Proposed Beaver Trapping Ban Siuslaw NF Oregon

Well they're at it again... There is a proposal and petition to ban beaver trapping in the Suislaw NF in Oregon (this is a HUGE area) for the upcoming furbearer hearing June 11-12. Please anybody who is concerned especially Oregon trappers write an email in protest to the commissioner by May 27th, contact, odfw.commission@state.or.us

Not yet a full blown proposal but being pushed for by some of the same folks that got marten trapping shut down.

Email sent. Thank you for the information.

Will send in my point of view tomorrow.. but good luck, as long as that place is being run by the bum hats that be...it’s not looking good. Main reason we moved. I fear it won’t be long before they are after you for elk,dear,salmon and everything else.
That being said it ain’t looking a whole lot better up here or anywhere else. These fart sniffin Prius monkeys will ruin this country if we don’t take a “real” stand against them.

It's sad because if you ban beaver trapping you essentially ban otter trapping and that takes 2 core species away from my trap line, I sure hope this gets put down hard!

The sad part about this is that the antis now realize they can achieve success where they have previously failed at the ballot box. All it takes is to get a few of your do-gooder friends in those game commission seats who listen to the flawed rhetoric and don't demand any supporting science to back it.

This Siuslaw national forest proposal hits very close to home as I am within 40 miles of the east boundary.

Here is a true story for you: About 19-20 years ago I received a notice from a prominent ODFW fisheries biologist that beaver trappers (among others) were being invited to a town hall meeting about critical endangered coho habitat on the Siletz river and its headwaters.

I listened for quite some while while the importance of beaver was discussed and how they greatly improve salmon habitat with their pond building activities. He had a pointer that he used to show a map of hundreds of square miles of the upper river's tangle of streams and a recent survey showing that beaver dams were practically nonexistent in the area. He went on to say that the most recent fur harvest data collected from trappers showed that 140 beaver had been trapped off of the Siletz. 130 from just one lone trapper!!!! All the while pointing to these small upper Siletz tributaries.

Now I had thought that beaver trappers were being invited so that we could share our wealth of information about beaver in the area. Nope. Became clear to me we were invited to be lectured to.

I raised my hand.

"Bob. The trapper that caught those 130 beaver off the Siletz was me." There was a gasp from the assembled crowd. "And all that territory that you are pointing to in the headwaters....Yes, says Bob....Well not one of those 130 came out of there. They all came off of tidewater on the lower river. I boat trap and I can't even get up in those areas. Tidewater has a good population of beaver because there is good habitat for them there. The upper area is all shaded out because logging is not allowed within 300 ft of any stream. Beaver can't find good forage".

I would like to say that Bob believed me and wanted to talk to me afterwards about my knowledge of beaver in the area. But his body language was clear. There were no beaver in the critical areas he wanted to see beaver ponds in because of scum trappers like me.

I just had a discussion with a local biologist and we went over the same things. He is on our side but it is amazing how little logic and science has to do with management.

Good info to pass on...keep up the good for fight.
Has anyone contacted FTA or NTA for additional help...advice?

I received a letter from Oregon Trappers Assoc. so they are aware and at this point just want some emails sent to the commission. I live right on the border of this vast coastal mtn range chunk of National forest land and it is part of the territory I trapped last season, there is no shortage of beaver.