Published: Sunday, October 4, 2009
Salmon habitat program compromising bird hunting program
It’s huntin’ time in the great Northwest, but if you happen to be an aficionado of the state Fish and Wildlife Department’s Western Washington pheasant release program, you’re looking at a bird of a different feather this fall.
Because of a controversial salmon habitat improvement program on the popular Skagit Wildlife Area, which blew dikes, flooded fields and generally scrambled the landscape, pheasant, duck and goose hunters are facing a cobbled-together, compromised hunting program on the delta that no one is completely happy about.
While there will be roughly the same number of pen-raised pheasants released this year on the Skagit and the Snoqualmie Valley units of the wildlife area, exactly where the hunting takes place and how much land will be available to handle the crowds is very much still in play.
First, the “headquarters unit” of the wildlife area, on the Skagit South Fork west of Conway, took the brunt of the construction this summer and since the state has not developed a strain of amphibious pheasant, it is no longer a release site. Instead, the relatively new “Samish Unit,” on Padilla Bay just south of Samish Island, will get the headquarters’ birds and, along with them, the headquarters’ hunters.
To reach the Samish unit, go west on Highway 20 toward Anacortes to the Bayview-Edison Road, then north to the “T” at the Samish Island Road, then west on the Samish Island Road to the 90-degree turn to the right. Go straight ahead at that corner, into the unit’s parking lot. Skagit manager John Garrett said birds will be released on the Samish unit prior to each Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday hunt. Those planning to hunt during the hours of 8-10 a.m. on the weekends must choose an odd- or even-numbered weekend day when buying a license, but all pheasant hunters may hunt the unit from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. seven days a week during the hunting season. Non-toxic shot is required.
So far, so good.
But, you might say to yourself, the Samish Unit is a popular waterfowl hunting area, where pheasants have not been planted and where pheasant hunters have never wandered around, scaring off flights of incoming mallards. Duck hunters are probably not pleased with the arrangement, you might say to yourself, particularly since waterfowl season opens Oct. 17 and the general Western Washington pheasant season runs Oct. 3-Nov. 30.
And, of course, that’s where the rock becomes a hard place. Through negotiations with hunting clubs and other user groups, a compromise was set up by the state. Pheasants will be planted on the Samish Unit Sept. 25 (early youth and senior hunts) through Nov. 7. Period. Which effectively ends pheasant hunting on the unit as well, so there will be no additional birds on through the Thanksgiving weekend as has long been the custom on the now-defunct headquarters unit.
And where do all those Samish pheasant hunters go after Sunday, Nov. 8? That’s a good question, Garrett said.
“The department doesn’t know right now what to do after Nov. 8 with the Samish Hunters,” he said. “Everybody’s scrambling to find alternate sites.”
One possibility is Leque (lek-way) Island, the old “Smith Farm” release site across the Camano Island bridge west of Stanwood, and south of Highway 532. Cross the bridge and immediately turn left onto Eide Road to access the east side of the release area, or continue past the bridge another 200 or 300 yards to the pullout/parking area also on the south side of the highway, called the “Davis Slough” access, on the northwest corner of the release area.
Leque Island has also been scheduled to fall under the dike-blowing hammer, but complications have delayed the process for the immediate future. Because of that, Garrett will plant birds now through Thanksgiving there. No extra pheasants from the Samish quota, though — not even for the Thanksgiving weekend — because the unit is not large enough to host more hunters. Birds will be planted at Leque on the same schedule as the Samish.
So until and unless state can come up with another viable release site soon, the fall hunt for local scattergunners will consist of a partial season on the Samish Unit, and a full, but probably crowded, season on Leque Island.
Another possibility can be found on the Snoqualmie Valley units — the Stillwater, Cherry Valley and Crescent Lake release sites, with a collective quota of 435 birds per week for 10 weeks. The Samish/Leque quota is 345 birds per week for 10 weeks, and the quota on the half-dozen Whidbey Island release sites is about 225 per week for 10 weeks. Some of the Whidbey sites, however, are difficult to access because of Naval Air Station requirements.
“All this is a stopgap solution for this year to address the loss of pheasant releases at headquarters,” said state regional wildlife manager Lora Leschner at the Mill Creek office. “We will continue to work toward securing alternative sites in the region where we can permanently relocate our pheasant release operations.”
As for hunting tips, Garrett said the best approach by far is to hunt with the same mind set as you would for wild, Eastern Washington, pheasants. Hunt hard, bring a dog, enjoy the camaraderie, and don’t necessarily show up at the crack of dawn with the crowds.
“Anyone who feels they can get there early and shoot a limit in 30 minutes is going to be disappointed,” Garrett said. “Relax and start later in the day, when there’s more elbow room and the birds have had a chance to move around a little.”
