Outdoors

POSTED: Saturday, Oct. 10, 2009

OUTDOORS: October busy for hunters and fishers

Insofar as most hunting and fishing enthusiasts are concerned, October is the one month that could use a few more days tucked in between its first and last.

It is the close-out month for many fishing opportunities while in the same 31 days a slew of hunting options start.

Here's a quick review:

HIGH LAKES

With water temperatures plunging, snow levels dropping and the days getting shorter, the cutthroat, rainbow or brook trout in your favorite mountain lake are after the last bite of fall.

By this time trout can get pretty finicky, so unless from past experience you know what they'll go for, take a wide selection of imitator and attractor patterns in a broad range of sizes.

In shallower, non-snowfield or spring fed ponds and tarns, the cooler waters make catch and release a sound option to perpetuate trout numbers. Pinch barbs back and avoid using bait, unless you are fishing higher elevation brookie haunts. An eastern brook bonus limit if filled will be doing the often stunted population a favor.

Keep track of freezing levels so you don't make strenuous hikes only to be denied fishing by an ice-cap. Also be aware of season road closures that could stretch walking routes.

ROSS LAKE

Now in the last of its four months long season, Ross Lake closes to fishing for its vaunted rainbows Oct. 31. Most of the rainbow trout population will have returned to the lake by now following their late spring, early summer spawning period.

Word has it that these wild trout are running a bit bigger this year, perhaps from feeding on the prolific red-side shiners. The limit is three 13-inch or longer trout a day caught with selective gear.

If you don't want to drive to Hozomeen at the north end and camp, try the south end's Ross Lake Resort. Though the route is a little convoluted, this floating hostel and fishing base has comfortable accommodations and kicker boats for daily rent.

Access is from the North Cascades Highway either from Seattle City Light's Diablo Landing or by trail down from Happy Flats.

CREEKS STREAMING BY

The general summer gamefish season in flowing waters (rivers, creeks and beaver ponds) winds up with the closing Halloween celebrations at the end of this month.

And until it rains, low and clear water tactics, with baits and lures sized to suit, may be required.

As with high lakes, practicing catch and release and not using bait will conserve fish, especially wild ones, for next year's outings.

This could be the last year of the liberal stream fishing rules with the fish and wildlife department proposing a much more restrictive approach to stream fishing in the future. Anglers still have a chance to comment on the proposed change. For more information about the rule-making process, log on to http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/regs/rule_proposals/index.htm.

EASTSIDE STEELHEADING

With the arrival of the first westside winter-runs still 45 or so days off, a banner return of hatchery-origin summer steelhead to the Columbia River is the center of attention.

Five north central streams from the Wenatchee up to the Okanogan including several upper Columbia River reservoir pools are now open with a generous four fin-clipped steelhead the allowable daily take. The lower Similkameen River joins this list Sunday, Nov. 1.

Also to tide over steelheaders, daily summer-run limits in the Snake and Grand Ronde rivers have been bolstered allowing the take-home of up to five hatchery fish a day. In the Snake only three may be 32 inches or longer.

SALTWATERS TRANSITION

A crazy quilt of regulations covers Puget Sound's various marine management areas for the remainder of the year as the focus switches from homing adult salmon to mainly feeder chinook. But that means until April 30 there are open waters somewhere.

Close to home, a mandatory 30-day break in the action is slated for Marine Area 7 in November, but while in October the two salmon a day limit may include one chinook of hatchery origin (non-adipose clipped).

Also, the south Rosario Strait closure lifts, making fishable waters at Fidalgo Head, Biz Point, outside Lopez Pass and Iceberg Point.

At this time, neighboring marine areas 8.1 and 8.2 are largely closed except that you may fish the Oak Harbor bubble for coho in area 8.1 and the Mukilteo fetch for coho and chum in area 8.2. Maps for both are on pages 108 and 110 in the Fishing in Washington pamphlet.

For diehard salmon fishers, while Marine Area 7 is closed next month, you can give thanks for being able to fish areas 8.1 and 8.2 for hatchery chinook and other salmon. Rockfish then, though scarcer in Saratoga Passage and Port Susan, will be legal under the concurrent fishery rule.

Marine Area 6's big waters at the east end of the Strait of Juan de Fuca also are open, but close Saturday, Oct. 31 not to reopen until February.

FIRST RAZORS

Shellfish aficionados hankering for the tasty bivalves get a first crack at razor clams Friday, Oct. 16 on Pacific Coast beaches.

