Migration Series: Flooded Fields | Oregon

Waterfowl hunting was one of the first outdoor experiences I was exposed to as a child. My father Sean, and Uncle Hanree are my biggest influences when it comes to big game and waterfowl hunting, and I have been hunting with them since I was eleven years old. As far back as I can remember I always wanted to tag along with the two of them in the elk woods and in duck blinds.

I have spent most of my 29 years living and hunting in Oregon. I hunt the Pacific flyway for waterfowl and wouldn’t have it any other way. There is nothing better than hitting limits of greenheads in the Willamette valley in flooded farm fields or over a duck pond. When I was young my father and uncle would bring home their limits of birds, both waterfowl and upland, and let my cousins and me learn about the different birds, species, colors, hens/drakes, and we were consumed by all of it. 

In my early years of hunting, I was drawn closer to big game species and did not focus the same amount of time on waterfowl. In my early twenties, I had finally turned a new chapter and started getting into waterfowl with good friends of mine. We would knock on farmers doors and ask if we could help with their “goose problem” and more often than not they would allow us to hunt birds on their property. 

This rekindled passion for waterfowl hunting took me to new places, colder temperatures, and the worst weather conditions. We couldn’t get enough of it. I remember my father and uncle constantly giving me one piece of waterfowl hunting advice and that is “the worse the weather, the better the hunting” and that still is true to this day. 

Migration patterns in the Pacific flyway are the always changing based on the weather conditions. During my earlier years of waterfowl hunting, we spent much time in the Willamette valley and had successful days. As our winter fronts have changed over the years we have moved further south and east and chased the storms to keep up with the birds. We still have decent flights of ducks in the Willamette Valley though the flocks don’t stop if you head out towards the Pacific Ocean or over the Cascade Mountain range into the high desert. 

The species of ducks we target in Oregon are Mallards, Pintails, Shovelers, Teal, and Wood Ducks. With the flyways changing regularly my hunting party and I typically keep a local spot or two to hunt close to home and load the trailer up with our decoys and rigs and chase the migration. Ducks are typically easier for us to hunt locally over waterways. 

We move with the migration of geese from early season all the way through the close of duck season – as goose season extends past duck season. We find ourselves starting far north in Oregon and heading south as season goes on to keep with the traveling birds. The geese species that we target in Oregon are subspecies of Canadian Geese, Cacklers, Westerners, and Lessers. 

When weather conditions are not the best for bird hunting, the experience makes up for the downtime between flights of birds. Sitting in the blind with my father, Uncle Hanree, Uncle Kris, and my wife Kayt, we hunted for three days in Oregon between two different areas. We started the weekend of hunting just outside of Salem, Oregon at a local duck club my hunting group belongs to. When we duck hunt out of blinds, we always plan to make the hunt as comfortable as possible. We bring a portable grill to cook breakfast and coffee to keep us warm. 

We bagged a few birds at first light as a flight of birds went over our spread of a few dozen decoys. A few more flights of ducks worked our spread, and we capitalized on every opportunity. My Uncle Kris was fortunate enough to shoot a banded pintail during that morning hunt. We registered the band, and learned the bird was banded in Anchorage, Alaska. The concept of migration came full circle with seeing just how far these birds travel from breeding areas to wintering grounds. 

That evening we had our hunting party over to our home for a duck cook out. We cooked duck meat numerous different ways for everyone to enjoy. The duck gumbo was a hit! Waterfowl hunting is not just about limiting out on birds each time we get out. It is more about the memories made and the experience we all have when we get together. 

The next morning, we went back out to the duck club for a better weather day. We had north winds and off and on rains. With the same group back out, we had a better day of bird hunting and even more memories were made. We spent the afternoon cleaning birds, vacuum packing and cleaning up our gear. 

On the third day, we went to a duck lease that consists of flooded corn fields that is 15 minutes from my home. This 194-acre farm can flood completely after a solid day of raining. Water levels change drastically so we keep a small boat there to transport from the road to the backside of the farm. We tucked ourselves back into the deadfalls with the river at our backs. We threw a spread in a small pond of water left over from the flooding from the previous week. Bird flight was slow, but we made the best of our morning bringing home a half dozen birds. 

As the migration of birds moves south, so did I. I had the opportunity to meet some of the other Savage Arms Ambassadors on the Gulf coast of Texas for a weekend of waterfowl hunting at Bay Flats Lodge. Being around three other outdoorsmen and women who share the same passion for hunting was an amazing experience. 

We targeted a mixed bag of birds – Redheads, blue bills, pintails, and others. We would head out early mornings and afternoons on fan boats and set up bench blinds in the brush and throw a spread in very shallow waters. I had never seen so many ducks at one time and it was astonishing. I remember looking down the bench and seeing Casey, Sallie, and Courtney all with the same jaw drop and eyes wide look on our faces in pure amazement. 

As fast as new groups of birds would decoy, we would reload our shotguns and let shells fly. We all compared our experience with Renegauge after hunting with it for a season, and we came to common a conclusion that the gun is well-balanced. Fluidity is important when having to shoulder a shotgun often while waterfowl hunting. 

During the Texas hunt, we had a weather delay not allowing us to travel across the bay due to water conditions. This brought in more birds and the following day was lights out hunting. This was my first experience waterfowl hunting outside of my home state, and I am now hooked on chasing the migration and moving with the birds as they travel South throughout the season. 

As I look forward to the next waterfowl migration, I can’t wait for another opportunity to get together with my family and new Savage Arms friends to make even more memories that will last a lifetime. 

Follow the Migration Series.