Westside pheasant release site hunting frustration

[jeepster]

I live in anacortes, and accordimg to this epamphlet http://wdfw.wa.gov/publications/01425/wdfw01425.pdf

There should be a ton of awesome pheasant hunting, but I haven't seen any birds yet... Got skunked again today on whidbey island... And I heard the samish was only going to have birds for juniors and seniors, some of the sites on whidbey are closed according to a farmer I talked to (ebey prarie) and the seaplane base sites need permission/navy authorized base hunting lisence from some commander or something like that, which is open to civilians, but you have to go to the navy and get a different hunting lisence from them, and then I heard that the new bow hill site has some issues with parking so, they aren't going to let any birds go yet......

Anybody hunt stanwood?

This is starting to drive me nuts...

Anybody hear otherwise? What do you guys know?

[Sportfury]

Jeepster I have never hunted those sights, but they only release birds on Saturday, Sunday, and Wednesdays and in a limited amount per sight.

[ungrounded]

Just keep at it, you'll get them   

 

[jeepster]

But I thought having a dog with an endless energy supply and a good lookin shotgun made birds appear.....

 

[seth30]

Not sure where the confusion is?   your active right?  If so get over to envriomental and get your license.  There were two classes i even posted about it several times prior to the season.  The is upper game rang lower game range and the olf that realease birds.  If you are active several emails to all hands were made as well.  Need more help PM me.

[Stilly bay]

here is the rundown.

if you were hunting birds today, then the last time they released was saturday night so the birds were hunted sunday morning, monday, and now tuesday. By sunday afternoon most of the birds are either shot or have run off the property. There will be a few left but your odds go down exponentially the farther you get away from 8:00 am saturday, sunday, or wednesday morning.

If you want a bird almost guaranteed, then go to your nearest release site first thing in the morning and march with the "orange army".

[Hermit]

The release sites around Stanwood are great.......... Entertainment.  Sometimes I go there a Sunday mornings just to watch the circus.

[Stilly bay]

The release sites around Stanwood are great.......... Entertainment.  Sometimes I go there a Sunday mornings just to watch the circus.

Stanwood is getting bad in the afternoons too. There might be a shortage of birds, but not people.

This will be the last year for the Stanwood / leque site, they will be flooding it soon.

[Sportfury]

The release sites around Stanwood are great.......... Entertainment.  Sometimes I go there a Sunday mornings just to watch the circus.

It has been a couple of years since I hunted the release sights down south. It seems like this year that there are not as many people out. The runners aren't there anymore and I haven't seen the crazy guys that bring four dogs and let them run everywhere. Maybe it is due to the price going up.

[jeepster]

Ughhhhh.......

Is "this" what it really comes down to?

What ever happened to the days where your friendly neighborhood farmer said "hunt till yer hearts content..."


I just want to shoot roosters, I will even carry out other peoples trash........

Sometimes, I REALLY HATE being the "good guy"........


Why is it..... That the most honest hardworking guys, who want nothing more than to spend a few precious hours with their dog, end up suffering the most..... Where is ducks unlimited or pheasants unlimited when they are needed the most........

[CP]

West side pheasants are easy once you get the system down.  I'm off to shoot some now, I expect I'll have at least one down by 8:05am.

[Stilly bay]

Ughhhhh.......

Is "this" what it really comes down to?

What ever happened to the days where your friendly neighborhood farmer said "hunt till yer hearts content..."


I just want to shoot roosters, I will even carry out other peoples trash........

Sometimes, I REALLY HATE being the "good guy"........


Why is it..... That the most honest hardworking guys, who want nothing more than to spend a few precious hours with their dog, end up suffering the most..... Where is ducks unlimited or pheasants unlimited when they are needed the most........

Welcome to Western Wa where the wild ringneck pheasant can't survive in numbers large enough to hunt.

I don't understand how being the "good guy" factors into the equation?

[AspenBud]

. Where is ducks unlimited or pheasants unlimited when they are needed the most........

Pheasants Forever isn't really big on release sites. The birds are pen raised and habitat really isn't a focus.

They are a habitat organization focused on keeping wild pheasants around in large numbers to hunt.

This may well be my last year buying a western WA pheasant permit. I hate hunting with a lot of orange walking around me and my dogs aren't well suited to that kind of environment. People don't really appreciate a Pointer flying by 100 yards+ from its handler and I don't hunt behind boot lickers.

[Stilly bay]

 

I tried to get PF to help try to save the Leque site and they weren't very interested for all the reasons you say.

I usually wait to run my english setter until the afternoon. He can cover one of the fields in the time it takes me to get my vest on and lock the truck.

[Hermit]

And half the birds they release can't fly. Too young. In  pinfeathers. I've seen a guy with a pointer netting them with a salmon net out of the grass. Thats after they throw them out of the truck and leave. I'd rather buy a chicken.

