THE WASHINGTON OUTDOORS REPORT February 18 – February 24, 2022 OUTDOORS ROUND UP STATE PARKS HIRING: It’s already time to think about a summer job if you are a college student or graduating high school and one great place to work if you enjoy the outdoors is with Washington State Parks. Some 350 park aides and an additional 40 senior park aides are hired to work at our parks from April t...

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Most people don’t consider a trip to Ocean Shores and the beach during the winter months but there are actually all sorts of good reasons to do so! BEACH TIME: Any day at the beach is a good day! There is something about the rhythmic crashing of waves, beachcombing, flying a kite, or just watching the sunset over a bonfire that will draw you to the beach no matter the time of year. RAZOR C...

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Call it an early Christmas or a mid-life crisis dream come true. Rusty Johnston is my best friend and fishing partner of 45 years. The two of us have dreamed of fishing out of a tournament ready bass or walleye boat for much of that time. We have fished several bass tournaments and we know how to catch fish but the small size of his 1994 aluminum Starcraft with a top speed of 29 MPH has limited ...

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RAZOR CLAMS: Last year, between Covid-19 and unhealthy levels of a marine toxin called domoic acid, there was very little opportunity to harvest razor clams on the Southwest Washington coast. Last season’s loss is this year’s gain though in what is shaping up to be a banner year for razor clam diggers. Dan Ayres is the Coastal Shellfish Manager for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildl...

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The Columbia River from the Tri-Cities to Portland and the Snake River below Lower Goose Dam offer a world-class, trophy walleye fishery that draws anglers from all over the United States and Canada. These anglers are all hoping to catch a winter walleye that can weigh up to 20 pounds. Unfortunately, this fishery appears to be in decline. The walleye is a toothy fish prized for its delicious...

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The Center for Western Priorities released a study this month titled, “The Camping Crunch”. The study looked at camping at reservable public lands such as national parks, national forest service campgrounds, Bureau of Land Management campgrounds and other lodging you can reserve online thru the website Recreation.gov. The study showed a 39 percent increase in reservations in the lower 48 s...

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THE WASHINGTON OUTDOORS REPORT October 08 – October 15, 2021 One weekend this January, Richard Smith and Chris Anderson were hunting ducks near Crab Creek, south of the Moses Lake Off-Road Vehicle (ORV) Area, in a region known as the mud flats or the Yellow Zone. That’s when several loud ORVs came into the immediate sector they were trying to lure ducks into. This zone is only legally ac...

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A Trip to Spice Town By Hillary Holman Hey Everybody! This month I am taking you to Spice Town. Thanksgiving is just around the corner and folks are firing up their smokers and looking for great recipes. Harrod’s Cookhouse Spices are ready-made blends that reflect the flavors of the NW that my family and I love. Harrods is a main stay in my home and is a quick easy go to for us. This past ...

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October starts with cool mornings that often provides a haunting fog over the river and ends with Halloween. The month celebrates the harvest and for some reason the “scary” holiday that celebrates the dead. But for me, instead of witches when I see carved pumpkins I think of the twitching. Yes, October is the month of the “twitching hour”. You can head to any local river with just one rod and a h...

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As we enter early fall the forests are calling but it’s very important to be bear aware this time of year because both black bears and grizzly bears are very active, fattening up for the winter ahead. We have only had 14 reported bear attacks and one fatality in Washington State but with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife estimating a population of 20,000 to 25,000 black bears and g...

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Kokanee is a favorite in my house and this is one of the best ways to prepare it. Enjoy! Ingredients: 6 Kokanee – (2-3lb’s) 1 C Flour 3 eggs 3 C Panko ¼ C Harrod’s Cookhouse Lemon & Dill Seasoning Harrods Fin & Field Sacue, (make recipe). https://harrodoutdoors.com/shop/ols/products/fin-and-field-sauce Instructions: • Skin Kokanee and cut each in half, (3-4” pc’s). (If you don’t kno...

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It’s October, and to me that only means one thing, steelhead on Idaho’s Clearwater River! The Clearwater River is the flagship steelhead fishery in Idaho and its B-Run steelhead are its shining star. Averaging 12-15 pounds, and with fish in the 18-20 pound range not uncommon it’s easy to see why I consider the Clearwater to be the crown jewel of Columbia Basin steelhead rivers. During October and ...

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