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Wisconsin Duck and Goose Hunting Report Archive

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Posted By:
Stu-Soper
Field Editor

Potosi 11-29-2010 09:53
– – –
Was out yesterday. Open water in most places. The cut off areas were iced up. Warmer temps for the next couple of days should keep things open till the end. Seen lots of migrants going up river. I know the end is near when I see more Wiegon and Merganzers then Mallards. Stay safe.

Posted By:
MallardKingWI
Web Member

11-29-2010 06:51
– – –
Paul, As you probably know Horicon can be very fickle. One guy can have a terrific day and somebody 200 yards away gets nothing. This actually was my best year there in quite a while. But it all happened in the first half of the season. Then it all dried up. I never see anybody with limits up there and nobody at the dock admits to it but on the right day it can sure be fun.
We’ve been to North Dakota three times and it is great out there. I also know another guy who goes to Canada and his opinion is like yours. Jim B

Posted By:
N2DUCKIN
Guest

11-28-2010 21:35
– – –
M-KING, just want to say thanks for your posts this year. I appreciate and enjoy the info you give on Horicon every year. It has just been another lousy season. I think i was lucky to get one meal of birds out of that marsh. The only thing i have going for me is going to Canada every year and doing very well. That is a trip you should look into as i know you are an avid hunter. Again, thanks for the updates….Paul S.

Posted By:
MallardKingWI
Web Member

Horicon 11-26-2010 18:43
– – –
Went to Horicon this morning and found that it was 95% froze over. Talked to a guy that busted ice up to Stoney Bay from the city and he said he ran into ice that was 1.5 inches thick. He also was there yesterday until 2:30 and said the marsh was totally open. This is the fastest freeze out I can remember. I thought with the winds it would have kept it more open today. Two boats launched at Greenhead but even the river was iced over.
Spent the rest of the morning driving around looking for open water and even small rivers were frozen over. Didn’t see any ducks anywhere. The only open water was in Milwaukee county.
So when it gets into the 40’s next week will the marsh open up? If it does open up will the ducks come back or has the fat lady sung?

[Edited By MallardKingWI on 2010-11-26 18:44]

[Edited By MallardKingWI on 2010-11-26 18:45]

Posted By:
Stu-Soper
Field Editor

Potosi 11-26-2010 09:05
– – –
Seen quality numbers of birds working up by McCartney and down below Potosi. Divers mainly working the islands above Potosi. Should be plenty of birds around for the last push of the season. Stay safe.

Posted By:
MallardKingWI
Web Member

Horicon 11-24-2010 19:22
– – –
Hunted on Tuesday with the cold and wind and a little ice but no ducks. With the exception of one flock of ten mallards, I saw more hunters than ducks. Horicon has been terrible the last two weeks. We don’t hear many shots and I’ve only taken one shot during that time period. Tried big water with lots of decoys, big water with few decoys, skied, skied into an area we saw ducks an put out decoys in a pothole and the results have been the same, NOTHING. During that time period hardly anybody has been shooting.
Tuesday we watched another hunter drop a bird from at least 40 if not 50 yards up. Looked like it was dead before it hit the water. With that wind it was an amazing shot. I wish I could pull off shots like that. I’d like to know how it’s done.
This season started off good but is quickly ending on the downside.

Posted By:
REARNEY
Web Member

Pierce County 11-24-2010 19:12
Mostly Sunny, No Precipitation – 25-30 Degrees – Open Water
Had an awesome hunt the last two days. Found mallards using some open water and me and buddy filled out with green beans that were in your face in hour or less. Even got a honker. After filling out we would watch easily 2-300 mallards with a mix of pintails come into this area before dark.These kind of hunts saved my season.

Posted By:
stone
Web Member

Jefferson 11-23-2010 13:21
– – –
Nada time again. Unbelievable. Great conditions, moon, wind, cold for at least some movement. Stick a fork in it!

Saw some high flying sandhills but basically 0

Posted By:
huntingcaliber
Guest

11-22-2010 10:00
– – –
What birds that were here are now gone again!! The report from Arkansas was pretty good over the weekend. 4 guys limited out both Sat. and Sun. with a mixed bag of Teal, Woodies, Spoonies and Gadwall. They also shot 18 Snows both days!

Posted By:
huntingcaliber
Guest

Southern Walworth County 11-20-2010 09:25
– – –
A slight migration came through last night with many new birds in the marsh this morning. 100-125 Shovelers, 200+ Mallards, couple dozen Pintails and lots of Teal, Gads and Widgeon. Bad winds for a morning hunt. Probably will leave it alone and then hit it hard Tuesday or Wednesday. Absolutely no geese working any of our fields so far this season!! Can’t wait for a couple of trips to Arkansas!

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Wisconsin Duck and Goose Hunting Report Archive

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Posted By:
DU870
Web Member

South of Madison 11-19-2010 09:51
– – –
Made it out this morning in hopes of doing a little scouting and maybe a bird or 2. Birds were flying early and leaving the water before legal shooting time. Birds were very skiddish and even flared off live birds on the water. Tells me they are old birds and this being public water, smart birds. Hundreds of coots, maybe 50 mallards and some teal. Hoping the wind switchs for next week of vacation. Might get some new birds down.

Posted By:
Kris-Bertelsen
Field Editor

Chippewa Valley 11-18-2010 15:10
– – –
Birds are moving in this week from Eau Claire to Augusta. The migration is picking up; so if you are going out good luck. Even saw a couple small flocks of tundra swans. Small ponds haven’t froze up yet, but I’m sure they will in the next couple days. Big water is definitely open, and probably will stay open for a week at least. Lots of fields are picked so there is plenty of feed. Looks like pieces of the puzzle are coming together.

Posted By:
stumper
Web Member

SE North Dakota 11-17-2010 14:29
Cloudy, Winds Calm – 35-40 Degrees
If any Wisconsin-based waterfowlers are interested in heading to NoDak in the next week send me a PM. The migration is close to peak there with mallard populations near record levels right now. I just returned and we limited out on greenheads hunting the cut corn with three guys in two days. Unreal. Check out my post on the NoDak page for more details…

Enjoy and be safe out there with the guys in orange running around!

Posted By:
Kris-Bertelsen
Field Editor

Chippewa Valley 11-15-2010 12:48
– – –
Trial Lawyer is right on target – Great weekend! The birds we hunted moved on though because another buddy hunted the same spot and picked up 6 greenheads out of 30 birds left. This morning we saw 2 in the water while driving to work.

