The Western Washington Pheasant Release program has been hit with budget reductions following the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife’s funding shortfall.

The Bob Oke state-run game farm in Centralia has also been the target of an investigation into the possibility that it has been polluting the groundwater below the farm with nitrates.

Chris White, a Pheasant Release Program Specialist for the WDFW, outlined these issues in a presentation at the Vancouver Wildlife League’s monthly meeting on Sept. 30 in Vancouver.

During the presentation, it was obvious that the club’s members were looking for clarity regarding the future of the popular program. However, White reported that there is still a lot of uncertainty concerning the farm, and the western Washington pheasant program itself.

The primary focus of the presentation was the groundwater nitrates issue, and whether the farm was in fact the reason for high nitrate levels detected in the groundwater in the areas near the farm.

“This year we started out the season with some concerns brought by the city of Centralia about nitrates in the ground water,” White said. “The farm sits on top of the city of Centralia’s aquifer.”

He said tests of several local wells had levels of nitrates above the limit for potable water, and the city has pointed to the farm as the reason for this. Centralia does not have any significant water treatment for nitrates.

However, although the testing did not show conclusively that the farm was the source, the city government has seized on the findings and has been very open in that they want the farm to be closed.

“They have been on record saying they just want us to move, so that they can take over that property,” White said. “Regardless of how many birds we grow, regardless of what we do, they just want us out of there.”

The farm is within the city’s urban growth boundary.

Centralia has a monitoring program that tests for nitrates, and several wells in the proximity of the farm, including a few wells of private home owners, tested high for the nitrates. Some were elevated but within the standards for potable water, but some were over the limit of 10 parts per million.

The consulting firm Mott Mc- Donald recently presented the findings of a water study that suggested the Bob Oke Game Farm was a major contributor to nitrate levels in nearby groundwater. The study also suggested steps that the game farm would need to take to mitigate its impact on the local aquifer.

Soil samples taken at the farm have proven inconclusive.

There is the possibility that the contaminants come from another source, but the department took actions to mitigate any farm practices that may have led to the nitrate levels. White pointed out that the WDFW went beyond the recommendations within the report.

“The department, in order to ease some tension around there, reduced the number of birds being raised at the farm,” he said.

“That was voluntary.”

They did so by contracting out the birds being raised for the Eastern Washington program, and reducing the number of pheasants being raised for the Western Washington program by about 26 percent.

Historically, the farm raised between 38,000 and 40,000 pheasants each year.

The western Washington pheasant program seeks to offer bird hunters a chance for pheasants, which do not do well in the wild in southwest Washington. The habitat and wet weather does not offer much for wild pheasants, and there are limited opportunities for bird hunters to target other upland species.

The pheasants are brought from the farm and planted in three locations near Vancouver. Vancouver Wildlife League volunteers drive to the farm, load the birds into a truck, and transport them to the hunting areas. The birds are then released and spread around over the hunting locations.

The birds are released on Tuesdays and Fridays throughout the season, which runs through November. The program is very popular, although license sales and participation have dropped some in recent years.

In addition to decreasing the number of birds raised on the site, the department has taken several other steps to mitigate any nitrate pollution. They have stopped rearing birds over the most sensitive areas of the aquifer, and have installed buffers that may contain any leakage from the bird’s manure. They have also planted poplar trees that will absorb nitrates.

White also emphasized that there are other possible sources of the pollution, including storm runoff and sources yet identified.

Even with the mitigation efforts, the city still just wants the farm to be closed through a land swap or other mechanism. The WDFW has begun looking for alternate locations if, in fact, the best response is to close the farm.

White did emphasize that the department has spent millions of dollars on the farm’s infrastructure.

One alternate idea would be to contract out the raising of the pheasants to a private breeder, but an analysis of the costs shows the state does in fact save money by raising the birds themselves.

While Centralia has openly stated they want the farm closed, White reported that they can not simply force the department’s hand.

WDFW has been working with the Department of Ecology to design the mitigation efforts, and ensure that the changes will be effective.

One member of the club suggested DNA testing of the nitrates. This testing can reveal whether the nitrates are coming from the pheasants or from some other source.

Between the budget shortfall, which would affect the program starting in 2026, and the nitrates issue, White had to inform the club that, until more testing is done, and the budget problems are addressed, he could not offer any assurances about the future of the program. There is simply too much uncertainty going forward.

Before the meeting ended, Club president Chuck Cheshire made a point to thank the club members for their efforts in planting the birds. He noted that without the volunteers, the budget problems would be greater.

The general western Washington hunting season lasts from late September to Nov. 30 each year. Hunting is allowed from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. each day. Nontoxic shot is required for all upland bird, dove and band-tailed pigeon hunting on all pheasant release sites statewide.

A Western Washington Pheasant License is required to hunt pheasants in western Washington. A small game license is not required. The license costs $84.50 for adults and $40.50 for youth (under 16). The bag limit is two pheasants of either sex per day. A three-day permit is also offered for $40.50 for residents.

ON THE WEB

Find more information on the Western Washington pheasant program on the WDFW website:

https://wdfw.wa.gov/hunting/ locations/pheasant-release