Submitted by the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife.

Heading to the San Juan Islands to hunt or hike? You may see some new faces during weekends throughout the 2024 deer hunting general season if you’re spending time near Watmough Bay on Lopez Island.

The Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife is partnering with the Bureau of Land Management and San Juan County Conservation Land Bank to staff a new hunting information kiosk at the trail entrance for Chadwick Hill and Point Colville. Our kiosk has information on safely hunting and recreating in the area, hunting seasons, hunter education on the islands and other resources. The kiosk will also serve as a reminder for all users of this area that hunting season is open, and orange vests will be available for all recreationists to borrow.

Public hunting access is extremely limited in San Juan County and the parcels of BLM and Land Bank property on southern Lopez Island are critical for hunting as a conservation tool to benefit people, healthy deer populations and other sensitive habitats and species.

If you’re in the area, stop by to say hello and ask any questions you may have about hunting, wildlife conservation and management, and wildlife viewing!

Modern firearm hunting seasons for black-tailed deer are open in this and many other areas Oct. 12-31 and Nov. 14-17. San Juan County is a Firearm Restriction Area where hunting with centerfire or rimfire rifles is prohibited for safety reasons.

More information is also available in WDFW’s “Hunting in the San Juan Islands” factsheet at https://wdfw.wa.gov/sites/default/files/2024-10/wdfw-hunting-san-juan-islands-info-2024.pdf.

Photos attached showing WDFW district biologist Kurt Licence and BLM staff at the kiosk near Watmough Bay on southern Lopez Island.

Also available online: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/NJLU6k8bUPFAfB58/ and https://wdfw.wa.gov/places-to-go/weekender/north-puget-sound.