Stanley had nice numbers of geese. I saw one ross with them. I would estimate at least a thousand if not more. Many fields had 50-300 and one field had at least 500+. Of course the owners of the field with 500+ wouldn’t let anyone hunt!

Geese flying west of Eau Claire. There numbers double this weekend.

The Fall Creek pond has flucuating numbers but definitely huntable.

Menomonie had good numbers of geese east of town.

As the same as the past few years – The migration is just starting and my ex-wife is tuning up. I hate duck hunting during deer season. The crazies in orange scare me.

Posted By:
DU870
Web Member

11-15-2010 12:09
– – –
Hunted a lake south of Horicon on Sunday morning. Saw very very little movement all morning. A few high flocks moving due east and had a few groups on the lake. Overall very dissapointing numbers.

On the way home we did some scouting and did find some birds. Also saw some big flocks high up and moving. So it seems there are some birds, just in small pockets and mainly on private land/marshes.

Posted By:
Stu-Soper
Field Editor

Potosi 11-15-2010 08:26
– – –
Good numbers of every species on the move yesterday. Heard shooting up and down the river. Lots of divers working the islands above Potosi. Get out and hunt now if you can!

Posted By:
stone
Web Member

Jefferson 11-15-2010 08:24
– – 40-45 Degrees
Basically no migration yet. The entire year has been muted with only a few minor spurts and lasting for only a few hours. Today, more of the same. Few birds hanging around that have been lingering and smart. Few very high flocks of mallards which appear to be moving thru. Almost as bad as last year, the worst in 40 years. Not looking good either with no real good strong fronts or wind.

Posted By:
Trial Lawyer
Web Member

Eau Claire area 11-14-2010 11:59
Cloudy, Snow & Rain Mix – 30-34 Degrees – Open Water
Kris Bertelsen found 2 honeyholes that 3 of us hunted Saturday morning. The day started off badly with the truck stuck in a chopped corn field at 5:45 am. We tried our best to push it out, but the front left tire was buried up to the axle. We walked to honeyhole #1 where the mallards wanted in to some flooded standing corn. We had fantastic in your face shooting from 6:40 am to 7:00 am with 10-20 yard shots. I was a little overgunned with 3 inch BB’s through a patternmaster but we managed to take 9 nice mallards from that great spot. The farmer was nice enough to pull out the truck and we proceeded to honeyhole #2 which was a slough that held many mallards and geese. We walked in on the slough and scared off 100+ mallards, which came back in groups of 2 to 30. Kris had 2 great shots on big greenheads and Jerry picked up the remaing mallard for our 12 mallard limit after a great morning hunt. We hunted geese in the afternoon, but were only able to knock down 1 huge honker.

Kris, thanks again for a great hunt. I just wish that the northern zone had a couple weeks of no hunting earlier in the season so we could hunt until the first weekend in December. It’s always like this where the northern birds show up a week or two before Thanksgiving and then the season ends. I’m just glad we got out for a great hunt on Saturday. Thanks again.

Posted By:
MallardKingWI
Web Member

Horicon 11-13-2010 13:22
– – –
Hunted Thursday morning. Had one nice flock buzz and one bird landed in our decoys about 10 to 15 minutes before opening, which is always a bad sign. After that nothing came near us. In fact, birds were landing 75 yards to our west in some cattails and totally ignored us. We pushed them later and got one black duck.
Hunted a different spot in Horicon this morning and had the same results. Only a few birds flying and they ignored the decoys again. The ducks were landing in small potholes in the cattails that no one has skied. They have sort of created their own refuge. Once they get there they just about dive in. No swinging around 6 times and then deciding to go in.
Talked to another party at the dock and they had the same results: one shot fired. The only shooting (and not very much)was at Cotton Island and in the West Lake area.
We need some ice and new birds.

Posted By:
lund-ducker2
Web Member

horicon 11-12-2010 19:16
Sunny & Clear, Winds Calm – 45-50 Degrees
hunted the marsh on wed. morning for 2 hours. 3 ‘lards and a shoveler. all single birds, didn’t see any flocks excepton the ride back to the landing.

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Wisconsin Duck and Goose Hunting Report Archive

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Posted By:
Kris-Bertelsen
Field Editor

Chippewa Valley 11-08-2010 12:48
– – –
Got out this weekend and did some scouting and actually got a hunt in!

Fall Creek has a pile of geese using the pond in town. Augusta has birds but rather scattered. Eau Claire has flights leaving morning and night west and northwest of town. I got a report that Chippewa Falls has birds flying north, but take that as second hand knowledge. Menomonie had geese east of town, but it took some scouting to find them. I haven’t been to Stanley yet this year, but going this week to scout. Any one been over there, shoot me a PM please! I’d like to get a good couple hunts in before the crazies in orange get loose.

As far as my hunt, I pulled off a double on blue geese. Yes, that was blue geese, and beautiful eagle-heads to boot!

Posted By:
REARNEY
Web Member

Pool 4 Mississipi River 11-08-2010 10:09
Mostly Sunny, No Precipitation – 25-30 Degrees – Ice
Hunted last Saturday and Sunday-Had 15 Wegion and a handful of Gadwalls land in the middle of pond I was hunting and were to far to shoot at-Never fired a shot. Did see a small area in the flooded woods where some mallards were landing. Hunted this spot on Sunday and had two Kids move in at shooting time at 50 yards from me and cut me off. they got all the shooting and even some geese-Oh well, again I never fired a shot. Went bow hunting and will wait for colder weather.

[Edited By REARNEY on 2010-11-08 10:10]

Posted By:
MallardKingWI
Web Member

horicon 11-07-2010 17:24
– – –
Hunting this morning and Thursday morning. Thursday was cloudy windy and cool. We got one duck. Today there was a south wind with bright sunshine and we got 4 ducks. Of course we could have shot better to get a few more birds but today was a lot of fun with 4 birds in the boat. On was a huge Drake Mallard. In some of the smaller porholes there was still some skim ice.
Yesterday we were at Vernon marsh and it had a good layer of ice on it. Half inch where we checked. Guys we still getting out Frog alley but had to bust some ice. Didn’t hear many shots.
Horicon seems to keep holding enough birds to make the day interesting but the birds definitely are getting harder to decoy.

