Outdoors
& REC
The Observer & Baker City Herald
A good day’s
gunning for
grouse
LEFT: Finn and Yuba avoid the camera as I snap
a photo of our beautiful gray grouse.
BELOW: The plumage of a gray-phased ruffed
grouse boasts intricate detail.
BOTTOM: Creek side channels and wetlands
with grasses and shrubs beneath a canopy of
golden alder leaves presents a recipe for ruffed
grouse.
Saturday, October 29, 2022
CAUGHT
OVGARD
BRAD
TRUMBO
UPLAND PURSUITS
B
LUKE OVGARD
It’s not
all about
fishing
When drought dries up angling,
go on the hunt for mushrooms
Brad Trumbo/Contributed Photos
E
ven though my entire brand is centered
on fishing, I can assure you fishing is
not my only hobby or interest. I also
write about fishing, and I think that’s an im-
portant distinction, but you might see it as
splitting hairs.
Fine. I have others. I’ll share my love of au-
diobooks in an annual column, and I occa-
sionally allude to watching football, playing
basketball, working out, cooking, dining out,
and various home improvement projects. If
this doesn’t prove I’m a fun guy, read on. I’m
gonna write about mushrooms this week.
With the drought in full swing, this has
been one of the worst years for fishing in Ore-
gon I can remember, so if you’re like me (disil-
lusioned with reality and pining for what was),
you might appreciate a few other outdoor op-
portunities.
F
inn and Yuba came at a trot as the report of my 20-gauge double echoed through the creek bottom riparian. A handsome
gray-phased ruffed grouse lay at my feet – the culmination of three minutes of utter chaos.
It was early October and Finn, Yuba, and I had yet to find any birds. We had searched high and low, including some exceptional
food sources and formerly reliable grouse coverts without moving a single bird. The quail and partridge season opened the week
prior, and again, I hit one of my best Hun covers from years past without turning up a single covey. It was about time to put a mark
on the board.
A creek bottom covert that sports a mix of
berry-producing shrubs, fir of varying ages,
and creekside stands of green alder is my best
for ruffs, and I only hunt it once, maybe twice
per season. It’s rare to go a day in there without
moving a bird or two, but on this particular
morning, the girls and I would learn exactly
what George Bird Evans meant by “a good
day’s gunning.”
A lazy start to the morning put us in the
creek bottom with the sun already above the
ridgeline and lighting up the yellowing alder
tops like golden lollipops above the lush
forest floor. Typically, I walk the girls
into the cover about a half mile be-
fore beginning the hunt. Most of
our bird contacts come deeper
in the canyon, but an in-
stinctual sensation coaxed
me to release the girls just
past the parking area.
Maybe it was the scene
of the golden alders call-
ing, or the mix of young
firs, crimson ninebark,
blackberry snarls, and the
clustered white snowberries
beneath the alders looked just
right.
Upon releasing the girls, they
took to the cover like never before,
working in tandem, covering every stitch
of thick stuff. The creek bottom is braided with
scour channels from high water. One such
braid not one hundred yards from the parking
area was lined with young firs, and the chan-
nel floor maintained a carpet of grasses and
sedges. Approaching the line of young firs that
spanned the right bank of the scour channel,
Yuba halted onto point with Finn by her side,
both fixed on the skirt of the nearest fir.
“Always and always be ready,” I thought as
I shifted toward the girls. At once, a grouse
hammered out, then banked right and drifted
toward the creek through a wall of firs. I nearly
called the girls to pursue it, but they checked
up on the same fir and locked up again. As I
approached the tree, another grouse erupted
and flew straight away behind the fir. Then an-
other. Three grouse under the same tree and
not a single shot opportunity.
I pushed on behind the dogs as they sped
down the row of firs and quickly located an-
other bird. This one jumped about 15
feet and came down beneath an-
other fir. The girls moved on,
so I left that grouse to follow
the dogs. I could hear the
birds running through
the old channel before
flushing, and each flush
left the bird completely
hidden through the
dense firs and shrub-
bery.
A total of six birds
got up along the old
channel before things
went quiet, but the show
was not over. The grouse that
only jumped a short distance
remained to be flushed.
See Grouse / B2
FISHING FORECAST
Attractive options remain for anglers
EO Media Group
Although wintry weather has re-
placed the persistent summer-like
conditions, there are still attractive
angling opportunities in Northeast-
ern Oregon, according to recent re-
ports from the Oregon Department
of Fish and Wildlife.
Grande Ronde River
Trout fishing has been good near
Troy. Trout can be caught using a
variety of techniques including spin-
ners, flies, and bait. The October
caddis hatch is in full swing and may
provide for some fun fly fishing. An-
glers are catching steelhead and coho
salmon. For steelhead, anglers can
try using flies or casting jigs under
bobbers. Coho can be caught with
spinners, and plugs may be a good
option as well. Anglers are reminded
that wild steelhead, chinook salmon,
and bull trout cannot be harvested
and must be released
Imnaha River
Steelhead fishing has begun to
pick up, and the lower river near
Cow Creek will probably be the best
area for fishing throughout the fall.
Anglers should remember that wild
steelhead, chinook salmon, and bull
trout may be encountered in the
Imnaha River. They cannot be har-
vested, and must be released.
