The Eagle Outdoors

My friends, I stand corrected. It was brought to my attention recently that Daylight Savings Time (DST) does not take a 24-hour day and magically transform it into a 25-hour day. No, sir. It does require most of us, if we want to hang with the "cool kids," to move our clocks ahead an hour and, as you know, move them back an hour in the fall. A gentleman by the name of Jerry kindly explained the error of my ways with the following illustration: if you cut the head off a 38-inch/22-pound chinook salmon and staple it to the tail, does your fish now weigh 28 pounds? It doesn't; likewise, DST doesn't give us a 25-hour day. Still, those extra six pounds of king salmon sure would be nice. Thanks for the lesson, Jerry.

I read with interest the recent articles in The Daily News, The Chronicle, and The Chinook Observer regarding the "global timber giants" restricting or, in many instances, closing access to tens of thousands of acres formerly (albeit private) and traditionally treated as free-to-roam ground for the purposes of hunting, fishing, hiking, camping, and other activities. When I moved to southwest Washington from Ohio in 1993, Julie and her brother, Gordon, would take me hunting into places like the Yacolt Burn and Chelatchie Prairie. The siblings and their families had hunted and camped on this ground for decades. No fee and few, if any, gates. There was little restriction. One morning, we're in The Burn, and I asked about land ownership. "Timber ground," I was told. "Private land then," I volleyed. "Yes," came the answer, so I asked, "You hunt tens of thousands of acres of private land for free?" Again, the answer was "yes." It was then I looked at my then-girlfriend/now-wife all those 33 years ago, smiled, and said, "That's going to change." As y'all know, it has.

For outdoors enthusiasts, hunters and anglers alike, access has always been an issue. It was an issue in the early 1970s when I first began hunting, and it's an even bigger issue now. Access, or the lack thereof, are why many folks stop hunting; or, don't start in the first place. Truth is, if I had two young ones who wanted to hunt today, I'd be hard-pressed to find access. What little public land there is out there is often crowded, and private land lies behind locked gates, with access afforded only by way of the transfer of legal tender (and lots of it). There is, unfortunately, not a simple answer to this situation. It's like the proverbial onion, with layer after layer after layer. I'm trying to see all sides here: tradition, capitalism, business, heritage, recreation, free enterprise, change. Ah, change. That's yet another layer. It will be interesting to watch this story unfold.

Not a night owl, but dearly love those razor clams? Then you're in luck. Effective Friday, March 20, the spring digs switch to daylight tides. It's not a very "low" low; only -0.1 at 8 a.m., but, hopefully, the sun will be shining. Additional daylight digs are being offered through Tuesday, March 24, with tentative dates running from Wednesday, April 1 through Tuesday, April 7. Again, the low tides aren't much that first week of April, with the best being a pair of -0.2's on Friday and Saturday, April 3-4.

Just a reminder that new fishing licenses, along with the resurrected Columbia River Salmon/Steelhead Permit, will be required as of Wednesday, April 1. There's a lot going on with the WDFW and a mobile licensing app, paperless licenses, and regular paper licenses versus the slick paper we've been getting in years past. Next week, I'll attempt to put all the changes and options in layman's terms. That way, maybe I can understand the entire process as well.

Looking to throw a crab snare off the North Jetty in hopes of looping a Dungeness or two for dinner? The 2026 bottom fish season in Marine Area 1 officially opened on March 14, so how about throwing a 6-inch grub off the Jetty? You might just hook a sea bass or ling cod. Well, the truth is you can't. Why not? You can't get there from here. To be more specific, Washington State Parks has closed Cape Disappointment State Park entirely until late spring "while the park undergoes major renovations," according to the website. Access to Waikiki Beach and the North Jetty is not available until the end of construction. Interestingly, as of March 2, the boat launch across the street from the park entrance is also closed, and "will reopen after completion of a new trail in the Three Waters System." I'm not sure what trail construction has to do with closing the boat ramp. Does the trail begin and end in Baker Bay? Apparently, it does. The Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center, North Head Lighthouse, and Beard's Hollow will be open during the park closure.

Today, take the time and step outside. We're all busy, but it only takes a minute to see or hear something remarkable. Yesterday, I had the privilege of listening to scores of cackling geese. Two days ago, it was tundra swans (heard but unseen), arguing Rufous hummingbirds, and robins heralding clearing skies. There's so much going on around us that doesn't involve the news. Take a break from it. You'll be better off and glad you did.