A CHANCE TO witness the most elusive alpha predator on the North Olympic Peninsula comes with the full-length nature documentary “Heart of a Lion,” set for a special showing at Peninsula College’s Little Theatre on Nov. 14.
Doors will open at 5:40 p.m. with the event, a celebration of cougars highlighting the work of Panthera’s Mark Elbroch and the Olympic Cougar Project.
Elbroch narrates the full-length film, which follows two cougar mothers he’s studied for years, F61 and Yoko in the Olympic and Teton mountains, providing a portrait of one of North America’s most misunderstood carnivores.
The film’s director, Joe Pontecorvo, also will be on hand for questions.
“‘Heart of a Lion’ challenges us to see mountain lions not as villains, but as vital, complex animals living at the edge of our human world,” Pontecorvo said.
The movie is inspired by Elbroch’s research and his acclaimed book, “The Cougar Conundrum.”
“Heart of a Lion” won Best Editing and the Best Cinematography awards at the 2025 Boston Film Festival.
Event organizers ask those interested in attending to register for free tickets at https://tinyurl.com/PDN-HeartOfALion25 and to bring tickets to the event.
Steelhead meetings
State steelhead managers will brief anglers on 2025-26 coastal winter run forecasts and proposed fishery regulations at a pair of upcoming virtual town halls on Thursday and again Nov. 20.
Both meetings will be held over Zoom and will begin at 6 p.m.
This is the annual process the agency has used in recent years to gather public input and develop seasons for steelhead from Willapa Bay north to the Forks area.
It is separate from the changes being proposed to the permanent fishing regulations for the same systems.
At next week’s meeting, the Fish and Wildlife Department is expected to provide status updates for coastal stocks and issue a broad outlook for this winter’s fisheries.
The November meeting will include a report back on progress on state-tribal management plans and proposed fisheries.
Regional Fish Program Manager Chad Herring says the agency is “focused on balancing conservation of wild steelhead with providing meaningful fishing opportunities. We appreciate the public’s engagement and input as we’ve strived toward sustainable fishing seasons.”
In recent years, final season regulations have been announced after Thanksgiving.
This year, that’s also about the time that the National Marine Fisheries Service has agreed to issue a key Endangered Species Act listing finding on Olympic Peninsula steelhead.
Hood Canal survey
While no plans have been made nor funds put in place, a broad coalition, including local elected officials, tribal governments, the state Department of Transportation, the Navy and other agencies and organizations want to ensure the Hood Canal Bridge serves the community for the long-term while protecting salmon and the Hood Canal ecosystem.
The region relies on it for daily trips, commerce, tourism and national security.
Despite being a critical element of travel in the area, the bridge poses challenges when it closes for boat traffic, maintenance and repairs. The bridge also affects water currents and obstructs migrating steelhead and salmon due to its deep and nearly continuous pontoons.
This coalition is starting the conversation about what a better bridge could look like.
The pontoons pose a significant threat to steelhead and other juvenile salmonids by acting as a “death trap” that can increase mortality by up to 50 percent.
A survey exploring bridge usage has been posted by the Long Live the Kings salmon recovery organization at https://tinyurl.com/PDN-BridgeSurvey25. It is available through Nov. 14.
Wilderness medicine
Wilderness medicine training sessions are scheduled in November and December at Peninsula College.
Wilderness First Responder training is the worldwide standard for those regularly adventuring or working in remote environments. The WFR certification is a common requirement for outdoor professionals, including those working in adventure guiding, ecotourism and search and rescue.
A Wilderness First Responder course with a 30-hour online component and five in-person days will run from Nov. 17-21.
Registration closes Nov. 3.
A WFR recertification course, 12 hours online and two days in person, will run Nov. 20-21. Registration closes Nov. 14.
A Wilderness First Aid course will run from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dec. 5-6.
To register, visit https://tinyurl.com/PDN-Wilderness25.
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Sports reporter/columnist Michael Carman can be contacted at sports@peninsuladaily news.com.
