Snow Goose Rules????

[boots]

Skagit County Special Restrictions
It is unlawful to discharge a firearm for the purpose
of hunting waterfowl within 100 feet of any paved
public road on Fir Island or to discharge a firearm for
the purpose of hunting snow geese within 100 feet
of any paved public road in other areas of Skagit County. It is unlawful
to hunt snow geese on Fir Island, Skagit County, inland of surrounding
dikes, unless each hunter sets up a minimum of 24 snow geese decoys.
Additionally, it is unlawful to hunt snow geese over decoys unless the
decoys are set up in a realistic pattern, are under the immediate control of
the hunter, and are not left unattended. For the purposes of this section
a "decoy" is defined as any structure the size of or larger than a mallard
duck decoy. A violation of this section is punishable under RCW 77.15.400.
While hunting snow geese, if a hunter is convicted of 1) trespass,
2) shooting from, across, or along the maintained part of any public highway,
3) discharging a firearm for the purpose of hunting waterfowl within
100 feet of any paved public road on Fir Island or discharging a firearm for
the purpose of hunting snow geese within 100 feet of any paved public
road in other areas of Skagit County, 4) exceeding the daily bag limit for
snow geese, or 5) violating decoy requirements, written authorization will
be invalidated for the remainder of the current snow goose season and an
authorization will not be issued for the subsequent snow goose season.

What about the dike itself? I see how a person could read it two different ways depending on whether the rule includes the front edge or the back edge of the dike...or even the middle of the dike?

[h2ofowlr]

Top of the dike to the bay okay with no decoys. You drop down on the back side or inside you will get sited.  You best hide on the bay front side.

[Dustin07]

Top of the dike to the bay okay with no decoys. You drop down on the back side or inside you will get sited.  You best hide on the bay front side.

the worst dike skyblasters IMO aren't even on fir island they are further south, IMO. I haven't had too much issue with guys ruining shots from the FI dikes. But at the other place they'll pop their 5 gallon buckets upside down on top of the dike and blast em as they are coming in on your deeks.

[boots]

Top of the dike to the bay okay with no decoys. You drop down on the back side or inside you will get sited.  You best hide on the bay front side.

Thats the same thing I was thinking. It sounds like there still can be the guys on the dike shooting at the geese and driving them up into the jet stream

[Mr56Jeep]

I drove through that area on my way back from B'ham with a buddy of mine last January.  We stopped along the north fork just to turn the truck around.  Well, this big flock of snows are coming off the water and over they dike at ever bit of 100 yards and probably closer to 125 or 150.  A huge volley of a dozen rounds go off.  My buddy starts looking around and says "What are they shooting at?".... To this day he still can't honestly believe that someone would take a shot at a flock of birds that far up. 

[CP]

Better get clarification before you pass shoot off the dike.  I would interpret “inland of surrounding dikes” to start at the seaward edge of the dike, not the inland edge.  But my interpretation, or yours, does not matter; it’s the enforcement officer’s opinion that counts.

[jeepster]

i hunted the most of that area all last fall and said screw it after shot rained down on me multiple times...no combat hunting for me... in my oppinion, fir island is like opening day of trout season, except everybody has a gun vs a fishing rod... its a madhouse. it is rather retarded to see a flight of birds 120+yards up, then watch some guy point his 10gauge 90deg straight up and procede to empty his gun resulting in, more often than not,  a few puffs of feathers and one bird flying slower than the rest.... might as well just get an AR with a 40 round clip then procede to pray-and-spray...

[Stilly bay]

so lets say your just hunting ducks, or your just rambling around scouting with a gun and dog and you come across a wounded goose in one of these areas. do you leave it be for fear of the gamey's wrath or do you do the ethical thing and put it out of its misery and take it home?

if im reading the regs right it sounds like if you don't have a couple dozen goose decoys, you sure as hell better not have a dead goose anywhere near you.

[h2ofowlr]

I would just leave it.  The eagle need to eat as well.  If you go to retrieve it on private the gamies will ticket you.  They don't play around as watching the flock everyday has to be an exciting job.  I don't like picking up wounded ones in the bay, you never know why they are sick.  I will shoot it when it's flying or let someone else have the wounded one.  Not to much is going to change, other than you still 24 rags out in front of where your shooting.

[Dustin07]

i'm not much sure why'd you be scouting with a dog and a gun on fir island though. pretty much anywhere you are hunting you can see from the car. maybe past the dikes, but... like H20 said, i have no interest in eating a sickly snow either anyways. and you might be surprised how quick an eagle can scarf a snow goose. I know i was...

if you are off the island, I don't think these new rules apply.