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Do any other Western States have “Wister like” refuges?

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Dave3006

Active Member
Nov 26, 2019
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I moved from CA to ID two years ago. I used to hunt Wister and SJ constantly.

As evil as CA is, I never knew how good I had it at Wister. I’m still glad I escaped Hellifornia. But, I do miss Wister and SJ.

Quite frankly, duck hunting in ID sucks. We have WMAs. But, they are crowded and they just don’t hold the duck numbers that Wister has. Besides opening day, there are no real flights of birds. There is so much water here in Idaho, the ducks don’t concentrate. They are everywhere in small numbers. You can do okay if you have a boat on the snake river. But, it still isn’t like Wister. I don’t want to buy a boat.

Does OR, WA, or UT have refuges that you can get a reservation, pick a spot, and hunt like Wister?

At this point, I would gladly make the drive.
 
What part of Idaho are you in? I feel like last year the numbers of ducks was lower then my first 2 years here. A boat definitely helps out here and making some friends with some land also. There are some places that you don't need either of those things tho.


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Thanks. I live in Eagle near Boise. I have been to Ft. Boise, Montour WMA, CJ Strike WMA, and Payette WMA. Opening day, it is a nightmare getting a spot. And, after just 2 days, there really isn’t any birds. The water is deep. So, you need a dog in most spots.

If you have no patience for someone setting up right next to you, no dog, no boat, or no access to private land - things are bleak in Idaho for a duck hunter.

That’s why a “Wister like” system is so awesome. You are assigned a spot. The water level won’t drown you. You don’t need a $10,000 boat or a dog. I hunted Wister this way from 2005 to 2022. Like I said, I had no idea how good I had it.

That’s why I was interested in knowing if a reservation based system exists in OR, WA, or UT.
 
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there are places all over ID and UT to go duck hunt.

yes the ducks can be transient, it does get cold and they are heading south. meet the wardens that are in the areas and ask dumb questions. Unlike wister you do not just show up and hunt and expect to get your 3 ducks. Takes time to learn how ducks work and when to go. From meeting land owners to shoot a pond or walking the forest and jump shooting creeks when it gets cold.

this will take real work, time and money to figure out.
 
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No disrespect. But, don’t want to bother private individuals to hunt on their property. I would hate it if I owned property and people were constantly bugging me for access. Besides, as this area grows, I expect that fewer and fewer landowners will be willing to do this. So, it doesn’t seem like a good long term plan.

I don’t want to jump shoot ducks like I am quail hunting. That is not the duck hunting I like.

Does OR or UT have refuges that have draws for reservations and assign blinds?
 
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Oregon has some pretty extensive opportunities for duck hunting, however because population is 1/10th of California, reservations aren’t required in the same lottery system (I.e. Klamath marsh, Ladd Marsh, land near tule lake/Oregon-Ca border). I don’t know of lottery blinds or anything exactly the same as what CA has, however public land duck hunting of the pacific flyway is very accessible
 
Along the Columbia about 4 hours from Boise is Umatilla NWR in Oregon. I hunted that and they have a reservation system and the only time you really need a dog is if you hunt the river blinds. Shot many mallards there the place holds birds. They hunt Wed and Sat and Thanksgiving morning. At least they did. They are a Federal WR so the gov, shutdown may effect them. If you want to go as far as Portland Or, just past Portland is Sauvie Island and they have a ressie system. They hunt every other day so the birds get pressured alot. They have blinds and areas like Kern where you're given an area and can hunt anywhere in that area. There could be other NWR closer to you but don't know anything about them, try this link: https://www.fws.gov/mcriver
 
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chessie said:
Along the Columbia about 4 hours from Boise is Umatilla NWR in Oregon. I hunted that and they have a reservation system and the only time you really need a dog is if you hunt the river blinds. Shot many mallards there the place holds birds. They hunt Wed and Sat and Thanksgiving morning. At least they did. They are a Federal WR so the gov, shutdown may effect them. If you want to go as far as Portland Or, just past Portland is Sauvie Island and they have a ressie system. They hunt every other day so the birds get pressured alot. They have blinds and areas like Kern where you're given an area and can hunt anywhere in that area. There could be other NWR closer to you but don't know anything about them, try this link: https://www.fws.gov/mcriver
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Thank you Chessie! Umatilla sounds like exactly what I am looking for! I will check this out. Do you know if they have assigned blinds like Wister?
 
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When I head out of state, I’m usually looking for the total opposite of Wister. I know many on this site do the same thing.

Not saying I’d turn down a good refuge hunt, but I’d rather avoid the crowds and the red tape. Out of state, I’ve found most landowners to be super gracious — a lot of them actually look forward to chatting and having folks hunt their land.

Hope you find what you’re after, @Dave3006. Keep us posted on how it goes!
 
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Thanks NBK. I actually loved Wister and even SJ. Nothing about it was guaranteed. Some days were great. Some days we never fired our guns. I liked the fact that I had my own spot and I did not have to beg for it from a private party landowner. It was predictable and a great experience.
 
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