Next Friday at the ODFW Commission meeting in Redmond, OR the Commission will be asked to approve furbearer regulations for the next two years.

As some of you know SB3932 makes it illegal to trap beaver in any "imperiled waterway" as designated by the DEQ. That we cannot do anything about currently.

However : Brian Wolfer at ODFW has decided that Otter trapping should be closed in those areas as well. They are saying that they are following past practice, which is true. but the past

closures were not political, they were supposedly to repopulate beaver in certain areas of national forest etc. No studies were ever done to quantify if any of those closures actually worked as

intended. This Beaver and Otter closure would encompass approximately 80% of Oregon and has no science to back it. In ODFW's own words: "Trapping has no impact on Beaver

populations in Oregon" It would be great to have any Trappers, Hunters, Fisherman show up to support not allowing the antis to have an Otter ban as well as a Beaver ban in Oregon.

The Meeting is Friday June 26, starts at 8am at the Redmond Grange #812, 707 SW Kalama Ave. Redmond, OR 97756 To testify you must register by wed at 8:00 am.

To Clarify this latest closure applies to public land. But timberlands of 5000 acres or more are already closed to Beaver and Otter Trapping.

It is extremely inconvenient for me to be there this Friday because we're right in peak of season for berry picking and getting ready for the next day's market.

That said....if I care abut the future of trapping in Oregon I've gotta be there. The hall will be packed with antis blathering nonsense and claiming it's backed by science. We need to be there in force and challenge them to show the science then. 'Cuz there ain't any... by qualified scientists and peer reviewed for accuracy.

The only hope we have is to show up in force and let the commissioners know that we're tired of getting jacked around like our brand of outdoor activity is somehow unimportant. We need to speak up and be counted. We've been treated like second class outdoors people for far too long.

to the top

Welcome to Washington. Indians have anything to do with you water mitigations by chance?

Actually, NativeAmerican groups are generally on our side.

They want us to not have ADC permits anymore. A group in advocating more and more for relocation. Wetlands mitigation and restoration.