Galbraith Mountain will be closed for a bow hunt to control the deer population
Galbraith Mountain will be closed to all public access Dec. 11-14 for a bow hunt to control the local deer population.
“Managing deer populations is critical to long-term forest health and safety,” said Rob Janicki, owner of Galbraith Tree Farm, in a news release about the closure. “This is not recreational hunting — it’s part of a broader forest management strategy.”
The Galbraith Tree Farm has partnered with the city of Bellingham and the Whatcom Mountain Bike Coalition to post signs at major trailheads and access points regarding the closure.
Last year, Janicki Logging held the first bow hunt for the area in November, since trail usage is lower during the winter months.
“We did learn a lot from it, both in terms of deer behavior and how well the public respected the closure,” Janicki public relations representative Peter Wheeler told The Herald. “JLC will continue to monitor browse pressure on newly planted saplings, especially cedar, throughout the year to determine if and when another hunt might be necessary during a future regular deer season.”
No public hunting permits will be issued this year, with the hunt being restricted to people with professional forestry experience who have knowledge of Galbraith’s terrain, according to the news release.
The public hunting restriction is in place because some people ignored the closure signs during last year’s hunt and began to use the trails as normal, which was dangerous to the hunters and the people who ignored the signs.
Wheeler said the hunt is therefore being limited to eight people who know the area and can minimize the risk to others.
“It’s a precaution to ensure accountability and reduce the risk of incidents near property boundaries or recreational routes, especially in areas where members of the public have previously entered or may enter despite closure notices,” Wheeler said.
Safety concerns are also behind the decision to limit the hunt to bows, which have much less range than hunting rifles, reducing the risk of damaging nearby private property or anyone who may ignore the closure signs.
Hunters will keep the harvested animals, as required by the state, according to Wheeler. He said the state prohibits food banks and public meal programs from accepting hunter-harvested game meat due to food-safety regulations.
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