I have not been out hunting any waterfowl yet this year and was wondering if anyone has any good reports. I am familiar with a number of places in Pierce and Thurston counties as well as a few spots in the Columbia basin so I don't need a place to hunt, just curious if any northerns have moved in yet.

Thanks in advance.

I havn't been out yet either,the reports are pretty bad. I usually hunt potholes most of the time,but the guide service at Mardon has had lots of tough hunts lately.

If you dont know about Waterfowler.com,give the site a try. It has a regional forum and reports page. Having read the reports recently,it looks like I won't be out for awhile.

Good Luck!

I dunno what you mean by northerns.. I know what a northern is, but not whether you mean a large flock or not. I have never seen a large flock of northern mallards.

however, I did happen to miss a perfect shot at three drakes and four hens that HAD to be northerns... those suckers were HUGE.

I live in Enumclaw, so they are in here I guess.

BBVD...
The reason you missed the perfect shot was...you didn't concentrate on one bird. When a group of birds comes in try to kill one bird then shoot at the next one.

Were those birds mallards? If they were your lucky you missed. If you'd have hit those birds you'd have been over your limit on the hens,we don't want that now do we?

Although it's legal to shoot hens,IMHO it's better to leave the hens alone,they make all the babies. Besides...drakes look better in the pictures.

Thanks for the update guys. Sounds like I'm not missing much on the eastside. I have heard pretty good reports from friends of mine that hunt the Hood Canal and several places on this side of the hills. Sounds like the cold snap we had a while back moved some birds in and the nasty weather we've been having are moving some birds. And I've seen a couple decent flights of mallards and geese lately in the evenings.
I still think I'll give it another couple weeks.

Thanks again.

We hunted Crab creek last Sunday and Monday. If you don't know it, it's between Moses Lake and the Potholes.

Sunday was very poor; only 3 birds, with one jump shot from an isolated pond after a hike because we were bored out of our skulls. Monday was great in the early morning. Within two or three hours after shooting time we took 11 birds. Only two hens, three green-wing teal, and the rest drakes. Of course two of us got out of the boat to do something on shore w/o shotguns, and a flock of a dozen or so greenheads came right on in, touched down in our spread, and then high-tailed it out of there! Oh well, it was fun, and missing them means less birds to clean.

Some of the drakes were pretty big, but I am not sure if they were locals or northerns. The way many of the birds responded to our calling and spread makes me think that some of the flocks were northerns. The locals are pretty call and deke shy by now. But I have yet to see many of those huge greenhead flocks flying in yet.

Hope that helps.

Yes they were mallards and no I dont TRY to be a lady killer!!! It just happens.

Kramer,

It's been spotty. Unless we get at least two weeks of a freeze those redlegs, i.e., northerns/grain feed nothern mallards won't be down our way until January. There's been a few but right now I'm seeing Sprig, Gadwall and Widgeon from the waters of Kitsap, Pierce, Thurston, Lewis, Cowlitz, Clark and Skamania. Pacific is another issue.

Hoping to complete the final mods on my Burdick Scull and have at 'em.

5000D

P.S. Was down on the Shilapoo on Friday, i.e., Lake Vancouver. Saw more geese, swans and sand hills than ducks!

I've put in for vacation for the last week of the season and plan on hunting every day. Historically (for me anyway) I've shot more ducks in Jan. here in WA than all three other months combined in any given season. It seems like they are always late, at least the bulk of the birds.

I just wish it was open in Feb./March because I see tons of mallards and geese wintering here then (on the westside).

Well, best of luck to the fellow scattergunners out there and thanks for the info/updates.

Hunted yesterday (12/12) with a buddy and we got 11 greenheads, all big northerns, the ducks were huge. Saturday we got 8 (4 greenies, 1 teal , 2 widgeon, 1 pintail). Lots of ducks flying all day , plenty of shooting!!! The nasty weather helped a bunch.

Fishaday, sounds like you've had some decent shooting. Are you hunting on the westside or eastside?

The westside

are p-tails in season right now???

Yes, pintails are open through the 17th of December. Limit one per day, two in posession.

Will try to post a pic but don't usually have the patience....Last week 4 days in a row near Montesano. 3 shooters each day, limits every day on Mallards and Widgeon. If this pic works here is one of our blinds and a 21 duck salute.

Oh well...want to see pics I can email them to you...I know how to do that

Jim

Jim,

That's a great report! I've hunted down there off hwy 12 and have had some of the best shoots of my life. 45 min. limits of greenheads if they get pushed in off the ocean. We are definitely seeing that kind of weather right now.

Congrats!