For maps of Western Washington pheasant release sites go to wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/game/water/wwapheas.htm.
Because of a controversial salmon habitat improvement program on the popular Skagit Wildlife Area, which blew dikes, flooded fields and generally scrambled the landscape, pheasant, duck and goose hunters are facing a cobbled-together, compromised hunting program on the delta that no one is completely happy about.
While there will be roughly the same number of pen-raised pheasants released this year on the Skagit and the Snoqualmie Valley units of the wildlife area, exactly where the hunting takes place and how much land will be available to handle the crowds is very much still in play.
First, the “headquarters unit” of the wildlife area, on the Skagit South Fork west of Conway, took the brunt of the construction this summer and since the state has not developed a strain of amphibious pheasant, it is no longer a release site. Instead, the relatively new “Samish Unit,” on Padilla Bay just south of Samish Island, will get the headquarters’ birds and, along with them, the headquarters’ hunters.
To reach the Samish unit, go west on Highway 20 toward Anacortes to the Bayview-Edison Road, then north to the “T” at the Samish Island Road, then west on the Samish Island Road to the 90-degree turn to the right. Go straight ahead at that corner, into the unit’s parking lot. Skagit manager John Garrett said birds will be released on the Samish unit prior to each Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday hunt. Those planning to hunt during the hours of 8-10 a.m. on the weekends must choose an odd- or even-numbered weekend day when buying a license, but all pheasant hunters may hunt the unit from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. seven days a week during the hunting season. Non-toxic shot is required.
So far, so good.
But, you might say to yourself, the Samish Unit is a popular waterfowl hunting area, where pheasants have not been planted and where pheasant hunters have never wandered around, scaring off flights of incoming mallards. Duck hunters are probably not pleased with the arrangement, you might say to yourself, particularly since waterfowl season opens Oct. 17 and the general Western Washington pheasant season runs Oct. 3-Nov. 30.
And, of course, that’s where the rock becomes a hard place. Through negotiations with hunting clubs and other user groups, a compromise was set up by the state. Pheasants will be planted on the Samish Unit Sept. 25 (early youth and senior hunts) through Nov. 7. Period. Which effectively ends pheasant hunting on the unit as well, so there will be no additional birds on through the Thanksgiving weekend as has long been the custom on the now-defunct headquarters unit.
And where do all those Samish pheasant hunters go after Sunday, Nov. 8? That’s a good question, Garrett said.
“The department doesn’t know right now what to do after Nov. 8 with the Samish Hunters,” he said. “Everybody’s scrambling to find alternate sites.”
One possibility is Leque (lek-way) Island, the old “Smith Farm” release site across the Camano Island bridge west of Stanwood, and south of Highway 532. Cross the bridge and immediately turn left onto Eide Road to access the east side of the release area, or continue past the bridge another 200 or 300 yards to the pullout/parking area also on the south side of the highway, called the “Davis Slough” access, on the northwest corner of the release area.
Leque Island has also been scheduled to fall under the dike-blowing hammer, but complications have delayed the process for the immediate future. Because of that, Garrett will plant birds now through Thanksgiving there. No extra pheasants from the Samish quota, though — not even for the Thanksgiving weekend — because the unit is not large enough to host more hunters. Birds will be planted at Leque on the same schedule as the Samish.
So until and unless state can come up with another viable release site soon, the fall hunt for local scattergunners will consist of a partial season on the Samish Unit, and a full, but probably crowded, season on Leque Island.
Another possibility can be found on the Snoqualmie Valley units — the Stillwater, Cherry Valley and Crescent Lake release sites, with a collective quota of 435 birds per week for 10 weeks. The Samish/Leque quota is 345 birds per week for 10 weeks, and the quota on the half-dozen Whidbey Island release sites is about 225 per week for 10 weeks. Some of the Whidbey sites, however, are difficult to access because of Naval Air Station requirements.
“All this is a stopgap solution for this year to address the loss of pheasant releases at headquarters,” said state regional wildlife manager Lora Leschner at the Mill Creek office. “We will continue to work toward securing alternative sites in the region where we can permanently relocate our pheasant release operations.”
As for hunting tips, Garrett said the best approach by far is to hunt with the same mind set as you would for wild, Eastern Washington, pheasants. Hunt hard, bring a dog, enjoy the camaraderie, and don’t necessarily show up at the crack of dawn with the crowds.
“Anyone who feels they can get there early and shoot a limit in 30 minutes is going to be disappointed,” Garrett said. “Relax and start later in the day, when there’s more elbow room and the birds have had a chance to move around a little.”
For maps of Western Washington pheasant release sites go to wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/game/water/wwapheas.htm.
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