Posted By:
pipewrench
Web Member

Mississippi River (Pool 4) Nelson 11-05-2010 19:28
Sunny & Clear, Winds Calm – 25-30 Degrees – Open Water
Hunting was very slow this morning! Saw a couple of small flocks of mallards and were very wary. Saw a few small flocks of divers also. Packed up at 9:30 and did a little scouting. Found a pothole off the river and walked in and jumped about 75 northern mallards. 3 of us decided to grab a dozen decoys and the mojo from the boat and set up in the trees on the edge of the pothole. We shot 9 greenheads, 2 susies, and a greenwing teal in 2 hours. Not bad, figuring we were skunked for the day! The day was beautiful clear skies and the sun in our face because of the wind direction for our set-up. The ducks liked this spot for some reason. Good luck to all this weekend. By the way there was no hunting pressure today, but tomorrow will probably be different.

Posted By:
stone
Web Member

Jefferson 11-05-2010 13:54
Mostly Sunny, No Precipitation – 40-45 Degrees
Very slow yesterday and especially today. No mallards, no migration. Where are they?

Posted By:
REARNEY
Web Member

Mississipi/ Pool 4 11-01-2010 20:07
Sunny & Clear, Winds Calm – 35-40 Degrees
Hunted with buddy last Saturday on a pond I scouted the prior week. We got our 8 mallards and 4 Gadwalls to limit out. Went back on Sunday morning myself and only shot 2 mallards. Alot of Divers in area-other hunters are getting their cans, bluebills, buffies and redheads. Little to no wind all weekend didnt help. Water is rising again. Mallards are filled with corn and loves the flooded woods.

[Edited By REARNEY on 2010-11-01 20:09]

Posted By:
lund-ducker2
Web Member

horicon 11-01-2010 17:10
Mostly Cloudy, No Precipitation – 35-40 Degrees
hunted sat AM. pothole. limit of malards (3 greenhead, 1 hen).

Posted By:
DU870
Web Member

11-01-2010 09:37
– – –
Hunted saturday morning in a corn field of the Wisconsin River. Set up in a flooded part of the field. The scouting the night before had 2-3 mallards in the area and a couple flocks of geese. Set up early sat with 2 dozen honks and 6 duck decoys and a mojo. Had 4 mallards drop in on a string 2 minutes after legal. I got greedy and went for a double with 1 shot, tickeled one bird and gun jammed. My budy shot 3 times and dropped one. The good news it was banded and his first banded bird!

Rest of the morning was SLOW. Did hear some shooting from the river and an area marsh. Not much came over us. We filled in the slow times with taking out some crows.

Not sure where the birds went from the night before. It seems the wind from last week either pushed out the locals or moved them around a bit. Not seeing any big numbers of birds.

Posted By:
stumper
Web Member

Appleton 10-31-2010 22:47
– – –
Ransom, the Fox Valley has long had a reputation as an excellent area for water fowling. The Wolf River area from Shawano all the way to Lake Poygan has many very good areas including Shiocton, Navarino, Fremont and many back sloughs, bayous and potholes.

The area lakes including Green Bay, Winnebago and Poygan/Winneconne also offer good hunting for divers and mallards.

I prefer to hunt cut corn fields for geese and mallards and the entire area from Horicon north to Green Bay along and within 10 miles either side of Hwy 41offers good field hunting opportunities with decent access to private lands if you take the time to meet with farmers and offer to help control goose numbers.

Of course scouting is key and it’ll take you some time to
figure out the patterns, but with some time and a strong desire, you’ll find lots of good waterfowling opportunities within an hour of Appleton.

I’ve lived here my whole life and would be happy to chat with you more if it would help. PM me. Stumper

Posted By:
Ransom1
Web Member

10-30-2010 10:42
– – –
Tommymac18

Thank you for the information. Our season started today without much a do. Very few ducks around. I appreciate your response. Hopefully the move work out.

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Washington Duck and Goose Hunting Report Archive

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Posted By:
mike-schireman
Field Editor

11-09-2012 14:44
– – –
I did not get out last weekend however reports from buddies was mixed. The weather has been getting colder and hopefully that will push some new birdds our way. I am heading to Othello to hunt at Eagle Lakes Lodge…always a blast and a top-notch outfit. If you have the chance go there, do not hesitate. I will post local info after the weekend when my hunting partners check in. This lul in the action is fairly typical for this time of year here in N.W. Wa. Hang in there…the best is yet to come.
Mike

Watching a bird dog work is one of life’s greatest gifts…so give’m a job!!!!

Posted By:
mike-schireman
Field Editor

10-23-2012 12:18
– – –
John and Hugh, are you guys reporting this year?

Posted By:
mike-schireman
Field Editor

10-02-2012 11:33
– – –
Well here we are and October has arrived even if it feels more like May. I heard good reports for the Skagit area as far as the youth hunt went. I think we will be hunting in t-shirts and sunglasses for a while but that too will change.
I will be posting here again this year…would love to hear from anyone who reads my reports and ideas for making them better or more useful.Good luck and be safe out there on opening!!!

Posted By:
mike-schireman
Field Editor

01-23-2012 13:05
– – –
I think I missed quite a show over the past week. When the snow flys over here and the temps drop, the hunting on the saltwater goes nuts. Between staying home to play in the snow with the kids, sick kids, and finally me being sick…I did not get out!!! Sounds like there are plenty of birds around so hit it hard for this last week. I am headed over for my annual end of the season hunt in Sequim this weekend…it is always bitter sweet, hope to pull the trigger a few times and enjoy the company of great friends. Best of luck to all of you.
Mike

Watching a bird dog work is one of life’s greatest gifts…so give’m a job!!!!

Posted By:
mike-schireman
Field Editor

Snohomish/Skagit 01-03-2012 10:35
– – 40-45 Degrees
Wow…looking at the date for my last post shows me how little I have gotten out this year. The hunting has been pretty rough around here, at least on public spots. Got out 3 times last week with friends from Texas and didn’t find much action. He did get the Pintail he has beeen trying for for several years šŸ™‚ None the less I have spent more time doing things around the farm…at least the weather has been good for something…hope things change before the end of the month.
Mike

Watching a bird dog work is one of life’s greatest gifts…so give’m a job!!!!

Posted By:
mike-schireman
Field Editor

Stanwood 12-05-2011 11:31
Cloudy, Heavy Fog – 35-40 Degrees
Finally made it back out on Sunday. Very foggy at times and chilly. A lot of Snow Goose movement near the South Fork of the Stilly. Not many ducks in the air worth shooting however the guys down from us had a good time shooting…not sure what they were shooting but it sounded like fun. Tide was low but even on the incoming tide, did not see many Widg or any other large groups. Hope the weather picks up and gets nasty. Good luck out there.
Mike

Watching a bird dog work is one of life’s greatest gifts…so give’m a job!!!!

