Author Topic: New Ebey Island Release Site (Read 20814 times)

SnowDog · « **on:** September 30, 2010, 07:06:11 PM »

Called the Region 4 office today and was told there will be a press release out by the end of day Friday announcing the details on the new Ebey Island pheasant release site. They told me it would be open with birds for the 10/2 opener.

I took a drive out there to look around today, and there is no access posted or anything on any of the property. If they are going to open this to the public on Saturday, they have a bunch of work to do to get it ready. Not holding my breath.

Cheers!
SD

pjb3 · « **Reply #1 on:** September 30, 2010, 07:34:44 PM »

Ebey Island between Snohomish and Everett under the trussels?

SnowDog · « **Reply #2 on:** September 30, 2010, 08:17:04 PM »

Yes. That is the place

Fishnclifff · « **Reply #3 on:** September 30, 2010, 09:57:06 PM »

Is that gonna replace Stanwood? Please tell me they are closing stanwood please pretty please

PatoLoco · « **Reply #4 on:** October 01, 2010, 01:09:14 AM »

Stanwood/Leque island/Smith farm is intertidal. Has been since spring or so. Dike failures.

PatoLoco · « **Reply #5 on:** October 01, 2010, 01:16:43 AM »

Oh, and the ebey area is basically that large pasture area to the south of rhe hwy 2 trestle. Dfw has owned it for a few years but haven't had the money or permits or whatever to develop an access. Wsdot is reluctant to let them officially develop that area under the east end of the trestle that everybody uses to walk the dike, so that isn't an official parking area as far as I know. And the guy that farms on the south end and runs the cattle on the place you can bet will not be keen on hunters parking next to his barns. But the gun club to the south (snowater I think) could probably make a buck or two lettin guys shoot pheasants off their property!

sled · « **Reply #6 on:** October 01, 2010, 07:53:45 PM »

Oh Boy here we go! This is going to be a busy, dangerous place to be hunting. Will be popular thats for sure.

Goldeneye · « **Reply #7 on:** October 01, 2010, 07:57:23 PM »

Does anyone know if they actually planted birds? I was down by there this morning, around lunch, and this evening. Never saw any birds being planted. Although they made a small designated parking area (it'll fit about 8 rigs)...

jeepster · « **Reply #8 on:** October 01, 2010, 07:59:03 PM »

press will have a hayday when some slackjawed jokel shoots and the shot rains down on the highway- i dont know exactly where it is going to be at, but i know the area and the thought just has me shaking my head...

PatoLoco · « **Reply #9 on:** October 01, 2010, 09:51:50 PM »

They usually release birds in the evening, and they're probably driving them down from skagit headuarters so, no, they probably hadn't released yet.
As far as the boundaries on the site, I know the south end has a newer barbedwire fence running east-west, and I think the property goes pretty well up to the trestle to the north. That big slough you see from 2, which kind of runs north-south through the pasture, goes right through the property. There were wdfw property boundary signs out there at one point last summer but they were likely used as scratching posts for the cows so I wonder if there are any left?

Gobble Doc · « **Reply #10 on:** October 04, 2010, 07:19:13 PM »

I was driving over the trestle this weekend toward Snohomish and looked off to my right and saw someone out there with a bright hunter orange vest on and it looked like they had a gun so figured they were looking for birds. Tonight it looks like there is a blind of some sort out in the middle now. It seems to me like it will be hunting in a fish bowl with Hwy2 and houses looking down.

Waldo84 · « **Reply #11 on:** October 04, 2010, 07:50:42 PM »

That place has been open for 2-3 years for ducks, been out there a couple of times but never shot anything. Used it for training my pup this summer a few times but had to dodge the cows. This is the first i've heard of it being a release site now though. You're right, its going to be busy if it is!

D-Rock425 · « **Reply #12 on:** October 04, 2010, 08:14:35 PM »

My house is just up the road from this site I thought I saw those diamond shape shooting boundary sighs out last week. I have duck hunted the site many times but I think it is a bad idea for a release site it is not that big and is covered in water most of the season.

Goldeneye · « **Reply #13 on:** October 04, 2010, 08:39:43 PM »

One of those Diamond shaped buffer zone signs is right next to that blind someone has built in the middle out there too. There's plenty of water out there right now. A friend told me he was in water up to the mid thigh crossing one area out there this weekend. Said there were about 40 guys in the field Sunday morning. Definitely crowded as far as I'm concerned. Gonna be real interesting once the duck hunters and pheasant hunters try to hunt at the same time.

