Moving to the Pacific NW

J

Jon Frey

Member
So I recently accepted a job with a company in Portland, OR and I'll be relocating to that area shortly. The timing couldn't have been better as the day I was out for the interview they announced the closing of my plant here on the East Coast which was a total surprise to me. It sucks for everyone at the plant but for me it was the kick in the pants I needed to say yes to taking on a new opportunity in a new part of the country.

So I'm basically curious as to what the waterfowling is like in that part of the country? What kinds of boats do guys run? What is the public land situation like? I'd imagine I'll have a few more options that I currently have here in Virginia. I'm planning on taking my MLB Wigeon with me when I move along with my Old Town canoe, will they be useful out there?

I'll be Portland for about a year or so and then it's more than likely I'll be asked to move to Moses Lake, WA. Does anyone know anything about the hunting around there? I'm obviously not looking for anyone's secret spot I'm more or less just looking for general information and any help anyone could give me would be appreciated. Additionally, I'll obviously be leaving all my hunting friends here on the East Coast, so if anyone ever wants to meet up to do some hunting some time I'd be all for it. Hunting by yourself can be fun sometimes but it can get a little old after a while.
 
So I recently accepted a job with a company in Portland, OR and I'll be relocating to that area shortly. The timing couldn't have been better as the day I was out for the interview they announced the closing of my plant here on the East Coast which was a total surprise to me. It sucks for everyone at the plant but for me it was the kick in the pants I needed to say yes to taking on a new opportunity in a new part of the country.

So I'm basically curious as to what the waterfowling is like in that part of the country? What kinds of boats do guys run? What is the public land situation like? I'd imagine I'll have a few more options that I currently have here in Virginia. I'm planning on taking my MLB Wigeon with me when I move along with my Old Town canoe, will they be useful out there?

I'll be Portland for about a year or so and then it's more than likely I'll be asked to move to Moses Lake, WA. Does anyone know anything about the hunting around there? I'm obviously not looking for anyone's secret spot I'm more or less just looking for general information and any help anyone could give me would be appreciated. Additionally, I'll obviously be leaving all my hunting friends here on the East Coast, so if anyone ever wants to meet up to do some hunting some time I'd be all for it. Hunting by yourself can be fun sometimes but it can get a little old after a while.
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Whoa, can you say kid in a candy store?!?!? I think you will be pleased with the move.
 
Jon,

The PNW is a great place for wingshooting. Portland is 10 minutes from Sauvie Is wma and offers lots of public hunting opportunity. The Lower Columbia is a wintering ground to hundreds of thousands of migratory birds and is mostly Public access.

You will need access to at least a 16 foot boat with a good Vee hull and a reliable motor out there. Be sure to watch the tides on the river (a guy could get stranded.)

Moses Lake is a well known waterfowl location as well.

Good luck.
 
Jon,

Welcome to the PNW. I cannot tell you much about the hunting around Portland, but when you get to Moses Lake you will be in the center of Wash. literally and the center of both upland and duck hunting in the state. You will be an easy drive to most of the state. You could not have done better than landing in Moses Lake if you are a bird hunter. Let me know when you get to the area and I would be glad to hunt with you.

My best,

Don Shearer
 
jon, i hope to be able to announce my move to the PNW someday! congrats. i dont have any experience with OR but ive been all over WA and absolutely love it. its a duck hunter and fishermans dream! good luck, mark
 
a little jealous, but im still happy for you, congrats on the new job


all this information is quite helpful because washington is high on the list for my next home
 
What you will find is alot of ducks and duck hunters. Their is alot of room for everyone. And if you work at it you will do good. But your days of shooting black ducks are over.
 
Well then, it sounds like I'll be in for a good time! I'm truly excited about the move (and worried and all the other emotions that go along with leaving the area you've grow up in 3000 miles away). I've skimmed through the hunting brochure for Sauvie Island and it looks good and there are all sorts of other areas I can't wait to go check out. As for Moses Lake, apparently the company I will be working for struggles to get people to want to go there, but from what I've heard on here and from some other research I've done recently I don't think they'll have to twist my arm too far...
 
