Out & About: Timelybriefs on fishing, hunting, nature
CdA ranks 9th in U.S. for bass
OUTSTANDING – Bass fishing at Lake Coeur d’Alene is getting national attention this week as the North Idaho lake was listed No. 9 in Bassmaster magazine’s list of the top 100 bass fishing lakes in the United States.
Falcon Lake in Texas, famous also for deadly attacks by Mexican pirates, topped the list.
Only seven Northwest waters made the list determined by a panel of professional anglers and fishing writers.
The Columbia River is ranked No. 20.
Other Northwest waters ranking in the top 100 bass fisheries include:
45. Umpqua River, Ore.
65. Noxon Rapids, Mont.
85. Dworshak Reservoir, Idaho
91. Lake Sammamish, Wash.
95. Fort Peck Reservoir, Mont.
A variety of qualifiers was used in the rankings, including recommendations from fisheries managers on each state’s five most productive lakes based on electroshock surveys and angler catch rates.
“B.A.S.S. Federation Nation presidents offered top lake recommendations based on tournament catches, while conservation directors supplied details on lake accessibility and best fish stocking practices,” the magazine editors said.
Owl, woodpecker exhibited
OUTSEE – “The Owl and the Woodpecker,” an exhibit of insightful photos and information about wonders of the bird world, opened at the Spokane Public Library on Saturday and will run through July 6.
The exhibit examines the intertwined life histories of owls and woodpeckers and their roles to enrich their often-threatened habitats. It features 15 images by award-winning photographer Paul Bannick, an author, conservationist and Washington resident.
Photos of owl and woodpecker species found in the Pacific Northwest combine with text panels, bird calls and drumming sound recordings by audio-naturalist Martyn Stewart.
The exhibit is based on his book, The Owl & the Woodpecker.
Bannick will make a presentation at the Spokane Library Tuesday, 6:30 p.m.
B.C. mountain goat world record
OUTHUNT – A Rocky Mountain goat taken by a hunter in 2011 in British Columbia was been named a world record for its species by the Boone and Crockett Club last week.
Troy Sheldon of Kentucky traveled to the Sitkine River region of British Columbia for a backpack mountain goat hunt with Northwest Ranching and Outfitting in October. On the seventh day of the hunt, Sheldon dropped a billy.
A panel of judges scored the trophy last week at 57-4/8.
No driving on Roosevelt shore
OUTWALK – Although the Lake Roosevelt drawdown turned around this week and runoff is bringing the lake level up 1-2 feet a day, plenty of bare shoreline remains exposed.
To prevent archaeological and resource damage, driving on the extended shoreline is not allowed, National Park officials say.
Asotin land donations corrected
The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Mule Deer Foundation and Inland Northwest Wildlife Council donated $3,333 each to help Washington acquire an addition to the Asotin Wildlife Area.
The amounts were wrong in last Sunday’s report.