Moving to the Pacific NW

thats what i was concerned about, every states laws are really different. in ct we dont have any special permits for duck areas which makes everything first to the spot takes it. which i kind of like since i get up hours berfore anyone. but im sure people just get accustomed to the regs of the state they live in.
 
Welcome Jon!

You won't be disappointed with the PNW if you love being outdoors! There's more things to do here than you can shake a stick at! :) If you hunt on the coast for a while and then move to Moses Lake and hunt there, you will think you have landed on the moon! Especially in the North Potholes! Central WA is mostly desert. Basalt rocks, grass, sage, and sand. It is definitely weird to see water in the middle of the desert, but the hunting can be outstanding at times!
 
The only difficult regulations is the sw Washington/ NW Oregon special goose zone. There are 7 subspecies of Canada geese that you need to be able to tell apart before pulling the trigger. It required a class, test and taking every goose to a check station.
 
i never really hunt for geese so im not too worried about them, but i would still know all the regs if a goose happened to fly by and the opportunity presented its self.

is washington first to the spot gets it?
 
For the most part it is. If you build a blind on public land or waters, it becomes public and is first come, first served. I believe there is a 4am rule also(meaning you're not allowed to start setting dekes until 4am at the earliest). There are some guides that have fancy blinds in the potholes and they pay a young kid to go out there at 2am and hang a light on their blind and reserve it for their clients, and it's all supposed to be public! Some of the refuges have draw blinds and handicapped accessible blinds that are open to the public, but I've never hunted them. There are a lot of private clubs on the west side and around moses lake, and a lot of public competition, but over here on the east side, not so much. The Moses Lake (Columbia Basin) Area and the area around Tri-Cities (where the Snake and Columbia meet), are by far the most popular (and hold the most birds)in the state, hence the competition.
 
i never really hunt for geese so im not too worried about them, but i would still know all the regs if a goose happened to fly by and the opportunity presented its self.

is washington first to the spot gets it?
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In the zone I described above, you don't take geese when the opportunity presents itself, unless it is the proper subspecies and is a goose day. Duck hunting is every day but goose hunting is day specific. The goose regs are set to protect 1 or 2 subspecies while dealing with 5 other subspecies that are more abundant. As far as I know the regs are the most complex goose hunting regs in North America.
 
Virginia to Portland, then maybe Portland to Moses Lake... Yeah I know a little about Moses Lake. I know a lot less about Portland. Welcome to the NW. When you get settled in and want to explore give me hollar. Few years back Field and stream included Moses Lake in their Top 200 towns a sportsman should live in. Kinda cool I guess.
 
Jon,
I have many contacts in the Vancouver, WA area if you need some names and numbers let me know. I have given my notice to the NRA and May 31st will be my last day and I hope to moved back to my home north of Spokane by July 4th. I will keep in touch. My cell is 703-483-1776 if you need to reach me.
Mike
 
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