FRIENDS OF MINE can attest: I become mesmerized by televised rodeo events and will often pause with rapt attention to watch bull or bareback bronco riding.
These pauses have occurred during live football games, and they’ve even resulted in the loss of remote privileges on more than one occasion.
I did grow up across the street from Al Choate’s Port Townsend farm that did have cattle, horses and sheep, but I’ve never ridden a horse, roped a calf or busted any mutton.
My guess is, I just enjoy the spectacle of man squaring off against beast.
When I learned that rodeo riders from the Professional Western Rodeo Association (or PRO-WEST) are coming to Port Angeles for a two-day rodeo at the Clallam County Fair, I was jazzed.
Here, mere blocks from my Lincoln Park-area abode, is the real thing, live and in person beginning Saturday at 5 p.m., and continuing Sunday at noon.
Rodeo events on tap at the Clallam County Fairgrounds include bull riding, bareback riding and saddle bronc riding.
Other competitions include tie-down roping, in which a rider loops a lariot around a calf’s neck, then dismounts the horse and runs to the calf to tie three legs together in the fastest time possible.
There’s also breakaway roping, in which a calf is roped but not thrown and tied; steer wrestling, also called bulldogging, in which a horse and rider chase a steer before the rider leaps off the horse onto the steer and attempts to haul the steer down with all four legs off the ground; and barrel racing in which a horse and rider compete in a cloverleaf pattern around barrels in a sprint to the finish.
Daily fair admission is $8 for adults, $6 for students (13-17) and senior citizens (62 and older), $5 for children (6-12) and free for youth 5 and younger.
Separate from the fair, area youth will participate in the Peninsula Junior Rodeo at the Clallam County Fairgrounds on Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 23-24.
Demo derby too
The demolition derby is planned for 5 p.m. Sunday.
Demolition derby tickets will be sold outside the yellow gate (west side of the fairgrounds) starting Sunday at 9 a.m.
Tickets are $11 each, along with a paid fair admission, which bumps the total to $19 for adults, $17 for students and senior citizens, $16 for youth ages 6-12 and $11 for youth
For more on the demolition derby, phone Jessica Little at 360-477-7653.
Waterfowl season
The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission recently approved migratory waterfowl hunting seasons for the fall and winter.
The commission is a citizen panel appointed by the governor to set policy for the state Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Under the waterfowl hunting package, most hunting opportunities in Washington will be similar to last year.
That includes a statewide duck season that will be open for 107 days, starting Oct. 11-15 and continuing Oct. 18-Jan. 25.
A special youth hunting weekend also is scheduled Sept. 20-21.
Limits for mallard, pintail, scaup, redhead, goldeneye, harlequin, scoter and long-tailed duck will remain the same as last season.
This provides for a daily bag limit of seven ducks, to include not more than two hen mallards, two pintails, three scaups, and two redheads statewide; and to not include not more than one harlequin, two scoters, two long-tailed ducks, and two goldeneyes in western Washington.
But the commission reduced the daily bag limit for canvasback to one per day because of decreasing numbers throughout North America.
The regular season possession limit is 21 ducks, to include not more than six hen mallards, six pintails, nine scaups, six canvasbacks, and six redheads.
Goose hunting seasons will vary among management areas across the state, but most open mid-October and run through late January.
Limits for most geese did not change, except the commission did increase the daily bag limit for cackling geese in southwest Washington from three to four.
The goose and duck hunting seasons approved by the commission are based on state and federal waterfowl population estimates and guidelines.
According to those estimates, a record number of ducks — about 49 million — were on the breeding grounds this spring in Canada and the United States.
Details on the waterfowl hunting seasons will be available soon at wdfw.wa.gov/hunting/regulations/ .
Youth salmon derby
The Clallam Bay-Sekiu Lions Club invites kids ages 5-14 to the annual Kids Salmon Derby on Saturday.
There’s no entry fee and registration begins at 5:30 a.m. at Van Riper’s and Olson’s resorts.
Weigh-in deadline is noon at Van Riper’s Resort.
Prizes will be awarded to first, second and third places for legal salmon, and a prize smorgasbord and refreshments will be available for the runner-ups.
The Lions Club Kids Derby is supported by donations from individuals and businesses.
For more information, questions, or to donate, phone Adam Campbell at 360-461-6701 or Roy Morris at 360-963-2442.
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Outdoors columnist Michael Carman appears here Thursdays and Fridays. He can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5152 or at mcarman@peninsuladailynews.com.
