Itching to break out after being cooped up for several hours with the extended family?

Understandable.

Perhaps your rationale is more socially acceptable; you just want to try out the new fishing rod or shotgun you found with your name on it under the tree.

Maybe your reason is even altruistic; you'd just like to share a great outdoors experience with the kids, nieces and nephews or grandkids.

However you couch it, here are some backyard options that are good from Christmas Day through the end of the year and perhaps a little beyond.

FOR A BEAD ON WATERFOWL

Hunts for ducks and geese are at the top of the outdoors list for the between-holidays period.

Surprisingly, about the only thing that can dampen waterfowling here is a hard freeze.

So if ice caps farmland sheetwater, ditchlines or a favorite pond, hunters may have to look to hunting hides closer to saltwater to ambush those tough birds hardy enough to stay north.

Somewhat inland, Lake Terrell is perhaps the best locale for a destination decoy shoot. A boat will give more flexibility, but there are some shoreside walk-in blinds and even a set field blind.

However, Whatcom County is short of habitats inside sea dikes, so a waterfowling trip to Skagit County will likely be in order.

The fish and wildlife department this year in both counties has assembled a set of feel-free-to-hunt sites through its Private Lands Access program.

For details a list of sites, locator maps and use rules governing each location, log onto wdfw.wa.gov/hunting/wqhp.

Though they are likely to be getting more wary now, snow geese frequenting farm fields on Fir Island in the Skagit River Delta and at Florence Island south of Stanwood are a quarry worthy of a holiday hunting gambit.

As with duck opportunities, the fish and wildlife department in its snow goose quality hunt program has secured some prime acreage for the public to hunt.

For details on these options, check out wdfw.wa.gov/hunting/snow_goose.

If you are on the road this weekend and need some quick suggestions for web-foot hunting options in your in-laws neighborhood, log onto WDFW's wdfw.wa.gov/hunting/waterfowl/WesternWashingtonWaterfowlHuntingAreas.pdf.

The general waterfowl hunt ends Saturday, Jan. 29 and while in progress this week and through its last month may be subject to special regional rules and limitations, which will be found in the Washington State Migratory Waterfowl and Upland Gamebird Seasons pamphlet that can be downloaded from the website at wdfw.wa.gov/hunting/waterfowl/WesternWashingtonWaterfowlHuntingAreas.pdf

GROUSE HUNTS

Forest grouse hunting comes to an end at dusk New Year's Eve.

Unless you're into snowshoe trek hunting for blue grouse, the higher elevation dwelling native here whose house is now full of snow, lower elevation dwelling ruffed grouse are your quarry.

But even ruffeds adopt a live smaller existence when it turns cold, exposing themselves must less on logging roads and perching to conserve heat for long periods especially during snowy periods.

With the leaves off, cross-country treks through the brush are more likely to put them up. If you have a pointing dog even better.

The grouse daily take is four birds aggregate or all one species.

Further afield pheasants, quail and partridge are available to the middle of January east of the Cascades.

STEELHEADING

For steelheaders there's not-so-good news, disappointing news and just plain bad news, but what the heck why not don the snuggies and go fishing anyway.

In the kinda lame category, the North Fork Nooksack River from Mosquito Lake Road upstream to above Kendall Creek Hatchery remains temporarily closed while the state fish production facility awaits its spawners. Same goes for Whatcom Creek from its mouth to Woburn Street.

When the hatcheries get sufficient numbers of spawners to meet their egg-take goals, these reaches will open.

Disappointingly, because it is no longer stocked with steelhead smolts, the Samish River reach from its mouth to Interstate 5 closes Sunday, Jan. 1. The former famed small-water steelheading reach from Interstate 5 upstream to the Hickson Bridge on Prairie Road closed to angling the first of December.

In the discouraging word genre for some steelheaders is that with the Skagit River's 2011-12 wild winter-run steelhead returns expected to be 1,800 fish short of the minimum spawning escapement goal, the fish and wildlife department is set to cancel this season's March and April up-river catch and release fishery.

