Fishing for summer Chinook salmon gets under way July 1 in several areas of the upper Columbia River and the lower stretch of the Okanogan River, according to the state Department of Fish and Wildlife.
     Fishing on the Okanogan River will be from the mouth to the Highway 97 bridge immediately upstream.
     Minimum size is 12 inches, daily catch limit is six fish, and only two adult salmon (at least 24 inches) may be kept, say state officials.
     The fishery for spring Chinook salmon continues through July 15 on the Entiat River in a special selective gear season not listed in the state rules pamphlet, according to the department announcement.
     The season is possible because enough spring Chinook have been returning, say department officials.
     Art Viola, district fish biologist, said the fishery targets non-endemic hatchery spring Chinook that pose a risk to the natural-origin spring Chinook in the Entiat River. The natural-origin fish are listed as endangered.
     The department is accepting public comments on key hunting issues ranging from shooting hours to mule deer seasons as a first step in developing state hunting seasons for 2009-11.
     A questionnaire is posted on the department’s Web site at http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/game/seasonsetting/index.htm. Hunters also can suggest their own ideas for regulations and hunting seasons.
     The comment period runs through July 13.
     Black bears have been providing closer-than-desired viewing for many north central Washington residents and recreationists recently, and department officials have been responding to a number of complaints.
     Recent situations in Okanogan County have involved bird feeders, unsecured garbage cans and a feeding station for feral cats that was raided by a bear.
     To avoid problems with bears and their incredible powers to sniff out any free meals, wildlife managers recommend taking some precautions:
     • Clean barbecue grills immediately after use.
     • Store garbage in secure, wildlife-resistant containers.
     • Keep pets and pet and livestock food indoors.
     • Remove bird feeders.
     • Enclose beehives and fruit trees with chain-link or electric fencing.
     • Install more outdoor lighting.
     • To avoid encounters with black bears while camping or hiking, keep a clean camp and use wildlife-resistant trash containers, and store food in the trunk of a motor vehicle, in wildlife-resistant food lockers or in a pack suspended from a tree branch at least 10 feet above the ground and four feet out from the tree.
     Department officer Cal Treser recently responded to a complaint of a doe mule deer attacking people and dogs in the Lost River area of Okanogan County.
     The doe was protecting a fawn, Treser explained, and neighbors were told to give it a wide berth and keep dogs kenneled.
     Four pairs of red-necked grebes are nesting on Curlew Lake in Ferry County, according to recent departmental aquatic bird surveys.
     One adult common loon was observed at North Skookum Lake, and a pair of loons with a juvenile was seen in late May on South Skookum Lake, but not found in the latest survey.