Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

SPOKANE, Washington --(Ammoland.com)- A draft plan for managing elk in northeast Washington will be the subject of three public meetings Jan. 26- Feb. 2.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is holding the meetings to discuss and take public comment on the plan, which has been revised in response to hunter input regarding elk numbers in northeast Washington.

The proposed elk management plan is referred to as the “Selkirk Elk Herd Plan” because it includes elk in the Selkirk Mountains of Pend Oreille County.

Under the plan, the elk are considered as two distinct sub-herds-the Pend Oreille sub-herd and the Spokane sub-herd. The plan covers elk management in Pend Oreille, Spokane, Stevens, Ferry, Lincoln, Whitman, and eastern Okanogan counties of northeast Washington (Game Management Units 101 – 142 and 204.)

The meetings will take place from 7-9 p.m., on the following schedule:

• Jan. 26, at the Okanogan County Public Utility District (PUD) #1 Main Office, 1331 2nd Ave. N., in Okanogan.
• Feb. 1, at Center Place, 2426 N. Discovery Place, in Spokane Valley.
• Feb. 2, at the Northeast Washington Fairgrounds Building, 317 W. Astor Ave. in Colville.

Sportsmen’s groups and others have long expressed an interest in elk numbers in some parts of northeast Washington, said Kevin Robinette, WDFW’s regional wildlife manager in Spokane.

“We have managed elk in this part of the state-where elk groups are small and scattered-with liberal hunting rules to keep elk numbers low and minimize agricultural damage,” Robinette said. “But we have heard from hunters that they want to see more elk.”

Robinette said game managers are trying to address hunters’ interest through the proposed plan, which should result in greater elk numbers by shifting from ‘any elk’ hunting seasons to restrictions on antlerless elk hunting in the Pend Oreille sub-herd areas, including units 101, 105, 108, 121 and 204.

“If agricultural damage problems should arise, we would address them through a variety of tools we use throughout the state,” Robinette said.

The draft plan is available for review at http://wdfw.wa.gov/publications/01350/ , where a link provides opportunity to submit comments through Feb. 10.

The elk plan must be finalized before changes in Selkirk elk hunting seasons and regulations could be made. The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission is scheduled to review proposed new hunt rules in March and to consider adoption in April. If adopted, those rules would become part of 2012-14 state hunting rules package.

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

OLYMPIA, Washington --(Ammoland.com)- The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) will accept enrollment applications for its Master Hunter Permit program from Jan. 1 through Feb. 15.

WDFW enlists master hunters for controlled hunts to remove problem animals that damage property or threaten public safety. Master hunters also participate in volunteer projects involving access to private lands, habitat enhancement, and landowner relations.

To qualify for the program, applicants must demonstrate a high level of hunting skill and demonstrate a commitment to lawful and ethical hunting practices, said Sgt. Carl Klein, manager of the WDFW Hunter Education Division.

“This program was designed to create a pool of highly qualified hunters who can help the department manage wildlife in sensitive situations,” Klein said. “This is a great opportunity for conscientious, committed hunters to assume a leadership role among their peers.”

Hunters enrolling in the program must pay a non-refundable $50 application fee, pass a criminal background check, pass a written exam and meet other qualifications described on the Master Hunter website ( http://wdfw.wa.gov/hunting/masterhunter/ ). The application form is also available on that website.

Klein encourages hunters who enroll in the program to prepare thoroughly for the written test, because applicants are allowed only one chance to re-take the exam.

Those who successfully complete the enrollment process will receive a master hunter patch and identification card, and will be eligible to participate in depredation hunts.

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

Washington --(Ammoland.com)- OLYMPIA-Larry Carpenter, a Mount Vernon boat dealer and long-time sportfishing enthusiast, and Jay Kehne, an Okanogan County conservationist and hunter, have been appointed by Gov. Chris Gregoire to two vacant positions on the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission.

The commission is a nine-member citizen panel that sets policy for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. Members are appointed by the governor to six-year terms. The commission holds public meetings that provide an opportunity for citizens to participate in management of Washington’s fish and wildlife. Three members must reside east of the summit of the Cascade mountains, three must reside west of the summit and three may reside anywhere in the state.

“We’re extremely pleased to welcome these great additions to the commission,” said Miranda Wecker, commission chair. “These are two strong individuals and we are looking forward to seeing their perspectives brought to the table.”

Carpenter, appointed to a western Washington position on the commission, is owner of Master Marine Services, Inc., in Mount Vernon. He also serves on the Southern Panel of the Pacific Salmon Commission, the body formed by Canada and the United States to implement the Pacific Salmon Treaty. He has been a long-time, active participant in the North of Falcon process, which is used to plan annual salmon-fishing seasons. Carpenter, who resides in Mount Vernon with his wife, Eileen, also has been a member of the Northwest Marine Trade Association’s Fish Committee, which works to increase sportfishing opportunities and participation in the Northwest.

Kehne, appointed to an eastern Washington position on the commission, serves as Okanogan outreach associate for Conservation Northwest. He previously had 31-year career with the U. S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, including serving as resource conservation and development coordinator for Chelan, Douglas and Okanogan counties and providing conservation assistance to farmers, ranchers and other landowners. He has collaborated on an Okanogan County conservation-easement working group with county officials, land trusts and WDFW staff. Kehne, a member of both the Rocky Mountain Elk and Mule Deer foundations, lives in Omak with his wife Rita and two children.

The commission’s next meeting is scheduled Jan 6-7 at the Natural Resources Building in Olympia. For more information on the commission visit http://wdfw.wa.gov/commission/ .

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

Washington --(Ammoland.com)- There’s more than one way to put a turkey on your table for Thanksgiving. As the holiday draws near, thousands of hunters are looking forward to the wild turkey season that gets under way Nov. 20 in northeastern Washington.

Then again, who says turkey has to be the center of attention on Thanksgiving Day? November is also prime time to hunt ducks, geese, elk, deer, pheasant, forest grouse and a variety of other game species around the state.

“Waterfowl hunting usually picks up around the middle of the month, when the wet and windy weather starts pushing more migrating birds into the area from the north,” said Don Kraege, waterfowl manager for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW). “That’s good news for waterfowl hunters from the Skagit Valley to the Columbia Basin.”

For anglers, Thanksgiving traditionally marks the start of winter steelhead fishing in western Washington, where anglers can also reel in coho and chum salmon moving in from the ocean. On the eastside, fly fishers are flocking to a hot catch-and-release steelhead fishery on the Grand Ronde River, where anglers can retain up to three marked hatchery fish per day on the lower river starting Nov. 1.

Rather serve shellfish? Seven areas of Puget Sound are currently open for crab fishing, and two more – marine areas 11 (Tacoma) and 13 (South Puget Sound) – are scheduled to reopen Nov. 21.

In addition, four ocean beaches – Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis and Mocrocks – will open Oct. 28-29 after noon each day for the first razor clam dig of the season. Pending the results of marine toxin tests, additional digs are tentatively scheduled Nov. 11-12 and Nov. 25-26, providing plenty of opportunities to put clams on the table for the holiday.

For more information about fishing, hunting and wildlife viewing available over the next month, see the Weekender Regional Reports posted on WDFW’s website at http://wdfw.wa.gov/weekender/ . These reports are updated throughout the month to provide current information about recreational opportunities around the state.

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

OLYMPIA, Washington --(Ammoland.com)- The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission will discuss the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife’s (WDFW) recommended Wolf Conservation and Management Plan during a special meeting Oct. 6 in Olympia.

The special meeting will be followed by a two-day meeting Oct 7-8, when the commission will receive briefings on issues including the status of north coast steelhead stocks and population goals for deer, elk and other ungulates.

The special meeting, the second of three scheduled on the recommended Wolf Conservation and Management Plan and final Environmental Impact Statement, will begin Oct. 6 at 9 a.m. in Room 172 on the first floor of the Natural Resources Building, 1111 Washington St. S.E. The commission will meet at the same location Oct. 7-8, beginning at 8:30 a.m. both days.

The commission, which sets policy for WDFW, will accept public comments at designated times during both meetings. Agendas for those meetings are available on the commission’s website at http://wdfw.wa.gov/commission/meetings.html .

During the special meeting Oct. 6, the commission will resume its discussion on the recommended Wolf Conservation and Management Plan, focusing on wolves’ interaction with livestock and ungulates.

The recommended plan, designed to guide state management as wolves re-establish a sustainable breeding population in the state, was developed after a scientific peer review and extensive public review that drew nearly 65,000 responses.

The plan, posted online at http://wdfw.wa.gov/conservation/gray_wolf/ , includes recovery objectives that would allow the state to eventually remove wolves from protection lists. The commission has scheduled the third of three special meetings on WDFW’s recommended plan Nov. 3 in Olympia.

The commission is expected to take action on the plan in December.

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

OLYMPIA, Washington --(Ammoland.com)- More private landowners in eastern Washington will have an incentive to open their lands to fishing and hunting, thanks to a new federal grant of nearly $1 million to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW).

The new grant, authorized by the federal Farm Bill, is the second awarded to WDFW in as many years by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Last year, WDFW received $1.5 million to increase recreational access to private lands around the state.

“Hunters and fishers consistently rank access to the land and water as one of their top concerns,” said Nate Pamplin, assistant director of the WDFW wildlife program. “This new funding will bolster current state efforts to expand recreational opportunities in our state for years to come.”

Don Larsen, WDFW private lands coordinator, said the new $993,231 grant will be used in three ways:

• Provide incentives to private landowners to allow hunting on forested properties in Kittitas, Klickitat, Pend Oreille, Spokane, Stevens and Yakima counties.
• Work with landowners in Columbia, Garfield, Lincoln, Walla Walla and Whitman counties to improve habitat enrolled in both the federal Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) and WDFW access programs.
• Initiate a “Feel Free to Fish” program in southeast Washington, paying private landowners for shoreline access to river fisheries.

Washington was one of 11 states to receive grant funding in this second year of the Farm Bill’s Voluntary Public Access (VPA) and Habitat Incentive Program (HIP), administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

“This federal and state partnership with private landowners creates recreational opportunities for the public that might not exist otherwise,” said Judy Olson, state executive director for the USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA), which administers the federal grants. “This access program is one of the ways the Farm Bill benefits more than just farmers.”

