On Wednesday, March 6, the Oregon Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus held its annual banquet at the Willamette Heritage Center in Salem. Consisting of 36 Oregon state legislators, the caucus took advantage of this opportunity to celebrate the state’s wildlife heritage and discuss their efforts on behalf of the Beaver State’s sportsmen and women. The caucus was joined by representatives from conservation organizations such as B.A.S.S., the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, the Oregon Outdoor Council and the Oregon Hunters Association. Additionally, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife was well represented at the banquet with Director Roy Elicker partaking in the festivities. In addition to breaking bread with legislators, the state’s sportsmen’s community acknowledged the outstanding contributions of pro-hunting and fishing legislators as the Oregon Outdoor Council presented the National Assembly of Sportsmen’s Caucuses Executive Council Member Representative Sal Esquivel and Representative Wayne Krieger with awards for legislator of the year.
Studies conducted at both the state and federal level have found that the number of hunters and trappers have been on a generally declining trend over the past several decades. To increase recruitment, retention, and reactivation (R3) of hunters and trappers, which initiative do you think would have the greatest impact?
