Making us look bad

[2dognight]

I hunt pheasant release sites.  I've seen plenty of people dis them for what ever their reasons are.  I've seen posts saying lots of bad things happen there.  Today was the first time I've ever had a bad experience.  MAYBE  it was the daylight savings time change, but I don't think so.  Two groups started early today at Stillwater unit.  With 2 minutes to go until 8, my son and I watched a guy shooting his first bird.  The other group had already moved through to the next field.  I shouted that it wasn't 8 yet, but he collected his bird and moved on.  Hard to impress good sportsmanship on my son when others our behaving this way.  What would you all do? Call WDFW?  Confront them?  Why can't we all just play nice

[CP]

A friend of mine had a talk with one of the Stillwater early hunters this morning.  This guy had started at sunrise and didn’t know any better.  My buddy calmly explained the rules to him, and that was the end of it.  I’m sure from now on he will wait like everyone else.

[Balladeer]

Last time I was out at Stillwater, I had some folks wedge me out of my spot just before shooting time. I haven't been back since. I guess that's public land, huh?

[2dognight]

Thank your friend.  I've never had a problem before.  Everybody friendly and respectful. 

[270Shooter]

2 minutes before shooting time? Come on what is the big deal with that? Maybe his watch was off.

[2dognight]

He was already shooting.  That means he started hunting at least 5 min before. There is a start time.  If you can start 5 min early, then you can start 10 min early.  We were standing at the safety line waiting.  Why not him?

[270Shooter]

Oh I didnt realize that you cuold not be out in the area until a certain time. I've never hunted an of the west side so i didnt know.

[2dognight]

Sorry I'm a bit tense on the subject.  It's not just the time thing, but I really want my son to be a follow the rules because it's the right thing to do not a it aint against the rules if you don't get caught kind of guy.  Like his dad I suppose.  Maybe I'm a bit of a wonk.  The rules here are comlicated since the areas are so popular.  The busiest areas you have to pick odd or even days.  You can start at 8am on the 7th if you have odd days.  Everyone can start at 10.  If you have even days, you can start at 8 on the 6th, 14th etc.  All areas close at 4PM.  I would love to be able to hunt the east side on a regular basis.  There just isn't time.  I have a release site 20 min from home and I can be home for lunch.

[SpringerFan]

I was out at Stillwater on Saturday for Ducks / Geese.

We came off a pond with a few Geese and a duck....went toward the bridge in the middle of the two fields to head towards the back. All of a sudden a guy is standing on the bridge with his dog. Orange vest on. At 7:45 

That means he had at least a 10 minute walk to get there from either parking lot......

He asked if we had any luck. Said we did and it took everyhitng I had to not be an #$%hole to him.

Looking back, I whould have challenged him being there at that time.

Pretty sad as I hunt Pheasant there as well.

There will always be people who bend  the rules to get an advantage. At least I can sleep at night knowing I have never broke those rules and not pulled the trigger when that first flock of ducks goes up
5 minutes beofre start time.

[carpsniperg2]

it can suck. i have taken youth hunters out to release sites here in east wa. we have got there at daylight and there is people jumpin out of there trucks and shooting birds and starting hunting at first light drives me nuts some times. people don't always follow the rules. all you can do is be legit and know you have done the right things, and followed the rules.

[seth30]

Between the price of pheasant hunting this year, and almost getting my head taken off by a hunter at a realease sight last season, I have called it quits on realease site hunting.  I hate it when everyone is lined up right before 8, and here comes the late hunters, and then here comes there untrained mutts

[SirSpencer]

What stillwater are you guys talking about? The one in the north snoqualmie valley area?

[CP]

Just north of Duvall.

Sorry, directionly challenged:

South of Duvall as the others pointed out.

[BIGINNER]

where do you find rules about what time hunting starts at release sites?  i had no idea there was such rules,  or are those rules just for west side?   i hunted a couple release sites this year,  but only after work, around 3 or 4 pm.  i hate releasi sites eather way,  but since this is my first season i gotta deal with it and look for better spots.

