Out & About
OUTSTANDING
Art for the ducks
A pair of pintails, painted by wildlife artist Joe Hautman of Plymouth, Minn., beat the field of 247 entries to win the 2007 Federal Duck Stamp Art Contest – the oldest and most prestigious wildlife art competition in America.
The image will grace the 75th Migratory Bird Conservation and Hunting Stamp next year in a tradition of art and conservation.
Waterfowlers must purchase the $15 stamp in order to hunt ducks and geese anywhere in the United States. But other conservationists and art collectors also purchase stamps and prints.
Result: Roughly $25 million in sales a year earmarked for wetlands at national wildlife refuges.
OUTGOING
Opportunity turns lemons to lemonade
Photographer Jed Conklin didn’t sulk when The Spokesman-Review gave him and 13 other news staffers pink slips last week.
He went hunting in Idaho.
At last light on the last day of a season he thought was over long ago because of work commitments, he bagged a 6x7 bull elk.
A hunter doesn’t need to be lucky when he has the time.
OUTRUN
Kokanee in the red
Dams took the legs out of native salmon runs into the Inland Northwest. But we still get a flavor for the spectacle this time of year wherever land-locked sockeye salmon have been introduced.
Known as kokanee, these fish are spawning along shores of lakes such as Priest and Loon, as well as in some streams.
The biggest kokanee spectacle begins soon as bald eagles congregate to feed on kokanee spawning in Lake Coeur d’Alene’s Wolf Lodge Bay. More than 100 eagles should be working those waters at the December peak.
Harvey Creek at the south end of Sullivan Lake offers another view of the crimson tide spawning in flowing water. If you visit the mouth of the creek, don’t harass the fish.
Info: Sullivan Lake Ranger Station, (509) 446-7500.
OUTLOOK
Best fishing times
Lunar tables from the U.S. Naval Observatory. Be fishing at least one hour before and one hour after peak times. Applies to all time zones.
(* indicates best days.)
Through Nov. 18
Today: 1:10 p.m., —
Monday: 3 p.m., 3:20 a.m.
Tuesday: 3:55 p.m., 4:20 a.m.
Wednesday: 4:45 p.m., 5:15 a.m.
Thursday: 5:35 p.m., 6 a.m.
* Friday: 6:25 p.m., 6:55 p.m.
* Saturday: 7:15 p.m., 7:40 a.m.
Next Sunday: 8 p.m., 8:25 a.m.
See the Hunting-Fishing Report every Friday in Sports