CAMANO ISLAND — Reports of an armed man in camouflage sneaking around in the woods near Elger Bay Elementary School alarmed some Camano Island residents last fall.
The man was not breaking any laws. He was legally hunting deer on 225 acres of public land next to the school, said Capt. Bill Hebner of the state Department of Fish and Wildlife.
If some residents have their way, hunting on that land would no longer be allowed. They have asked county officials to ban hunting there.
The incident happened last fall during deer season, Hebner said.
In response to concerns, Island County Sheriff Mike Hawley, all three county commissioners, state Sen. Mary Margaret Haugen and state wildlife officials attended a meeting at Elger Bay Elementary School on Tuesday.
Carol Triplett, president of Friends of Camano Island Parks, said she did not oppose hunting, but said it should be banned at the Elger Bay property for safety reasons.
"Hunting there is unnerving. At Elger Bay, the trails are particularly close to others. There’s really not a lot of space," she said.
The conflict is a direct reflection of the growth on Camano Island.
Resident Marvin Setzer said he has hunted all his life, but no longer does on Camano Island.
"The reason is it’s too populated," Setzer said. "With the children right here, I’m concerned about their safety."
Rich Phillips of the state Department of Fish and Wildlife said he wouldn’t mind seeing a no-shooting zone at Elger Bay because of the safety concerns.
Hunting restrictions have been in place for years on other islands including Vashon, Guemes and the San Juans, said Hebner, who made his comments before the meeting.
Residents should consider the consequences, based on what has happened on those islands — deer populations have soared, Hebner said.
"We’re inundated by calls and complaints by residents of negative interactions with deer," he said.
The deer munch roses, ornamental shrubs, veggie gardens, apple orchards and become a collision hazard for cars, he said.
On Camano Island, the number of deer killed by cars has ranged between 16 and 28 a year since 1997, according to surveys tallied by Jack Taylor, supervisor of the Island County Roads Department.
The state Department of Natural Resources managed the 225 acres until recently, when it leased the land to the Island County Parks Department in a 30-year deal.
The state Department of Natural Resources manages numerous acres of primarily timberland for a variety of school and county trusts. But on Camano Island, it has sharply curtailed its timber-cutting because of local opposition to clear-cuts and the use of herbicides to manage the plantations, said Nick Mickel, a Natural Resources forester based in Sedro-Woolley.
The 225-acre parcel benefited a county trust, so the state conveyed the land management responsibilities to the county. Similar deals have also been made elsewhere on the island, Mickel said.
"They’re not to be resold for development rights," he said. "They are to be used for recreation, parks or open space."
The Elger Bay property is one of the last large parcels of public land on Camano Island, Phillips said.
County Commissioner Mike Shelton was reluctant to declare a no-shooting zone, because he didn’t want to make criminals out of legal hunters.
Haugen said the island is too crowded to allow hunting in all but a few areas.
"People have buckshot hitting their houses," Haugen said.
Reporter Scott Morris: 425-339-3292 or smorris@heraldnet.com.
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