Deer hunting on Vashon with James Cottrell

Many October nights and early mornings, James Cottrell hears the commotion before he sees it — bucks crashing through the brush, antlers clashing, grunts echoing through the dark.

As a bow hunter and deer enthusiast, Cottrell feels connected to the land when he’s hunting — or as he prefers to say, “harvesting” — local venison. “There’s a lot of movement for folks to feel more connected to the food that they are eating,” he said.

October marks “peak rut,” when bucks are focused on mating and more likely to cross roads unpredictably, he said. During this period, deer activity increases across the island, contributing to more vehicle collisions and heavier browsing on native vegetation.

Vashon has long struggled with overpopulation. Without natural predators, deer herds have expanded unche