Hunting By Reservation Properties in Grays Harbor and Mason Counties

[cem3434]

Okay, so I am relatively new to waterfowl hunting and this will be my 3rd season, but I'm hooked. I've been fortunate to know the right people and have good friends that have gotten me onto some great private properties in eastern Washington where we have had some good success on ducks and geese. The problem is I usually only get invited 3 or 4 times a season to hunt with that group, so I'm trying to find more opportunities locally to hunt with my wife and kids. I live in Pierce County and don't have a hunting boat, so the local opportunities are pretty limited from what I've found. I do have a 2.5 year old lab that loves to hunt, ground blinds, waders and some decoys.

I guess my question is does anybody have any experience that they would care to share about the South Bank property in Grays Harbor County and/or the West Deyette Rd South Field or Hunter Farms Field 1 in Mason County? I reserved spots at all 3 places over the next couple of weeks, but have never been to any of these properties and it states on the WDFW page that scouting is not allowed prior to the hunt. With the gear I have, I'm just wondering how to set up  on each property (wind direction, natural foliage for concealment, etc.) or if I'm better off trying to jump shoot along the water edge?

Feel free to PM me and any advice would be appreciated. Like I said, I'm just trying to find access to get out with the family and would be thankful any advice you guys are willing to give on these properties. I am also open other areas or recommendations of properties I should be looking at moving forward in the South Sound as well.

[CP]

I don’t have any property specific advice for you but you can scout the properties without setting foot on them.  Find yourself a good vantage point on a public road and glass the property and observe the birds’ flight patterns.  You should be able to put together a reasonable strategy without breaking any of the rules. 

[ZaneHunts]

This is my 2nd year hunting waterfowl so I am still trying to figure them out as well.
I have not hunted the South Bank property yet so I don't have any info for that field but I have hunted the West Deyette Rd Field and the Skokomish Grange Field and I reserved the Hunter Creek Pond for later this week.

I didn't have much luck hunting the West Deyette property, the creek held literally a couple ducks and there was one flock of teal in a small seasonal pond and the house next to the field limits your shot directions.
And for the Skokomish Grange Field, I hunted it last week after that big rain storm but the field was still too dry and the ducks weren't really moving yet so I think that it was just too early in the season for that field.
I'll give you a report on Hunter Creek Pond later this week once I pay it a visit.

That's about all I can tell you for those fields. Good luck this season and I hope you find some productive fields!

[Platensek-po]

Okay, so I am relatively new to waterfowl hunting and this will be my 3rd season, but I'm hooked. I've been fortunate to know the right people and have good friends that have gotten me onto some great private properties in eastern Washington where we have had some good success on ducks and geese. The problem is I usually only get invited 3 or 4 times a season to hunt with that group, so I'm trying to find more opportunities locally to hunt with my wife and kids. I live in Pierce County and don't have a hunting boat, so the local opportunities are pretty limited from what I've found. I do have a 2.5 year old lab that loves to hunt, ground blinds, waders and some decoys.

I guess my question is does anybody have any experience that they would care to share about the South Bank property in Grays Harbor County and/or the West Deyette Rd South Field or Hunter Farms Field 1 in Mason County? I reserved spots at all 3 places over the next couple of weeks, but have never been to any of these properties and it states on the WDFW page that scouting is not allowed prior to the hunt. With the gear I have, I'm just wondering how to set up  on each property (wind direction, natural foliage for concealment, etc.) or if I'm better off trying to jump shoot along the water edge?

Feel free to PM me and any advice would be appreciated. Like I said, I'm just trying to find access to get out with the family and would be thankful any advice you guys are willing to give on these properties. I am also open other areas or recommendations of properties I should be looking at moving forward in the South Sound as well.

Those properties become first come first serve after 8am I believe. So just go out there and check them out later on in the afternoon. I have never had much luck at those properties, especially since they didn’t plant corn this year. Good luck!

[GWP]

I don’t have any property specific advice for you but you can scout the properties without setting foot on them.  Find yourself a good vantage point on a public road and glass the property and observe the birds’ flight patterns.  You should be able to put together a reasonable strategy without breaking any of the rules.

This. Use binocs, Find your vantage point, be patient, take notes. You will at least get some idea of what is what.

[ASHQUACK]

The skokomish valley fields are better later in the season, and usually only after the valley floods. Best information I can give you is be darn careful out there the river rises super fast and you can very easily become stranded out there. I know from experience.