Hunting Washington Forum
Other Hunting => Waterfowl => Topic started by: bramem15 on December 07, 2016, 07:28:13 PM
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My buddies and I are just getting started with hunting have have made a ton of mistakes (building our blind in some mud flats at mid tide only to return the next day and find it under ~ 3 feet of water in ~ 3 minutes :bdid: ) and gotten lucky once or twice (2/4 (i am one of the 2) got black tail bucks our first season in the mountains near where I grew up :tup: )
We have hunted a few of the quality hunt spots in the skagit and not had great luck. We are looking for something a little closer to king county. I think we will end up heading out either way, but does any one have any good experiences in either of these spots? All the old threads are people grumbling about pheasant hunters and hours. We are leaning towards crescent lake because ya know water, and proximity to the river.
Thanks in advance, and also for the great forum, we have lurked since last Jan.
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Watch for flooding of the valley. When the river is coming up it's the time to hit the fields.
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Those spots in the Snoqualmie Wildlife Areas (Cherry, Crescent, Stillwater) are CROWDED, even on weekdays. If you like watching birds that are 200 feet in the air get shot at and have guys set up 50yds from you at first light, have at it! There's been a group of 3 young guns out at Cherry Valley skybusting almost every morning I've hunted out there. Welcome to Public Land on the West side amigo!
Crescent does offer some decent spots if you scout it hard enough. You gotta have the spot on the spot for it to be good, and not many guys hunt it until things flood, might be worth a shot.
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The problem when the valley floods is there is sooooo much water everywhere, the birds can go literally anywhere they want.
Also with all the drainage canals in cherry valley, I wouldn't be walking around out there in a flood. You'll take a step and be over your head and not even know it.
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I would stick with Skagit there is more opportunities especially now that new birds are moving in.
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Awesome, thanks guys. I may or may not actually know one of the young guns out there sky busting in the morning.
It looks like our plan is to try cherry valley, just because it is so much closer to where we are Saturday. Being mindful of the channels and the fact that we are competing with abunch of other people. Then Sunday hit up skagit valley, one of the quality hunts.
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Awesome, thanks guys. I may or may not actually know one of the young guns out there sky busting in the morning.
It looks like our plan is to try cherry valley, just because it is so much closer to where we are Saturday. Being mindful of the channels and the fact that we are competing with abunch of other people. Then Sunday hit up skagit valley, one of the quality hunts.
You'll likely be one of only 10-15 other vehicles in the parking lot. I can see it from my house.
It's crazy busy there....honestly can't understand how so many people can hunt there without shooting each other and/or setting up on top of one another.
:dunno:
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How early do you have to get there to get the blind?
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I used to hunt Cherry Valley and Crescent lake until these signs went up. No entry before 8:00?? Are you kidding me? I wish the signs said, "waterfowlers no entry before 8:00 during Pheasant season." Both of those spots are a joke for duck hunting. I got sick of getting up early doing everything right and having some joker walk in at shooting time and bust my hunting. I've seen soccer moms walk dogs at Cherry Valley during hunting season. Hint: from the air, birds that have been shot at all the way down the valley don't want to land in an area crawling with people and skybusters. I'm having the same sky busting problem at the Skagit this year. No one wants to let birds work and cup for landing. All day last Sat. our birds got shot at on the swing by guys set up 100 yrds from us. It leads to everyone pass shooting = gut shot birds. disgusting. Might need to take a few years off and save for $ private land or duck club. Sad State.
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I used to hunt Cherry Valley and Crescent lake until these signs went up. No entry before 8:00?? Are you kidding me? I wish the signs said, "waterfowlers no entry before 8:00 during Pheasant season." Both of those spots are a joke for duck hunting. I got sick of getting up early doing everything right and having some joker walk in at shooting time and bust my hunting. I've seen soccer moms walk dogs at Cherry Valley during hunting season. Hint: from the air, birds that have been shot at all the way from Canada don't want to land in an area crawling with people and skybusters. I'm having the same sky busting problem at the Skagit this year. No one wants to let birds work and cup for landing. All day last Sat. our birds got shot at on the swing by guys set up 100 yrds from us. It leads to everyone pass shooting = gut shot birds. disgusting. Might need to take a few years off and save for $ private land or duck club. Sad State.
There is plenty of land to find a place without sky busters you just have to keep at it, it took me 5 years to finally find somewhere I can hunt in peace and have a good hunt
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How early do you have to get there to get the blind?
Yesterday probably.
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I used to hunt Cherry Valley and Crescent lake until these signs went up. No entry before 8:00?? Are you kidding me? I wish the signs said, "waterfowlers no entry before 8:00 during Pheasant season." Both of those spots are a joke for duck hunting. I got sick of getting up early doing everything right and having some joker walk in at shooting time and bust my hunting. I've seen soccer moms walk dogs at Cherry Valley during hunting season. Hint: from the air, birds that have been shot at all the way down the valley don't want to land in an area crawling with people and skybusters. I'm having the same sky busting problem at the Skagit this year. No one wants to let birds work and cup for landing. All day last Sat. our birds got shot at on the swing by guys set up 100 yrds from us. It leads to everyone pass shooting = gut shot birds. disgusting. Might need to take a few years off and save for $ private land or duck club. Sad State.
