EDITORIAL: Even with forest closure, deer hunt is equitable
Published 1:30 am Tuesday, September 26, 2017
Last Tuesday, a small group of islanders gathered in McMurray Middle School’s multi-purpose room with officials from the state and county to comment on the island’s annual deer hunt and discuss whether or not it should continue for another five years as the county is proposing.
Many members of the small group said they lived near the forest and have had to deal with hunters trespassing on their property — a concern King County Parks’ David Kimmett said he and the county will work to remedy by increasing signage, maps and hunter education. Others brought up the topic of equity. One woman said that she felt she was not being treated “as an equitable member of the community” because the forest is being shut down “for weeks for deer control” and she was not able to recreate as she normally would. Just to clarify, the annual hunt was never intended as a deer control mechanism, but as a way to allow hunting to continue, as it has for years, on formerly state-owned land.
“It wasn’t set up to solve the deer problem,” Kimmett said. “It was the only land set up for hunting and there is a long history of hunting there.”
Walking, running and riding are allowed in Island Center Forest year-round with the exception of the two to three weeks each year, since 2011, reserved for hunting — and even during the hunting period, the 40-acre Gateway and 81-acre Natural Area properties remain open for other uses. Being equitable means being fair, and that applies to all recreation, regardless of personal opinions.
Closing the forest for hunting is, in fact, preserving equity and ensuring the land can truly be utilized by those participating in recreation of all types. While the topic of hunting itself is polarizing, the fact is that hunting is a form of recreation and, if it can be done safely and responsibly, it should be allowed to continue, especially since two or three weeks out of 52 is not a lot to ask. As for the decision to close the forest, that came as a measure to ensure safety, not to prevent walkers, runners and equestrians from using the forest.
Vashon prides itself on its openness and willingness to fight for equality and that attitude should extend to those hunters who enjoy hunting as much as many others enjoy hiking or trail-running. And, while the only evidence he has is anecdotal, Kimmett said the hunters coming to Vashon aren’t hunting for sport, but for food — and they’re doing it in a far more humane practice than the large companies providing the meat you see at any grocery store. But that’s a whole other story.
