North Sound Waterfowl

[muleysgirl13]

Just thought I would spread the word and promote a local waterfowl business... especially a family owned.  If any one is interested visit their site and Contact Bryce Kothe-Baker let him know that Krystal sent you.  They have tons of knowledge they would be willing to share.

www.northsoundwaterfowl.
 
or follow us on FaceBook
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Burlington-WA/North-Sound-Waterfowl/217259886090?v=app_2309869772

Shamless promotion I know 

[washelkhntr]

To Spendy for me.....

[head hunter]

dont know about their ducks. but if you want to kill snow geese,  I would go some where else, they leave most of their decoys out 24-7. so you can imagine how that goes over with the geese.

[h2ofowlr]

I tried to push some geese over to them yesterday.  It looks like they got a little wet in the a.m. on Monday.

[Bearhunter]

I would spend my money else where

[Shannon]

I don't know these guys personally but they do sometimes hunt public land beside local guys. It kind of pisses a guy off when he drives by signs that say North Sound Waterfowl- No Trespassing everywhere and then you set up on public property and here they come with there Argo and a group of guys from Seattle to hunt beside you. The next weekend who shows up but the guys from Seattle without North Sound. Not a good situation for anyone but it is perfectly legal. If I was to pay for a guided duck/goose hunt I would definitely want to make sure it was on private property. Don't get me wrong, they do have a lot of private property leased but they have hunted next to me with clients more than once on public land.

[Snowman]

I've watched them just sit out there all morning an no birds and numerous occasions.

dont know about their ducks. but if you want to kill snow geese,  I would go some where else, they leave most of their decoys out 24-7. so you can imagine how that goes over with the geese.

   As well as the skagit gun club does too. Money better spent elsewhere

[CP]

I don't know these guys personally but they do sometimes hunt public land beside local guys. It kind of pisses a guy off when he drives by signs that say North Sound Waterfowl- No Trespassing everywhere and then you set up on public property and here they come with there Argo and a group of guys from Seattle to hunt beside you. The next weekend who shows up but the guys from Seattle without North Sound. Not a good situation for anyone but it is perfectly legal. If I was to pay for a guided duck/goose hunt I would definitely want to make sure it was on private property. Don't get me wrong, they do have a lot of private property leased but they have hunted next to me with clients more than once on public land.

That isn't legal on the "quality snow goose" fields.  It should be illegal on all public land.

[h2ofowlr]

If your hunting a public spot and you drop a snow by accident onto there property, just don't try to retrieve it.  Mark E***s will have the game warden on you trying to write a trespassing ticket eventhough your trying to retrieve a downed bird.  It's to bad for the members as they guide on the same fields they charge you a membership fee for.  If your good with the guys you will be in the A group, if your not you will be in the B squad and get the left over shot up spots.  I believe the club was a spin off of Nate Johnsons club if I am recalling correctly.
The good thing is that I have heard from many people that Bryce is a quality guide, so I don't want to take anything away from him.  Just many locals have been left with a bad taste with the North Sound Program.

[h2ofowlr]

I don't know these guys personally but they do sometimes hunt public land beside local guys. It kind of pisses a guy off when he drives by signs that say North Sound Waterfowl- No Trespassing everywhere and then you set up on public property and here they come with there Argo and a group of guys from Seattle to hunt beside you. The next weekend who shows up but the guys from Seattle without North Sound. Not a good situation for anyone but it is perfectly legal. If I was to pay for a guided duck/goose hunt I would definitely want to make sure it was on private property. Don't get me wrong, they do have a lot of private property leased but they have hunted next to me with clients more than once on public land.

Similar to them guiding groups on the Skagit last year during the freeze and tying it up all day, shuttling in groups.   Experienced the same.

I'm trying to be as nice as possible and bite my tongue on the N.S. subject.  I will try to refrain from further comments on them. 

[M_59]

If I was told correctly, North Sound partnered up with Johnson and then when they had his leases in the fold they gave him the boot. Their reputation in Skagit County is less than stellar.

[Shannon]

I am not going to say much more about them either. I know several guys that were going to ruin their hunts on the Skagit this year if they repeated what they were doing last year. They must have sensed it because I haven't seen them on the river yet. You can't repeatedly piss off the masses without it catching up to you. When you have grown up around here and have hunted for free lots of land that is now leased by them and posted it rubs a guy the wrong way especially when they do stuff like there doing. Its the future of hunting I am afraid.

