Hunters, Be Sure It’s a Deer in Your Gun Sights and Not A Protected Animal

November 21, 2008

MADISON – Hunters across the state will be looking to place a white-tailed deer in their crosshairs starting Nov. 22 with the opening of the 2008 Wisconsin Gun Deer Season. But with that privilege comes a responsibility to be absolutely sure of your target and to know what is legal game…and what isn’t.

Hunters always need to follow the four rules of safety when handling a firearm to make sure they do not endanger themselves, other hunters, or other people recreating in the outdoors:

T= Treat every firearm as if it is loaded. Consider all guns are always loaded – until you determine the firearm is not.
A= Always point the muzzle in a safe direction. Never allow the muzzle point at anything you are not ready to destroy – that means keeping your firearm pointed in a safe direction at all times.
B= Be certain of your target and what’s beyond it. Make sure you know your target – what it is, what is in the line of fire and what is behind it.
K= Keep your finger outside the trigger guard until ready to shoot.

In addition, they need to clearly identify animals they are pursuing in the field, and know what rules are in place where they are hunting. Mistakes in identification can be costly.

Coyote
Coyote hunting is closed in approximately the northern third of the state during the Nov. 22-30 gun deer season and the Dec. 1-10 muzzleloader deer season, remind wildlife officials. Check the 2008 Wisconsin Deer Hunting Regulations or 2008 Small Game Regulations for the southern boundary of this special closed area. This closure is in place to avoid hunters misidentifying a gray wolf for a coyote. Wolves were recently relisted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as endangered species in Wisconsin.

But wildlife officials caution there has also been an increase in wolf sightings in the southern third of the state, where they coyote season remains open. Officials caution that there could be wolves in any part of Wisconsin and hunters should be careful not to mistake a protected wolf for an unprotected coyote.

Elk
Hunters in the area of Clam Lake need to be certain they are pulling the trigger on a deer and not one of Wisconsin’s protected elk. The reintroduced herd has grown from 25 elk released in 1995 to a current estimate of 150 this fall. The herd’s current range includes portions of Bayfield, Sawyer and Ashland counties [http://dnr.wi.gov/org/land/wildlife/elk/map.htm].

Elk are native to Wisconsin but were extirpated in the mid to late 1800s due to unregulated hunting and a rapid decline in habitat following settlement. Elk were last recorded in Wisconsin in the 1886 and historic records show elk once inhabited at least 50 of the state’s 72 counties.

Moose
Although numbers are very, very small, moose are now being recorded in Wisconsin with increasing regularity. The largest of Wisconsin’s native members of the deer family, moose are also a protected animal.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Tom Van Haren – - (608) 266-3244

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What’s Open For Hunting in Arkansas - 11/19/2008

November 19, 2008

What's Open For Hunting in Arkansas - 11/19/2008 Current and approaching seasons in Arkansas:

Deer:
Archery - All zones: Oct. 1, 2008 to Feb. 28, 2009.
Modern Gun - Zones 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 10 and 11: Nov. 8-30.
Zone 5: Nov. 15-16.
Zone 4A, 5A, 13, 14 and 15: Nov. 8-Dec. 7.
Zones 4B and 5B: Nov. 8-16.
Zones 9 and 12: Nov. 8-Dec. 14.
Zone 16, 16A and 17: Nov. 8-Dec. 25.
Muzzleloader- Zones 1, 2, 3, 4A, 5A, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 13, 14 and 15: Dec. 13-15.
Zones 9, 12, 16, 16A and 17: Dec. 29-31.
Zones 4, 4B, 5 and 5B: Closed.
The statewide Christmas holiday modern gun deer hunt will be Dec. 26-28.

Duck:
Nov. 22-Dec. 1,
Dec. 6-Dec. 24
Dec. 26-Jan. 25.
The youth waterfowl hunt will be Jan. 31-Feb. 1.

Statewide Canada goose season:
Jan. 10-Feb. 1 (bag limit two).

