Fish & Feathers 2015-16 bird-hunting seasons coming to an end

Published 10:18 am Friday, January 29, 2016

On Jan. 31, the 2015-16 upland and migratory bird seasons will come to an end. They have been memorable for a number of reasons.

The mourning dove season limit was increased from 10 to 15 birds in the state of Washington, with the addition of Eurasian doves to the pie, and the possession limit increased from 20 to 30. It made for several outstanding shoots and put many more birds in the pot.

Quail, probably our favorite bird to hunt, was very prolific on the east side, as usual. Under the cover of snow, it was very challenging hunting, and impossible without a dog.

This coming weekend will be the end of duck season and the weather in Eastern Washington is expected to be a mild 47 degrees — a big difference from our last trip, which was 2 degrees. The ponds will be melted and the great migrations of ducks and geese will be under way, adding birds to the shooting finale.

I’ve always loved the town of Toppenish with its laid-back character, western murals and authentic Mexican restaurants. The area also offers fine hunting for ducks, pheasant, quail, geese and coyotes. Of course you must get permission to hunt the land. The Yakima Indian Reservation has a permit system, which allows you to hunt a lot of farmland designated with “Feel free to hunt” signs. This is a really economical way to go. The tribe’s hunting and fishing permits cost $35 per year and you can buy them online.

The population of doves on the reservation has been on the rise, along with quail. Pheasants have been declining, while ducks and geese are regulated by their traditional migration patterns.

The current razor clam dig, which started Jan. 21, will end Wednesday, Jan. 27. The low tide of -0.50 is at 8:29 p.m.

This current dig has been quite productive, with the exception of a couple of nights when the weather was severe and foam on the beach covered many shows.

Nothing much to report from the Washington coast except the productive clam digs. Crabbing has been good when you can get out; commercial guys are doing well. This time of the year, many fishermen are going for surf perch off the beach or rock fish off North Jetty. But be careful, because wind and big waves can make things dangerous.

Halibut season is probably starting May 1 in Marine Area 1, salmon around very late in June and tuna in mid-July.

If you are planning on using a charter boat, get on it now for the best dates. My group already has booked ours for tuna in mid-August.

Ron Malast can be reached at 665-3573 or raiders7777@centurylink.net.