To the hunter who peppered us.

[pianoman9701]

Happened the last time I hunted Shillapoo.
Pheasant hunter turned on the guy pickin up the disk plow in the field.
Blew out the back window of the tractor and hit the guy in the neck.
*censored* ran away like a coward.
This stuff happened at Stanwood all the time.
We duck hunted in a well known blind and pheasant hunters would walk right into our decoys, then turn out into the fields, instead of walking out into the fields directly.
2 duck hunters were shot and injured by pheasant hunters there. Both ran away like cowards. 1 was caught later and charged. He even bragged about bagging one of those *censored* duck hunters.
Everyone thinks they "own" their hunting grounds, even when it is public land.
I don't see this ending soon.
Just too much " it's mine" mentality.

Were these accidents all this year or did they go unreported to the WDFW? When I talked to them a year ago, there were supposedly no safety issues between waterfowl and pheasant hunters with no incidents reported. I actually emailed to wildthing I believe, and got back a response on that.

[CP]

The OP’s story doesn’t hold water.  Putting together the pieces it looks like he was trespassing into the area while it was closed and he was poaching ducks.  While he was there some spent shot rained on him.   BFD –

[pianoman9701]

The OP’s story doesn’t hold water.  Putting together the pieces it looks like he was trespassing into the area while it was closed and he was poaching ducks.  While he was there some spent shot rained on him.   BFD –

  And, they're off!

[bobcat]

I really do wish the state would get out of the pheasant farming business. The release sites could still be used for dog training, or getting new hunters their first bird hunting experience. People would simply have to buy their own birds and put them out before their "hunt."

I've hunted release sites here on the west side, and I've hunted wild birds on the east side. There's no comparison.

I live right across the road from a popular release site, and it's actually embarrassing trying to explain to non-hunters what goes on out there.

To me it's a program that just doesn't make sense anymore. How about taking the time and money that is used for the westside pheasant release sites, and instead put it towards habitat improvement on the eastside of the state?

[Curly]

I really do wish the state would get out of the pheasant farming business. The release sites could still be used for dog training, or getting new hunters their first bird hunting experience. People would simply have to buy their own birds and put them out before their "hunt."

I've hunted release sites here on the west side, and I've hunted wild birds on the east side. There's no comparison.

I live right across the road from a popular release site, and it's actually embarrassing trying to explain to non-hunters what goes on out there.

To me it's a program that just doesn't make sense anymore. How about taking the time and money that is used for the westside pheasant release sites, and instead put it towards habitat improvement on the eastside of the state?

I also agree with Ghosthunter.  The pheasant release program on the West side probably won't last much longer.

[Kola16]

pianoman...why do you keep bringing up last year  Now is not last year 

And there is definitely safety issues. Someone could go blind 

[pianoman9701]

pianoman...why do you keep bringing up last year  Now is not last year 

And there is definitely safety issues. Someone could go blind 

Because we had the exact same discussion last year and I was the one who initiated it with the idea that we should do something to avoid conflict and safety problems. The result was that very few of the posters wanted to have regs and opportunities changed. It's pertinent to this discussion in that it was almost identical in every aspect except my position, which changed to reflect the attitude of the majority - don't request to change a thing, giving the DFW the opportunity to take stuff away, further confuse regulations, and charge us more money.

[Kola16]

Well it seems like some want change this year 

[Fishnclifff]

Happened the last time I hunted Shillapoo.
Pheasant hunter turned on the guy pickin up the disk plow in the field.
Blew out the back window of the tractor and hit the guy in the neck.
*censored* ran away like a coward.
This stuff happened at Stanwood all the time.
We duck hunted in a well known blind and pheasant hunters would walk right into our decoys, then turn out into the fields, instead of walking out into the fields directly.
2 duck hunters were shot and injured by pheasant hunters there. Both ran away like cowards. 1 was caught later and charged. He even bragged about bagging one of those *censored* duck hunters.
Everyone thinks they "own" their hunting grounds, even when it is public land.
I don't see this ending soon.
Just too much " it's mine" mentality.