Through July 21, the USDA is accepting public comments on its finding that WDFW’s plan for using the $1.5 million awarded last year would not have a significant effect on the environment. The federal findings, consistent with the National Environmental Policy Act, are posted on the Internet at http://bit.ly/mpufNQ , along with information on submitting public comments.

“We look forward to working cooperatively with private landowners to expand fishing, hunting and wildlife-viewing opportunities on private lands,” Pamplin said. “Once we get final approval from USDA, we plan to sign up as many suitable properties as possible in time for the fall hunting season.”

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

Washington --(Ammoland.com)- Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) officers are searching for a black bear reported to have attacked a female jogger northeast of Colville yesterday.

According to the Stevens County Sheriff’s Office, a 36-year-old woman was attacked by a black bear while she was jogging in the late morning on a trail between Thomas and Gillette lakes, 17 miles northeast of Colville on the Colville National Forest. She dropped to the ground into a protective fetal position and the bear batted at her and then left the area. Later in the day she was treated and released at Mount Carmel Hospital in Colville.

Today WDFW officials were notified of the incident by the Sheriff’s office. WDFW enforcement officers are working with U.S. Forest Service (USFS) staff to investigate the scene of the incident, place bear traps and possibly use dogs to find the bear. USFS campgrounds are maintained at Thomas and Gillette lakes.

WDFW Enforcement Capt. Chris Anderson said that because of the time that has elapsed since the attack, finding the bear may be difficult. If officers find the bear and determine that it was the animal involved in the attack, the bear will be euthanized, according to WDFW policy.

There have been five other bear attacks on humans and one reported fatality in Washington, according to historical records. Last September a man was seriously injured by a bear near Lake Wenatchee.

Washington’s black bear population is estimated at 25,000 to 30,000 animals. WDFW receives an average of about 417 black bear complaints annually, ranging from glimpses of bears to encounters. Black bears are classified as a game species and may be harvested during prescribed hunting seasons by licensed hunters who have purchased bear tags.

Typically, black bears avoid people but can pose a safety risk if they become habituated to human food sources. Bears become overly familiar with humans if they are fed or find unsecured garbage, bird seed, pet food, windfall fruit or compost piles.

WDFW officials offer the following advice to minimize the risk of injury if a bear is encountered in the wild:

Don’t run. Pick up small children, stand tall, wave your arms above your head and shout.
Do not approach the animal and be sure to leave it an escape route. Try to get upwind of the bear so that it can identify you as a human and leave the area.
Don’t look the bear directly in the eye, as the animal may interpret this as a sign of aggression.
If the animal does attack, fight back aggressively

Problem bear encounters may be reported to local WDFW regional offices, or WDFW’s dangerous wildlife reporting line, 1-877-933-9847. In an emergency, dial 911.

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

OLYMPIA, Washington --(Ammoland.com)- Although wolves have been removed from federal Endangered Species Act (ESA) protection in the eastern third of Washington state, they remain protected as a state endangered species throughout Washington.

Under Congressional direction that prevents any judicial review, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) has removed the northern Rocky Mountain population of gray wolves from federal endangered status. The action affects wolves in Montana, Idaho, the eastern third of Oregon and Washington and a small area of north central Utah.

The federal de-listing covers eastern Washington east of State Route 97 from the Canadian border to Highway 17, east of Highway 17 to State Route 395, and east of State Route 395 to the Oregon border. That federal de-listing boundary was based on the anticipated dispersal of wolves from recovered populations in the other states.

Wolves are still state-listed as endangered in Washington because their numbers are low and they do not inhabit most of their historic range, according to Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) biologists. The state population is estimated at two dozen wolves, with only a couple of successful breeding pairs or packs with pups documented to date.

Wolves remain federally listed as an endangered species in the western two-thirds of the state.

“The federal de-listing means that in the eastern third of Washington, the state is the lead for wolf management, including response to reports of suspected wolf depredation of livestock,” said Harriet Allen, WDFW’s manager of threatened and endangered species.

Under state law (RCW 17.15.120) it is illegal to kill, harm or harass endangered species, including the gray wolf.

WDFW has collaborated with USFWS and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services to develop wolf response guidelines that address wolf/human conflict issues such as livestock depredation. The guidelines are posted on WDFW’s website at www.wdfw.wa.gov/conservation/gray_wolf/contacts.html#guidelines .

In the western portion of the state where wolves remain federally listed, USFWS has the lead for wolf management.

The recent federal delisting action does not impact the timeline of WDFW’s Draft Wolf Conservation and Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).

The state plan has been under development with a 17-citizen Wolf Working Group since 2007. Plan development included public scoping and a public comment period on draft alternatives. WDFW staff members are currently incorporating public comments into the draft plan. The draft plan is scheduled to be reviewed with the Wolf Working Group in June, and is scheduled to be presented to the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission in August. Commission review and action on a final plan are anticipated by the end of this year.

Information about wolves, including wolf-livestock conflict prevention and suspected wolf depredation reporting, is available on WDFW’s website at www.wdfw.wa.gov/conservation/gray_wolf/ . Reports of wolf sightings can be made on the wolf reporting hotline at 1(888)584-9038.

After being extirpated as a breeding species in the 1930′s, wolves have been naturally returning to Washington over a period of years. The first documented breeding pair was confirmed in western Okanogan County in 2008. A second pair with pups was confirmed in Pend Oreille County in 2009. WDFW biologists continue field work to document the presence of other possible breeding pairs.

Sage Grouse

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

Washington --(Ammoland.com)- Low populations of two bird species native to eastern Washington’s shrub-steppe habitat got a boost this spring with relocation efforts by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW).

Greater sage grouse and Columbian sharp-tailed grouse, both listed by the state for protection as threatened species, were relocated to WDFW’s Swanson Lakes Wildlife Area in Lincoln County. Each relocated grouse is equipped with radio-telemetry that enables biologists to monitor their survival and movements.

Thirty-seven sage grouse captured from healthy populations near Vale, Ore., were released on the wildlife area in late March. It was the fifth such release since 2008 on the state wildlife area and adjacent U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) shrub-steppe habitat south of Creston.

Twenty sharp-tailed grouse captured from healthy populations near Burley, Idaho, were released on another part of the wildlife area in late April. It was the seventh such release since 2005.

WDFW Wildlife Biologist Mike Atamian of Spokane reported that some of the released male sage grouse almost immediately joined other resident males on a lek, a group mating dance ground where males vie to breed with females.

“We capture and relocate both these shrub-steppe species at this time of year to take advantage of their focus on mating,” Atamian said. “It increases the chance of them adapting to their new home.”

Sage grouse are the largest native grouse, at nearly two-feet long and about four pounds in weight. Sharp-tailed grouse are roughly half that size. Both species historically numbered in the tens of thousands and ranged throughout eastern Washington shrub-steppe and Palouse grasslands.

Grouse range and numbers have been greatly reduced by removal of native vegetation and other disturbances, leaving only remnant populations of sharp-tailed grouse in Douglas, Lincoln and Okanogan counties and sage grouse primarily in Yakima and Douglas counties. Both species were listed by the state as threatened in 1998 and have been federal species of concern since 2001.

The state population of sage grouse is estimated to be just under 1,200 birds; sharp-tailed grouse are estimated at just over 800 birds. WDFW recovery plans call for restoring habitat and continuing relocation efforts until populations of about 3,200 birds of each species can be sustained.

Cooperators in Washington grouse recovery include the BLM, the Oregon Department Fish and Wildlife, the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, Washington State University, Colville Confederated Tribes, and multiple volunteers. Relocation and monitoring efforts are funded by federal grants through BLM and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Black Bears

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

OLYMPIA, Washington --(Ammoland.com)- Hunters may now purchase and submit applications for a 2011 spring black bear hunting permit, applicable to specific areas of western and eastern Washington.

To be eligible for a permit, hunters must purchase and submit an application to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) by midnight March 10.

A drawing will be held in mid-March for 370 permits in western Washington and 209 permits for hunts east of the Cascades. Permit winners will receive notification in the mail by March 31. Applicants may also check the results of the drawing at http://wdfw.wa.gov/hunting on the WDFW website.

To apply for a permit, hunters must purchase a special permit application and a 2011 hunting license that includes bear as a species option. Hunting licenses, bear transport tags and bear permit applications may be purchased online at https://fishhunt.dfw.wa.gov/ , by calling (866) 246-9453, or at any license vendor in the state.

Special permit applications, which require a correct hunt choice number, may be submitted online at https://fishhunt.dfw.wa.gov/ , or by calling (877) 945-3492.

Hunters interested in hunting on the Kapowsin Tree Farm should contact the tree farm before submitting an application to find out what areas are open. Those selected for the Kapowsin Tree Farm hunt must then purchase an access permit from Hancock Forest Management by calling (800) 782-1493.

Hunters selected for the Copalis hunt must obtain a Recreational Use Permit and should contact Rayonier at (360) 533-7000 during regular business hours.

More information on hunts scheduled on both sides of the state is available on page 61 in the 2010 Big Game Hunting Rules pamphlet ( http://wdfw.wa.gov/hunting/regulations ).

Any legal weapon used during the modern firearm, archery or muzzleloader seasons can be used for spring black bear hunts. Bait or hounds are not allowed for bear hunting.

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

OLYMPIA, Washington --(Ammoland.com)- The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission will accept public comments on big-game hunting seasons and other issues during its March 4-5 meeting in Spokane.

The commission, which sets policy for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), will convene at 8:30 a.m. both days in Room 206 A/B on the second floor of the Spokane Convention Center, 334 W. Spokane Falls Blvd.

A complete meeting agenda is available on the commission’s website at www.wdfw.wa.gov/commission/meetings.html .

On March 4, the commission will consider approval of land transactions and amendments to Puget Sound recreational clam and oyster seasons. The commission will also be briefed and take public comment on:

• Bald eagle protection rule amendments.
• Landowner hunting permits to increase access for deer and elk hunters to private lands in Asotin County.
• Public-conduct rules on private lands open for hunting under cooperative agreements.

