Out & About

Hunters help state monitor for disease

OUTFIELD – Deer and elk hunters can qualify for prizes and help the Washington Fish and Wildlife Department watch for Chronic Wasting Disease among big-game animals in three easy ways:

• Stop at a hunter check station off Highway 395 near Deer Park or Highway 2 near Chattaroy; they’re open most weekends during deer seasons.

• Deposit the head of the harvested animal in a marked collection bin at the laboratory behind the Spokane Valley WDFW office, 2315 N. Discovery Pl.

• Arrange to have the sample picked up anywhere in Spokane County by calling 989-6224.

CWD, a fatal illness of deer and elk, has not yet been detected in Washington, but it has occurred in at least 13 other states plus Alberta and Saskatchewan.

WDFW has tested more than 5,000 animals in 14 years, said department veterinarian Kristin Mansfield.

Hunters who submit samples can enter a drawing for a $150 Cabela’s sporting goods store gift certificate, donated by the Inland Northwest Wildlife Council.

OUTSTANDING –Minnesota artist James Hautman last weekend was named the winner of the the 2010 Federal Duck Stamp Art Contest sponsored by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Hautman’s acrylic painting of a pair of white-fronted geese will be made into the 2011-2012 Federal Duck Stamp, which goes on sale in June 2011.

Waterfowl hunters across the nation are required to buy it, but many collectors and wildlife conservationists also buy the stamp, helping to raise nearly $25 million a year for conserving wetlands on national wildlife refuges.

Hautman previously won the Duck Stamp three times, in 1989, 1994 and 1998.

First Responder medical course offered

OUTCLASS – Sign-up is open for a Wilderness First Responder course Dec. 11-15 through EPIC, the outdoor program at Eastern Washington University.

Although the course is open to non-students, Paul Green, outdoor recreation professor, noted that “WFR is the most sought-after certification for an outdoor recreation major.”

Early-registration is necessary since web-based learning must be completed prior to the practical portion of the course, Green said.

Cost: $550 for 80 hours of instruction.

Sign-up: (509) 359-7020.

Help control weeds on South Hill bluffs

OUTDO – Outgoing South Hillers who enjoy the trails and open spaces of the public land below High Drive are invited to help counter a troubling weed infestation.

Neighborhoods also can join the cause to thwart the fire danger for trees and homes posed by non-native plants that take over in spring and turn tinder-dry by August.

Diana Roberts of the WSU Spokane County Extension has scheduled a workshop on the issue and a start for a community volunteer group to help manage the bluffs.

The meeting is set for Monday, 7 p.m. at Jefferson Elementary School at 37th and Grand Ave.