Crab Creek

[Steady]

Hello all, new to the forum.  I've been browsing it for a while but this is my first post.  I live in Spokane and just started hunting again after a long vacation in the Army and well alot of the spots I used to hunt as a teen are no longer available to hunt.  I have a question about Lower Crab creek.  Is it totally public for hunting, I found one site that mentioned a 3 doller app fee then $10 for a 3 day hunting permit.  I did a search here but didn't find anything definate.  I was thinking of taking my son there this weekend for some jump shooting for ducks and maybe some pheasant or quail.  Any input would be great!  I got my 1st mallard in years tonight in the fishtrap area YAY.  Thanks in advance, I love browsing this site, lots of good info.

[crabcreekhunter]

Not sure if your talking about where crabcreek comes into the potholes or where exactly, but here there is no fee.  If your talking north of Moses, I have never heard of the fee either, so I think your good to go.  My grandparents own a 3/4 stretch of crabcreek north of moses just before the dump and the duck hunting has slowed down significantly since 98'.  Used to just slay the ducks, but in the last few years the flight pattern has changed with no corn north of moses hardly.  Still get some good shoots everyonce in a while, but no really good shoots like we have in the past(50+ birds).  20 birds now a days is a decent shoot in my book for that area.  Still some good jump shooting once the northerns come in about the 15th of november usually is when tey start showing up.  Good luck to ya

[Steady]

Thanks hunter.  Sorry I wasn't clear, yea I'm talking about the Lower Crabcreek wildlife area SE of Moses.  I actually went to the WDFA office here in spokane and they hooked me up with the Ephrata office who is sending me a map of the area.  So I'm going to head out there this saturday and if nothing else, enjoy a nice walk along the creek and vicinity.  I'll have to try it again later in the month if thats a better time.  If I get a few ducks or mix or ducks and upland birds, I consider it worth the 2ish hour drive.  Better than sitting at home watching the stupid box.

[Houndhunter]

i hunt up near crab creek, in the summer time i've heard its got a ton of rattlers

[Steady]

Well I went there.  I'm not sure how anybody can really jump shoots the creek.  Everyplace I was had about 15 feet of cattails along the edge.  Couldn't see the creek unless you busted through them and the ducks would be long gone before being able to get a shot.  Didn't see any ducks anyways.  I did jump one hen pheasant that took off almost under my feet.  Also one rooster jumped way out of gun range.  I then went up to the northern part of the area and scouted a couple of ponds (no ducks) but did get some quail out of the sage.

[fluentvoo]

If the ducks aren't around, you can always head up to wahatis peak and walk the ridgetop for chukar, or work the draws below the road for chukar

[Steady]

I'm not that familiar with the area, where is that?  Is that in the mountains to the south of the crab creek area or the highground in the middle of the area?  I'm game for anything that flys... and is legal