Wallowa County ponds
Several local ponds have been
stocked this year with rainbow trout
including some larger fish over 16
inches. Casting spinners or flies can
be effective for catching fish at Marr
Pond. Using bait can also be a produc-
tive method for fishing for trout at the
local Wallowa County ponds. Kinney
Lake was recently stocked and should
provide fishing opportunities for the
fall and throughout the winter.
Unity Reservoir
This reservoir has been fishing
steady for rainbow trout with an-
glers reporting decent catch rates and
quality size fish. Bank anglers have
been quite successful with boat an-
glers reporting good success as well.
Those looking to fish from a boat are
still able to launch their boats; how-
ever, the dock is no longer in due to
low water levels.
Wallowa River
Recently, trout fishing has been
very good with some fish longer than
14 inches being caught. Locally, Oc-
tober caddis have begun hatching
which can create a fun fishing oppor-
tunity. Casting spinners also may be
a good way to catch trout in the Wal-
lowa River. Steelhead fishing opened
Sept. 1. A few tagged steelhead have
been detected moving into the Wal-
lowa River, and more should move
in as the fall progresses into winter.
Coho salmon are moving into the
Wallowa River watershed and will
begin spawning. Please be careful not
to disturb spawning salmon. There
is no season for coho salmon in the
Wallowa River, and anglers cannot
fish for them there. Anglers are re-
minded that wild steelhead, chinook
salmon, coho salmon, and bull trout
cannot be harvested and must be re-
leased.
Wallowa Lake
Was stocked with rainbow trout
throughout the year. Some of these
fish should continue to be available
throughout the fall. Anglers may find
good success fishing for trout near
the mouth of the Wallowa River on
the south end of the lake.
Snake River below Hells Canyon
Dam
Sturgeon fishing was good in the
this summer with fish being caught
throughout the river downstream of
Hells Canyon Dam. Anglers are re-
minded that they must use barbless
hooks to fish for sturgeon, and stur-
geon may not be retained in the Snake
River. All sturgeon must be released
unharmed and cannot be removed
from the water. Anglers continue to
catch fall chinook downstream of
the Salmon River confluence, and
some steelhead have also been caught
throughout Hells Canyon.
Shaggy manes
This prolonged drought has been horri-
ble for so many reasons, but it has to break
eventually. When it finally rains, wait a day or
two then head to the woods to forage for the
West Coast mushroom that is often overshad-
owed by more expensive, spring varieties: the
shaggy mane.
Coprinus comatus, commonly called
shaggy manes, are a widespread mushroom
in North American forests that are cultivated
intentionally all around the world today. Some
people say they taste like asparagus, which I
can accept, although they still bear an obvi-
ously mushroom flavor profile.
Unlike many spring mushrooms, these den-
izens of fall spring up ready to harvest as soon
as 24 hours after the first autumn rain. They
average 3 or 4 inches in length, but they can
get up to 6. Also unlike many spring mush-
rooms, they almost always grow in clusters of
as few as three but as many as several dozen.
Within 48 hours of that initial fall rain, look
for the conspicuous white fungi sprouting
over gravel, cinder, bare dirt, duff and grass —
particularly at the edge of a road or trail.
I grew up chasing grouse and deer every
fall, and if the rains cooperated, we could of-
ten fill a basket with mushrooms even if we
had no meat to pair with it. This year, deer
hunters haven’t had much of a chance to in-
dulge their vegetarian side in the field, and by
the time it rains, most hunters will be chasing
birds in wetlands, leaving the forest to the in-
trepid mushroom hunter.
The shaggy mane season can last for weeks
if the rain stays liquid, but once the frost and
snow replace it, these white mushrooms are
buried or frozen.
Now that the rain has finally arrived, head
to the woods and keep a sharp eye.
Shaggy manes can be identified by white
or off-white coloration, tall and narrow coni-
cal shape with small tufts coming off the caps
that give the little mushroom its name. They
are harvestable for several days or even a week
after sprouting, but extreme damp, heat or
cold will all quicken their demise. Once the
cap becomes loose or touching the flesh of the
mushroom leaves a black, inky substance on
your fingers, they have spoiled.
If they’re still firm, whitish and dry, cut
them off as close to the ground as you can us-
ing a knife or scissors, and you have a wonder-
ful meal ahead.
Preparation
Many folks pan fry wild mushrooms, which
is fine, but there are better ways to prepare
shaggy manes. Like with all mushrooms,
soaking your harvest in saltwater for a few
hours to draw out any parasites, bugs or mites
is the bare minimum.
Pat dry with a clean cloth and then let them
sit in the air for a few minutes to firm up
again. Some people even refrigerate them for a
few hours before cooking, though I’ve noticed
only minimal textural improvement from this
extra step.
Once they’re clean and dry, slice them into
strips. The average shaggy mane will yield
three or four French fry-esque strips.
Place the strips on a cookie sheet lined with
baking paper and then brush with lemon juice
and either melted butter, ghee or olive oil. I
prefer butter myself.
Dust with salt, pepper, freshly minced garlic
and then top with parmesan cheese.
Flip the mushrooms over and repeat.
Broil for about three minutes and experi-
ence one of the seasonal fall bounties you can’t
find at the bottom of a Starbucks cup.
█
Read more at caughtovgard.com; follow on Instagram
and Fishbrain @lukeovgard; contact luke.ovgard@
gmail.com.