[snowpack]

Ughhhhh.......

Is "this" what it really comes down to?

What ever happened to the days where your friendly neighborhood farmer said "hunt till yer hearts content..."


I just want to shoot roosters, I will even carry out other peoples trash........

Sometimes, I REALLY HATE being the "good guy"........


Why is it..... That the most honest hardworking guys, who want nothing more than to spend a few precious hours with their dog, end up suffering the most..... Where is ducks unlimited or pheasants unlimited when they are needed the most........

western Wa isn't an area really suitable to pheasant or a few other birds, cool wet springs kill off too much young and don't grow the right foods in early spring.  There are a couple areas where you can find quail, and there are lots of areas for grouse.  You could spend days and days of quality hunting time with your dog out chasing grouse and not be bothered by other people.  I'll see upwards of twenty grouse on some days--don't think I've ever seen another grouse hunter.

[coachcw]

good places to go if you wanna find a bunch of rued jack wads ! my dog ussaully got her limit haha

[Bmcox86]

Don't feel to bad, I drove up to cherry valley yesterday morning after working 12 hours the night before and they never even released, heard two shots all morning and it was the same bird. Atleast I got to argue with a guy because he said my dog was working to far in front of me and it was crossing his path so it wasn't a wasted morning.

[Stilly bay]

Atleast I got to argue with a guy because he said my dog was working to far in front of me and it was crossing his path so it wasn't a wasted morning.

Nothing like a little quality time on the release site to warm the cockles of your heart.

[wildweeds]

Got to love trying to hunt a big runner on the wetside,I had some jackwagons,stop their truck,jump over the fence and shoot a pair of birds my dog was pointing,He'd jumped on the creek edge and was working good,got way out there at 800+ yards on my garmin,was pointing for 10 minutes until they showed up saw him,killed his birds.He stood motionless after they killed his birds,were probably mad that he didn't retrieve them,because they didn't know the release command.I hollered at them and then at him and he come a running. I do not participate in the follies until 2 oclock,everyone is home watching seahawks or world series games and I'm out there with maybe half a dozen guys at most.Best time to cut a big runner loose,

Don't feel to bad, I drove up to cherry valley yesterday morning after working 12 hours the night before and they never even released, heard two shots all morning and it was the same bird. Atleast I got to argue with a guy because he said my dog was working to far in front of me and it was crossing his path so it wasn't a wasted morning.

[Stilly bay]

Got to love trying to hunt a big runner on the wetside,I had some jackwagons,stop their truck,jump over the fence and shoot a pair of birds my dog was pointing,He'd jumped on the creek edge and was working good,got way out there at 800+ yards on my garmin,was pointing for 10 minutes until they showed up saw him,killed his birds.He stood motionless after they killed his birds,were probably mad that he didn't retrieve them,because they didn't know the release command.I hollered at them and then at him and he come a running. I do not participate in the follies until 2 oclock,everyone is home watching seahawks or world series games and I'm out there with maybe half a dozen guys at most.Best time to cut a big runner loose,

Don't feel to bad, I drove up to cherry valley yesterday morning after working 12 hours the night before and they never even released, heard two shots all morning and it was the same bird. Atleast I got to argue with a guy because he said my dog was working to far in front of me and it was crossing his path so it wasn't a wasted morning.

Wow. I would have blown a gasket! your lucky they didn't just pick the dog up and throw him the back of the truck.

[coachcw]

800 yards wow ! good way to lose a dog on the west side good thing they just took the birds

[wildweeds]

Yeah Doubt that would happen he's a one man kind of dog,That dog FT quite a bit and no other amateur could ever handle him,he worked for the handler or me,that was it,he gave everybody else the bird with his paw.

Got to love trying to hunt a big runner on the wetside,I had some jackwagons,stop their truck,jump over the fence and shoot a pair of birds my dog was pointing,He'd jumped on the creek edge and was working good,got way out there at 800+ yards on my garmin,was pointing for 10 minutes until they showed up saw him,killed his birds.He stood motionless after they killed his birds,were probably mad that he didn't retrieve them,because they didn't know the release command.I hollered at them and then at him and he come a running. I do not participate in the follies until 2 oclock,everyone is home watching seahawks or world series games and I'm out there with maybe half a dozen guys at most.Best time to cut a big runner loose,

Don't feel to bad, I drove up to cherry valley yesterday morning after working 12 hours the night before and they never even released, heard two shots all morning and it was the same bird. Atleast I got to argue with a guy because he said my dog was working to far in front of me and it was crossing his path so it wasn't a wasted morning.

Wow. I would have blown a gasket! your lucky they didn't just pick the dog up and throw him the back of the truck.

