Outdoors


Wade La Fontaine with his record mahi mahi. Photo courtesy of WDFW
National Public Lands Day: Saturday, September 23, is National Public Lands Day.  The holiday celebrates our public lands managed at both the federal and state levels, and it is free to recreate on these lands for the day (no passes or permits required).  This makes it the perfect day (if you are...

Pete Fisher shows off his catch of quality crappie at Potholes Reservoir. COURTESY OF PETE FISHER
Fun to catch and tasty to eat, crappie offers an excellent opportunity for anglers in the late summer and early fall.  There are two species of crappie found in Washington State: the white and black crappie.  Of the two, the black crappie is more commonly found in the Evergreen State. At this time...

Grand prize: Ellie Mae B. from Alpine Lakes Elementary in Leavenworth created the 2023 Salmon Festival Poster. Courtesy of Chelan County PUD
WENATCHEE — Swim on over to Rocky Reach Park and Discovery Center to celebrate the Salmon People 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 23. For the first time since 2019, community day is back for people of all ages to enjoy a full day of interactive games, art, storytelling and fun. Wenatchee River...

Jason Bachman from Oak Harbor with an average sized pink salmon. Courtesy John Kruse
I just returned from my bi-annual camping trip to Fort Casey State Park on the east side of Whidbey Island. I book a stay there every other year in mid to late August to take advantage of the pink salmon that return to Puget Sound and its tributary rivers every odd year. Pink salmon usually run on...

Mourning dove harvested after a successful hunt. Courtesy Troy Rodakowski
Washington’s mourning dove hunting season opens up September 1 and goes until October 30 with a daily bag limit of 15 birds and possession limit of 45 birds. This is a popular season for a niche group of hunters. In 2021, 3,626 hunters reported harvesting 42,458 birds, for an average of nearly 12...
Cascades Track & Sign Evaluation with David Moskowitz: Saturday, September 16 and Sunday, September 17. Spend two full days in the greater Leavenworth area, with professional wildlife tracker, naturalist, educator and author, David Moskowitz. This class is a wildlife track and sign evaluation...

Nick Burson and Marc McPherson on the summit of Mt. Adams. Courtesy Nick Burson
I first spoke with Nick Burson and Marc McPherson in 2017. Nick and Marc are both law enforcement officers who work and live in Central Washington. Nick is a Corporal at the Kittitas County Sheriff’s Office and Marc serves as a Lieutenant for the Central Washington University Police Department. The...
As temperatures rise, so should the care of your yard’s lawn and landscape. However, it’s important to ensure your yard is healthy before a heat wave hits. “The healthier your grass, trees, and shrubs, the more resistant it will be to summer’s extreme temperatures. Lawns, in particular, that have...
OLYMPIA – With the first fall big game hunting season now underway, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) reminds hunters that time is running out to complete mandatory hunter education courses.   “If you haven’t already completed your hunter education course, don’t delay!” said...

A wildland firefighter and a burning wildfire. Courtesy US Forest Service
Common sense isn’t common, negligence is all too often prolific and these two factors combine to create wildfires in our forests and across our landscapes every year. According to the National Park Service, 85 percent of wild fires are human caused. Here are some of the common ways these forest...

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