This is it, the opening of several hunting seasons, such as:

The modern firearm deer general season will open tomorrow, Oct. 15, and continues, generally, for nine days. The black bear fall general seasons are now open and they close on Nov. 15.

Game birds

The duck, coot, snipe and goose seasons will open on Oct. 15.

The late fall general turkey season is scheduled to run form Nov. 20 through Dec. 15.

The forest grouse season has been open for over a month and is scheduled to continue through Dec. 31.

Quail, chukar and gray partridge, also known as Hungarian partridge, seasons are open and are scheduled to continue through Jan. 17.

The general cougar season opens tomorrow, Oct. 15, for any legal weapon.

More on this year's cougar season:

With the state's most popular deer-hunting season set to start tomorrow, hunters are reminded cougars are also fair game anywhere in the state.

Under this year's rules, deer hunters with a valid cougar license and transport tag can take a cougar during the modern-firearms deer season in all 39 counties - including Okanogan, Chelan, Ferry, Stevens, Pend Oreille and Klickitat.

This is a change from recent years, when general cougar-hunting seasons in those six counties were delayed to accommodate a pilot program that allowed hunters with special permits to track cougars using dogs.

In August, the Fish and Wildlife Commission restored full general hunting seasons for those counties after the pilot program, in effect since 2004, expired. The general hunts are expected to manage cougar populations, as deer hunters encounter the large cats.

More than 100,000 hunters are expected to take to the field this month for the modern-firearms deer season that runs through various dates around the state. Cougar hunting is open through the end of the year, although few are expected to be taken outside of the major deer and elk hunting seasons.

Remember, under state law, it is illegal to kill spotted cougar kittens or adult cougars tending kittens.

Another salmon season has opened

The salmon and steelhead fisheries on the Columbia River and other local rivers are doing well. Someone is doing something correctly in the raising of salmon and steelhead at various points along the river. Our hats off to them. Keep up the good work. Read on.

Coho salmon fisheries opened Oct. 5 on the Wenatchee, Methow and Icicle rivers.

Predicting a strong return of coho to the upper Columbia River system, state fishery managers scheduled coho fisheries through Oct. 31 on all three rivers.

The Icicle River had a small coho fishery in 2009, but the Wenatchee and the Methow rivers have not opened for coho fishing in at least 30 years, according to Fish and Wildlife.

Up to 20,000 adult coho are expected to return this year above Rock Island Dam, more than enough for spawning escapement and hatchery broodstock needs.

Coho salmon nearly disappeared from the upper Columbia River in the early 1930s, but they've really made a comeback in the past decade.

Steelhead fishing is currently open on the Wenatchee, Methow and Icicle rivers with a daily limit of two hatchery fish per day. Anglers fishing the Wenatchee River may also retain up to three adult chinook salmon per day, including one wild chinook.

Areas opening to coho fishing include: The Wenatchee River, from the mouth of the Wenatchee River to the mouth of the Icicle River. Anglers should be aware that the upper boundary of the coho fishery on the Wenatchee River is downstream from the boundary for the chinook and steelhead fisheries; The Icicle River, from the mouth to 500 feet downstream of the Leavenworth National Fish Hatchery Barrier Dam; The Methow River, from the mouth to the confluence with the Chewuch River in Winthrop. Fishing from a floating device is prohibited from the second powerline crossing to the first Highway 153 Bridge.

On all those rivers, anglers can catch up to three coho salmon, with or without an intact adipose fin, in addition to the catch limits for other species. Coho must measure at least 12 inches to be retained.

Selective gear rules and a night closure will be in effect to help protect wild steelhead, some of which are protected under the federal Endangered Species Act.

By law, all fisheries in these areas must close immediately if the allowable incidental impact to wild steelhead is reached, according to Fish and Wildlife.

Anglers also will be required to release any coho fitted with a floy tag and those with one or more round quarter-inch holes punched in their tail fin. Motorized vessels are not allowed on the Wenatchee or Icicle rivers under Chelan County ordinances.

To participate in these fisheries, anglers must possess a valid fishing license and a Columbia River Salmon/Steelhead Endorsement. Revenue from the endorsement supports salmon or steelhead seasons on many rivers in the Columbia River system, including enforcing fishery regulations and monitoring the upper Columbia River steelhead fisheries. The endorsement has generated more than $1million annually for Fish and Wildlife to maintain and increase fishing opportunities throughout the Columbia River Basin.

Selective steelhead fishery now open

Fish and Wildlife has opened a selective fishery for hatchery steelhead on the upper Columbia River above Rock Island Dam, and on the Wenatchee, Icicle, Entiat, Methow, and Okanogan rivers.

Salmon fishing has also reopened from Wells Dam to Brewster, and the Similkameen River will open to hatchery steelhead retention beginning Nov 1.

