Hunting Washington Forum

Other Hunting => Waterfowl => Topic started by: Duckslayer0513 on December 23, 2014, 08:16:49 PM

Title: Columbia River Ducks
Post by: Duckslayer0513 on December 23, 2014, 08:16:49 PM
Don't know if this is true but I heard all the ducks in Eastern, Wa are rafted in the middle :bash:Heard in the hundreds of thousands.. If so I now know why some areas don't have as many ducks as usual... Is this true guys?
Title: Re: Columbia River Ducks
Post by: buglin4bulls on December 23, 2014, 08:37:49 PM
Not around wenatchee. Still slow, even for divers.
Title: Re: Columbia River Ducks
Post by: moocher97 on December 23, 2014, 08:39:56 PM
Was just over there near Mattawa hunting and did a quick look on the river and I don't want to say it was absolutely covered but there were probably 1000. The majority of the ducks are in the lower third of the state though I think
Title: Re: Columbia River Ducks
Post by: 270Shooter on December 23, 2014, 08:41:36 PM
There is certainly not hundreds of thousands of ducks on the Columbia, drove from vantage to Brewster last weekend. Tri cities doesn't have many birds now either until the smaller waters freeze up again if they ever do.
Title: Re: Columbia River Ducks
Post by: Brad Harshman on December 23, 2014, 09:19:35 PM
More birds in the marshes than the river.  It's not cold enough to push them there.  There's so many options for them they seem to be scattered everywhere.  It's been a decent hunting year with these mild temps.  Haven't been skunked yet.  And I've experienced some of the best decoy in birds ever.
By the way, if you're referring to Wanapum Reservoir, yeah there's birds on it, just like any year though.  Not missing much because it's closed.  Plenty of other options in the basin. 
Title: Re: Columbia River Ducks
Post by: Tealer on December 23, 2014, 10:08:24 PM
I have seen thousands of wigeon and coot in the middle of the river near Burbank. With the warm weather I highly doubt there are very many on the river.


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Title: Re: Columbia River Ducks
Post by: nickhunter9 on December 23, 2014, 11:56:21 PM
Only if small rivers flood  :tup:
Title: Re: Columbia River Ducks
Post by: fethrduster on December 24, 2014, 05:48:30 AM
I hunted the Columbia near Umatilla one year in January when everything was frozen.  I had a few thousand mallards rafted up in front of my blind about 80 yards out.  Needless to say, it may have been my best hunt ever, and I limited within half an hour on big drakes.  Had a ton of woodies in the dekes too, which I let go.  The Columbia is at its best in those conditions.
Title: Re: Columbia River Ducks
Post by: Gringo31 on December 24, 2014, 08:44:39 AM
Birds are stacked up.  It's all or nothing.
Title: Re: Columbia River Ducks
Post by: HUNTINCOUPLE on December 24, 2014, 08:50:15 AM
I've noticed rafts of birds in the Mid Columbia.
Title: Re: Columbia River Ducks
Post by: quackattack90 on December 24, 2014, 09:06:07 AM
Anybody seeing many rafts in the gorge?
Title: Re: Columbia River Ducks
Post by: vandeman17 on December 24, 2014, 09:15:23 AM
More birds in the marshes than the river.  It's not cold enough to push them there.  There's so many options for them they seem to be scattered everywhere.  It's been a decent hunting year with these mild temps.  Haven't been skunked yet.  And I've experienced some of the best decoy in birds ever.
By the way, if you're referring to Wanapum Reservoir, yeah there's birds on it, just like any year though.  Not missing much because it's closed.  Plenty of other options in the basin.

Only large numbers in the Entiat to Quincy area is geese but that is normal no matter what the weather. Until things start to freeze up, there are way too many options for the birds to use other than the river.
Title: Re: Columbia River Ducks
Post by: Gringo31 on December 24, 2014, 04:51:21 PM
Saw a few the other day.  Took this pic

(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ftapatalk.imageshack.com%2Fv2%2F14%2F12%2F24%2F8b1246bb40879376d8e4a60164e1b720.jpg&hash=80890153ec318bda3636c5b8f1d12312af1e67de)(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ftapatalk.imageshack.com%2Fv2%2F14%2F12%2F24%2F220abde71c126358632cf6a525118e52.jpg&hash=5fed0d290d692fa7ecb9fe713df84a518905362f)
Title: Re: Columbia River Ducks
Post by: Tealer on December 24, 2014, 08:48:03 PM
Lol that's funny


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Title: Re: Columbia River Ducks
Post by: moocher97 on December 26, 2014, 09:54:14 AM
Heading down to basin city/Mesa in the next couple days possibly tonight to hit this weather system. Although I'm torn between hitting now or next week when everything is froze??


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Title: Re: Columbia River Ducks
Post by: eastsidemallard74 on December 26, 2014, 10:07:13 AM
Potholes is freezing up as I sit here hunting.  And the cold is not going to help any
Title: Re: Columbia River Ducks
Post by: vandeman17 on December 26, 2014, 10:15:53 AM
If you have a spot with moving water give it a few days, let things freeze then go get it done  :tup:
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