SIUSLAW NEWS ❚ SATURDAY, MARCH 14, 2015
Tips to survive being lost, stranded in woods
Herd of harbor seals debuts
at Newport Aquarium
NEWPORT — Three
Californians
moved
to
Newport this winter. Miller,
Tater and Elvis hailed from
Vallejo, where they swam and
galumphed across land at Six
Flags Discovery Kingdom.
The aquarium adopted the
harbor seals to provide some
youthful energy to its existing,
geriatric population. At 19, 20
and 21 years old, the new addi-
tions are hardly spring chick-
ens for their species; but com-
pared to the aquarium’s other
seals, the oldest of which is
turning 40 this year, they are
quite spry.
The trio is settling in quite
well into their new home.
They arrived well-versed in
working with trainers, but
need to learn to communicate
with aquarium staff who use
different training signals com-
pared to their former home.
“We started by working
through behaviors they already
knew, while slowly transition-
ing them over to our hand sig-
nals,” said Ken Lytwyn, cura-
tor of Marine Mammals.
“They are fast learners, and we
are already starting to work on
entirely new behaviors, like
swimming with trainers and
voluntary blood draws.”
Their blonde, spotted fur
gives them a distinctive
appearance from the five black
and silver female harbor seals
that were already on exhibit.
Visitors should be able to spot
them during their next visit,
especially if they check the
underwater windows, where
harbor seals often stare at visi-
tors face to face, and some-
times even follow a waving
hand with their nose.
The
Oregon
Coast
Aquarium is open every day
from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
If you are not prepared and
don’t know about the area you
want to explore, don’t go. Wait
and go with someone who’s
familiar with the area. Study
maps and search the Internet
for more information of the
area you’re looking to explore.
One very important action is
letting your family or friends
know where you are going,
when you are expected back,
and most importantly do not
hesitate to call for help.
Oregon is a beautiful state but
it can be very unforgiving
when the elements and the
environment change.
If you are traveling on the
back roads and your vehicle
breaks down, stay with your
vehicle. Try your cell phone. If
there is no cell service, stay
with your vehicle. The vehicle
is your shelter from the ele-
ments and your vehicle is easi-
er to spot from a plane or heli-
copter. If it is too hazardous to
remain with the vehicle, don’t
walk further than eyesight from
the vehicle. Often, a person
attempts to walk out and ends
up in more danger than if they
had waited.
If you are lost or injured in
the woods, stay near a trail and
try to make yourself a shelter.
If you can, prepare an area
for a warming or signal fire.
Keep in mind the time of the
year and the conditions in the
woods — you don’t want to
start a forest fire.
Staying dry and warm is
very important. Stay hydrated
if it is warm. Remain calm and
listen for searchers and hope-
fully you have a signal whistle
in your pack. Listen for aircraft
in the area and hopefully you
have packed a signal mirror or
flashlight.
Each year, mushroom pick-
ers get turned around and can’t
find their way back to their
vehicle. Many have been res-
cued because they had cell
service; some have never been
found.
Pay attention to the direction
you are going and stay as close
to the trails as you can. Some
hikers will mark their way in
with surveyors’ tape and then
collect it on their way out.
It’s easy to get turned around
when you walk with your head
down all day looking for mush-
rooms. This is why it is so
SALEM, Ore. – If you love
all things wild, you can help
support Oregon’s wildlife by
filling out your 2014 state tax
return and donate to the
Nongame Wildlife Fund,
Charitable Code 19, in the
charitable check-off donation
on the 2014 Oregon State tax
return.
Funds support 88 percent of
the state’s wildlife that are not
hunted or fished such as native
frogs, turtles, songbirds and
bats.
“The donations we receive
from the Nongame Wildlife
Fund help us protect and
enhance Oregon’s fish and
wildlife and their habitats for
use and enjoyment by present
and future generations,” said
Andrea Hanson, Conservation
Strategy Coordinator.
Donations have helped:
• Bring back the Bald Eagle,
Peregrine Falcon and Western
Snowy Plover from the brink
of extinction
• Fund wildlife habitat
improvement projects on pri-
vate and public lands
• Purchase educational mate-
rials for science classes as part
of the Bird by Bird pilot pro-
gram in the Portland School
Fishing
drifting beads along the bot-
tom can be effective tech-
niques.
WILSON RIVER: Steelhead
Winter steelhead fishing
should be slow as the river is
low and very clear. Adjust
your gear to these conditions
by using lighter lines and
smaller presentations. Fish
will hold where there is cover;
look for depth, choppy water,
or large wood or boulders.
from 1B
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A REA
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Coast Central - for one month AND an ad on
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R ESTAURAN
TS
• L ODGING •
SALMON RIVER:
Steelhead
Winter steelhead fishing is
slow to fair. River conditions
are low and clear. Anglers
should focus on the deeper
holding water. The river is
open to harvest of wild winter
steelhead through March 31.
Anglers are advised to read
the new regulations as there
are harvest restrictions and
new deadlines in effect.
The deadline for steelhead
fishing is at the confluence
with Prairie Creek which
enters the Salmon River west
of the Van Duzer rest area at
the same point as where
Sulpher Creek enters the
Salmon River.