Posted By:
John-Kruse
Field Editor

Columbia Basin 11-25-2011 23:35
– – –
Mixed reports from Central Washington. I spoke to one seasoned Columbia River hunter who tells me the Northern (divers) that make for good hunting on the Upper Columbia have not shown up yet.

On the other hand, Ken Mills, Sporting Goods Manager at Griggs in Pasco, reports having a great hunt at Burbank near the Tri-Cities for what he believes was the first big flight of Northerns.

I haven’t been out in the last week to say one way or the other but I can say there are a bunch of Lesser Canada Geese in the Moses Lake – Potholes area, and several thousand were hanging out on Moses Lake today near the freeway (darn it!).

Good luck and good hunting!

John Kruse
www.northwesternoutdoors.com

Posted By:
mike-schireman
Field Editor

E. Wash 11-15-2011 11:29
Mostly Sunny, No Precipitation – –
I know this is not an Upland site but I had to report šŸ™‚
This past week I had the pleasure of hunting at Miller Ranch outside Sprague WA. I was there for a two day pheasant reserve hunt. I had heard many wonderful things about Scott Millerā€™s business, from the great accommodations to the top notch guides and dogs, and of course the great shooting and quality birdsā€¦my high expectations were far surpassed!!! From the moment you arrive to the minute you have to pry yourself away and head home you are provided with, in my opinion, the ultimate hunting experience. If you are looking for a no pressure, action packed full service hunt that includes great people, great dogs, and great birds Scott and the people at Miller Ranch have it dialed inā€¦it is a ā€œcanā€™t missā€ā€¦even though I did miss a few ļŠā€¦but I hope be back!!! They also offer guided and unguided hunting trips for upland birds, waterfowl and big game.
Mike

Watching a bird dog work is one of life’s greatest gifts…so give’m a job!!!!

Posted By:
mike-schireman
Field Editor

Didn’t get out… 11-01-2011 14:31
– – –
A very quick update to say…I have no update since I did not out the past week or so. Somebody let us know what is going on out there!!! šŸ™‚
Mike

Watching a bird dog work is one of life’s greatest gifts…so give’m a job!!!!

Posted By:
mike-schireman
Field Editor

Marysville…inland 10-17-2011 14:29
Cloudy, Heavy Fog – 45-50 Degrees
A great opener with great company. Fist hour and a half were filled with shooting and ducks on the strap. Unfortunately the classic late arrival guys showed up during the shooting and proceded to shower us with shot. It wasn’t even worth going over to “talk” about it…we picked up (4 or 5 short of a three man limit) and headed in. Stayed home Sunday in hopes that the idiots will go back to sleeping in and watching tv all day. Hope you all had a good opener.
Mike

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Washington Duck and Goose Hunting Report Archive

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Posted By:
mike-schireman
Field Editor

Snohomish County 10-05-2011 13:52
Cloudy, Light Rain & Drizzle – 45-50 Degrees
Here we go!!!! Opening day is almosy upon us. Just put a new camo pattern on the boat and started claening up the decoys. Good luck to all of you and be safe. I will be checking in after the opener and hope to have good news to report.

Watching a bird dog work is one of life’s greatest gifts…so give’m a job!!!!

Posted By:
John-Kruse
Field Editor

Washington STate 08-09-2011 22:10
– – –
Okay boys and girls,

Here is a summary of the 2011-2012 Waterfowl Season courtesy of WDFW and The Outdoor Wire!

OLYMPIA – The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission approved 2011-12 waterfowl hunting seasons that are similar to those adopted last year during a meeting Aug. 5-6.

Under the waterfowl hunting package, the statewide duck hunting season will be open from Oct. 15-19 and from Oct. 22-Jan. 29. A special youth hunting weekend also is scheduled for Sept. 24-25.

Special limits for hen mallard, pintail, redhead, scaup, canvasback, goldeneye, harlequin, scoter and long-tailed duck will remain the same.

Goose hunting seasons vary by management areas across the state, but most open Oct. 15 and run through January 2012.

The goose and duck hunting seasons approved by the commission, which sets policy for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), are based on state and federal waterfowl population estimates and guidelines. According to those estimates, most waterfowl populations throughout North America are at or above historically high levels.

Details on the waterfowl hunting seasons will be available later this week on WDFW’s website at http://wdfw.wa.gov/hunting/regulations/.

John Kruse
www.northwesternoutdoors.com

Posted By:
John-Kruse
Field Editor

Washington State 07-18-2011 09:01
– – –
ODDS AND ENDS:

With August almost here, it’s time to start thinking about the fall season! It looks like things will kick off with a Youth Hunt the weekend of Sep 24th and Opening Day will be Oct 15th. It will be interesting to see if the largern than normal gap between these two hunts improves things on the opener.

Ducks Unlimited reports “Above-average waterfowl production in key breeding areas” this year due. In the Western U.S., our wet spring has proved to be good for ducks! Wetland habitats are in “good shape” in Eastern Oregon and Washington this year.

The Washington Dept. of Fish and Wildlife will meet in early August and finalize seasons and bag limits. Until then, enjoy our mild summer temps and get outside!

John Kruse
Northwestern Outdoors Radio
www.northwesternoutdoors.com

Posted By:
mike-schireman
Field Editor

Where ever you are… 01-27-2011 15:50
– – –
Well folks, the fleeting moments of another season are quickly passing. I can say I have never spent so much time out of the field as I did this year…it was strange. I hope that you all had a great season, if not in birds taken, at least in memories made. I am already looking forward to next season and the chance to take my daughter into the field for her first time.
Although my hunts were few and far between, they were shared with great people…and I thank them for sharing that time with me. I am off to San Juan Farms in Sequim to finish it off in style, truely a special time. So enjoy your last few days of the season and have a wonderful rest of year. At least it is a matter of months and not years before we are back at it.
Mike Schireman

Watching a bird dog work is one of life’s greatest gifts…so give’m a job!!!!

