On May 2, the Oregon Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus, with assistance from the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF), hosted its biennial dinner and auction in Salem, bringing together sportsmen’s groups and outdoor industry partners to celebrate Oregon’s time-honored traditions of hunting, angling, recreational shooting, and trapping.
“The input and assistance from our partners in the sportsmen’s community, coupled with the dedication of this passionate group of legislators, has allowed the bipartisan and bicameral Oregon Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus to become a key voice and sounding ground on legislative and regulatory issues affecting Oregon’s hunters and anglers,” said Caucus Co-Chair Representative Brad Witt.
Fellow Caucus Co-Chair and National Assembly of Sportsmen’s Caucuses Executive Council member Representative Sal Esquivel further noted, “This event would not be possible without the support of our partners in the state and national sportsmen’s community, and we would like to extend our sincere thanks to all of this year’s sponsors and attendees who turned out to support our shared outdoor heritage and this bipartisan, bicameral Caucus.”
The Caucus was joined at the event by a wide array of state and national sportsmen’s groups and partners including Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, B.A.S.S., Coastal Conservation Association-Oregon, Leupold Optics, National Rifle Association, National Wild Turkey Federation, Northwest Sportfishing Industry Association, Oregon Hunters Association, Oregon Outdoor Council, and Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, among numerous others. Staff from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife were in attendance as well.
CSF Northwest States Manager Zach Widner addressed attendees and spoke on the history of the Oregon Sportsmen’s Caucus and National Assembly of Sportsmen’s Caucuses (NASC) program, while the Co-Chairs of the Caucus discussed the process of turning the Caucus into a bipartisan force on behalf of sportsmen and women. Other speakers at the event included Oregon Hunters Association Executive Director Al Elkins and Oregon Outdoor Council Treasurer Asha Aiello.
Gold Level Sponsors included Anheuser Busch and Pac/West Communications. Silver Level Sponsors included Associated Oregon Loggers, Barreto Manufacturing, Oregon Hunters Association, and State Street Solutions. Other event sponsors included Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, CSF, Healthy Forests/Healthy Communities, and Oregon Outdoor Council.
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?