On March 5, the commission will be briefed and take public input on 2011-12 big-game hunting seasons and game management unit boundaries. The proposed changes include:

• Increasing spring black bear hunting by permit in western and northeast Washington to help reduce timber damage bear nuisance activity.
• Adjusting moose and bighorn sheep hunting permits and maintaining mountain goat hunting permit levels.
• Simplifying Game Management Unit boundary descriptions for deer and elk hunting.
• Adjusting elk and deer special-permit levels.

Several proposals would modify hunting rules in northeast Washington for white-tailed deer to address population declines from recent harsh winters. WDFW has proposed reducing antlerless deer hunting in the region, while maintaining some hunting opportunities for youth, senior and disabled hunters.

In addition, the commission will consider whether to adopt a proposal to impose antler-point restrictions in some units or maintain the status quo.

Details on proposals are available on the commission website at Game Regulations for 2011.

The commission is scheduled to consider adoption of 2011-12 hunting seasons at its April 8-9 meeting in Olympia.

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

OLYMPIA, Washington --(Ammoland.com)- A Fish and Wildlife Police officer for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) who stared down a gunman and alerted his partner to impending danger has been named Officer of the Year by the Washington Council of Police & Sheriffs.

WDFW Police Officer Chad McGary, 28, of Othello, received the award Wednesday (Feb. 2) at a ceremony attended by Gov. Chris Gregoire, WDFW Director Phil Anderson, and other law enforcement officers.

The statewide council recognized McGary for his “bravery and heroism” during an incident last July, a year after he had joined WDFW as a fish and wildlife police officer. He had previously served for three years as a police officer in Royal City.

McGary and his supervisor, Capt. Chris Anderson, were patrolling the banks of Crab Creek near Mattawa when 18-year-old Garcia Miraz allegedly pulled a handgun on McGary during a fishing-license check.

Officer McGary reasoned with the man and refused to hand over his own pistol, even when the man’s father showed up brandishing a five-inch fillet knife.

“I just had a feeling that it would be all over if I gave up my gun,” said McGary, who instead threw it into a thicket. After warning the two men that his captain was nearby, McGary eventually convinced the younger man to get in his car and leave.

That’s when Officer McGary used his radio to call Capt. Anderson, who chased the younger man in his patrol vehicle and apprehended him after an exchange of gunfire.

Miraz was charged with attempted murder, and is scheduled to appear in Grant County Superior Court next week. His father pleaded no contest to a charge of second-degree assault, and was sentenced to five months in jail and deported.

“Officer McGary kept his wits about him and succeeded in turning a bad situation around,” said Bruce Bjork, WDFW Chief of Enforcement, who nominated him for the award. “Intelligence and courage are qualities we look for in all of our officers.”

The Washington Council of Police & Sheriffs is a statewide organization that represents 5,000 law enforcement professionals.

WDFW officers are general authority police, who regularly enforce all state laws while protecting Washington natural resources

Officer McGary lives in Othello with his wife, Jande, and their three children.

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

Washington --(Ammoland.com)- Some of Washington’s most popular hunting seasons will get under way Oct. 16, when hunters will take to the field for ducks, geese, deer and elk.

Other hunting seasons opening this month include those for pheasant, quail, chukar and gray partridge.

Big game populations have benefitted from a mild winter, and recent rainfall should also improve hunters’ success in the field, said Dave Ware, game manager for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW).

“Fall hunting seasons generally look very promising,” said Ware. “All we need now is a little more wind to knock more leaves off the trees for better visibility.”

All hunters must carry a valid 2010-11 hunting license for the species they are hunting. Detailed information on upcoming hunting seasons is available in WDFW’s Big Game Hunting pamphlet and the Waterfowl and Upland Game Regulation pamphlet, both available online at http://wdfw.wa.gov/hunting/regulations/ .

For more information on these and other fishing, hunting and wildlife-viewing opportunities available in the next few weeks, see the regional reports below:

Hunting: The region’s popular waterfowl hunting season gets under way in mid-October. The duck season will be open from Oct. 16 through Oct. 20, and then re-open again Oct. 23. Goose hunts will be open Oct. 16 through Oct. 28 in the region, and then start again Nov. 6. However, snow, Ross and blue geese seasons in Goose Management Area 1 (Skagit and Snohomish counties) will run from Oct. 16 through Jan. 30 without a break.

Hunters who would like to participate in the Snow Goose Quality Hunt program on Fir Island and in the northern Port Susan Bay area should visit WDFW’s website at http://wdfw.wa.gov/hunting/snow_goose/ for information on the rules and requirements.

Meanwhile, the muzzleloader-only season for deer runs through Oct. 3, while the cougar hunt is open through Oct. 15. Beginning Oct. 2, muzzleloaders can go afield for elk . The modern firearm season for deer gets under way Oct. 16, when hunters using any weapon can go afield for cougar.

Hunting seasons are under way in the region for bear and grouse , while the California quail, bobwhite and pheasant seasons get started Oct. 2.

Before heading out, hunters should check the Big Game Hunting pamphlet and the Waterfowl and Upland Game pamphlet online at http://wdfw.wa.gov/hunting/regulations/ for details. Also, area-by-area summaries of the hunting prospects throughout the state are available on WDFW’s website at http://wdfw.wa.gov/hunting/prospects/ .

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

Washington --(Ammoland.com)- A gray wolf pup recently trapped and radio-collared near the Canadian border in northeast Washington indicates the state may be home to a third breeding wolf pack.

A wolf specialist hired by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) caught the 50-pound young wolf earlier this month in northern Pend Oreille County, just south of the Canadian border. Attempts are under way to locate and radio-collar adult wolves in the area.

The presence of the pup, and photos of other wolves captured on a remote camera in the area, indicate there is a pack in the area, said Harriet Allen, who heads WDFW’s endangered-species section.

“We don’t know at this point whether the den where the pup was born was in Washington or British Columbia,” Allen said.

“We plan to monitor the pack next spring to determine the den location. If the den is in Washington, the pack can be considered a Washington pack; if the den is in British Columbia, it is a Canadian pack. Our Canadian colleagues are aware of wolf activity in that area, and will assist with monitoring on their side of the border.”

A successful breeding wolf pack is documented by locating a breeding pair of adults with two or more pups that survive until Dec. 31, Allen said.

Washington’s first documented wolf pack was found in July 2008 in western Okanogan County. By December 2009 that pack, named the “Lookout Pack,” included seven animals-two adults, a 2-year-old wolf and four pups born in 2009.

“The status of the Lookout Pack is uncertain at this time,” Allen said, adding that WDFW has been unable to locate the female wolf since mid-May. The male is still being monitored and no new pups have been found.

Gray Wolf - Canis lupus Photo by Gary Kramer, USFWS

Washington’s second documented wolf pack was found in July 2009 farther south in Pend Oreille County. Two adult wolves in that pack produced six pups in 2009 and six this year. At least four of the pups born in 2009 survived until the end of the year. The pack moves between Washington and Idaho.

Allen said there also may be a wolf pack in the Wenaha-Tucannon Wilderness Area of the Umatilla National Forest in southeast Washington, although wolves have not yet been confirmed there. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife radio-collared a yearling wolf south of the area in Oregon earlier this year.

“We know from reports that individual wolves have been roaming in and out of the state in various locations for years,” Allen said, “but documenting and maintaining packs as successful breeding pairs is necessary achieve conservation objectives and move toward eventual removal of the gray wolf from state and federal endangered-species lists.”

The gray wolf (Canis lupus) was eliminated from Washington as a reproducing species by the 1930s as a result of trapping, shooting and poisoning, and later was listed for both federal and state protection as an endangered species.

Gray wolf populations in nearby Idaho, Montana and Wyoming have rebounded in recent years as a result of federal recovery efforts in the northern Rocky Mountains. In 2009 gray wolves were removed from the federal endangered-species list in those areas and the eastern third of Washington, but earlier this year a court decision returned them to federal endangered status.

Since 2007, WDFW has been drafting a gray wolf conservation and management plan with a 17-member citizen working group composed of ranchers, hunters, conservationists and others. Public review and scientific peer review of the draft environmental impact statement and plan was conducted last year and earlier this year. WDFW is currently addressing the public and scientific comments on the draft plan, to develop a second draft for review with the working group. A final Environmental Impact Statement and recommended plan is scheduled to be presented to the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission for review next year.

• More information about wolves and the WDFW plan process is available at http://wdfw.wa.gov/conservation/gray_wolf/ .
• Reports of possible wolf sighting or activity can be made through a toll-free wolf reporting hotline at 1-888-584-9038.

Those with concerns about possible wolf-caused livestock depredation should contact the USDA Wildlife Services office in Olympia at (360) 753-9884 or the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service office in Wenatchee at (509) 665-3508.

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

OLYMPIA, Wa --(Ammoland.com)- Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) offices will be closed Friday, Aug. 6, for the second of 10 statewide, unpaid, employee-layoff days.

During the layoff day, WDFW wildlife areas and water-access sites will remain open for public use, but WDFW hatcheries will not be open to the public. Fishing and hunting licenses may be purchased online at https://fishhunt.dfw.wa.gov/ and at retail vendors.

The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission – a nine-member citizen panel that sets policy for WDFW – will hold its scheduled public meeting Aug. 5-7 in Room 172 of the Natural Resource Building in Olympia. A small number of essential WDFW staff will work during the Aug. 6 portion of the commission meeting, and will take a later, alternate, temporary layoff day.

The statewide, temporary layoffs are mandated by ESSB 6503 ( http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/summary.aspx?bill=6503 ), adopted by the 2010 Legislature to help balance the state budget in the face of a revenue shortfall.

WDFW enforcement officers are exempt from the temporary layoffs under the law. WDFW also has exempted fish counters who distinguish various species of salmon as they move past Columbia River hydropower dams. The federally required and federally funded fish counting must be conducted consistently as salmon pass the dams. Certain WDFW employees who feed animals or perform other tasks critical to resource management will take alternate temporary layoff days.

Other upcoming 2010 state employee temporary layoff dates are Tuesday, Sept. 7; Monday, Oct. 11; and Monday, Dec. 27. In 2011, scheduled temporary layoff dates are Friday, Jan. 28; Tuesday, Feb. 22; Friday, March 11; Friday, April 22; and Friday June 10. The first employee layoff day was July 12.

