The sun is setting earlier and the leaves are starting to turn – signs of another change of season. Fall is in the air, and hunters are heading out for the first major hunting seasons of the year.

Salmon fisheries are also underway in the Columbia River, Puget Sound, and other waters, and anglers are still reeling in trout from lakes throughout Washington.

September highlights include:

· Deer and elk: Early general archery hunts will open for deer and elk in many areas of the state.

· Youth-only hunts: The special pheasant hunt for hunters under age 16 is Sept. 21-22 statewide.

· 65+ or disability hunts: The special hunt for hunters 65+ or hunters with disabilities is Sept. 23-27.

· Columbia River salmon: Coho salmon are the name of the game. The 2019 forecast for coho returning to the Columbia River is 611,400 adult fish, more than four times last year’s return.

· Eastern Washington lakes: This month is the last chance to fish several of the region's rainbow and cutthroat trout fishing lakes.

For information about hunting, fishing and wildlife viewing opportunities available this month in each region of the state, see the Weekender Regional Reports at wdfw.wa.gov/weekender/.