Along the West Coast there is a complex of waterfowl habitats that is extremely important to the West Coast Flyway. It stretches from Willapa Bay in the north to Tillamook Bay in the south, and from the mouth of the Columbia River east to the Willamette Valley. At the hub of this wheel is the lower Columbia River, an area known for its incredible duck and goose populations ever since the expedition of Lewis and Clark.

When Lewis and Clark camped here, there was so much racket from the waterfowl that they couldn't sleep. Today's waterfowlers still find good numbers of ducks and geese in the refuge's 35,000 acres. Photo by Chuck Lobdell.

When Lewis and Clark camped on Sauvie Island, they found it difficult to sleep because of the racket made by thousands of ducks and geese.

Much has changed since that time, and a lot of the original habitat has been drained or plowed over. Lucky for today's waterfowlers, there is a complex of refuge areas along this reach of the big river, refuges that were set aside by forward-thinking individuals and conservation groups that did not want to see the big flocks of birds pass into history.

Today, duck and goose hunters can choose between the many state and federal refuges from Portland to Astoria, refuges that offer excellent gunning for geese, puddle ducks, divers and sea ducks.

Hunters like you could hunt from the bank or a boat, and target huge, open expanses along the river shoreline near the pothole-sized marshes.

You could choose the easier hunts of the flooded agricultural fields or take on the Columbia estuary, one of the most difficult and rewarding spots to hunt waterfowl in North America.

In addition to the refuges, there are other public options, such as state lands and public corridors adjacent to these refuges. These spots, like Vancouver Lake in Washington and Scappoose Bay in Oregon, add even more opportunities for gunners to bag a limit of birds along the lower river.

The late season is often the best time to hunt the Columbia as big, fat birds that nest in Canada and Alaska are forced south by winter storms. It is a time of year when a lack of water is rarely a problem, when areas that are dry the rest of the year provide food and cover to the migrating birds. Do a little homework, time your hunt correctly, and you could see hunting action that is unrivalled.

So, oil up your guns, load them with steel or tungsten shot, and practice your calling, because it's time to hit these hotspots for some great late-season action.

LEWIS AND CLARK, JULIA BUTLER HANSEN REFUGES
These two refuges, which are both administered from the same headquarters, make up the biggest public-hunting area along the lower river. Except for a small amount of shore access at the Julia Butler Hansen Refuge, this is boat-hunting country. In fact, the only way to access the islands within Lewis and Clark is by boat.

There are more than 35,000 acres and more than 20 islands within the Lewis and Clark Refuge. Both the Lewis and Clark, and Julia Butler Hansen refuges stretch from the town of Cathlamet west to Tongue Point.

This vast area winters huge flocks of waterfowl. But it's also dangerous to hunt and should not be taken lightly by novices.