2024 Washington Waterfowl Forecast - Off to a Slow Start?

[hdshot]

It seems like every year a bunch of resources reporting contradicting information. It’s hard to know what’s accurate, what birds are just late etc.

Not going to deny if anything is correct or not but these surveys that have been done for decades are about the only thing we have to look at this time of year. 

[h2ofowlr]

It seems like every year a bunch of resources reporting contradicting information. It’s hard to know what’s accurate, what birds are just late etc.

Not going to deny if anything is correct or not but these surveys that have been done for decades are about the only thing we have to look at this time of year.

Same survey, same locations, year after year.  Does it take change into factor?  Changes in breeding grounds, water, cultivation practices.  New grounds that maybe the birds shifted to?  Would be interesting to see more details.  Some areas are seeing a record numbers of birds where some are seeing a large decline.  What shifted?

[Platensek-po]

It seems like every year a bunch of resources reporting contradicting information. It’s hard to know what’s accurate, what birds are just late etc.

Not going to deny if anything is correct or not but these surveys that have been done for decades are about the only thing we have to look at this time of year.

Same survey, same locations, year after year.  Does it take change into factor?  Changes in breeding grounds, water, cultivation practices.  New grounds that maybe the birds shifted to?  Would be interesting to see more details.  Some areas are seeing a record numbers of birds where some are seeing a large decline.  What shifted?

Whoa. Listen man we are only here to talk about how bad the upcoming waterfowl season is going to be. Every year it gets worse and worse. I even have other people trying the hunt the 2 ducks that fly into my public land spot. Probably about a ratio of 15 hunters per duck now on public land. I think it would be best if everyone else just sat this season out. I’m not being negative tho, just realistic. There are simultaneously more hunters out there and a lack of recruitment for the sport cause the hunting has been so awful and basically just impossible. But you don’t have to take my word for it just look at all the threads on this very forum stating these facts.

[metlhead]

Agree. Headed back from an evening steelhead trip. Didn't stumble across a beaver dammed creek mouth that was choked with about 40 wooders and a few teal. A spot like that could be a great place for the youth opener. Too bad surveys are mixed and the only thing to look at this time of year. If drought hadn't destroyed the planet I'd take up golf

[h2ofowlr]

It seems like every year a bunch of resources reporting contradicting information. It’s hard to know what’s accurate, what birds are just late etc.

Not going to deny if anything is correct or not but these surveys that have been done for decades are about the only thing we have to look at this time of year.

Same survey, same locations, year after year.  Does it take change into factor?  Changes in breeding grounds, water, cultivation practices.  New grounds that maybe the birds shifted to?  Would be interesting to see more details.  Some areas are seeing a record numbers of birds where some are seeing a large decline.  What shifted?

Whoa. Listen man we are only here to talk about how bad the upcoming waterfowl season is going to be. Every year it gets worse and worse. I even have other people trying the hunt the 2 ducks that fly into my public land spot. Probably about a ratio of 15 hunters per duck now on public land. I think it would be best if everyone else just sat this season out. I’m not being negative tho, just realistic. There are simultaneously more hunters out there and a lack of recruitment for the sport cause the hunting has been so awful and basically just impossible. But you don’t have to take my word for it just look at all the threads on this very forum stating these facts.

I believe some locations directly feel the effects of the presence of duck clubs shifting the flyway or agriculture that maynot get harvested due weather conditions.  We have so many more clubs going in, in Skagit Valley and now they are all planting crops.  Corn, millet, potatoe field loaded with small potates that it holds the birds.  Bad weather may push them south, but as soon as it warms back they are back, reverse migration.  Same down in Monroe, Duvall - Snohomish Valley.  Just constant traffice and tons of clubs all planted with duck food.  You have specific locations really starting to hold and control how the birds migrate.  Not that there are less birds, they just have better options.  Go over to Eagle Lakes when the migrators are down.  It looks like a swarm.

[ducks4days]

It seems like every year a bunch of resources reporting contradicting information. It’s hard to know what’s accurate, what birds are just late etc.

Not going to deny if anything is correct or not but these surveys that have been done for decades are about the only thing we have to look at this time of year.

