OUTDOORS BRIEFLY.Byline: The Register-Guard Duck, wild turkey groups set fund-raising dinners Two area bird hunting/conservation groups have banquets scheduled in early March. The Oakridge Ducks Unlimited Ducks Unlimited is an international non-profit organization dedicated to the conservation of wetlands and associated upland habitats for waterfowl, other wildlife, and people. It currently has approximately 775,000 members, mostly in the United States and Canada. chapter will hold its annual Banquet and Art Auction on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. at the Circle Bar Golf Club in Oakridge. For ticket information, call Phil McCulley at (541) 782-2049. The McKenzie Long Toms chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation will hold its annual banquet and auction March 11 at 5 p.m. in Rooms 103-104 of the Meeting & Learning Center (Building 19) at Lane Community College, 4000 E. 30th Ave., Eugene. Ticket info: Scott Stefansen, 344-0515. "Early bird" raffle bonus deadline is Wednesday. Slide show looks at Hells Canyon Hells Canyon Gorge of the Snake River in the U.S. Forming part of the Idaho-Oregon boundary, it is 125 mi (200 km) long and for 40 mi (64 km) is more than a mile deep. A maximum depth of 7,900 ft (2,400 m) makes it the deepest gorge in North America. , Wallowa Mountains Wal·low·a Mountains A range of mountains in northeast Oregon rising to 3,013.4 m (9,880 ft) at Sacajawea Peak. Hells Canyon and the Wallowa Mountains will be the focus of a presentation Thursday in Eugene by guidebook author and photographer George Ostertag. Sponsored by the University of Oregon The University of Oregon is a public university located in Eugene, Oregon. The university was founded in 1876, graduating its first class two years later. The University of Oregon is one of 60 members of the Association of American Universities. Outdoor Program, the free show begins at 7 p.m. in Room 100 of Willamette Hall on campus. Orientation scheduled for Nearby Nature volunteers An orientation session for volunteers willing to lead nature walks in Eugene's Alton Baker Park Alton Baker Park is located in Eugene, Oregon, United States, near Autzen Stadium. It features duck ponds, bicycle trails, and a dog park, and directly touches the Ferry Street Bridge. this spring will be held next week. Nearby Nature's annual volunteer orientation will be held March 8, at 6:30 p.m. in the Eugene Water and Electric Board's community rooms, 500 E. Fourth Ave. Details: call 687-9699, e-mail info@nearbynature.org, or log on to www.nearbynature.org. Wildlife officials support nongame tax checkoff A system whereby an employer regularly deducts a portion of an employee's wages to pay union dues or initiation fees. The checkoff system is very attractive to a union since the collection of dues can be costly and time-consuming. It's tax time again, and Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) is an agency of the government of the U.S. state of Oregon responsible for programs protecting Oregon fish and wildlife resources and their habitats. officials are reminding Oregonians that they can become partners in the conservation of the state's wildlife by checking the "Nongame Wildlife Fund" box on their state income tax return. While funding for Oregon game species is provided by license fees and federal grants, there is no stable funding source to manage the 88 percent of Oregon's bird, mammal and fish species that are not hunted, angled or trapped. Since its inception in 1979, the Nongame Wildlife Fund has helped the American peregrine falcon and bald eagle bald eagle Species of sea eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) that occurs inland along rivers and large lakes. Strikingly handsome, it is the only eagle native solely to North America, and it has been the U.S. national bird since 1782. The adult, about 40 in. populations, western pond turtles, yellow-legged frogs, Townsend's big-eared bats, white-headed woodpeckers and Willamette Valley The Willamette Valley (pronounced [wɪˈlæ.mɪt], with the accent on the second syllable) is the region in northwest Oregon in the United States that surrounds the Willamette River as it proceeds northward from its grassland birds. FISHING, HUNTING & WILDLIFE VIEWING Trout stocking report Area reservoirs and ponds: Cottage Grove Reservoir is scheduled to be stocked with 4,500 legal-size trout this week. Alton Baker Park's canoeway and ponds will get 2,000 legals plus 400 "larger" (12-inch) fish, while Junction City Pond is slated to receive 800 legal-size fish and 400 of the 12-inchers. Other angling highlights Rivers and streams: The first signs of "springer fever" have broken out on the lower Columbia River and in the Willamette River near Meldrum Bar, where a few spring chinook salmon chinook salmon or king salmon Prized North Pacific food and sport fish (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) of the salmon family. The average weight is about 22 lbs (10 kg), but individuals of 50–80 lbs (22–36 kg) are not unusual. have begun to show up in the recreational catch. As of Feb. 24, about 3,200 winter steelhead had been counted passing around Willamette Falls. Low, clear and cold water slowed winter steelhead action on most coastal streams last week, but the return of a wet weather pattern should result in improved fishing conditions, although some rivers are projected to briefly be above ideal flow levels. See www.nwrfc.noaa.gov for updated flow information on specific streams. Lakes and reservoirs: Cottage Grove and Creswell ponds were stocked last week and should continue to