The Birdshot Inn
No duck camp tops an aggressively tacky motel
BY NATE CORLEY
Two miles north of the highway, on a crumbling strip of asphalt between a vacant lot and a pizza joint, stands the happiest structure in the state of Washington’s Franklin County.
It may not look like much to the passing motorist: Your average budget chain motel, with a pool that may have held water at one time; a “fitness center” with two sets of barbells and a deflated exercise ball; a “business station” with a boxy computer that grumbles like a diesel engine; and, to tie it all together, glowing lights out front that proudly proclaim “WE HAVE AC!” even in late December.
But to the duck hunter, this place is Rivendell. It’s Times Square. It’s Disneyland and the Las Vegas Strip and your grandmother’s living room all rolled into one, with complimentary donuts to boot. Because while the establishment may be surrounded by cracked sidewalks and suspicious Google reviews, it also stands in the beating heart of the best waterfowl hunting in the Pacific Northwest. Picture 80 miles of irrigated cropland in every direction, plus 192,000 acres of public land all within a 30-minute drive. Add to that two major rivers and multiple tributaries that, every November, turn the valley into a magnet for all varieties of honking and whistling and quacking and web-footed birds.
There’s a flood of duck hunters too, of course. In minivans and motorhomes. Pickups and hybrids. Pipefitters and schoolteachers and executives and attorneys and … who cares? We’re all just duck hunters here, at the Birdshot Inn. And by the giddy grin on every face, you also know there’s no place any of us would rather be.
You’ve stayed here before, I’m sure. Not in Franklin County, most likely, but Eastern Arkansas. Or in the Sacramento Valley. Or the Gulf Coast. Or Saskatoon. Anywhere duck hunters congregate, you’ll find a Birdshot Inn to accommodate them. The name on the sign will be different. But the vibe? Identical.
Your first tipoff is the smell. A redolent wall of Labrador and black coffee and wet wool will meet you as you step into the lobby. The next cue is auditory: distant laughter mixed with thumping tails and some guy with a Bluetooth speaker blasting Zeppelin. The clerk behind the desk doesn’t seem to mind. She greets you with a smile, hands you a room key, and reminds you that the bird cleaning station is through the back door beside the dumpster and please don’t use the shower for processing geese.
Then there’s the clientele. The first guy you pass is hauling three cased shotguns in his right hand and a sack of tacos in the other. The next dude is wearing an ear-flap cap over a motel-issued terrycloth robe and heavy rubber boots. Most doors in the hallway are propped open. To fuel the festal atmosphere, of course, but also for ventilation, since each room’s heating unit is cranked to red and every hook and sconce is draped with long johns and socks. There’s enough marsh water and sweat in the air to simulate the Amazon rainforest. But no one seems to mind. Except maybe that wide-eyed family of four at the end of the hallway, clearly on their way back from a soccer tournament, watching the guy in the next room fill up a motel ice bucket with water from the drinking fountain and then set it on the floor for his thirsty springer spaniel.
No matter. This family will soon find their fellow guests are as courteous as they are shamelessly dressed. And when Soccer Mom and Soccer Dad awake, the motel will be empty. The only signs that a herd of hunters stumbled out the door at 4:37 a.m. are the lobby’s empty donut bin and the lingering scent of muddy retriever and neoprene.
So, consider this an invitation. There’s a Birdshot Inn somewhere near you that’s about to become the center of the universe for a few fleeting weekends. The vacancy sign is lit. Come join the party.
Nate Corley never eats the last donut in Tacoma, Washington.
Article originally published in Delta Waterfowl's fall 2025 magazine.
Join Delta Waterfowl to receive our member-exclusive magazine and eNewsletter—packed with the latest in duck research, expert tips on duck dogs, hunting insights, conservation updates, and more.
Your membership helps you stay informed while supporting the future of waterfowling. Join now: Become A Member.