Posted: Tuesday, August 5, 2008 5:00 pm
The Fish and Wildlife Commission will meet Aug. 8 in Salem to set regulations for the 2008-09 game bird hunting seasons, preview the 2009-12 sport fishing regulations and adopt Oregon's first Black-tailed Deer Management Plan.
The Commission will be asked to adopt 2008-09 Game Bird Regulations proposed by ODFW staff for migratory birds, upland birds and crows.
Staff are proposing few changes from last year's upland bird hunting. One proposal, beginning in the 2009-10 season, calls for pheasant season to open a week early, the same time that eastern Oregon chukar and quail hunting opens.
The white geese daily bag limit will increase from four to six birds in most of the state.
Staff also will ask Commissioners to make permanent a rule allowing the destruction of resident Canada goose nests and eggs where the birds are causing property damage or threatening public health or safety.
The Commission will be asked to adopt Oregon's first-ever Black-Tailed Deer Management Plan. Black-tailed deer are secretive and tend to live in dense forests, making them difficult to survey.
ODFW currently uses hunter harvest, wildlife damage reports, plus many years of survey data to manage the black-tail population in Oregon. The plan will build upon this work while outlining ways to improve data and increase understanding of black-tail habitat needs among landowners and public land managers.
Other agenda items include briefings about the Oregon Conservation and Nearshore Strategy, the Salmon and Trout Enhancement Program and the Pacific Fishery Management Council's Individual Trawl Quota preferred alternatives.
Send comments about duck and goose hunting changes to Brad Bales, ODFW migratory bird program coordinator, at Bradley.D.Bales@ state.or.us. Upland bird season comments should be e-mailed to David.A.Budeau@state.or.us.
Public testimony will be held Friday morning. Persons seeking to testify on issues not on the formal agenda may do so by making arrangements with the ODFW Director's Office in advance of the meeting by calling 800-720-6339 or 503-947-6044.