Release Site Follies

[Bmcox86]

I figure we should start a thread with all the crazy stuff we see at the release site, good and bad.

I'll start with 3 on Saturday morning.

Good,
Wdfw was there ticketing the duck hunters that snuck in early

Bad

Father and son were deer hunting in Stillwater about 930 with rifles, told them that shotguns only and they kept walking in? Who deer hunts on a release site with 30+ other hunters and dogs.

Get back to my truck around 10, see a duck hunter getting his gun out of his truck, point it right at my car with my wife in it and shuck 3 live rounds out of it?
We had words, didn't seem like he knew any laws?

[ctwiggs1]

The rumors alone have kept me away from the sites in the morning.

[AspenBud]

I've always found a line of orange snaking through a wildlife area attempting to hunt pen raised poultry released by the road to be folly. I buy the west side pheasant tag because they are tasty and it's A LOT cheaper than buying five birds on a preserve. But considering I've done nothing but grouse hunt this Fall it's starting to feel like wasted money.   

[Special T]

I hunted the ebey island unit this weekend and me and my buddy each got one. I also got to tag along when they released the birds in the evening. They don't release them  along the road and they spread them around through out the site. Sat evening we release 30 birds on the ebey island unit. one box for each side. I also got a change to talk to the manager. He seems like an enthusiastic guy that wants to do a good job. he is the one who worked with Happy Gilmore on getting Cherry Valley mowed and hopefully stillwater units. There are some challenges to have duel use areas but he seemed receptive to some ideas. I suggested he looked at the Sauvey island area in Portland OR as an example of where the ebey unit could go. If you have suggestions or want to help him out i suggest you give him a call.

[Stilly bay]

Where to start...

A good one was last year, around 8:00 am on saturday some schmuck drove his truck into one of the irrigation ditches while most likely trying to road kill a pheasant. Everyone started hunting and he was begging for help from anyone within earshot, but everyone ignored him.

I once saw a duck hunter jump out of his blind at 7:45 am and throw on a blaze orange vest. He took two steps and ground sluiced a rooster, took off his blaze orange and got back into his duck blind. WTF?

I started with everyone else at 8:00 am once, I wanted to keep an eye on the hunters that were on either side of me as we started, I lost track of the guy on my left so I turned around and there he was taking a crap right out in the open. I guess if you got to go you got to go.

The biggest one that makes me laugh every time is when someone gets butt hurt about having pellets rained on them from across the field. Do the math, you knew what you were getting into when you showed up at circus time. it would be like getting pissed at cigarettes for giving you lung cancer.
Getting blasted by a low shot is a completely different matter not to be taken lightly.

Another time I saw this guy who had a couple liver and white dogs that looked like skinny little pit bulls. He must have been releasing them back to the wild because once he let them out of his truck he never saw them again. I think he said they were English Pointers.

the shenanigans go on and on. The greed and lengths people will go to to kill a nasty pen raised pheasant will always amaze and sadden me.

[merkelman]

Moral of the story. Quit being lazy and go hunt wild birds.

[ctwiggs1]

I'm pretty confident that it's not lazy to not have the finance to get over to the east side every weekend

[Bmcox86]

It's not being lazy, it's a decent way to kill time until the snakes go in the ground

[Stilly bay]

Moral of the story. Quit being lazy and go hunt wild birds.

Its not about being lazy, its about having to drive half a day, having the time, and the gas money just to get into wild birds.

[Bmcox86]

No ones complaining, were just sharing funny stories.

[ctwiggs1]

Try half of one

[CP]

I’ll admit to being lazy, it’s nice to get the dog on a couple of pheasants 10 minutes from the house and get home in time to watch the football game.

[Stilly bay]

Moral of the story. Quit being lazy and go hunt wild birds.

amen. Merkleman has found out .

