HOOK AND FUR By Bob Brown American clergyman Calvin Ellis Stowe (1802-1845) said common sense is the knack of seeing things as they are, and doing things as they ought to be done. With our current unusual dry conditions and the risk of wildfires, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is not leaving Stowe's rumination to chance, and has placed fire restrictions on all agency-managed lands. The emergency order prohibits: 1. Fires or campfires. However, personal camp stoves or lanterns fueled by liquid petroleum, liquid petroleum gas or propane are allowed. 2. Smoking GÇô unless in an enclosed vehicle. 3. Target shooting, except at shooting ranges developed by WDFW. 4. Welding and the use of chainsaws and other equipment. Operating a torch with an open flame and equipment powered by an internal combustion engine is prohibited. 5. Operating a motor vehicle off developed roads GÇô except when parking in areas without vegetation within 10 feet of the roadway and parking in developed campgrounds and at trailheads. Bruce Bjork, chief of WDFW's enforcement program, said these restrictions are part of a larger effort by state, local and federal agencies to reduce the risk of further wildfires in Washington. That effort includes burn bans issued by most counties and for all forestland protected by the state Department of Natural Recourses. Firefighting crews are stretched thin with numerous wildfires burning in eastern Washington. So it is important that everyone take every possible precaution to avoid sparking another wildfire. The restrictions on WDFW-managed land will remain in effect until conditions improve and risk of wildfires decreases. Any updates will be posted on the WDFW web site. -á Fishing and hunting news " During July 29-Aug., 4 Tacoma Power employees recovered 315 summer steelhead, 140 chinook, nine jacks, 396 mini-jacks, three sockeye and one cutthroat during five days of operations at the Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery separator. They also released 74 spring chinook and eight jacks into the Cispus River above the mouth of Yellow Jacket Creek, and 773 chinook mini-jacks into Riffe Lake. -á " Marine Area 7 west is now open daily to fishing for sport shrimp seven days a week until Sept. 15. Please see pages 134-136 of the 2013-14 fishing rules pamphlet for details on pot mesh size rules, and descriptions of the shrimp species. -á "-áThe 2013-14 migratory waterfowl hunting season has been set. The general duck season will be open for 107 days, from Oct. 12 through Oct. 16 and from Oct. 19 through Jan. 28. A special youth hunting weekend will take place Sept. 21-22. WDFW staff members said surveys in the Pacific Flyway show duck populations are near long-term averages, while goose populations are generally at or above management goals. -á " Terry Rudnick, author and fishing guide, suggests one way to keep your tackle boxes and coolers from sliding all over the boat is to use Velcro. A short strip across the bottom of each box and cooler, with corresponding strips in appropriate places on the boat floor, should do the trick. That's a pretty slick idea.
Comments
Use the comment form below to begin a discussion about this content.
Sign in to comment