More information on statewide office closures associated with the temporary layoff is available at http://www.ofm.wa.gov/layoff/default.asp .

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

OLYMPIA, Wa --(Ammoland.com)- Hunters who submitted applications for 2010 special-hunt permits can check the results of this year’s drawing on the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) website.

The results of the random, computerized drawing were verified June 18 and are now available for viewing at https://fishhunt.dfw.wa.gov/wa/specialhuntlookup .

This year’s application forms included a range of new hunting options for deer, elk, moose and big-horn sheep, said Dave Ware, WDFW game division manager. Also, for the first time, hunters were allowed to submit applications in multiple categories, boosting the total number of applications received.

In response to those changes, hunters submitted 230,000 applications for special permits this year, up from the 125,000 last year. Revenues generated by application fees also increased, rising from $654,000 in 2009 to $1.1 million this year.

“All of those additional revenues will be used to increase hunter access to private lands and improve habitat for game animals,” Ware said. “We’ve already started working with landowners around the state to achieve those goals.”

Holders of the special permits can hunt at times and locations beyond those authorized by a general hunting license.

WDFW is notifying applicants about the results of the drawing by email and postal mail, and has posted the results on its website. Successful applicants will receive their special hunt permits by mail by mid-July.

For more information on special hunt permits, see the WDFW Big Game Hunting regulations pamphlet at http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/game/hunter/hunter.htm .

Public Comments Sought On Draft Columbian Sharp-Tailed Grouse Recovery Plan

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

Washington --(Ammoland.com)- The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is seeking public comment on a draft recovery plan for the Columbian sharp-tailed grouse.

In 1998, WDFW wrote a status report on the bird that led to it being listed by the state as a threatened species. This is the state’s first recovery plan for the sharp-tailed grouse. Such plans are required for species listed as threatened or endangered.

The draft plan can be viewed and downloaded from WDFW’s website at http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/diversty/soc/recovery/sharptailed_grouse/ .

Copies of the plan are available at WDFW regional offices, or by calling the department’s Wildlife Program at 360-902-2515. A copy can also be requested by sending an email to wildthing@dfw.wa.gov .

The department will take public comments on the plan through Sept. 7 of this year. Comments may be submitted by email to TandE-wildlife@dfw.wa.gov or sent by U.S. Mail to:

Columbian sharp-tailed grouse are native to eastern Washington and Oregon, portions of Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado and Utah, and southern British Columbia east of the Cascades. They once resided in large numbers in areas such as the Palouse. Their numbers have been in steady decline, and in Washington now reside in seven small, isolated populations scattered in the northcentral portion of the state. Last year the estimated breeding population was 712 birds, down from approximately 5,000 birds in 1970. Biologists believe the primary reason for their decline is the loss of habitat.

The goal of the draft recovery plan is to restore ample habitat to support a population of approximately 3,200 birds for a 10-year period. WDFW wildlife biologist Derek Stinson said that restoring and sustaining a population of that size would eventually allow the state to remove the birds from its list of threatened species.

One challenge facing recovery is that grouse need a varied habitat in close proximity.

“Good habitat has both grassland for nesting and deciduous trees and shrubs with buds or berries for winter foraging,” said Stinson, who co-authored the recovery plan. “Ideally, all of that should be within a few kilometers. Unfortunately, that’s not the case. Currently, sharp-tailed grouse have to travel up to 20 kilometers in search of habitat that meets their seasonal needs for cover, protection from predators, brood rearing and food.”

Stinson said that private landowners, government and non-government agencies and tribes will need to work together to assemble and restore the contiguous acres of grasslands, shrub steppe and riparian winter habitat the birds need to survive.

One tool the state will rely on is funds provided through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). A sub-program of CRP, State Acres For Wildlife Enhancement, provides incentive payments to private landowners in Douglas County who establish and maintain perennial vegetation on cropland to provide habitat for sage grouse and sharp-tailed grouse.

Currently 800,000 acres in Washington are under contract with funds from the CRP. Many of those contracts are set to expire in the next few years, and biologists fear they won’t be renewed if commodity prices increase.

After reviewing public comments, and making any needed revisions, WDFW expects to finalize the recovery plan by the end of this year.

Photos and videos of sharp-tailed grouse, and examples of their habitat can be viewed at http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/diversty/soc/recovery/sharptailed_grouse/ .

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

OLYMPIA, WA --(Ammoland.com)- The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission will consider adopting changes to this year’s hunting seasons and special-hunt permit drawings during a public meeting April 9-10 in Leavenworth.

The nine-member citizen commission will also accept public comments on proposed new rules designed to address property damage and other concerns related to wildlife.

The meeting starts at 8:30 a.m. both days at the Best Western Icicle Inn, 505 State Route 2, in Leavenworth. An agenda is available on the commission’s webpage at http://wdfw.wa.gov/commission/meetings.html

The commission, which sets policy for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), heard public comments on the proposed changes to hunting rules and special hunting permit drawings at its March 12-13 meeting in Olympia. Those proposals are available under WAC 232-28-291 on the WDFW website at http://bit.ly/d3a41n .

Dave Ware, WDFW game manager, said the new hunting rules proposed for 2010 reflect changes in state game populations observed since the current three-year hunting plan was adopted last year. The proposed rules include a combination of new conservation measures and hunting opportunities for species such as deer, elk, moose, bighorn sheep, mountain goats, black bear, cougar and small game.

The commission also will consider a new approach for conducting drawings for special-hunt permits, which provide additional hunting options beyond those authorized by a general hunting license. The new approach proposed by WDFW would create separate applications for several categories of deer and elk permits, giving hunters more options in applying for permits, Ware said.

Under that proposal, “points” accrued by hunters toward special permits in previous years would be applied to each of the new permit categories created under the new plan.

In other matters, the commission will accept public comments on a proposal to help address property damage and other conflicts with wildlife, and consider approving easements and acquisitions of properties in Chelan, Grays Harbor, Mason and Pierce counties.

As directed by the 2009 Washington Legislature (SHB 1778), the wildlife-control proposal includes specific requirements for both lethal and non-lethal control, and identifies new sources of technical assistance for property owners. Claims for crop damage would be paid only after an assessment by a professional crop insurance adjustor.

The proposed Wildlife Interaction Rules are posted on the commission’s website at http://bit.ly/db1aCT . The commission is scheduled to take action on the proposed rules during a May 7 conference call meeting.

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

OLYMPIA, Wa --(AmmoLand.com)-  Hunters got a preview of changes proposed in special-hunt permit drawings and new hunting regulations for the fall 2010 season at a public meeting held here March 12-13 by the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission.

State wildlife managers also briefed the commission and others in attendance on new proposals for addressing public concerns about property damage and other conflicts related to Washington’s wildlife.

The commission, which sets policy for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), allotted time for public comments on all three issues as a prelude to voting on those proposals at public meetings scheduled over the next two months.

On a separate issue, the commission directed WDFW to analyze options for increasing recreational crabbing opportunities in Puget Sound. With a stated goal of adopting a new crab-allocation policy by October, commissioners established a time-line for assessing the effects of various fishing options, meeting with advisory boards and providing opportunities for public review of their plans.

Special-hunt permit drawings
In recent years, some hunters have expressed dissatisfaction with the selection process used to issue special-hunt permits, which give successful applicants hunting options beyond those authorized by a general hunting license.

Many of those frustrations stem from the fact that all special-hunt permits are randomly drawn from the same pool of applications, said Dave Ware, WDFW game manager. As a result, applicants often face a choice between applying for popular deer and elk hunts or settling for less-popular hunts with better odds of being drawn, he said.

Under a new plan Ware outlined for the commission, WDFW would create separate applications for seven different categories of popular deer and elk permits, ranging from buck or bull hunts to senior permits. Hunters could apply in as many categories as they choose.

“This plan is designed to give hunters more options for getting the special permits they really want,” said Ware, noting that the proposal was developed with broad public input and support from the WDFW’s Game Management Advisory Committee.

Under the new plan, “points” accrued by hunters toward special permits in previous years would be applied to each of the new permit categories created under the new plan, Ware said. All funds raised by the sale of additional permit applications would be used to expand hunter access to private lands.

The commission is scheduled to take action on WDFW’s proposal at a meeting set April 9-10 in Leavenworth. The proposed rule changes are contained in WAC 232-28-291 on the department’s website at http://bit.ly/d3a41n .

Changes in hunting regulations
WDFW is also proposing some new hunting rules for the upcoming season, based on changes in state game populations observed since the current three-year hunting plan was adopted last year. Proposed changes for the fall season include new conservation measures and hunting opportunities for species such as deer, elk, black bear, cougar and small game.

Key actions include:

Deer: Significant reductions are proposed in the harvest of antlerless white-tailed deer in the Selkirk region, hard-hit by two harsh winters, and on the northern end of the Olympic Peninsula, where the herd continues to have low reproduction rates.
Elk: General hunting opportunities for antlerless elk would be reduced on the Yakima herd, although new hunting opportunities would be allowed in Game Management Unit 346.
Black bear: Fall hunting seasons would be delayed in parts of northeast Washington, south central Washington and the Okanogan region to reduce harvest and conserve female bears. Spring hunting opportunities would be expanded in northeastern Washington and in private timberlands west of Centralia to allow the harvest of more males.
Hunting equipment: Archers and muzzleloaders would no longer be required to possess a concealed weapons license to carry a handgun for personal protection in the field.
Specific proposals are posted on the commission’s website at http://bit.ly/d3a41n under “March 5 revisions.” The commission is scheduled to take action on WDFW’s proposals for the 2010 hunting season at its April 9-10 meeting in Leavenworth.

In a related issue, the commission denied a petition to amend existing white-tailed buck deer seasons in northeastern Washington by adopting special antler restrictions for hunts in Game Management Units 117 and 121. The commission did, however, commit to a public review process and consideration of the proposal for the 2011-12 hunting seasons.

Controlling property damage
Another proposal presented to the commission would give landowners more flexibility to prevent and address property damage caused by wildlife.

