Kosmos pheasant release site

[Cruiser]

Anybody else out there try the Kosmos site on Saturday morning 10-15?  I don't think they released any birds  .  There was about 30-40 hunters and I heard about 3 shots.  I hunt this release site a lot, and never seen it that bad.  Or maybe someone went in there Friday evening and shot-em all up.

[Sportfury]

I have to agree with you about them seeming not to release birds this year. I have taken my son and gone with my dad to Scatter Creek this year on Sundays and the shooting has been sporadic. I run german wirehaired pointers and they always seem to be able to find some birds. In fact the last time I went we got back to the truck and my girl Sophie locked up on a big rooster in the safe zone right next to a gate where the herd of hunters had started from an hour before.

One thing I have noticed about the birds the past few years is that they are way more flighty. They tend to run more and flush wild almost like hunting wild pheasants. I was at Cabelas today and the girl at the help desk told me that the pheasants they are releasing now are being shipped in from eastern Washington. I have to wonder if they are holding more birds back this year because they extended the season into December this year.

[Shotgun Karaoke]

It was the same yesterday (10/15) at Stillwater and Crescent Lake. Only a handful of shots and an army of orange hunters. It usually sounds like a war zone at Stillwater for the first hour. I kept thinking nothing, or very little, had been released the night before. Sounds like I'm not the only one finding it eerily quiet yesterday.

[pens fan]

I was at Kosmos myself Saturday. No gunshots until 0815. Maybe heard 15 go off in 90 minutes, and I think some of that was grouse by the woods near the creek. No tire tracks or quad tracks any where indicating someone dropped off birds.  Of the few people I spoke to, no one was shooting.
I spoke to the gentleman who releases the birds two years ago and he said then that WDFW was sometimes only giving him 12 birds  for a weekend. I didnt buy a permit last year because of that, plus the fields were not cut. My dog was worn out just getting to the back field. I swore I would only hunt the east side, but gas is so damn expensive, I figured what the hell this year because this is still more affordable. So far I have two $45 birds on three outings. Not very happy at all.