Suspect Sought in Shooting of 21 Protected Birds in Grant County

The WA State Dept. of Fish and Wildlife is seeking leads in the fatal shooting of 21 protected birds on the Columbia River in Grant County, including a loon.

  WDFW says loons are considered a sensitive species at the state and federal level

The Grant County Sheriff's Office and WDFW say the birds were discovered in the Columbia River not far from the Sunland Estates area on November 23rd. WDFW Officers were on patrol when they spotted several dead birds floating in the water.

The first bird they found was a common loon, in the area of Quilomene Bay, about 11 miles upriver from Vantage. The bird had tiny shotgun pellet holes in its body. Loons are classified as a sensitive protected species at the state and Federal level. There are less than two dozen known breeding pairs of loons in Northeastern WA, and even fewer on the west side.

The other birds that were found further downstream were coots, 20 of them were dead and 1 was injured. They were located about 7 miles upstream from Vantage near Scammon Landing.

WDFW believes the birds were shot sometime on November 22nd. or the morning of the 23rd., based on the condition of the carcasses, and Officers say the shooter was likely in a boat.

All the birds were killed with a shotgun.  The WDFW is looking for anyone who may have seen a boat, truck, trailer, or other activity in the area during those times. They also posted on their Facebook page:

 "Anyone with information is encouraged to call us at 360-902-2936 option 1, visit the department’s website at https://bit.ly/4gFqEJ4 and click on violations, or text WDFWTIP to 847411. Those who provide information leading to an arrest may be eligible for a cash reward or bonus points for special permit hunting opportunities."