Outdoors | The Daily Chronicle

"This is Gabriel Markstrom with the buck he harvested Oct. 30 in Lewis County. Gabe is legally blind, but really enjoys getting out in the woods and hunting blacktail with family. This is his third buck in as many years." Submitted by Kyle Markstrom.

In Focus: Lewis County Hunting Highlights

While the warm weather and lack of moisture may have been a hindrance to Western Washington hunters early this 2022 hunting season, things got hot for the local modern black-tailed deer hunters … more

By The Chronicle staff | 11/2/22

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife last week reported evidence that cougars are killing wolves in Washington.

WDFW Records Cougar Attacks on Wolves; Four Confirmed Since 2013

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) last week reported evidence that cougars are killing wolves in Washington. By using radio collar data, WDFW staff were able to … more

By Brandon Hansen / For the Nisqually Valley News | 11/1/22

A female Grizzly bear exits Pelican Creek in 2012 in the Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. (Karen Bleier/AFP/Getty Images/TNS)

UW Study Finds Wild Animals Are More Sensitive to Human Presence Than Previously Thought

We have a people problem. That was the message Laura Prugh received from the U.S. Park Service in Glacier Bay, Alaska, several years ago. For Prugh, who studies human-wildlife interactions in the … more

Eli Francovich / The Spokesman-Review | 10/31/22

An adult coho salmon launches itself out of the water at the top of the fish bridge located at the Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery at the Barrier Dam.

Group Raises Concerns on Hatchery Production After Grants Approved for Cowlitz Restoration

After the Cowlitz Fisheries Technical Committee approved nearly $4.5 million in grants through the Cowlitz Restoration and Recovery Project aimed at habitat improvements in the Cispus River in a … more

By Owen Sexton / owen@chronline.com | 10/28/22

This screen capture of a Facebook post by Steve Driscoll Sr. shows a mountain goat near Castle Rock.

Unusual, But Not Crazy, Says WDFW Official After Mountain Goat Spotted Near Castle Rock

Dozens of wooded miles away from Mount St. Helens, does a mountain goat become a forest goat? Apparently not, as one was recently spotted outside Castle Rock on a resident’s trail camera … more

By Isabel Vander Stoep /isabel@chronline.com | 10/21/22

Hoquiam hunter Brian Dhoogie poses in front of the massive bull elk he shot a few weeks ago at a ranch in Idaho.

Possible Record Bull Elk Bagged by Grays Harbor County Man

Hoquiam’s Brian Dhoogie bagged this possible record elk while hunting on the 10,000-acre property at Broadmouth Canyon Ranch in Idaho about two weeks ago. He brought the meat from the animal … more

By The Daily World | 10/18/22

Back From the Brink: Once Threatened Pelicans Are Thriving on a Washington Island

One of the largest species of birds in North American is breeding on the Columbia River near the Tri-Cities, leading to a change in the Washington state status of white pelicans from "threatened" to … more

Annette Cary / Tri-City Herald | 10/12/22

Elk graze in a field off U.S. Highway 12 in Packwood in this Chronicle file photo.

Hoof Rot or Not, WDFW Wants Reports of Elk With Limps, Misshapen Hooves

Elk in Packwood can seem as common as pigeons in Seattle, but pigeons don’t tend to stand in the roadway, sift through trash or take up residence overnight in the front lawn. Along with the … more

By Isabel Vander Stoep / isabel@chronline.com | 9/23/22

Marmots on a rock look toward Mount Rainier on the Golden Gate Trail at Paradise on Wednesday afternoon.

Mountains and Marmots and Meadows: a Guide to Cascadian Critters at Paradise

Most of the year, Mount Rainier is a sleeping giant with a blanket of snow and a pillow of clouds. In ephemeral late summer, the mountain reminds us it’s teeming with life. Especially at … more

By Isabel Vander Stoep / isabel@chronline.com | 9/23/22

Mount Rainier scrapes the skies as the meadows of Paradise begin to turn to fall colors on Wednesday.

In Focus: Scenes From Paradise as Summer Comes to an End

9/23/22

Mount Rainier and Spirit Lake are seen from the summit of Mount St. Helens in this May 2019 Chronicle file photo.

How to Climb Mount St. Helens During Peak Season

So you want to climb a mountain. Scratch that — a volcano. For many, especially those living in the Pacific Northwest, climbing Mount St. Helens is a great way to dip your toes into … more

By Vickie Connor / The Oregonian (TNS) | 9/21/22

Diggers search for clams on the Washington coast in this 2021 courtesy photo from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.

WDFW Announces 56 Days of Tentative Coastal Razor Clam Digs, Beginning Sept. 22

Shellfish managers with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) last week announced 56 tentative dates for razor clam digs at coastal beaches from Sept. 22 through Dec. 28. "The … more

By The Chronicle staff | 9/12/22

Kayaks, rowboats and paddle boards take to Lost Lake on a cloudy summer day, with Mount Hood in the near distance.

How to Visit the Elusive North Side of Mount Hood, Home of Big Views and Beautiful Trails

It’s not so easy to get a good look at the north side of Mount Hood. While folks in Washington might be used to a distant look at the north face of Oregon’s tallest mountain, … more

Jamie Hale / Oregonlive.com /(TNS) | 9/5/22

Reader’s Lens: Waterfall Views at Mount Rainier National Park

Chehalis resident Brian Zylstra captured these images during a weekend trip to Stafford Falls. These photographs were taken from near the Eastside Trail in Mount Rainier National Park on Sunday, Aug. … more

By The Chronicle staff | 8/24/22

Jeff Green and Kim Freeman work to retrieve a memory card from a game camera in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest Saturday morning in Lewis County.

Volunteers and OSU Study Fisher Reintroduction in Gifford Pinchot National Forest

As fishers are carnivorous cousins of wolverines and predators of porcupines, one may think researchers would be hesitant about tromping through the Gifford Pinchot National Forest to find … more

By Isabel Vander Stoep / isabel@chronline.com | 8/15/22

Visitors recreate on Mineral Lake Sunday afternoon.

In Focus: Clear Skies and Stunning Views of Mount Rainier at Mineral Lake

8/15/22

Photo: View From Skyline Trail at Mount Rainier

Chehalis resident Brian Zylstra captured this photograph from the Skyline Trail above Paradise in Mount Rainier National Park while hiking Sunday. In the background are the Tatoosh Range and Mount … more

8/15/22

The Ape Cave and surrounding areas are pictured in these 2021 Chronicle file photos.

Ape Cave Makes for Dark, Cold and Creepy Adventure in Gifford Pinchot

COUGAR — A bit sizzly up there on the surface, is it? Why not hang out down here, underground, with us supremely cool apes? The year-round temperature inside Ape Cave, a lava tube on the … more

Scott Hewitt / The Columbian (TNS) | 8/7/22

Cascade Carnivore Project Reports Wolverines Have Reproduced at Mount Rainier for Third Consecutive Year

Wolverines have reproduced at Mount Rainier National Park for a third year in a row, according to an announcement last week by the Cascade Carnivore Project. The news marks another positive … more

By The Chronicle staff | 7/25/22

An elk sticks its tongue out as it grazes in a field near Packwood in this 2021 file photo.

Washingtonians Support Legal Hunting, But More Than Ever Don't Care Either Way, Survey Finds

While the majority of Washingtonians support legal hunting, more people than ever don't care, according to a survey commissioned by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and published … more

Eli Francovich / The Spokesman-Review | 7/25/22