Local youth pheasant hunt scheduled this weekend

Pheasants will be released at the Shillapoo and Vancouver Lake wildlife areas on Saturday and Sunday in the annual youth pheasant hunt.

Hunting for youth age 15 and younger with the appropriate license and hunter safety certification will be open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Members of the Vancouver Wildlife League will staff the Vancouver Lake site, while Pheasants Forever will operate the Shillapoo location.

Youth without dogs will be paired with an experienced hunter and dog. Only steel shot shells may be used.

Larry Snyder of the Vancouver Wildlife League said about 250 birds will be released for the weekend.

Regular season — Pheasant hunting in Western Washington opens Oct. 2,

Pen-reared birds are released at a variety of sites west of the Cascade Mountains, including the Shillapoo and Vancouver Lake wildlife areas, plus Woodland Bottoms.

Snyder said about 5,000 pheasants will be released by the time the season ends on Nov. 30.

A Western Washington pheasant permit costs $92 for the season. A three-day permit costs $44.