Hunting Washington Forum

Other Hunting => Waterfowl => Topic started by: vandeman17 on December 06, 2016, 04:04:02 PM

Title: Ice reports
Post by: vandeman17 on December 06, 2016, 04:04:02 PM
Looks like lots of the area waters will be seeing ice with the cold snap that moved in. Thought it might be nice to start a thread where we can report water conditions. I am heading out tomorrow over here in central wa and will let you guys know what I see
Title: Re: Ice reports
Post by: hdshot on December 06, 2016, 04:22:02 PM
Not good my weather app showing Moses hole teens and 10's for lows the next 9 days.  Tri-cities teens and 20's for lows with highs barley in the 30's.  Looks like big water only and the hunters will be crunched together.  Good luck it might be over for me but there seems to always be a warm spell that opens things back up.
Title: Re: Ice reports
Post by: vandeman17 on December 06, 2016, 04:39:02 PM
Not good my weather app showing Moses hole teens and 10's for lows the next 9 days.  Tri-cities teens and 20's for lows with highs barley in the 30's.  Looks like big water only and the hunters will be crunched together.  Good luck it might be over for me but there seems to always be a warm spell that opens things back up.

I actually prefer hunting after a freeze. Find moving water and some feed and you are set  :tup:
Title: Re: Ice reports
Post by: sakoshooter on December 06, 2016, 10:42:32 PM
Not good my weather app showing Moses hole teens and 10's for lows the next 9 days.  Tri-cities teens and 20's for lows with highs barley in the 30's.  Looks like big water only and the hunters will be crunched together.  Good luck it might be over for me but there seems to always be a warm spell that opens things back up.

I actually prefer hunting after a freeze. Find moving water and some feed and you are set  :tup:

Agree
Title: Re: Ice reports
Post by: Stein on December 07, 2016, 09:39:32 AM
Ice everywhere on the west side, wish I was on the river this morning as there are plenty of birds in the valley but no reason for them to leave the river as everything is frozen solid.
Title: Re: Ice reports
Post by: vandeman17 on December 07, 2016, 05:00:12 PM
Everything is freezing up in the basin. Went out this morning and had to break a thin layer of ice. Next week or two should be good.
Title: Re: Ice reports
Post by: Brad Harshman on December 08, 2016, 07:48:00 PM
Went out this afternoon and was walking on frozen ponds along Dodson road.  Worst duck season ever.
Title: Re: Ice reports
Post by: Phishead on December 08, 2016, 10:24:19 PM
Anyone know if the launch on the north end of potholes is still open? Wondering if there's still water flowing or if it all locked up.
Title: Re: Ice reports
Post by: crabcreekhunter on December 09, 2016, 09:49:28 AM
Excited to finally get out, heading to moses tonight... with thia weather should be a stellar shoot!
Title: Re: Ice reports
Post by: hdshot on December 09, 2016, 10:38:02 AM
Excited to finally get out, heading to moses tonight... with thia weather should be a stellar shoot!

Good luck, with all the teens and 20's all the shallow still water will be frozen up and the open areas could be caked up with hunters no where to spread out. But worth a try because single digits are migrating in after the weekend then the fat lady will be singing for awhile looking at my weather app.  Goose should be hot around Patterson for the very few folks that have access to those fields but some could make the feel free hunt stubble.  I'm gonna wait it out with tamarack in the wood stove.  8) 
Title: Re: Ice reports
Post by: crabcreekhunter on December 09, 2016, 11:20:01 AM
Warm spring fed moving water doesnt freeze too easily, our farm always loads up with these freezes
Title: Re: Ice reports
Post by: ducksdogsdownriggers on December 09, 2016, 01:16:42 PM
Warm spring fed moving water doesnt freeze too easily, our farm always loads up with these freezes
I like the sound of that! :yeah:
Title: Re: Ice reports
Post by: hdshot on December 09, 2016, 01:26:07 PM
Warm spring fed moving water doesnt freeze too easily, our farm always loads up with these freezes

I have a place once when the farmer gave my friend and me permission the whole season mainly to tell others no more easily.  His field pond would get filled up with ducks and geese hard to hunt but we would leave big flocks of ducks alone and concentrate on geese and small flocks of ducks.  Then the pond would freeze and the big flocks of ducks would move to a spring fed pond on his property and we would have 2 man drake limits in half hour by just taking out singles mainly coming back.  Unfortunate someone must of cried and now we can only non-weekends and the new group of hunters by judging of the 4-5 boxes of empty casings littered must unload on anything in range and now the ducks don't use the ice free pond in any hunt able numbers because all the ducks are now shot off the field pond before it freezes.

I don't know how you hunt but manage it properly by leaving big flocks alone and you could get several good days in a row by just saving the trigger finger for aces and deuces coming back after being chased off from setting up the deeks.     
Title: Re: Ice reports
Post by: crabcreekhunter on December 09, 2016, 01:44:10 PM
Never have worried about scaring birds out of the area, little to no hunting pressure.  Used to kill 800 birds off the place in a year, cold and late in the season is the best as long as the fields dont get too buried in snow. 
Title: Re: Ice reports
Post by: hdshot on December 09, 2016, 02:36:49 PM
Never have worried about scaring birds out of the area, little to no hunting pressure.  Used to kill 800 birds off the place in a year, cold and late in the season is the best as long as the fields dont get too buried in snow.

I believe it, our two gun almost got 100 ducks and geese in the last two of a season a few years ago.  It was insane to me since limited to public dirt most of the time.

Title: Re: Ice reports
Post by: 206 on December 09, 2016, 02:54:05 PM
Never have worried about scaring birds out of the area, little to no hunting pressure.  Used to kill 800 birds off the place in a year, cold and late in the season is the best as long as the fields dont get too buried in snow.

Full time guide tote toes
Title: Re: Ice reports
Post by: STS on December 09, 2016, 07:58:51 PM
Excited to finally get out, heading to moses tonight... with thia weather should be a stellar shoot!

It's freezing up quick. hunted the lake today and the ice is just, and I mean Just south of the launch. bird numbers are ok, not stellar. Son and I picked up three cripples from the east side of the lake today. Guys hit them pretty hard, but No effort to finish the job.... I guess goes 65 yard shots aren't what they used to be  :dunno:
Title: Re: Ice reports
Post by: curtdiesel on December 13, 2016, 11:21:33 AM
Ice in the Toppenish FWS unit was about 1" thick last Saturday.  I bet it will be double that by this weekend.  Temps haven't been above freezing all week.  Anyone know how thick the Ice is at McNary?  I have a pick there next Wednesday.
Title: Re: Ice reports
Post by: C-Money on December 13, 2016, 12:18:57 PM
Excited to finally get out, heading to moses tonight... with thia weather should be a stellar shoot!

It's freezing up quick. hunted the lake today and the ice is just, and I mean Just south of the launch. bird numbers are ok, not stellar. Son and I picked up three cripples from the east side of the lake today. Guys hit them pretty hard, but No effort to finish the job.... I guess goes 65 yard shots aren't what they used to be  :dunno:

Always some cripples around....Eagles gotta eat!!
Title: Re: Ice reports
Post by: gasman on December 13, 2016, 03:19:55 PM
So far the plan is to go over this weekend. Hope to find some open water holding ducks  :hunter:

Any advise would be helpful  :tup:
Title: Re: Ice reports
Post by: sakoshooter on December 13, 2016, 09:31:34 PM
Nephew and I are gonna hit the Big C some place by Vantage this weekend. With most everything else freezing up, I'm excited. Diver time.
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