Good ole days of Wa. pheasant hunting

[deereman]

Wacenturion, is this your program from the 90's?
I volunteered many days with our FFA to put in habitat and parking lots for hunters. We also sold the WSDFW a farm unit that was awful to farm. Today it is awesome habitat.

[Wacenturion]

Wacenturion, is this your program from the 90's?
I volunteered many days with our FFA to put in habitat and parking lots for hunters. We also sold the WSDFW a farm unit that was awful to farm. Today it is awesome habitat.

That's the program I speak of.  That's one of two signs I designed.  That one went on Habitat Development areas, as in the properties we specially purchased for pheasants and the other which has Cooperating Landowner across the bottom which was displayed in the landowners driveway.  Interesting fact is we had several landowners sign up just to get that sign.

Thanks for all your help while you participated with your FFA group.  Fun times and we got so much done in a week that it was incredible.  Some of my fondest memories about that program.  Glad you could actually see the change you mention.  Not rocket science....just hard work with great people. 

[Wacenturion]

You said..............

"We also sold the WSDFW a farm unit that was awful to farm. Today it is awesome habitat."

Forgot to ask......what county?

[BOWHUNTER45]

There are still a few places that have wild birds by the thousands!  Just gotta know where to go!

hey ..I will take your offer to show me  We have the potential for some fine bird hunting all around ..just like elk and deer but we will never have the proper knowledge to manage it ..not picking on the dept . I am picking on the idiots who make the decisions for them ..

[deereman]

My dad sold our farm unit in Adams county by the Hutterite colony. A lot of that land is salty because of sub moisture from the main canal that leaks. Part of the unit is still farmed. I custom harvested the corn on that unit the last two years and both years we buried the combine in the wetland. We always left about 20% of the crop for winter feed for the birds. I currently farm next to a couple different habitat restoration projects that were done at the same time. I also have participated in the EQUIP program and have been planting circle corners to permanent habitat.

[Wacenturion]

My dad sold our farm unit in Adams county by the Hutterite colony. A lot of that land is salty because of sub moisture from the main canal that leaks. Part of the unit is still farmed. I custom harvested the corn on that unit the last two years and both years we buried the combine in the wetland. We always left about 20% of the crop for winter feed for the birds. I currently farm next to a couple different habitat restoration projects that were done at the same time. I also have participated in the EQUIP program and have been planting circle corners to permanent habitat.

Thanks....I know exactly the unit you're referring to.  Spent more than a few hours working on it myself years ago.

[Dave Workman]

There are still a few places that have wild birds by the thousands!  Just gotta know where to go!

hey ..I will take your offer to show me  We have the potential for some fine bird hunting all around ..just like elk and deer but we will never have the proper knowledge to manage it ..not picking on the dept . I am picking on the idiots who make the decisions for them ..

When you criticize the idiots making decisions, you criticize the department.  Decision makers ARE the department...any department.

[HunterStrait]

As for hatchery birds...if it was done right (and I know just the hombre who could explain how  ) by putting hens on healthy feed mash for a couple of weeks before turning them loose in time to bring off a good clutch or two, and doing whatever it took to provide those patches of cover, we'd be back in the late 60s and early 70s again in the Basin in 3-5 years.

Sadly i don't think they release hens.

[ctwiggs1]

As for hatchery birds...if it was done right (and I know just the hombre who could explain how  ) by putting hens on healthy feed mash for a couple of weeks before turning them loose in time to bring off a good clutch or two, and doing whatever it took to provide those patches of cover, we'd be back in the late 60s and early 70s again in the Basin in 3-5 years.

Sadly i don't think they release hens.

Are you sure?  They do on the west side.

[Special T]

My dad sold our farm unit in Adams county by the Hutterite colony. A lot of that land is salty because of sub moisture from the main canal that leaks. Part of the unit is still farmed. I custom harvested the corn on that unit the last two years and both years we buried the combine in the wetland. We always left about 20% of the crop for winter feed for the birds. I currently farm next to a couple different habitat restoration projects that were done at the same time. I also have participated in the EQUIP program and have been planting circle corners to permanent habitat.