Posted By:
mike-schireman
Field Editor

Snohomish Valley 01-19-2011 12:14
Cloudy, Light Rain & Drizzle – 45-50 Degrees
I finally made it back into the field…for a few hours…for one day…better than nothing. Did not shoot the gun but there are a few birds still around. Having hunted less this year than any other since I started has got me a little turned around. I haven’t been able to track the bird movements like I have in the past. It was still so great to be out there. I am looking forward to closing weekend back at San Juan Farms in Sequim…hope to get out one more time before then. Just a note to the wise, buy and remodle a house in the Spring or Summer…not during hunting season šŸ™‚ Enjoy the last few weeks of the season.
Mike

Watching a bird dog work is one of life’s greatest gifts…so give’m a job!!!!

Posted By:
Hugh-Carney
Field Editor

Columbia Basin 01-14-2011 09:52
Sunny & Clear, Winds Calm – 50-60 Degrees
okay, I know I’ve slowed down on the field reports and maybe had a few over exaggerations but here is one thing to think about if you’re thinking of hunting the basin over the next few days.

There are some birds left so the trip is worth while but they aren’t very predictable. One spot one day and somewhere else the next. Best to be mobile.

The bigger concern is the weather. We have been cold for a long time and now with a sudden warm up the dirt and gravel roads ARE SOFT. Getting stuck in wet ash/mud/gravel is a strong possibility if you aren’t careful. Tread lightly.

Hugh

Posted By:
mike-schireman
Field Editor

Have not been out!!!!! 01-04-2011 11:37
Arctic Blast – 10-20 Degrees – Open Water
Well, I have spent the last 2 weeks getting settled in the new house…no hunting at all. Friends in the field have had good luck on the salt water with this extended cold snap, however duck numbers are down. I figure, as in the past, that the birds are pushing through to warmer places. The Pintail numbers have been building but they never stay for long…it is killing me to not be out there. Jeff Daniels, if you are reading this, I would be happy to trade you a hunt over here for one over there next season…sounds like you pounded the geese the other day :).
Stay warm everyone and enjoy the fleeting moments of another season.
Mike

Watching a bird dog work is one of life’s greatest gifts…so give’m a job!!!!

Posted By:
mike-schireman
Field Editor

Quilceda (Marysville) 12-13-2010 12:04
– – 40-45 Degrees
A picture perfect duck day…with rain and wind…but the birds were not that interested. Of course there are many possible reasons but with all the flooding the birds most likely headed inland. Won’t be out again until after the weekend (moving day). Now have a great pond to train a new pup though šŸ™‚ If you use the rivers be very careful, the water is high and faster than it may look. Birds aren’t worth pressing your luck.
Keep pour’n the steel to ’em and be safe,
Mike

Watching a bird dog work is one of life’s greatest gifts…so give’m a job!!!!

Posted By:
John-Kruse
Field Editor

Columbia Basin 12-05-2010 23:30
Mostly Sunny, No Precipitation – 25-30 Degrees – Open Water
Had an interesting weekend that turned into a great hunt with the Mar Don Duck Taxi.

My son, two friends and I were supposed to go on a field goose hunt with Meseberg Adventures from Mar Don Resort (Who I should mention…in fairness…is a sponsor of my radio show). However, we found out on Saturday most of the geese were flying south to warmer climes.

Instead we headed to some open water near Othello for a day of duck hunting. Things started off slow, and by 9:30 AM we only had a green-wing teal and pintail in the blind. However, around 10 AM huge flocks of mallards and teal started coming our way, done with their morning feeding. By 2 PM the four of us had 24 ducks, primarily mallards and green-wing teal.

We could have limited but one member of our party needed to get back sooner than later. It was a great day on the water and I have to admit, the guide’s “duck kabobs” in the blind made for a fantastic lunch that went a long way towards warming our bellies on a cold day!

John Kruse
www.northwesternoutdoors.com

Posted By:
mike-schireman
Field Editor

12-02-2010 16:23
– – –
Well the big freeze proved to be a good thing for my part of the region as the bays and open water produced. We are now back to normal temp wise so we shall see how the next few weeks play out. I will be out of the game for the next two weeks as my family and I begin the process of moving into a new home. Keep the birds move’n and the barrels warm. I will post any info from friends in the field as I get them.

Watching a bird dog work is one of life’s greatest gifts…so give’m a job!!!!

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Washington Duck and Goose Hunting Report Archive

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Posted By:
Hugh-Carney
Field Editor

Columbia Basin 11-22-2010 10:46
Cloudy, Accumulating Snow – 10-20 Degrees – Ice
New birds are coming to the basin fairly regularly now. Still in many refuges but divers mallards and geese are much more prevalent over the past 10 days. The coming deep freeze and snow may make them move and work better..

Posted By:
mike-schireman
Field Editor

Took the weekend off 11-21-2010 21:37
Cloudy, Snow Flurries – 25-30 Degrees – Open Water
Well…sad to say but I ended up taking the weekend off. The report I got from teh Skagit area was not great however with the temps dropping this week could be great. Not expecting to get out until after T-Day. Wish I had the week off but not the case. Get out on the saltwater if you can…and happy holidays to everyone. Be safe and watch your dogs in these cold temps and water.

Mike

Watching a bird dog work is one of life’s greatest gifts…so give’m a job!!!!

Posted By:
SMeadors
Web Member

Vancouver, WA 11-09-2010 15:15
Cloudy, Light Rain & Drizzle – 50-60 Degrees
Hunted Saturday and saw 1 duck, weather was warm. Good rain on Sat night and went back out on Sunday and we shot 8. Saw several large groups of high fliers moving down the Columbia between Longview and Vancouver.

Posted By:
Hugh-Carney
Field Editor

columbia basin 11-08-2010 13:26
– – –
I know a guy that knows a guy that knows a guy that knows a guy that said bird numbers are growing in the basin but there is very little movement of birds once they get here. Cold weather should help.

An elusive Pinteal with a radio collar was harvested on the Yakima firing center last week. This is the seldom seen Pintail/Teal cross that frequents sagebrush patches instead of water. In other odd news around the columbia basin, a rabbit with radio active poop was discovered on the Hanford sight (I think they found it at night). Fluffy bunny was destroyed and no other radio active sugar has been found to this point, although they are watching Patty Murry because that was a close one.

Posted By:
mike-schireman
Field Editor

Quilceda Area and Skagit Bay 11-08-2010 12:42
Cloudy, Occassional Rain Showers – 45-50 Degrees
Kind of a let down for bay shooting since the tides were actaully good for one of the first times this season. The bays in both locations are in need of a fresh batch of birds. Have not heard how inland people did but hope it was better than than the bayside. Scratched out a few birds for the BBQ though…and they were great!

