Fog hampers duck, goose hunting
The recent days of fog, or has it been weeks, has made duck and goose hunting difficult recently. One goose day saw no geese for a friend who traveled to the Columbia Basin for a hunt.
Not one goose looked at their decoys. In thick fog this is not surprising. The birds don't want to fly very far, but will stop to eat at the closest hint of green, which may mean the lawn of homeowners on the lake.
Can't blame the birds, as it is dangerous for them to fly in the fog. One the other hand, Dennis has shot a bunch of ducks in the thick fog. The first consideration is to only hunt where the hunter knows what is in front of him in the fog. The position of the farmhouses and other structures need to be known.
One of my favorite hunts in fog is along Potholes Reservoir by taking Road 6 off of Road M. Once near the water, walk the shoreline and it is common to surprise ducks within range. I have also jumped a few geese over the years.
Fishing the Grand Ronde
A package containing a CD and a letter arrived recently from Rick Ribbeck of Newman Lake, Wash. There were several photos of Rick and his daughter, Faith, during a fishing trip to the Grand Ronde River.
The photos were great and the story great as well. I'm offering one photo here today to wet your appetite about the story. There would not be enough room to tell the story properly here, so look for it in the weekly outdoors column on Jan. 14.
Father and son hunting
Trevor Smith and son, Oliver, 12, of Cheney, both have tales to tell about their 2009 hunts. Oliver shot the elk with a .270 on Nov. 1 in Spokane County.
The date of Trevor's kill is unknown, but it is a mighty fine whitetail. The hunter is holding a muzzleloader, so the hunt may have been during the muzzleloader season. Now don't be so sure, as a muzzleloader is legal during a modern firearm season as well.
Trevor is the grandson of Jack and Donna Lozar of Moses Lake and Oliver is their great grandson.
Way to go you two. The hunting stories will just get bigger from this point into the future.
Deadline two weeks away for wolf comments
Yes, we mentioned this last week, but want to make sure everyone has a chance to make their feelings known, so here it is one more time.Fish and Wildlife will continue to accept public comments on a Draft Environmental Impact Statement for a state wolf conservation and management plan through Jan. 8.
The draft plan is the preferred alternative among four presented. The DEIS was prepared under requirements of the State Environmental Policy Act, and is available on the WDFW Web site http://wdfw.wa.gov/wildlife/management/gray_wolf/.
Desk copies also are available at WDFW regional offices and public libraries. Those unable to view or download the DEIS from Fish and Wildlife's website can request paper or compact-disc copies by calling 360-902-2515.
Comments can be submitted through 5 p.m., Friday, Jan. 8, by fax to 360-902-2946 or by mail to: WDFW SEPA Desk, 600 Capitol Way N. Olympia, WA 98501-1091. Twelve public review meetings were held in October and November, and were attended by a total of 1,157 people.
The draft plan has been under development by WDFW staff since early 2007, with the help of a 17-member citizen advisory group. The draft plan has been reviewed by wolf experts and other scientists and is currently undergoing a blind academic peer review. Following the public and scientific review process, a final wolf conservation and management plan will be prepared for presentation to the Fish and Wildlife Commission for consideration late next year. There are no federal or state plans to reintroduce wolves into Washington.
The gray wolf (Canis lupus) was removed from the state by the 1930s through hunting and trapping programs, and remains federally protected under the federal Endangered Species Act in the western two-thirds of Washington, and throughout Washington under state law. Washington's first breeding wolf pack in at least 70 years was found in western Okanogan County in July 2008 and a second breeding pack was confirmed in Pend Oreille County last July.
OK, this is all fine and good, but when these animals begin to eat, literally, eat their way into a rancher's pocketbook, the plan should contain a provision where the rancher is able to dispose of the problem. Simply paying the rancher for the damage a wolf does to a herd may not be the proper compensation due.
We wish you and your family and friends a wonderful and Merry Christmas.