Hunting and gathering have always been essential parts of our
Swinomish culture as a way to provide nourishment for our bodies
and our spirits. The right to hunt and gather on open and unclaimed
lands throughout the Washington Territory was reserved by our
ancestors in the Treaty of Point Elliott.
The goal of the Wildlife/Hunting Program is to preserve and
protect the Swinomish Tribal Community's Treaty-Reserved and
federally protected Hunting and Gathering Rights. Through the
Wildlife/Hunting Co-Management Agreement with the Washington
Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), the Wildlife/Hunting
Program continues to ensure that the best management methods based
on science are implemented to protect the resources and ensure
healthy and sustainable game populations continue to be protected
for the benefit of all people.
As a wildlife co-manager, the Swinomish Tribal Community sets
hunting regulations, hunting seasons and bag limits based on the
ability of wildlife populations to support harvest. Hunting
regulations are shared with WDFW co-managers and modified based on
information from both co-managers. Tribal Fish and Game Enforcement
officers ensure that tribal hunting regulations are followed by
tribal members.
The Wildlife/Hunting Program works on cooperative projects to
enhance deer and elk herds and their habitats. The Wildlife/Hunting
program worked on the Nooksack elk augmentation project that
increased the Nooksack herd population from 300 to an estimated
population of 800 animals in 2010. Management actions for the
Nooksack herd are carried out by Swinomish, WDFW and other Point
Elliott treaty tribes. These actions include radio collar tracking
of individual animals which provides data to population models used
by the co-managers in herd management.
Days/Hours of Operation
Mon. - Wed., 8 AM - 6 PM | Thu. 8 AM - 5:30 PM
Staff
Todd Wilbur, Game Manager