ODFW Report, Dec. 20

Winter Steelhead – The first fish have arrived in many rivers and streams – expect the fishing to really pick up once we get some warm weather and little rain. Not sure where to go? Check out the 2014 Winter Steelhead Guide.  2014 licenses on sale – and they make great gifts – Give a gift they can enjoy all year long. 2014 fishing and hunting licenses and big game raffle tickets are on sale now.  Cougar hunting closed in Zone A (Coast/North Cascades) – The zone reached its quota of 120 cougars last week, so sport hunting has closed in the zone. Map of closure area.  Take a bird hunting trip – and take advantage of increased possession limits – Possession limits were increased to 3X the daily bag limit for all migratory birds this year, so it’s a great time to go hunt in a new area.  Keep your dog safe this trapping season – Trapping seasons are underway. Keep your dog safe with these tips.  Report your tags—even if you didn’t hunt or weren’t successful – Hunters are required to report on every deer, elk, cougar, bear, pronghorn and turkey tag purchased. Hunters who fail to report their 2013 deer and elk tags by the deadline (Jan. 31, 2014 for most hunts) will have to pay a $25 penalty fee to purchase a 2015 hunting license. Report online or call 1-866-947-ODFW (6339).