Near-record Low Count Means No Skagit Brant Hunt; #s OK Elsewhere

THE FOLLOWING IS A PRESS RELEASE FROM THE WASHINGTON DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) today announced continuing hunts for brant geese in Clallam, Pacific, and Whatcom counties, but that Skagit County will be closed to brant harvest this season.

Continued stable winter counts of brant have allowed for scheduled hunting opportunities in Clallam and Whatcom counties on Jan. 21, 25, and 28 and in Pacific County on Jan. 14, 15, 17, 19, 21, 22, 24, 26, 28, and 29.

BRANT GEESE TAKEN ON PACIFIC COUNTY’S JANUARY 8, 2022, OPENER. (BRIAN BLAKE)

A trend of historically low brant counts in Skagit County means brant hunting will remain closed in that county including during the Youth, Veteran, and Active Military waterfowl hunting opportunity on Saturday, Feb. 4.

“Recent aerial counts in Skagit County indicate numbers fell short of the 3,000-bird requirement to allow brant hunting there this season,” said Kyle Spragens, WDFW waterfowl section manager. “These population surveys, conducted over Padilla, Samish, and Fidalgo bays, tallied 2,481 brant–the second lowest count in the 71-year history of these surveys.”

The surveys allow WDFW biologists to monitor the winter population in relation to the harvest pressure that can occur in Skagit County. The number of hunting days is directly related to how many brant are counted during these surveys.

“This is the sixth consecutive year of fewer than 6,000 brant in Skagit County bays, and while we strive to provide harvest opportunity when appropriate, these historically low counts require us to restrict opportunities for this unique coastal waterfowl species to meet our conservation objectives,” Spragens explained.

BRANT ARE AMONG THE MORE LESS WELL KNOWN OF NORTHWEST GEESE. DESCRIBED AS A “SEA GOOSE” ABOUT THE SIZE OF A FAT MALLARD, THEY MIGRATE BETWEEN THE HIGH ARCTIC AND BAJA MEXICO, AND STAGE ON WESTERN WASHINGTON BAYS. PER WASHINGTON BRANT FOUNDATION, DECLINING NUMBERS ARE DUE TO DISTURBANCES ON THE ESTUARIES AND BEACHES THEY FREQUENT. (JOE EVENSON, VIA WDFW)

Brant are a migratory species of goose with a sleek black head, white necklace, and distinct brown and black body feathers with striking white flank feathers. They winter in coastal bays, estuaries, and lagoons, where they eat eelgrass, sea lettuce, and other aquatic vegetation.

WDFW reminds hunters to familiarize themselves with local regulations and boundaries. Specifically, hunters in Clallam County are advised to consult the closed zones of Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge, and hunters in Whatcom County are advised to review boundaries relevant to Bellingham and Lummi Bays.

Brant hunters are reminded they must possess a valid migratory bird authorization and brant harvest report card. More information on brant hunting is available in the Migratory Game Bird Seasons – Western Washington section on page 27 of the 2022-2023 Game Bird and Small Game Hunting Regulations.