FISHING -- Good catches of steelhead and chinook salmon have been reported this week from the Lyons Ferry area of the Snake, the Lewiston area, the Grande Ronde River and all the way up to the Salmon River at Riggins. Water conditions are getting prime…
ENDANGERED SPECIES -- An update on the status of gray wolves in Washington, including a wrap-up of the state's September effort to eliminate the Wedge Pack in northern Stevens County, will be presented Friday to the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission in Olympia. Nate Pamplin,…
WILDLIFE ENCOUNTERS -- Bear sightings have sent Camas High School cross-country teams running two times in recent weeks. The x-c meets were moved after bears were sighted at Lacamas Park, a forested 330-acre park. Police say they’ve received numerous reports of bears at the park…
WILDLIFE ENCOUNTERS -- Moose are looking for love this time of year, and, as in humans, it can make them goofy. This is OK when they're out in the woods, but it's not uncommon to see moose around Spokane, Post Falls, Coeur d'Alene and other…
ENDANGERED SPECIES -- The seven Wedge Pack wolves killed by Washington Fish and Wildlife officers in August and September were healthy, but not necessarily beefy from their diet of livestock. Read this report by Northwest Sportsman editor Andy Walgamott for updates and details on the…
FLY FISHING --Red's Fly Shop near Ellensberg offers these Wade Fishing Tips for Steelhead: Step downstream. Not only is this good etiquette but it is good steelheading. Most trout fisheries are best approached hiking upstream, most steelhead deliveries are best made downstream whether you are…
DARWIN AWARD CANDIDATES -- We're not making this up: Man accidentally shoots self while 'fishing' on Deschutes River -- Tacoma News Tribune A Thurston County man told deputies he accidentally shot himself in the head with his .22-caliber rifle Sunday afternoon while he was "fishing"…
WINTER SPORTS -- Snow is coming to the mountains, and the most savvy backcountry travelers are gearing up physically as well as on their snow-travel skills. Here's a good start: The 2ndannual Northern Rockies Avalanche Safety Workshop, Oct. 13, 2012, from 7:30 am until 6:30…
FISHING -- Anglers are accustomed to a little fudging on the sizes and numbers of fish their friends catch. In my circle of friends, I pretty much divide everything by two. Simple math. But Jim Kujala had to reboot his piscatorial sensibilities last weekend while…
PUBLIC LANDS -- No campfires will be allowed at Lake Roosevelt National Recreation area except at designated grated campfire sites at least through Sunday. See the park's announcement issued Monday: In accordance with the 2012 Superintendent’s Compendium, Acting Superintendent Natalie Gates has extended the ban…
WILDLIFE -- The mating season for white-tailed deer is a month or more away, but bucks already are tuning up. Montana wildlife photographer Jaime Johnson has been noticing bucks testing their new growth. For the past week, we’ve noticed the whitetail rattling antlers. Nothing serious,…
ENDANGERED SPECIES -- Former Spokane County Commissioner (and current candiate) John Roskelley of Spokane claims the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife was not being genuine with the public in its handling of the summer wolf attacks in northern Stevens County and ultimately the elimination…
FISHING -- Scientists are rewriting some of their findings regarding the competition in native streams between wild and htchery salmon. See the report from the Oregonian: Idaho study: No problems with hatchery, wild salmon interbreeding A long-term study of summer chinook in Idaho's Johnson Creek…
WILDLIFE LANDS -- Wild fires continue to char and in some cases nuke forests and other wildlife habitat in scattered areas around the Inland Northwest. But the future isn't all black. Before-after-photos at Naneum Lake (above) hint at the impact of the Table Mountain Fire,…
HUNTING -- Alyssa Donelan, a sophomore at Central Valley High School, had a busy Saturday -- with more than one date. She donned camouflage clothing and left home at 5 a.m. to go turkey hunting with her father, Jim. When the turkeys stood them up…
FISHING -- Jeff Holmes of the Tri-Cities photographed this nice catch -- a couple of nice catches, actually -- while moonlight fishing for steelhead Saturday on a Snake River middle impoundment with his wife, Erika. One of many fish the Holmes's caught and released this…
ENDANGERED SPECIES -- While state and federal officials have killed at least 74 wolves related to livestock attacks in Montana this year, killing wolves is new in Washington. After six wolves in the cattle-attacking Wedge Pack were eliminated in northern Stevens County last week, Washington…
CONSERVATION -- An image of a common goldeneye painted with uncommon talent by Robert Steiner, an artist from San Francisco, Calif., is the winner of the 2012 Federal Duck Stamp Art Contest. The artwork will be featured on the 80th federal migratory bird stamp, which…
FISHING -- Yes, the run is way below average, but as I've been pointing out, some fishermen are having a heyday catching steelhead on the Snake River, as fish movements picked up this week. Here's a report (and photo above) from Jeff Holmes, a writer/angler…
ENDANGERED SPECIES -- Some people are cheering and others are mourning Washington's mission involving a helicopter and gunman to kill six wolves this week and eliminate the Wedge Pack in northern Stevens County. Eliminating a pack is a milestone in Washington wolf recovery and management.…
PARKS -- To recognize National Public Lands Day on Saturday, Washington State Parks are offering free entry: The Discover Pass is not required. Saturday is one of 12 "free days" offered at State Parks each year. The final 2012 State Parks free days are scheduled…
RESERVOIRS -- The level of Lake Roosevelt was 1283.70 at 9 a.m. today (Sept. 28). The lake level is expected to remain in the 1283-1284 range through next week. These are only predictions are subject to change. Get daily lake level forecast by phone, updated…
HUNTING -- Tough times for deer in a corner of Wyoming, similar to the outbreak that swept through portions of Montana two years ago: Whitetail deer die-off in NE Wyoming worst in decades The Wyoming Game and Fish Department said epizootic hemorrhagic disease, or EHD,…
HUNTING -- Gov. Jerry Brown has signed a bill banning hound hunting for bears in California, 16 years after Washington state did the same thing by voter initative. Both campaigns were primed and pumped by the Humane Society of the United States and other anti-hunting…
FISHING -- Get your hooks sharpened in the Lewiston-Clarkston area for th big spike of steelhead that's moved over Lower Granite Dam in the past two days -- nearly 3,000 on Wednesday alone.
Rich Landers writes and photographs stories and columns for a wide range of outdoors coverage, including Outdoors feature sections on Sunday and Thursday.
