WOLVES

19 Oregon lawmakers denounce proposal for public wolf hunting

April 7, 2017 - Nineteen Oregon lawmakers have requested that wolf hunting remain off the table to members of the public.

In
a March 27 letter, the lawmakers — all Democrats — request that
Oregon’s fish and wildlife commission avoid opening the door to
something they said would “greatly increase polarization and controversy
over wolf management.”

The letter stems from a proposal
that could allow members of the public to hunt “problem wolves” —
animals that attack livestock or cause a major decline in game
populations.

“Deputizing members of the public to hunt or
trap wolves for ODFW is a slippery slope to an open hunting and
trapping season,” the letter says.

The proposal would
only apply to wolves already targeted for lethal action in eastern
Oregon. State officials have stressed that no sport hunting for wolves is planned and that the proposal is only a management technique being considered.

“We’re not looking to create a hunting opportunity,” ODFW spokeswoman Michelle Dennehy said in a story published in the Statesman Journal on Feb. 9. “This would be a ‘controlled take’ intended to address damage in very specific circumstances.”

The
idea has been part of Oregon’s wolf plan since 2005, but only applies
now that wolves have reached a high enough population threshold in the
eastern third of the state. Oregon is home to an estimated 150 wolves,
the vast majority in the state’s northeast corner.

Hunting groups pointed out that the lawmakers who signed the
letter were almost entirely from urban areas and don’t face first-hand
issues with wolves.

“What’s most
egregious is that of these 19 legislators, 14 are from the Portland
metro area — an area that will ultimately be least impacted by wolves or
wolf hunting,” said Sereena Thompson, a board member of the Oregon
Outdoor Council.

The groups also pointed out that the wolves in question would be killed regardless of who pulled the trigger.

“Right
now, a wolf biologist goes out and shoots the wolves when there’s a
problem,” said Jim Akenson, conservation director for the Oregon Hunters
Association in February. “Why not utilize the situation in a manner
that provides a hunting opportunity, while also serving a management
need?”

Environmental groups, and the lawmakers who sent the letter, disagreed.

“Taking
a strong stand today will help Oregon avoid the bitter social conflict
and divisiveness sport hunting and trapping of wolves has caused in
other states,” the letter says.

The proposal is one of 10 being considered during
revisions to the wolf plan, a process that occurs every five years. The
proposals will go before the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission during
a meeting on April 21 in Klamath Falls.

Read the letter and see the list of Oregon lawmakers who signed the letter here.

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WOLVES, 19 Oregon lawmakers denounce proposal for public...