Hairy Ape, your choice of canine assistance is directly correlated to your success in the field.
:p

I hunt all over. Here's a picture from early november.....
http://www.piscatorialpursuits.com/ubbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=8;t=000156

(Note the dog.... 9 months at the time).

Anyway... Key to successful bird hunting (or any hunting) no matter early or late in the season is knowing the land. I scout where I hunt and take notes long before opening weekend. When the opener comes along, its not much of a surprise the fields I pick have birds in them- I've seen bird in there weeks prior, if not months.

SE Washington wasn't much for pheasant last year. Hun and quail populations made up for it, however. From what I've seen running around this spring... SE WA could have a very decent hatch.

Lastly... I hunt from sunrise to sunset. Three or four hours is just the morning hunt!

Kaari