[CP]

where do you find rules about what time hunting starts at release sites?  i had no idea there was such rules,  or are those rules just for west side?   i hunted a couple release sites this year,  but only after work, around 3 or 4 pm.  i hate releasi sites eather way,  but since this is my first season i gotta deal with it and look for better spots.

http://wdfw.wa.gov/publications/01016/wdfw01016.pdf

[Curly]

I have to admit that the first time I went to a pheasant release site to hunt pheasants I knew the 8:00 hunting time rule, but I had no clue about having to stay in the parking area until 8:00.  I figured the 8:00 thing was a shooting time and as long as we didn't shoot until 8:00 I didn't see the point in everyone standing in the parking lot.

My wife and I and the dog started heading out past the fence about 5 minutes early to kind of get spread out away from the crowd of people at the parking lot.  Some guy yelled over at us and informed us of the rules......... I felt like an idiot, but I swear the signs just said shooting time was 8:00 and there was not anything that said no entry until 8:00..   I never hunted the site in the morning again, it was too much of a zoo with everyone running at 8:00.

[fethrduster]

I hunt scatter creek and everyone there waits until 8 to enter.  I don't why it's such a hard concept to understand.

[SpringerFan]

Just north of Duvall.

Nope. That is Cherry Valley. Stillwater is south of there and just before Carnation.

[jackelope]

 
Cherry Valley is just north of Duvall. Stillwater is the area made up of a couple parking spots a couple miles north of Carnation. There's also Crescent Lake just west of the prison farm out here in the valley.

[mjbskwim]

I talked to a guy about this kind of thing.
He and his dad were out,with him having the only shotgun.ad was watching.
A duck flew over at ten minutes before shooting.Dad yells at the kid (30+yo) for not shooting it.

They get back to the parking and are commended by the game cop for not shooting the bird before shooting time.
The warden had been watching thru binos.

Never know

[SirSpencer]

okay, i figured that was the stillwater you were talking about but since im from duvall it just seems like such a small place for people to go out too.

[jackelope]

There was 11 vehicles between the 2 parking lots at Cherry Valley on sunday. I don't see how that could possibly be enjoyable or safe for that matter, especially if you have to pay 90something bucks to do it.

[h2ofowlr]

It must not apply on the Samish unit.  Earlier in the season I was first in the parking lot.  I was going to wait until 8:00 to head out.  Then everyone started rolling in.  They would load up there gear, walk down the trail and stand at the head of a field with the bird dogs.  As soon as it was 8, everyone started walking in and shooting started.  It was nuts.  Not doing the west side phesant again.

[singleshot12]

I think it's ok to stand behind the safety zone signs (before 8:00) surrounding the field,never heard of having to stay in the parking lot,seems that would cause more of a stampede at the 8 o'clock opening,lol.
They really do need to open a few more sites if they want the program to continue and be successful, by helping to distribute the hunters and make it more safe and enjoyable.

[CP]

It’s a very popular and self sustaining program.  In the WDFW eyes that makes it successful, and they have opened some new spots.  But let’s face it, it isn’t hunting and the birds are not wildlife.  It’s more like a live trap shoot.  I do it because it’s close and easy and good training for my young dog.  But it seems to get more crowded as the season goes and less of a positive learning experience for the dog.

[singleshot12]

Most people are against it including most of the wdfw commission. I used to be against it too until I started training my labs on them, it became a kick in the pants,junior loved it too. No it's not what you call real hunting but some of those roosters got smart fast if they survived the first 10 minutes,lol. Atleast you could pretend you were hunting real pheasants,the dogs didn't care and where else can you find pheasants in the west side? Hunting eastern wash.was getting too expensive .

[fast60eddie]

I wouldn't wait in line at the safety sign I would go to the corner of one of those barley patches and wait for the 0800 hour. Stillwater is a crapshoot knowmatter what. Try not to be to negitive around the kids. I have seen dads theaching their youngins how not to be.