provide good fishing. Largemouth bass largemouth bass see micropterus salmoides. fishing is fair at coastal lakes, judging by the results of Emerald Bass Club's first tournament of the year, held Saturday at Tenmile Lakes. With water temperatures hovering around 48 degrees, 11 two-man teams were able to land a total of only 27 bass, mostly on plastics and finesse baits fished in deep water. Despite having only four fish at weigh-in, Jack Clark and Reed Conrad finished in first place with 13.66 pounds. Marine zone: When ocean conditions permit, bottomfishing has been good. Lingcod lingcod Commercially popular fish species (Ophiodon elongatus) that is strictly marine, found along the Pacific coast of North America. It is a voracious predator with a large mouth and caninelike teeth. are in good condition and a few are being taken from area jetties. Wildlife viewing Best bets: Tree frogs, the most abundant frog in Willamette Valley wetlands, can be heard this time of year on wet nights. Only about an inch long, tree frogs can be hard to see even where they are plentiful. Just about any wetland habitat that has shallow standing water that does not dry up before June is a good place to hear and find these frogs. All of the Willamette Valley wildlife refuges have abundant tree frog population and are good places to look for them. They can be found at night with a flashlight by quietly following the sound to the source, although they will quit calling when you get close. Although tree frogs are excellent climbers, they are rarely found in trees. - Compiled from Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and Register-Guard reports. Updated information is available by logging on to www.registerguard.com/news/outdoors_front.php. CALENDAR To submit events The deadline for calendar event listings is 10 a.m. Monday. Submit listings to: Outdoor Editor, P.O. Box 10188, Eugene OR 97440 or e-mail: mstahlberg@guardnet.com. Birding TODAY, Feb. 28 Lane Audubon Society: Wind power and its impact on birds will be the subject of a presentation by Jim Maloney, 7:30 p.m., Eugene Garden Club building, 1645 High St. SATURDAY South Slough Reserve: Northward-migrating Brant brant or brant goose, common name for a species of wild sea goose. The American brant, Branta bernicla, breeds in the Arctic and winters along the Atlantic coast. Geese will be the focus of a "Birds on the Estuary" outing, 8 a.m. at the Charleston Visitor's Center. Field guides, binoculars and spotting scopes will be provided. Fee: $1. Call (541) 888-5558 to preregister pre·reg·is·ter v. pre·reg·is·tered, pre·reg·is·ter·ing, pre·reg·is·ters v.intr. To take part in preregistration. v.tr. To enroll (a student) during a period of preregistration. . SUNDAY Nearby Nature: Family-paced bird walk in Alton Baker Park, 1 p.m. at the Nearby Nature Yurt near the Park Host Residence. Participants will also make a bird house to take home. Fee: $2/person, $5/family, plus small materials fee for the bird house. Details, preregistration pre·reg·is·tra·tion n. An early registration, as for returning college students, that takes place before general registration. : 687-9699. Clinics WEDNESDAY REI: Michelle Emmons will conduct a map and compass refresher course in preparation for Saturday's "Navigation Field Day" event, 7 p.m., REI, 306 Lawrence St., Eugene. Details: 465-1800. Fishing WEDNESDAY Northwest Steelheaders: Salmon and steelhead fishing guide Todd Linklater will be the featured speaker at a meeting of the Emerald Empire Chapter of the Association of Northwest Steelheaders “ANWS” redirects here. For other uses, see ANWS (disambiguation). The Association of Northwest Steelheaders (ANWS) is the largest angling conservation organization headquartered in the State of Oregon, United States. , 7 p.m. at Eagles Aerie No. 275, 1375 Irving Road, Eugene. Hiking SATURDAY The Obsidians: Chris Cunningham will lead a six-mile hike at the West Eugene Wetlands. Details, sign-up at the YMCA YMCA in full Young Men's Christian Association Nonsectarian, nonpolitical Christian lay movement that aims to develop high standards of Christian character among its members. , 2055 Patterson St., Eugene. Kayaking TODAY UO Outdoor Program: Kayak pool sessions in Gerlinger Pool, 7:30 p.m. Fee: $5 public, $3 UO students and OP members. Registration: 346-4365. Nature THURSDAY School Garden Project: Hear how to foster hands-on, schoolyard-based learning experiences for children by creating sustainable school gardens and habitats, 7:30 p.m., EWEB EWEB Eugene Water and Electric Board (Oregon) , 400 E. Fifth Ave., Eugene. Details: Sharon Blick, 284-9984. SATURDAY South Slough Reserve: Fuel your curiosity and whittle your survival skills in a "Science at the Slough" program for students ages 10 and up, 1 p.m. at South Slough's Interpretive Center, four miles south of Charleston on Seven Devils Road. Fee: $2. Call (541) 888-5558 to preregister. Snow Sports SATURDAY The Obsidians: Jim Pierce will lead a four-mile beginning-level snowshoe Snowshoe a recently recognized cat breed; it is a medium- to large-sized cat with blue eyes, and coat color similar to a sealpoint or bluepoint Siamese, but with a white nose, chin, and ventral midline, and white boots on all feet. trip to Salt Creek Falls. Details, sign-up at the Eugene YMCA, 2055 Patterson St. SUNDAY The Obsidians: John Agnew will lead a six-mile snowshoe in the Gold Lake area. Details, sign-up at the Eugene Family YMCA. Bicycling SATURDAY GEARS Bicycle Club: 10 a.m. at Alton Baker Park. SUNDAY GEARS: 10 a.m. at Alton Baker Park. |
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