Hunting Reports Week 10/18 - 10/24

Lured In · 10-20-2003, 01:39 PM

Headed east for birds yesterday with a couple friends. We set up on a spot on the Columbia and waited. And waited some more. Didn't see much. We had a lone goose come in around 900am that decided to stay. The ducks were MIA. Took a break around noon to chase some roosters and found mostly hens. Moved the spread and settled in for the afternoon dulldrums. Had a flock of Gadwall come in that we managed one out of as they buzzed the outside edge of the dekes. A while later had a single Gaddie come in nice and tight that also decided to stay. My buddy took his lab and decided to stretch their legs on some more roosters. Shortly after a flock of 3 mallards came in and didn't leave. One last mallard wrapped up the ducks for the day. My friend returned with a pheasant and a quail.

The shooting was anything but fast. Final count was 1 goose, 4 mallards, 2 gadwall, one pheasant and one quail. Not a bad day all in all. My pup (18 months) was a retrieving fool and did great job. I put the seats down and gave her a well deserved break from the kennel on the ride home.

We saw about 3 flocks of geese which seemed a little wierd. There should have been more around even if they weren't decoying. Only saw 3 big flocks of mallards and a flock of about 50 pintails.

The Overfishin Condition · 10-20-2003, 03:35 PM

Team H/H did the klickitat area deer hunt this weekend. We tried a new area that I scouted on Tuesday. It has a very large network of roads, so it is very suseptable to road hunting, we figured maybe if we went in the bush we could roust on one of many bucks I know are around there. We didn't get camp set up till 2 in the morning saturday, and woke up a little late, so as we'd have some daylight to figure out where we were relative to the rest of the world. I had found a spot to set up camp tuesday, but we got a little lost in the dark on the way in, and ended up whoknowswhere, where we found somewhere to set up. Anyway, we figured out where we were and hunted saturday, but saw nothing, saturday night we drove around a little bit to see if we saw anything at night, spotted over a dozen deer including three shooter bucks and a porcupine. We took some quality video footage of all of them with my video camera's "night vision". Went to the vicinity sunday morning, searched the hills high and low, but came up empty! So far this deer season I've spent five days in the woods, and seen three deer- from the roadside before I got to where we were going. Those were the only deer I've seen during shooting hours! Anyway, fun weekend, elk sign, grouse, deer and porcupine at night, and good food.

Luckybill · 10-20-2003, 03:46 PM

Tagged out on Sunday a forked horn down near Nashville a town in the Alsea unit. He walked out into the clearcut w/ his brother. We were just sitting there. I knocked the bigger of the twins down and his brother must have had a death wish, He just stood there!! Well we made sure he joined his brother. Not bad hunting down there. I saw five deer in two days of hunting, three of which were bucks. The weekend before I saw three does. It amazes me how much better the hunt always seems to be when I am unfamiliar w/ a area, or have no clue where I am. guess I am living upto my moniker. :grin:

StickFish · 10-20-2003, 07:19 PM

I don't know maybe its a mixed blessing that the State reduced the Blacktail season for next year. My buddy and I crawled all over some great country that is all walk in and closed to hunting on the week days. No deer, not even much sign. Little here, little there. Only fresh sign I saw was was a gut pile. You couldn't go 20 feet without seeing a bunch of Elk sign, ran into 25 Elk Saturday and Three on Sunday. We were in the Saddle Mountain unit and I guess the reports of low deer numbers are too true. No tracks on the sides of roads, no tracks in the trails next to the clear cuts, no beds in the clear cuts (well except really large Elk beds).

Got screwed by the land owner on Saturday. They didn't open the Gate (Mcgregor Tree Farm - Stimson land). Recording said it was open so we walked in from the main-line gate. Of course we were late, but ran into Elk right away. As soon as we spotted the Elk we heard trucks on the road. Bung hole finally showed up at 8:30. That is twice that has happened to me on their property.

Did enjoy the company of some strangers on our walk up 205KB, they were ethical enough to allow us to pick our spots and not try to hunt over us or drive us out. I respect that especially after being burned too many times last year in South Fork. Never got their names, but they were from the Astoria area - Thanks and good hunting to them.

Well that was my last effort Blacktail hunting for at least the next 5 years. Good luck to those who are still going after them. I've hunted 15 years on and off in the coast for Blacktails and have gotten 10 bucks and two Does, so I've done pretty good I guess. Used to see 20-30 animals a day. I only saw 4 deer all season - well so far.

Off to North Fossil for 1st Season RME (hair tag/Private Property - good luck hunters everywhere. God save the Blacktail - he has his work cut out.

Rauly · 10-20-2003, 11:06 PM

Sorry I didn't get this up sooner.

Rauly

nitrobass · 10-20-2003, 11:25 PM

Summer Lake this past weekend. Duck count is at 26,000, snow geese 5000 and climbing.

Saturday we shot 9 snows, 1 honker, 12 ducks(mallards, pintail, teal). The water level is really low still and it has the ducks and hunters concentrated.

Rauly · 10-21-2003, 06:22 PM

Went to Sauvies with MikeT today. Not many hunters not many birds (we got three). I didn't show up until 9am. Mike went and got the blind set the decoys and had everything ready for when I showed up. (what a guy) I took 2 shots and got 1, he took 1 shot and got 2

I'll let you guys figure it out. It was a good morning.

Rauly

Capin' Dan · 10-22-2003, 01:00 AM

[ 10-22-2003, 02:01 AM: Message edited by: Capin' Dan ]

Bait Bucket · 10-23-2003, 04:09 PM

Hunted a Willamette slough today. I saw one flock of ducks. I'm sticking to he thunderbirds and jungle chickens until more ducks get here.

The Overfishin Condition · 10-24-2003, 08:34 PM

Well that's another deerless day! Spent my fifth day in the brush without seeing so much as a doe! I thought I had a couple bucks pinned down to this area, but still hunted through it with a naughta. Jumped two grouse that each nearly made me feel fortunate to be wearing my BROWN realtree pants. Good luck to everyone else, I'm savin' them for ya.

[ 10-24-2003, 09:35 PM: Message edited by: The Overfishin Condition ]

Chromaflage · 10-25-2003, 09:17 PM

TOC - sounds like the last two days for us in the Trask! Yesterday not so much as a whisker - did jump two grouse. Today - we saw a total of 3 doe all day, no horns, but did flush a covey of quail. Maybe next week....

ORS

steelhead22 · 10-26-2003, 10:53 AM

Hunted Sauvies Westside yesterday with a couple of friends of mine. Ended up with 6 by 11 am. Not as many people out there as I expected for a weekday, we drew #16 and were second pick. Overall a good day, despite having some serious problems with my lab. Apparently, having a litter of pups effects a dog's hearing, 'cause now she doesn't listen to anything I say. What to do? Well, I'm off to do some training... back to the basics.