The Eagle Outdoors

It's true. September - and with it, the official start of yet another hunting season - is right around the proverbial corner. However, that's not to say there isn't much to do outdoors during the final two weeks of August. That said, my thoughts as we wind down month eight of 2025:

Buoy 10 / North Jetty

The Fort Canby boat launch was a busy, busy place on Sunday, Aug. 10, when we had the grandkids. In talking with several different anglers, it appears the bite has moved into the river proper, with fewer skippers venturing over the bar in search of their daily bag limit. Kings, I was told by more than one, were coming pretty regularly and with a smattering of silvers in the mix. Many of the silvers, one boater mentioned, were wild and thus returned to the river. "Fun," he said as he turned and wandered back to the ramp. "Better than dragging hardware all morning and not getting a bounce." Right you are, sir.

Regulations do differ between the section of the Lower River from Buoy 10 upstream to Rocky Point / Tongue Point and the stretch from Rocky/Tongue points to the west end of Puget Island. The latter stretch has a daily bag of six and one clipped king, and the former has a two-fish limit, with one hatchery king and one hatchery steelhead or two clipped silvers. From the west end of Puget Island to the Hood River Bridge, it's also six, with one king clipped or unclipped. And here I thought the waterfowl regulations were convoluted (which they still are).

As for the North Jetty, I'm unsure, as of this writing, though I'm sure it's heating up. Julie and I are headed down there on Sunday morning, so I'll have a better feel for that situation and will report anew in the Aug. 21 issue of The Eagle.

Bear season 2025

Bear season opens on Friday, Aug. 15, in what's known as the Willapa Hills Black Bear Management Unit. Two major changes for the 2025 season include an Aug. 15 opening day (it had been Aug. 1 for some time) and a reduction in the seasonal bag limit from two to one. Successful hunters are also required to submit a fully intact (root and crown) premolar from any bear they harvest to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife no later than Dec. 1, 2025. Such specimen submissions, along with the mandatory hunter reporting procedures, allow wildlife biologists to better monitor game populations and, perhaps, offer additional hunting opportunities in the future.

Local salmon derbies coming

Local salmon aficionados will have a chance to spotlight their angling skills via a pair of fishing derbies to be held again this year at the Elochoman Marina. Sponsored by the Wahkiakum Chamber of Commerce, this year's 'Hook The Hawg' salmon derby will be held from Aug. 27-29. Entry fees are $30 for adults and $15 for young folks 17 and under. Cash prizes, raffles, an award ceremony, and a lively after-party gathering are all on the books for the contest.

This year's Warriors and Widows salmon derby is scheduled to be held Tuesday-Wednesday, Aug. 26-27, with a meet and greet dinner Tuesday evening and fishing on Wednesday. This is a fantastic event organized by a dedicated group of local folks and attended by the finest veterans and military families ever to come down the pike. I've had the opportunity to be involved in two or three of these veteran's derbies, and to say it's awe-inspiring is an understatement.

Discovering the outdoors

Sometimes I forget that not everyone grew up with outdoors-minded parents. As a child of Mother Nature, I had hunting, fishing, playing in the creek, the glow of Midwestern lightning bugs, and the soulful calls of a backwoods barred owl. I reckon I had a leg up, with a biology teacher with a doctorate in mycology for a father and a Latin major for a Mom. Dad said, "Let's go." Mom said, "Get out of the house." It was, and is, the best of both worlds..

Julie's middle son and his three kids Camila (11), Charlie (9), and Emmet (7) have been with us since Aug. 5. This is the kids' first trip to Washington and, while I won't go so far as to say their outdoor experiences have been limited, well, their outdoor experiences have been limited. That being said, it has been, with extremely great pleasure, that Julie and I have been blessed with the opportunity to essentially turn them loose in the great outdoors. To have them pick rocks, get wet, get sand in places where sand shouldn't be, hold a crab, touch an anemone or a starfish, sleep outside, ride in the back of the pickup on the beach, go to the vet, play with the cats, or discover alien monkey eggs for the first time. Part of their experience has also been chickens, chores, fresh from the garden peas, and canning pickles. Later this week, it will be mushroom hunting, crawdads, and sleeping in the tent.

What's my point, you ask? Get a kid outdoors. Let them fall down and get dirty. Have them ask questions and marvel at the wild world. Show them stuff. Who knows? You might actually learn something.