Im glad its that simple for you. It is not that simple for me or hundreds of other people that buy a WesternWa pheasant permit because work, family, or finances keeps them from traveling to hunt. I guess if it were that simple we wouldn't have release sites to begin with now would we?

and for the record, I am not bitching about release sites, I am bitching about the PEOPLE and the stupid chit they do AT RELEASE SITES. Huge difference.

The release sites themselves are a great resource for hunters that don't have the time or money to just drive across the state and get into wild pheasants - wild pheasants that are being supplemented by pen raised birds because there aren't enough of them.
Its when people get greedy, stupid, and careless that the release sites get a bad name.

[jackelope]

Is it a conversation really worth crapping on people for hunting the release sites? Let me answer that. No. It is not. The release sites are good for numerous reasons from simple to complex Get out and stretch your legs, work and train dogs on days when there's not enough time to drive to e-wa, get the kids out....the list goes on. You guys blasting people for hunting the release sites should back down and quit causing more division among hunters. That's my .02. I live smack in the middle or release site central on east king county. They are a great asset, during season and off season.

[bracer40]

Sheesh, if it were about "getting birds" I'd skip the expense and time and just buy birds @ the store!
Whether I'm after wild birds or box chickens, for me it's all about being in the fields with my dog. Yes the first hour at the release site is a circus, and sometimes I enjoy "being part of the action." More often I enjoy the later times so I can allow my dog to open up his run.
I'm glad I can drop the $ on the west side tag for those days when I don't have the time to head over the mtns. Plus I like knowing there are birds to be found (rarely go birdless on the release sites)

[Sportfury]

I must be having good luck this year. I have been out at the release sites and everything has been great. I haven't seen the guys that do the hundred dash as soon as 8:00 am hits or the same guys who once out in front of you cut across the whole line of guys. Everyone out in the field has been great and more than friendly, not to mention that it seems like there is not the same amount of people that we usually see. The only folly I have seen this year is two guys hunting the safety zone. It looked like a father and son pair with the old man in his late 70's or 80's and the son being in his late 50's or 60's.

[sled]

  I Got Peppered Twice At Cherry Valley!  Once I Took It As An Accident, The Second Time I Was Pissed.  It Was The Same Group Of People.  I Saw Them In The Lot Before The Hunt, And Knew What Rig They Were In.  I Walked Out Right Away And Called 911.  When The Sheriff Showed I Pointed Out The Car And Filled Out A Report.  Never Heard Anything Back.
  I Have Not Hunted A Release Sight Again.  It Hurt Like Hell!  If You Hunt The Sights Always Take Safety glasses
  Other Than That It Was A Good Time Close To home.

[Stilly bay]

Is it a conversation really worth crapping on people for hunting the release sites? Let me answer that. No. It is not. The release sites are good for numerous reasons from simple to complex Get out and stretch your legs, work and train dogs on days when there's not enough time to drive to e-wa, get the kids out....the list goes on. You guys blasting people for hunting the release sites should back down and quit causing more division among hunters. That's my .02. I live smack in the middle or release site central on east king county. They are a great asset, during season and off season.

 
well said.

[singleshot12]

Is it a conversation really worth crapping on people for hunting the release sites? Let me answer that. No. It is not. The release sites are good for numerous reasons from simple to complex Get out and stretch your legs, work and train dogs on days when there's not enough time to drive to e-wa, get the kids out....the list goes on. You guys blasting people for hunting the release sites should back down and quit causing more division among hunters. That's my .02. I live smack in the middle or release site central on east king county. They are a great asset, during season and off season.

well said

Sure wish there were a few more release sites around to help distribute the hunters tho. Most complaints are due to overcrowding

[jackelope]

I agree.

[wildweeds]

I do go eastside,but I also live less than two miles from two release sites and 5 miles from a 3rd.Lets see,5 1/2 hour drive one way or jump in the truck for 2 hours and walk the dog and maybe see a bird in the last 2 hours, No brainer for me,I work 5 8's and have 3 weeks vacation, Yup I do armed dog walking at home and make 3 week long trips eastside.

