Rocky Mt. Elk Foundation Fights Wolf Delisting

Ninth Circuit Court Upholds
Congressional Wolf Delisting

MISSOULA, Mont.—The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals today affirmed the constitutionality of Congress’ removal of wolves from the federal endangered species list.

The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation applauded the decision.

Attorneys representing RMEF and other conservation groups had presented oral arguments supporting the Congressional action, wolf delisting and science-based, state-regulated management and control of wolf populations.

“This is a huge win for real wildlife management in the U.S.,” said David Allen, RMEF president and CEO. “We’re thrilled with the favorable ruling because it upholds the law as well as science and common sense. This decision helps clear the way for continued work by true conservationists to balance wolf populations with other wildlife and human needs.”

Allen suspects the plaintiffs will appeal their case to the U.S. Supreme Court.

He said, “I’m hopeful that a Congressional act, multiple courtroom defeats and an American public that is clearly tired of this legal wrangling will encourage our opponents to give up and cede responsible wolf management to conservation professionals in each state. But we’ll have to wait and see.”

RMEF continues to fight wolf lawsuits and support delisting legislation at both federal and state levels.

Big game raffle tickets on sale until May 7: 2011 winner bagged trophy elk for under $50 in tickets

March 8, 2012

Chad Thompson of Elgin with the trophy elk he took on Wenaha Wildlife Area after winning the Northeast Oregon Elk raffle ticket. The elk green scored over 400. (click to enlarge)

SALEM, Ore. — Elgin resident Chad Thompson bought just 15 2011 elk raffle tags, spending under $50—but won a three-month long hunting season, a privilege some pay thousands for at auction. Thompson ended up bagging a trophy animal on public land (Wenaha Wildlife Area), an elk that green scored over 400”.

“It was the first time I had bought raffle tickets,” said Thompson. “I got the 15 ticket package, sent them off and forgot about them. I was pretty surprised when I won.”

Thompson hunted nearly every day after getting off work starting on Sept. 1, 2011 and took his bull just before dark on Sept. 24 on Eden Bench, near Troy, where he knew the animal frequented based on previous scouting trips. Eden Bench is within the Wenaha Wildlife Area, a 13,000-acre wildlife area managed by ODFW.

“It was a good deal,” said Thompson. “I’m pretty sure I’ll buy more tickets for this year.”

Raffle tickets for 2012 big game hunts (deer, elk, Rocky Mtn goat, pronghorn antelope, bighorn sheep) will be on sale until May 7. Raffle tickets can also be given as a gift for someone else.

Prices range from $4.50 for one deer hunt raffle ticket to $11.50 for one bighorn sheep, Rocky Mtn goat or pronghorn antelope hunt raffle ticket. Multiple ticket packages are available with a per-ticket price discount. See the mail order form at OregonRaffleHunts.com or page 22-23 of the 2012 Oregon Big Game Regulations for a full breakdown of prices and an order form.

Buy tickets online or by mail or fax order no later than May 7, 2012. Mail and fax orders must be received (not just postmarked or fax dated) by May 7. Completed tickets must be received by 5 p.m. Thursday, May 17 (mail to ODFW Raffles, PO Box 7760, Salem OR 97303 or hand-deliver to ODFW Headquarters, 3406 Cherry Ave NE).

Winning tickets will be drawn at the Oregon Hunters Association Convention at the Deschutes County Fairgrounds (Redmond) on Saturday, May 19. Raffle tickets can also be purchased from 5-7 p.m. at the event, and completed tickets hand-delivered from 5-7:30 pm. The drawing will be held at 7:45 p.m.

Track raffle ticket sales at the following website, which is updated weekly http://www.dfw.state.or.us/resources/hunting/auctions_raffles/current_raffle_counts.asp

Proceeds from deer and elk raffle tag sales go to ODFW’s Access and Habitat Program, which funds projects that provide hunter access and/or improve wildlife habitat on private land in Oregon. The proceeds from pronghorn, goat and sheep raffle tickets benefit research and management efforts on behalf of those species.

More information and an order form may be found on pages 20-23 of the 2012 Oregon Big Game Regulations booklet or online at www.OregonRaffleHunts.com.

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Minox Presents New Red Dot Reticle Riflescope

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• Hunting Optics_
• Riflescopes_
• ZEi Line

MINOX ZE-i Line - Precision Made in Germany
For the decisive moment.

 

Available in Summer 2012 MINOX presents four prototypes of the new riflescope with red dot reticle – Precision“Made in Germany” After successfully introducing and establishing the MINOX ZA riflescope line, the optical specialist from Wetzlar is now expanding its product range with the presentation of four prototypes of the new ZE-i line with red dot reticle at the IWA 2012. The new riflescopes have been meticulously designed to meet the needs of passionate hunters and marksmen and women. With their quality seal “Made in Germany” and an outstanding cost/benefit ratio they are able to set new standards in their class. Equipped with a 30 mm riflescope tube, a 5x magnification and a red dot reticle with 11 brightness settings, the new ZE-i line offers the user maximum flexibility and precision for short and long range shooting distances. The product launch is set for the summer of 2012, ready for the drive hunt season, and will include the following models:                                                 Reticlenr. 4 with red dot ZE 5 i 1-5x24  ZE 5 i 2-10x50                                                                  ZE 5 i 3-15x56 ZE 5 i 5-25x56

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Oregon Recreation Report

Hunting, Fishing, Wildlife Viewing

February 28, 2012

Trout Stocking
Is underway in several water bodies in the NW, SW and Willamette zones. Check out the trout stocking schedule for more information.
Late season goose: South Coast Zone, Malheur and Klamath Counties

Trevor Clark with a 6x7 Rocky Mountain bull elk that he took in the Murderers Creek unit 8.