Watching a bird dog work is one of life’s greatest gifts…so give’m a job!!!!

Posted By:
John-Kruse
Field Editor

Columbia Basin 10-26-2010 23:54
– – –
Late breaking Waterfowl News from the Basin!

Mikal Moore, WDFW Biologist, reports varied hunting success over opening day weekend in the Basin. Moores says overall, hunters actually did better than the last few years, averaging 2.75 birds per hunter hunting Potholes Reservoir, Frenchman’s Wasteway and Winchester Wasteway.

The hotspot was Frenchman’s Wasteway, where gunners averaged 4 birds each. On the other end of the spectrum, shooters near the Job Corps Dike did not do well (see my previous post) though hike-in hunters along Crab Creek in the North end of the reservoir did just fine.

In goose news, Moore states as of mid-October there were 10,000 to 15,000 Lesser Canada Geese gathered at Stratford, some 24 miles north of Moses Lake. Those numbers continue to build and should peak around Halloween.

Good luck and good hunting!

John Kruse
Northwestern Outdoors Radio
wwww.northwesternoutdoors.com

Posted By:
John-Kruse
Field Editor

Potholes Reservoir, Central WA 10-21-2010 23:10
Mostly Sunny, No Precipitation – 50-60 Degrees
A slow duck opener this year for most hunters gunning for local ducks around Potholes Reservoir this year. In fact, on a personal note, I’d have to say it was the slowest duck opener I’ve ever seen.

Boat hunters south of the Job Corps Dike saw mallards, teal and Canada Geese but virtually no gadwall or wigeon, a change from most years. Numbers also seemed to be dramatically down. Nine hunters in four different groups only managed to down 8 ducks during Saturday and Sunday hunts.

There were some scattered success stories. One group of three hunting a honey-hole near Crab Creek managed six birds per hunter on opening day but found themselves skunked on Sunday.

Guides from the Mar Don Duck Taxi at the south end of the Reservoir were able to get clients into decent shooting. One of these hunters reported three of them downing 14 ducks on the opener and four gunners getting 21 birds the following day.

A request for harvest information to the local WDFW biologist has so far gone unanswered. All in all, most hunters will be waiting for better hunting when Northern birds migrate through the area in mid to late-November.

Stay safe and have a great season afield!

John Kruse
Northwestern Outdoors Radio
www.northwesternoutdoors.com

Posted By:
mike-schireman
Field Editor

Quilcida Area 10-21-2010 13:01
Cloudy, Heavy Fog – 50-60 Degrees
Yeah the do grow up fast…I’m already trying to put the breaks on every day to make them last a little longer. Opened in the afternoon…everyone and their buddy was out but I got to hunt with my brother and nephew and buddy Casey. We took a few birds and just really enjoyed being back out there. Helped to a fisherman in after he lost his outdrive???? Strange deal šŸ™‚ We hit it again Sunday but it was so foggy that we wouldn’t have seen a bird 75 feet away…is was a crazy ride out but again we enjoyed the company. Now that we have the opener only hunters out of the way I am looking forward to some better numbers out of my hunts. Let it blow and let it snow…or at least look like hunting weather. Hope you all had a safe and fun opener. Oh did I say how much I miss hunting with my dog?!?!?! We miss ya out there Abbey, keep the family safe while I am out.

Mike

Watching a bird dog work is one of life’s greatest gifts…so give’m a job!!!!

Posted By:
webmaster
root

?? 10-20-2010 10:53
– – –
Mike — Life happens and for a few years we prioritize differently. I missed the Sat opener for my son’s football games but Sunday’s hunt with them made up for it. šŸ™‚

They grow fast. Don’t miss it.

Posted By:
mike-schireman
Field Editor

???? 10-14-2010 15:20
– – –
Well here we go!!!! I won’t be hitting the Sat morning opener as I have opted to watch my little gilr’s soccer game…when she heard she was shocked and actually said “Thanks Dad”, that makes it worth it already. I will be out in the afternoon and Sunday as well. Good luck to all of you as you welcome another season doing what we all love to do. A special goodluck to Walter and Uncl Frank…wish we were all hunting together this weekend.
Be safe everyone,

Mike

Watching a bird dog work is one of life’s greatest gifts…so give’m a job!!!!

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Posted By:
Hugh-Carney
Field Editor

Columbia Basin 09-28-2010 10:38
Sunny & Clear, Winds Calm – Over 70 Degrees
Went out on the kid weekend and had a great time, but found something new.

My daughter shot a couple of odd looking birds that I couldn’t identify. Lots of mallard look to them and very big. After the first one I figured it was just a farm cross, but by the 4th one I was very curious. I took the birds to a game agent I saw in the field and he was obviously not willing to be very up front with information but he finally let the cat out of the bag.

It seems the fish and wildlife guys experimented with a wigeon/mallard cross this past spring in an attempt to create something along the lines of the triploid trout they plant in stocked lakes. It was expected to take hold next year and the public was going to be informed in the spring of 2011, but the birds reproduced so successfully they are in large numbers already. Some had as many as 4 clutches this year.

Being a wigeon/mallard cross it is called a Willard. The bird has a very odd call. It is a 3 part call that starts with a wigeon whistle, followed by a mallard quack, followed by two coughs that sound like a smoker. Weirdest thing you ever heard. They may even increase the limit just on them to 7 and all others to 7 from what I am told. Broiled with a little garlic salt and pepper they are similar to a New York steak.

One other thing, they don’t seem to be able to reproduce in Western Washington so they are only an east side bird. This is shaping up to be a hum dinger of a season.

Posted By:
mike-schireman
Field Editor

Wet-Side 09-24-2010 15:10
– – –
Wow Hugh…I won’t even touch that one šŸ™‚ Just letting everyone know I am back again this year doing my best for the west-side…probably the only one that will be reporting from here. If you have info for westsiders I would love to add it to my posts. Not sure I will hunt as much as past years with a new house set to close around opening and a daughter in soccer this year…but I will be out every weekend at least once. Hope you all had a great break and are ready to roll. Get out and knock the dust off before opener.

Mike

Watching a bird dog work is one of life’s greatest gifts…so give’m a job!!!!