[wildweeds]

I could see the whole area,couldn't see the dog on point but knew he was on point because of the garmin,small borderbrush patch near the sheep fence,the best part about it was they did the shooting in the saftey zone. that dog is smart,he runs the limit and checks in,if he gets a glimpse of you he keeps on rolling.The majority of that hunt he was in full view and 150-250 yards,if it gets thick he shortens if it opens up he goes.

800 yards wow ! good way to lose a dog on the west side good thing they just took the birds

[coachcw]

sounds like a hell of a hunter !

[wildweeds]

12 years old now, 2005 #1 setter gundog 2005 #3 all breed gundog in US. 2006 #5 shooting dog in canadaWon in two provinces and 4 states,from gundog to All Age.I just hunted with the dog.He's hard of hearing now and stays close but can still get it on,you can see him panic a little when he's looking for you,his eyes are going too.

sounds like a hell of a hunter !

[ungrounded]

LOL... I got skunked today, and whats even worse is that my dog still has energy

I live in anacortes, and accordimg to this epamphlet http://wdfw.wa.gov/publications/01425/wdfw01425.pdf

There should be a ton of awesome pheasant hunting, but I haven't seen any birds yet... Got skunked again today on whidbey island... And I heard the samish was only going to have birds for juniors and seniors, some of the sites on whidbey are closed according to a farmer I talked to (ebey prarie) and the seaplane base sites need permission/navy authorized base hunting lisence from some commander or something like that, which is open to civilians, but you have to go to the navy and get a different hunting lisence from them, and then I heard that the new bow hill site has some issues with parking so, they aren't going to let any birds go yet......

Anybody hunt stanwood?

This is starting to drive me nuts...

Anybody hear otherwise? What do you guys know?

[kinoko]

Nice to know there are other people out there with big running dogs.  This is only my second year and the first where my boy is an adult now.  I only take him out after 10a or on non-release days.  Doesn't take long for him to cover the entire site.

No one's yelled at me yet though.  Maybe they're too stunned just seeing a lady out hunting with her dog.   

[lokidog]

Nice to know there are other people out there with big running dogs.  This is only my second year and the first where my boy is an adult now.  I only take him out after 10a or on non-release days.  Doesn't take long for him to cover the entire site.

No one's yelled at me yet though.  Maybe they're too stunned just seeing a lady out hunting with her dog.   

I've only hunted the release sites here (Scatter Creek) one season, many years ago.  I'd like to thank you, however, for being considerate enough to wait until 10 to go out with your "big running dog".  On these small release sites I found it incredibly annoying to be hunting behind my golden (max 40 yards in front of me) only to have someone's pointer (they were hundreds of yards away) come running in front of us.  It was very discouraging as I would simply go a different direction after their dog locked up on the bird that my dog would have flushed given another five minutes.

[ctwiggs1]

I do not let my pointer run more than 50-75 yards in front of me.  I know that's the old way of doing things but I invested too much into my dog for him to run off and get shot by someone on accident.

[Fishstiq]

Nice to know there are other people out there with big running dogs.  This is only my second year and the first where my boy is an adult now.  I only take him out after 10a or on non-release days.  Doesn't take long for him to cover the entire site.

No one's yelled at me yet though.  Maybe they're too stunned just seeing a lady out hunting with her dog.   

Oh. "a lady" now is it? 

 

[dustysags]

I hunt up north in the ferndale release sites and this year is the worst. Me and my grandpa have been pheasant hunting  the same places for close to ten years I think and this is the worst year yet. Theres been a couple of release sites 2 hour walking trips without seeing a bird. I guess just taking my gun for a walk and saving ammo for ducks.

[kinoko]

That's the outward appearance at least

Nice to know there are other people out there with big running dogs.  This is only my second year and the first where my boy is an adult now.  I only take him out after 10a or on non-release days.  Doesn't take long for him to cover the entire site.

No one's yelled at me yet though.  Maybe they're too stunned just seeing a lady out hunting with her dog.   

Oh. "a lady" now is it? 

 

[singleshot12]

And a lady who is one heck of a good shot

[johng]

I'll just chime in here and say that I have had pretty good experiences overall hunting Western WA. Pheasant release sites... can they be somewhat crowded on the weekend at 8am?  You bet.... However, if I don't feel like having my Britt and I run around with everyone else we will just show up in the afternoon.  You can still get birds.

Is it the same as a beautiful day hunting upland bird and jump shooting ducks in Eastern WA?  No sir...  But on the other hand I don't have to drive 3 hours each way and spend a bunch of Federal Reserve Notes on gas... plus both my dog and I get experience.

It's kind of a mixed bag.... I got two pheasants this past Monday and my buddy got one... they are out there but it does seem like they aren't as many as last year?!   

Good luck!

- jg

[Stilly bay]

 they are out there but it does seem like they aren't as many as last year?!   

That would be because they aren't releasing nearly as many this year due the inflated prices of chicken scratch.