White-fronted goose season:
Nov. 15-Dec. 1, Dec. 6-Dec. 24 and Dec. 26-Jan. 30 with a bag limit of two.

Snow, blue and Ross’ goose season:
Nov. 8-Dec. 24 and Dec. 26-Jan. 30 with a bag limit of 20.

Snow goose Conservation Order:
Feb. 2-April 25 with no bag limit.

Dove:
Dec. 13, 2008-Jan. 2, 2009

Virginia and Sora Rail:
Sept. 13-Nov. 21

Spotted Skunk, Weasel Hunting:
Closed

Fall Turkey:
Archery: All Zones: Oct. 1, 2008-Feb. 28, 2009.

Bear:
Archery: Zone 1: Oct. 1-Nov. 30
Zone 2: Sept. 15-Nov. 30
Zones 3, 4, 5, 5A, 6 and 7: Closed
Modern Gun: Zones 1 and 2: Nov 3-30
Zone 5: Dec 6-14
Zone 5A: Nov 29-Dec 14
Zones 3, 4, 6 and 7: closed

Furbearers:
Trapping (other than coyote, beaver, muskrat, nutria): sunrise, Nov. 15-sunset, Feb. 22.
Coyote trapping: sunrise, Aug. 1-sunset, March 31.
Beaver, muskrat, nutria trapping: sunrise, Nov. 15-sunset, March 31.
Gray fox, mink, opossum, red fox, striped skunk hunting: sunrise, Sept. 1-sunset, Feb 28.
Raccoon day or night hunting: sunrise, Sept 1-sunset, March 31.
Raccoon night hunting: sunset, July 1-sunrise, Aug. 31.
Bobcat hunting: sunrise, Oct. 1-sunset, Feb. 28 and from the first day of spring turkey season through June 8.
Coyote hunting: sunrise, July 1-sunset, Feb. 28 and from the first day of spring turkey season through June 14.
River otter hunting: sunrise, Nov. 15-sunset, Feb. 28.
Muskrat, nutria, beaver hunting: sunrise, Sept. 1-sunset, March 31.
Badger, spotted skunk and weasel hunting: Closed.

Elk:
Zones 1, 2, 3, 4, A and B: Dec. 8-12.

Quail:
Statewide: Nov. 1-Feb. 8.

Rabbit
Statewide: Sept. 1-Feb. 28.

Squirrel
Statewide: Sept. 6, 2008-Feb. 28, 2009 and May 16-June 14, 2009.

Crow
Statewide: Sept. 6-Feb. 23.

Projected opening dates for the 2009-2010 deer hunting season.

Archery:
Oct. 1, 2009

Muzzleloader:
Oct. 17, 2009

Modern Gun:
Nov. 14, 2009

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Thanksgiving Turkey? How About Duck, Venison, Salmon, Clams or Crab?

November 13, 2008

General turkey-hunting seasons are closed for the year, but hunters and anglers still have plenty of opportunities to contribute to the Thanksgiving Day feast in the days ahead.

The late buck season - already under way in Eastern Washington - gets started tomorrow (Nov. 13) on the west side of the Cascades for deer hunters using modern firearms. Conditions are looking good for those hunters, as well as for archers and muzzleloaders who will take to the field later this month, said Dave Ware, game manager for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW).

“The high winds and rain that are blowing through the state have cleared a lot of leaves from the trees, which should improve hunters’ visibility,” Ware said, adding that the recent blustery weather could also improve waterfowl hunting. “With these conditions, however, hunters should check the weather reports and avoid flooded areas that could be potentially dangerous.”

While seafood may be less traditional Thanksgiving fare, it certainly is in season. The chum salmon return is nearing its peak in rivers and streams throughout Puget Sound, while the winter steelhead fishery in western Washington is just getting started.

Rather serve shellfish? Crab fisheries are open seven days a week in several areas of Puget Sound, and WDFW has scheduled a razor-clam dig on ocean beaches Nov. 13-16.

