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About The Baker County press. (Baker City, Ore.) 2014-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 4, 2015)
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2015 Outdoor Rec / Local HELP WANTED BAKER SCHOOL DISTRICT 5J is currently accepting letters of interest from community members to fulfill Board Pos - tion #4 vacated by Richard McKim’s resignation. This term will expire June 30, 2017. Interested parties may pick up information for the position at Baker School District 5J, 2090 4th St. or visit our website at www.baker.k12.or.us Let- ters of Interest must be return to Norma Nemec at the District Office no later than September 7, 2015. At 3:30 p.m. If you have any questions, call 541-524-2261. Hunting after the fires ... function. Since last Saturday signaled the start of gen- eral deer and elk archery season (not the reason for my trip), thoughts about what effects the wildfires would have THE OUTDOOR COLUMN entered my mind. By Todd Arriola Some land- owners in the Last Saturday, as I head- local communities under- ed over Dooley Mountain standably voiced concerns toward Bridgeport from about the wildfires and Baker, I couldn’t help no- the timing of the hunting ticing the still smoldering seasons, and even more remains of the landscape, heated discussions ensued what once resembled once there was talk about grass, brush and trees, possibly postponing those now blackened by Mother seasons in Baker County. Nature’s fury, which we The Oregon Depart- call wildfire ment of Fish and Wildlife This isn’t the first (ODFW) quickly ended time we’ve experienced that conversation by stat- devastation like this, nor ing there would be no will it be the last. Being postponements. able to precisely place This is not to say that 100% of the blame in any there won’t be complica- one direction is like being tions with hunting (or able to draw and fill every another endeavor, for that big game animal tag this matter). Although there year, or maybe being able are exceptions, animals to recycle 144 aluminum tend to avoid volunteering soda cans without a single to become crispy, barbe- rejection or machine mal- cued meals by staying in one place, while a wildfire is active. And, they don’t exactly see charcoaled, bare trees and a forest floor covered with ash as appe- tizing, in the aftermath. Because of other com- mitments (and my occa- sional lack of planning), I failed to purchase the gen- eral deer and elk archery tags prior to the opening of the season last weekend. Generally speaking, it’s advisable to purchase tags before the seasons start, but in this case, I can still purchase the tags, albeit with an additional “excep- tion fee” of $17 per tag, according to ODFW. Hey, it’s better than no tags. Like many, I’ve won- dered how the hunting (and fishing, camping, hiking, etc.) seasons will fair due to the wildfires, and in reality, how much running around I’ll actually ac- complish. Since I at least attempt to avoid exces- sive selfishness regarding outdoor activities, even for game meat, I’ll assume that some landowners sim- ply wish to restrict access, and they’re certainly well within their right to do so. Their land, their rules. The public landscape has also changed, and this requires us to adapt, even where we’re “free” to roam. Wildfires don t seem to care who owns what, and they don’t discriminate, and I can see plenty of public land that went up in smoke, too. Actually, I can see more of it, because there are a heck of a lot less leaves and trees to block the view now. That’s not a good thing. Nobody has all the an- swers to “fix” the wildfire situation, and I certainly won’t accept that it’s the “new norm,” because that’s a poor attitude and zero management, at best. I plan on continuing to hunt, fish, etc., but awareness of my surroundings may be somewhat heightened now, which isn’t a bad thing. Regardless of the blame for the wildfires, we’re now in the stage of restora- tion, which requires con- stant pressure up the chain of command, in order to repair the damage already done, and to avoid creat- ing new issues. I should mention, I do love seeing those blue skies again, and I rather enjoy breathing on a regular basis. Now, if I can just dust off that bow and remember to buy those game tags … —ODFW Recreation Report— BAKER COUNTY HUNTING OPEN: COUGAR, BLACK BEAR, ARCHERY DEER AND ELK, MOURNING DOVE, FOREST GROUSE Archery seasons opened August 29. Hunters will face fire restrictions and some closures and they need to know what those are before they go. More info. Some good resources for fire information: