Skagit snow goose check in

[jeepster]

How's it been going? Haven't been out yet, but am goin out in a few hours to set up... Can't sleep and doing some last minute rule checking.... Thought I'd post and see hows it has been going so far...

[NW-GSP]

I harvested two last Thursday, plenty of birds around.

[Snowgoose1]

Way to go NW-GSP.  We got a bunch to decoy Sat on Fir Island.  Had several people come by to ask where the quality snowgoose units are. Told them to call the state department in Olympia. I'm sure the people up north are short handed.  I wish at least they would change the dates on the website or at least say something about the programs.  The duck part has fields for this year and hunting dates for last year. Lots of Snows in the area should be a banner year with all the Juvies.

[h2ofowlr]

It may be a challenge for those that don't have ins with land owners as their are only a few fields at this time, that say feel free to hunt.  I did go out on Saturday and saw about 20 rigs taking pictures of the snow geese right by the road and a group of hunters pulled over and went down the ditch line and started blasting the snows in front off all the people.  One of the more stupid scenes I saw in a while.  Lots of guys with big camera lenses, started taking pictures of the guys running their dogs picking up geese.  I am sure several of these hunters will be on the local anti hunter web sites.  They may have been legal to do so, but common sense should kick in at some point.  All the camera guys did get a good shot when the 5k snow geese got up at once at the edge once they were flock shot.

If the birds are all grouped up and on the ground, giving others the opportunity to take pictures, don't be the jack wagon that sneaks down the ditch line to flock shoot the birds.  It looks bad on all of us.    

[Snowgoose1]

Totally agree with your statement h2ofowlr.  Currently the geese are decoying quite well with full bodies.  Give them time and they will work in to a reasonable distance to shoot.  Sometimes get in a ditch to catch them flying in or out of the group is OK but there are a lot cameras on us now days. It's really nice that there is some hunting allowed signs out for people. I don't know who the person is that owns the field but they should be thanked by all of us. My serious hope is that the people walking in don't abuse it for other people to come up and get at least a place to try and hunt the Snows.

[woods walker]

Brad smith at s&b seed company that's ho you can thank.

[BOWHUNTER45]

I deleted my post ... changed my mind 

[jeepster]

....I have no mercy for people taking pictures of the geese.... it's usually a bunch of Asians that come down from Vancouver and hold traffic up..... but then again, I'd also like to drive my mower through the tulips... that comes from 25+ years of living in the skagit and having to deal with the tourists almost daily. Not cool to be a jack wagon, but if the geese were in a hunting field, and I had the opportunity, I doubt I'd give up a chance at some birds just cuz some Yahoo has a camera... there are thousands of geese....I only got 3 shells (2 cuz I shoot a sxs).... what are they going to do about it? Take pictures and report somebody legally hunting.... durring hunting season..... omg! I'm such a horrible person!

One year we couldn't stop laughing because somebody left a decoy spread out near the road (non hunting field) yet just far enough away you couldn't tell they were dekes, and for weeks tourists would stop and get out their fancy cameras to take pictures of the "geese"

Anyway, tried to go out Saturday morning.... waaaay too many people out. I didn't bother setting out my dekes, somebody was in my fav spot at 5 am, drove around looking for another, jumped some ducks and went home. By 10 the clouds broke, and the birds were too high for my 20 gauge.... hopefully my 12 comes home from Alaska this week.... lots of birds out

[BOWHUNTER45]

  You pretty much summed up what I deleted  Come up to Woolley ....I have hunted fowl 27yrs and never ever seen the amounts of snow geese I have seen in the last few days ...I do not know if they just decided to make a pit stop or what but there are thousands !!!

Here is some photos I took the other day will my phone    THE ONLY THING MISSING IS THE HUNTERS AND GEESE FALLING FROM THE SKY !!

[h2ofowlr]

Because of individuals taking picture, it got the Nooksack elk hunt shut down.  Same type of mentality.   

When you have a field full of geese and two sides are the road lined with people taking pictures and the hunters pull up behind the guys taking pictures half on the road.  Then make their way down the ditch line a short ways and ground pound the geese in front of everyone, it just doesn't seem smart.  Legal or not.  I love to hunt waterfowl and this just seemed like an idiot move.  They are just lucky they didn't spray all the people snapping pictures.

[jeepster]

You pretty much summed up what I deleted  Come up to Woolley ....I have hunted fowl 27yrs and never ever seen the amounts of snow geese I have seen in the last few days ...I do not know if they just decided to make a pit stop or what but there are thousands !!!

Here is some photos I took the other day will my phone    THE ONLY THING MISSING IS THE HUNTERS AND GEESE FALLING FROM THE SKY !!

Yeah, I was wondering where the birds were going when they got off the water... I saw them fly off in that general direction, but didn't see em in bayview or the samish flats.... It makes sence now.... They went where everybody isn't. Let's go hammer some geese sometime, I finally got my 12 back from AK today

[johnsc6]

Because of individuals taking picture, it got the Nooksack elk hunt shut down.  Same type of mentality.   

When you have a field full of geese and two sides are the road lined with people taking pictures and the hunters pull up behind the guys taking pictures half on the road.  Then make their way down the ditch line a short ways and ground pound the geese in front of everyone, it just doesn't seem smart.  Legal or not.  I love to hunt waterfowl and this just seemed like an idiot move.  They are just lucky they didn't spray all the people snapping pictures.

it wrecks it for everyone, remember hunters are the minority and image is  important. If you think hunting is sneaking down ditch and ground sluecing a flock of snows is hunting i wish you wuld go away. Thats not hunting.

[backyard bucks]

http://www.thewildbeat.com/2012/01/the-cripples-or-why-i-hate-wing-shooting/

old topic on here I know but came to this post on the net and it fits with this thread completely. earlier on in this thread it was brought out that the hunters parked right by the people taking pics and continued to walk out and hammer the geese. well even when the hunters as stated in her write up were out in fields hidden prior to them getting there to take pics and only when they started shooting did they know they were there, she still wrote it up as being unethical and immoral. being that the hunters where well off the road and in a field that was open to public from Brad makes it frustrating. being with todays cameras and antis and how they want to only show certain pics that they take or writing up a twisted version of the whole story makes it a up hill battle. I guess my post just comes down to don't go out of the way maybe to draw attention to yourselves but in the same time why turn away from a totally legal and good chance to do some shooting because of others opinions and views??
now I just wish I was up at the farm that last week of season, maybe I would of been in some of her pics to.. ha!!.. 

[crow360]

Early season goose hunting can be great on fir island except they dont have the quality field hunt units set up early enough. I talked to the game warden recently and talking to him about this issue. If you can get written permission from the land owner you are more then welcome to hunt those fields. Kinda of a pain but I believe it can be worth it. Decoying snow geese is by far the most fun hunting.  The photographers can be a pain and ruin a good hunt. Had a group set up right next to me ( maybe 10 feet away ) when I was hunting. They either could not tell they were taking pictures over decoys or were that clueless but when a group of ducks landed on us they found out we were there.

[MC37493]

How do you guys set up for snows? Im under the impression they are extremely tough to decoy and you need at least 1000+ dekes?