For more information on these and other hunting, fishing and wildlife-watching opportunities around the state, see the regional reports below:

North Puget Sound

Fishing: Heavy rains and high winds made fishing difficult in mid-November. Many freshwater fisheries are on hold as anglers wait for several swollen rivers to drop back into shape. Fishing effort also is down on Puget Sound as saltwater anglers wait for blustery conditions to subside.

“Fishing has been tough recently throughout the region, mostly due to the poor weather,” said Steve Thiesfeld, WDFW fish biologist. “We’ve seen a big drop in angler effort out there, but that will likely pick up once weather conditions become more favorable.”

Once the weather does improve, Thiesfeld recommends fishing for blackmouth salmon - resident chinook - in marine areas 9 (Admiralty Inlet) and 10 (Seattle/Bremerton). Anglers fishing Marine Area 10 can keep one chinook as part of a two-salmon daily limit. Those fishing in Marine Area 9 also have a two-salmon daily limit but can keep up to two hatchery chinook per day. Wild chinook salmon, which have an intact adipose fin, cannot be brought aboard the boat in Marine Area 9.

Thiesfeld reminds anglers that there are still a lot of shakers out in the Sound, and suggests using larger spoons and plugs to minimize the catch of those juvenile chinook. “Treat those fish with extreme care when releasing them because they are next year’s crop of blackmouth,” he said.

Sport crabbing also is an option out on the Sound. Marine areas 6 (eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca), 9 (Admiralty Inlet), 10 (Seattle/Bremerton) and 12 (Hood Canal) recently reopened for sport crabbing seven days a week through Jan. 2. Crab fishing also remains open seven days a week through Jan. 2 in marine areas 4 (Neah Bay), 5 (Sekiu), and 13 (south Puget Sound), where the fishery has continued uninterrupted since June 18.

Sport crabbing will not reopen this year in marine areas 7 (San Juan Islands), 8-1 (Deception Pass, Hope Island and Skagit Bay), 8-2 (Port Susan and Port Gardner) or 11 (Tacoma/Vashon Island), where the summer catch reached the annual quota.

The daily catch limit in Puget Sound is five Dungeness crab, males only, in hard-shell condition with a minimum carapace width of 6¼ inches. In addition, fishers may catch six red rock crab of either sex per day, provided those crab measure at least 5 inches across. Additional information is available on the WDFW website at http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/shelfish/crab/index.htm .

Meanwhile, freshwater anglers waiting for rivers to become fishable again might want to try casting for trout at Beaver Lake. About 1,800 hatchery rainbows - averaging approximately 3 to 5 pounds each - were recently released in the lake. Beaver Lake, one of several westside lowland lakes open to fishing year-round, is best fished by small boat, although anglers can also be successful fishing from shore. The daily bag limit is five fish, and bait anglers must keep the first five trout they catch.

Before heading out to the lakes, rivers, or Puget Sound, anglers should check the rules and regulations for fisheries in WDFW’s Fishing in Washington pamphlet ( http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/regs/fishregs.htm ).

Hunting: The modern firearm season for elk closed Nov. 10. Up next for modern firearm hunters is the late black-tailed deer season, which runs Nov. 13-16 in select game management units. Archers and muzzleloaders also have late-season opportunities, when deer and elk hunts open Nov. 19 in select game management units.

Waterfowlers have through Jan. 25 to hunt for ducks and geese in the region, while upland bird hunters have until the end of November to bag pheasant . For information about WDFW’s pheasant release sites, see the Western Washington Pheasant Release pamphlet ( http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/game/water/wwapheas.htm ).

Other hunts open in the region include cougar, grouse, California quail and bobwhite seasons. Bear hunts are also open, but the season closes Nov. 15.

Waterfowl and upland game bird hunters are reminded to avoid harvesting or handling any birds that are obviously sick or found dead, follow good hygiene when cleaning game birds, and report birds found dead to WDFW’s Dead Bird Hotline at 1-800-606-8768.

Before going afield, hunters should check the Big Game Hunting pamphlet ( http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/game/hunter/hunter.htm ) and the Waterfowl and Upland Game pamphlet ( http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/game/water/water.htm ) for details.