A new approach proposed by WDFW would encourage landowners to forge agreements with the department that set out a clear course of action for dealing with damages caused by wildlife on their property. Those rules would establish specific requirements for both lethal and non-lethal actions, and identify new sources of technical assistance for property owners.

Under the department’s proposal, claims for crop damage would be paid only after an assessment by a professional crop insurance adjuster.

The commission is expected to take action on WDFW’s proposal during a conference call scheduled May 7. The proposed “Wildlife Interaction Rules” are posted on the commission’s website at http://bit.ly/db1aCT .

Also at the meeting March 12-13 in Olympia, the commission:

Extended the current allocation policy for the non-tribal Columbia River summer chinook fishery by one year.
Received a briefing on 2010 salmon forecasts, conservation needs and fishing opportunities.
Approved the purchase of a 369-acre conservation easement and two properties to benefit wildlife in Okanogan County.

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

OLYMPIA, Wa --(AmmoLand.com)-  The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission will accept public comments on proposed changes to this year’s hunting regulations and special-hunt permit drawings during a meeting here March 12-13.

The commission, which sets policy for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), also will consider initial comments on proposed new rules designed to address property damage and other public concerns related to wildlife.

The public meeting in Olympia will start at 8:30 p.m. both days in Room 172 of the Natural Resources Building, 1111 Washington St. S.E. An agenda for the meeting, along with WDFW’s proposals on these issues, is available on the commission’s website. (See http://bit.ly/a9Uqdg ).

“The new hunting rules proposed for the upcoming season reflect changes in state game populations since the current three-year hunting plan was adopted last year, said Dave Ware, WDFW game manager. The proposed hunting rules include a combination of new conservation measures and hunting opportunities for species such as deer, elk, moose, bighorn sheep, mountain goats, black bear, cougar and small game.”

In addition, WDFW is proposing changes in the way random drawings are conducted for special-hunt permits, which provide additional hunting options beyond those authorized by a general hunting license.

Public hearings on special-hunt permits and hunting rules proposed by WDFW are scheduled March 13, the second day of the commission’s meeting in Olympia. The commission is expected to take action on both proposals at a meeting set April 9-10 in Leavenworth.

Also at the meeting March 12-13 in Olympia, the commission will:

• Accept public comments on a new initiative proposed by WDFW to address property damage and reduce other conflicts between wildlife and humans.
• Consider extending the current fishery allocation policy for Columbia River summer chinook salmon by one year.
• Receive a briefing on 2010 salmon forecasts, conservation needs and fishing opportunities.
• Consider approval of land transactions proposed by WDFW in Pierce, Kitsap and Okanogan counties.

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

OLYMPIA, WA --(AmmoLand.com)- The second phase of a major land exchange with the Washington Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) won approval by the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission during a public meeting here Jan. 7-9.

In addition, the commission approved raffles for five new multi-species hunting permits and received briefings on management options for upcoming fisheries for sturgeon and spring chinook on the Columbia River.

The commission, which sets policy for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), approved the land exchange after years of inter-agency discussions and an extensive public-comment process.

By its action, the commission authorized WDFW to transfer 12,424 acres of high-elevation forestland in eastern Washington to WDNR in exchange for 25,849 acres of shrub-steppe and low-elevation forestlands.

The landmark agreement would affect properties held by both agencies in Kittitas, Okanogan, Klickitat, Yakima and Asotin counties.

WDFW Director Phil Anderson called the commission’s action an “historic moment” that sets the stage for improved management of public lands by both agencies.

“This action will allow both agencies to consolidate their holdings and manage public lands more efficiently and effectively,” Anderson said. “It’s a major step forward in correcting the checkerboard pattern of ownership that has complicated management of public wildlife lands since the early days of statehood.”

The land exchange is specifically designed to:

• Protect and enhance habitat for species ranging from elk and mule deer to sage grouse and pileated woodpecker.
• Maintain public access and recreation on public lands.
• Generate revenue for WDNR trust beneficiaries, such as public schools.

A copy of the joint Environmental Assessment, which includes a description and maps of the land exchange, is available at http://wdfw.wa.gov/hab/sepa/sepa.htm .

Under the first phase of the land exchange, approved last August, the commission authorized WDFW to transfer a total of 9,000 acres in Thurston, Kittitas and Okanogan counties to WDNR in exchange for 5,100 acres to be managed as wildlife habitat. Both phases of the land transfer are expected to be completed this year.

In other action, the commission authorized WDFW to initiate raffles for five new multi-species permits to help generate revenue for managing big-game species. Winners of the new raffles – four regional, one statewide – will be allowed to harvest three to five animals in a given year.

Depending on the region, game species available under the new permits includes deer, elk, black bear, turkey, cougar and California bighorn sheep. WDFW will publicize details on the new raffle this spring.

In addition, WDFW staff briefed the commission on management options for several upcoming fishing-season negotiations:

• Columbia River white sturgeon: Surveys indicate white sturgeon are declining in number, prompting fishery managers in Washington and Oregon to consider reducing this year’s harvest by 20 percent to 50 percent. WDFW is seeking the commission’s guidance in developing new management measures prior to meeting next month with Oregon fishery managers to set 2010 fishing seasons.
• Columbia River spring chinook: Although this year’s upriver spring chinook run is expected to be one of the strongest on record, a recent negotiated agreement requires the states of Washington and Oregon to take additional steps to ensure that catch-balancing objectives for tribal and non-tribal fisheries are achieved. WDFW fishery managers advised the commission they plan to hold back at least 30 percent of the states’ catch allocation as a “buffer” until there is strong evidence the upriver spring chinook run will meet expectations.
• North of Falcon salmon policy: In March and early April, state, tribal and federal fisheries managers will meet to establish salmon seasons for Puget Sound, the Columbia River and Washington coastal areas. At the commission meeting, WDFW staff reviewed the commission’s existing North of Falcon policy, which will guide the department’s position on conservation and allocation issues during the upcoming season-setting process.

For more information about future commission meetings, visit WDFW’s website at http://wdfw.wa.gov/commission/ .

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

OLYMPIA, WA --(AmmoLand.com)- Brant goose numbers in Skagit County are high enough to allow an eight-day hunt later this month, according to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW).

Brant hunting is scheduled Jan. 16, 17, 20, 23, 24, 27, 30 and 31 with a bag limit of two geese per day.

The hunting season was adopted after 6,002 brant were counted Thursday during an aerial survey of Fidalgo, Padilla and Samish bays, said Don Kraege, waterfowl section manager for WDFW. At least 6,000 brant must be counted in Skagit County before hunting is allowed.

“Numbers of brant wintering in Skagit County are down this year, but expected harvest rates during the eight-day season are still within our management objectives,” said Kraege.

Last year, WDFW wildlife biologists counted about 16,200 brant – the largest count in 14 years. About 9,200 brant, which is slightly above the long-term average, were counted during aerial surveys in 2008 and about 6,100 the previous year.

“The drop in the number of birds in Skagit County from last year is likely the result of a shift in winter distribution,” Kraege said. “Significant numbers of brant have been seen elsewhere in northern Puget Sound, including nearby Whatcom County, where we counted an additional 4,000 birds during the aerial survey.”

To participate in the Skagit County brant season, hunters must have prior written authorization and a harvest information card from WDFW. After taking a brant, hunters are required to record their harvest information immediately, and report their harvest to WDFW by Feb. 15. Hunters who fail to report by Feb. 15 will be ineligible to hunt brant in the 2010-2011 season.

Hunters who harvest a brant implanted with a radio transmitter should call Kraege at (360) 902-2522. WDFW biologists would like to retrieve the transmitters, which are used to track the migration pattern of the birds.

Hunters who harvest a brant fitted with a colored leg band should also report the leg band’s numbers and color to WDFW. Birds fitted with metal leg bands can be reported by calling 1-800-327-BAND or at http://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/bbl . The leg bands help biologists identify and track the birds.

More information on brant-hunting requirements is available in WDFW’s Migratory Waterfowl and Upland Game Seasons hunting pamphlet at http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/game/water/water.htm .

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

OLYMPIA, WA --(AmmoLand.com)- The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission is scheduled to accept public testimony and take action on a proposal to exchange additional land in eastern Washington with the Washington Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) at a meeting Jan. 7-9 in Olympia.

In addition, the commission is scheduled to accept public testimony on proposed updates to the Columbia River spring chinook policy and the Columbia River sturgeon management policy.

The commission, a nine-member citizen panel appointed by the governor to set policy for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), will convene for its regular meeting Jan. 8-9 in Room 172 of the Natural Resources Building, 1111 Washington St. S.E. The meeting is scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m. both days.

Prior to that meeting, the commission will conduct a half-day work session Jan. 7 on policy governance and budget preparation. The work session is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. in Room 175 in the Natural Resources Building.

During the Jan. 8-9 meeting, the commission will consider approving the second phase of a major land exchange proposed by WDFW and WDNR. Under the proposal, WDFW would acquire approximately 25,849 acres of shrub-steppe and lower-elevation forest habitats, while WDNR would acquire approximately 12,424 acres of higher elevation forest habitat.

The proposed exchange – which would affect properties in Kittitas, Okanogan, Klickitat, Yakima, Asotin and Chelan counties – is designed to consolidate both departments’ lands and allow for more effective management of properties. The primary benefits of the exchange would:

Protect and enhance habitat for big-game species (e.g. elk, mule deer, bighorn sheep), shrub-steppe species (e.g. sage grouse, sage thrasher, sage sparrow, Brewer’s sparrow), and forest species (e.g. goshawk, pileated woodpecker, white headed woodpecker, forest grouse).

Maintain public access and recreation on public lands.

Generate revenue for WDNR trust beneficiaries, such as public schools.

WDFW and other agencies involved in the proposed land exchange accepted public comments through Dec. 16 on a joint Environmental Assessment document that addresses both state and federal regulatory requirements. A copy of the joint Environmental Assessment, which includes a description and maps of the proposed land exchange, is available on the WDFW website at http://wdfw.wa.gov/hab/sepa/sepa.htm .

In the first phase of the land exchange, finalized in August, WDFW acquired 9,000 acres and WDNR acquired 5,100 acres.

In other business at its January meeting, the commission is scheduled to consider a proposal to offer hunters five additional multi-species raffle permits and housekeeping changes to the Deleterious Exotic and Live Wildlife regulations.