[Snowman]

Well hope this was good advertising for him!! 

[Shootmoore]

dont know about their ducks. but if you want to kill snow geese,  I would go some where else, they leave most of their decoys out 24-7. so you can imagine how that goes over with the geese.

I thought it was illegal to leave dekes unatended or did that change?  Have not Duck hunted for a couple years.

Shootmoore

[washelkhntr]

Oh its still illegal.  No gamie will ever call a big outfit out on it though.

[h2ofowlr]

Only on state land.  Private you can leave them out all season.

[Shootmoore]

Only on state land.  Private you can leave them out all season.

Ok thanks, did not know there was a difference in the rule.  I used to hunt the wheatfields on the Colville rez, would be afraid to leave em out overnight someone would probably borrow them.

[singleshot12]

Sooner or later that whole area will be leased by the infamous "Goose Pimps".. The day I have to pay to shoot a stinkin snowgoose is the day I quit.

[Skyhigh]

I am not one to usually stick up for the guide services, especially the one that use to advertise his sea duck operation on here..

My take on the Northsound operation........I have known a few guys that had been with the Nate Johnson club since it was started...They really enjoyed it for years, then the last couple of years they stated things were not so peachy...Then Mark Evens got involved and both of the orignal members quit...That has been 2 years..

Now from what I understand is a small group of very good, young and enthusiastic individuals have purchased it. They understand that there has been past hard feelings and burned bridges, but they, I believe are trying hard to change the perception, bring it back up and provide opportunities for local and out of state hunters...
I would look for these guys getting involved with local DU, Delta and Washington Waterfowl Association events, working with youth and just trying to do a good and ethical job...They know many folks are watching and from what I understand they have an open door policy, so if you have concerns about the operation they want to hear about it...Give Bryce, Royce, Chris or Justin a call and see if they can work it out...

I say, lets see how they do the next couple of years...This year I have no complaints....The first time in the last 3 years I can say that...  

[adam.WI]

They have figured out away to hunt for a living, I'm jealous.  Maybe others are as well?

[Skyhigh]

They have figured out away to hunt for a living, I'm jealous.  Maybe others are as well?

I would bet that they all have off-season jobs as well......

[muleysgirl13]

I wanted to post this as promotion for Bryce.... he is my cousin who has been working his ass off to make this work and if anyone EVER has a problem or a bad encounter with him please come straight to me because I will WOOP HIS A** back into shape.  He grew up hunting public land with his father and I hunt public land so we know what its like.  He is a new part owner to this organization and is very into promoting the sport to new comers, women and youth.  I still haven't had a chance to meet the other members so I can't speak for them but again I know my cousin we are very close and if ANYONE ever has a bad experience with him, tell me.  He is a good person and a good hunter and he would not want to intentionally ruin another hunters day whether they were a member or not... its not his style.  Im sorry to hear that people have had some bad experiences with guides in the past.  I know people can be *censored*ty some times and it sucks when it tarnishes an outfitters name like that.

[Dustin07]

For those of you who say its too pricey for you, I'd try taking off the rose colored glasses. Yes they hunt next to open land and yes public hunters compete on the next field over, and yes guys they guide can possibly come back and do the same thing. It is what it is.

However, if your from out of town and want to hunt snows in a quality way, you probably don't want to dump thousands of dollars into your spread. The smallest spread that I've heard of these guys hunting with is about a $4,000 spread of decoys. Add the fact that they are supplying the land, and when I went with them, they even used an atv to get us back to the back rather than walking the mud. Obviously I can walk, but it's a great value added service for clients.

do you know what guided hunts for snows or sea ducks cost elsewhere?? a lot more typically.


generally speaking these guys provide service that is especially worth it for someone who loves to wingshoot but doesn't go often and is probably unable to scout land or buy their own deeks. but that's what ALL guides do for us isn't it??

When I hunted with them Bryce made it very clear that if we were having a slow day they would take care of us. we'd either go duck hunting, or they'd hook us up with 0snows another day. bottom line, they were working to make us happy. We had hunters from young (22) to older (61) and all of us had experience with guides in the past, all of us enjoyed hunting with them.

They have figured out away to hunt for a living, I'm jealous.  Maybe others are as well?

I would bet that they all have off-season jobs as well......

they do. I think Royce told me he works at the dive shop.