27 from 2:30-3:30 p.m.
The old shelter, which saw as many as 12,000 visitors per winter, burned down in 2011.
Gina Owens, supervisor of the GPNF, extended her thanks to area politicians who helped to bring the project to fruition in time for the 2018-19 winter season.
“I also want to thank the Mount St. Helens Trac Riders, volunteers and other partners, who made it possible to have a great place for winter recreation again,” added Owens.
Marble Mountain Sno-Park is located on Forest Road 83, about 12 miles northeast of Cougar, WA. Visitors to Sno-Parks on U.S.F.S. lands are required to possess a Washington State Sno-Park Pass between December and March.
MEETIN’
At a meeting on Monday in Olympia the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission approved a change to the WIllapa Bay sport crabbing and continued discussion of the Columbia River salmon policy, among other topics.
The change to the crabbing season will allow sport crabbers to start setting pots on Nov. 15, a full two weeks earlier than before. According to the commission the change will provide additional opportunity for sport fishers while reducing conflicts with commercial crabbers.
The commission also reviewed a the five-year old Columbia River salmon policy which guides fisheries on the big river. Public comment was received on the policy and panel discussions were held with select representation from interest groups. Discussions of the policy are expected to continue at the next meeting in November in Vancouver.
GREETIN’
The WDFW is inviting the public to attend a series of six open house events across the state in order to become more familiar with the agency’s long-term plans for fish and wildlife conservation, as well as outdoor recreation creation and preservation.
“The department’s work is fundamental to people’s quality of life and livelihoods in Washington,” said Kelly Susewind. “Our work to conserve fish and wildlife and provide sustainable opportunities affects everyone. Whether you’re an active outdoorsperson (sic) or you’re someone that buys locally-caught seafood at the market, the public expects us to be good stewards of these resources and the public has a say in how they are managed.”
Susewind took over the position in August after being elected unanimously by the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission. The previous director, Jim Unsworth, resigned amid much controversy. In the release Susewind added, “These meetings will allow me to introduce you to my values and approach and I’m eager to hear what’s important to you.”
Those open houses, all scheduled for 6:30-8:30 p.m., will take place at the following dates and locations in western Washington:
Nov. 13 – Montesano City Hall, 112 North Main Street, Montesano
Nov. 14 – WDFW Ridgefield Office, 5525 South 11th Street, Ridgefield