Hunting season open Feb. 18-March 10, see the regulations for details.
Apply early for a 2012 controlled hunt
You could win a 2013 Sports Pac.
Fifty hunters already have.
Youth spring turkey season is April 7-9, 2012
The season dates are wrong in the 2011-12 Oregon Game Bird Regulations. Hunters 17 and under can hunt Saturday, Sunday and Monday this year.

Strong Returns of Columbia River Chinook Salmon, Coastal Coho Prejected

OLYMPIA - Fishing opportunities look promising for chinook in Washington’s ocean waters and the Columbia River, as well as for coho in coastal bays and rivers, according to preseason salmon forecasts released today at a public meeting in Olympia.

Forecasts for chinook, coho, sockeye and chum salmon mark the starting point for developing 2012 salmon-fishing seasons in Puget Sound, the Columbia River and Washington coastal areas. The forecasts were developed by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) and treaty Indian tribes.

Fishery managers have scheduled a series of public meetings over the next few weeks to discuss potential fishing opportunities before finalizing seasons in early-April. A meeting schedule, salmon forecasts and information about the salmon season-setting process are available on WDFW’s website at http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/northfalcon/ .

Phil Anderson, WDFW director, said protecting and restoring weak wild salmon populations will continue to be the top priority as fishery managers develop salmon seasons.

"Over the next few weeks, we will work with tribal co-managers and constituents to establish fishing opportunities on abundant runs of hatchery salmon while ensuring we meet or exceed conservation objectives for wild fish populations," said Anderson.

Anderson noted that state budget reductions over the past three years are also a factor in designing fisheries that can be managed effectively with a reduced staff. State general-fund support for WDFW has been reduced by $38.2 million, or nearly 40 percent, since 2009.

As in past years, salmon-fishing prospects in 2012 vary by area:

• Columbia River: About 651,000 fall chinook are expected to return to the Columbia River this season - a run size similar to the last couple year’s returns, said Cindy LeFleur, Columbia River policy coordinator for WDFW.
  More than half of the chinook anticipated this year - about 353,000 salmon - will be "upriver brights" headed to the Hanford Reach area and the Snake River. That would be the fourth largest run of upriver brights since 1964, when fishery managers began keeping detailed records, said LeFleur.
  While the chinook run is expected to be up, the forecast of 317,000 Columbia River coho is about 45,000 fish below last year’s projection.
  "I’m expecting salmon fisheries to look a lot like last year," said LeFleur. "We had some great fishing in 2011, especially for fall chinook in the mainstem upstream of Buoy 10. Anglers fishing that section caught a record 28,300 chinook last season."
  
• Washington’s ocean waters: Nearly 191,000 hatchery chinook are expected to return this year to the lower Columbia River. Those salmon, known as "tules," traditionally have been the backbone of the recreational ocean chinook fishery. The 317,000 coho salmon bound for the Columbia River also account for a significant portion of the ocean catch.
  "It’s still early in the process, but we will likely have an ocean salmon fishery similar to what we have seen the last two years, when we had an abundance of chinook in the ocean but low numbers of hatchery coho," said Doug Milward, ocean salmon fishery manager for WDFW.
  
• Coastal bays and rivers: Strong returns of wild coho salmon are expected this year to many of Washington’s coastal streams, including the Queets, Quillayute, and Hoh rivers, as well as to Grays Harbor and Willapa Bay area rivers, said Pat Pattillo, salmon policy coordinator for WDFW.
  "If the wild runs come in at forecast, fishing opportunities for coho in those areas should be great this year," he said.
  
• Puget Sound: Overall, coho returns to Puget Sound are expected to be lower than last season. About 732,000 coho are forecast to return to Puget Sound streams, 249,000 below last year’s forecast.
  But there are some bright spots for coho in the Sound, including returns to the Nooksack and Samish rivers, said Steve Thiesfeld, Puget Sound salmon manager for WDFW. Coho returns to those two rivers are expected to total about 88,000 fish this season.
  Thiesfeld said another bright spot for anglers is Baker Lake, where an abundant sockeye salmon return of about 35,400 fish is expected this season.
  Meanwhile, summer/fall chinook salmon returns to Puget Sound are expected to total about 224,000 fish, slightly below last year’s projection of 243,000. The bulk of that return is hatchery chinook.
  To protect low returns of wild chinook to the Skagit, Snohomish, Stillaguamish and Green (Duwamish) rivers, fisheries throughout Puget Sound will likely be limited to those that focus on hatchery chinook, said Thiesfeld.

State, tribal and federal fishery managers will meet March 2-7 in Sacramento, Calif., with the Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) to develop options for this year’s commercial and recreational ocean chinook and coho salmon fisheries. The PFMC establishes fishing seasons in ocean waters three to 200 miles off the Pacific coast.

Additional public meetings have been scheduled in March to discuss regional fishery issues. Input from these regional discussions will be considered as the season-setting process moves into the "North of Falcon" and PFMC meetings, which will determine the final 2012 salmon seasons.

The PFMC is expected to adopt final ocean fishing seasons and harvest levels at its April 1-6 meeting in Seattle. The 2012 salmon fisheries package for Washington’s inside waters will be completed by the state and tribal co-managers during the PFMC’s April meeting.