Fir Island Snow Goose Hunting

[White Tornado]

Noticed in the regs that there was no mention of the requirement to use decoys while hunting Snows on Fir Island this year. Called the WDFW and they confirmed that that requirement had been lifted this year do to many complaints. I have mixed feelings about this. I know the snow geese begin to avoid decoy spreads as the season progresses but I sure do hate seeing the situation return to the unethical free for all that prompted that rule in the first place. 

Any thoughts?

[seth30]

Noticed in the regs that there was no mention of the requirement to use decoys while hunting Snows on Fir Island this year. Called the WDFW and they confirmed that that requirement had been lifted this year do to many complaints. I have mixed feelings about this. I know the snow geese begin to avoid decoy spreads as the season progresses but I sure do hate seeing the situation return to the unethical free for all that prompted that rule in the first place. 

Any thoughts?

I hope we dont see that again!  Hopefully fellow hunters will correct any probs on the spot, and if they cant be corrected calld WDFW and have the bad apples removed

[CP]

Stupid regulation, I’m glad it is gone.

[Special T]

Since they are imposing the $13 harvest card mabe it will reduce the numbers... Do you think that is a possibility? Or do you think they took it away so that it will not affect the purchases as much?

[seth30]

Since they are imposing the $13 harvest card mabe it will reduce the numbers... Do you think that is a possibility? Or do you think they took it away so that it will not affect the purchases as much?

Is that card for early season only? 

[h2ofowlr]

The $13 is the fee to pick up the cards.  You probably won't see it as bad.  Lots of bird are starting to use other areas besides Fir Island.  Lots of them are heading to California as well. 

[White Tornado]

Since they are imposing the $13 harvest card mabe it will reduce the numbers... Do you think that is a possibility? Or do you think they took it away so that it will not affect the purchases as much?

Hard to say if it will reduce the number of slob hunters and skybusters. $13.00 is not much of a deterrent. H2o is right about the birds dispersing over a wider area and that certainly helps. I still think we will be subjected to a black eye in the public opinion of hunting in general. A large flock of snows will be feeding in a field next to a county road and a dozen or so tourists and bird watchers will be parked alongside the road admiring and photographing the large flock that feeds only 30 yards away. Along comes a group of 4 or 5 "hunters" and parks next to the viewers. They proceed to split up and surround the flock of a thousand or so birds. Eventually one of the "hunters" spooks the flock over his buddies and the carnage begins. Dead birds falling, crippled birds sailing into the next field or across the road. All this to the horror and dismay of the viewing public only a few hundred feet away. It does not end there however. The flock flies a half mile away and the whole scenario repeats its self again and again.
Don't be surprised to see videos on utube and articles posted by the anti group!!   

[Navyrep1]

That "free for all" you mention really gets on my nerves.  Granted, you take what you get on public land but it really pisses me off when all those skybusters show up and ruin an otherwise great day.  I was deployed all of last year so I didn't get to hunt at all.  But the year before I got drawn for one of those Fir Island quality hunts, what a let down.  I picked my three best hunting buddies for the hunt, all were pumped up.  Great decoy spread, perfect cover, and a bunch of birds flying.  Every single time we'd get birds cupped and set to come into our spread, the *censored*es in the next plot would start taking passing shots at them and everything else in the air WAAAAAYYYY out of range...every single time.   Those idiots much have shot an easy $400 in shells without a single bird.  We all shared a few select words but in the interest of being law abiding citizens and ethical hunters, fell well short of returning fire.  We finally had enough and packed it in for the day without a single bird.  I forget his name but it just so happened one of the WDFW guys was out there observing the fields and saw the whole debacle.  We ended up talking with him for a while.  He said it was definately an ongoing problem that was being looked at but there wasn't a solution in sight.  My solution...keep them skybusting Seattle fools in the city where they belong.  No offense to you Seattle-ites that actually know what you're doing.  Stanwood/Conway used to be a great place to hunt public land...not anymore.  All the idiots have spoiled it for everyone.  Maybe they should have "Locals Only" hunting days.  Hell, I'd even pay a permit fee for that....the state is raping us enough as it is, what's a few more $$.   

[Special T]

They do its in the middle of the week! 

[Navyrep1]

HAHA.....yeah I know.  The *censored* population goes significantly down mid-week.  I play hooky whenever possible...that's about the only time I ever go down there anymore.  Weekends just aren't worth it most of the time.

[BOWHUNTER45]

This sounds like another culling the flock instead of the herd for skagit co .... Tourists everwhere and no where for the hunter to hide !!!!!!!! I guess we quit hunting along any country road ... Last year 3 staters came to us and got on the load speaker and said ....REPORT TO YOUR VEHICLE NOW !!! I go back and they said someone called and said we were shooting SWANS  So after that I QUIT !!!

[Special T]

Guess what, if they wanted to give me the "inspection" they can walk out and talk to me... BH45 were you at one of the established quality hunts?

[Happy Gilmore]

This sounds like another culling the flock instead of the herd for skagit co .... Tourists everwhere and no where for the hunter to hide !!!!!!!! I guess we quit hunting along any country road ... Last year 3 staters came to us and got on the load speaker and said ....REPORT TO YOUR VEHICLE NOW !!! I go back and they said someone called and said we were shooting SWANS  So after that I QUIT !!!

Don't you wear hearing protection when you hunt? I didn't hear anything officer, honestly....

[singleshot12]

 You got the hunters chasing the geese, you got the game wardons chasing the hunters, and then you got the bird watchers chasing the game wardons, this continues going around in circles all day. It's a joke, times have definitely changed on Fir Island.

2 thoughts for a solution to the problem-  1st, Keep the bird watchers on a designated area like the refuge or a separate bird watching season after the hunting season. Snow goose hunters should be left alone to do their thing without being under public scrutiny all the time.
2nd, Flock shooting or ground sloughing is currently legal. So until that law is changed.

Also a 3 strikes rule should be put into place. 3rd time being written up for doing something stupid or unethical they get their snow goose card pulled for 5 years.

But the problem with that is they can't really be written up for doing something unethical or stupid but they can be written up for reckless endangerment or shooting over their limit while flock shooting.

[h2ofowlr]

It's pretty much a joke down there.  All these quality hunts and draws didn't do anyone a favor.  It was in response to, too much depredation, but it increased the hunters for a small area 10 fold.  The WDFW tried to fix an issue and created another huge issue.  To bad they just didn't up the harvest quota.  Some days you are in the right field and you do awsome.  Other days it is hit or miss.