I'd like to try hunting snow geese in skagit valley

[aman]

I'd like to try some snow geese hunting and I have a few questions.

Are their public land opportunities available for snow geese hunts near Skagit Valley? I've heard Fir Island is a popular spot but I don't see any public land there.

Assuming I can find some land to hunt...

How many decoys would I need?
Can I make some cheap wind sock-type decoys myself?

Thanks so much for your help.

[HookedOnQuack]

You need a special snow goose authorization and i believe they have already done the drawings but i could be wrong. Havent done it in years

[Duckgtr]

Yes to public. I hunt there for snows later in the year, to be effective you need a big spread most of the time.

[aman]

I gotta take a look and see if it's still possible to get an authorization. I'm in Kent. Let me know if you want to go up there and hunt together.

[Stein]

I know a bunch of people that hunt for them and get a few a year.  I know a very few amount of people that crush them.  The later almost exclusively have at least a trailer full of decoys and know exactly where the birds want to be and can get access to that piece of property.

If you drive around, you will find places where people jump or pass shoot them.  It's hard to hide 5,000 obnoxiously loud birds.

[Special T]

If you use the Go Hunt waterfowl map feature you can see all the reservation and feel free to hunt pieces on fir island.Rob Wingard is the private lands bio for the area and gave a great presentation on the program at the last NW chapter of Washington waterfowl Association  that Stein and I both attended. The snows frequent more than fir island, but  scouting and weather are important factors.

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[lokidog]

I gotta take a look and see if it's still possible to get an authorization. I'm in Kent. Let me know if you want to go up there and hunt together.

You can get the authorization any time. You will have to contact them directly to get your first one. The folks in Oly are usually helpful for this.  If you plan on hunting Sea ducks or Brandt, you might as well get those at the same time.

[PatoLoco]

If you use the Go Hunt waterfowl map feature you can see all the reservation and feel free to hunt pieces on fir island.
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Are there DFW Private Lands fields on Fir Island this year? I don't recall there being any for a number of years.

[aaronoto]

If you use the Go Hunt waterfowl map feature you can see all the reservation and feel free to hunt pieces on fir island.
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Are there DFW Private Lands fields on Fir Island this year? I don't recall there being any for a number of years.

None.  You'll still find some farmers with feel free to hunt signs in the their fields on Fir Island, but it's not through the Quality Hunt program.

[h2ofowlr]

Geese are trickling in.  Been watching the numbers build up.