Wet opening day hunt,

G

gator1954

New member
Opening day of the 2010 season was a wet one here in Eastern Washington. Fortunately for me and my hunting buddy/ best friend it was a short hunt.
Every year on opening day we hunt some '' state birds '', we feel that there is no need in educating our wild birds on the 1st day when we can hunt one of the states release sites. The 1st day and Thanksgiving day our 2 days when we know we can find birds on the release sites. Every other day is a crap shoot, we still can find birds most days but not like these two days.
This AM we left my home a little before 5 to hunt a place 100 + miles northwest of my home in Greenacres. We drove through rain the whole way up and it never stopped the whole time we hunted. It was a very short hunt as we each had a limit in under 1 hour. We also helped another hunter take a 3 bird limit and worked our dogs with unloaded guns after limiting out.
All together I believe we saw 18 or 19 birds (all roosters) and the dog work was out of this world. My shorthair Jake will turn 3 Nov. 3rd and my friends dogs I believe is a week older. We both work the dogs in the off season and do a fair amount of grouse hunting and I am happy to say it showed today.It was great conditions for a dog today and they both hunted very well.
Jake pointed 11 birds and busted 1, and retrived 6 of the 9 to my hand. He was on his A game today. I would love to hunt on Sunday but duties at church will prevent it. I think I'll hunt the same place Monday or maybe hit Fishtrap which is a lot closer to home. Think I'll wait a day or two before I start hunting wild birds.
Sorry for the poor photos, like I said it was a wet one.
Gator
 
You can still use lead shot at Fishtrap in 2010. That will change in 2011 with the new nontoxic shot changes, if you have any questions you can check page 20 of this years WDFW pamphlet.
Thanks for the report on Fishtrap, I did talk with a friend at church today that told me his party killed the only 3 birds they saw there on opening day. My friend has a very good dog and is a very hard hunter so after talking with him I've ruled out Fishtrap for Monday. He knows the area well and thinks the birds they bagged were probably hold overs from the youth hunt. He has hunted the youth hunt the last 3 or 4 years with his grandsons and each year says there has been a heavy stocking for the youth hunt.
I hate to drive that far but I'll head back to Grant County Monday. There were less hunters than I expected at the site on opening day, I would guess because of the weather so I think the chances are pretty good I can find a bird or two.
How did everyone else do?
 
I hunted on Monday the same place I hunted on opening day and again shot a limit in just under 1 hour. I then ran Jake another 1 1/2 hours and all togather saw 6 roosters. Jake pointed all 6 birds.
Should have gone back to the same area today, but I hate the 2 hour drive each way and hunted closer to home in Whitman County.
This ranch has been very good for me untill the back to back bad winters of 07 and 08. All told we hunted about 5 hours today and saw between 12 and 15 pheasants. That's not as good as the numbers I've seen in the past, but better than the last 2 seasons. The 1 rooster I killed today was a small bird that I believe came from a late hatch. I also missed a good shot on another rooster. Rancher told he starting to see a few more birds on his place.
Photo is from our hunt on Monday.
 
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