Spring thoughts bouncing around my mind

MOSES LAKE - Spring is official, at least on the calendar. We still have until May 15 before the average last frost date has come and gone. But one thing for sure is the fact daytime temperatures will continue to warm and before long summer will arrive.

Still it is the spring and fall of the year which are my favorite seasons. I would rather have cool weather rather than freezing and warm weather rather than blazing hot, so spring is special.

This is when people are breaking out of their well protected shelters, cocoons so to speak, to participate in the usual outdoor activities.

We are lucky and blessed to have so many opportunities, as opposed to other parts of Washington State.

Wildlife viewing

People travel hundreds of miles to get a look at sandhill cranes, when all we need do is look up when we hear their soft cooing or drive around the farm fields near Othello and watch them feed.

It won't be long and the Fish and Wildlife biologists will be seeking volunteers for their annual goose banding project. Volunteers of this nature will be able to get up close and personal with the birds.

The project takes place when the birds can't fly. A group of volunteers hold panels in a huge semicircle. As the birds are herded on shore the panels close in and tightened until a tight circle enclose the geese. Each bird is banned, recorded and released. Stay tuned for more info on the project.

Deer are often spotted in and around Moses Lake and throughout the Columbia Basin. Don't approach them, but enjoy from a distance.

Gardening

Why does the word gardening appear in an outdoors column? When I plant my Walla Walla sweets, carrots and potatoes, I think about venison stew next winter. Outdoor-minded people can be gardeners, too.

Shooting sports

I was talking some time ago with a man who visited gun ranges on the west side of the mountains. He talked about shooting his rifle and then waiting for it to cool down before firing another shot.

I knew he wanted the barrel to cool before firing again, but asked why he just didn't simply go to the next shooting bench?

"We are just assigned one bench," he said. "The other benches are full of other shooters."

He asked about my conditions for shooting. I told him our range allowed me to take five benches at once if needed. Many times a buddy and I will be the only shooters at the range.

Those who don't know it, we have a treasure in the Boyd Mordhorst Shooting Range near Ephrata. It is administered by the Ephrata Sportsmen's Association and available to members during daylight hours.

What a difference between the ranges on the coast, where only one bench is allowed.

Fishing

We are in the fishing capital of Washington State. While we don't have the saltwater species close at hand, we are able to go after salmon and steelhead in the Columbia River area surrounding the Basin.

Besides the saltwater species, we have a trophy walleye fishery right here in Moses Lake and Potholes Reservoir. Smallmouth bass, trout, largemouth bass, perch, burbot and more species of fish swim in our waters.

You are in the correct location to teach a youth or an adult to fish. Plus we are so close to good fishing waters, it is easy to combine a day trip with a fishing trip.

Day trips combine history, fishing, outdoor cooking and more

I grew up in Moses Lake with day trips a common occurrence. My family drove to the lower Columbia River to watch the Indians dip nets for salmon at Celilo Falls for the last time. We watched the last grape vines bulldozed from the earth on the hill above Grape Drive, thus the name.

A day trip around the Basin is also a chance to conduct a bit of fishing. I would still head to Martha Lake to catch a limit. Most likely there are plenty of fish in this lake to make an angler happy, but there are other waters open as of today.

Cattail Lake opens today, so does Deadman Lake, Dry Falls Lake, Gadwall Lake, Halfmoon Lake, Hampton Lake and some others. We will try to dig up a forecast for the lakes opening on April 1.

Plus remember, the fishing and hunting licenses are valid from April 1 through March 31 of each year. It is easy to go online and purchase the required licenses.

Interestingly the fishing pamphlet is effective from May 1 through April 30 of each year, but the licenses are valid April 1 through March 31. Strange, yes, but be aware of this fact, because we must live with it.

Keep an eye on the weather forecast and pick the best day to enjoy a day trip with wildlife viewing/fishing/outdoor cooking/basin history involved.

Camping

The extension of a day trip is camping, tent or RV. These days my wife, Garnet, and I are more into the travel trailer angle of camping instead of tent camping.

As of this date, we have not taken the trailer out of winter mode, meaning I haven't drained the antifreeze from it. We were excited about heading to Martha Lake for the March 1 opener, but the temperature dropped to around 5 degrees. This caused us to postpone our early-year camping trips.

We may combine a spring-turkey hunt with a camping trip or a spring-turkey hunt with a day trip or both.

Spring is precious

Don't squander this special time called spring. Watch the weather and pick the best days, but get out there in the Great Outdoors and enjoy yourself.