collapse

Advertisement


Author Topic: 2024 Waterfowl Season  (Read 46418 times)

Offline abhold87

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Hunter
  • ***
  • Join Date: Oct 2012
  • Posts: 174
  • Location: Moxee
Re: 2024 Waterfowl Season
« Reply #75 on: November 23, 2024, 12:51:17 PM »
Lots of wigeon today but not a single mallard to be seen on the Columbia.
The pursuit of happiness is best spent In the outdoors doing manly stuff like killing things or fishing.

Offline metlhead

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Sourdough
  • *****
  • Join Date: Feb 2014
  • Posts: 1589
  • Location: sw wa
Re: 2024 Waterfowl Season
« Reply #76 on: November 23, 2024, 02:07:22 PM »
Booyah! Smoke them wigeon. Lots of mallards here on westside. Many have moved into the valleys as they take on water.

Offline mboyle0828

  • Trade Count: (+1)
  • Hunter
  • ***
  • Join Date: Mar 2013
  • Posts: 212
  • Location: South Sound
Re: 2024 Waterfowl Season
« Reply #77 on: November 24, 2024, 02:54:20 PM »
Good shoot today. Panz did great and Kumpel loved to try and steal his birds after the retrieve.

Offline metlhead

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Sourdough
  • *****
  • Join Date: Feb 2014
  • Posts: 1589
  • Location: sw wa
Re: 2024 Waterfowl Season
« Reply #78 on: November 24, 2024, 03:48:22 PM »
They love the good company and extra workout.

Offline hdshot

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Longhunter
  • *****
  • Join Date: Jan 2012
  • Posts: 820
  • Location: e wa
Re: 2024 Waterfowl Season
« Reply #79 on: December 01, 2024, 01:40:12 PM »
Been reading DU migration reports around the country under the duck factory from hunters and they seem very disappointed about ducks for the most part but geese sound like they are everywhere if you can get under them.  Anyway one example of the frustration on ducks I’ve been reading about.
Don't read my post if facts hurt your feeling.

Offline metlhead

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Sourdough
  • *****
  • Join Date: Feb 2014
  • Posts: 1589
  • Location: sw wa
Re: 2024 Waterfowl Season
« Reply #80 on: December 01, 2024, 07:49:42 PM »
Must suck to be one dem fellas that don't know they're doin. We'll just keep hammerin em over here. Plenty of ducks in Quincy today while chasin quail. Even put a goose into the vest with em.

Offline metlhead

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Sourdough
  • *****
  • Join Date: Feb 2014
  • Posts: 1589
  • Location: sw wa
Re: 2024 Waterfowl Season
« Reply #81 on: December 01, 2024, 07:53:11 PM »
10 years old and rock solid on point. Hooah

Online Dan-o

  • Global Moderator
  • Trade Count: (+30)
  • Explorer
  • *****
  • Join Date: Jul 2010
  • Posts: 17629
Re: 2024 Waterfowl Season
« Reply #82 on: December 01, 2024, 11:01:35 PM »
Must suck to be one dem fellas that don't know they're doin. We'll just keep hammerin em over here. Plenty of ducks in Quincy today while chasin quail. Even put a goose into the vest with em.

I think I'm detecting a pattern:   Guys that get after it get it done.     Well done, sir.
Member:   Yakstrakgutp (or whatever we are)
I love the BFRO!!!
I wonder how many people will touch their nose to their screen trying to read this...

Offline metlhead

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Sourdough
  • *****
  • Join Date: Feb 2014
  • Posts: 1589
  • Location: sw wa
Re: 2024 Waterfowl Season
« Reply #83 on: December 02, 2024, 07:12:10 AM »
We are blessed to live in Washington and westside is fortunate to have a solid early migration that is not wholey dependant upon weather.

Offline h2ofowlr

  • CHOKED UP TIGHT
  • Political & Covid-19 Topics
  • Trade Count: (+5)
  • Old Salt
  • ******
  • Join Date: Dec 2008
  • Posts: 9110
  • Location: In the "Blind"! Go Cougs!
Re: 2024 Waterfowl Season
« Reply #84 on: December 02, 2024, 10:11:02 AM »
Been reading DU migration reports around the country under the duck factory from hunters and they seem very disappointed about ducks for the most part but geese sound like they are everywhere if you can get under them.  Anyway one example of the frustration on ducks I’ve been reading about.

I don't even pay attention to those reports anymore.  If you scout, you can get out from under the cloud of doom and gloom.  We have had an excellent season on birds since the start.  Starting to see a bit of a lull which we normally do around this time.  The cold weather is coming, so it should kick things back into gear.
With your report, I am sure they experience the same thing those in E. Washington see, the big clubs that are well managed and have lots of feed, suck a lot of bird to them.  If your still willing to do the work and find the birds, you will shoot limits.
Cut em!
It's not the shells!  It's the shooter!

Offline Mikey The Cat

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Tracker
  • **
  • Join Date: Jul 2022
  • Posts: 30
  • Location: SW Washington
Re: 2024 Waterfowl Season
« Reply #85 on: December 02, 2024, 10:39:48 AM »
I don't know, Gentlemen. I've been at this since 1974, and can honestly say this is the slowest season I may have ever seen. I know how to "get after 'em," and know where they live. They just ain't living there right now. No, I don't hunt the main stem or the Lewis & Clark NWR islands. I don't stack up the juvenile buffleheads, common mergansers, and hen bluebills around Puget Island, BUT I'm not a mallard purist either. It's just one of those years, I reckon -

I will say this. Ten years ago, I saw the widgeon and sprig and GW teal in the places I hunt. Not so much anymore; in fact, I've seen fewer of all three this year than I have since 2015. Not a biologist; just an observation. Have seen more mallards the past couple of years, but even those numbers seem down this year. Fewer cacklers, and the Westerns aren't in the same spots in the same numbers as from 2015 to 2023 -

