Commission set to address restrictions
A proposal for permanent restrictions on imports of deer and elk harvested from states and Canadian provinces where chronic wasting disease is found will be considered Friday and Saturday during the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission meeting in Ocean Shores.
Under current emergency rules, hunters are allowed to bring back only de-boned deer and elk meat from the CWD-affected regions such as Wyoming and Colorado, as well as finished taxidermy mounts; skulls, antlers and teeth with all soft tissue removed; and hides or capes without heads attached.
The commission will consider making the rules permanent to help prevent the disease from being spread to wild deer and elk in Washington.
Other commission topics include a proposal from falconry groups that would allow falconers to sell the progeny of wild-caught raptors, including hawks and falcons.
Fall derby awards Saturday
Autumn Taylor of Sandpoint caught a 22-pound, 12-ounce rainbow to win one of the $1,000 top prizes in the Lake Pend Oreille Fall Derby that ended on Sunday. Jason Bozarth of Spokane was a close runner-up with a rainbow weighing 22-2.
Paul Carson of Sagle, Idaho, caught a 20-pound, 13-ounce lake trout to win the $1,000 first prize in the mackinaw division.
The annual event is sponsored by the Lake Pend Oreille Idaho Club. The winning fish in all categories will be displayed at the awards ceremony at 7 p.m. Saturday at the Bonner Mall in Sandpoint.
Ski flick at NIC
“Impact,” Warren Miller’s latest winter sports film, will be screened at 7 p.m. today at the Schuler Auditorium in Boswell Hall at North Idaho College. Tickets are $14 for adults and $10 for NIC students or youths younger than 18. Tickets: (208) 769-7809.
Free youth pheasant hunt
Youth hunters are invited to a free day of pheasant hunting and sporting clays and archery shooting Saturday or Sunday at Little Canyon Shooting Preserve and Sporting Clays based out of Peck, Idaho.
The shooting club sponsored the event for the first time last winter and attracted 60 youths, said preserve spokesman Sonny Hairston.
For details and pre-registration, call (208) 486-6235.
Silver Mountain ski lifts opening
With snow depths ranging from 8 to 27 inches, Silver Mountain officials announced that the ski area would open its lifts on Friday, Saturday and Sunday with limited operations.
Lookout Pass opened with limited operations last weekend and operators plan to reopen Friday and through the weekend.