The steelhead fisheries will remain open until further notice, while the salmon fishery will run through tomorrow, Oct. 15.

Approximately18,000 adult steelhead are expected to return to the upper Columbia River this year. This is enough to allow the department to open area steelhead fisheries for the eighth straight season.

Because both wild and hatchery-reared fish are expected to return in significantly lower numbers than in the past two years, additional constraints will be required on those fisheries. This also means the steelhead season may close earlier than in the past two seasons. Plus three areas of the Columbia River, Vernita, Priest Rapids and Wanapum, will not open at all for steelhead fishing this fall.

The daily limit on all rivers is two hatchery steelhead, marked with a clipped adipose fin and measuring at least 20 inches in length. Any steelhead with an intact adipose fin must be released unharmed and must not be removed from the water. Anglers must also release any steelhead with one or more round holes punched in their tail fin.

Anglers must retain any legal hatchery steelhead they catch until they reach their daily limit of two fish. Once they have retained two fish, they must stop fishing for steelhead.

These selective steelhead fisheries are specifically designed to help maintain a high proportion of wild steelhead on the spawning grounds and enhance recovery of the region's wild steelhead. In this way, anglers can play an important role in that effort by removing hatchery fish above the number needed to meet spawning goals.

Selective gear rules apply to all areas where steelhead seasons are open, except that bait may be used on the main stem Columbia River.

In the chinook salmon fishery between Wells Dam and the Highway 173 Bridge in Brewster, anglers will have a six-fish daily limit, which can include up to three adult chinook, only one of which can be a wild fish.

Areas now open to fishing for hatchery steelhead include: Main stem Columbia River: From Rock Island Dam to 400 feet below Chief Joseph Dam. Night closure and selective gear rules apply, except bait is allowed.

Wenatchee River: From the mouth to the Icicle River Road Bridge, including the Icicle River from the mouth to500 feet downstream of the Leavenworth National Fish Hatchery Barrier Dam. Night closure and selective gear rules apply. Motorized vessels are not allowed.

Entiat River: Upstream from the Alternate Highway 97 Bridge, near the mouth of the Entiat River to 800 feet downstream of the Entiat National Fish Hatchery outfall. Night closure and selective gear rules apply.

Methow River: From the mouth to the confluence with the Chewuch River in Winthrop. Fishing from a floating device is prohibited from the second power line crossing to the first Hwy 153Bridge. Night closure and selective gear rules apply.

Okanogan River: From the mouth upstream to the Highway 97 Bridge in Oroville. Night closure and selective gear rules apply.

All anglers must possess a valid fishing license and a Columbia River Salmon/Steelhead Endorsement to participate in these fisheries. Revenue from the endorsement supports salmon or steelhead seasons on many rivers in the Columbia River system, including enforcing fishery regulations and monitoring the upper Columbia River steelhead fisheries. The endorsement has generated more than $1million annually for WDFW to maintain and increase fishing opportunities throughout the Columbia River Basin.

Columbia River Salmon and Steelhead Recreational Anglers Board need members

Fish and Wildlife is seeking nominations for two vacant positions on the Columbia River Salmon and Steelhead Recreational Anglers Board, a citizen advisory group responsible for reviewing plans to improve sport fishing opportunities for salmon and steelhead in the Columbia River Basin.

Individuals may nominate themselves or others to the board, which is composed of nine people affiliated with recreational fishing organizations in the region.

The board currently has one vacant position in northcentral Washington, which isRegion2, and another in southwest Washington, Region 5.

The board's primary role is to advise Fish and Wildlife on implementation of the Columbia River Salmon and Steelhead Pilot Endorsement Program, approved by state lawmakers during the 2009 legislative session.

Board members will also serve as an important communication link with the fishing public. People seeking appointment to the board should have a solid background in Columbia River fishery management, along with the ability to communicate effectively with anglers and anglers' organizations.

The board meets at least three times per year to review and evaluate program implementation, program expenditures and provide recommendations consistent with the intent of the pilot endorsement program. WDFW will provide financial assistance with meeting-related travel costs.

Board members will serve two-year terms and can be reappointed. Current Board member shave all agreed to reappointment; however, nominees are still needed for the two existing vacant positions.

Nominations must be mailed no later than Oct. 31 to: Jeff Korth, Columbia River Salmon and Steelhead Endorsement Program, 1550 Alder St. NW, Ephrata, WA 98823. More information is available by contacting Jeff at (509) 754-4624 ext. 224.

Nominations must include the following information: The name of the advisory group the nominee is applying for; the nominee's name, physical and email address and telephone number; the nominee's affiliations; the region the nominee is seeking a position for; the name, address and telephone number of any organization submitting a nomination; experience, including the amount and type of experience, and any species or areas of interest, and references.