Inci eb, National Forest webpages, Oregon Dept Forestry ODFW is not closing ar- chery season due to fires The 39 road near Halfway is now open and only minor shoulder work remains. The Eagle Complex fire in the Keating Unit currently has a closure as- sociated with it but the area of closure was recently reduced. See the Wallowa Whitman National Forest website for current travel restrictions and map of the affected area. Deer and elk: Archery hunters should find deer and elk around water and cool moist northern aspects. The continuation of warm temperatures will limit animal activity to early morning and late evening. Remember to check the regulations for the area you will be hunting. Cougars can be found throughout Baker County but hunters should target areas with high concen- trations of deer and elk. Setting up on a fresh kill or using distress calls can all be productive techniques. Hunters are required to check in the hide of any cougar taken, with skull and proof of sex attached. Remember to pick up a 2015 tag. Bear season opened August 1. Successful hunt- ers, remember check-in of bear skull is mandatory; see the regulations for details. Biologists recom- mend propping the bear’s mouth open with a stick after harvest; it makes for easier tooth collection and measuring. Coyote numbers are good throughout the district. Try calling in early morning and late afternoon. Remember to ask for per- mission before hunting on private properties. Grouse season started September 1. Blue grouse can be found in the higher elevations while ruffed grouse are more common in wetter areas. Hunters should expect an average year for grouse. Successful hunters are asked to place the tails and wings from harvested birds in the col- lection barrels. BAKER COUNTY VIEWING Bighorn sheep can be seen in the Burnt River Canyon west of Durkee or along the Snake River Road south of Richland. Young lambs can be seen this time of year with ewes across most of the bigborn sheep range. The best viewing is in the early morning and late in the evening. Please remember to leave wildlife alone. It is crucial for their survival to keep human interactions to a minimum. Bald and golden eagles can be seen along the Snake River. Take the Snake River Road between Richland and Huntington. NE OREGON FISHING The 2 p.m. fishing cl - sure for trout, steelhead, salmon and sturgeon in streams has been lifted as of Sept. 1. Trout fishing in allowa Lake has been very good thanks, in part, to additional stocked trout diverted from nearby ponds too warm to receive fish Crappie fishing conti - ues to be good in McKay Reservoir, with the best catches coming early and late in the day. Walleye fishing co - tinues to be excellent on the Columbia River from McNary dam downstream to Boardman. GRANDE RONDE RIVER: trout, whitefish, bass. The river remains open for trout whitefish and bass. However, the 2:00 p.m. closure for trout due to drought conditions is in effect. Fishing for smallmouth bass will be good with lots of fish in the river, warm temperatures and low flows. Steelhead season will open on Sept. 1, however few fish will be in the river until later in the month. HOLLIDAY PARK POND: rainbow trout. Pond has been stocked with both le- gal and trophy-sized trout. Fishing has been fair. Pond does have an ADA fishing dock for anglers with dis- abilities. JOHN DAY RIVER: smallmouth bass. Smallmouth bass fishing is good with many being caught. There also has been a fair number of catfish being caught. Bass anglers may try their luck higher in the North Fork be- low the town of Dale. Bass are present up to Dale but in lower numbers. LUGER POND: hatch- ery rainbow trout. Fishing restrictions will be relaxed on Lugar Pond in prepara- tion for an upcoming fish removal project. Start- ing Sept. 1, fish may be harvested by hand, dip net, or angling. Daily bag and possession limits will also be lifted. Luger Pond has been stocked with 500 legal-sized rainbow trout. MORGAN LAKE: rain- bow trout. The City of La Grande has closed access to Morgan Lake due to extreme fire dange . WALLOWA COUNTY PONDS: rainbow trout. Fishing restrictions will be relaxed at Kinney Lake in preparation for an upcom- ing fish removal project in October. Starting Sept. 1, fish may be harvested by hand, dip net, or angling. Daily bag and possession limits will also be lifted. These relaxed regulations will be effective until Sept. 25, when the ponds will be closed to all fishing through Dec. 31, to prevent public exposure to rotenone. Due to potentially lethal water temperatures, trout stocking in Wallowa County ponds was suspended dur- ing June. Ponds affected