HOOK AND FUR By Bob Brown With a new year upon us, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife is not promising sportsmen a rose garden in 2016, but is promising sportsmen that it will do its best to maintain and create fishing and hunting opportunities wherever possible. In short, sportsmen can expect seasons to be similar to that of last year. In the meantime, the department (WDFW) is reminding that the start of the new year is a great time to hunt waterfowl, fish for steelhead, and enjoy the annual phenomenon of bald eagles, snow geese, elk, big-horn sheep and other wintering wildlife. Also, as a safety precaution, the department recommends checking weather, river and road conditions before heading out GÇô and, as an additional safety precaution, make sure people know where you are going and when to expect your return. What's on the outdoor agenda this month? " Waterfowl hunting. Winter storms are good news (up to a point) for waterfowl hunters who welcome a surge of ducks and geese that arrive with the blustery weather. Success rates for waterfowl hunters usually improve with the arrival of winter storms. " Steelheading. Fishing for hatchery steelhead continues on several rivers on both sides of the Cascades " Blackmouth salmon. Several marine areas of Puget Sound are open to blackmouth fishing, including the San Juan Islands, which traditionally reward fishers with some of the highest catches during winter months. " Puget Sound squid. Winter is the prime time. Good spots include the Elliott Bay Pier in Seattle and the Edmonds Pier. " Whitefish. Anglers can catch and keep up to 15 whitefish from several rivers in the Columbia River Basin. Details about these and other recreational opportunities available over the next month are posted on WDFW's website. The online Weekender report has been recently reformatted to make it easier to find out about the full range of outdoor activities coming up around the state.
Sick birds reported
Backyard bird feeding enthusiasts in western Washington who are seeing sick or dead birds should take feeders down, at least temporarily. In late December, WDFW's dead bird reporting hotline (1-800-606-8768) started recording many calls about pine siskin finch with classic salmonella symptoms at or near backyard feeding stations in western Washington. Salmonellas is a bacterial disease whose symptoms are often not seen, but birds may be lethargic with feathers fluffed. Outbreaks cause multiple deaths at feeders until they are removed for a while and thoroughly cleaned and disinfected before being set up again. More information is on WDFW's website.
Bob Brown, a freelance outdoors writer, can be contacted at robertb1285@centurylink.net.
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