Wildlife Viewing: Several birders in the region have made their way to the Boeing Ponds to catch a glimpse of a great egret . Several visitors to the Ponds have spotted the large white bird recently. A rare visitor to the Puget Sound region, great egrets are mainly found in the wetlands and arid steppe of eastern Washington. In the winter, some can be found at the mouth of the Columbia River and along the Washington coast.

Elsewhere, a few birders spotted several species during a rainy and windy day at Marymoor Park in Redmond. Highlights of the trip included a bufflehead , a Wilson’s snipe , a barn owl , a Townsend’s warbler , a western meadowlark and a purple finch .

South Sound/Olympic Peninsula

Fishing: Fall rainstorms temporarily stalled chum fishing in mid-month, but anglers can look forward to catching some winter-run steelhead once rivers drop back into shape. Meanwhile, the late-season Dungeness crab fishery is now under way in a number of marine areas, and a razor-clam dig is coming up soon.

Salmon fishing on coastal rivers has been hampered by recent heavy rains, but catch rates should improve once the weather gets better, said Scott Barbour, WDFW fish biologist. “Virtually every river is out of shape right now, but on the bright side, the rain is also bringing in the fish,” he said.

By the time conditions improve, anglers can start thinking about the winter steelhead season, Barbour said. “December is the big month for hatchery steelhead on the North Olympic Peninsula - including the Quillayute River system ad Hoh River - but early returns start showing up around Thanksgiving,” he said. Starting Dec. 1, wild steelhead retention rules go into effect on those rivers. Before heading out, anglers are advised to review retention rules in WDFW’s 2008/2009 Fishing in Washington pamphlet (wdfw.wa.gov/fish/regs/fishregs.htm).

Four evening razor clam digs are scheduled at Copalis and Mocrocks Nov. 13-16, while Long Beach and Twin Harbors are scheduled for three evening digs Nov. 14-16. Kalaloch Beach in Olympic National Park is closed for the fall season due to a low abundance of razor clams.

Evening low tides during the dig are at 6:27 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 13 (-1.6 ft.), 7:15 p.m. Friday, Nov. 14 (-1.8), 8:04 p.m. Saturday Nov. 15 (-1.6), 8:54 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 16 (1.2).

Clam diggers are encouraged to take lights or lanterns with them due to the timing of the low tides. He also recommends checking weather and surf forecasts before heading out. Digging is restricted to the hours between noon and midnight.

Harvesters are allowed to take no more than 15 razor clams and must keep the first 15 they dig, regardless of size or condition. Each digger’s clams must be kept in a separate container.

A license is required for anyone age 15 or older. Any 2008 annual shellfish/seaweed license or combination fishing license is valid. Another option is a razor-clam only license available in annual or three-day only versions. Descriptions of the various licensing options are available on the WDFW website at https://fishhunt.dfw.wa.gov . Clam diggers are not required to display their licenses on outer clothing.

Meanwhile, as the chum salmon season nears its peak, the big fish can be found in virtually every small stream in the area. The most popular fishing spots include the mouth of Kennedy Creek on Totten Inlet (where 68 anglers were checked with 13 fish on Nov. 8 and 9) and near the Hoodsport Hatchery on Hood Canal (where 91 shore anglers recently landed 177 chum). Anglers are reminded that the daily limit on the Hoodsport “hatchery zone” is four salmon, with a maximum of two chinook.

Although the chum fishery is producing results for anglers, the overall run size is lower than expected, said Steve Thiesfeld, WDFW fish biologist. “We now expect to see about 350,00 chum returning to south Puget Sound, which is about half our original forecast,” he said. “We’ll learn more as the season progresses.”

Other areas now open to chum-salmon fishing include the Dosewallips and Duckabush rivers in Jefferson County, and Minter Creek in Pierce/Kitsap counties. Thiesfeld advises anglers to check WDFW’s 2008/2009 Fishing in Washington pamphlet (http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/regs/fishregs.htm ) for other stream openings and closures.

