Another reminder: Hunter reports due soon

Hunter reports due by Jan. 31 at the latest and by Jan. 10 to be entered into a special hunt opportunity.

A hunter report is required for each deer, elk, bear, turkey tag, and each special hunt permit awarded. The reports are required whether or not you harvested an animal or hunted at all.

The reports are due by midnight, Jan. 10, 2013, to be entered to win a deer or elk license and permit that would allow you to hunt for that species from September to December of 2013.

The report deadline is January 31st 2013 in order to avoid a $10 administrative fee when you purchase your 2013 license.

If your special permit allows you to hunt beyond January 31st 2013, your hunter report is due within 10 days of the close of that season. To report, please visit https://fishhunt.dfw.wa.gov/wa/Hunterreport or call toll free at 1-877-945-3492.You will need your WILD ID number, the Game Management Units you hunted, number of days hunted, and if/when/what you harvested.

You should record and file your confirmation number for each report filed, this is the only way we can verify that you submitted a report for each tag and permit. Reports are not accepted by mail or email; please do not send in your transport tags.

Hunting seasons wind down this month

Various hunting seasons are winding to a close. The duck, coot and snipe seasons will close on Jan. 27. The goose will close the same day, but with a little variation.

Normally open on Saturdays, Sundays and Wednesdays only, plus some holidays, the season will be open every day from Jan. 21 through Jan. 27.

The Eastern Washington pheasant season is now closed, but the quail and partridge seasons will continue through Monday, Jan. 21.

Cougar seasons closed in several areas

Cougar hunts in several areas of the state closed Jan. 15 after harvest guidelines for the animals were reached in those areas.

Game Management Units that closed include 105, 108, 111, 117, 121, 145, 149, 154, 157, 162, 163, 166, 175, 178, 328, 329, 335, 642, 648, and 651.

Those GMUs are located in Stevens, Pend Oreille, Garfield, Asotin, Walla Walla, Columbia, Kittitas, Chelan, Grays Harbor, Mason and Thurston counties.

Dave Ware, Fish and Wildlife game manager, said this season's cougar hunts are the first under a new management plan, approved by the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission early last year.

The new plan establishes harvest guidelines for specific areas of the state, based on cougar populations in those areas. Fish and Wildlife can close areas where cougar harvest meets or exceeds guidelines, while continuing to allow for hunting opportunities elsewhere.

The goal is to preserve a variety of cougar age classes in numerous areas throughout the state, particularly older animals which tend to be more effective at maintaining sustainable populations. Going into this season Fish and Wildlife expected to have to close some areas, but even with these closures most of the state remains open for hunters.

Ware reminds hunters that during the late-season cougar hunt, which is Jan. 1 through March 3, other areas of the state could close early. Before going into the field, hunters should check WDFW's website at wdfw.wa.gov/hunting/cougar or call the cougar hunting hotline 866-364-4868 to check which areas of the state remain open.

Any additional closures will be posted on the website and hotline, both of which will be updated weekly.

Upcoming hunting season

The spring turkey season will open in April.

Commission approves policy to revamp Columbia River fisheries

The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission today unanimously adopted a policy that establishes a new management framework for salmon fisheries on the lower Columbia River.

The commission took action after completing a series of public meetings that began in October 2012. In all, the commission received about 1,000 public comments on the broad-based proposal.

Key provisions of the new policy will allocate more of the catch to sport fisheries, gradually shift non-tribal commercial gillnets to off-channel areas stocked with more hatchery salmon, and spur development and use of new selective gear for commercial fisheries on the mainstem Columbia River.

The new policy also requires anglers to use barbless hooks when fishing for salmon and steelhead in the Columbia River.

The new policy is designed to support conservation of wild salmon and expand the economic benefits the state derives from sport and commercial fisheries.

The changes are based on recommendations made by representatives from the Washington commission and its Oregon counterpart and comments received during the extensive public review. The Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission approved a similar management framework for Columbia River fisheries last month.

For nearly 100 years, the two states have managed Columbia River fisheries under a reciprocal agreement. Without a common framework, effective management of those fisheries would be impossible.

The changes outlined in the policy will allocate more salmon and steelhead to recreational fisheries, but will not necessarily reduce the incidental catch of wild salmon and steelhead protected under the federal Endangered Species Act.

In other business, the commission approved the sale of the state's Colville Fish Hatchery to Stevens County, which plans to use it as an educational and vocational learning center. Fish and Wildlife closed the 95-year-old facility last June in response to state budget cuts and plans to sell it to the county for its appraised value of $150,000.