Out & About: Senior hunter, 97, fills 70th deer tag
OUTLIVED – Gordon Blossom of Thorp bagged this buck north of Colville this month – his 70th since he took his first deer at age 14, the Washington Fish and Wildlife Department reports.
As a disabled Master Hunter, Blossom often uses his tags to hunt antlerless elk in special seasons designed to help farmers alleviate agricultural damage in Kittitas County. By the way, Blossom probably is Washington’s oldest active hunter. He’s 97.
Hunter bags buck; thief steals meat
OUTLAW – The code of ethics among hunters is eroding, as one Eastern Washington sportsman graphically pointed out in a message to Washington Fish and Wildlife police.
“Here are pictures of the deer I shot Oct. 19 near Rock Lake. I got the deer about 9:30 a.m. and processed it and put it into game bags. The hind quarters I hung in a tree about 50 yards away and the rib cage I set on a stump.
“I left the head lying by the gut pile. I took the front quarters back to the truck .85 miles away to get my pack frame.
“It took 1.5 hours from the time I left to when I returned. All that was left was the gut pile. It is a sad day when someone steals a man’s deer.”
Tips on the case could earn a reward: (877) 933-9847.
Hunting season shouldn’t deter hiking
OUTFIELD – “Fall is probably the prettiest time of the year to hike with all the trees and foliage changing colors. But hiking during hunting season scares the ‘Bajeepers’ out of me,” Randy Gosline wrote in an email to Outdoors editor Rich Landers:
“Even though I always wear bright colors and make lots of noise along the way I can’t help but be very nervous about hiking this time of year. Do you have any advice?”
Landers replied:
“First, if you’re genuinely afraid, you can hike in state and national parks and wildlife refuges where hunting is prohibited.
“But fear not. Stay on trails and to continue what you’re already doing: Wear bright colors – a hunter orange vest can be purchased for a few bucks. Avoid black, which looks too much like a bear. Keep making noise if you wish, but most of all, keep hiking!
“I’ve hiked or hunted virtually every week during the fall for decades and I’ve never had a problem.”
Paddlers focus on health of river
OUTFLOW – Spokane Canoe & Kayak Club programs usually feature paddling adventures, skills or gear. But this month the club will focus on the health of the Spokane River.
Marlene Feist, Spokane’s utilities communications manager, will discuss the city’s Integrated Clean Water Plan, which addresses flows going into the Spokane River from sanitary and stormwater sewers.
The program is Monday, 7 p.m., at Mountain Gear’s corporate office, 6021 E. Mansfield, Spokane.