WE LOVE TO LAND BIRDS IN YOUR FACE

GUIDED WATERFOWL HUNTS NEARLY EVERY DAY THE BIRDS ARE FLYING FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE 2022-2023 SEASON.

 

Waterfowl Trip Packages

A gorgeous two-and-a-half-hour drive over the mountains east of Seattle or about a ninety-minute drive from Yakima, our waterfowl trips include weekend and group packages, VIP, and solos. Eastern Washington Guides leases around 20,000+ acres of private access, prime agricultural land. We hunt cornfields, dairy farms, and undeveloped land. We also hunt public lands - mostly the Potholes Reservoir, Moses Lake, and the Columbia River. Each week, each day, and each group may be hunting in various areas.

As the season progresses, we’ll modify different hunting styles to ensure success; from layouts to custom fabricated pit blinds. You’ll be hunting over Dave Smith Decoys (DSD’s) and other premium decoys, painted and cleaned each off-season. We hope to fool the waterfowl, not our clients – please don’t shoot our deeks!

Waterfowl hunts are priced at $275 (not including taxes) for the 2022-23. You won’t find a outfitter offering fully guided snow goose, Canada goose, or duck hunting in Eastern Washington State, much less for the price.

Canada Goose Hunting

Our private, leased properties border some of Washington state’s most active portions of the flyway in the Pacific Northwest. Hunting is never guaranteed but there’s rarely a slow day with the greater Columbia Basin being a strong wintering area for geese and ducks.

Each guide has their favorite waterfowl bird to call and decoy. For Aaron, he’d probably tell you there’s nothing like Canadian goose hunting. On this booked trip, you’ll hunt with our guides and depending on your hunting group size, other clients for Canadian honkers, cacklers, specks, and snows depending on what’s flying in the area.

 
 

Snow Goose Hunting

If you’ve never hunted snow geese in Washington State, be sure to give us a shout. Snow goose hunting in Washington State can be epic, it can also be challenging. It’s not uncommon to see *tens of thousands* of snow geese overhead, the challenge is getting their attention!

We usually set large spreads but the key is having the leased land they want into; when they want into the spread you’re laying in don’t be surprised to hear the air whistling through the wings of geese. The acoustics and visual “white-out” are hard to describe - only experience. Thanks to our “No Sky Busting Zone” approach to hunting, we get em’ close! It can feel like a snowstorm.

 

Duck Hunting

If you’re seeking a “quack attack,” book this trip. We’ll put you on greenheads but make no promises about honkers who love to join our decoy spreads. Earlier in the season we also typically see higher numbers of Green-Winged Teals, Wood Ducks, and Pintails.

Have you ever experienced a tornado of ducks? Our clients have, maybe you’ll get lucky and experience a tornado of ducks while hunting with Eastern Washington Guides?!

 
 
 

2023 Spring Goose

We’re booking 2023 Spring Goose now! In the spring, the action is phenomenal! Our guided clients have exclusive access to prime agriculture and farming land leased to Eastern Washington Guides smack in the middle of Pacific Flyway. Our goose hunts in the spring are usually mixed for Canadian honkers, cacklers, specks, and snows depending on what’s flying in the area. We might lay out hundred of snow decoys, suit up in all white for a snow goose only hunt, or mix our decoy spread with Canadian’s and snows. It comes down to what gives our clients the best chance at shot opportunities.

Our website allows you to book one year in advance. So, if you’re interested in booking a spring goose hunt now, you’re simply booking a goose hunt and picking the corresponding dates.

 

YOU’VE OFFICIALLY ENTERED THE
NO SKY-BUSTING ZONE!

 
 

We take pride in two things: Being Eastern Washington’s number one waterfowl hunting & fishing outfitter, and on shooting birds on final approach.

Aside being the best in-your-face experience, it’s the ethical way to hunt and just so happens to yield the highest harvest rates.

What the Day Looks Like

 

Morning Meet Up

A typical guided goose hunting trip will start off by meeting with the guide at Half-Sun Chevron Truck Station, 420 S Wanapum Dr, Moses Lake, WA 98837.

We’ll fill up on coffee, grab breakfast grub from the Champs hot shelf and any snacks needed for the day. If a different meetup location is needed for your group, your guide will contact you the evening before. If not, meet at Half-Sun.

From the morning meet up, your group will follow the waterfowl guide out to the area that we feel will be the most successful for that day.

 

The Hunt

Expect to arrive at the hunting location - field, pond, or lake - about an hour before shooting time. The guide(s) will be responsible for getting the decoy spread put out but everyone tends to chip in. Under frosty conditions, your guides will not put the decoys out until the very last second. Why is this? We've found that the geese and ducks will actually fly right on by - or flare if they see frosting on top of the head and the body of the decoy. Geese are very smart birds, the dumb ones are dead already.

Our guides take pride in ensuring our clients are as comfortable, and camouflaged as possible for your hunt. Each hunt may require different setups to get you where the ducks and geese are flying so we’ll adjust our hunting setups between layouts, built, and pit blinds to gain the advantage.

Expect to hunt till around 1pm if you don't finish earlier to let the birds rest and ensure continued quality hunting all year. This can depend on the weather and vary at times.

What People Are Saying

 

“I have hunted with several other guides in the Columbia Basin. I found that EWG was the most consistent at putting my group on birds. After meeting Aaron and his team, our group hit it off with them and really enjoy the camaraderie and the consistent great hunts they have provided over the past several years.”

— Kelly Keeling

“Hunting with the folks at Eastern Washington Guides is just like hunting with family. My son got his limit, and it was a memorable lifetime experience for the both of us.”

