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 🙂 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. 🙂
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!!!!
