[Mike-PDX]

This will be my first season hunting out at Sauvie Island and I'm wondering what would be a better strategy: head out to the North Unit right away, or go to the Westside Unit and try to get drawn for one of the blinds, then head to the North Unit if I don't. I suspect it will depend on the number of hunters that show up, but since I've never hunted there, I don't know what to expect.

I've scouted out the area for the past couple of months and have an idea of which sites on the Westside I'd choose. While I was out there, I talked with a guy who has worked the check stations for the past few years. He gave me some tips on how birds come into the some of the ponds, but we didn't discuss the hunting pressure. I've also found a spot in the North Unit and built a stick blind there last week.

Does anyone have any experience with hunting the North and Westside units at Sauvie Island? What's your strategy or what would you suggest I do? Thanks.

 

[jmike]

HEY MIKE , THE NORTH UNIT ISNT MUCH GOOD TILLTHE RIVER GETS A LITTLE HIGHER , OR SO PEOPLE SAY ,MAKE SURE TO PUT IN YOUR RESERVATIONS FOR THE DRAWS THAT SIDE WHERE THE FOOD IS PLANTED IS MUCH BETTER , ALSO THE NORTH UNIT IS BETTER ON HUNT DAYS THE BIRDS GET PUSHED OUT OF THE REST OF THE PONDS .............JMIKE

 

[Mike-PDX]

Thanks, JMike. I'll put in for some of the drawings and cross my fingers. But I'll also try hunting the Westside and North units, cuz any morning in a duck blind beats sleeping in.

 

[jmike]

YOU SAID IT ALL ..........WHAT PART OF TOWN DO U LIVE IN , IM OUT IN FAIRVIEW .............JMIKE

 

[Swamp Puppy]

Mike, are you still around? i have hunted the west side of SI appox 30 days a season for the last 3 seasons and can give you a few pointers. No point in laying it all out unless you're still here though. -or- if someone else is new to the area and would like a few pointers, speak up. i am not an "expert", but i do have a good working knowledge of the area.

 

[gracenjohn]

Hey someone out there take Swamp Puppy up on his offer!!

SP, its great to have you on the site. I have never hunted si but am willing to travel up from salem.

Thanks a lot for being willing to share your knowledge with others.

John :salude:

 

[Swamp Puppy]

I'd offer to take you out G-N-J, but my wife is going to have a baby any day now and i'm pretty sure she want's me there when it happens. :laughing:

 

[gracenjohn]

take care of that little one and mama. My 6 year old daughter and i are going out to see if we can find any geese tomorrow morning. please keep us posted on baby watch.

John

 

[Swamp Puppy]

do you hunt inside the permit zone? what a hassle this is. jeez, i never knew there were so many kinds of canada geese until i got here. back east they were just "canadian geese". i guess i'll have to break down and get my card for next year. too many missed opportunities on the lower river this year. i can't tell you how many times i've had flocks of big honkers pass right over my head. easy shots..but, no card....no goose.

 

[threemuch]

S-P
I am new to the waterfowl hunting game, this only being my second season. I would be happy to learn all you are willing to teach about Sauvie. I haven't hunted there yet, being fortunate enough to be invited along to private clubs. I have about 20 hunts or so under my belt, and I am really hooked.

 

[Swamp Puppy]

3M - i'd be happy to show you how things work on the westside of SI. I don't hunt the eastside much (at all) so i'd probably not be much help with that. Drop me a PM if you want to hook up this year. my hunt time is limited, but i can manage to sneak out here and there.

-Ed

 

[greenheadgunner]

Hey I'll take you up on your offer. I'll take any advice I can get on hunting Sauvie Island. I hunted it for the first time this past season (about 10 times), both westside and eastside.
I hunted mud 8 and 10, holman 4, and steelman 6. Have you hunted those blinds? What do you think about em (or anybody else if you're reading this and you've been there?)
What are the best blinds on the westside? seems like mud 1-4 and 9 and 11 are good.
what about the eastside?
how should i set up decoy spreads at each blind?

 

[Swamp Puppy]

i have hunted those blinds, except for holman #4. i did hunt homan once, #2 it was. they shoot alot of birds out there in the right conditions, but the pass shooting over the treetpops thing just isn't my game. so i usually pass on Holman even when it's shooting well.

as for your observations about mud lake, you are pretty much right on. :thumbsup:

traditionally, mud 1,2,3 are the hot spots with each blind shooting 300+ birds per season. in seasons past #1 was typically the place to be out of the 3 of them, but this season had it lagging a little behind #3 and #2 by about 50 birds. #8 was hot this year and #9 is usually the next best place to be behind 1,2,3. #11 had some good days, but it takes a combination of circumstances to get a really good shoot on #11.

Seal Lake didn't shoot worth a damn this year. normally it hits a really hot period where people will take the seal lake blinds before the mud lake blinds. Seal #1 and #2 are probably the best, but seal #3 can really smack some birds too. seal 4 is just in a bad place and usually doesn't do as well as the other 3.

Steelman Lake. the steelman blinds are akin to duck hunter's siberia. everyone that has hunted SI for any ammount of time can tell you a story or two about a day that they slayed limits of birds on a steelman blind, but those stories are far and few between. it is worth mentioning that Steelman #4 is not a bad shooting blind. not usually a lot of birds shot there on any given day, but they don't usually get blanked either. also, steelman #7 can shoot IF and it is a BIG IF there are a large number of teal on the island. you can always tell a teal day by how many birds got shot on ST7. lol. if you have boat you can hunt on ST2 or ST3. ST2 had some good shooting later in the season.

that is about as much as i can stand to type on the subject. we could talk for hours about decoy placements for different blinds in different situations, but there is a lot of "off season" time for that. no need to spill it all out in one sitting. lol.

good luck and good hunting. maybe i'll see you on the island next year.