Saturday, Sep. 20, 2008

Outdoors briefs: Columbia refuge to open area for youth hunt

Compiled by the Herald staff

The Columbia National Wildlife Refuge will open a popular area south of O'Sullivan Dam for youths to hunt Canada goose, duck and coots today and Sunday.

The hunt only will be open to hunters under 16, who must be accompanied by an adult who is not hunting. It will be held in Marsh Unit 1.

For more info about the refuge, go to www.fws.gov/columbiarefuge/home/.

Annual youth-only hunt set for today, Sunday

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife's annual youth-only hunting season is today and Sunday.

Hunters under 16 years of age have a jump on both waterfowl and upland game birds with the special statewide two-day season, said Mick Cope, the department's upland game manager.

Ducks, geese, pheasants, quail and partridge are all fair game for young hunters, who must be accompanied by an adult who is at least 18 years old. The adult cannot hunt.

In eastern Washington, pheasants are released on sites listed and described in the 2008 Eastern Washington Pheasant Enhancement Program pamphlet and on many Feel Free to Hunt sites in southeastern Washington.

Native plants, birds discussed Sept. 25

Fluor Hanford employees will discuss native plants at Hanford and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act at 6 p.m. Sept. 25 at the Richland Community Center in Howard Amon Park.

Sally Simmons, who will discuss native plants, is doing remediation work at Hanford after completing doctoral research on rare vs. common native plant species of the Washington shrub steppe.

Bill Cox will discuss the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.

Starbuck angler wins pikeminnow drawing

An angler from Starbuck received $2,000 during a special drawing sponsored by the Northern Pikeminnow Sport Reward Fishery Program.

Richard Ells was one of five anglers who won the money during a drawing the week of Sept. 8 as part of an incentive to entice more anglers to fish for pikeminnow, a predatory fish that eats juvenile salmon.