Dear Snow Goose Hunter:

[h2ofowlr]

Ray,
My thoughts are that it's not having a huge impact like stated.  Just some real slob hunting by a small %.  When they are busting the flocks they are sailing a bunch of birds.  Eventhough a grey line on the legal issue they sail 10 ++++ birds in there effort to put 4 on the ground.  You have the gamies and biologist that watch the flock and see all this happening.  Things are being said and after the black eye on the elk deal they are probably prepairing themselves for the similar with the snows.  It seems to keep getting worse.  The land owners do not want them on there property and the groups are building that come out to pound the geese.  It has gotten ugly out there and the geese are getting educated everyday, making it hit and miss for the guys that are still using decoys.  Another one of those legal??  Ethical, no?  Some will argue my statement, but it is what it is.  If you stayed on the same bird and dropped it, then went to the next instead of swing on another bird on every shot, it might follow under the legal.
They may be sending out the letters to forewarn everyone, if it continues we become the escape goats as they will have said they tried to stop it.  Crappy deal.

[Bird_Bagger]

I couldn't agree more that it is out of control. Having lived in Conway all my life and hunted the island just as long I can say it is stupid the way some people act. Besides the unethical hunting, we deal with littering, wasted birds, trespassing and just a shi**y attitudes by some. Now don't get me wrong its not everyone but it seems to be getting worse. We have a field right across from the reserve near Wylie road and had to post it up because the neighbors house was getting peppered every day! Its just crap. Some are going to ruin it for everyone else and its a shame. Hopefully my kid will get a chance to hunt the island, lots of memories to be made callin in birds!

[Special T]

I hate to be the one to say this, but i think private property and hunt clubs are the only future of duck hunting in the skagit valley... Unless you/we can hold people accountable for shooting toward houses, skybusting, littering etc. that will be the only option...     What i want to know is if the biologists and or game wordens see this kind of stuff what are they doing about it? 

[jackelope]

.     What i want to know is if the biologists and or game wordens see this kind of stuff what are they doing about it? 

they are sending out emails that nobody likes...

[Special T]

I guess i left my self wide open for that one!  

[Snowgoose1]

They will not be able to stop skybusting. The same amount of people and probably more do it duck hunting, they are just not visible to most non-hunters. Making a comment that it will go private clubs doesn't mean it gets more ethical. I observed one morning the guys on the dike near Skagit Gun Club hit 6 birds that landed out on the waters edge. I was in field 5 with decoys and ran to the truck and went up on the dike and Jensens to see if any were gone after. Three of the birds fianlly made to the bay edge and got to swimming out. Nobody even went after the birds to try and harvest them. It is not like that with most clubs, but I do see even the other clubs get frustrated and try and get their clients birds. At this time of the season the geese really don't want to look at a decoy spread, they just don't trust it. I do a lot of my Snow Goose hunting earlier in the year when they come in hard. I have also sen farmers wave people in from the road to go out and get rid of the geese. If the people are told to go in and line up in a ditch and the farmer runs an ATV at them from the other side who gets the blame and the ticket? I have viewed several times guys sneaking up on the birds recently and the birds were not letting people get within 50 plus yards to often. I think the ATV incident was too bad.  I think the most important part is to make sure to go chase down cripples and keep an eye on the flock as it flies away. My last 6 limits of Snows has been without a gun. The farmers have thanked me for going in and picking up birds. In fact there are a few places that have posted no hunting, but the people allowed me to walk in and get the birds out of their fields legally and mark them down. I think 15 shell limits will only make people flock shoot even more than they do. Limiting shot size would only cripple that many more birds. I don't know the answer, but I'll bet there is a solution, we just need to work together and with the Game Department. Maybe an off season committee should be made up to work on this with real ideas and solutions.  I have 28 years of notes in hunting these critters and the same thing happens about this same time of year. When the birds are flock hunted they tend to ball up and shut down on decoys. It does seem to have gotten worse every so often lately. I really enjoyed the decoying earlier in the year with all the young birds, but now it's finish with ducks and move on to fishing. Just my thoughts.

[GEARHEAD]

I DON'T

[singleshot12]

Some how the bad apples need to be weeded out and not have the privilege to hunt.
Seems there is a whole new generation of slobs out there,from dip *censored*s to crack heads they are going to ruin it for everyone.
Stricter laws on who gets a hunting licence??

[singleshot12]

But there still is the problem of over population  and them ruining the fields.
There are way too many birds.

