Hunters without boats have access at a number of areas in the wildlife area, but the intertidal zone is often soft mud, and hunters should exercise caution. Most of the geese in the Skagit Delta, especially the south end, are snow geese, and you need written authorization (no test required) to hunt them; it is too late to receive one this season. In addition, special regulations are in effect in north Puget Sound, including a 15-shell limit in portions of the wildlife area, prohibitions on hunting from a moving boat and a Port Susan Canada goose closure. Consult the WDFW pamphlet for information.

To the north, Whatcom County has turned out more than 1,200 geese in recent years, the second-highest harvest in Western Washington. Hunters with boats access Bellingham Bay and nearshore waters from ramps in Bellingham. While it isn't located on salt water, the WDFW's Lake Terrell WA pulls in geese and ducks from Georgia Strait and other exposed saltwater areas during storms. Hunting is legal on the wildlife area, and there is a boat launch.

At the southern end of Puget Sound, the Nisqually WA is one of the few public areas that allows hunting. It is at the mouth of the Nisqually River, adjacent to the Nisqually Wildlife Refuge (which doesn't permit hunting). The Nisqually WA is heavily used by boatless waterfowlers, but hunters with seaworthy boats can access the largely pristine Nisqually Reach by launching at Luhr Beach ramp.

HOOD CANAL & THE STRAIT
Neither Hood Canal nor the eastern reaches of the Strait of Juan de Fuca support the immense flights of geese that hunters see east of the Cascade Mountains or in Skagit Bay, but flocks of a couple dozen geese are common along estuaries and creek mouths, and hunters who learn these birds' comings and goings can enjoy good sport.

As elsewhere in Western Washington, the geese like to feed on upland and cultivated vegetation and then rest on shallow marshes and estuaries. Few public areas provide beach access for shore hunters, but an abundance of intertidal WDFW and Department of Natural Resources shellfish beaches can be hunted from boats. A common strategy is to locate a launch near a feeding or resting area, then motor to the public area and set decoys on an incoming tide.

Wind and rain routinely kick up nasty chops and swells in these areas, and waterfowlers need salmon-fishing-sized boats, as well as navigation and safety gear and a strong dose of common sense if they intend to cross open water.

Geese are often abundant on Dungeness Bay. The Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge, which manages Dungeness Spit and a large portion of Dungeness Bay, does not permit hunting. However, waterfowlers can hunt outside the refuge and along the eastern strait toward the head of Sequim Bay. The Port of Port Angeles Dungeness and Cline Spit ramps, which are along the south shore of the bay, provide access. Ducks are much more common than geese in these areas, but hunters with large strings of decoys can often pull in Canadas.

Canada geese also winter off the major river mouths along the east and west shore of Hood Canal, but boat ramps are widely separated, and hunters need to find hunting areas where geese congregate a safe distance from a launch. The Port of Port Townsend ramp in Quilcene provides access to Quilcene and Dabob bays. The Triton Cove State Park ramp is close to the mouth of the Hamma Hamma River, and the Potlatch State Park launch is near the Skokomish River Delta. (The delta is on the Skokomish Reservation, which is closed to hunting.) At the extreme eastern end of the canal, hunting is closed in Lynch Cove and the Union River except at designated blinds.