GARNET WILSON
Herald Outdoor Writer
Recent Stories
Wearing orange while hunting turkey
After the photo of Rudy Lopez and me appeared last week with our turkeys, I have been asked about hunting turks while wearing orange. We wear the orange because we also hunt quail during our turk hunts. Hunter orange is required when hunting quail.
Youth hunting weekend is here
Youth, hunters under 16 years of age and accompanied by an adult at least 18 years old, are in the spotlight this weekend. There are several hunts available to them, including: duck, goose, coot, Sept. 17 and 18; pheasant, quail and partridge: Sept. 17 and 18.
2016 Grant County hunting prospects continued
This is a multi-part series about the 2016 Washington hunting prospects.
Fish and Wildlife biologists put forth their best predictions or prospects for the upcoming hunting season.
Limits suspended on Park and Blue lakes
Blue and Park lakes in the Sun Lakes State Park area will be going through a rehabilitation procedure using rotenone. Therefore, Fish and Wildlife is allowing the public to harvest as many fish as possible.
2016 Grant County hunting prospects
This is a multi-part series about the 2016 Washington hunting prospects.
Hunting season is open for some
Hunters are celebrating with the opening of some hunting seasons. The booming of shotguns will be heard around the Columbia Basin with the opening of dove season. Also opening yesterday were the grouse and archery deer seasons. Read on for a recap of some of these seasons.
Grouse, dove and archery deer seasons open Thursday
September marks the beginning of several hunting seasons. Yes, a few are already open, but September marks the beginning of even more seasons. The hunting dates and equipment allowed is a bit complicated. This is the reason reading the various regulation pamphlets is necessary. Actually, instead of just reading them, a hunter needs to study them. A recap on a few of the seasons is presented here. Read on.
Free fishing while license sales are suspended
Fish and Wildlife is offering “free fishing” days through Tuesday while the agency’s license sales system is down.
Hunting seasons begin in less than two weeks
Mourning dove
Feral pig removal effort begins
What, feral pigs in Grant County? Read on.
License fee increases possible
Fish and Wildlife has scheduled six public workshops in early August for the public to comment on the department’s proposals to expand conservation programs and provide more fishing and hunting opportunities through a combination of state funding and license fee increases.
Deadlines loom for hunting opportunities
The deadline for the raffle permit hunts is today, July 15. The tickets must be purchased from a vendor, such as your favorite sporting goods store.
Salmon limits raised, sockeye fishery opens
Salmon fishing is heating up on the upper Columbia River.
Gambling to benefit big game with raffle hunts
Special hunt permit results available
Just in case you haven’t found out yet, the results of the 2016 hunt permit draw are available online. Well maybe. The fish and wildlife website has been down for a while and not all of the pages are available.
Don't touch young wildlife
Seeing a young deer, elk or other species of wildlife along and just standing alone pulls on heartstrings. But, you must, repeat, you must, not touch the animal. Read on.
Free Fishing Weekend is here
Here is a chance to take the family fishing. Plus Mom and Dad can fish, even if they don’t have a current fishing license. Read on.
Moose on the loose
Linnette Jones called me on Saturday. She wanted my e-mail address in order to send me a photo of a moose she saw earlier in the day.
Applicants for non-hunted species and waterfowl groups wanted
Fish and wildlife is responsible for more wildlife species than most of us realize. If the common grasshopper became endangered, they would most likely become involved in their wellbeing and habitat. Suppose this will never happen. Now the department is looking for applicants to, well, read on.
Raffle permit deadline July 15
The special hunt permit deadline has passed. However, we have another drawing deadline coming up in about 10 weeks. We will mention this deadline from time to time in the future, but we want to give some more details today.
Big catfish hit hooks
Last week we featured a photo of 75-year-old Damien Martinez with a 22 pound catfish caught in the Potholes Canal. We now have word of a 31 pound catfish caught in Soda Lake, which is part of the Potholes Canal.
May 18 deadline for special hunt permits
This is an important for big game hunters. The new big game pamphlet needs to be studied front cover to back cover. Just 13 days left to apply. Read on
Results of the opening day of lowland lake fishing
Fish and Wildlife has reported the results of last Saturday’s opening day of the fishing. The results were disappointing to some, but others were well satisfied.
Opening day of lowland lake fishing tomorrow
This is it…the big weekend, with many Columbia Basin lakes opening tomorrow morning at 12:01 a.m. Although many Basin lakes are open year round and some open on March1 and still more on April 1, this is what most anglers call the opener.
Spring turkey season opens today
The spring turkey season is now open as of this morning, Friday, April 15, at 5:48 a.m. The season will continue through May 31.