Thiesfeld also noted that November’s blackmouth fishery off Sekiu (Marine Area 5) has been producing results for those making the trip north. “The effort’s been low, but folks going out have been averaging a fish per rod,” he said.

Recreational crab fishing got under way Nov. 1 in four marine areas of Puget Sound and will be open seven days a week through Jan. 2. Crab fishing is open in marine areas 6 (eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca), 9 (Admiralty Inlet), 10 (Seattle/Bremerton) and 12 (Hood Canal).

Crab fishing will also remain open seven days a week through Jan. 2 in marine areas 4 (Neah Bay), 5 (Sekiu), and 13 (south Puget Sound), where the fishery has continued uninterrupted since June 18.

Hunting: The late-buck, black-tailed deer season starts with a modern-firearm hunt that runs Nov. 13-16 in western Washington. Following on the heels of the four-day hunt, archers and muzzleloaders will take to the field for the late deer and elk season, which starts Nov. 19.

Hunters planning to hunt big game this year should check WDFW’s 2008 Big Game Hunting pamphlet at http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/game/hunter/hunter.htm before heading afield.

Goose hunting re-opened in Management Area 3 on Nov. 1 and runs through Jan. 25. In Pacific County (Area 2B), where the season runs from Oct. 11 through Jan. 10, hunters must have written authorization to hunt, which requires passing a goose identification test. Goose hunting in Pacific County is allowed on Saturdays and Wednesdays only.

The season for duck , coot and snipe reopened Oct. 18. Hunters may also pursue pheasant, California quail and bobwhite through Nov. 30. Meanwhile, the statewide forest grouse season continues through Dec. 31.

Check the WDFW website at http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/game/water/wwapheas.htm for the department’s pheasant release sites.

Wildlife viewing: Each weekend throughout November, visitors can walk the Kennedy Creek Salmon Trail for an up-close look at thousands of chum salmon returning to local streams. Located just above the Kennedy Creek estuary on Totten Inlet, the trail is off U.S. Hwy 101 between Olympian and Shelton. The stream is one of the most productive chum salmon streams in Washington. While there visitors can find numerous species of migrating shorebirds or hike around the estuary. More information on the Kennedy Creek Salmon Trail is located at http://www.spsseg.org/index.php/kennedy-creek-salmon-trail/ .

With winter coming on, outdoor buffs will have a chance to view seldom-seen birds and animals such as white-tailed ptarmigan, saw-whet owl, goshawk, Cooper’s hawk, mountain chickadee, evening and pine grosbeak, mountain goats, sheep, porcupine, red fox, mink, weasels and skunk . Hikers and bird watchers are reminded to be sensitive to the needs of animals. Avoid close contact by stopping and going around them or wait for them to move. Help animals conserve their food supply by avoiding damaging brush, trees and grass. Stay on established routes or trails and view birds and animals from a distance. For more information, visit the Washington State Parks’ website at http://www.parks.wa.gov/winter/wildlife.asp .

Southwest Washington

Fishing: Winter-run steelhead are moving into Columbia River tributaries where anglers are still catching hatchery coho , but fishing success for both species depends a great deal on the weather. Rainstorms, followed by clear skies, have made stream conditions highly variable in recent days.

“The Kalama River has been running high and dirty, but fishing conditions could improve there and elsewhere if the rain lets up,” said Joe Hymer, WDFW fish biologist. “Especially at this time of year, it really pays to check river conditions before you head out.”

Hymer recommends that anglers check stream-flow conditions on two websites before leaving home: http://www.nwrfc.noaa.gov/river/river.cgi?zoom?2?1.1.1.1.0_1.1.1.1_1?zoom?62,343?165,253 and http://waterdata.usgs.gov/WA/nwis/current/?type=flow .

Thanksgiving traditionally marks the start of the fishery for winter-run hatchery steelhead , although the season is already under way on several tributaries to the lower Columbia River. On the Grays River, fishing for hatchery steelhead opens from the mouth to the Highway 4 Bridge on Nov. 15.

