Methow Option Win-Win Situation

Roadkill has become a peace offering in northcentral Washington.

Last March, tension ran high in the Methow valley as Native Americans from Western Washington came east of the Cascades to shoot wintering mule deer.

The tribes believed they were reviving their treaty rights to hunt outside of state-authorized hunting seasons.

Methow Valley citizens considered this an unethical slaughter of an already-struggling deer herd.

A group of hunters saw a possible compromise to the controversy along the main route through their valley.

State Highway 153 is among the deadliest in the state in terms of deer killed by vehicles.

The hunters offered to provide meat to the tribes if their members would forgo hunting in the valley. Leaders of the eight Western Washington tribes accepted.

The Methow Valley citizens have disarmed the tension by getting a state permit to salvage fresh deer meat from the roadsides.

The meat is being trucked over the mountains to feed needy tribal members.

The tribes held an appreciation luncheon last week after the citizens group delivered 300 pounds of cut and wrapped deer meat.

The group provided 700 pounds of meat, or enough for about 1,500 meals to the tribes in November.

1. A bumper crop 2. Keeping deer out of traffic is a frustrating pursuit