Pheasant Meeting. Skagit

[ghosthunter]

Greetings Pheasant Hunters,
 
This is to let you know that a meeting to discuss the 2015 pheasant hunting season will be from 6:30-8:30 pm on Thursday, July 16.
 
The meeting location will be the same as in previous years:
 
Mount Vernon Senior Center
1401 Cleveland Street
Mount Vernon
 
Agenda items will include:
 
·         Introductions

·         Region 4 Replacement Land Initiative Update

·         Game Farm Pheasant Production Update

·         Updates from the three Wildlife Area Managers

·         Volunteer Needs

·         Other

·         

If you are unable to make the above meeting, but have a question for one of our Wildlife Area Managers, they can be reached at:
 
Snoqualmie Wildlife Area Note: includes Ebey Island
Brian Boehm, 425-327-4869 or Brian.Boehm@dfw.wa.gov
 
Skagit Wildlife Area Note: Leque Island (Smith Farm) will be open for hunting
Belinda Rotton, 360-445-4441 or Belinda.Rotton@dfw.wa.gov
 
Whatcom Wildlife Area
Richard Kessler, 253-589-7235 or Richard.Kessler@dfw.wa.gov
 
Please share this announcement with anyone you think may be interested.
 
Thanks and I hope to see you at the July meeting,
 
Russ
 
Russell Link
Wildlife Program Manager
Washington Dept. of Fish and Wildlife
16018 Mill Creek Blvd.
Mill Creek, WA 98012
 
425-775-1311 ext. 110
 

[Special T]

I wanted to bump this up because of a discussion I had with my hunting partner. This meeting will be important to attend because they are likely to re flood the Leque Island Unit. Topp off the fact that they will not be releasing on Bow hill  where will they release birds? When they flooded the Skagit head quarters area and quit releasing  there they promised to find other places to provide opportunity!

[singleshot12]

Not sure why they keep having these meetings? It's not like we have any say in the matter that will make a differance.

[NW-GSP]

They keep restricting pheasant hunting opportunities more and more every year due to lack of funding but they can drop a half a million dollars on controlling water up in Skagit supposedly to make it better for duck hunting.

[BOWHUNTER45]

They keep restricting pheasant hunting opportunities more and more every year due to lack of funding but they can drop a half a million dollars on controlling water up in Skagit supposedly to make it better for duck hunting.

nothing wrong with that 

[ghosthunter]

They will tell you they have a policy to provide equal ground if they take. Ground.

But you never see the new ground.

And I don't believe they will improve duck hunting at Samish with flood gates. Just make it harder to walk in while they eat up our hunting areas for salmon.

[NW-GSP]

They will tell you they have a policy to provide equal ground if they take. Ground.

But you never see the new ground.

And I don't believe they will improve duck hunting at Samish with flood gates. Just make it harder to walk in while they eat up our hunting areas for salmon.

I agree. It will be no different then headquarters

[singleshot12]

They keep restricting pheasant hunting opportunities more and more every year due to lack of funding but they can drop a half a million dollars on controlling water up in Skagit supposedly to make it better for duck hunting.

Creating hunting opportunity is obviously not a priority anymore,but salmon politics are.

[BOWHUNTER45]

They will tell you they have a policy to provide equal ground if they take. Ground.

But you never see the new ground.

And I don't believe they will improve duck hunting at Samish with flood gates. Just make it harder to walk in while they eat up our hunting areas for salmon.

Guess I seriously bit my tongue  I wrote a letter to the editor , thanking ducks unlimited and Wdfw for making more habitat out there ..Guess I jumped the gun 

[NW-GSP]

I believe the salmon habitat bs is just a way for fish and game to not have to maintain public land and limit hunting access all at the same time.

[bear hunter]

I believe the salmon habitat bs is just a way for fish and game to not have to maintain public land and limit hunting access all at the same time.

That is why I don't hunt birds like I use to. RICH

[NW-GSP]

I believe the salmon habitat bs is just a way for fish and game to not have to maintain public land and limit hunting access all at the same time.

That is why I don't hunt birds like I use to. RICH

Its too bad. We had allot of fun when they had the pheasant punch cards instead of the $90 west side pheasant license

[T-Bone]

Not to high jack the thread, but those so-called estuary re-claims by WDFW and their idiot tag-alongs DU are about salmon and NOT ducks; good points and info. here: 
http://www.refugeforums.com/refuge/showthread.php?t=991918

[Special T]

BH45 did you ever hunt that area when it was flooded? I have, and what I can tell you is that most birds were just passing through to the bays. If anything there needs more croplands even for the ducks. 

The salmon restoration is MGT by idling land. Les work for the Department and there is Salmon $ attached to it. I am not opposed to salmon habitat restoration, however the way its being done is wrong. Expansive flats with a few ditches do little to help salmon. A much better way of helping would be to bring in one of those Floating excavators from the gulf that they use extensively. They need to cut more ditches perpendicular to the river flow in the heavily reeded ares to provide more smolt rearing habitat. Cover in the reeds at high tides and any easy escape to a ditch when the tide drops. As a duck hunter Im not really excited about this prospect of more ditches BUT I doubt ive seen the last time being baptized in the Skagit!

I guess that im just surprised that the department doesnt see the writing on the wall. Hunter recruitment is dropping and they certainly are not doing much to counter that trend by making it harder to take a kid out.  Last year was my first year hunting the pheasant release sites While I didnt really like the price tag I did recognize the fact that it would cost me that much in fuel to GET to E Wa to hunt for 1 weekend. I was able to take my little one out a couple of times so that she could see the dogs work and what Daddy was out doing. I also saw a neighbor who take out his grandson, and my hunting partner took his granddaughter.

I can tell you all that I had such a good experience at Bow hill I wanted to donate my time and equipment  to improve the hunting experience there... but now Im not sure that there will even be a place to go near the skagit valley next year. 

[bear hunter]

I believe the salmon habitat bs is just a way for fish and game to not have to maintain public land and limit hunting access all at the same time.

That is why I don't hunt birds like I use to. RICH

Its too bad. We had allot of fun when they had the pheasant punch cards instead of the $90 west side pheasant license

Yes we did. I like Eastside alot better,but I wish they still opened pheasant at the same time as duck. That was the good old days. Now it sucks and to many hunters in a small area. But I will still get out but not as much. You know how it is. There is just to many different seasons going on and I just can't do them all.  Also I am getting in to trapping now so. I don't know but I can set my traps and hunt birds and reset the hunt. It might work. Lol

[singleshot12]

They will tell you they have a policy to provide equal ground if they take. Ground.

But you never see the new ground.

Yes they say they are working hard to find replacement hunting ground. for how many years now? There is no sign of any motivated effort to find new ground. We get the same old run-around each year.

[birddogdad]

stopped hunting west side "combat zone release sites" years ago... no room, too many people.... very dangerous situations created on release days, those 0800 march in formation hunts are not bird hunting....

[AspenBud]

stopped hunting west side "combat zone release sites" years ago... no room, too many people.... very dangerous situations created on release days, those 0800 march in formation hunts are not bird hunting....

The problem is if you only have an upland dog on the west side you better like grouse in the absence of release sites. The east side is great, but as a west sider it also takes forever to get anywhere with decent hunting there. Not optimal for those with a job, a budget, and young kids.