A viewpoint: rec funds sweep unlikely

YAKIMA, Wash. — I’ve been getting some input this morning from people who read today’s “More sweeping changes?” story, and one of the folks I’ve heard from is Jonathan Guzzo of the Washington Trails Association. And he thinks the recreation groups are doing a lot of worrying about, well, probably nothing. Those recreationists’ fears about [...]

Looking for a hunter ed class? Now?

YAKIMA, Wash. — Since the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife has gone to strictly online registration for its hunter education classes, some local classes aren’t filling up nearly as fast as they used to. Classes that used to fill up within a day after the old routine — announcing them in the local newspaper [...]

About charging to see elk feeding …

 YAKIMA, Wash. — It seems as if everybody I talk to these days wants to give me a piece of their mind the state’s new requirement that, in order to watch the elk at one of the Oak Creek Wildlife Area’s elk-feeding stations, spectators’ vehicles must display either a Discover Pass or a current WDFW [...]

Christmas gift for bird watchers?

YAKIMA, Wash. — Well, it’s only a Christmas gift if you’re one of those birders with a “life list,” a “state list” or a “year list” and will gladly travel hours for a chance at augmenting one or all of those lists with a glimpse at a rare bird. Because there’s one of up in [...]

Two added to fish/wildlife commission

YAKIMA, Wash. — Last month’s “Living with Wolves” panel discussion drew a sizeable crowd to YVCC’s Parker Room, where the packed house listened to, among other things, some of Jay Kehne’s personal experiences regarding wolves as well as the reasons why he doesn’t fear their slowly increasing numbers within this state. What people in that [...]

Where were the elk? Ask the rumor mill

YAKIMA, Wash. — The rumors were flying during and after this fall’s elk hunting season in the game management units (GMUs) west of Yakima. With the Muckleshoot tribe having announced its hunters would be hunting deer and elk in nine Yakima-area GMUs, a lot of non-tribal hunters had a justification ready in the event they [...]

So, as to where Tracy Hames went …

YAKIMA — It’s amazing how easily a writer can overlook the obvious until something is already in print — and then, how obvious and boneheaded the oversight looks in the instant the print version is seen. That was the case with today’s column about Tracy Hames leaving his position overseeing wetlands and waterfowl for the [...]

He won’t be Backen up those stairs

YAKIMA, Wash. — Many Yakima-area followers of multi-event sports will remember Kelsey Backen, the former East Valley High cross country standout who went on to become one of the Northwest’s premier triathletes. Just to jog the memory a bit, in 2003 Kelsey pulled off a two-fer that’s pretty impressive in the triathlon world: He won [...]

Outdoor headlines from elsewhere

YAKIMA, Wash. — For those of you who like to see what’s going on in the great outdoors elsewhere, here are a few interesting items that caught my eye: From The Missoulian in Montana: Patrol reminds hunters to be responsible in grizzly bear country A snippet: The men were bugling elk along a timber-covered ravine [...]

Zillah boat ramp restored

YAKIMA, Wash. –The boat ramp at Zillah that was washed out by debris in 2010′s early-spring high flows in the Yakima River is usable once again. Crews under contract with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife completed work last week on a primitive dirt launch that will enable anglers and waterfowl hunters to put [...]

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