Field Reports: Washington taking public input on three-year hunting season planning

Wildlife officials are mulling the future of hunting seasons in Washington and looking for public input.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife announced this week that it had opened an online survey on its next three-year hunting season setting process.

The survey allows the public to propose hunting season changes for 2027 to 2029.

WDFW is looking for suggestions for specific permits, species, access or game management in general. Those suggestions will help the agency decide what to take up during the rulemaking process.

Anis Aoude, WDFW’s game division manager, said in a news release that WDFW encourages anyone interested in game management to weigh in.

“This process helps us better understand the experiences you want,” Aoude said. “We need your feedback to help us determine the path forward.”

The season setting process lays out how hunting opportunities will be managed for three consecutive seasons. Between the cycles, WDFW staff propose minor changes on an annual basis.

Seasons are ultimately set by the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission.

Spokane Audubon to meet Wednesday

The birds of the Texas Gulf Coast will be on the agenda Wednesday when the Spokane Audubon Society meets.

Board member Bea Harrison will tell stories and show photos from birding along the Texas Gulf Coast, where she and her husband grew up and lived, according to an Audubon news release.

Harrison and her husband worked for the Nature Conservancy, Smithsonian Institute, Hawk Watch International, Texas Parks and Wildlife, Gulf Coast Observatory and the San Bernard National Wildlife Refuge.

The program will cover how accessible and popular the Texas Gulf Coast is for birders, with hundreds of miles of public coastline and hundreds of bird species.

The meeting will beheld at the Shadle Park Library at 2111 W. Wellesley Ave. from 6 to 7:30 p.m. It will also be streamed via Zoom. A link is available at audubonspokane.org.

Fall cleanup planned at Tubbs Hill

Friends of Tubbs Hill in Coeur d’Alene has planned its fall cleanup for next weekend.

The cleanup will be held Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to noon starting at East Tubbs Hill Park at South 10th Street and Lakeshore Drive.

Bags will be provided. Attendees are urged to bring their own gloves.