Hunting on my mind

The calendar indicates we are at the first week in July, yet my mind is centering on hunting. Putting Bill Green's boat in the water at Deep Lake and looking for rainbow trout has appeal.

A recent report has an angler catching some silver trout at Deep Lake. This is a great report, because what my dad called silver trout are kokanee salmon, which are the land-locked form of sockeye salmon. Catching some for eating, canning or smoking is a worthy effort.

Also, more trailer camping is on my agenda. The trip may be close by, such as to Potholes State Park again. But this will be a camping trip just the same.

Combining all three activities is my goal, although the goal is not always accomplished each year. Imagine this: Garnet and I pull the trailer to Alta Lake State Park on Sept. 1 and park at Site 62, which we have reserved for five days.

On the first evening we drive the dirt roads between Alta Lake and Lake Chelan looking for bear and grouse. We stop at meadow areas and make a hike looking for grouse, blue grouse would be best, but will settle for fools hens, too. Finding a bear in the area is not out of the question.

The next morning we look for grouse and bear again, but head back to camp to fish the beach and other areas of the lake shore. During the hotter part of the day, we relax, meaning we take a nap.

In the evening we may head out after grouse and bear or stay close to camp to catch an evening hatch. Thus we are able to participate in the camping/hunting/fishing scene during one trip.

Back in the Columbia Basin, Bill and I head to Warden Lake early one morning with the objective of finding fish having all summer to grow.

Aug. 1 is the earliest day in my hunting schedule. This is the opening of the master hunter antlerless elk hunt around Ellensburg. Landowners are troubled by herds of elk who think the green fields provide fine eating. Trouble is they also destroy fences, corrugate and plastic pipes in the fields.

 One of the purposes of having master hunters available is for Fish and Wildlife to use them as a tool when problem elk invade farms and ranches. The elk are hazed at times, meaning they are stopped before entering or harassed and chased out of fields after they are there.

Another master hunter and I spent a few nights last year stopping or trying to stop elk from entering a field of green grass containing cows. We stayed there most of the night using spotlights to tell the animals to turn around and go back up the hill.

There are times when a herd must be harassed to the point of shooting one, letting the herd know to stay away and not come back. When the master hunters help Fish and Wildlife with animals in this manner, they are saving Fish and Wildlife money.

So here I sit, inside at the computer, with a 100-degree day just outside the door and thinking about outdoor adventures. Not only will there be hunting opportunities in August and September, but October will be the main deer hunting effort. All this followed by more deer and elk hunting, along with duck and goose hunting into January.

Although I feel as if held captive during this hot weather, there are certain chores to accomplish. Go through the backpack and make sure all equipment is included. Sharpen knives, if they need sharpening, put new batteries in the backpack if needed, make sure there is enough string to tie the tag to the animal carcass and much more.

Making sure my rifles are sighted in will be an early-morning event. The temperature at 6 a.m. is forecast to be 68 degrees and cool enough for these efforts.

It is time to make landowner contacts. Call or visit them to insure you are allowed to hunt their land again this year. In fact, taking a hunting resume is recommended.

This document should contain your name, address, telephone number, vehicle make, model and license number. Plus references will help, if approaching a landowner for the first time.

Yes, it is mid-summer and the heat is upon us, yet my thoughts are on camping, hunting and fishing. Of course, my friends will tell you camping, hunting and fishing are on my mind no matter what month or season is appearing on the calendar.