Thanks....I know exactly the unit you're referring to.  Spent more than a few hours working on it myself years ago.

I see LOTS of magpies in these small lots. I blaze every coyote i can. IMO more needs to be done to limit the other predators that prey on eggs and chicks. Why are there not more opportunites to thinn predators like seagulls and Magpies. I know you can shoot magpies in the act of depredation (near or adjacent to farm feild with cutter bee boxes)
Were magpies as prolific back in the day as they seem to be now?

[HunterStrait]

As for hatchery birds...if it was done right (and I know just the hombre who could explain how  ) by putting hens on healthy feed mash for a couple of weeks before turning them loose in time to bring off a good clutch or two, and doing whatever it took to provide those patches of cover, we'd be back in the late 60s and early 70s again in the Basin in 3-5 years.

Sadly i don't think they release hens.

Are you sure?  They do on the west side.

I'm pretty sure, they don't on the southeastern side.
not once have i ran into a released pen hen.

[tomq04]

This is a bit late in the conversation, but my co-workers husband just recently retired from the Fish and Wildlife dept in Spokane county, he was the "grouse" guy (just retired this year), but helped with those projects you mentioned back in the 90's.  He put me in contact with the "pheasant" guy based out of St John, and I must say I've been pretty impressed with the Revere property, they haven't had to plant in several years, and there were tons of birds for opening last year and this year is looking even better. 

The current program with the reservation system is making friends with more farmers, and apparently the folks using it have been very respectful of the private property they are allowed to hunt and Fish and Wildlife is spending resources on helping establish permanent cover on some of the available properties around St John.  As best as I can tell IT ISN'T ALL BAD!, but based on the time we lost in the last 20 years, it could have been so much better.

[10Key]

This is a bit late in the conversation, but my co-workers husband just recently retired from the Fish and Wildlife dept in Spokane county, he was the "grouse" guy (just retired this year), but helped with those projects you mentioned back in the 90's.  He put me in contact with the "pheasant" guy based out of St John, and I must say I've been pretty impressed with the Revere property, they haven't had to plant in several years, and there were tons of birds for opening last year and this year is looking even better. 

The current program with the reservation system is making friends with more farmers, and apparently the folks using it have been very respectful of the private property they are allowed to hunt and Fish and Wildlife is spending resources on helping establish permanent cover on some of the available properties around St John.  As best as I can tell IT ISN'T ALL BAD!, but based on the time we lost in the last 20 years, it could have been so much better.

I know exactly where you are talking about, was headed to hunt the creek for quail one year before the pheasant opener. Drove by and there were roosters everywhere, literally, everywhere. Good info, wish the effort was there still in other areas

[timberfaller]

"Followed by proper predator control."

All my favorite hunting spots for birds have one big problem, Raptors!! aka Hawks!

Last time I was up on the Narvare Cooley ridge(sp) North shore Lake Chelan,  The USFS had the ridge covered with "Raptor" sight seer's

Had a camp set up for them and porta potties to boot!

Almost had a head-on with a USFS pickup driving to fast for road conditions, narrow with few places to let one another by!!! missing out on the doughnut table I guess  

[rasbo]

circles,circles with corner machines.If there is a corner left most are filled with folks from south of the border or mowed constantly.Ditches are burned or sprayed..I work on a huge farm and see some birds on the land where we build ponds and adjoining desert habitat..Quail do well,But cover is whats needed for good populations of pheasants..There is plenty of feed and insects just no cover..The coyotes on the farm have some wild eyed guy doing them justice My boss is really thinking on habitat, but with good looking habit comes tresspassers,and that a huge problem here.seems most hunters cant read signs or pick up trash and feel the need to drive into the fields...