Dove hunting starting off well

Dove hunting can be a day-by-day event. One day the hunting is good, followed by a dip in the temperature and the birds disappear.

Lately it seems we have more and more mourning doves sticking around all winter long. Don't know if this is good or bad for the birds, but dove hunters should be pleased if the birds don't make a hasty dash to the south at the first sign cooler weather.

The dove hunting was good when Bill Green and I headed out opening day, last Monday. We were after pigeons, along with Eurasian collared doves and mourning doves.

The pigeons flew around the farmstead we were hunting and made easy targets. The collared doves were scarce and stayed in places we didn't want to hunt.

The mourning doves were around the place in singles and groups. One would fly by and a fast shot taken. Other times found them landing in the harvested wheat field in groups of 15 or 20, but far enough away to make it impossible to put a sneak on them.

Still we had fun, missing far more times than we should have. I deem the mourning dove hunting to be good.

Remember there is no limit on collared doves or pigeons, also known as rock doves.

The mourning dove season lasts through Sept. 30 with a limit of 10 per day and a possession limit of 30. The bobcat season is also open with no limit.

An early Canada goose season is scheduled for Goose Management Areas 4 and 5 on Sept. 13 and 14. These areas are basically lands east of the Cascade Mountains. The daily limit will be three with a possession limit of six. Remember this hunt is for Canada geese only.

The special youth hunt is scheduled for Sept. 20 and 21, with a daily limit of four and a possession limit of eight. The youth hunter must be under 16 years old and accompanied by an adult who is 18 years old and not hunting. Again, this hunt is for Canada geese only.

Dennis note: Take advantage of the youth hunts as a chance to mentor a young hunter in your family.

Greenwing barbecue

The second annual Moses Lake Ducks Unlimited greenwing barbecue will be held on Saturday, Sept. 20, at Mar Don Resort. This is a Washington State Ducks Unlimited sanctioned event. A greenwing is a youth under 18 years of age.

The event will take place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tickets are $5 for a greenwing and $10 for adults.

Mike Nilsen, the new Washington State Ducks Unlimited Chairman and Garrett Coussens, Ducks Unlimited Regional Director for Eastern/Southwest Washington will attend.

Last year 100 people attended with 50 of them being greenwings. This year the organizing group is planning on having 60 greenwings attend.

The event coincides with the Washington State annual waterfowl youth hunt taking place on Sept. 20 and 21. Attending greenwings will receive Cabela's blind bags, Wise duck buckets, Haydel duck calls, and other items at no additional charge.

Abel Cortina, former Washington State Duck Calling Champion, will be in attendance to conduct a duck calling instruction session.

Contact Thomas M. O'Dell at home 509-764-8557 or cell 206-465-6943. An alternate contact is Troy Wiley at 509-989-3536.

From Fish and Wildlife

Columbia River fisheries in the region are still open and there should be some summer chinook salmon milling around the mouth of the Entiat, Chelan, and Methow rivers, as well as the usual areas of the Wells Pool.

Fall chinook salmon fishing season on the Columbia River from Priest Rapids Dam to Wanapum Dam is now open. Up to two adult chinook, hatchery or wild, can be retained within the daily limit of six chinook.

The upper Wenatchee River, from the confluence with Peshastin Creek (above Dryden Dam) to the Hwy. 2 bridge at Leavenworth, opened Sept. 1 for hatchery chinook salmon fishing. The daily catch limit is four, of which only two can be adult fish (24 inches or more). Selective gear rules and a night closure are in effect.

For warmwater anglers, lakes such as Moses Lake, Potholes, Roses, Leader, Patterson, and Palmer can provide good opportunities for yellow perch, crappie, bluegill, largemouth bass and smallmouth bass.

Sept. 27 is National Hunting and Fishing Day and National Public Lands Day.

September marks the start of early archery white-tailed and mule deer hunting in select north central Game Management Units. Modern firearm and muzzleloader high buck hunting begins Sept. 15.

Most late-summer and fall hunting opportunities will be unaffected by wildfires and floods in Okanogan, Chelan and Douglas counties this summer. But hunters may need to do a little more homework this season.

Wildfires burned about 270,000 acres this summer in northcentral Washington, so hunters will need to check the availability of their favorite locations before heading into the field.

Fish and Wildlife is considering emergency changes to this year's hunting regulations to increase antlerless deer harvest in heavily impacted areas. This will likely be accomplished through the use of increased youth, senior, disabled, second deer and master hunter permits drawn from this year's applicant pool for relevant GMUs. Additionally, damage related permits will also be used to address anticipated agricultural nuisance issues as they develop.

Although the Columbia Basin - specifically Grant County -- is ranked number one in the state for harvest of ducks and geese, success during the early youth hunt is usually dependent on resident birds. Most of the best waterfowl hunting comes later in the general season with migrant birds coming in from the north.

A special pheasant hunting opportunity for hunters 65 years or older takes place Sept. 22 through 26. Grant County is usually the state's top pheasant producer. Non-toxic shot is required for all upland bird hunting on all pheasant release sites statewide to protect other wildlife species including waterfowl and raptors.