[Special T]

I once thought 15 shot shell limits would work... then i went to the samish unit a couple of times and i was proven wrong... I did have good luck at the Ridgefield refuge 25shell limit, established blinds and check in check out.... More accountability..

[h2ofowlr]

I once thought 15 shot shell limits would work... then i went to the samish unit a couple of times and i was proven wrong... I did have good luck at the Ridgefield refuge 25shell limit, established blinds and check in check out.... More accountability..

Ridgefield is hit or miss on most occassions.  I went down and hunted it twice this year.  I used to hunt it a lot when I lived by it.  Now there is a large crowd that hunts for it.  I put in for Sauvies during periods I will be down that way.  Better hunting as you hunt over crops.

[Snowman]

The one major problem is that there is not enough room for the general public. I think they should limit the number of cards handed out to an exceptable amount for the land they have and if you draw one year you can't draw the next. . Also I think they should regulate the hunt clubs and north sound better. To many people and that is why you got the skybusting going on. It is screw the other hunters mentality out there. I would hate to see them close it down, but would love to hear all the complaints from all the idiots up there, even the new biologist. They can't even regulate the quality units. People show up an park in them before they are suppose. One unit has been the same guys all year. They get there around 3am and you can't be parked there till 4am or 4:30. Love snow goose hunting but tired of the 90% idiots that are up there.....

[The Weazle]

The one major problem is that there is not enough room for the general public. I think they should limit the number of cards handed out to an exceptable amount for the land they have and if you draw one year you can't draw the next. . 

So you want to pay for a license, for less opprotunity?  I pay enough, and want the most opprotunity I can get. 

I am glad they did away with the week long permit for the quality hunt as well, as I have been able to get in some fields with decoys and do pretty well.  I think the answer is a split season...say october 15th-december 15th, then january 15th-feb 15th...the days in the field would increase, but the birds would settle down, and maybe decoy better again, and more would be shot, lessening the overall numbers...I will say I havent hunted the dike this year, as I said I would never go back after last year, and from what I hear, its even worse this year!

[Snowman]

Actually in this instance I would rather pay for a less of a chance to hunt them. As the hunter numbers exceeds the capacity of public land and safety. Now you can argue with me but I had my son almost get blown away at jensen due to *censored*'s shooting across cars an the road leading. They were hiding behind other rigs. I've had my windshield totaled with dings in it from idiots shooting where they shouldn't have. And when it comes to this I will argue. NOT ENOUGH ROOM. To many people to make it fun or fair. Would you go hunt elk, deer and bear in conditions like it is up there? HELL no you wouldn't. You know it is all about the carrying capacity of the land with hunters as well as animals. To many card holders. An it don't matter split the season, it will still end up the same period. To me it is the quality not the opprotunity. An what opprotunity is there go watch birds fly high cause some *censored* shots them at a 100yds plus an has given them the best education. There is no quality right now an yes snow goose will get shut down eventually. Every one wants to argue this an that. It is plain an simple to many people equals no ethics in 90% of the people up there. No one cares to busted people chops when they see them do stupid *censored*. But when they threaten to take it away, now every one has a complaint. Oh don't shut it down, poor me. To hell with it, close it. Make it a draw. That equals better quality an conditions to hunt in. Another note I love to snow goose hunt and so does my kid. But we have hardly hunted up there this year due to reason I have stated. We hunt primarly private land but the geese hardly go in them except a few times each year. That place teaches bad habits for kids as well as an example of what not to be. We have had many hunts blown to idiots who wouldn't wait an give kids a chance. Opprotunity doesn't equal quality. I have to agree that to many birds do get crippled.





So you want to pay for a license, for less opprotunity?  I pay enough, and want the most opprotunity I can get.  

I will say I havent hunted the dike this year, as I said I would never go back after last year, and from what I hear, its even worse this year!
[/quote]

[CP]

I think a lot of improvement could be made with some good old fashion enforcement.  Even just increased presence will help.  I’ve hunted that area quite a bit this season and I’ve never been checked; I’ve never even seen an enforcement officer in the field. 

The guys that park early and park multiple cars will stop doing that if they are cited.  Even the skybusters will curb their fire if it brings attention from LE.  I know sky busting is legal but where I learned to hunt, that type of hunting behavior resulted in a routine check by LE, license check, gun check, ammo check etc.  It doesn’t take long to learn if you act like an A-hole you get attention, if you act responsibly you get a pleasant, “good luck and have a nice hunt” from LE.