D-Rock425 · « **Reply #14 on:** October 04, 2010, 08:49:25 PM »

Have they already started to release birds?

Goldeneye · « **Reply #15 on:** October 04, 2010, 08:51:53 PM »

Yes they have planted birds. They're probably taking cover under the tressle as we speak.

D-Rock425 · « **Reply #16 on:** October 04, 2010, 08:59:23 PM »

I didn't know that. I will let my Grandpa know. I'm not good with the crowds so I stopped buying my permit a few years back.

Goldeneye · « **Reply #17 on:** October 04, 2010, 09:03:01 PM »

I'm not much of a crowd guy either. Good Luck to your Grandpa.

chrisb · « **Reply #18 on:** October 04, 2010, 09:03:14 PM »

Wait so Smith Farms in Stanwood is closed?

Goldeneye · « **Reply #19 on:** October 04, 2010, 09:06:50 PM »

I beleive so. So the guys up there will be filtering down this way some. I think the next open site to the north that get's plants is the Welts Property.

Shannon · « **Reply #20 on:** October 04, 2010, 09:17:35 PM »

There only releasing through October 12th on the Samish Unit. Kind of lame in Skagit County this year. I don't enjoy the release sights much but it is good dog training. I am heading to Montana tomorrow so I won't even hunt there this year.

D-Rock425 · « **Reply #21 on:** October 05, 2010, 05:27:14 AM »

Quote from: Goldeneye on October 04, 2010, 09:06:50 PM

I beleive so. So the guys up there will be filtering down this way some. I think the next open site to the north that get's plants is the Welts Property.

I thought they released birds at the welts property last year.

Goldeneye · « **Reply #22 on:** October 05, 2010, 10:17:31 AM »

Yes they did. I think that's the next place north of the Ebey site.

MP123 · « **Reply #23 on:** October 05, 2010, 10:48:43 AM »

Quote from: Shannon on October 04, 2010, 09:17:35 PM

There only releasing through October 12th on the Samish Unit. Kind of lame in Skagit County this year. I don't enjoy the release sights much but it is good dog training. I am heading to Montana tomorrow so I won't even hunt there this year.

Are you sure they stop on Oct. 12? Last year they released straight through until late November and it was pretty crazy once waterfowl opened up.

chrisb · « **Reply #24 on:** October 05, 2010, 11:33:54 AM »

Where on the WDFW web site can i find the list of release sites?

Goldeneye · « **Reply #25 on:** October 05, 2010, 11:48:58 AM »

http://wdfw.wa.gov/publications/00883/wdfw00883.pdf

chrisb · « **Reply #26 on:** October 05, 2010, 02:55:14 PM »

Quote from: Goldeneye on October 05, 2010, 11:48:58 AM

http://wdfw.wa.gov/publications/00883/wdfw00883.pdf

Gracias

Goldeneye · « **Reply #27 on:** October 05, 2010, 03:27:38 PM »

Quote from: chrisb on October 05, 2010, 02:55:14 PM

Quote from: Goldeneye on October 05, 2010, 11:48:58 AM

http://wdfw.wa.gov/publications/00883/wdfw00883.pdf

Gracias

De nada

Stilly bay · « **Reply #28 on:** October 05, 2010, 03:54:48 PM »

Quote from: Shannon on October 04, 2010, 09:17:35 PM

There only releasing through October 12th on the Samish Unit.

I sure would like a link to this information. I have heard this from a couple people; so I called the mill creek office and they said it wasn't so.
there needs to be some editing on the pheasant release site information, many of the release sites listed are no longer available.

Goldeneye · « **Reply #29 on:** October 05, 2010, 04:11:24 PM »

Page 7 of the above link says Oct 13 the Samish and that Smith Farm and HQ are no longer active. If it's wrong point that out to Mill Creek WDFW and they should be able update the online info.

PatoLoco · « **Reply #30 on:** October 05, 2010, 07:33:22 PM »

Duh! Smith farm is under water and has been for months. The welts/samish/west 90 is all the same place, up in the samish flats near edison. That's spencer island that is just north of ebey, and its intertidal.

