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The hunting season was adopted by the state Fish and Wildlife Commission in August, contingent on a count of at least 6,000 brant in Skagit County. A total of 6,704 brant were counted Jan. 6 during an aerial survey of Fidalgo, Padilla and Samish bays.
The numbers of brant are down from last year’s count, but still high enough to provide hunting opportunities while sustaining the wintering population in the area, said Don Kraege, waterfowl section manager.
This year’s Skagit County count is about 2,000 birds below the 10-year average, said Kraege. Last year, wildlife biologists counted about 8,500 brant in the county.
To participate in the Skagit County brant season, hunters must have a small-game license, a migratory bird validation and a special migratory bird-hunting authorization with a brant harvest record card, which are available at license dealers. In addition, hunters also must have a federal migratory bird stamp.
After taking a brant, hunters are required to record their harvest information on the card immediately, and report their harvest to the department by Feb. 15.
Hunters who harvest a brant fitted with a colored leg band should report the leg band’s numbers and color by calling 800-327-2263 or at pwrc.usgs.gov/bbl/bblretrv. The leg bands help biologists identify and track the birds.
