Need waterfowl help in Columbia Basin

[followthescience]

Hi Folks,

I am veteran angler and hunter who has never gotten into waterfowl much other than buying stamps and carrying steel while upland hunting, but then I ended up in Tri-Cities...

Would someone be gracious enough to allow me to tag along on a goose or duck hunt over decoys somewhere in the Columbia Basin?  I want to experience it before I blow all the cash on yet another hobby.  I would gladly trade a turkey hunt in neWA or a float down the Ronde in my Clackacraft (fly or terminal tackle) for including me along.

So far, I've been jump and pass shooting occasional ducks and geese on a local small river, but this warm weather sent the fowl elsewhere.  Please help if you can.

BTW, my name is Jeff, I'm 34, married, and a teacher in Tri-Cities. 

Thanks.

[400out]

Well Jeff don't evaluate or justify buying stamps on one hunt! It can go either way! You could never want to leave or want to leave 1 hour into it! It all depends on the birds. With all this open water they are going to be hard to find  BTW Where do you teach at 

[BIGINNER]

   I'VE NEVER HUNTED DUCKS OR GEESE,  BUT  WELCOME TO THE SITE,... AND DRY-*censored*IES 

[followthescience]

I already have stamps and steel, hence my hunting on a local river that I mentioned.  I'm talking about buying decoys and blinds and all that jazz.  Basically, I'd like to go hunting with someone who's equipped and knows what they're doing to some degree. I'm offering a trip in return if it helps.

I teach at a local college here in TC.

[GWP]

As the one fellow said, it is hit and miss at times. If you are just sitting all day with nothing but Coots to look at, it makes for a long and dissappointing day. You might try one guided hunt to see if it is your cup of tea. Most 'hunts' include a handfull of folks all blasting at the same time, but you might get lucky during the week and be by yourself or with a couple of others. It is still cheaper then buying a bunch of gear. On the decoys, you can buy used and repaint or flock them a lot cheaper then buying new, plus, you will be doing the same thing in a few years anyway.

[ducks55]

I would say going guided for your first "over the decoys" hunt is not the way to go unless you really want to be screwed. A guided hunt isn't half the experience. The full experience is packing deeks out on your back at 5am and setting them yourself, seeing only a few birds in a day sometimes. Not getting to the field, sitting in a warm blind, having the guide do the bitch work and then you get to kill what comes in.. Thats not what waterfowl hunting always is infact it really never is if you have to find the place, set the decoys, etc. with just you and a buddy... thats my  on the subject. If I had more time I'd tell you to come along but the only time I have to hunt is with good friends and not much time on those days to try and "teach" if you will.

Good luck..

[Ellensburg]

Your a teacher, u are probably rich. So go buy a boat and go drive along the columbia until you find a blind. Make that blind yours and throw 2 dozen decoys in front of it... Sound like a plan?

[followthescience]

Yah, huh, huh, huh, huh, huh.  Yassir, that shore is a good un, Ellensburg.

I just joined.  I hope most of the people on here are brighter and more polite than this guy. Thanks to the rest of you who have offered thoughtful responses.

[gaddy]

science, i would love to help you out but ive been unable to go myself the last couple seasons, and my dog is getting fat.

[GWP]

Whew! I guess I know what waterfowl hunting is all about! Thank goodness! I guess my first duck and goose hunt forty-five years ago that I hold with such fondness was not a 'real experience'. What a let down, I just never knew it until now. Wow. I mean, I got to observe the set up, and get told what to expect and how it was going to happen. Got to listen to a great caller work the birds in close and get coaching on the blind and decoy set up. Got to see a great and well trained dog in action. Saw and heard why other hunters we could see and hear were not getting the birds to come to them. Got to shoot some birds too! I guess it was all for naught. Better put those waterfowl experience killing guide services out of business! Course, I now own bags of decoys, have a boat with a blind (shotgun holders, padded seats, heater, and cup holders too!) two hunting dogs, and lots of calls. I still do not have a problem with using a guide service, and still use one myself once in a while. It must be so I can see what I am missing! You Betcha!

[followthescience]

Whoa gentlemen!  I think both of you have great points, but no reason for any of us to make things personal.  Wow. You sound angry, GWP.  Don't be.

I see Ducks55's point about doing it yourself being a better, more ideal way for HIM to hunt.  I'd probably agree and would never pay for a group blast session.  I'd rather get skunked. 

Nonetheless, I appreciate your advice and also see your logic in gaining expertise from, well, an expert.  The only way that I can think of to get better advice than from  a guide is to meet a fellow conservation-minded sportsman who knows what he is doing who would be willing to show me the ropes, for which I would repay him in in-kind outdoor adventures.  That's all I'm trying to do with the post. 
 
The guide would be a surer thing, but I'll stick to only paying guides who can get me on the open ocean.  I've been able to do everything else I've wanted to myself through trial and error and being willing to listen and pay fay forward what I know.  That's my goal here.

[GWP]

Naw, not angry. Just had too much sugar! Everybody has to find their 'own' way and what works for them. Having heard so many 'this is the only way to do this' type things, it does put a burr under my saddle!

[halflife65]

I would say going guided for your first "over the decoys" hunt is not the way to go unless you really want to be screwed. A guided hunt isn't half the experience. The full experience is packing deeks out on your back at 5am and setting them yourself, seeing only a few birds in a day sometimes. Not getting to the field, sitting in a warm blind, having the guide do the bitch work and then you get to kill what comes in.. Thats not what waterfowl hunting always is infact it really never is if you have to find the place, set the decoys, etc. with just you and a buddy... thats my   on the subject. If I had more time I'd tell you to come along but the only time I have to hunt is with good friends and not much time on those days to try and "teach" if you will.