Spring turkey season opens one week from today
The spring turkey season will open next Friday, April 15, at 5:48 a.m. The season will continue through May 31.
Purchase new license before wetting a line
This is a big weekend in the outdoor world. Read on.
Youth turkey season next weekend
The youth turkey hunting season will begin next weekend, April 2 and 3. This season is open statewide. Each youth hunter must be accompanied by an adult who is not hunting.
Turkey hunting clinics offered
Fish and Wildlife’s Hunter Education Division will host free turkey hunting clinics around the state before the April 15 spring turkey season opener. Fish and Wildlife staff will teach these hunting clinics with assistance from Hunter Education Instructors, Master Hunters, and members of the National Wild Turkey Federation.
Upper Caliche and Martha lakes report near limits on opener
Hunters have until March 31 to apply for multiple-season tags
Feral pig study underway
Fish and Wildlife has a special study underway to eradicate feral pigs in a portion of the Desert Wildlife Unit. We are told there may be just one or two pigs causing the worry.Be sure, we do not want to have feral (wild) pigs become established in the Columbia Basin or Washington State.This is not a hunting opportunity REPEAT This is not a hunting opportunity
First fishing opener only 11 days away
Many Columbia Basin waters are open all year long. However, others have a structured season. The first fishing opener is March 1, just 11 days away.
Big Game Hunting Pamphlet contest
Fish and Wildlife is accepting photos for the 2016 Big Game Hunting Pamphlet Cover Photo Contest. This year’s theme is “Finding Inner Strength,” a tribute to hunters with disabilities, in commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the federal Americans with Disabilities Act.
Spring hunting in sights
Just when hunters were ready to put the rifles and shotguns away, more hunting seasons are on the horizon.
Waterfowl seasons ending; hunter reports due
Waterfowl seasons will close on Jan. 31
Hunter reports due; waterfowl seasons ending
The deadline is January 31.
Quail population in good shape
Three of us headed to the Davenport and chased quail on Wednesday. Bill Green and Bill Witt, both of Ephrata, and I arrived in the hunt area around 10:30 and spotted birds right away.
Hunting seasons winding down
The hunting seasons are winding down, but a few seasons continue. They include: Goose, which is open Saturdays, Sundays, & Wednesdays only, except on Jan. 18 and every day Jan. 25 through 31.
Goose carcasses cause reader concern
A reader recently called with a concern about wasting game birds. He pulled into a parking lot and noticed a pile of goose carcasses. The number of birds was not indicated, but the daily limit is four with a possession limit of 12.
Lopez tags first Washington turkey
It has been and continues to be a great hunting year for Rudy Lopez of Spokane Valley. He has notched his first elk tag, a deer tag, he shot his first pheasant recently and has bagged several quail. On Dec. 14 he tagged his first Washington turkey during a turkey hunt in the Davenport area. The season limit was one turk of either sex. This hen was taken from a flock of around 150. Lopez is the retired Command Chief of Fairchild Air Force Base. He is now the director of the Veterans’ Cemetery at Medical Lake. Dennis L. Clay photo
Late fall general turkey season open
Anyone with an un-notched turkey tag in their pocket has a few more days to notch the tag. The late fall general turkey season opened on Nov. 20 and continues through Dec. 15 in Game Management Units 105 through 154 and 162 through 186. The limit is one turkey of either sex.
Some big game hunting seasons continue
Danyelle notches tag on first elk hunt
The hills east of Ellensburg are steep, seemingly straight up and down, depending upon where a hunter is standing. Danyelle Cavadini knows the feeling of hiking these hills after her first elk hunt recently.
Bighorn sheep parade for viewers
The three of us, Garnet, Dennis and Brenda (our four-pound Chihuahua), headed for the Davenport area for a deer scouting/turkey hunting day trip on Oct. 5.
Opening-day report still not available
As of this writing, Thursday, Oct. 29, Fish and Wildlife could not provide a report of the results of the opening weekend of deer, duck, goose or the other hunting seasons.
Kason scores big with first deer
As of this writing, Thursday, Oct. 22, Fish and Wildlife could not provide a report of the results of the opening weekend of deer, duck, goose or the other hunting seasons.
Tomorrow is the big day
Tomorrow is the opener for several hunting seasons. We wish all hunts a safe and successful outing. Read on.
Modern firearm deer season one week away
The modern firearm deer season begins on Saturday, Oct. 17, one week from tomorrow. A bunch of deer hunters are excited about this event, including me.
Quail, chukar and Hun seasons open tomorrow
Think about this: A hunter could head for the field tomorrow and shoot 10 quail, six chukar and six Huns, plus 15 mourning doves. This is a bunch of hunting, folks. Read on.
