On August 5, the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF), Ducks Unlimited and Oregon Hunters Association submitted a joint letter to the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission urging the Commission to adopt proposed regulations from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) that would uphold Oregon’s popular Northwest Permit Zone goose hunt.
Opened decades ago, the Northwest Permit Zone goose hunt has allowed hunters to pursue regular Canada geese in the Northwestern portion of the state, while taking measures to strongly limit the incidental take of the darker subspecies, known as the “dusky” Canada goose. The hunt has proved popular among both hunters and the agriculture community, as regulated hunting in the area has significantly reduced crop depredation by geese. The new regulations, adopted by the Commission at its August 7 meeting in Salem, eliminated the requirement that hunters check in at ODFW-run check stations after each day of goose hunting in the area. Previously, many hunters had to drive nearly an hour out of their way to the nearest check station.
The new regulations will also allow hunting seven days a week during the season, which was not included in the previous regulatory framework. Additionally, the new regulations eliminate the allowed incidental take (one per year) of dusky Canada geese, and keep in place the requirement that hunters pass a dusky goose identification test prior to receiving their permit.
“By adopting the newly proposed regulations from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, the Commission is ensuring that both hunters and farmers will continue to benefit from the goose hunting season in northwestern Oregon. Hunters will also enjoy a less burdensome and confusing set of regulations with the elimination of the check stand requirement and allowing hunting to occur seven days a week during the season,” noted CSF Western States Coordinator Zach Widner.
“Ducks Unlimited is proud to support the new regulatory framework for the Northwest Permit Zone goose hunt. This hunt has proved very popular among waterfowl hunters in the area, and allowing it to remain also ensures that wildlife managers will continue to receive the critical conservation dollars generated by the hunt,” added Mark Biddlecomb, Western Region Director for Ducks Unlimited.
Each year, Oregon’s nearly 200,000 hunters generate over $248 million in economic activity and support upwards of 3,700 jobs statewide.
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?
