State hunting season prospects are always a mix of pluses and minuses, and this year appears to be no different. According to biologists, wildfires in north-central Washington will have relatively little effect on mule deer hunting this fall, and the same applies generally to drought conditions relative to upland birds and waterfowl.
Consecutive mild winters have allowed an increase, in many cases, of big game and game bird populations, so all things considered, the outlook for the 2015 season is surprisingly good.
Following is a quick rundown of some of the more popular hunts and productive areas, supplied by Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife sources:
Top prospect
If you’re a snow goose hunter, you must be foaming at the mouth as you wait for October 17th. Paul de Bruyn, WDFW’s assistant district game biologist for Whatcom and Skagit counties, is almost capering with delight.
“This flight of snow geese is off the charts,” he said. “Almost certainly one of the very best in a long, long time. And even better, it looks like the juvenile component is running somewhere around 30 percent.”
Juvenile snows — this year’s hatch — are the “dumb” birds which decoy easily and usually form the core of the harvest in this area.
De Bruyn said that as of this week there were probably 10,000 snows on Fir Island; early, he said, for that many geese to already be on their winter habitat.
Remember that snow goose hunters must have a special harvest report card (available online), and that there are other rules unique to the species and hunting in Goose Management Area 1 (Snohomish, Skagit and Island counties). So read the regulations, and while you’re at it, type “snow goose quality hunt program” in the search window of WDFW’s hunting web page.
Ducks
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says that waterfowl populations in North America remain at high levels and that an excellent fall flight is predicted for this fall. The USFW estimate of breeding ducks this year was 49.5 million birds, slightly above last year’s record count and the highest number since surveys began in 1955.
The majority of Pacific Flyway birds come down from breeding areas in western Canada and Alaska, peaking here in November, and counts this year are similar to 2014, and 33 percent above the long-term average.
Until migrant ducks arrive, locally-produced birds must carry the hunting season. Local duck counts show some effects of drought conditions present in all west coast states, but mallard numbers remain similar to 2014 and above the long-term average. State surveys, in fact, showed two species important to early-season hunters up significantly: wigeon, by 23 percent, and green-winged teal, by 110 percent. The first week of the season usually results in an average of between three and four ducks per person from such spots as Frenchman Hills and Winchester wasteways, and the dunes portion of north Potholes Reservoir.
The bottom line: biologists predict our top-producing area, the Columbia Basin, should be pretty good but probably not quite as good as 2014.
Go online to WDFW’s hunting web page and check out eastern Washington’s Regulated Access Area program, and the new Waterfowl Quality Hunt Program.
Pheasant
The only pheasant planting site north of us now is the Leque Island (“Smith Farm”) unit of the Skagit Wildlife Area, just west of Stanwood. Birds are planted for hunting Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday, and WDFW area manager, Belinda Schuster, said she is getting a slightly higher number of pen-raised pheasant this year than last.
The Bow Hill site was never a success, and the Samish site was opened this year only for the short senior and youth hunts.
Snohomish County planting sites — Ebey Island, Crescent Lake, Cherry Valley and Stillwater — “are planted randomly, four days a week, but always loaded up for the weekend,” said manager Brian Boehm.
He’s also getting a few more birds this season, about 500 per week, and each unit thus receives roughly 125 birds weekly.
Planting sites can be found on WDFW’s hunting web page.
The best wild-pheasant hunting is found in Grant County, particularly the irrigated portions and a mild winter means more birds than usual this fall. For wild birds, try the Desert Unit of the Columbia Basin Wildlife Area, between Potholes Reservoir and the town of George. For a mix of wild and planted pheasant, try the Crab Creek, Gloyd Seeps, Quincy and Dry Falls units.
For planting details, go to the WDFW hunting web site.
Elk
Yakima and Kittitas counties traditionally provide the best elk hunting in the state, and a series of mild winters bodes well for this season also. The Yakima herd is 12,000 strong, and the numbers are above average for a modern firearm season which runs Oct. 31 to Nov. 8. That’s a week later than usual, which opens the possibility of snow in the high country and elk coming down. “If we get early snow, hunting can be great,” said district wildlife biologist Jeff Bernatowicz in Yakima.
The district puts out the highest modern firearm success rates in the state, and Bernatowicz likes the Naneum (328) and Quilomene (329) units in the Colockum (“although it can be a bit of a zoo around the reserve”), and Little Naches (346) and Bumping (356) units west of Yakima. “With the Yakima herd, you should hunt as high as possible,” he said.
In southwest Washington, best elk hunting is found with the Willapa Hills herd (Pacific and Grays Harbor counties) and units 658, 672, 673, and 681. Also good opportunity in Thurston and Pierce county units 652, 666, and 667.
If the primary goal is a trophy bull, better opportunity exists in the Olympic or St. Helens herds.
Mule deer
The Okanogan/Methow district supports the largest migratory mule deer herd in the state, and prospects are excellent despite the fires last year and this. The herd is growing and high buck escapement recently means a better chance for an older age-class buck. As with elk, the later season this year could mean hunters will catch the start of the migration to winter range. If so, biologists recommend hunting lower elevation, south-facing slopes.
Although fires did little damage to animal populations, some access problems could exist. Updated closure information for the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest can be found online at www.fs.usda.gov/main/okawen/maps-pubs, or call USFS offices in Okanogan, 509-826-3275, Winthrop, 509-996-4000, or Tonasket, 509-486-2186.
Other deer
Northeast Washington whitetail herds have benefitted from recent mild winters, with best hunting available in most units in Ferry, Stevens and Pend Oreille counties. Harvest during general modern firearm season here usually shows a success rate of 25 to 30 percent.
Southwest Washington hosts the best blacktail hunting in the state, and last year very good buck numbers came from Ryderwood (530), Lincoln (501), Winston (520) and Coweeman (550).
For more outdoor news, read Wayne Kruse’s blog at www.heraldnet.com/huntingandfishing.
Correction: An earlier version of this story had an incorrect link for closure information in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest. The url has been corrected and the link is working.
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