On February 1, the Oregon State Legislature convened for the state’s 79th Annual Legislative Assembly. Among the bills introduced leading up to the start of the 2017 legislative session were a number of proposals meant to improve opportunities for Oregon’s hunters and anglers, including measures to expand hound hunting opportunities, create an adult mentored hunting…
Recently, several pieces of legislation aimed at expanding hound hunting opportunities in Oregon were pre-filed in the Oregon Legislature. While Oregon does allow hunting with hounds in a limited capacity for species like bobcat and raccoon, hound hunting for mountain lions and black bears, a common practice permitted in many states, is strictly illegal in…
On March 2, the Oregon Legislature passed House Bill 4040; a bill that, if signed by the Governor, will ratify the decision made by the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission (Commission) in November of 2015 to remove the gray wolf from the state’s endangered species list. HB 4040, sponsored by the Oregon House Agriculture and…
On November 6, the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) submitted a letter to the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission recommending that the Commission proceed with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife’s (ODFW) request to remove the gray wolf from the state endangered species list. On November 9, the Commission followed the suggestion from ODFW and…
On October 16, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) formally announced the parameters for the state’s popular Northwest Permit Zone goose hunt. This announcement follows an August 7 decision by the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission to follow the Department’s recommendation and continue the hunt while eliminating certain barriers to participation. Opened decades…
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…
The 2015 Oregon Legislature adjourned on July 6, after passing several bills affecting the sportsmen’s community. Topics addressed during the 2015 session included predator management, the Oregon Hatchery Research Fund, and sporting license fee increases, among others. Regarding predator management, the legislature passed House Bill 2182, which requires that the Oregon Department of Fish and…
On Wednesday, March 18, the Oregon Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus hosted its annual banquet in Salem, joining with sportsmen’s groups, the outdoor industry, and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) to celebrate Oregon’s time-honored traditions of hunting, angling, trapping, and recreational shooting. The bipartisan Oregon Sportsmen’s Caucus, comprised of 41 members from the House…
On February 11, the Oregon Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus held its first meeting of the year, discussing upcoming Caucus priorities with representatives from a wide range of sportsmen’s groups. The Caucus also welcomed new Co-Chairs for both the House and Senate, and thanked the outgoing Caucus Chairs for their leadership during the previous legislative session. The…
On Tuesday, September 16, the Oregon House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee held a hearing to discuss numerous topics of interest to sportsmen, including lead ammunition, predator management, hatcheries, forest health, and increases to hunting and fishing license fees. Officials from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) testified on the agency’s recent lead…
The Oregon Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus joined allies from the state’s sportsmen’s community at the Willamette Heritage Center on Wednesday, February 26 for a celebration of bipartisan cooperation in support of the Beaver State’s hunters, anglers, recreational shooters and trappers. Sportsmen’s groups were well represented at the event and included representatives from state chapters of Ducks…
On Friday, June 21, Oregon animal rights activists received notification that they are now one step closer to their goal of placing a radical anti-trapping measure on the 2014 ballot. With the Secretary of State’s approval of the group’s signature gathering forms, “Trap Free Oregon” can now begin the process of gathering the 87,213 signatures…