DUNGENESS — A bizarre scene of 18 dead geese laid out on a beach at Dungeness Landing County Park was probably the result of a legal hunt, according to state Fish and Wildlife law enforcement officials.
Photos of the scene show that the carcasses were harvested for breast meat, and there were no obvious signs of illegal activity said Mike Cenci, Fish and Wildlife deputy chief of enforcement.
There could be some legal issues with the dumping of the carcasses on a public beach where visitors would find them, Censi said.
“At very least, it was very poor form,” he said.
Removal of the breast meat — which Censi said is the only useful meat on a wild goose — may not have been obvious to those who found and reported the dead birds on the beach.
“The dumping may be unlawful due to county ordinance, but the goose season was open,” he said.
Censi said a similar situation may have occurred with the 12 salmon carcasses found at the scene, which also were caught in season for salt-water fishing.
The geese were found by retired Port Angeles Police Detective Ken Fox.
Fox was taking visitors to see the sights on the North Olympic Peninsula at about 4 p.m. Saturday when he found the geese and salmon on the beach at the end of Oyster House Road, just east of Kline Spit.
Fox took photos of the scene and reported his find to Fish and Wildlife.
According to the state Fish and Wildlife website, the early goose hunting season in Clallam County began Sept. 10 and ended Sunday. It had a limit of five geese per day per licensed hunter, and 10 total allowed in the possession of a licensed hunter.
Goose hunting season will reopen Oct. 12-24 and Nov. 2 through Jan. 26.
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Reporter Arwyn Rice can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5070, or at arwyn.rice@peninsuladailynews.com.