I agree.
Like I said, I can see a lot of Cherry Valley from my house and I used to hunt waterfowl a few times a year at least. I have hunted there exactly 1 time. Never went back. People everywhere.
There is a bunch of shooting around 8:15 or so every Saturday, then maybe a few shots here and there for the rest of the day. I pretty much don't duck hunt anymore at all. I would if I had the opportunity to hunt somewhere that wasn't as crowded, but I never really got into it so I haven't pursued that at all.
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There is plenty of land to find a place without sky busters you just have to keep at it, it took me 5 years to finally find somewhere I can hunt in peace and have a good hunt
Says the guy who got 2 limits on a weekend where I barely saw a duck after daybreak on Sunday!!.. (Jealous... party of 1... your table is ready)
I know. You're right. I've been hunting the Island Unit at the Skagit and I always do better in the bay. (able to get away from the crowds.) My usual hunting partner is in another country for work so I'm stuck hunting with new guys this year and I don't feel I can fully count on them in an emergency situation in the Bay.
I would love to pick your brain or trade hunts... I hunt/fish all over the west side just about every weekend all year long.. It looks like you were on the West Side based on the trees in the background of your massacre photo. Lake, river or salt? What county? come on... just a hint.
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I agree.
Like I said, I can see a lot of Cherry Valley from my house and I used to hunt waterfowl a few times a year at least. I have hunted there exactly 1 time. Never went back. People everywhere.
There is a bunch of shooting around 8:15 or so every Saturday, then maybe a few shots here and there for the rest of the day. I pretty much don't duck hunt anymore at all. I would if I had the opportunity to hunt somewhere that wasn't as crowded, but I never really got into it so I haven't pursued that at all.
What's sad is that Snoqualmie valley has a TON of ducks and geese that move through the valley. I see lots of expensive hunting clubs in Snoqualmie valley, but no quality hunt, reserve to hunt sites on WDFW. I'm a 5th generation Seattleite. The drive from Seattle to any public land means I'm up at 2:00am every weekend. My grandpa used to hunt Tukwila where southcenter mall is. Now I can't find a descent place to shoot a bird.
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What's sad is that Snoqualmie valley has a TON of ducks and geese that move through the valley. I see lots of expensive hunting clubs in Snoqualmie valley, but no quality hunt, reserve to hunt sites on WDFW. I'm a 5th generation Seattleite.
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Have you done anything to change that scenario? There are a few .org's that deal with public land that can alway use a hand/help. (TRCP, Backcountry hunters/anglers, etc.)
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Don't know if there's much any wildlife org's can do. The valley is mostly private already where the birds are. Lots of houses and lots of private ground which is why the small pieces of public are clogged up with folks. Maybe if the state starts paying landowners to open up access but they won't match the $$ the clubs are getting.
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If I lived around North Bend. I'd rather find a pond or spot on a river near home or run to eastern WA than go all the way up to Skagit.
In all my years of hunting the Quality Hunt places. Only had one great day. Typical was to grind out 1-2 birds.
Not sure if the same 3 young ens, but back in early September I was there for dog training and had 3 young hunters come walking toward us. Terrible muzzle control. I hate it when someone points their gun at me, let alone my boy. We yelled at them and they hardly reacted :bash:
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there either seems to be not enough water to attract birds or so flooded that they have too many options. coupled with the fact that the ever present sky busters will keep any potential birds at bay.
I havn't hunted there in years but what I do remember was 1) not many birds 2) lots of people (there is always someone walking around looking for a spot scaring any birds away) and 3) if a bird comes within 1/4 mile of that place it will be shot at and you will be hard pressed to get a chance.
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How early do you have to get there to get the blind?
Couple weeks ago lol
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You couldn't pay me to hunt Cherry Valley on the weekend. Just saying...
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I firmly believe that most of the birds that use the valley fly at night. Maybe it's normal, but at the right times of the year I can sit on my deck and listen to them fly over all night long.
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I firmly believe that most of the birds that use the valley fly at night. Maybe it's normal, but at the right times of the year I can sit on my deck and listen to them fly over all night long.
100% true jackelope. The wildlife areas are filthy with ducks at night (dont ask how I know) and then disappear before the sun ever comes up.
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I firmly believe that most of the birds that use the valley fly at night. Maybe it's normal, but at the right times of the year I can sit on my deck and listen to them fly over all night long.
100% true jackelope. The wildlife areas are filthy with ducks at night (dont ask how I know) and then disappear before the sun ever comes up.
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I have seen this when being the first boat into a popular west side spot. Literally hundreds of birds rafted up and all were gone once enough people came in making too much noise. By legal hunt time nothing but hunters...
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I would stick with Skagit there is more opportunities especially now that new birds are moving in.
:yeah: Stanwood is good to. Check out Smith Farms or Big Ditch
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is the Stillwater unit as bad as the others as far as far as shooting holes in the sky and overcrowdedness goes?
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This is a great organization. The seattle chapter meets at the Kenmore gun range. They normally shoot some strap before the meeting. My Motto is you get out what you put in. Attend meetings, make some friends and help out with hunting/conservation projects. I have, and have more invites than I have time for.
Im a member of the NW chapter
http://wwa.shuttlepod.org/wwa_chapters