The commission also is scheduled to hear a briefing on the North of Falcon policy. The two-year policy, which doesn’t expire until the end of 2010, provides direction to fishery managers in defining annual salmon fishing seasons in Washington’s waters.

In addition, WDFW Director Phil Anderson will present to the commission options for alternative public-input processes on two sportfishing rule proposals that have drawn considerable interest. Anderson is scheduled to present those alternatives Jan. 8 during the Director’s Report.

The two alternative processes would address a proposal that would ban the use of small lead fishing tackle at 13 lakes in Washington, and a proposal that would close fishing for bottomfish and halibut off the northwestern tip of the Olympic Peninsula.

Commissioners also are scheduled to attend an annual meeting with Gov. Chris Gregoire Jan. 8 at 1 p.m. in the Governor’s office.

For more information about future commission meetings, visit WDFW’s website at http://wdfw.wa.gov/commission/meetings.html

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

OLYMPIA, Wa --(AmmoLand.com)- The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) will begin accepting grant applications Dec. 1 from individuals and groups seeking financial support for volunteer projects that benefit fish and wildlife.

The one-year grants will support project activity occurring between July 1, 2010 and June 30, 2011.

Offered through the Aquatic Lands Enhancement Account (ALEA) Volunteer Cooperative Grant Program, the grants provide cost reimbursement for volunteer-driven projects that protect and enhance fish and wildlife, and their habitats, improve access to the outdoors, collect and disseminate fish and wildlife science, and educate the public about resource conservation. Project types include habitat restoration, research, education and outreach, facility development and artificial production. Other projects may be considered.

“We’re interested in receiving proposals that utilize volunteers, reflect WDFW’s goals and objectives and request funds to cover essential costs needed to conduct the project,” said Josh Nicholas, program coordinator.

Eligible applicants include individual citizens, non-profit organizations, state organizations such as public utility districts and schools (including universities), and tribal governments.

Total funding available is approximately $180,000.

Applications must be received by Feb. 28, 2010. Application materials are available on

WDFW’s website at http://wdfw.wa.gov/grants/alea . A CD containing application materials is available by calling (360) 902-2700

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

OLYMPIA, WA – -(AmmoLand.com)- In an ongoing effort to recover native Puget Sound wetland species, some 500 endangered Oregon spotted frogs were released into the wild after spending the first nine months of their lives in a captive-rearing program.

Biologists from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), Woodland Park Zoo, Oregon Zoo, and the U.S. Army released the frogs this fall into Dailman Lake on the Fort Lewis Military Reservation in Pierce County in a collaborative effort to return the endangered frog to a portion of its historic habitat.

The frogs, most weighing less than two ounces, were collected as fertilized eggs last spring, and “head-started” in captivity at the zoos and the Cedar Creek Corrections Center near Olympia to improve their chance of survival once they return to the wild.

The frog release is the second in a five-year collaborative effort led by WDFW to establish a self-sustaining population on the Fort Lewis site. Approximately 600 frogs reared at Northwest Trek Wildlife Park and Oregon Zoo were released at the same location last year, 28 of which received radio transmitters for tracking.

This year, two Cedar Creek inmates raised a number of the young frogs through the Sustainable Prisons Project, a partnership between The Evergreen State College and the Washington State Department of Corrections that allows incarcerated men and women to participate in science-based conservation projects.

The Dailman Lake area was chosen for the reintroduction because it contains diverse wetlands that can sustain a frog population, said Jim Lynch, Fort Lewis wildlife biologist.

All of the frogs tracked last year during a radio-telemetry study appear to have survived predators.

“We were encouraged with these findings, but direct observation was limited because the frogs are very effective at concealing themselves,” Lynch said.

This year, to improve data collection, about a quarter of the released frogs will be equipped with a tiny microchip that can be scanned by a wand reader.

In 2010, biologists will begin looking for egg masses to determine if the frogs have established breeding populations.

The Oregon spotted frog historically ranged from southwestern British Columbia to northeastern California, but is now known only in Klicikitat and Thurston counties in Washington. Loss of habitat, predation by non-native species such as the American bullfrog, and disease have decimated its numbers, which prompted its listing as a Washington state endangered species in 1997.

“Frogs worldwide are known as sentinel species that play an important role in ecosystems,” said Marc Hayes, senior research scientist and project lead for WDFW. “When they disappear from their habitat, these ecosystems can be disrupted.”

The U.S. Department of the Interior recently awarded WDFW a grant to coordinate range-wide recovery projects for the Oregon spotted frog and associated species. A portion of the grant supports the Fort Lewis project.

“Restoring native wetland species such as the Oregon spotted frog and protecting habitat over broad areas are examples of an ecosystem approach that WDFW and its partners are taking to help restore the state’s biodiversity,” said Phil Anderson, WDFW director.

Partners involved in the reintroduction program at Fort Lewis include WDFW, Fort Lewis Military Reservation, Woodland Park Zoo, Oregon Zoo, Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, Northwest Trek Wildlife Park, Washington State Department of Transportation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, The Evergreen State College, Washington State Department of Corrections, Port Blakely Tree Farms, Washington Department of Natural Resources, NW Zoo & Aquarium Alliance, U.S Geological Survey, Mountain View Conservation & Breeding Centre and The Nature Conservancy.

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

OLYMPIA, WA – -(AmmoLand.com)- In a continuing effort to monitor trumpeter swans that have succumbed to lead poisoning, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) has re-established a hotline to report dead or ill swans in Whatcom, Skagit and Snohomish counties.

People can call (360) 466-4345, ext. 266, to report dead or sick swans. Callers should be prepared to leave a message including their name and phone number, and the location and condition of the swans. The hotline is available 24 hours a day through the end of March.

Some trumpeter swans in Whatcom, Skagit and Snohomish counties, and in southwestern British Columbia, die each winter from lead poisoning after ingesting lead shot in areas where they feed.

Lead shot has been banned for waterfowl hunting in Washington and British Columbia for more than a decade, but biologists believe swans are likely reaching shallow underwater areas in fields and roosts where spent lead shot is still present.

People who see sick or dead swans are advised not to handle or attempt to move the birds, said Jennifer Bohannon, WDFW wildlife biologist. WDFW and Puget Sound Energy employees, as well as volunteers from the Washington Waterfowl Association and the Trumpeter Swan Society, will pick up the birds, she said.

The collected swans also will be among the thousands of wild birds WDFW is testing for avian influenza.

Since 2001, WDFW and other agencies and organizations have been working to locate sources of toxic lead and remove it from the environment.

For the past three years, hazing crews have worked to scare swans away from Judson Lake, a source of lead poisoning on the U.S.-Canada border in Whatcom County. During that effort, the average number of lead-related swan mortalities significantly dropped to 67 a year, about 70 percent less than the previous five-year average, said Bohannon.

This year, biologists have placed bamboo poles and plastic fences in portions of the lake to keep birds from landing or swimming in areas with concentrations of lead shot. Swans that do access those areas will be hazed from the lake, said Bohannon.

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

OLYMPIA, WA --(AmmoLand.com)- Eastern Washington’s modern firearm elk hunting season that opens Oct. 31 does not include the West Bar Game Management Unit (GMU) 330 in the northeast corner of Kittitas County.

GMU 330 is mistakenly listed under the Oct. 31 – Nov. 8 season for true spike bulls in the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) 2009 Big Game Hunting Seasons and Regulations pamphlet.

“The West Bar unit is available for early archery and special permit elk hunting only,” said Ted Clausing, WDFW regional wildlife program manager.

“Over 20 years ago when it was included during the general season, too much hunting pressure on West Bar caused elk to cross the Columbia River and enter the agricultural and residential areas of Grant County, leading to some unethical and unsafe hunting activities.”

WDFW staff are posting signs at access points to the unit and distributing notices to hunting groups and license vendors to alert hunters to the error.

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

OLYMPIA, WA - Cougar hunting will be closed in six Washington counties during the statewide deer-hunting season that begins Oct. 17, according to a reminder issued today by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW).

Under a new rule approved earlier this year, no cougars may be taken during the early deer-hunting season in the six counties where a pilot hunt for cougars using dogs is scheduled to begin later this year.

The new rule delays the general cougar hunt with modern firearms until Oct. 31 in Chelan, Okanogan, Ferry, Stevens, Pend Oreille and Klickitat counties. In all other counties, the modern-firearms season for cougar will begin Oct. 17, along with early deer seasons.

Donny Martorello, carnivore manager for WDFW, said delaying the general cougar hunt in the six affected counties is designed to help biologists evaluate the pros and cons of using dogs in hunts designed to manage the state’s cougar population.

“Deer hunters take cougars under different circumstances than hunters specifically pursuing cougars with the use of dogs,” Martorello said. “We need clear information on the effects of those strategies on the cougar population as we develop future hunting seasons.”

Martorello said the department is taking extra steps to inform hunters of the new rules – including direct email communications with those who have hunted for cougars during deer season in any of the six affected counties.

“This is the first time in a dozen years that the cougar season hasn’t overlapped with the deer season in those counties, so it’s a big change,” he said. “We want to do everything we can to make sure hunters know about it.”

The pilot hunt for cougars with the use of dogs is scheduled to run from Dec. 19 through March 31 in all six counties affected by the new rule.

Information about all of this year’s big-game hunting seasons is available in WDFW’s Big Game Hunting Seasons and Regulations pamphlet, available online at http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/game/hunter/hunter.htm .

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

OLYMPIA, WA --(AmmoLand.com)- Washington hunters who own cougar-tracking dogs, and are interested in assisting the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) with public-safety cougar removals, have until Oct. 19 to apply for special permits.

The requests are being taken in accordance with rules adopted by the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission that allow the use of dogs to remove cougars in limited areas where cougars have been judged to be a threat to human safety.

Permit applicants must have a valid state big game hunting license, with cougar as a species option, and must own cougar-tracking dogs as defined in WAC 232-12-243 (http://apps.leg.wa.gov/wac/default.aspx?cite=232-12-243 ).

WDFW wildlife biologists have determined that a total of up to six cougars should be removed from two specific areas of the state, based on safety concerns raised by the public. The two areas are in western Washington.

