Hunting Washington Forum

Other Hunting => Waterfowl => Topic started by: aman on October 14, 2018, 04:22:53 PM

Title: I'd like to try hunting snow geese in skagit valley
Post by: aman on October 14, 2018, 04:22:53 PM: I'd like to try some snow geese hunting and I have a few questions.

Are their public land opportunities available for snow geese hunts near Skagit Valley? I've heard Fir Island is a popular spot but I don't see any public land there.

Assuming I can find some land to hunt...

How many decoys would I need?
Can I make some cheap wind sock-type decoys myself?

Thanks so much for your help.
Title: Re: I'd like to try hunting snow geese in skagit valley
Post by: HookedOnQuack on October 14, 2018, 04:39:23 PM: You need a special snow goose authorization and i believe they have already done the drawings but i could be wrong. Havent done it in years
Title: Re: I'd like to try hunting snow geese in skagit valley
Post by: Duckgtr on October 14, 2018, 04:46:58 PM: Yes to public. I hunt there for snows later in the year, to be effective you need a big spread most of the time.
Title: Re: I'd like to try hunting snow geese in skagit valley
Post by: aman on October 22, 2018, 07:05:30 PM: I gotta take a look and see if it's still possible to get an authorization. I'm in Kent. Let me know if you want to go up there and hunt together.
Title: Re: I'd like to try hunting snow geese in skagit valley
Post by: Stein on October 22, 2018, 07:29:51 PM: I know a bunch of people that hunt for them and get a few a year. I know a very few amount of people that crush them. The later almost exclusively have at least a trailer full of decoys and know exactly where the birds want to be and can get access to that piece of property.

If you drive around, you will find places where people jump or pass shoot them. It's hard to hide 5,000 obnoxiously loud birds.
Title: Re: I'd like to try hunting snow geese in skagit valley
Post by: Special T on October 22, 2018, 07:58:51 PM: If you use the Go Hunt waterfowl map feature you can see all the reservation and feel free to hunt pieces on fir island.Rob Wingard is the private lands bio for the area and gave a great presentation on the program at the last NW chapter of Washington waterfowl Association that Stein and I both attended. The snows frequent more than fir island, but scouting and weather are important factors.

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Title: Re: I'd like to try hunting snow geese in skagit valley
Post by: lokidog on October 22, 2018, 11:32:45 PM: Quote from: aman on October 22, 2018, 07:05:30 PM
I gotta take a look and see if it's still possible to get an authorization. I'm in Kent. Let me know if you want to go up there and hunt together.

You can get the authorization any time. You will have to contact them directly to get your first one. The folks in Oly are usually helpful for this. If you plan on hunting Sea ducks or Brandt, you might as well get those at the same time.
Title: Re: I'd like to try hunting snow geese in skagit valley
Post by: PatoLoco on October 23, 2018, 04:26:49 PM: Quote from: Special T on October 22, 2018, 07:58:51 PM
If you use the Go Hunt waterfowl map feature you can see all the reservation and feel free to hunt pieces on fir island.
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Are there DFW Private Lands fields on Fir Island this year? I don't recall there being any for a number of years.
Title: Re: I'd like to try hunting snow geese in skagit valley
Post by: aaronoto on October 23, 2018, 08:29:23 PM: Quote from: PatoLoco on October 23, 2018, 04:26:49 PM
Quote from: Special T on October 22, 2018, 07:58:51 PM
If you use the Go Hunt waterfowl map feature you can see all the reservation and feel free to hunt pieces on fir island.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

Are there DFW Private Lands fields on Fir Island this year? I don't recall there being any for a number of years.

None. You'll still find some farmers with feel free to hunt signs in the their fields on Fir Island, but it's not through the Quality Hunt program.
Title: Re: I'd like to try hunting snow geese in skagit valley
Post by: h2ofowlr on October 24, 2018, 07:48:39 AM: Geese are trickling in. Been watching the numbers build up.