But the best bets for hooking up with hatchery steelhead or coho salmon right now are the Lewis and Cowlitz rivers, where dams help to moderate stream flows, Hymer said. On the Lewis River, anglers have been averaging about one hatchery coho for every two rods, although about half of those fish were released because they had turned dark. Some bright winter steelhead have also been showing up in the catch. Bank anglers had the best luck fishing near the salmon hatchery.

Bank and boat anglers are also catching hatchery steelhead - some weighing in the teens - downstream from the trout hatchery on the Cowlitz River. They are also still catching some hatchery coho, although that run is clearly winding down. As of Nov. 5, more than 47,000 adult coho had returned to the hatchery, already one of the top 10 returns to that facility on record. In addition, nearly 10,300 coho jacks were counted by that date, the second-highest return since 1990.

Sea-run hatchery cutthroat are also keeping anglers busy fishing below the Cowlitz Trout Hatchery. More than 4,700 cutthroat had returned to the salmon and trout hatcheries through Nov. 5, and more are still on the way.

The fishery below the trout hatchery is ideal for anglers who permanently use a wheelchair, because Tacoma Power built a fishing site specially for them at the hatchery outfall. The daily trout limit is five fish per day, with a minimum length of 12 inches. Most returning fish average 14 inches, Hymer said.

Anglers are still reeling in some legal-size sturgeon from the Wauna power lines upstream to Bonneville Dam, but the fishery - like the water temperature - is starting to cool down. Hymer suspects the action will shift to the area around the Willamette River, where higher water temperatures are more inviting to chilled sturgeon.

In October, anglers made 16,000 fishing trips to catch Columbia River white sturgeon and took home 3,000 legal-size fish, Hymer said.

Hunting: The general elk-hunting season for hunters using modern firearms is over for another year, but several other big-game hunts are coming right up. The late-buck season runs Nov. 13-16 for hunters using modern firearms, followed by deer and elk seasons for archers and muzzleloaders starting Nov. 19.

Although the late-buck season is only four days long, it usually accounts for about a third of all the deer taken each year by hunters in the region, said Jerry Nelson, WDFW wildlife biologist. One reason is that is that bucks are more active, both because temperatures have dropped and because the late season takes place near the end of the rut, he said. Another is that, by now, autumn winds have blown down a lot of leaves that make deer harder to spot during the early season.

“Recent wind and rain should help improve conditions for the late-buck season,” Nelson said. “This is definitely shaping up to be a good hunt.”

For information about hunting rules in specific game management units, hunters are advised to check the Big Game Hunting pamphlet, posted on WDFW’s website ( http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/game/hunter/hunter.htm ).

The general bear-hunting season ends Nov. 15, while the hunt for cougar without the use of dogs will continue through March 15 in most counties. But in Klickitat County, cougar hunting will be restricted to muzzleloaders and archers Nov. 20-30 under rules adopted after the Big Game Hunting pamphlet was printed. That change is designed to accommodate a new pilot hunt for cougars with the aid of dogs set to start Dec. 1.

Meanwhile, goose hunting is open throughout the region, where numbers of waterfowl continue to grow as more birds move in from the north. As in past years, hunting in Goose Management Area 2A (Wahkiakum, Cowlitz and part of Clark County) is restricted to hunters who have successfully completed a goose-identification test administered by WDFW. Hunting in most sections of Area 2A is limited to Saturdays, Sundays and Wednesdays only. The exception is the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, where goose hunting opens Nov. 13 and is restricted to Thursdays, Saturdays and Tuesdays.

Those interested in hunting geese at the Ridgefield refuge must reserve a blind through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. For information, see the agency’s website at http://www.fws.gov/ridgefieldrefuges/RNWRHuntAppInstruct.htm . For information about hunting rules in all areas, see WDFW’s Migratory Waterfowl and Upland Game pamphlet ( http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/game/water/water.htm ).

Wildlife viewing: Migrating waterfowl are now reaching peak level

Hunters, Be Sure It’s a Deer in Your Gun Sights and Not A Protected Animal

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