— Phil Cerna

“Expect a first-class hunt. Aaron’s calling is top-notch and the shooting is close”

— Bob Sowers

Meet our guides

Get to Know Your Guides

Waterfowl hunting is more than limting on birds. I mean, we get our fair share of limits but at the same time, we recognize all that goes into creating a memorable waterfowl hunting experience is more than a bag of birds.

One of those pieces are likable, experienced guides; it’s a bonus if our guide somewhat funny or a decent caller. Aaron takes great pride on having a team of guides whom are well rounded custodians of your hunting adventure. They’re very much a family.

Our guides are likable, extremely hard workers, and well-rounded outdoorsman who enjoy imparting knowledge when asked. Don’t be shy either, get to know your guides, they look forward to hunting with you!

MEET THE GUIDES

Our Hunting Grounds

Eastern Washington Guides leases around 20,000+ acres of private access, prime agricultural land. We hunt corn fields, dairy farms, and undeveloped land. We also hunt public, mostly the Potholes Reservoir, Moses Lake, and the Columbia River. Each week, each day, and each group may be hunting in various areas.

Ducks and Geese We Hunt

As a migratory bird hunter, you are contributing to a proud tradition of wildlife conservation supporting the North American Conservation Model. Revenues from hunting licenses, Duck Stamps and excise taxes on hunting-related equipment have funded wildlife research, management, and habitat acquisition since the early 20th Century.

Our guides and families live in the greater Moses Lake area. We respect the surrounding land, love it, and appreciate it. Thank you for contributing to the habitat of Moses Lake and the conservation of waterfowl we live to hunt.

  • Got roots? Snow geese are grubbers, feeding on roots, salt marsh grass, and shoots of bulrushes. Maybe their diet is why snow geese are typically smaller bodied than their Canadian cousins to the north.

    We’ve seen a big increase in snow geese numbers coming off the Columbia National Wildlife Refuge.

  • Giant Canadian geese can weigh more than 20lbs. They can be long-lived too; jokingly we say ‘the dumb ones are dead’ when the geese aren’t cooperating.

  • The number of Speckled “Specks” Bellied geese we see each year are as mixed as they are difficult to predict. If we’re hunting normal group sizes, harvesting a few specks would be expected earlier in the season.

  • The smallest of the ducks and fast too.

  • They are extremely graceful and fast fliers, fond of zigzagging from great heights before leveling off to land. They are agile on land and often feed in grain or corn fields

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Duck ID by Wing > YouTube

Typical Hunting Setups

Built blinds are particularly good for accommodating older clients, disabled hunters, or those simply having a little more difficulty getting around. Please let us know if you require any special accommodation for access.

We use a variety of waterfowl blind setups depending on the time of year, conditions, and where we find birds. We also can accommodate a wide variety of groups with custom needs, such as film crews, older hunters, and hunters with disabilities. Please contact us with any unique needs to make your hunting trip with Eastern Washington Guides unforgettably awesome!

 

Layouts

We hunt exclusively out of Final Approach Eliminator XL layout blinds for use in certain field hunts or sometimes Potholes for ducks and geese. We’ll often use layouts against a fence or weed line in a field our guides have previously scouted. While most of the blinds have existing shrubs and foliage, everyone chips in prior to the hunt making sure the birds don’t bust us!

 

Built

Sometimes, the best blind is built, one where none have been built before. When we do, our team often goes out the day or night before with fence posts, chicken wire, and other blind-making materials to build an effective waterfowl blind. Our team will also bring chairs and might bring ingredients for making Duck-Kabobs in the blind! Yummy! 

 

Pits

One of the most effective goose-killing setups; ducks too! Eastern Washington Guides builds our own pit blinds before digging them five to six feet into one of our agricultural leases. As of the 2021 season, we have six active pit blinds, four of which are newly constructed.

DON’T LET THE OPPORTUNITY GET AWAY

Waterfowl Trip FAQs

Don’t see your question answered below? Check out the complete list of frequently asked questions.

 

What shotgun choke should I use?

We recommend using a modified choke if you have one. We set up for shots at 30-ish yards, regularly waiting to call shots until the birds are just about to land in our decoys. Sometimes the shots are a bit further, quite often, your shot will be closer.


 

Are first-time hunters allowed?

You bet! Eastern Washington Guides is a family-friendly environment. You’ll regularly see kids, youth hunters, and first-time hunters join our ranks. Per Washington State DFW, “All hunters born after Jan. 1, 1972 must show proof of hunter education course completion before purchasing their first Washington hunting license.” Our guides will look to isolate shooing opportunities until you get used to the pace.

Do you shoot more ducks or geese?

It’s a coin flip. We don’t keep customer harvest records and we bang an awful lot of ducks every year but adding up snow and Canada geese, we think the prize probably goes to the goose.

 

Do clients get a refund if a limit is not shot?

Don’t be silly. All of our guides work extremely hard scouting during the week, building/grassing blinds, laying out decoy spreads, and pretty good getting clients on birds. To be honest, we rarely get skunked but at the same time, make no guarantees. After all, this is hunting.

Can I bring my dog?

Dogs are allowed on occasion but require individual approval from Aaron in advance. We love dogs and seeing trained dogs work however we must ensure all clients have an enjoyable time. An unruly dog in the blind can make for a frustrating day for all.


 

Why is the price online different than paying in person?

We’re providing a discount for trips booked online as part of a promotion incentivizing the use of our online booking tool. The discount is different per trip, approximately 20% per booked trip per customer. Those customers wishing to book by phone no problem, you may call 509-766-6791. Our prices increased in 2021, please see our updated pricing page.

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DOVE HUNTING