HUNTING -- There's sad news in this comment by Capt. Dan Rahn in the weekly Washington Fish and Wildlife police report for far-eastern Washington following the opening weekend of elk hunting season:

Every officer commented on the overall decline in hunter numbers combined with an apparent aging of the hunter population as a whole.

On the other hand, it's good news for the hunters who continue to pursue elk -- less competition overall, and especially in the hard-hunting spots where many elk tend to hide during the season.