DUNGENESS — While walking near Dungeness Landing County Park, a retired Port Angeles police detective discovered a grisly scene Saturday — 18 Canada geese and 12 salmon, killed and left on the beach after being disemboweled.
Ken Fox, who served with the Port Angeles Police Department for more than 20 years, 15 as a detective, was taking visitors to see the sights at about 4 p.m. Saturday when he found the dead animals on the beach north of Sequim at the end of Oyster House Road.
“It was just bizarre,” Fox said.
The geese had been laid out on their backs just above the waterline, each with part of its chest cut out to expose the innards and breastbone, and with its entrails neatly set next to the carcass, he said.
There was no indication that the geese had been shot, he said.
He also found a pile of about 12 freshly gutted salmon carcasses — each weighing 10-15 pounds — at the same location.
“From my experience, it’s one of these situations where someone is illegally harvesting,” he said.
Fox said he called the state Department of Fish and Wildlife to report the find but did not get an immediate response.
Fish and Wildlife officials were not available for comment Sunday.
According to the Fish and Wildlife website, the early goose hunting season in Clallam County was Sept. 15 through Sunday, with a limit of five geese per day per licensed hunter.
Hunting season for geese reopens Oct. 12-24 and again Nov. 2-Jan. 26.