Good luck..

Well, I agree that the full experience is better in the long run.  But if you're not sure about what you're doing and need to learn, just think of it as paying a teacher, teacher.  Pay attention, you'll learn something and you'll probably have a great time.  I do prefer hunting without a guide, but most of them are good at what they do and you can observe and ask questions.  Such as: Why they set up the decoys the way they did, would they change their setup if the wind was blowing in a different direction, why did they choose the type/species of decoys they chose, what if it was small (or big) water, why do they use a particular call cadence at various times when the waterfowl are doing different things, etc.  There's a lot to learn and if you don't have someone to take you, it's going to be frustrating (or it's going to be great - but it's seemingly random.)  I don't have enough experience to teach anybody, myself, or I'd volunteer to take you.  You'd just learn bad habits and how "not" to do it, though.

I'm no duck/goose hunter but I acquired some used decoys (I have a couple of dozen) and throw them out occassionally.  Sometimes they work and sometimes they don't.  And sometimes when they don't there are birds flying around and just ignoring me.  Other times I've knocked the crap out of them and went home in a couple of hours.    I could probably benefit from a trip with a guide, too.

[hunter guy]

Check out the forcast before you go.  If its going to be a nice day out, usually the action will be less.  Wait for some bad weather and book a hunt.  Sorry cant help with the guiding.  Good luck hunting!

[h2ofowlr]

Just try a guided hunt to see if you even like it then throw in a few public hunts.  The guides more than likely will have decent locations as that makes a good portion of the hunt.  The guide itself can be questionable depending on who you go with.   

[GWP]

The 'locations' part of it is important. My wife and I drug our boat all around E-Wa last year only to find ice at our usual spots. We like jump shooting a lot, but the water is too frozen for that for the most part. Hard to find a spot unless you know someone, or have property that is waterfowl friendly. Rather then drive around looking, you could be learning and shooting. Just sayin'!

[followthescience]

Thanks again for most of the advice folks, and thanks to the guy who's gonna hook me up with a spot in a blind for paying it forward and keeping people in the sport and expanding their repetoire--mine in this case.  He understood, as lots of people don't, that what comes around goes around.

For the folks who keep telling me to go with a guide, no thanks, but thanks.  I won't need to, and moreover, I don't want to.  But I appreciate you all thinking that's the way to go. 

For those who want to share actual knowledge of the sport, those without the big hunter's egos and matching insecurity, thanks for keeping the advice or offers coming.  My offer to you is good, and I'll be sure to offer my knowledge in future posts on the site.

[halflife65]

Well, good luck - it sounds like you found a good hookup with the blind.

Oh yeah, I have an ego  , I just know when to shut it off because I don't know too much about a subject (other than attempting to live vicariously through someone like yourself and attempting to convice you to do what I want to do.  Good for you for doing what YOU want to do, though.)

[Ellensburg]

I was just joking around science. But seriously, just get a boat and go for it. Didn't mean to be rude, and if I had any better advice to give, I would.

[T-Rip]

Science,

I will be in Tri-Cities for the weekend hunting waterfowl. My plan is to continue to educate my sons on the specifics of quality duck and goose hunting - Training them to know what it takes on location, decoys and calling to get Birds fully committed and in the decoys for quality shooting. Of course we have a lot of fun, and I enjoy the boys during some of their AH - HA moments as they learn the game.

We are working on a new outdoor show proposal to Versus and the Outdoor Channel for a youth hosted hunting and fishing show. There is interest my sons Max and Dom, that's all we can say for now so we will be taking lots of pictures and some video.

I'm familiar w/ that area as I lived there for 5 years - You are in a very good waterfowl area. If it is easy to hook up we can share some blind space.

Here's a link to one of our hunts - http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,62567.0.html

[Dustin07]

duck hunting can be a challenge in this state. most guys don't want to hunt with you until you have something to offer them in return  but there are a couple really great guys that would take you out, although they are on the west side.

look up the wdfw public spots and just spend a day visiting them, watching the birds, and learning. take your shotty, you never know. These past few years I have made a list of over 20 new locations mostly public, that I actually *like*. Some of them are in your neck of the woods.

I was just joking around science. But seriously, just get a boat and go for it. Didn't mean to be rude, and if I had any better advice to give, I would.

I thought it was funny 

[Happy Gilmore]

Lots of public land to walk into on the Burbank side. Hit the peninsula. Buy a dozen decoys out of the want adds. Won't cost you a lot. Get up early in Tri- Cities for a spot. Consider camping out over night if you find one you can wear your waders to retrieve ducks. Thats the way my brother in law and I did it around the Tri-Cities for years. Most tri-city birds are call shy from most guys down there who call their brains out at every passing bird at 35,000'- less calling and just a couple well placed decoys can be all you need to have some fun. Buy a little bag of dekes, put on your waders and get to your blind by 2am or ealier if its a good one.

thats why I don't duck hunt down there much anymore.

[GWP]

Ok, I'll give up one of our 'secrets' if you will. We jump shoot on canals and rivers and ponds. We carry ONE decoy per person. If they are flocked they have a bag with a rubber band on the head. If it is just me, I carry one hen. They have a long string (20'-30')attached as well as the weight. You tie up the end of the string so you do not loose it, and toss the decoy out. That way you can recover it with out wading in to get it. Yes, sometimes it takes a few throws to get it where you want it. We have gotten plenty of birds using one or two decoys, whether we were in the boat blind, shore blind, or land hunting. Call just enough to get their attention then wait. Make sure you are well hidden. This has worked well for us.