New Oregon Regs Expand Dragnet on Poaching

Oregon’s Gov. Kate Brown signed two new laws to help curb poaching in the state.

House Bill 2883 allows courts to instruct the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission (OFWC) to strip all hunting tags, licenses and permits from an individual acting as an outfitter or guide who is convicted of knowingly breaking wildlife laws or illegally taking wildlife. House Bill 3158A grants the OFWC the ability to expand a program promoting the reporting of wildlife violations. Currently, if a lead given to authorities yields a citation or arrest in regards to the unlawful take or possession of wildlife or wanton waste, a TIP (Turn in Poachers program, operated by the Oregon Hunter’s Association) cash reward is offered to the informant.

However, starting in the 2018-2019 hunting season, to incentivize the practice of reporting poaching violations, the new law grants hunters the option of recieving preference point(s) on behalf of the OFWC in lieu of the cash reward for alerting authorities to a poaching incident that leads to a citation or arrest. According to the OFCW, details of the law will be released in a rules package this fall.