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Hoopengarner on Outdoors
By Ken Hoopengarner 509-582-1544 Back to Hoopengarner home page	Foul weather means waterfowl Foul weather is fair news for Mid-Columbia waterfowlers who anxiously are awaiting the arrival of "northerners." For the past several weeks, mild weather and edgy waterfowl have made for lackluster hunting. But a recent blast of winter weather will no doubt be pushing new ducks and geese from Canada and Alaska into Washington, said Randy Hill, a wildlife biologist for the Fish and Wildlife Service's Columbia National Wildlife Refuge near Othello. However, despite the snow and chilly temperatures, Hill said there is no ice cover anywhere in the Basin, meaning migratory waterfowl have many options on where they can feed and rest. "There's no doubt that new birds are moving south in search of food and open water, but it's been a very late migration," Hill added. An aerial survey of the north half of the Columbia Basin done by the Fish and Wildlife Service early last month revealed only 80,000 ducks and 8,000 geese. "This is one of the lowest November flight totals we've seen in the last 20 years. In a normal year, we might expect to see upwards of 200,000 waterfowl," he said. The good news, though, is that more mallards finally are moving into Washington. "And much of the corn in the Basin has been harvested, so there's plenty of food on the ground when the hungry birds arrive," Hill added. Farmers in the Royal Slope and Royal Lake area report seeing large numbers of mallards feeding in their fields earlier this week, Hill said, and hunters at Potholes Reservoir report seeing large numbers of ducks on the wing. However, because of a rather soggy fall in Eastern Washington, once-dry potholes in Lincoln and Douglas counties are now holding birds. "For hunters, this means that ducks and geese are not bunched up in any one area. Moreover, because of the moisture, there's an abundance of green browse for geese, meaning geese can feed almost anywhere they see a patch of green." About the only thing that could upset the potential for excellent waterfowling over the next few weeks - aside from blue-bird weather - is a hard freeze on top of melted snow. "We had about 6 inches of snow in the Basin," Hill said, "and most of it is melting, but if it were to freeze, it would make it difficult for waterfowl to get to the food." Waterfowl - which need to eat as often as twice a day in bitter cold weather - will quickly leave an area when their food or water supply is suddenly cut off. However, such a scenario in the northern half of the Columbia Basin could prove a blessing for Tri-City-area hunters because there is no lack of open water, even in the most severe of winter weather, and our weather is often slightly milder than other areas of the Basin. "When the Basin does start to freeze over, the Columbia River is a magnet for large concentrations of birds," Hill said. While there is a fair number of birds in the south half of the Basin - stretching roughly from the Hanford Reach to Umatilla - most are well-schooled on the ways of hunters. However, hunters can expect excellent shooting once the new migrants begin arriving. Waterfowl numbers in our region roughly mirror those to the north with the exception of geese. As many as 50,000 geese have been counted in the southern half of the Basin. Success on the various units of the Mid-Columbia River Refuges Complex indicates hunters have been averaging about three birds a hunter, depending on weather conditions. On Wednesday at McNary Refuge, 46 hunters bagged 145 ducks and one goose, an average of just over three ducks a gun. However, refuge biologist Howard Browers said that average will improve dramatically with more winter weather and an influx of new birds. * * * Elsewhere outdoors, the state Department of Fish and Wildlife reports that steelhead anglers are averaging less than two hours a fish on some Snake and Columbia river tributaries, including the Tucannon, Touchet, Walla Walla and the Grande Ronde rivers. However, Snake main stem steelhead fishing is about 24 hours a fish near Little Goose Dam. On the Columbia above McNary Dam, steelhead fishing has slowed considerably, but patient anglers are still netting chrome-bright fish. Also, the Ringold Spring Hatchery area north of Pasco continues to produce steelhead for boat and bank anglers, said Matt Vucelick of Critter's Outdoor World in Pasco. "The bite has been the best when the water level is up or rising," he said. Also, fly-fishing has been good as many of the hatchery-bound fish are sticking close to shore within easy casting distance of anglers armed with a variety of wet flies, including the popular green-butt skunk. Vucelick also said fly casters and bait anglers might want to try the Walla Walla River. "Many anglers are using shrimp on a small bobber with very little weight, although you can get by using just using a corkie and yarn set-up and covering the yarn with shrimp oil," he added.
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