Access near Cape Horn on the river

[bowhiker]

I'm getting a little frustrated at the number of hunters around Shillapo W.A., so I have began to search elsewhere. From my google earth search, I found some coves off the columbia river around the fir point location, just up river from cape horn. I'm not sure if the land around there is private or not, so I thought I would ask you guys. Finding a place to hunt waterfowl in Skamania County seems to be hard. Darn wildlife refuges along the river?

[Dustin07]

I'm not surprised by your frustration. you're in an area dense in population. Where I am, there is mediocre hunting locally, I can drive 5 minutes across town to my folks place to hunt their flooded fields. However, for great hunting (or goose hunting) I have to drive PAST dense population cities like Tacoma, Seattle, Olympia, to get to good public land. So those people have the advantage on me as the drive is 1/2 the distance and most of the know the areas better.

[h2ofowlr]

I would check the regs.  Once you pass Washougal and are heading east they have restrictions on how close you can hunt to the Columbia River.  I believe you can't waterfowl hunt withing a 1/2 mile of the river.  I believe that continues all the way to Crow Butte.  Then it opens up to bank hunting and the Islands are off limits.  Good luck.  I would make an east trip and check out Whitcomb Unit.  If you hit it right it can be good.

[bowhiker]

I just reviewed the regs but didn't find anything in there about the river being off limits in Skamania county. However, parts of it are off limits in Klickitat and Clark county.