Weather, perhaps. Water. Tides. Not pressure, at least not where I go. Maybe I just need to hunt harder? Still a good time getting the grandson (13) out and looking at stuff. He observes and appreciates our Mother (Nature), and asks some really good questions that make me think about why I've done this for five decades now. Twenty years ago, I would have been disappointed with the weight of the duck strap. Not so much anymore. Just me, I reckon -

Offline metlhead

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Sourdough
  • *****
  • Join Date: Feb 2014
  • Posts: 1589
  • Location: sw wa
Re: 2024 Waterfowl Season
« Reply #86 on: December 02, 2024, 12:30:57 PM »
Lower Columbia shot awesome last year. I don't venture down til mid December. Puget Island has gotten a lot of pressure making a very early run necesary. With that, a bit of exploration has found two spots within 10miles that are loaded now and believe this, unhunted. Mallards, wigeon and gads.

Offline Mikey The Cat

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Tracker
  • **
  • Join Date: Jul 2022
  • Posts: 30
  • Location: SW Washington
Re: 2024 Waterfowl Season
« Reply #87 on: December 02, 2024, 12:46:56 PM »
I believe for the guy with time, fuel, and ambition, there are 1.57 million places between Cathlamet and Knappton that could hunt well. I'm just not finding the birds where (I think) there should be birds, nor am I seeing them in the numbers I have in the past 5/6 years. No conspiracy theories; just stating an observation. Even the snipe - which I LOVE to hunt and BBQ - aren't around now (in my haunts) as they've been in recent years. Maybe it's all weather. Maybe they're not there. I'm not sure -

Strange, but I sure haven't heard the shooting around PI like usual. Nor out of Gray's Bay. I hear the coast around Long Beach is getting hit pretty hard, but the two old guys with their old dogs who would come and shoot "my" spot every morning for an hour until their coffee cups were empty aren't out this year. Never met them. I miss those old guys -



Offline metlhead

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Sourdough
  • *****
  • Join Date: Feb 2014
  • Posts: 1589
  • Location: sw wa
Re: 2024 Waterfowl Season
« Reply #88 on: December 02, 2024, 02:41:06 PM »
That area sure is special. Wow did we ever kill a ton of bluebills in the channel when we had full limits of them

Offline h2ofowlr

  • CHOKED UP TIGHT
  • Political & Covid-19 Topics
  • Trade Count: (+5)
  • Old Salt
  • ******
  • Join Date: Dec 2008
  • Posts: 9110
  • Location: In the "Blind"! Go Cougs!
Re: 2024 Waterfowl Season
« Reply #89 on: December 02, 2024, 04:18:02 PM »
A combination of late plantings in the Skagit Valley along with really early rains kept a lot of fields from being harvested this season.  Hundreds of acres of corn, barley and spuds didn’t get removed and the birds have been pounding those spots.  Combined with way more leases all planting crops for the birds and having a good grow season.  We are holding some tremendous numbers of birds to the point that it has really slowed down the hunting just south of us at many of the clubs in Snohomish, Monroe, Duvall and Carnation.  Some birds may push south with this cold as many flooded spots are drying up which we needed.  Definitely been an interesting season.
When they do start pushing south they hang up again at the mentioned club from Snohomish to Carnation as every club plants crops specifically for ducks.  Probably hundreds of acres for duck and could be into the thousands.  That doesn’t help those to the south of us.  Whatcom county to the north of us is starting to do similar things as well.  Between Whatcom, Skagit and Snohomish you have north of 60k birds harvested.  We definitely hold the birds.
« Last Edit: December 02, 2024, 04:23:59 PM by h2ofowlr »
Cut em!
It's not the shells!  It's the shooter!

 


* Advertisement

* Recent Topics

What’s For Dinner Tonight by Boss .300 winmag
[Yesterday at 11:16:32 PM]


Truck help by Stein
[Yesterday at 10:13:41 PM]


Stump Grinding & Excavation by ouchfoss
[Yesterday at 08:48:16 PM]


Oregon spring bear by ShaneTyTrey
[Yesterday at 08:43:17 PM]


Ruger M77 7mm/08 16.5" barrel 1:9.50 twist Ammunition Choice by Wingin it
[Yesterday at 08:21:06 PM]


Resign? by Naches Sportsman
[Yesterday at 08:11:22 PM]


New Pole by JWBINX
[Yesterday at 07:20:44 PM]


Calling Cougars? by Cougartail
[Yesterday at 07:10:21 PM]


Another buck to score! by greenhead_killer
[Yesterday at 06:57:01 PM]


Spring Raffle American Legion Smith-Reynolds Post #14 by pianoman9701
[Yesterday at 01:58:48 PM]


I drew EA Grande Ronde any elk. by Maverick
[Yesterday at 01:57:13 PM]


AKC Australian Shepherd Puppies by TeacherMan
[Yesterday at 01:37:07 PM]


What is a decent sub $200 bait casting reel (for bass). by snowshoes22
[Yesterday at 12:29:18 PM]


Any place to hunt squirrels??? by GWP
[Yesterday at 12:13:02 PM]


R.I.P. Jim Cowan by Machias
[Yesterday at 11:38:26 AM]


Mount Lion Took Out My Foxpro by Deer slayer
[Yesterday at 11:19:47 AM]


Guess the score of this typical by The scout
[Yesterday at 11:19:00 AM]


Looking for an elk guide in Washington, preferably around GMU 382 by MeepDog
[Yesterday at 10:12:33 AM]


President Trump's 2 A notice to States by baldopepper
[Yesterday at 09:50:56 AM]

SimplePortal 2.3.7 © 2008-2025, SimplePortal