Waterfowl 2022

[Smalma]

As our long term tradition my son and I along with a friend took part in the opening day of the waterfowl season. Our choice was targeting snow geese (one of the climate change winners). Hit the field shortly after 5 AM to put out our decoy spread and were ready for action before shooting time (6:55 AM). From about 10 minutes after shoting time until 10:30 we had steady action. End the morning with full limits of snows along with some bonus cacklers (3), a large Canada, and a whitefront goose. With the whitefront I was the lucky hunter to complete the rare trifecta (a snow, cackler and whitefront) only second time I accomplished that feat in more than 50 years of waterfowl hunting.

With 35 retrieves we had one tired lab but a day to be remembered made all the better that it was with my long-term hunting partner: my son.

Curt

 

[Scott Salzer]

Very nice trifecta.

Years ago my hunting partner shot an emperor goose at Nisqually.

 

[Smalma]

We saw an emperor at the mouth of the Snohomish in the mid-1980s and a few days later a friend who was in taxidermy harvested and mounted it.

About 4 years ago in October I saw a barnacle goose on Fir Island. Of course, with regulation changes (2019?) the taking of either an emperor or barnacle goose is no longer legal but nevertheless cool to see while in the field.

 

[Billy]

Sounds like a good day!

We got a Brant above Sprague Lake one year around 2006. Came in with a flock of dinks. In hindsight it probably wasn't legal but it's not like you scan a flock of Canada's for Brant in eastern Washington when you pop out of the pit.

We did ask some game wardens and they were not really sure.

 

[Roper]

Since I’m not set up for waterfowl other than camo and gun, any recommendations for a guided trip. Most places aren’t set up for a solo hunter.

 

[Guy Gregory]

Since I’m not set up for waterfowl other than camo and gun, any recommendations for a guided trip. Most places aren’t set up for a solo hunter.

I assume you're wanting an E. WA guide. Most guiding outfits operate out of TriCities or Moses, hunting leases in the Columbia Basin Project area. You can google them, of course. Pacific Wings has been around for ever, Bill Saunders is a call maker and has a guide service he's run for as I recall at least 10 years, there's lots of others that use good guides and have good ground. I don't think you can go too far wrong with any of them as far as opportunity goes.

 

[Uptonogood]

I assume you're wanting an E. WA guide. Most guiding outfits operate out of TriCities or Moses, hunting leases in the Columbia Basin Project area. You can google them, of course. Pacific Wings has been around for ever, Bill Saunders is a call maker and has a guide service he's run for as I recall at least 10 years, there's lots of others that use good guides and have good ground. I don't think you can go too far wrong with any of them as far as opportunity goes.

Bill Saunders runs a good guide service. Hunted with him a few times, never disappointed.