E WA waterfowl guide

[Stein]

Anyone have good reviews for an east side guide for ducks and/or geese?  I'm looking for a couple days with my two kids, we are looking to have a good time and not super focused on needing to shoot limits.  We're looking for a friendly guide with good access that work well with family trips.

I was looking at Honkstomper, Duck Taxi and Big Guns but open to anyone.

Thanks!

[ellensburgpo]

If money isn’t much of an object then Eagle Lakes is nice.

[BUCKHUNT]

I’ve done a few guided trips with Honkstompers and the self-guided duck taxi trips where they drop you off at a blind.

Both were great, but different experiences. If the birds are in, I don’t think you could go wrong with either option.

Depending on your kids attention span, the duck blind may be a better option so they can move around. The field hunts for geese pretty much keep you in the layout blind until it’s time to shoot.

Eagle Lakes looks fun but I don’t have experience there.

[Klickitatsteelie]

Eagle lakes is awesome. If you prefer to shoot geese big guns hands down, bill saunders is a goose killing machine.

[92xj]

If you’re not a regular, don’t stay at their lodge and don’t flaunt money, eaglelakes will put you in the canal coming out of scooteney or their least productive flooded corn pond.  Go anywhere else but them. 
Saunders or pacific wings would be my choice.   

[Stein]

Thanks for the replies, flaunting money won't be a problem.   

Maybe we do one day ducks and one day geese.  The kids have more patience and are better shots than I am.

Are guides open to bringing you own dog or is that pretty much a no-go?  I know the taxi is fine if you do the unguided but I've never been on guided waterfowl.

[92xj]

 Call and ask if they are bringing a dog.   If not, bring yours. 

The canal hunt I was a spectator on, eagle did NOT supply a dog, only an old man with waders.  Then when asked to be moved to a field where hundreds of birds were, there was also no dog present.   

Pacific wings hunt I went on 12 years ago did have a dog and everything went smooth.   

[GWP]

We did a few guided hunts when everything was frozen over. All were fine with us bringing our dogs. BUT, most will not allow dogs in their human lodging. One dog kennel had no heat and concrete floors. I got up every 2 hours to start the Suburban and warm it up. Our dogs in the back in 500 dog crates.
Eagle Lakes did good for us. Put us and another group on two corners and birds were plenty. The other group of folks were missing regular and we overheard them blaming the guide for it. We offered to switch, which we did, and hey! Guess What? We continued to smack birds while the other group in our old location continued to miss. They acted like their poop did not stink and every miss was the guides fault.
I will admit to getting a little pissed about it and wanted to say something but my wife (wisely I might add) persuaded me not to.
We tipped the very nice guide extra for having to endure the grumpy 'not very good' shooters. He kept thanking us for switching even though it made no real difference for 'The Grumps'.
Everyone has a bad day shooting if you do it very much but don't try to push it off on someone else.

[gallion_t]

I've done several trips with Eastern Washington Guide Services over the years. Ducks, geese, and the spring snow season. I've always had a good time with them and wouldn't hesitate to go back. Infact I have a gift certificate with them that I need to use soon. Aaron and Brad(?), have always been very pleasant to be around. More than happy to answer questions and give pointers or suggestions on how to improve your hunts in the future.

[BD1]

Sadly Eagle Lakes has changed over the last 15 years or so. I have had some hunts of a lifetime there. However buddies who have gone there in the years since have not had the same experience. I really wanted to take my son there but just once but, sadly, at the price point it is at now (staying at the lodge) I am not willing to gamble with what the experience might be like. It is a bummer.   

[Badhabit]

Ekencamp Guide Services out of Moses Lake does guided duck and goose hunts. Buddy of mine guides for him.

[GWP]

Ekencamp Guide Services out of Moses Lake does guided duck and goose hunts. Buddy of mine guides for him.

When the Dad ran it we had a great time. When the kid took over it sucked. Maybe that has changed. I hope so.