week day off any suggestions.

[Tjajwilson]

A friend and I have Veterans Day off this year (11/11) and it lands on a Wednesday, goose day!  We would like to do something new we live and hunt near Spokane and Moses lake, wondering if anyone has any open seats for that day or give us a good idea on where to go for a new memory. We have a boat (without a blind) and a young dog with little to no training and lots of ammo. If we can figure out a place before Sunday I can drive to scout it out. Thanks. 

[EWUeagles]

What do you want for a new memory? If you have field hunted before then I would recommend using the Sunday you have looking for a field either around Spokane or Moses. Both places have birds you just have to look for them. If you have never diver hunted before again use your Sunday off to scout the Columbia down by Tri Cities. I don't know if the cans are in or not but hey that's what SCOUTING is for. If you have never hunted a pot hole pond use your Sunday to go walk around the pot holes. I promise you will find some opportunities out there. Good luck and remember window time is a lot more beneficial than internet scouting time.

[Tjajwilson]

We have some fields around this area, but we wanted to do something new. I think we might try the tri-cities and see what happens.
Has anyone ever tried calling a guide and asking for good places to scout from?

[JBG]

 

So you want to call a guide and ask him to give you for free what he normally charges for?  Sounds like the ticket!

Why not just hunt with a guide?  Sure its costs $$ but you wont have to scout and you'll be on birds.

[2labs]

We have some fields around this area, but we wanted to do something new. I think we might try the tri-cities and see what happens.
Has anyone ever tried calling a guide and asking for good places to scout from?

BWAHAHAHA ... Yea that's what they do! I think it's even toll free. 1 800 honey hole

[Tjajwilson]

Its so funny to me that some people on here are so itchy about what others say. Did I ask for someone's "honey hole"? NO! I said some pointers on where to look. I want to do the work of scouting my self I want to ask for the fields if I find one. That is my duty as a hunter. So let me clarify I did call and ask a guide today. He was nice enough to let me know what hotel to stay in to get the best vantage point to see birds flying. He also told me of a local boat launch that is close to a "ok" area to hunt. I wouldn't have know about the launch if hadn't have told me. He saved me gas and hotel money. That is someone that I respect and would pay the extra money to for a hunt that I didn't want to scout or have time to scout. This Guide will forever have my business and I hope that some of the other people on this site that wont give anyone else any tips or helpful advise never get a grip we are all hunters we all provide for our families and we all love what we do.

[2labs]

Sprague. Millers ranch. Williams lake. Call Millers see what they say.  How's that? All better?

[asmith]

Its so funny to me that some people on here are so itchy about what others say. Did I ask for someone's "honey hole"? NO! I said some pointers on where to look. I want to do the work of scouting my self I want to ask for the fields if I find one. That is my duty as a hunter. So let me clarify I did call and ask a guide today. He was nice enough to let me know what hotel to stay in to get the best vantage point to see birds flying. He also told me of a local boat launch that is close to a "ok" area to hunt. I wouldn't have know about the launch if hadn't have told me. He saved me gas and hotel money. That is someone that I respect and would pay the extra money to for a hunt that I didn't want to scout or have time to scout. This Guide will forever have my business and I hope that some of the other people on this site that wont give anyone else any tips or helpful advise never get a grip we are all hunters we all provide for our families and we all love what we do.

I feel your pain here.  I'm still new to washington and when I joined this forum I caught a lot of grief also, just looking for a little help.  Never ran into that until I moved to washington.  A lot of people here are very unwilling to lend a helping hand.  But, you will find those few that are more than willing to help out and those few make it all worth it.  If I could help ya, I would but I'm still learning the areas and huntting myself.  I can tell you there are some nice ponds down around pot holes and moses lake area that are pretty decent.  I've never field hunted so can't help there either.  Good luck to you on finding a new experience.

[EWUeagles]

Tjajwilson I did give you some new ideas with out giving out spots, even if was a little sarcastic. You said goose day that's why I mentioned going to look for fields around locally. I had no clue what past memories you had and didn't know what what your limitations were. Being from Spokane Valley you could of went and checked out Idaho or Montana too. That's pretty crazy a guide gave you advice but that's really nice of him. Hopefully it pays off and you find birds.

asmith, why I give out grief when people ask for spots because I feel it's lazy. I started waterfowl hunting around 7 years ago and found every single one of my spots by myself. I used the various tools provided by WDFW and driving around. When you put in all that time and money to find a spot, a launch or maybe an awesome farmer you get a little offensive when someone just asks "hey where should I hunt". Another reason why I dislike it is because once you post a location the people who just internet scout will be there the next weekend. I have seen it happen a ton of times. You are hunting spot A, someone asks where to hunt and then someone from the other side of the state says "Back in the 80's I use to hunt spot A". All season long you have had it to yourself and now you show up and there are 6 people waiting in line. I try to take new people out all the time, I normally get to take 2 or 3 new people out a year. I take them to spots where I know we can shoot birds but aren't honey holes. I hunt around Davenport every now and again and if you ever wanted to meet up and shoot the S let me know.

