General turkey-hunting seasons are closed for the year, but hunters and anglers still have plenty of opportunities to contribute to the Thanksgiving Day feast in the days ahead.
 
Late buck season, already under way in Eastern Washington, runs Nov. 15-18 on the west side of the Cascades for deer hunters using modern firearms.  Conditions are looking good for those hunters, as well as for archers and muzzleloaders who will take to the field later this month, said Dave Ware, game manager for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW)
 
“The high winds that recently blew through the state cleared a lot of leaves from the trees, which should improve hunters’ visibility,” Ware said.  “Falling temperatures are also bringing deer and elk down from the higher elevations.”
 
Waterfowl hunting is also improving as the weather turns wetter and colder, said John Garrett, manager of WDFW’s Skagit Wildlife Area.  “Hunting is good,” said Garrett, adding that hunters are finding lots of mallards around Skagit Bay.  “We’ve got lots of birds and decent conditions, which should continue to improve as the season progresses.”
 
Hunters can also bring home pheasant statewide through the end of the month.
 
While seafood may be less traditional Thanksgiving fare, it certainly is in season.  The holiday generally marks the start of the winter steelhead fishery in western Washington, and anglers are still reeling in chum salmon from rivers and streams throughout Puget Sound.
 
Rather serve shellfish?  Crab fisheries are open seven days a week in most areas of Puget Sound, and WDFW has tentatively scheduled a razor-clam dig on ocean beaches Nov. 23-26 – contingent on the results of upcoming marine toxin tests.