Out & About

OUTCOME

Nice shot, Bubba

The small print of the Idaho official records revealed recently that Zeb C. Zielinski, 28, of Coeur d’Alene was sentenced to a $300 fine, five days in jail or 40 hours in the county work program for an “attempt to take simulated wildlife.”

Translation: He took a shot at a stuffed animal staked out by state conservation officers in a spot where people often make illegal hunting choices.

Zielinski wasn’t the only one caught in this embarrassing indiscretion.

The Idaho Fish and Game Department issued 52 citations “and a whole bucket of warnings” in the Panhandle Region for decoy-related incidents this past season, said enforcement officer Craig Walker.

“Shooting at a stuffed animal isn’t against the law, but the citations come from a wide range of related offenses involving licenses, closed seasons, trespassing, road-hunting, and things like that.

“For some reason, it was a big year,” he said. “We didn’t have much down time when we had a decoy out.”

OUTTRAIN

Reining in retrievers

The Spokane Bird Dog Association is planning a “training day” to help sportsmen with the fundamentals of tuning their retrieving breeds for bird and waterfowl hunting and field trials.

The event is set for Saturday, 8 a.m., at Espanola training area west of Medical Lake. Activities could be postponed to March 15 if snow is a problem at the site.

Check it out: Directions and schedule updates will be posted on the club’s Web site, www.spokanebirddog.org.

OUTBID

Guides auction choice trips

The most outgoing event of the season is coming to the Coeur d’Alene Casino on Saturday.

Whitewater rafting expeditions, guided hunting and fishing trips, wilderness horse-packing adventures, Africa safaris and other trips, gear and artwork are being offered at the Idaho Outfitters & Guides Association’s fifth annual Outdoor Getaway Auction.

A portion of the proceeds are earmarked for the Children’s Village in Coeur d’Alene, an organization dedicated to helping abused and neglected children and their families. The rest of the funds go to IOGA activities, including assuring public access to Idaho’s recreational lands.

Cost: $50 for dinner. Doors open 5:30 p.m.

Info: (208) 342-1438 or www.ioga.org.

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 March 9

Today: 8:05 a.m., 8:30 p.m.

Monday: 9:35 a.m., 10 p.m.

Tuesday: 10:25 a.m., 11 p.m.

* Wednesday: 11:15 a.m., 11:40 p.m.

*Thursday: 12:05 p.m., 12:25 a.m.

* Friday: 12:50 p.m., 1:15 a.m.

Saturday: 1:40 p.m., 2:05 a.m.

Next Sunday: 2:30 p.m., 2:55 a.m.

See the Hunting-Fishing Report

every Friday in Sports