SILETZ RIVER: Steelhead
Steelhead fishing is slow.
River conditions are low and
clear. Bank fishing in the
upper gorge area or floating
the lower reaches will produce
the best results until the next
good rain event. Typical steel-
head tactics apply such as side
drifting, bobber and jig/bait, or
casting spoons or spinners.
YAQUINA RIVER:
Steelhead
The winter steelhead fishery
is slow in the Big Elk. River
conditions are low and clear.
The fishery is typically very
slow for the rest of the season.
Anglers are advised to watch
for private property.
Typical steelhead fishing
tactics apply but the Big Elk is
bed rock dominated and does
have a lot of snags.
COOS COUNTY
LAKES/PONDS: Trout
Trout will be stocked this
week in Bradley Lake,
Saunders Lake, Powers
Pond, and Johnson Mill
Pond. This is the first trout
stocking of the year. There are
several lakes like Tenmile,
Eel, and Butterfield with
holdover rainbow trout from
last year’s stocking.
S E E PA G E 47
CALL FOR ADVERTISING
RATES TODAY!
TENMILE BASIN:
S e e J i m f o r y o u r
A u t o S a l e s N e e d s !
(541) 997-3441 FAX (541) 997-7979
W W W . M I D C O A S T WAV E . C O M
COOS RIVER BASIN:
Dungeness crab, bay clams,
steelhead, rockfish
Steelhead rivers in the Coos
Basin are very low and clear.
Anglers should concentrate
fishing deeper water using
light lines and smaller
lures/baits. There is bank
access on the West Fork
Millicoma at the Millicoma
Interpretive Center and on the
East Fork Millicoma at Nesika
Park. Access to the South Fork
Coos River is through
Weyerhaeuser property and
anglers must have a permit
from Weyerhaeuser.
In the Coos Basin, one
additional fin-clipped steel-
head may be retained per day
for a total aggregate of three
adult fish harvested daily.
Fishing for lingcod and
rockfish inside lower Coos
Bay around the jetties has
been good. Lingcod have been
biting on larger jigs or on her-
ring drifted under a bobber.
The marine fish daily bag
limit (which includes fishing
in estuaries) is seven fish and
a separate daily limit for ling-
cod (two).
Anglers can keep only three
blue rockfish as part of their
daily limit and there will be no
harvest of China, quillback or
copper rockfish.
UMPQUA RIVER, SOUTH:
VIRTUA
M A R K ET P L L
ACE
Deadline:
April 3, 2015
District.
• Fund conservation pro-
grams for sensitive species
including the western pond tur-
tle and Willamette Valley
grassland birds
For more information on the
Nongame Wildlife Fund, visit
the ODFW website at www
.dfw.state.or.us/wildlife/diver-
sity/tax_checkoff/.
Steelhead
The peak numbers of fish
normally show up until late
March. Fish have been caught
in the Canyonville area and
hatchery fish have been
reported. The hatchery pro-
gram for winter steelhead is
centered in the South
Umpqua, which offers the best
chance for catching an adi-
pose-fin clipped steelhead for
harvest.
Most hatchery fish are
caught from Canyonville
downstream. All wild fish
must be released unharmed.
Plunking should be good at
places such as Lawson Bar,
Myrtle Creek and behind
Seven Feathers.
A CTIVITIES
Siuslaw N ews
P ublicat
www.midco ion — F lorence, O R
astwave.com
148 Maple Street, P.O. Box 10, Florence, Oregon 97439
important to have a map and
become familiar with the area.
You can purchase a good
Global Positioning Satellite
(GPS) device for under $100
that can lead you back to where
you started. Most importantly,
stay calm and conserve your
energy. Some people panic and
wander off from the area result-
ing in injury.
Plan your trip according to
our recommendations. You can
never be too prepared, but
being unprepared can cost you
your life. When you choose to
explore the areas of this great
state, be safe.
For more information and
tips, visit www.lincolncounty
sheriff.net.
— Lincoln County Sheriff's
Office
Help preserve Oregon wildlife with your tax donation
low and clear. Fishing the mid
to lower river and focusing on
the deeper holding water will
produce the best results. The
next good rain event should
produce a good push of fish.
ALSEA RIVER: Steelhead
The winter steelhead fishery
is slow to fair. River condi-
tions are low and clear. Look
to fish the deeper holding
water and use smaller more
subtle presentations. Casting
lures, bobber and jig/bait or
Siuslaw News
3 B
2150 Hwy. 101 • Florence
(541) 997-3475 • 1-800-348-3475
Steelhead, largemouth bass,
yellow perch
Steelhead fishing in
Tenmile and Eel creeks over
the past week has been slow.
Anglers are picking up a few
fish plunking or back-bounc-
ing crankbaits from a boat.
In the Tenmile Basin, one
additional fin-clipped steel-
head may be retained per day
for a total aggregate of three
adult fish harvested daily.
Bass anglers have been
catching a few largemouth
bass in Tenmile Lakes. Water
temperatures in the shallow
water is warmer than usual for
this time of the year.