Once again this Saturday, about 200 acres of Island Center Forest will close to everyone but permitted deer hunters for the last two weeks of October.

This year will mark the final year of a five-year extended pilot project between King County Parks and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) that was begun in an effort to determine whether hunting should continue, in a limited fashion, on the former state lands that are now part of the county’s regional park system.

“We’ll have six year’s worth of data once this hunt is over,” said David Kimmett of King County Parks and Natural Resources Lands Programs. “From there, we can summarize the information we have collected, discuss the issue with Fish and Wildlife, gather public input and then make a final decision about moving forward.”

Hunting was halted in Island Center Forest in 2010 after the county took over the property from the state and began to establish it as a broader-use recreational area. In 2011, a one-year limited hunt pilot project was set up in response to input from the hunting community and WDFW — the five year extension of that pilot project was agreed to in 2012.

Over the past five years, the limited hunt — which has varied in length from 15 days in 2015 to 21 days in 2013 and 2014 — has seen a total of 296 “visits” and 22 deer killed, according to voluntary reports from participants. A “visit” is defined as the number of times a licensed hunter enters the forest during the time period. 2012 saw the lowest number of visits, with 39 reported during a 20-day hunt, and 2014 saw the highest number with 78 reported during a 21-day hunt. The number of deer killed during each hunt has ranged from just two in 2013, to eight in 2011. The majority of hunters coming to the island for these hunts have been from Pierce and King (not including Vashon residents) counties. Vashon alone has registered 51 participants in total so far.

Kimmett acknowledges that the project has had its detractors as well as supporters, which is why it was set up in the first place.

“It was a trade-off for both sides,” he explained to The Beachcomber before last year’s hunt. This year, he remains realistic about moving forward.

“We still expect to hear opposing views, and we’re committed to collecting comments from the public,” he said. “There will be a public meeting (at least one), and probably a way to submit input online as well. We’ll give folks an opportunity to share.”

Kimmett is optimistic about the success of the project, noting that, with the exception of one year, there have been minimal or no complaints from residents.

On a side note, regarding the island’s current cougar visitor, Kimmett said that the WDFW’s regulations show that the Vashon-Maury Island game management unit is not set up for cougar hunting. Therefore, the cougar cannot be legally hunted here at this time.

The county will have the ultimate say in what happens moving forward regarding deer hunting, but if hunting is to continue, the WDFW will need to be involved to set up the management and regulations as it does throughout the rest of the state.

Island Center Forest will be closed for hunting from Saturday, Oct. 15, through Monday, Oct. 31. The Gateway and Natural Areas will remain open for public use during this time; forest users should watch for signage indicating closed areas.