Public help sought in poaching of cow, calf moose
PRINCETON — Conservation officers from the Idaho Department of Fish and Game are seeking information about a cow and calf moose killed in the Hatter Creek drainage of Moscow Mountain near here.
According to a news release from the agency, the carcasses of the animals were found Dec. 20 and it is believed they were killed on the same day. There was not an open moose hunting season at the time and the harvesting of cow moose is not permitted anywhere in the Clearwater Region even during open seasons.
According to the news release, evidence indicates several people may have been involved in the incident. Anyone with information about the killings is asked to contact Senior Conservation Officer Tony Imthurn at (208) 716-8099 or the Citizens Against Poaching Hotline at (800) 632-5999.
Wooten area shooting range to close for upgrades
POMEROY — The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife will temporarily close the W.T. Wooten Wildlife Area target shooting range near here next week.
The range will be closed Tuesday through Thursday while upgrades are completed. According to a news release from the agency, the work will include reshaping the target backstop to bring it in compliance with updated shooting range rules that take effect later this month.
The agency recently reshaped the target backstop of the shooting range at the Asotin Creek Wildlife Area and the range there has reopened.
“The update to target shooting rules is a response to an increase in target shooting on WDFW-managed lands in recent years, plus an increase in visitors to wildlife areas,” said David Whipple, hunter education manager. “These increases created challenges, including heightened safety concerns, wildfire risk, littering and impacts to private property.”
Lapwai area shooting range will be closed today
LAPWAI — The Lewis-Clark Wildlife Club shooting range near Lapwai will be closed today for the New Year’s Day holiday.
It will be open Saturday and Sunday. However, the six-bench side of the range will be reserved for a private party from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday.
Road improvements to close Steptoe Butte park
COLFAX — Steptoe Butte State Park near here will closed for 12 to 16 weeks later this year.
According to a news release from the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission, the park is expected to be closed from about March to about May to accommodate road and parking lot improvement work.
The road surface that is more than 50 years old will be replaced, parking will be expanded at the base of the butte and some parking spaces will be designed for trailers so visitors pulling trailers can detach and leave them there rather than hauling them to the summit where the parking lot is too small for oversized vehicles and vehicles with trailers to easily turnaround. The parking lot at the summit will also be refurbished and a turn around with a 50-foot radius will be added.
The work is weather-dependent and more precises dates of the closure will be announced at a later date. The project is expected to cost $5,673,000 and will be paid for out of state funds.
Tickets sell out; area ski resorts are at capacity
The combination of ample powder, holidays and COVID-19 restrictions has led some ski areas to sell out of daily lift tickets. Ski Bluewood near Dayton and Lookout Pass near Mullan sold out Thursday and expect to be at capacity throughout the weekend. Silver Mountain near Kellogg is sold out of daily lift tickets through Saturday. Ski areas recommend those who want to take advantage of the powder this weekend to arrive early or to purchase tickets in advance. Some ski areas require online purchase.
Steelhead bag limit reductions are extended
SPOKANE — The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife has extended daily bag limit reductions in steelhead fisheries on the lower Snake, Grande Ronde, Tucannon and Touchet rivers that were adopted last fall.
On the Snake River, the bag limit will be one hatchery steelhead per day from the river’s mouth to Lower Granite Dam and two per day from Lower Granite Dam to the Oregon/Washington state line south of Heller Bar. The bag limit on the Grande Ronde River will be two hatchery steelhead per day. The bag limit will be one hatchery steelhead per day on the Tucannon and Touchet rivers.
