The Wahkiakum County Eagle - Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891

To The Eagle:

This time of year, our weekends are cursed with the early morning cacophony of shotguns, aimed at innocent Canada geese stopping here to rest and recuperate from their arduous journey along the Pacific Migratory Flyway. What a terrible irony. The awful sound of those guns is somewhat more tolerable when they are “distant,” as mandated by law.

Hunters that want to take game animals in Washington must abide by the state hunting laws, regulations, and requirements provided by the state Department of Fish and Wildlife. Those important hunting regulations are, in my experience, frequently violated by local hunters in my rural neighborhood, particularly the requirements regarding “Washington Safety Hunting Zones.”

Per the WDFW, “Unless permission has been obtained otherwise from the occupants, hunters discharging a firearm and taking or trapping wildlife, must be at least 150 yards away from a residence, camp, building, or where people live. For archery hunting, the safety distance required is 100 yards.”

I’ve been out on my property, too many times, screaming at goose-gunners that have frightened me, my wife and our family pets out of our sleep at 5 a.m. with nearby shotgun blasts.

It’s my opinion that Puget Island should be declared a ‘No Hunting’ zone because of it’s important role on the Pacific Migratory Flyway. Moreover, all sentient life is precious, wild animals no less so than people.

JB Bouchard

Puget Island