Hunter education required, time remains

Yes, we have pounded this drum time and again in recent weeks. Fish and Wildlife sent another press release, so there is still time to attend the classes or go the deferral route.

Here is the info: Fish and Wildlife hunter education classes are available now. Classes are scheduled statewide and about one-third are already full. Hunters born after Jan. 1, 1972 must show proof of completion of hunter education before buying their first Washington hunting license.

Fish and Wildlife offers both traditional and online options to complete the hunter education requirement. The traditional classroom experience includes direct person-to-person instruction from certified volunteer instructors. This format can be beneficial to younger students, as well as those seeking more time with our highly qualified and passionate instructors, who are available to answer questions in real time.

The online course offers the same content, but with the convenience of meeting a student’s schedule. Students who take the online course are required to complete an in-person field skills evaluation led by certified instructors. As hunting season approaches, field skills evaluation classes can fill very quickly.

To learn about hunter education requirements or find a course, new hunters should visit the WDFW hunter education web page at wdfw.wa.gov/hunting/requirements/education/basic.

Washington honors all 50 states hunter education certifications. Those who are unable to complete a hunter education course before the fall hunting seasons may qualify for a hunter education deferral. For more information on the deferral, visit wdfw.wa.gov/hunting/requirements/education/deferral-program.

Women’s outdoor workshop deadline is approaching

Don’t want anyone to miss out on this opportunity. I know there are people who will thrive on the outdoor skills presented at this workshop. Read on.

A workshop designed to introduce women to fishing, hunting and other outdoor skills is scheduled for Sept. 13 through 15 near Ellensburg. The registration deadline is Sept. 1.

Certified and experienced instructors will teach 20 classes throughout the weekend on skills such as archery, basic freshwater fishing, fly-fishing, fly-tying, big-game hunting basics, survival, garden for wildlife, Dutch oven cooking, backpacking, outdoor photography, map and compass, and more.

More information about the workshop, including attendance fees and registration, is available at washingtonoutdoorwomen.org. Partial scholarships from the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation are available for first-time participants.

Northern Leopard frogs released at wildlife refuge

This is an interesting development. Now I’m wanting to find and observe these creatures.

Hundreds of endangered Northern Leopard frogs have been released at the Columbia National Wildlife Refuge south of O’Sullivan Dam.

Fish and Wildlife collected Northern Leopard Frog eggs earlier this spring, and after months of growing in the Oregon Zoo’s conservation lab and at WSU, the frogs were ready for release in recent weeks.

Once abundant throughout North America, Northern Leopard Frogs are rapidly disappearing from their native ranges in Washington, Oregon and western Canada.

The species has been listed as endangered in the Evergreen State since 1999, and with only one known population remaining in Washington, there is still a long path to recovery for the frogs.

By raising eggs through tadpole stage to froglets at the Oregon Zoo and WSU, the partners are working to bypass these threats and grow the population of Northern Leopard Frogs in the region.

Funding for the Northern Leopard Frog reintroduction is being provided through a competitive state wildlife grant awarded to Fish and Wildlife from U.S. Fish and Wildlife’s Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration program.