ebey island pheasant release site to be turned into salmon habitat?

[NW-GSP]

http://wdfw.wa.gov/lands/wildlife_areas/snoqualmie/restoration_study.php

Sounds like they will end up doing the same thing they did at the headquarters unit.

I'm still pissed about headquarters unit being flooded. It was a great pheasant release site and great for duck hunting. Now you can't access without a boat and the hunting is now where near as good as it use to be.

The state bought the land in 2008 and opened it as a pheasant release site to replace headquarters unit. Well it wasn't much of a replacement in the first place since %80 open field with canary grass and the rest is a Sitka spruce swamp.

[D-Rock425]

Good for duck hunters I guess.

[Widgeondeke]

Good for duck hunters I guess.

[D-Rock425]

When the property was first purchased I killed a ton of ducks down there.  Then it turned into a release site and it pretty much stinks.

[Special T]

This is too bad because It has the Potential to be the crown jewl of WDFW property. With some work the Pheasent release program and the ducks could do well.  With a litle planning Established blinds, some ponds, and a little more edge cover there could be a LOT of opportunity provided close to the large population.
Something like Ridgefeild or Sauvy Isalnd COULD be done that would be awesome.

It is WDFW's Trend to manage behind a computer screen instead of the feild. "Salmon recovery" projects get ESA funds and once done need Close to ZERO maintance. I fear that Leque island (smith farm Cameno Islan) will likely follow suit.

I will ave to see if its worth buying the Release permitt again. It was very fun last year. I hunted  Ebey with my buddy once with my daughter and up at bow hill several times.... It appears that the phesant release program might die because there will be no place to do it!

[NW-GSP]

I bought the permit last year but I'm not sure about next year.

While flooding that area will make it better for ducks it also takes away another pheasant release site.
It seems like every year the release sites release less birds and they are not planting cover like they use to. Really not worth the $90. I liked it better when it was around $40 to get a punch card for hunting at the release site. Allot more people are apt to buy a punch card at half the cost of the new permit.

[Special T]

Im bothered by the fact they are doing the feasibility study. It sounds like it wont happen in the near future so perhaps it will be good for a few more years.

The one thing that i can say about the headquarters salmon project is that it didnt even really do a good job of providing great habitate for salmon smolt rearing. The BEST rearing for salmon would have been a bunch of low land marsh grass with ditches for the smolt to move in and out of during tidal swings. IF  that was the over all goal the tidal flats in the skagit bay would be criss crossed with ditches and a floating excavator like the ones used in the gulf would be in permante use around all the tidal deltas.

[singleshot12]

It appears that the phesant release program might die because there will be no place to do it!

I think the Skagit and Stilly valleys have lots of potencial land that could be leased and secured for pheasant release sites.
Whatcom county's release sites are alive and doing well and is a good example of what can happen with proper management.

The Headquarters and other wetland duck spots should of never been release sites to begin with. Now with all the politcal salmon restoration bs,urban sprawl etc. it makes it that much harder for them to be replaced I guess. But still think it's possible if we had more aggressive managers and bio's to find and establish new release sites.

[Special T]

Salmon $ is "Free Money" (not really) because its federal... I hate the salmon stuff because its not even that good.

I would love to take my tractor up to the Bow Hill DNR site do some mowing and donate a bunch of equipment use because i think it could be a great place for Pheasant/muti use hunting spot. UN-Fortunately its DNR land and the neighbors are a bunch of NIMBY bunny huggers. I see lots of potential for that site IMO.

[bobcat]

It's probably hard to justify habitat improvements for pheasants, being that they're not a native species. I wonder if the WDFW were to get out of the pheasant release program on the west side of the state, if private business would start up and provide the pay to hunt bird hunting areas that people need.

[NW-GSP]

It's probably hard to justify habitat improvements for pheasants, being that they're not a native species. I wonder if the WDFW were to get out of the pheasant release program on the west side of the state, if private business would start up and provide the pay to hunt bird hunting areas that people need.

I had not thought about it that way. Thought would be a better option in my opinion.

[salmonchaser]

Private industry always seems to do a better job of meeting needs. The regulations of opening a site can be daunting, but given the growing interest I think we'll see more places coming online.

[singleshot12]

I would think there would be many more regulations and problems for a private gun club getting into the pheasant release business. WDFW is all set up for pheasant raising and can produce them fairly cheaply to be released on public land.
Private pheasant clubs charge a good sum of doe which most young people and folks wanting to get into hunting don't have. The main point of the WDFW pheasant program was to provide affordable upland opportunity for people and get them into hunting. Private pheasant clubs like in England for example are only for the rich and elite.
 

[Gobble Doc]

Are they planning to knock out part of the dike to flood it?  It looks there are structures out there that would also flood.