Skagit Brant Season???

[josh87]

Has anyone heard whether or not it will be open?

[Man Tracker]

Last count was only about 3,000 birds...not looking good.

[josh87]

I thought they were going to fly again yesterday, do you know anything about that?

[full choke]

Just got the email that there will be no skagit county brant season. First time since 2003 bird counts were that low. 3,600 is what they saw- needed 6,000.

[Goldeneye]

Just got the email that there will be no skagit county brant season. First time since 2003 bird counts were that low. 3,600 is what they saw- needed 6,000.

That's not what this says:  http://wdfw.wa.gov/news/jan0614a/



 Brant numbers high enough to clear way for Skagit hunt

OLYMPIA - Brant goose numbers in Skagit County are high enough to allow an eight-day hunt later this month, according to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW).

Brant hunting in Skagit County is scheduled Jan. 11, 12, 15, 18, 19, 22, 25 and 26 with a bag limit of two geese per day.

The hunting season was adopted by the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission in August, contingent on a count of at least 6,000 brant in Skagit County. A total of 6,486 brant were counted Dec. 30 during an aerial survey of Fidalgo, Padilla and Samish bays.

"Numbers of brant in Skagit County are down from last year's count of 8,960, but still high enough to provide limited hunting opportunities while sustaining the wintering population in the area," said Don Kraege, waterfowl section manager for WDFW.

Wildlife managers also counted nearly 4,000 brant in nearby areas of adjacent Whatcom County. That's about a 65 percent increase in the number of brant counted in those areas last year, Kraege said.

[pianoman9701]

The email I got says No Skagit season in January this year. I posted under outdoor advocacy.

[backyard bucks]

goldeneye your info is from Jan 6th 2014.    new email just came out with the update of no season since numbers counted are low.

January 6, 2015
Contact: Don Kraege, (360) 902-2522
Skagit County brant goose
hunting season canceled
OLYMPIA – The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) today canceled a scheduled January brant goose hunting season, after counts of the birds in Skagit County indicated numbers were below the level needed for the hunt to proceed. 
The hunt was scheduled to open Jan. 10, provided that at least 6,000 brant were counted during an aerial survey, said Don Kraege, WDFW’s waterfowl section manager. However, two recent aerial surveys of Padilla, Samish, and Fidalgo bays each resulted in counts of only about 3,600 brant. 
Similarly low counts were recorded in 2003, the last time the late-season brant hunt was canceled in Skagit County.

[full choke]

Just got the email that there will be no skagit county brant season. First time since 2003 bird counts were that low. 3,600 is what they saw- needed 6,000.

That's not what this says:  http://wdfw.wa.gov/news/jan0614a/



 Brant numbers high enough to clear way for Skagit hunt

OLYMPIA - Brant goose numbers in Skagit County are high enough to allow an eight-day hunt later this month, according to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW).

Brant hunting in Skagit County is scheduled Jan. 11, 12, 15, 18, 19, 22, 25 and 26 with a bag limit of two geese per day.

The hunting season was adopted by the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission in August, contingent on a count of at least 6,000 brant in Skagit County. A total of 6,486 brant were counted Dec. 30 during an aerial survey of Fidalgo, Padilla and Samish bays.

"Numbers of brant in Skagit County are down from last year's count of 8,960, but still high enough to provide limited hunting opportunities while sustaining the wintering population in the area," said Don Kraege, waterfowl section manager for WDFW.

Wildlife managers also counted nearly 4,000 brant in nearby areas of adjacent Whatcom County. That's about a 65 percent increase in the number of brant counted in those areas last year, Kraege said.

That would be accurate if you wanted to go Brant hunting in Skagit county last year. 1-06-14

[Goldeneye]

Sorry, Mis-read the link.  My mistake...

[Snowgoose1]

It's too bad they don't take into consideration the ones in front of Everett.  Each year there are more and more birds out in front of the Jetty.  Numerous Brant all over the beach.  Quite a few Seaducks down there now too.

[pianoman9701]

Talk to the goose guys. Call the WDFW. They may be considering those geese.

[h2ofowlr]

Skagit County brant goose hunting season canceled 

OLYMPIA - The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) today canceled a scheduled January brant goose hunting season, after counts of the birds in Skagit County indicated numbers were below the level needed for the hunt to proceed. 

The hunt was scheduled to open Jan. 10, provided that at least 6,000 brant were counted during an aerial survey, said Don Kraege, WDFW's waterfowl section manager. However, two recent aerial surveys of Padilla, Samish, and Fidalgo bays each resulted in counts of only about 3,600 brant. 

Similarly low counts were recorded in 2003, the last time the late-season brant hunt was canceled in Skagit County.

Since 1996, WDFW waterfowl hunting regulations have required that at least 6,000 brant must be present for brant hunting to take place in Skagit County. That threshold is designed to conserve the population of Western High Arctic brant that winter in the area.

Kraege said the causes of the reduced Skagit brant population are unknown, but may be the result of poor production on the birds' western Canadian breeding grounds, combined with possible changes in areas of the flyway the brant frequent. 

Meanwhile, a brant season in Pacific County opened as scheduled Jan. 3. Information on that season is available in WDFW's Migratory Waterfowl and Upland Game Seasons hunting pamphlet at http://wdfw.wa.gov/hunting/regulations/ .   

[h2ofowlr]

It's too bad they don't take into consideration the ones in front of Everett.  Each year there are more and more birds out in front of the Jetty.  Numerous Brant all over the beach.  Quite a few Seaducks down there now too.

They also don't take into effect the ones out in front of Keystone and across from Port Townsend.  Maybe the amount of pressure being placed on these birds in the two bays is starting to spread them out like the snow geese.

[irishevox]

It is closed.  See email attached. :
Dear Brant Hunters:

This email is to alert you that the Skagit County brant goose hunting season has been canceled.
Please read the following WDFW News Release for more information.

Sincerely,

WDFW
Wildlife Program

WDFW NEWS RELEASE
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
600 Capitol Way North, Olympia, WA 98501-1091 http://wdfw.wa.gov/

January 6, 2015
Contact: Don Kraege, (360) 902-2522

Skagit County brant goose hunting season canceled

OLYMPIA - The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) today canceled a scheduled January brant goose hunting season, after counts of the birds in Skagit County indicated numbers were below the level needed for the hunt to proceed.

The hunt was scheduled to open Jan. 10, provided that at least 6,000 brant were counted during an aerial survey, said Don Kraege, WDFW's waterfowl section manager. However, two recent aerial surveys of Padilla, Samish, and Fidalgo bays each resulted in counts of only about 3,600 brant.

Similarly low counts were recorded in 2003, the last time the late-season brant hunt was canceled in Skagit County.

Since 1996, WDFW waterfowl hunting regulations have required that at least 6,000 brant must be present for brant hunting to take place in Skagit County. That threshold is designed to conserve the population of Western High Arctic brant that winter in the area.

Kraege said the causes of the reduced Skagit brant population are unknown, but may be the result of poor production on the birds' western Canadian breeding grounds, combined with possible changes in areas of the flyway the brant frequent.

Meanwhile, a brant season in Pacific County opened as scheduled Jan. 3. Information on that season is available in WDFW's Migratory Waterfowl and Upland Game Seasons hunting pamphlet at http://wdfw.wa.gov/hunting/regulations/ .   

________________________________

You have received this e-mail as you are a customer of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW). Your privacy is important to us. If you no longer wish to receive periodic communications from WDFW, you may opt-out by going to http://wdfw.wa.gov/lists/opt-out.html <http://wdfw.wa.gov/lists/opt-out.html>