Posted By:
Hugh-Carney
Field Editor

columbia basin 09-20-2010 09:36
Sunny & Clear, Winds Calm – 60-65 Degrees
Well, went out scouting this morning to see what might be coming in the following weeks. Can’t believe what I saw. I was sitting still along a very remote area of the Columbia River and from a steep sage covered cliff walked out a big foot! He slowly walked to the edge of the water, looked up and down river then walked right into the water about waist deep and started scratching his balls. After a few seconds he dove in and began to float on his back. I watched in amazement and of corse didn’t have my camera or cell phone with me. After another 5 min. he walked out of the water, shook off like a dog, grabbed what looked to be pepperoni sticks, then as quickly as he appeared he vanished into the sage covered hill.

Hard to think there will a better part to the season.

Posted By:
mike-schireman
Field Editor

On my way to Sequim this weekend 01-28-2010 00:00
– – –
Well here we go again…it doesn’t that many birds ago that we were all faced with the fleeting moments of another hunting season. It has been a little slower than some I can remeber but after 27 of them they sometimes run together.
This season saw the first duck call for my daughter, who can eat more Teal than I can, and the retirement of my faithful bird dog Abbey who had her final hunt this past weekend. She will retreat to the comfort of a warm house and bed with countless retrievs, that left me in amazement, to dream about. Thank you for every moment I enjoyed with you in the field old girl.
The season will once more meet its final moments with me hunting at the fabled San Juan Farm in Sequim with truely great friends…the only real way to make it paletable (sp?). Hope everyone had a wonderful season, have a safe and healthy off season…and end this one with a smile on your face…I know I will.
Take care,

Mike

Watching a bird dog work is one of life’s greatest gifts…so give’m a job!!!!

[Edited By mike-schireman on 2010-01-28 00:03]

Posted By:
Hugh-Carney
Field Editor

Columbia Basin 01-25-2010 09:32
– – –
Parts of the basin have gained a second breath in the past 10 days. Numbers may be a little low for late Jan. but they have bumped up since the first of the month. The birds my parties are getting are very mature. Cans and Red Heads are strong and the geese are really moving to cheat grass as the ice melts and the green shoots of grass begin to show again.

The birds seem to be concentrated in certain areas more than normal. While I scout I notice that there will be no birds for long stretches then good numbers in the air or in open water or on the ground, then they thin out again. Scouting couldn’t be more important than right now.

-Hugh

Posted By:
mike-schireman
Field Editor

01-20-2010 10:23
Cloudy, Winds Calm – 45-50 Degrees
Well the two week mark is quickly approaching. Unfortunately the bird numbers have really fallen off, which is nothing really new for this time in the season. Hunted the Skagit area last weekend and aside from the Snow goose hunters guns were pretty silent. I did see widgeon groups working the big water later in the morning but not enough to keep us out. Not very encouraged about the upcoming weekend but will head out none the less. Fortunately I have been invited back to the fabled San Juan Farm over in the Sequim area for the final weekend of the season to close it out in style with great friends. I will drop in for a closing report after the 31st. Get out there even if it is only for a boat ride or walk as these next few weeks fade away.
Mike

Watching a bird dog work is one of life’s greatest gifts…so give’m a job!!!!

Posted By:
mike-schireman
Field Editor

Marysville/Quilceda 01-11-2010 10:56
Cloudy, Light Rain & Drizzle – 45-50 Degrees
Well the seasonā€™s end is quietly approaching. I hunted the Marysville/Quilceda area this weekend and managed to bring a few birds back to the house. Bayside hunters sounded like they did a little better but there is a noticed decrease in bird numbers. The mild temperatures have not helped the hunting over here. Savor these last few weeks in the field even if the hunting has slowedā€¦we all know how long the offseason can be.
Good luck
Mike Schireman

Watching a bird dog work is one of life’s greatest gifts…so give’m a job!!!!

Posted By:
John-Kruse
Field Editor

Central Washington 12-30-2009 23:24
– – –
Good Reports from our area lately –

Hunters along the Columbia River are reporting good shooting for wigeon and mallards. Less scaup than usual but there seem to be a few more bufflehead this year if you like those little guys.

Another hunter shared with me that mallards were stacked 300 to 400 deep trying to land in the grain field he was hunting with a local guide recently near Moses Lake.

Similar good reports from Mar Don Resort’s guide service.

With moderate winter weather it looks as if hunting will stay good for a bit. Scouting (to find out where the birds are feeding) will help you have a good hunt.

Have a Happpy New Year!

Posted By:
mike-schireman
Field Editor

Not sure yet 12-18-2009 12:19
Cloudy, Winds Calm – 45-50 Degrees
Just a quick note to everyone…Have a happy and rest filled holiday. I am not sure haw many updates I will have between now and the new year…I will try to hunt as much as possible though:) None the less be safe and shoot straight.
Merry Christmas to all!!!!!!

Mike

Watching a bird dog work is one of life’s greatest gifts…so give’m a job!!!!

Posted By:
Hugh-Carney
Field Editor

columbia Basin 12-17-2009 12:58
– – –
Lots of fog, lots of icy roads, lots of new birds basin wide.

Should start warming up into the 40’s through the weekend and beyond.

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Posted By:
mike-schireman
Field Editor

Snohomish County 12-14-2009 16:17
Arctic Blast – 25-30 Degrees – Ice
Well hopefully you have been able to hunt the rivers or bays over the last week. Very cold temps have frozen up standing water in the valleys and forced the birds out. Bird numbers are way up as they have been concentrated in open water areas. Work has limited me to only one hunt over the past week but it was an amazing one!!!. Most of the ice has flushed out but boaters be aware that thin ice can cause major damage and even slice open your smaller boats. I actually turned back on Sat (now that I have a wife and kids :)) and opted to take a larger boat. Live to hunt another day folks. Enjoy the birds…temps due to go back up in the next 48 hours.

Watching a bird dog work is one of life’s greatest gifts…so give’m a job!!!!

Posted By:
Hugh-Carney
Field Editor

Columbia Basin 12-08-2009 11:00
– – –
0 degrees this AM.

Duck numbers growing and with no snow cover they may stay a while. The trick is to find open water. Gonna be harder over the next 3-4 days.

Fri. or Sat there may be a wet system from the Pacific colliding with this cold air mass. Snow? Freezing Rain? Sleet?

Should get above freezing by Sun. or Mon.

-Hugh

Posted By:
Hugh-Carney
Field Editor

Columbia Basin 12-03-2009 11:08
– – –
Gonna get very cold in the Basin. Lows in the teens over the past few nights and that is the trend for the next 10 days. Snow is in the forecast for the weekend but @ only a 20% chance. Mid next week sees a much greater chance of snow.