Tjajwilson if you and your buddies are vets you should head over Duck Hunting Chat and check out the Veteran's Day hunt. They do it every year and it's just for Veterans. It seems like a good way to meet Veterans from all over the state. Good luck and hope you post pictures of limits!

[asmith]

Tjajwilson I did give you some new ideas with out giving out spots, even if was a little sarcastic. You said goose day that's why I mentioned going to look for fields around locally. I had no clue what past memories you had and didn't know what what your limitations were. Being from Spokane Valley you could of went and checked out Idaho or Montana too. That's pretty crazy a guide gave you advice but that's really nice of him. Hopefully it pays off and you find birds.

asmith, why I give out grief when people ask for spots because I feel it's lazy. I started waterfowl hunting around 7 years ago and found every single one of my spots by myself. I used the various tools provided by WDFW and driving around. When you put in all that time and money to find a spot, a launch or maybe an awesome farmer you get a little offensive when someone just asks "hey where should I hunt". Another reason why I dislike it is because once you post a location the people who just internet scout will be there the next weekend. I have seen it happen a ton of times. You are hunting spot A, someone asks where to hunt and then someone from the other side of the state says "Back in the 80's I use to hunt spot A". All season long you have had it to yourself and now you show up and there are 6 people waiting in line. I try to take new people out all the time, I normally get to take 2 or 3 new people out a year. I take them to spots where I know we can shoot birds but aren't honey holes. I hunt around Davenport every now and again and if you ever wanted to meet up and shoot the S let me know.

Tjajwilson if you and your buddies are vets you should head over Duck Hunting Chat and check out the Veteran's Day hunt. They do it every year and it's just for Veterans. It seems like a good way to meet Veterans from all over the state. Good luck and hope you post pictures of limits!

I understand that completely.  Like I stated, most people here aren't willing to help.  And I don't just mean on this board.  I have actually found several people on this board more than willing to lend a helping hand and it is very refreshing to see.  I do get the Internet scouting though, that's all some people do and it does get annoying.  But, it is however just another tool for people to use to help them get out and hunt. 

I would enjoy getting out with ya next time you're out this way.  I have a coupke decent quail spots out here, so just let me know bud!

[jgoetz]

Trolling internet forums looking for hunting spots is essentially the same thing as the welfare system.  The lazy get the same benefits as those that had to work hard for it. 

And for the record you must have called the one guide that was feeling mighty generous that day.  Or the other possibility is he gave you erroneous information to get you out of his hunting area.  Truthfully, if you haven't scouted the area how do you know it is going to be a nice launch?!

I don't mind helping a guy out and pointing him in the right direction.   But he has to be looking for a direction of travel, not an exact gps coordinate of where there are birds.

Use the forums more as a tool for meeting people and conversing with people.  I generally have a pretty good scouting report on birds from all up and down the Sound by simply keeping in contact with my forum buddies.  But you have to remember, if they give you info, they are expecting info in return. 

[h2ofowlr]

He gave you the hotel that all the duck hunters use!  Pretty common, no secret and the launch that everyone uses.  I understand starting points.  It's all good.

You have a limited number of public spots and with new salmon restoration projects, land transfers, no shooting zones, etc.  It is what it is, limited access.  You give someone a spot and they bring 10 buddies who tell another group and they shoot the spot daily from sun up to sunset.  To much info in the waterfowl section on locations, burns spots for those who have spent the time to learn them and hunt them.  Now you see why everyone wants to lease up land.  To get away from those type of people.

We used to have common courtesies and guys would give you 200 yards.  The new young generation have no clue and just set up 20 yards on the down wind side of your decoy and try sky busting at approaching birds now days.  We had it happen to us this weekend.  Two guys came out at legal shooting and stood 20 yards from us.

I will help with techniques, decoys, placements, etc., but not spots anymore.  Been burned to many times, by those that come on, ask for help and have no skin in the game and would be willing to give you the finger in the field, because they don't care. 

So don't let the lack of spots bug you.  I know it's the entitlement generation, but do a little homework on WDFW website which shows public land, before you give everyone crap for not providing you a starting location.  I guess they could have given you the C Post RD as a starting point.

[JBG]

"Hi everybody, new to the forum, new to duck hunting, new to Washington.  I have an 870, 2 dozen decoys, a spastic untrained dog, full choke, a new barrel sticker, mojo, and 3 1/2 inch shells.  Just looking for some info on spots to shoot up some ducks like they do on Duck Commander the show I DVR everyday.  Can someone help me out?  I have nothing to offer in return but the guarantee I will tell all my friends about this spot and you'll never hunt it like you did again.  THX!!"

Im not saying the OP said this but if you are on here enough it all starts to sound the same.  Duck hunters that reach a certain experience level are very tight lipped. 

If your new and what to shoot ducks (I understand the OP is not in this situation) hire a guide, the $$ you spend will pay off in dividends on what you will learn.

[WAPatriot]

Lol