New Trapping Seasons Set By Commission

In addition to setting waterfowl seasons at its meeting last week in Tukwilla, Wash., the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission also took action on a number of other issues, including:

New measures were adopted to control the discharge of ballast water into state waters and allow the state to protect against introduction of non-native marine species.

New trapping seasons were adopted through 2002 along with a new requirement that animals must be removed from live traps within 24 hours, down from 48 hours under the previous rule. The commission also reopened the area around Mount St. Helens to trapping and extended the season for beaver and otter trapping in western Washington by 15 days, partly in response to increasing damage complaints. Seasons for mink, muskrat and raccoon were also increased in Skagit and Whatcom counties prompted by evidence that those species have rebounded there in recent years.

Three new marine conservation areas were established at Saltars’ Point Beach in Steilacoom, at Waketickeh Creek on Hood Canal and at Orchard Rocks on Rich Passage to protect rockfish and other marine species. The commission also established a new marine preserve at Colvos Passage north of Gig Harbor, where all fishing will be prohibited except recreational salmon trolling.

Use of roller trawl gear in the Strait of Juan de Fuca west of the Sekiu River, the last area in state waters where that kind of commercial fishing gear was allowed. The commission also adopted new limits on the number of crab pots individual commercial fishers can deploy in the coastal Dungeness crab fishery.

Fire danger warning

A fire sparked by a target shooter, that recently burned a Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) property, has officials reminding all outdoor users that almost anything can cause trouble in Eastern Washington’s dry conditions.

Seventy acres of the Colockum Wildlife Area on the Chelan-Kittitas county line burned Aug. 4 after a shooter’s metal slug sparked on rocks that surrounded tin cans used for target practice.

Other wildlife areas across Eastern Washington have burned from dozens of wildfires this summer, noted WDFW North Central Regional Director Craig Burley of Ephrata.

Burley said fires have been started by everything from open campfires to the spark from the firearm at the Colockum. Open fires have been banned since Aug. 4, by order of DNR, the state’s lead agency in wildfire control.

Hunting seasons in jeopardy

In response to questions raised by Gov. Marc Racicot’s executive order to apply Level V restrictions to 10 western Montana counties and the anticipated mailing of 92,000 hunting permits on Friday, FWP officials said today there will be a hunting season this year, but due to the extreme fire danger some hunting season openings may be delayed in some southwestern Montana areas.

Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP) director Pat Graham said the Level V restrictions prohibit all manner of outdoor recreation in the affected area, including fishing, hiking, picnicking, hunting, and the use of most State Parks, Fishing Access Sites and all FWP Wildlife Management Areas.

The Level V zone restrictions went into effect last Friday and include: Deer Lodge, Granite, Mineral, Missoula, Powell, Ravalli, Sanders and Silver Bow counties, and the portion of Lewis & Clark County that lies west of the Continental Divide.

If weather and climate forecasts are on target, Graham said the restrictions on outdoor recreation in southwestern Montana are likely to extend beyond the scheduled opening day of several Montana’s early September hunting seasons.

In addition, a Level IV designation has been issued for 16 additional counties in western Montana: Beaverhead, Broadwater, Cascade, Lincoln, Flathead, Gallatin, Glacier, Jefferson, Lewis and Clark east of the Continental Divide, Madison, Meagher, Park, Pondera, Sanders County that lies within the Kootenai National Forest, and Teton and Toole counties.

While Level IV does not prohibit recreation, it does impose restrictions on open fires, smoking, vehicle use, equipment use and other activities.

Nonresident tags available

Unsold Idaho nonresident deer and elk tags will be available to residents Sept. 1. The tags will be sold at nonresident prices, $235 for deer and $338.50 for elk, and can be used as a second tag. The tags will be available through the Idaho Fish and Game at 1-800-554-8685.