Same survey, same locations, year after year.  Does it take change into factor?  Changes in breeding grounds, water, cultivation practices.  New grounds that maybe the birds shifted to?  Would be interesting to see more details.  Some areas are seeing a record numbers of birds where some are seeing a large decline.  What shifted?

Whoa. Listen man we are only here to talk about how bad the upcoming waterfowl season is going to be. Every year it gets worse and worse. I even have other people trying the hunt the 2 ducks that fly into my public land spot. Probably about a ratio of 15 hunters per duck now on public land. I think it would be best if everyone else just sat this season out. I’m not being negative tho, just realistic. There are simultaneously more hunters out there and a lack of recruitment for the sport cause the hunting has been so awful and basically just impossible. But you don’t have to take my word for it just look at all the threads on this very forum stating these facts.

I believe some locations directly feel the effects of the presence of duck clubs shifting the flyway or agriculture that maynot get harvested due weather conditions.  We have so many more clubs going in, in Skagit Valley and now they are all planting crops.  Corn, millet, potatoe field loaded with small potates that it holds the birds.  Bad weather may push them south, but as soon as it warms back they are back, reverse migration.  Same down in Monroe, Duvall - Snohomish Valley.  Just constant traffice and tons of clubs all planted with duck food.  You have specific locations really starting to hold and control how the birds migrate.  Not that there are less birds, they just have better options.  Go over to Eagle Lakes when the migrators are down.  It looks like a swarm.

Dont bother learning to set up on the edges or along trafficking routes to the duck plantations. Dont go looking for the water they need to wash down all that grain. Theres no good hunting to be had while these places exist, so theres no point in calling up the 5 farms left in the valley that arent leased out, dont try getting access and dont scout to figure out where the birds go since they never leave these places once they put their feet down.

The migration is basically going to be nonexistent, just focus on deer and leave the ducks for the dumb ones out here who like being cold and wet and still chase them for some reason.

[metlhead]

Hey! I resemble those remarks

[h2ofowlr]

I don't have any issues finding and getting on birds.  Just responding to the poor me posts, no birds, declining, etc.  Birds are shifting and if you don't do the same and continue to hunt the same spot with no birds, you will continue getting the same outcome unless a weather pattern graces you will a few more for a breif period.
Until the state does something, big money clubs are going to continue to expand, plant more crops and harvest more birds.  Eagle lakes, they just have to bounce over to one of their warm water spring fed lakes and back to the feed.  They don't have to burn to much energy.  Lot of ponds and lakes in the triangle controlled by a few folks.

[metlhead]

Find a legal way to access those lakes if they are huntable

[ducks4days]

I don't have any issues finding and getting on birds.  Just responding to the poor me posts, no birds, declining, etc.  Birds are shifting and if you don't do the same and continue to hunt the same spot with no birds, you will continue getting the same outcome unless a weather pattern graces you will a few more for a breif period.
Until the state does something, big money clubs are going to continue to expand, plant more crops and harvest more birds.  Eagle lakes, they just have to bounce over to one of their warm water spring fed lakes and back to the feed.  They don't have to burn to much energy.  Lot of ponds and lakes in the triangle controlled by a few folks.

You were responding to a sarcastic chitpost. My comment was also a sarcastic chitpost.

The corn complexes and duck clubs running ag just to attract birds need new regulations to manage because they definitely do impact bird behavior on a large enough scale that can only be managed that way. They make massive changes to bird movement, and its worth looking at these changes and how they may impact population surveys that rely on birds returning to specific areas year after year (the birds arent gone just because they nested somewhere else).

Youre right, hunting and especially bird hunting is dynamic, and sitting in the same spot every year will result in rises and falls in harvest success that dont necessarily reflect the quality of hunting in the area as a whole. The same approach should be taken for these populations surveys.

[hdshot]

Waterfowl want traditional areas to nest for a reason for better production.  It was well documented this year’s breeding survey showed ducks had to go farther north, then unfortunately research show nest production tends to suffer.  Delta Waterfowl is starting a very aggressive project to get over 100k hen houses farther north outside of these traditional nesting areas to help the hatch in those poor productive areas. It’s not like ducks ended up on the face of the moon but if they did there is enough study to show trends.  These biologists are not just sitting around a camp fire brainstorming with each other on what to report in these surveys.