Permit applications must be submitted in writing by Oct. 19 to WDFW Enforcement Program, Attn: Sean Carrell, 600 Capitol Way North, Olympia, WA. 98501-1091. Application forms are available at http://wdfw.wa.gov/enforcement/public_safety_cougar.html on the WDFW website. Permit requests must include the applicant’s name, address, phone number, and the WDFW administrative region in which the applicant would like to participate.

Cougar removal permits will be drawn at random and will be valid for use from Dec. 1 to March 15. Individuals selected for permits will be notified by mail. The notice will include the boundaries in which the permit is to be used.

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

OLYMPIA, Wa --(AmmoLand.com)- The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) will release pheasants this fall at the Skagit Wildlife Area’s Samish Unit rather than the Headquarters Unit, where a substantial portion of land is no longer suitable for pheasant hunting.

WDFW is temporarily moving its pheasant release program to the Samish Unit because an estuary restoration project has returned portions of recreational land on the Headquarters Unit to intertidal habitat for fish and wildlife. In the past, pheasants were released on the Headquarters Unit during the general hunting season.

“This is a stopgap solution for this year to address the loss of suitable pheasant release sites at Headquarters,” said Lora Leschner, regional wildlife program manager for WDFW. “We will continue to work toward securing alternative sites in the region where we can permanently relocate our pheasant release operations.”

Pheasants will be released several days a week on the Samish Unit from Sept. 25 to Nov. 7.

Hunters who plan to hunt the Samish Unit during the hours of 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. on the weekends must choose to hunt on odd- or even-numbered weekend days when purchasing a license. All pheasant hunters may hunt the unit from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. seven days a week during the hunting season.

The general westside pheasant hunting season runs from Oct. 3 through Nov. 30. For more information on upland bird hunting seasons, visit WDFW’s website at http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/game/water/water.htm .

Meanwhile, delays in an estuary restoration project on the Skagit Wildlife Area’s Leque Island Unit will likely allow WDFW to release pheasants there this fall. For updates on pheasant releases at the Leque Island Unit, hunters can check WDFW’s website at http://wdfw.wa.gov/lands/wildlife_areas/skagit/unit.php?searchby=unit&search=Leque%20Island .

Restoration projects on the Skagit Wildlife Area are intended to restore important habitat for wildlife and fish, particularly salmon, Leschner said. WDFW owns and manages the entire 16,700-acre Skagit Wildlife Area to preserve habitat for fish and wildlife, and provide a site for outdoor recreation.

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

OLYMPIA, WA --(AmmoLand.com)- Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) officers are searching for a cougar that reportedly attacked a child yesterday in Stevens County.

A 5-year-old Canadian boy reportedly was attacked and injured while he was hiking with his family on the Abercrombie Mountain Trail, along Silver Creek in the Colville National Forest east of Northport.

His parents, of Rossland, British Columbia, reported a cougar suddenly jumped out of a brushy area onto the boy, who was near his mother on the trail. The mother reportedly fought off the cougar and the parents took the child to Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital in Trail, B. C., about 25 miles away. The boy’s parents have asked that their names not be made public.

The parents said their son was treated for head wounds at the hospital and released, and is expected to recover completely.

After WDFW was notified of the incident by the boy’s father this morning, WDFW officers contacted local hunters with hounds trained to tree cougars, to assist in searching for the cougar. If the animal is found, it will be killed.

“When human life is threatened in this way, we take no chances,” said WDFW Regional Enforcement Capt. Mike Whorton. “Cougars that have attacked people clearly pose a continuing public-safety risk and are euthanized if they are captured.”

Colville Forest officials, contacted by WDFW, are posting the trailhead with signs advising users that cougars and other potentially dangerous animals are in the area, and offering advice on how avoid or deal with an encounter.

The last cougar attack in Washington was last year in Douglas County. Since records have been kept, there have been 18 reported cougar attacks in the state, including one fatality in 1924 in Okanogan County.

WDFW estimates the state’s cougar population at about 1,900-2,100 animals.

To reduce the risk of a cougar attack, Whorton noted that small children should be closely supervised in cougar country. For more information on cougars, see http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/living/cougars.htm .

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

OLYMPIA, WA --(AmmoLand.com)- Enforcement officers with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) set a trap today in Seattle’s Discovery Park in an attempt to capture a cougar that could be in the area.

The trap was set after the department received another report of a cougar sighting in the area. Since Tuesday, the department has received three reports of cougar sightings in Seattle – two in the Magnolia area and one in the Greenwood area.

Meanwhile, Seattle Parks and Recreation has closed Discovery Park to the public until Monday, Sept. 7, when park personnel and enforcement officers will reassess the situation. The park could reopen earlier if a cougar is captured, said Capt. Bill Hebner, who heads WDFW’s North Puget Sound enforcement program.

Enforcement officers also will be searching the park with the aid of two Karelian bear dogs that are trained to help track and locate bears and cougars.

“We are treating these reports seriously and doing what we can within an urban setting to capture and relocate the animal,” Hebner said.

Residents near the park should be aware that a cougar could be in the area, Hebner said. People living in the area can take a few safety precautions, including keeping small pets inside the house and closely supervising children playing outdoors, he said. For more information on preventing conflicts with cougars, visit WDFW’s website at http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/living/cougars.htm .

Anyone who sees a cougar should call WDFW’s Mill Creek office at 425-775-1311 between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. After hours or on the weekends, people can call the local Washington State Patrol office or 911.

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

OLYMPIA, Wa --(AmmoLand.com)- Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission members plan to select a permanent director for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) during a public meeting Sept. 11-12 in Olympia, after selecting two finalists yesterday.

The finalists’ references and backgrounds will be checked over the next couple of weeks, according to Commission Chair Miranda Wecker. The commission is a nine-member citizen panel, appointed by the governor to set policy for WDFW and select WDFW’s director.

The commission interviewed six applicants for the director’s position before selecting the two finalists. The department’s former director, Jeff Koenings, resigned last December after serving for a decade. Since then, Phil Anderson has served as interim director.

Minutes and audio transcripts of commission meetings are available on the WDFW website at http://wdfw.wa.gov/commission/meetings/2009/ .

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

The public meeting is scheduled for 7-9 p.m. at the Mount Vernon Senior Center, 1401 Cleveland St. During the meeting, WDFW staff will give an update on efforts to secure public and private lands to release pheasants for recreational hunting.

At a public meeting earlier this year, department staff presented a list of possible pheasant release sites, said Lora Leschner, regional wildlife program manager for WDFW.

“We’d like to meet with the public again and discuss progress toward securing alternative sites where we might be able to relocate our pheasant release operations,” Leschner said.

WDFW is seeking new areas to release the birds because restoration projects on the Skagit Wildlife Area’s Headquarters and Leque Island units will soon return those areas to estuaries. Both restoration projects are scheduled to be completed later this summer.

Restoration projects on the Skagit Wildlife Area are intended to restore important habitat for wildlife and fish, particularly salmon, Leschner said. WDFW owns and manages the entire 16,700-acre Skagit Wildlife Area to preserve habitat for fish and wildlife, and provide a site for outdoor recreation.

On Leque Island, about 110 acres of the Stillaguamish estuary is being restored. At the Headquarters Unit, the Wiley Slough project is designed to restore 160 acres of estuarine salmon habitat that was diked and drained to create farmland.

To address concerns about lands lost to hunting, WDFW has been working with a coalition of hunters, recreationists, farmers and other landowners to secure hunter access to private lands in the area.

For more information on the Skagit Wildlife Area, see WDFW’s website at http://wdfw.wa.gov/lands/wildlife_areas/skagit/ .

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

OLYMPIA, WA - The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) reminds hunters that there will not be a two-day September season for Canada geese in eastern Washington this year.

Instead, the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission shifted those two days of hunting to the October-January season when migrant geese are present in the state.

The commission, which sets policy for WDFW, took that action at its April meeting in response to ongoing declines in resident goose production on the east side of the state.
September goose seasons in western Washington were not affected by that action and will proceed as planned.

The September goose season was initiated in several eastside counties in 1996 and expanded to all of eastern Washington in 1997, said Mikal Moore, a WDFW waterfowl specialist.

Those seasons are based on population objectives set by the Pacific Flyway Council ( http://www.pacificflyway.gov/ ), composed of representatives from wildlife agencies in each state and province in the western United States, Canada, and Mexico.

In eastern Washington, the index of nest counts for Canada geese in 2005-2007 was 1,935, below the 2,000 threshold allowing the hunting season to continue without modification. If the nest index increases above 2,000 in the future, WDFW will recommend reinstatement of the two-day September season, Moore said.

Meanwhile, a marking effort for Canada geese in eastern Washington may help explain the seven-year decline in goose-nest counts, he said. Hunters and others can help with that effort by reporting information on bands and collars worn by some Canada geese to the U.S. Geological Survey Bird Banding Laboratory at 1-800-327-BAND or online at http://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/BBL/homepage/call800.htm .

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

OLYMPIA, Wa - -(AmmoLand.com)- The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is seeking volunteers to participate in a cooperative arrangement that has given hunters access to approximately 250,000 acres of private timberlands near Mount St. Helens in the last two years.

For the third year, Weyerhaeuser Company is prepared to give hunters holding special elk permits additional motorized access to miles of private logging roads on the St. Helens Tree Farm – provided that enough volunteers can be found to assure a safe and orderly hunt.

Key tasks for volunteers include orienting hunters, staffing access points and maintaining safety buffers between hunters and active Weyerhaeuser operations, said Sandra Jonker, regional wildlife manager for WDFW.

The program attracted 54 volunteers in 2007 and 61 volunteers last year, Jonker said.

“We hope the number of committed volunteers continues to rise every year as more people hear about the program,” she said. “As before, the amount of timberland that will be opened to hunting will be in direct proportion to the number of volunteers that sign up.”