by these changes are; Salt Creek, McGraw, Honey- moon, Teepee, Victor, Weaver, Marr, and Kinney Lake. Trout that would have been released in these ponds were stocked in Wallowa Lake in addition to scheduled trout stock- ings. These ponds are tradition- ally stocked through July with Honeymoon, Teepee, Salt Creek and McGraw also receiving trout in late September to benefit deer hunters. With moderating temperatures managers have determined if these ponds will receive these traditional fall stockings. WALLOWA LAKE: rainbow trout, kokanee, lake trout. Trout fishing has been good at Wal- lowa Lake. The lake has received additional rainbow trout stocking due to other area water bodies being too hot to receive fish. This means the lake has been heavily stocked with both legal-size and trophy trout. Kokanee anglers have found some recent suc- cess, however the fish are still running on the small side. THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS — 7 Fire: Eagle Complex still threatens area cabins Carmelita Holland / The Baker County Press Portable water tanks remain in front of the Holland Cabin in the middle of the Eagle Complex fire BY CARMELITA HOLLAND News@TheBakerCountyPress.com One stubborn flame in the lower bottom of Sullivan Creek continues to threaten cabins two miles up East Eagle Creek. “I cleaned road to cabin number ten, and I could hear fire popping and snapping in timber directly belo ,” said Mike Lattin of Eagle Telephone, on Tuesday morning. “I have all of my equipment there now. I’m taking my water truck up, wet the road and see if I can reach it,” said Lat- tin. “If the fire takes o f again, it could wipe out all the cabins on the east side of East Eagle Creek. I’m going to stay with it and do what I can to save these cabins. I’m going to put in fire lines and doze around private prope - ties where I can. Everybody else is gone now. The crew from Joseph named the Pat Rick Company has left too. They have released the fire to the local force. I know some of them, They are good. I have a lot of faith in them.” Chary Mires is watching the fire blazing across Lime Creek and roaring through Hudson Creek. “I’m afraid we are still going to lose Dad’s cabin,” she said. She refers to the cabin built by the late Jim Weber near the west end of the Forest Service bridge located across from the mouth of Big Kettle Creek. Water used by Weber’s cabin flows from the burning area She said the fire has already reached her timberland in three places, taking out eighty valuable large trees in one place. The fire spread to her property at the time it burned the DuMars cabin August 21st. Fire then came in from the Sheep Rock Mine area where spot fires peppered the hillside. A third wall of fire struck her timber in Sullivan Creek and part of this fire scorched the earth as it burned within one hundred feet east of the Holland cabin. The present fire threatens more of her timber on Sullivan Creek. Lattin said he has seen only one fire-killed animal— “a cooked buck fawn. I have not been able to get any- where to look for more because the roads are all full of downed timber,” said Lattin. There are very few of the hundreds of grazing permit- tee cattle appearing in lower elevations as the wildfire continues to consume the higher elevations. West Nile virus found in Baker County Mosquitos in Baker County tested positive for West Nile virus from two samples collected last Monday and Tuesday in the Keating area. This brings the total infected pools up to four. Dead bird surveillance has been ongoing in the district. People who notice sick or dead birds such as crows, mag- pies, jays and robins should contact the vector control district so that they can be picked up for testing. The Baker Valley Vector Control District sets 30 adult mosquito traps baited with CO2 weekly in Baker, Bowen and Keating Valleys each year. The mosquitoes caught are then identified to species, counted and pooled into groups of 10-50 and sent onto the Oregon State Univer- sity Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory in Corvallis for testing. No cases of human illness have been reported this year in Baker County. Most people who become infected with West Nile Virus do not become sick. Some may develop mild flu-like symptoms such as feve , headache, body aches, and occasionally swollen lymph glands or rash. In some cases, West Nile may cause encephalitis, or inflammation of the brain. Information about West Nile virus, including what to do if you believe you’re infected, is available at: https://public.health.oregon.gov/DiseasesConditions/Dis- easesAZ/WestNileVirus/Pages/survey.aspx.