Pacific City ducks

Joss · 01-23-2007, 11:45 AM

Any one hunt Pacific City, like the tidal flats this late in the season. Are there any birds or is it hit and miss.... I've thought about going over and looking around for something a bit different.

dlgobeavs · 01-23-2007, 12:25 PM

What a timely post for me. I'm headed over tomorrow AM for some work on the cabin... and considering hunting the Nestucca flats on Thurs. AM. Does anyone have any info? Is it jump shooting? Could you put out some dekes and get in some decent shots??

Dave

Wetwrk2 · 01-23-2007, 12:56 PM

Becarefull you don't end up on the Refuge. I don't hunt there very often just because the area's you can legally hunt are relatively tiny compaired to Tillamook or Netarts. Good luck- Seth

Steelie28 · 01-23-2007, 01:14 PM

So where are the boundaries of the refuge? Is it just the little river bay or does is spill into the big bay as well? I've thought about hunting down there as well but have never had this cleared up. Guess I'm not talking to the right people.

dlgobeavs · 01-23-2007, 04:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steelie28

So where are the boundaries of the refuge? Is it just the little river bay or does is spill into the big bay as well? I've thought about hunting down there as well but have never had this cleared up. Guess I'm not talking to the right people.

I found a map of the refuge here:

http://www.fws.gov/oregoncoast/images/maps/NB_WEB2.pdf

However, can anyone tell me the difference between "refuge lands" and an "authorized refuge boundary"?

I spoke with ODFW a month or so ago... and was told it was OK to hunt the marshes on the right hand side as you head towards 101 outside of town... but this map makes me nervous!

hawg boss · 01-23-2007, 05:09 PM

Don't hunt in the state park either, it is anything on the west side of the river between the ocean and the boat ramp.

Fisher16 · 01-23-2007, 05:10 PM

I would be VERY carful of the whole area. It seems as though people are unsure of where the boundries are and looks like a legal battle waiting to happen. There are many better places to hunt on the coast and the way that bay is set up with pieces of refuge spread out all over it would make me very nervous to hunt anywhere on that bay or in the general area!

I was told a guy got in quite a bit of trouble for hunting what he thought was open area around there only to find out he was on part of the refuge. The main problem is that most of the refuge land is NOT clearly marked so its a guessing game at best.

Wetwrk2 · 01-23-2007, 06:00 PM

We aren't just trying to keep you guys run off some prime hunting either he-he-he honest. I glass it everytime I drive by and it doesn't hold enough birds for me...especially since the only real bird holding water there is off limits.- Seth

CarBiz · 01-23-2007, 06:07 PM

I grew up duck hunting in that area. It is a really tough spot. I may hunt there once or twice a season. The Refuge covers most of the Little River side of the bay and the State Park covers most of the Big River side on the west. I believe that the marsh on the right going out of town is okay to hunt up to the first corner where the water gets close to the road. Anything from that point on to Little River could be trouble. Then Little river has Refuge on both sides so it is very limited over there as well. All in All not a very productive spot most of the time. The legal land is almost always over hunted.

If you are going to Pacific City take the extra few minutes and go north to Tillamook Bay. A lot more legal hunting and way more land to hunt.

Just my 2 cents

CarBiz

steelhead22 · 01-23-2007, 06:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CarBiz

If you are going to Pacific City take the extra few minutes and go north to Tillamook Bay. A lot more legal hunting and way more land to hunt.

Just my 2 cents

CarBiz

Don't waste your time at T-Bay. My dad lives there, hunted it today (and every day for the last month).....HORRIBLE. There's just flat out NO BIRDS out there right now. Not sure what happened?

MarshBum · 01-23-2007, 06:54 PM

There are birds to be got on the coast, but they are few and far between.

I spent last Sunday scouting most of the North Bays and Tribs. Definitely a different story than a month ago. I will say that Pacific City was the most sparse in terms of ducks. The geese were thick as snot in the fields along 101. They were off limits though, of course. Lots of duskies if I know what I'm looking (no guarantees).

Good luck fellas! Last time over the top before the Long Wait.

Geoff

Steelie28 · 01-24-2007, 05:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dlgobeavs

I found a map of the refuge here:

http://www.fws.gov/oregoncoast/images/maps/NB_WEB2.pdf

However, can anyone tell me the difference between "refuge lands" and an "authorized refuge boundary"?

Looks to me like the boundary is the areas authorized to become actual refuge land should the government decide to purchase and/or designate said areas as such. I agree, with so much dispute about huntable areas, sounds like more trouble than I'm willing to put up with.

Also, I was told that most of the Aleutian goose population hangs out in Pacific City. Those birds are the reason you cannot hunt geese in Tillamook County.

CarBiz · 01-24-2007, 07:35 AM

The duck hunting on the coast tends to really drop off in January...at least where I hunt. I have hunted Lincoln and Tillamook Counties for 15 years and it seems to be the same story every year.

And the geese are OFF Limits over there as well. The Aleutian's are thick over there, but there is also an Aleutian sub species that winters in Pacific City. The whole population consists of about 300-400 birds. I see them all the time down there, big red leg bands and a few with neck collars. They are the real reason we can hunt geese in Tillamook County.

CarBiz