If working off the Thanksgiving calories by jostling with other shoppers isn’t your idea of a good time, how about spending your Black Friday in the outdoors instead?
There are dozens of options out there for the outdoors-minded family that thinks the day after Thanksgiving can be better spent fishing, hunting, hiking, or just chilling in the park.
If your idea of a well-spent Black Friday does not include a deal on a big-screen TV, try one of these outdoor alternatives.
Black Friday Trout Fishing
The idea for this fall fishery was hatched just a few years ago, and it has proved to be popular.
These are some of the largest trout the department stocks all year, with most of them around a pound and a quarter and some over two pounds in size.
According to Steve Caromile, manager of Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife’s warm water fish program, most of the fish will be stocked in plenty of time to avoid the shopping rush.
“The plan is to have them all stocked by Wednesday,” said Caromile.
“We did not shut the seasons down before Black Friday this year in order to simplify the rules,” he adds. “We will close the lakes again next year, in order to create more of an opening mentality.”
Battle Ground Lake and Klineline Pond in Clark County both received 2,000 rainbows, as well as Rowland Lake in Klickitat County.
Fort Borst Park Pond and South Lewis County Park Pond in Lewis County will also receive stockings.
Iconic Washington fisherman Buzz Ramsey is a big fan of Black Friday trout, but he said anglers need to be adaptive.
“There is always a little something different that they want to bite each year,” he said. “It’s never the same.”
He encourages anglers to keep switching their offerings until they find what the fish want.
This is also one fishery that allows people to sleep late according to Ramsey. He notes the fish bite best after the water warms up.
“You don’t have to go early to find success. Its usually 10 or 11 a.m. before they start to bite well.”
Bank fishermen do well by fishing Berkley Powerbait along the bottom. Trollers can do well by pulling Maglips in size 2.0 or 2.5. Try the gold patterns to start, and troll slowly for best results.
Rooster Tail Spinners will also draw strikes.
Grouse hunting
Hunting for forest grouse in the Northwest is not like “back east,” where a strong tradition exists of chasing the birds with setters or other hunting dogs.
“Its not taken as seriously here,” said Eric Holman, the wildlife biologist for District 10 in Southwest Washington. “They are opportunistically taken by people that are going after deer or elk, and they have their shotgun, bow or .22 handy and they take one.”
Holman said the birds are relatively abundant, and are more common than most hunters think.
If you have tired of hunting pen-raised pheasants, and want a stronger challenge for you and your dog, give grouse a try.
There are two species of forest grouse in Southwest Washington. The ruffed grouse can be found in the lower elevations of conifer or deciduous forests. Holman said hunters should look to brushy areas with a mix of older woods and clearcuts.
Look for grouse on gated logging roads, especially those with southern exposures that offer the birds places to feed and warm up when its sunny.
“Ruffs” are brown in color, and range from three quarters to a pound in size. They are notorious for flushing and ducking quickly behind cover without offering a shot.
Blue grouse in Western Washington are called sooty grouse. They are larger than the ruffed grouse, and are a bluish-grey in color.
Holman said the sooty grouse can be found from 2,000 feet to timberline, and prefer older, more mature stands than the ruffed grouse.
“I encourage hunters to give grouse a try,” said Holman. “There are opportunities out there.”
Game loads including 7 1/2 or 8 shot are best, and carry a shotgun that is light and easy to draw. These are speedy birds and exit quickly when flushed.
Whether you get out and hunt them exclusively, or take them incidentally, they are one of the absolute best game birds for the table.
Take a hike
A good local hike is a great way to burn off those Thanksgiving calories. Some of the hikes may be a bit crowded on a holiday, but rain in the forecast may keep the numbers down. At any rate the trails will be less crowded than the aisles in the big box stores.
In the Columbia River Gorge there are trails that are still closed due to damage from the Eagle Creek Fire. They include most of the trails from the Angel’s Rest trailhead to Multnomah Falls.
That still leaves all of the best hikes on the Washington side, including the Dog Mountain Trail, the Augspurger Trail, and the Cape Horn Trail.
Two very popular hikes are currently inaccessible. Both the Lewis River Falls and the Curly Creek Falls trailheads are closed because of deteriorating road conditions on Forest Road 90.