[Special T]

Sure wish there were a few more release sites around to help distribute the hunters tho. Most complaints are due to overcrowding

The rub is that release sites are around  BECAUSE they are close to the population to provide more opportunity. Since land is at a premium more efforts need to be made to utilize the land as much as possible through out the year. I am hunting the release sites AND E WA. I use it as a tool to get my chessy on as many birds as possible because he has primarily been a duck dog.

[AspenBud]

Sure wish there were a few more release sites around to help distribute the hunters tho. Most complaints are due to overcrowding

 

I walked around Shillapoo about six years ago, everyone was literally following each other hoping the guy ahead of him was missing birds. A friggen hawk took to wing and everyone just started shooting, dogs started going ape, handlers went ape, and it was generally chaos.

On a separate occasion I was out with a friend of mine, later in the day, but the crowd was still there. I still remember ducking as I heard another hunter's gun go off on the other side of some black berries and the rooster he shot literally falling next to me. Gotta love the sounds of pellets whizzing overhead like angry hornets.

I like the idea of release sites. But they are so few and so packed with hunters they really are an accident waiting to happen at certain times of day.

[ctwiggs1]

I kinda feel that maybe they should have some college intern checker-types out there letting only so many people on in the first hour.  Like only 25-30 hunters total or something like that.

[Sportfury]

They actually should make it reservations only and have an x number of spots. that way you west side guys that are not fortunate enough to hunt the east side don't get stepped on and have a good time imo.

That could be interesting. Do something like they do on JBLM and give each group a two hour time slot and put out birds for each group that goes out.

[Bullkllr]

They actually should make it reservations only and have an x number of spots. that way you west side guys that are not fortunate enough to hunt the east side don't get stepped on and have a good time imo.

That could be interesting. Do something like they do on JBLM and give each group a two hour time slot and put out birds for each group that goes out.

And maybe allow reservations for more than 1 day ahead - say dates for a month at a time or something- so you don't have to spend an hour on the phone every time you want to go out.

[wildweeds]

They allready have things just like y'all are wanting,they are called preserves,you call,buy a bird package and with that package you get the exclusive rights to a field full of birds.

They actually should make it reservations only and have an x number of spots. that way you west side guys that are not fortunate enough to hunt the east side don't get stepped on and have a good time imo.

That could be interesting. Do something like they do on JBLM and give each group a two hour time slot and put out birds for each group that goes out.

And maybe allow reservations for more than 1 day ahead - say dates for a month at a time or something- so you don't have to spend an hour on the phone every time you want to go out.

[Bullkllr]

Excellent point!

[bracer40]

They allready have things just like y'all are wanting,they are called preserves,you call,buy a bird package and with that package you get the exclusive rights to a field full of birds.

They actually should make it reservations only and have an x number of spots. that way you west side guys that are not fortunate enough to hunt the east side don't get stepped on and have a good time imo.

That could be interesting. Do something like they do on JBLM and give each group a two hour time slot and put out birds for each group that goes out.

And maybe allow reservations for more than 1 day ahead - say dates for a month at a time or something- so you don't have to spend an hour on the phone every time you want to go out.

Touche'!!

[Bmcox86]

I met the area manager today, Brian, have his cell phone number and email it anyone wants to volunteer to help out with anything. He's doing a lot to improve the program and seemed to really enjoy his job.

[wildweeds]

The best part of being a crabby old guy spawned from a crabby old gu who was spawned from a crabby old guy is experiance...............My grand father whos been dead about 5 years now and died when he was 90................... killed lots of "wild" pheasants,huns and bobwhite quail in western washington in his youth, the lack of game is a direct correlation to modernization of farming practices,not the weather as many would try and make you believe.I've seen wild pheasants in western washington myself and actually have one that graces my wall.Enviornmental conditions is a small part,............... monsoon season in mongolia is when?,yup during breeding season.