Small water is freezing already and birds are concentrating on bigger water. In addition it seems that new birds are beginning to show up. Bird activity is more frequent. All the things that help add to a better harvest.

Don’t forget to pack the extra clothes and keep the dog warm too.

-Hugh

Posted By:
mike-schireman
Field Editor

Snohomish and Skagit Counties 12-01-2009 14:37
Sunny & Clear, Winds Calm – 40-45 Degrees
Well December has arrived and finally we are starting to see some overnight lows heading in the right direction. The hunting here over the past two weeks has been up and down depending on your location. I enjoyed a great hunt off the Snohomish River with a mixed bag of Widgeon, Teal, and Mallardsā€¦all nice bright birds. However I have gotten poor reports from others hunting the tidelands. We received over 8 inches of rain in November, several inches more than normal. The waterworks are shut off for nowā€¦maybe through the weekend. We need new birds and hoping a little chill in the air will help. On a side noteā€¦there are still tons of spawned out salmon in the rivers and tidelandsā€¦keep an eye on your dogs as ingesting these can be fatal to themā€¦not to mention the rolling on the carcass makes for a very smelly truck ride!!! Call to the wing tips and tails.
Mike Schireman

Watching a bird dog work is one of life’s greatest gifts…so give’m a job!!!!

Posted By:
Hugh-Carney
Field Editor

columbia Basin 11-24-2009 10:28
– – –
F word!

Fog is in the forecast for the long weekend. Huge wind last week now not enough to keep the fog out. If you have a fog spot you might want to consider it.

Bird numbers are building but activity is at first light and well after sunset.

Blue Bills and lesser Canadians are really active in the lower CB lately.

Happy Thanksgiving

Hugh

Posted By:
Hugh-Carney
Field Editor

columbia Basin 11-20-2009 14:00
– – –
With multiple storms pounding the coast you’d think birds would tend to filter into the basin but only over the past week has there been any influx of birds, and that has only been in some regions.

I have seen concentrations of Pintails like I haven’t seen in a few years and the Mallards are tending to be more mature than a month ago. Ran into good groups of Red Heads and scratched out some Cans last weekend in addition to seeing the first of the Goldeneyes.

Not terribly cold in the great white north yet so the big numbers are yet to come. Trickle migration so far. Numbers are building in the Moses area a little faster than the rest of the basin.

Lessers are more apparent this year and even saw a few snows mixed in last week.

All water is open. It’d be nice to have some freeze up to help concentrate birds. Dosen’t look like it in the next 7-10 days.

-Hugh

Posted By:
John-Kruse
Field Editor

North Columbia Basin 11-14-2009 22:44
Sunny & Clear, Winds Calm – 30-34 Degrees – Open Water
Took an early morning drive over to the North Columbia Basin on Veteran’s Day with my lab, Sage.

First stop was the ridgeline above Stratford. Three of us arrived at shooting time in different rigs. There were not many lessers on the lake below us. Some had likely been feeding under a mostly full moon while others had dispersed from this staging area. No geese flew in our direction at all and the last birds were off the lake by 0740 hrs.

I next went down to the northern end of the Gloyd Seeps Wildlife Area. I saw no other hunters there – and no sign of birds on the water or in the brush (pheasant or duck) driving around and doing a half hearted walk through some brush near the water in one area. I did see a few flocks of geese working some nearby wheat fields though, so that would be an option if you could scout them out and then get permission to hunt them with some dekes and layout blinds.

Back in the Wenatchee area I am noticing a few northern birds arriving. Wigeon, hooded merganser and redhead ducks that have not been here before are now making an appearance but overall, there aren’t too many birds here from Canada yet. Some weather may change that soon!

John Kruse Northwestern Outdoors Radio www.northwesternoutdoors.com

Posted By:
mike-schireman
Field Editor

Othello 11-03-2009 13:40
Cloudy, Winds Calm – 45-50 Degrees
What a week last week! I made another pilgrimage to Eagle Lakes Ranch Lodge in Othello. You may or may not be a fan of guided huntsā€¦but if you are interested in the TOTAL package you have to make the trip. This is a 5 star production from the minute you show up to the beautiful lodge until you pick your birds up at the processor on the way out (it is hard to leave this place). Top notch food, rooms, guides and of course birds. There is truly no other outfit in the state like Eagleā€¦check out their website, you will not be disappointed.
This was the earliest I have ever hunted there, and to echo what others are reporting, the birds were local and pretty smart at this point. None the less we stayed out a little longer (alright by me) and filled out our limits.
I do have to admit that I am looking forward to some new storms brewing off the coast and getting back out there in the salt air. If you have Thursday and Friday off it looks good for hunting.

Watching a bird dog work is one of life’s greatest gifts…so give’m a job!!!!

[Edited By mike-schireman on 2009-11-03 15:38]

[Edited By mike-schireman on 2009-11-04 13:37]

Posted By:
John-Kruse
Field Editor

Colockum W.A. 10-30-2009 21:53
Cloudy, Winds Calm – 40-45 Degrees
Mikal Moore, Waterfowl Biologist at the WDFW out of Ephrata, reports duck hunting was okay in the Basin but good in the Yakima Valley for the opener.

On the pheasant front, if you don’t mind planted birds they are planting them this week in several locations – to include the Colockum Wildlife Area where my nine-year old lab and I managed to scratch a limit in a couple of hours this morning.

I also talked to Pheasant Biologists in Central and Eastern WA. Best bets appear to be in SE WA if you want wild pheasants this year. The Columbia Basin will be okay for planted birds but due to very efficient agricultural practices, not so good for wild birds.

Weather has been cool, cloudy and rainy at times in Central Washington over the last week. I haven’t seen any real influxes of new birds.

Good luck this weekend!

John Kruse Northwestern Outdoors Radio www.northwesternoutdoors.com

Posted By:
Hugh-Carney
Field Editor

Central Wa. 10-29-2009 12:41
– – –
Good soaking rain today and weekend temps expected to warm up could mean considerable fog.

Lots of divers in the basin right now and many in ponds and lakes, not just rivers. Goose influx over the past few days as well in parts of the basin. Not getting any significant cold weather up north to push birds down but the numbers seem to be about about a month ahead.

Teal numbers are good right now too. Had a friend get a nice Cinnamon on the opener and I am still seeing blue wings on occasion.

Most irrigation is shut off by now so water levels in some ponds may change. Not much freeze threat in the next 7-10 days.

-Hugh