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Out and About: Bonneville fish update, pheasant hunt and more

The Columbian
Published: September 13, 2017, 10:17pm

Bonneville dam fish counts suspended

As reported by the Spokesman Review, Bonneville Dam fish counts were suspended as a result of the Eagle Creek Wildfire. This made it difficult to monitor the migration of wild, protected “B” run steelhead, which are struggling this year. The returns are the lowest in 30 years.

Fish counts have now resumed at Bonneville Dam.

“B” run steelhead are headed back to the Clearwater and other rivers in Idaho.

Washington Waterfowl Association to hold annual banquet

The Lower Columbia Chapter of the Washington Waterfowl Association will hold its annual fund raising banquet at Club Green Meadows on Saturday 23. Doors open at 5 p.m. and dinner will be at 6:30 p.m.

There will be an auction for guided hunting and fishing trips, decoys, guns, and other items. There will also be a silent auction and raffle.

This is a family-friendly event. Tickets are $40 apiece, or $75 for couples. Contact banquet chairman Doug Hargin at 360-903-6951 for donations or tickets.

Youth pheasant hunt set for Sept. 23-24

The Youth Pheasant Hunt at Vancouver Lake will take place on Sept. 23 and 24. The Vancouver Wildlife League is offering mentors and dogs for those that do not have them. Sign-up is from 7:00 to 7:30 am. Check the Vancouver Wildlife League website (vancouver wildlife.org) for maps to the sites and sign-up locations.

Youth hunters must possess a valid hunter education certification, and they must wear 400 cubic inches of blaze orange that can be seen from all directions. Non-toxic shot is also required.

Hunters with dogs that wish to mentor a youth are always welcome.

Conservation group urges fishing closure

The Conservation Angler, a wild fish advocacy organization, called for the complete shutdown of salmon and steelhead angling on the Columbia River because of the inability of the BPA to monitor the migration of protected “B” run steelhead as they pass over Bonneville Dam.

In a press release, David Moskowitz from The Conservation Angler wrote:

“Right now, at the most critical time for wild B-run steelhead, fishery managers are flying blind because there are no migration numbers from the Bonneville Dam fish passage facility.

“Additionally, no one is able to track wild B-run steelhead as they pass Bonneville because the water temperatures are very warm and their research handling permit does not allow the fish to be handled in the warm water (a good thing) but also because they cannot access the monitoring site due to the fire.”

Fisheries managers have closed sections of the Columbia River to all harvest of steelhead, whether of hatchery or wild origin, and reduced bag limits on many rivers from three to a single adipose fin-clipped hatchery adult.

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