To participate in the St. Helens Land Access Program, volunteers can sign up at:

WDFW’s website at http://wdfw.wa.gov/about/volunteer/sainthelens/
WDFW Region 5 Office, 2108 S.E. Grand Boulevard, Vancouver, Wash., (360-696-6211).
Bob’s Sporting Goods, 1111 Hudson Street, Longview.
Participants will be required to attend one of six orientation sessions, scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. on the dates and at the locations noted below:

Sept. 2, Sept. 30, Nov. 4 and Nov. 18 at the Cowlitz PUD, 961 12th Ave., Longview.
Sept. 23 at the Olympia Natural Resource Building, Room 172, 1111 Washington St. S.E., Olympia:
Oct. 1 at the Vancouver Regional Office, 2108 Grand Blvd., Vancouver, WA.
Volunteer organizations, led by the Southwest Washington Land Access Coalition, have secured funding to reimburse volunteers for mileage accrued as participants in the program.

Other partners in the program include Eyes In the Woods, Cowlitz Game & Anglers, Washington State Archer Association, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Yacolt Burn Sportsmen Club, Vancouver Wildlife League and the Washington State Bowhunters.

The partnership between WDFW, Weyerhaeuser and the volunteer organizations is designed to expand hunter access to portions of the St. Helens Tree Farm that lie within game management units (GMUs) 520 (Winston), 524 (Margaret), 550 (Coweeman) and 556 (Toutle).

Jonker said the access program – combined with the issuance of additional special hunting permits – has helped to increase harvest levels over the past two years throughout the Mount St. Helens elk herd. That is a key goal under the department’s management plan for the herd, the largest of ten elk herds in the state.

“The department’s management plan calls for reducing the herd’s size to about 10,000 animals over five years to bring the number of animals into balance with available habitat,” Jonker said. “We want to thank Weyerhaeuser and all the volunteers participating in the St. Helens Land Access Program for their help in this joint effort.”

The Mount St. Helens Elk Herd plan, adopted in 2006, is available on WDFW’s website at http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/game/elk/sthelens.htm .

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

OLYMPIA, WA - -(AmmoLand.com)- Cougar hunters will begin the 2009 general season on Sept. 1 this year, while those interested in permit-only hunts held after the general season have until Aug. 31 to submit an application to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW).

Under new rules adopted by the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission, the general cougar season will begin with a statewide archery-only season Sept. 1-25, followed by a muzzleloader-only season Sept. 26-Oct. 16. Beginning Oct. 17, hunters may use any legal weapon to target cougars in most areas of the state.

In the past, the general cougar hunting season began Aug. 1 and hunters were allowed to use any legal weapon. The changes were adopted to better match cougar hunting with the early elk and deer seasons, said Donny Martorello, carnivore specialist for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW).

Certain cougar management units in Chelan, Ferry, Klickitat, Okanogan, Stevens and Pend Oreille counties will be closed during modern firearm deer season. Cougar hunting in those areas will run Oct. 31 through Nov. 30. Any legal weapon may be used.

Martorello said that the later start date in those areas, which occurs after the modern firearm deer season, is designed to better evaluate the pilot hound program in those counties.

“We want to offer all hunters a fair opportunity to hunt cougar in the state and maintain harvestable levels,” Martorello said. “Removing cougar hunting from a portion of the deer season will help us further test the management benefits of the pilot hound season.”

Details on the 2009 cougar season are available on page 50 of the WDFW’s Big Game Hunting pamphlet at wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/game/hunter/hunter.htm.

Meanwhile, hunters who wish to participate in a permit-only cougar hunt to be held this winter, have until Aug. 31 to purchase and submit their applications to WDFW. Cougar hunters participating in the general season may also apply for the special hunt drawing.

Approximately 68 permits will be available for special cougar hunts in five areas where the use of dogs is allowed. Under new rules approved by the commission, dog ownership is no longer a requirement for those wishing to apply for a hound-assisted hunt.

Also new this year is the addition of 290 permits allowing permit-only cougar hunts without the use of dogs in nine areas of the state.

The drawing for permit-only hunts will be held in mid-September; winners will be notified in mid-October by email or U.S. mail.

To apply for a permit, hunters must purchase a special permit application and a 2009 hunting license that includes cougar as a species option. Hunting licenses, cougar transport tags and cougar permit applications may be purchased online at http://fishhunt.dfw.wa.gov/ , by calling (866) 246-9453, or at any license vendor in the state.

Special permit applications, which require a correct hunt choice number specifying the area of choice, may be submitted online at http://fishhunt.dfw.wa.gov/ or by calling (877) 945-3492. Hunt choices and season dates are located on page 51 of the 2009 Big Game Hunting pamphlet, available at http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/game/hunter/hunter.htm .

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

OLYMPIA, WA - -(AmmoLand.com)- Cougar hunters will begin the 2009 general season on Sept. 1 this year, while those interested in permit-only hunts held after the general season have until Aug. 31 to submit an application to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW).

Under new rules adopted by the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission, the general cougar season will begin with a statewide archery-only season Sept. 1-25, followed by a muzzleloader-only season Sept. 26-Oct. 16. Beginning Oct. 17, hunters may use any legal weapon to target cougars in most areas of the state.

In the past, the general cougar hunting season began Aug. 1 and hunters were allowed to use any legal weapon. The changes were adopted to better match cougar hunting with the early elk and deer seasons, said Donny Martorello, carnivore specialist for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW).

Exceptions include certain cougar management units in Chelan, Ferry, Klickitat, Okanogan, Stevens and Pend Oreille counties, which will be closed during modern firearm deer season. Cougar hunting will run Oct. 31 through Nov. 30 in those areas. Any legal weapon may be used and the use of hounds is permitted.

Martorello said that the later start date in those areas, which occurs after the modern firearm deer season, is designed to better evaluate the pilot hound program in those counties.

“We want to offer all hunters a fair opportunity to hunt cougar in the state and maintain harvestable levels,” Martorello said. “Removing cougar hunting from a portion of the deer season will help us further test the management benefits of the pilot hound season.”

Details on the 2009 cougar season are available on page 50 of the WDFW’s Big Game Hunting pamphlet at http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/game/hunter/hunter.htm .

Meanwhile, hunters who wish to participate in a permit-only cougar hunt to be held this winter, have until Aug. 31 to purchase and submit their applications to WDFW. Cougar hunters participating in the general season may also apply for the special hunt drawing.

Approximately 68 permits will be available for special cougar hunts in five areas where the use of dogs is allowed. Under new rules approved by the commission, dog ownership is no longer a requirement for those wishing to apply for a hound-assisted hunt.

Also new this year is the addition of 290 permits allowing permit-only cougar hunts without the use of dogs in nine areas of the state.

The drawing for permit-only hunts will be held in mid-September; winners will be notified in mid-October by email or U.S. mail.

To apply for a permit, hunters must purchase a special permit application and a 2009 hunting license that includes cougar as a species option. Hunting licenses, cougar transport tags and cougar permit applications may be purchased online at http://fishhunt.dfw.wa.gov/ , by calling (866) 246-9453, or at any license vendor in the state.

Special permit applications, which require a correct hunt choice number specifying the area of choice, may be submitted online at http://fishhunt.dfw.wa.gov/ or by calling (877) 945-3492. Hunt choices and season dates are located on page 51 of the 2009 Big Game Hunting pamphlet, available at http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/game/hunter/hunter.htm

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

OLYMPIA, WA - -(AmmoLand.com)- The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) recently acquired 201 acres of shrub steppe habitat in Yakima County with help from two private, non-profit organizations – the Cowiche Canyon Conservancy and The Nature Conservancy.

The property was a private in-holding within the 1,800-acre Snow Mountain Ranch, which was acquired by the Cowiche Canyon Conservancy in 2005 to maintain the natural landscape for public hiking, wildlife viewing, and other uses.  About two miles southwest of the town of Cowiche (northwest of Yakima), it is adjacent to WDFW’s 5,107-acre Cowiche unit  of the Oak Creek Wildlife Area.

The 201 acres, which support a variety of shrub-steppe wildlife species, was purchased for $141,000 from a Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program grant.  WDFW will make annual payments in lieu of taxes on the land to Yakima County.

“We are very pleased that the Department has been able to acquire this parcel of private land contained within Snow Mountain Ranch so that it can also be maintained for similar purposes as undeveloped shrub steppe habitat,” said Tom Coleman of Cowiche Canyon Conservancy.  “We very much appreciate all the work of department staff to make this acquisition possible.”

Peter Scholes, protection director for The Nature Conservancy, called the project a great example of the Department reaching out to partners to get the job done. “Being able to put this important piece of the puzzle in place was critical for the long-term conservation of these lands and waters,” Scholes said.

“Conservation of critical fish and wildlife habitat is the Department’s top priority and getting it done depends on local partners,” said Jeff, Tayer, WDFW southcentral regional director. “Acquiring this property will provide Yakima County residents and visitors great opportunities for hiking, birding and enjoying central Washington’s native shrub steppe habitat.”

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

OLYMPIA, Wa - -(AmmoLand.com)- Fifteen lucky hunters will have an opportunity to hunt deer this fall on the 6,000-acre Charles and Mary Eder unit of the Scotch Creek Wildlife Area in northeastern Okanogan County.

Hunters can submit an application for the special “limited-entry” deer hunt on the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife’s (WDFW) website at

http://wdfw.wa.gov/hunting/special_hunts/drawings/deer_hunt_scotchcreek.html

or by contacting the department at (509) 754-4624 or (360) 902-2515.

The deadline to apply is midnight Aug. 19.

Fifteen applicants will be chosen in a random drawing scheduled Aug. 20. Winners of the drawing will receive access permits to the Eder Unit of WDFW’s Scotch Creek Wildlife Area near Oroville.

“This is the second year of our effort to provide quality hunting opportunities in this area,” said Matt Monda, WDFW regional wildlife manager. “This special drawing is open to the general public without any additional fees beyond the cost of a hunting license and the standard tags.”

Of the 15 access permits available this year, five will be reserved for bowhunters, five for muzzleloaders and five for hunters using modern firearms. Deer-hunting seasons for the area are Sept. 1-25 for bowhunters, Sept. 26 – Oct. 4 for muzzleloaders and Oct. 17-25 for hunters using modern firearms.

Hunters are allowed to take only one deer, as authorized by their general hunting license.

The results of the drawing will be available on WDFW’s website the last week of August. Hunters who are drawn will receive an access permit and a boundary map in the mail.