Duck hunting banned at Deer Lagoon

A total ban on bird hunting in Deer Lagoon near Bayview was adopted unanimously by Island County commissioners at a special session Monday night in Freeland.

"This is a change we need to face as a community," commission chairman John Dean told about 100 people at Freeland Hall.

"We're not the island we were," Dean said. "We're talking about mixing a neighborhood with firearms."

After about two hours of testimony on both sides of the issue, the commissioners took about five minutes to approve the shooting ban.

Commissioners Helen Price Johnson and Angie Homola also voted to adopt the ordinance.

Commissioners had originally considered a partial shooting ban at the 379-acre lagoon owned by the county, leaving a 25-acre area in the middle of the lagoon for duck hunters.

But after testimony last month from neighbors about dangers from guns, commissioners approved a second ordinance calling for a total ban.

They considered both ordinances Monday night. The partial ban died for lack of a second.

For years, duck hunters from throughout the county and beyond have used the lagoon for about four months of the year during the waterfowl season. It was the only area in the South End where duck hunting was permitted.

But an increasing population in the area, especially of full-time residents, brought about the clash between reality and tradition.

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