The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
The Spokesman-Review Newspaper The Spokesman-Review
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883
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In brief: Spring hikes led by Dishman Conservancy

HIKING – Members of the Dishman Hills Conservancy are leading a variety of group outings to acquaint more people with the expanding conservation areas in Spokane Valley.

For information about these and other conservancy activities, see the group’s website or contact Jeff Lambert, (509) 999-5100:

Hike and Sketch – May 7, with artist Megan Perkins. Meet at 11 a.m. at Camp Caro for a three-hour session of hiking with time for tips on sketching and adding color to natural artistic works. Space limited. Register: dishmanhills.org.

Forest Ecology Hike – May 15, with Art Zack, retired forest ecologist. A 5-mile hike starting at 10 a.m., lasting 4-5 hours with climb to Big Rock and discussions along the way.

Butterfly Walk – June 4, with John Baumann, president of the Washington Butterfly Association. A slow-paced survey of these colorful insects in the Dishman Hills.

Big Rock Hike – June 19, with Chris Kopczyinski. A moderately difficult three-hour hike from the Stevens Creek Trailhead with the Mount Everest and Seven Summits mountaineer who honed his climbing skills at the Rocks of Sharon in the 1960s.

BLM opens road to Towell Falls

STREAMS – A gate has been opened temporarily at Escure Ranch allowing motor vehicles to drive the rough road fewer than three miles into Towell Falls, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management’s Spokane office says.

The 14,000-acre BLM Rock Creek Recreation Area site about 20 miles south of Sprague is the realm of hikers and mountain bikers for most of the year, but the road is opened to the scenic falls in the window between the winter and spring mud season and the fire-danger season. The road likely will be closed again because of fire danger in mid- to late-June.

Hikers and cyclists can still enjoy the route.

Jeff Clark, BLM spokesman in Spokane, said the gate has been unlocked.

High-clearance vehicles are recommended. Off-road motorized travel is prohibited. Be aware of fire danger and bring water, shovel or fire extinguishers, officials warn.

The road follows Rock Creek, which opens for fishing each year on the Saturday before Memorial Day.

Info: (509) 536-1200.

More big-game drawings coming up

HUNTING – Hunters applying for big-game permits in multiple states have a full spring calendar. Some deadlines have already passed, including Idaho’s application period for moose, bighorn sheep and mountain goat controlled hunts.

Remaining 2016 application dates to note include:

IDAHO

  • -May 1-June 5: Application period for deer, elk, pronghorn, fall bear and fall turkey controlled hunts.
  • -Aug. 5-15: Application period for deer, elk, pronghorn, fall bear second drawing if needed.

Info: Idaho Fish and Game, fishandgame.idaho.gov.

MONTANA

  • -June 1: Deadline or elk B, deer B and antelope license drawings.

Info: Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, fwp.mt.gov.

WASHINGTON

  • -May 18: Deadline for special hunt permit applications for deer, elk, mountain goat, bighorn sheep, moose, wild turkey and black bear. Results will be available online by the end of June. Winners will be notified by mail or email by mid-July.

Info: Washington Fish and Wildlife, wdfw.wa.gov.

Idaho migratory bird seasons set

HUNTING – Duck and goose seasons will open two weeks earlier than last year under 2016 seasons and limits the Idaho Fish and Game Commission has approved for migratory bird hunting.

A new process and schedule, established in cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, was used this year allowing all duck, goose, sandhill crane, dove and crow seasons and rules to be set earlier than in the past.

Hunters will have more time to plan their hunts, and hunting seasons and rules for all migratory birds will be available in the same Idaho brochure to be available online by early July.

Waterfowl seasons will be similar to last year, except seasons in northern and eastern Idaho will begin two weeks earlier than last year to allow hunting opportunities before wetlands generally freeze.

Overall, hunters will have a 105-day season for ducks and Canada geese with a 2-day youth hunt scheduled statewide on Sept. 24-25.

Waterfowl season opening and closing dates vary by different management zones of the state.

Sandhill Crane tag numbers were increased slightly to a total of 465 tags, which will become available through license vendors first come-first served at 10 a.m. (MDT) on Aug. 1.

Dove season will run Sept. 1-Oct. 30 statewide.

Crow season will be Oct. 1-Jan. 31 statewide.