Country club says no hunting on its lagoon property. Control over Dike No. 1 questionable
Published 5:00 am Wednesday, November 9, 2005
A dispute over who has control of hunting from Dike No. 1 in Deer Lagoon has added to the controversy surrounding hunting at the popular shooting spot.
“No hunting allowed” says the board of the Useless Bay Golf and Country Club. And that was the message sent to the commissioners of Island County Diking District No. 1.
The dispute arose when directors at the golf course realized that Diking District No. 1 commissioners had authorized hunting and shooting from the dike.
The golf club’s board of directors is now clamping down, and recently sent a letter to diking commissioners that emphasized that the parcel of land where the dike sits for nearly two-thirds of its length is owned by the golf club.
Useless Bay Golf and Country Club bought the property from H and H properties Dec. 30, 1999.
The dike is one-half mile long in the southeastern portion of the lagoon, and runs between Useless Bay Colony and Sunlight Beach area. A gate on the colony side, near the south end of Soundview Drive, is now posted with “no trespassing and “no hunting” signs.
According to President John Ferguson, the board has adopted a resolution to ban hunting.
“The resolution was unanimously approved by our nine-member board this summer,” he said.
According to the golf club board, diking commissioners have no authority to allow hunting.
Some say the issue is a bit more murky, however.
“As far as hunting from Dike No. 1, it is unclear who has the authority concerning hunting. It is a civil matter between the two parties,” said Jan Smith, spokeswoman for the Island County Sheriff’s Office.
The Useless Bay Board of Directors prohibited hunting and the discharge of firearms on its property, but will still allow the diking district access to the dike for maintenance.
The resolution also bans bows and arrows, gas or air weapons, or any devices that can injure or kill, as well as ones that can damage or destroy property.
Hunting in the county-owned portion of the lagoon continues to be a hot-button issue on South Whidbey. Some residents of Useless Bay Colony, Shore Avenue and the Sunlight Beach area are adamantly opposed to hunting near their homes, and say it’s safety issue.
The sheriff’s office has since been swamped with complaints.
“The sheriff’s office office was deluged with complaints about hunting from residents during opening weekend,” Smith said.
The dispatch center received 30 calls, most from Deer Lagoon and some from residents living near Goss Lake Woods.
Smith said each call costs the sheriff’s office $25, and the costs rise rapidly when considering the cost of a deputy’s time to respond.
“The sheriff’s office resources are stretched,” Smith said.
Currently, hunting is allowed in the county-owned portion of Deer Lagoon, about 357 acres of land.
The Island County Board of County Commissioners is currently developing a county hunting ordinance that will address hunting at Deer Lagoon and in Goss Lake Woods.