JBR · « **Reply #31 on:** October 08, 2010, 11:19:57 AM »

Went out there last night (after 4 pm) just to check it out. It's small compared to the other sites and it's basically one field, a quarter of which is just short grass. The only real cover is some black berry bushes along a small slough that runs N/S and appears to be the west border of the property. The other side of the slough is a pasture with cows in it. The huntable area that's not open grass, is waist high grassy bushes that's somewhat difficult to walk through, especially for my young sons 9, 11, and 13. The 9 year old was done after walking through that stuff for about 100 yrds, as it was chest high for him. There is no real structure or lanes or things to break it up, so I could see guys wandering through it following theirs running dogs like madmen, not really staying in lines that are predicable. Frankly it looked like a horrible place to bring young kids to, especially on a busy weekend morning, which is often the only times we'd be able to get them out there due to school. WDFW said they are releasing birds on Wed afternoons, Sat and Sun afternoons. We were there on Thursday afternoon with 2 dogs and never saw a thing. With the cost running close to $150 for 3 kids and only a handful of weekend days to get out there with our schedule, we're skipping the whole west side thing this year and gonna stay east for wild birds.

Good luck out there for those that want to try. Looks like nothing but a headache to me.

MP123 · « **Reply #32 on:** October 08, 2010, 12:27:45 PM »

I haven't been down to check it out yet but it sure looks small on the WDFW info. A small release site with no real cover means those birds will be pushed out of bounds by 8:05 AM or so

It also looks like cars on Hi. 2 might get a few pellets on the windshield...

SnowDog · « **Reply #33 on:** October 08, 2010, 02:17:29 PM »

Quote from: MP123 on October 08, 2010, 12:27:45 PM

It also looks like cars on Hi. 2 might get a few pellets on the windshield...

The safety zone is a ways from hwy 2, but if people are taking shots toward the road, right at the edge of the safety zone, they deserve to loose the right to hunt or own a firearm imho.

Cheers!
SD

singleshot12 · « **Reply #34 on:** October 09, 2010, 09:11:35 AM »

If wdfw really want the pheasant program to continue they really need to get their chit together and find much more sensible release sites in the North Snohomish and Skagit counties. Most people have givin up because of crouded spots and the loss of two major release sites.

I know that the managers involved in the program are looking for input and help finding future pheasant property and also help developing the land. So if anyone knows of a suitable area with atleast 200 acres of habitat that could be bought or leased please notify John Garret,Russ Link, or Brandon - -.

cowboytodd · « **Reply #35 on:** October 09, 2010, 11:20:07 AM »

The first thing to do is get rid of the managers, just look what they have done to Fir island and Skagit county. If the hunters could come together they could lease there own land, purchase there own pheasants, and cut WDFW all together. After all WDFW is not a friend to most land owners and farmers.

singleshot12 · « **Reply #36 on:** October 09, 2010, 12:51:04 PM »

How do we get rid of the managers? It would be nice to elect our own commissioners too, but that just isn't the way it is. None of them really seem to give a rats ass out the program and I'm sure they would just rather see it go away,but wouldn't their jobs go away with it?
Seems the only logical thing to do is lease our own land and raise our own pheasants,may be the only way to hunt pheasants on the west side soon.
Flooding The Skagit Headquarters and Leque Island was just plain wrong on their part. Ducks Unlimited and the Tribes supported it but was never suppose to happen.

PatoLoco · « **Reply #37 on:** October 09, 2010, 01:39:28 PM »

Things may not be good now as far as management goes, but wait till Garrett retires and they hire some evergreen grad to replace him. That's the next battle to pick folks. Like him or not he advocates for the hunter more than anybody in region 4 dfw.

Stilly bay · « **Reply #38 on:** October 09, 2010, 01:40:46 PM »

Quote from: singleshot12 on October 09, 2010, 12:51:04 PM

Flooding The Skagit Headquarters and Leque Island was just plain wrong on their part. Ducks Unlimited and the Tribes supported it but was never suppose to happen.

I heard from a very reliable source that the fight to flood leque was at standstill because of the watershed threat to camano, and while papers were being sorted and research was being done, the dike at leque just kinda "broke open" thats why there are those big blue bags there now, its an attempt to keep back the rush of tide water until they figure out what should be done. I imagine if the flooding plans goes through; the highway to camano would need to be raised and erosion would be need to be dealt with.
wether the dike broke on its own or someone took it upon themselves to do it I can't get a clear answer on.

dragonballs · « **Reply #39 on:** October 11, 2010, 10:42:54 AM »

I saw a bunch of people hunting that area on oct 3rd and thought it was just a youth hunt. Might have to check it out it would be close and great to let the springer work.