Nearly half-a-million digger trips taken during 120 calendar days of digging in the 2021–2022 season — The coastal razor clam season wrapped up on Saturday (May 7) in what’s been a very memorable season and the future looks bright with one of the strongest populations seen in the past 25 years. “We are pleased we could offer more digging days and a higher daily limit that…

Puget Sound’s ‘stable’ fishery for the toothsome and tasty species is now open for business. — Originally published by Northwest Sportsman Magazine The lingcod is a rather frightful-looking creature with buggy eyes, a bucket-sized mouth filled with canine-like teeth, odd-shaped fins, a pot belly, and mottled brown/grayish skin. While not easy on the eyes, anglers are charmed by their steely fight when hooked and beloved tasty…

The international theme for this year’s Earth Day was “Invest in Our Planet.” As our planet faces increasing threats from climate change, biodiversity loss, and habitat conversion, it’s more important than ever to preserve, protect, and perpetuate Washington’s fish and wildlife. At the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife…

With the spring turkey season underway and other hunting seasons approaching, you may be scouting for a place to hunt. With more than half the state’s land privately owned, the options sometimes seem limited. If you do your homework in advance though, there are opportunities to hunt privately-owned lands through…

The spring Chinook salmon hatchery program on the Cowlitz River does double duty: not only does it provide angling opportunity by mitigating the loss of natural salmon production caused by dams in the watershed, but it also helps establish the reintroduction of naturally produced populations above those dams. To accomplish…

On a calm, brisk morning on the waters of Puget Sound, something off in the distance catches researchers’ attention. “Was that a fluke?” asks Alanna Frayne, Soundwatch Boater Education Program coordinator, at the sight of a gray whale tail — or scientifically speaking, fluke — jutting out of the water. …

Black bears have begun to emerge from their winter dens hungry and are in search of calories after five months of not eating. …

Spreading out trout plants creates a buzz of excitement throughout most of the year — especially during spring If you’re itching to go fishing, then early-spring is one of the best times to take advantage of the many year-round lakes already teeming with rainbow trout. The Washington Department of Fish…

There have been highly publicized cases of zoonotic diseases — illnesses that can be passed from animals to humans — in the news recently. While we’ve all learned a lot about epidemiology over the past couple of years, the scientific community is still collectively researching these viruses, in particular SARS-CoV-2…