It's an evening (noon to midnight) dig and will feature opportunities on five beach management sectors, though not all on each of the opening's four days. The full suite, Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis, Mocrocks and Kalaloch, will be open Saturday and Sunday.

Watch for announcements this week on results of marine toxin tests that likely will give the final go-ahead for this personal use dig.

For a complete daily roster of beaches this time, as well as a listing of the four other digs scheduled for November and December, check out http://www.wdfw.wa.gov/do/newreal/release.php?id=sep3009a.

SIGHT IN OPTIONS

To avoid using a gravel pit or foothills ravine for the all-important task of perfecting your rifle's shot or your own scattergun prowess, try the Plantation Rifle Range.

Both the high-powered rifle and trap ranges at the Whatcom County Parks and Recreation facility are open each day (10 a.m. to 5 p.m.) this week for sight-ins and refresher practice.

The rifle range features targeting options from 100 to 300 yards and a covered outdoor firing line equipped with individual benches that will accommodate bag or vise rests. Spotting scopes and chronographs are available for a nominal fee if you put up your own hunting loads.

The small-bore rifle and handgun indoor and outdoor ranges are available Tuesday, Oct. 13 only this week. If you want to shoot on the indoor range, be prepared with full metal jacket or jacketed hollow point ammo for firearms larger than .22 caliber.

If you forget ammo and other shooting paraphernalia, ear and eye protection, .22 rifles together with some pistol, .22 caliber and 12/20 gauge shotgun shells are for sale there.

County residents get a break on fees with the day use charge of $8.50 and trap targets are an additional $5.50 per round.

WHERE THE BIRDS ARE

At the moment, pheasants are the main attraction in Northwest Washington, but that changes on Saturday, Oct. 17, when the general duck and goose season opens.

Ring-necked hunters fond of the Headquarters Unit on Fir Island must now wean themselves off the site as its former pheasant haunts have been opened to the sea with a dike-breaching project to benefit chinook.

Instead, hard-charging upland birders will find the Samish Unit west of Edison regularly stocked with pheasants until Nov. 8. Leque Island south of the Camano Island Highway also was slated to submerge this fall, but that project was postponed so pheasants are still being released there.

On the webbed side, southing ducks are beginning to congregate now in conspicuous numbers especially on Samish Bay, but the opener will mainly feature resident dabblers with some migrating teal.

Some 800 snow geese reportedly are making an appearance in Skagit Bay and in the Fir Island/Hayton Reserve. This is expected to be a 'hunters' year for these white geese with the Fraser-Skagit flock boasting up to 40 percent juvenile or gray birds.

The quality hunt program has been revamped to allow access on a first-come, first-served basis Tuesdays to Fridays on Fir Island and Sundays to Fridays on Florence Island south of Stanwood. Saturdays are reserved for drawing winners.

DEER MAIN EVENT

The 15-day modern rifle deer season kicks off statewide Saturday, Oct. 17, with less than stellar prospects in many areas of the state.

In many Eastern Washington game management units both white-tailed and mule deer populations are languishing either from hair loss or epizootic hemorrhagic diseases. Ongoing winterkill of young-of-the-year animals also is contributing to lagging numbers in areas where habitat quality and quantity has been compromised.

Hunters here will be able to pursue to a shot any buck deer in Northwest Washington units, except for GMU 437 where a two-point minimum restriction is in place.

On the east side, all mule deer units have a three-point minimum restriction imposed and many white-tailed units in Region One (Northeast) are also governed by the tri-tine limit.

Eastside hunts close variously Oct. 25 or 30, while the westside season wraps up Saturday, Oct. 31.

Doug Huddle, the Herald's outdoors correspondent, is retired from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and, since 1983, has written a weekly hunting and fishing column that appears Fridays. E-mail him at doug.huddle@bellinghamherald.com.

RULES TO GO BY

Fishing: wdfw.wa.gov/fish/regs/2009/2009sportregs.pdf

Emergency rules: https://fortress.wa.gov/dfw/erules/efishrules/

Big game: wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/game/hunter/huntregs2009.pdf

wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/game/hunter/cougar/cougar_regs2009.pdf

Birds: wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/game/water/mwug2009.pdf

wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/game/water/turkey/index.htm

Trapping: wdfw.wa.gov/hunting/trapping/trapping_seasons_rules.pdf