Were these accidents all this year or did they go unreported to the WDFW? When I talked to them a year ago, there were supposedly no safety issues between waterfowl and pheasant hunters with no incidents reported. I actually emailed to wildthing I believe, and got back a response on that.

Happened a few years ago.
Leo's and WDFW was involved.
I helped do medical on scene on both.

[pianoman9701]

Happened the last time I hunted Shillapoo.
Pheasant hunter turned on the guy pickin up the disk plow in the field.
Blew out the back window of the tractor and hit the guy in the neck.
*censored* ran away like a coward.
This stuff happened at Stanwood all the time.
We duck hunted in a well known blind and pheasant hunters would walk right into our decoys, then turn out into the fields, instead of walking out into the fields directly.
2 duck hunters were shot and injured by pheasant hunters there. Both ran away like cowards. 1 was caught later and charged. He even bragged about bagging one of those *censored* duck hunters.
Everyone thinks they "own" their hunting grounds, even when it is public land.
I don't see this ending soon.
Just too much " it's mine" mentality.

Were these accidents all this year or did they go unreported to the WDFW? When I talked to them a year ago, there were supposedly no safety issues between waterfowl and pheasant hunters with no incidents reported. I actually emailed to wildthing I believe, and got back a response on that.

Happened a few years ago.
Leo's and WDFW was involved.
I helped do medical on scene on both.

Interesting. I've been trying to find that email and can't. I changed email programs two months ago and lost a lot of history. They definitely responded that there were no safety concerns between pheasant and waterfowl hunters using the same areas.

[Fishnclifff]

Stanwood was a war zone for years.
Pheasant hunters would be standing in the field " holding their spot" at sun-up.
Some of them got cited, but most were buddies with the gammie, so he looked the other way.
Sometimes he came out and and checked us, then give us *censored* for complaining, we just told him to F- off.

[singleshot12]

Stanwood was a war zone for years.
Pheasant hunters would be standing in the field " holding their spot" at sun-up.
Some of them got cited, but most were buddies with the gammie, so he looked the other way.
Sometimes he came out and and checked us, then give us *censored* for complaining, we just told him to F- off.

If this is true then prime example of why there needs to be changes. And eliminating the pheasant release program just because you don't participate in it should not be the change. Common sense solutions that would help keep the program going and also benefit duck hunters have been listed above numerous times by pheasant hunters who realize the importance of pheasant hunting opportunity on the west side.

[CP]

I was checked at 7:58am on Thanksgiving morning at a one of the other release sites.  The officer was very interested if anyone was trying to “jump the gun” as she put it.  But everyone was polite and waiting patiently for 8:00am to roll around so she went about her business.   

The duck hunters stayed in the parking lot with the pheasant hunters until 8:00am.  We all chatted and got along.  We let the parties with kids go out first and we followed about 5 minutes later.  No one got shot.   It was all good.  That my last release site hunt for this year but I’ll be back next season.

I also took two brand new hunters out on release site hunts this year.  I was able to put both of them on enough bird encounters that they were able to get their first birds with their limited reaction times and marginal shooting skills.  They both enjoyed themselves and will most likely stick with the sport and move on to more challenging hunting experiences.

These sites have their place and can work very well if everyone will just exercise some common sense.

[ICEMAN]

Can't we all just live together in peace?

[grundy53]

I really do wish the state would get out of the pheasant farming business. The release sites could still be used for dog training, or getting new hunters their first bird hunting experience. People would simply have to buy their own birds and put them out before their "hunt."

I've hunted release sites here on the west side, and I've hunted wild birds on the east side. There's no comparison.

I live right across the road from a popular release site, and it's actually embarrassing trying to explain to non-hunters what goes on out there.

To me it's a program that just doesn't make sense anymore. How about taking the time and money that is used for the westside pheasant release sites, and instead put it towards habitat improvement on the eastside of the state?