Busy Morning at Shilapoo

[pianoman9701]

So opening day last year, I showed up at 5 AM and no one is there. I took my time loading my cart, got everything ready and the first truck shows around 530. No problem finding the perfect spot.

Fast forward to Saturday. Show up at 445AM and there are already 5 trucks parked and all of them empty - guys already out to or headed for the shooting areas. I couldn't find a place for almost 2 hours and 2 miles of pushing that cart full of dekes. I finally found a spot, about a 1/4 from another access road. I ended up shooting a speckle belly and a Tav all day. Any day hunting is a good day. Some just take a little more exercise to accomplish the task at hand.

Were any of you out there Sat morning when I came by in the dark, kind of grumpy-like? If so, I hope you limited out.

[pianoman9701]

Also there were three young guys walking around pass shooting all day, having no regard for several spreads. Just a word for you three: It's really bad form to set up behind a hedge near someone's setup and shoot at the birds way up before they come into the guy's dekes. Pass shooting at birds that are flying so high up not only ruins it for the guys who've been sitting there all morning, but you're crippling birds needlessly by doing so. Get some decoys, get up early, and bring them in close so you can kill them dead.

[h2ofowlr]

Gotta love the public shows.  Guys now days won't even bring decoys and will approach the parties set up to see which one will let them join them!  Great entertainment.

[pianoman9701]

Gotta love the public shows.  Guys now days won't even bring decoys and will approach the parties set up to see which one will let them join them!  Great entertainment.

I got that these three were new to it, had all decided to start hunting together and had no idea what they were doing. Had they come over to ask that, I'd probably have let them join me and benefited them of my vast wealth of knowledge about ethics and fair play, but in a good way.

[Tealer]

Were any of you out there Sat morning when I came by in the dark, kind of grumpy-like? If so, I hope you limited out.

I hope to never hunt shillapoo again. I used to hunt it 5 days a week and did VERY well. Now the secrets out. I have been down twice to scout and there hasn't been a place to park. No thanks I'd rather stay home then deal with that.

[Madison]

I hate the constricted nature of fixed blinds or parking spots, but i think Shillapoo needs this type of structure.

[pianoman9701]

I hate the constricted nature of fixed blinds or parking spots, but i think Shillapoo needs this type of structure.

Yeah, it'd help a lot but then you'd have to have them assigned, and by whom?

[mrmoskillz]

Hey Pianoman Saturday my boy and I were at the 1st pond by the dead end on the lake side and right at light the wind pushed that red stuff around our decoys and we didnt get to shoot at anything.  On Sunday we were there at 4am and got the 1st half of the middle pond and i got my 1st 2 geese with one shot!

[pianoman9701]

Hey Pianoman Saturday my boy and I were at the 1st pond by the dead end on the lake side and right at light the wind pushed that red stuff around our decoys and we didnt get to shoot at anything.  On Sunday we were there at 4am and got the 1st half of the middle pond and i got my 1st 2 geese with one shot!

2 nice cacklers. Very good, Moz!

[Tealer]

I hate the constricted nature of fixed blinds or parking spots, but i think Shillapoo needs this type of structure.

There are enough blinds out there. Some of them even hunt ok.

[Madison]

the point is assigned blinds. 

[Tealer]

the point is assigned blinds.

Why?

[Madison]

to instill some sort of order...

[Tealer]

to instill some sort of order...

Show me hunting area in this state with order. You can build blinds, put in a chip draw, install a reservation system, probably make it worse. Look to Ridgefield for a perfect example. If you actually hunt Shillapoo, you will realize that blinds would kill that area.

[pianoman9701]

to instill some sort of order...

Show me hunting area in this state with order. You can build blinds, put in a chip draw, install a reservation system, probably make it worse. Look to Ridgefield for a perfect example. If you actually hunt Shillapoo, you will realize that blinds would kill that area.

Ridgefield Wildlife Refuge

[Madison]

it is a difficult area to put blinds, but you can create hunt areas.  It is done with success in OR/CA and although i am not in favor of it, places like Shillapoo would be a good place to do it.

[pianoman9701]

it is a difficult area to put blinds, but you can create hunt areas.  It is done with success in OR/CA and although i am not in favor of it, places like Shillapoo would be a good place to do it.

I'm not saying we should do Shilapoo like Ridgefield. The question was asked how would you do it. I think it's just going to be a crowded area and that's OK as long as people are respectful of each other and understand when they need to move on.

[Tealer]

to instill some sort of order...

Show me hunting area in this state with order. You can build blinds, put in a chip draw, install a reservation system, probably make it worse. Look to Ridgefield for a perfect example. If you actually hunt Shillapoo, you will realize that blinds would kill that area.

Ridgefield Wildlife Refuge

It's also run by the Feds, not the state. Real success would be Sauvie island.

[fethrduster]

Is Shilapoo flooded now?  I haven't hunted there in years, but I like hunting ducks there when they flood it around Thanksgiving.  I'm heading down there today from Tacoma for the holiday and wouldn't mind hunting tomorrow a.m., but I don't want to bring my gear and get up at 4am if there's no water there. 

[Tealer]

Not much for water, they were still pumping it out Tuesday.

[fethrduster]

Decided to give it a try, and there was definitely enough water. Flushed lots of birds out of there in the pre-dawn.  Managed to get my first bird, a hen pinnie, with my 1902 Lefever FE 12ga damascus sxs,  right at dawn (one shot over the dekes, BOOM, splat.  Very satisfying) and then my wife called shortly after and said my setter escaped from the back yard of the in-law's house where we were staying, so I had to hurry back and go find him (which I did, thankfully).   So, a half hour was all I had, but I enjoyed it  I used to hunt Shilapoo all the time when I lived in Vancouver.  Hope I can try it again before it freezes over.