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Jon,
Welcome aboard. You will have a great diversity of habitat to enjoy, with spending some time on both sides of the mountains. I lived in the Columbia Gorge years ago and had some memorable hunts there, but the eastside has some great hunting in the upland and waterfowl arena. Although the Northwest has some great boat manufacturers, the number that produce duckboats seems small compared to east of the Mississippi. Also, the variety of used duckboats is small compared to the east. If you have favorite duckboat from east of plains, I would consider bringing it out rather paying the shipping later. Sounds to me you have good start in boat department.

I plan on hitting the Columbia tomorrow in my sneakboat, hope to see a little snow. Give me a shout if you are up this way.

Are you planning to live in Washington or Oregon for your time in Portland? There are pros and cons for both.
 
Jon, I grew up in Annapolis and grew up hunting the Chesapeake on family and friends farms, blinds and boats. Twenty years ago I moved to the Portland area. I can honestly tell you that you won't miss the hunting in the Atlantic Flyway. I'll bet you start out by shooting the first 7 ducks that decoy into gun range the first few times out. Once you get used to seeing more ducks in a day than a week or two in the Atlantic, you will start to select what birds you want in your bag. I have seen this with 6 or 7 guys who moved from DC to Portland and experienced it myself when I moved. Enjoy the move cause there will be lots to do when you get here.
 
I can only hope it will be that good Brad, additionally I grew up about 90 minutes from where you're from. I was raised in Frederick County MD just north of the city of Frederick by about 20 minutes. In fact so far this season I've been gunning for sea ducks out of Chesapeake Beach and also off of Kent Island. It will be a heck of a change to get out there but the more I hear the more exited I get.
 
Jon, I spent 7 years living just over the Frederick county line in Washington County. While I found birds to hunt in Frederick County and on the Potomac, it was nothing like what you are going to experience in the PNW.

Buy good rain gear for living on the wet side and get used to being 43 degrees F plus or minus 3 degrees and I hope you don't mind not seeing the sun for a week or so at a time. Then when you move to Moses Lake, I hope you don't sunburn easily or mind 4 inches of rain per year.
 
I have lived in Portland for the last 10 years until this summer when I moved accross the river to Vancouver, Wa. There are plenty of public waterfowling opportunities in Oregon and Washington. I never have hunted Sauvie just becasue I don't want to deal with the check in stations and the crowds. You can hunt puddlers, divers, or sea ducks out of Portland if you don't mind a little driving. And yes you wont see the sun for about 8 months out of the year and typically there is a light rain that keeps everything wet for those 8 months. One thing about Portland is Portlanders are proud of there Keep Portland Weird motto. If you have Netflix's I suggest watching Portlandia to get an idea of what the people are like here. Unfortunalty its not that far off....
 
One more quick question regarding hunting in Oregon/Washington. My current boss (an Oregon native) told me that you can't duck hunt with a semi-auto in Oregon. Someone please tell me that's not true, I'd hate to leave the A5 in the gun cabinet when the ducks are flying.
 
What is the size limit and tackle restriction for your size class? He has set the hook deep and I am not sure he will be able to release you without cutting the line.

The only gear restriction that you'll face is that both Oregon and Washington have outlawed spinners.

I second Neal's sentiments about living in Washington and commuting into Oregon. No income tax in Washington and no sales tax in Oregon. Oh and by the way, I have a great home for sale in the best school district in SW Washington. Seriously.................
 
Haha, I figured as much. I thought he had to be full of it, but I'm too used to hunting here on the east coast with all of our crazy regs (see King's grant laws in VA) to dismiss weird rules immediately. Besides Oregon seems to think I'm going to blow myself up if I pump my own gas, wanted to check to make sure they are good with me having a gun that cycles itself haha.

As for living in Washington and commuting to Oregon I think that is the way I'm already looking to go. I'll be out this coming weekend on a house hunting trip but for now I'm going to stick to apartments. I'll be putting my house in VA on the market already and I'm not looking to get into another mortgage right away.
 
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