This closure will be done by a soon-to-be-announced emergency regulation. But the Upper Skagit and Sauk river angling faithful also should be aware that the catch and release fishery will be dropped completely from the permanent rules by the amendments or changes contained in the 2012-13 rules package to be adopted by the fish and wildlife commission next month.

On the neutral to positive side for steelheaders, both Kendall Creek and Marblemount hatcheries report that some fish have arrived. Kendall reports taking 4,000 eggs so far.

The Nooksack and the lower reaches of its north, middle and south forks currently are open and the fish should start moving with the anticipated increase in flow and the color more water brings this weekend.

For lower river fishers the silt's been cleared off the puncheon section of the Ferndale boat ramp so it's usable for launching again.

Some of the sandy build-up off the end of the concrete had to be left, but there is a notch through which a trailer can be backed.

The Skagit River system (including the lower Sauk and Cascade), too, is open for steelheading and is unusually low for this time of year.

Until the flow picks up and more color returns, think smaller lures and lighter leaders.

WHITEFISH

Selected reaches of rivers both here and in the Okanogan are now open for the catching and keeping of whitefish.

These are streamlined, small-mouthed fish often disparaged being, but they have delicate white flesh, albeit with small bones, which when prepared properly can be quite tasty.

While possessing neither the glamour nor fight of much bigger steelhead, whitefish are plentiful and willing to bite either single eggs or a chunk of Powerbait (if legal to use) as well as very small rocket red wingbobbers or Corkies with matching scale single hooks.

Be sure to check the regulations to determine what if any special rules apply to the river reach you want to fish - where 'selective gear' rules, baits and scents are banned and the single-point hook must be de-barbed.

In selected flowing water sections of the Okanogan in which whitefish gear is required, hooks can only be so big (check the regs), but you may use bait. On the east side anglers also need a Columbia Salmon and Steelhead Endorsement.

The North Fork Nooksack below Mosquito Lake Road is a known whitefish lair.

BLACKMOUTH

Bone chillingly cold, blustery and rockin' and rollin' just the way winter saltwater fishers like it, Marine Area 7 is now open for winter blackmouth fishing.

These feeder chinook are the mainstay for a special breed of hardened salmon enthusiast for whom summer is the off (boring) season.

Since the first of December, the legals for this personal use fishery have been two salmon (combined) a day limit including two adipose fin-clipped (hatchery-origin) chinook 22 inches and longer.

Besides home waters of the San Juans and the Strait of Georgia, neighboring marine areas east of Whidbey Island, 8.1 (Skagit Bay) and 8.2 (Port Gardner), are open. But in the big water at the east end of the Strait of Juan de Fuca where lines don't stay long on the water, be sure not to stray into Marine Area 6, it's closed for until February.

An added proviso is that all wild chinook must be released, so make sure you have some 'non-skid' on the swim-step. Any sport-fish that must by rule be released may not be taken out the water.

There are simple devices now that extend your reach, so falling out of the boat to save a native fish isn't a 'necessary' risk.

Prospecting for wintering blackmouth is a different proposition from the summer pursuit of salmon.

While you may still vary depths in search of these hunger salmon, your choice of locales needs to change to places such as the north side of Decatur Island, the south shore of Sinclair Island and Orcas Islands Northshore (actually the northeast side of the island) among other sites.

You will be looking for schools of bait (herring, candlefish) on which to lock and pull your 'cripple' through.

CRABBING

The last week of the winter personal use Dungeness and red rock season is upon crabbers.

Be sure everyone onboard has their winter catch record with them.

All pots and gear must be out of the water by sunset Saturday, Dec. 31. Expect enforcement officers to swoop in and collect all gear left in the water after that.

Reporting on individual fall-winter Dungeness crab takes begins New Year's Day.

Doug Huddle, the Bellingham Herald's outdoors correspondent, since 1983 has written a weekly fishing and hunting column that now appears Sundays. Read his blog and contact him at pblogs.bellinghamherald.com/outdoors.