Safari Club International - Portland Oregon Chapter

March, April ocean chinook salmon season closes.

CLARIFICATION: The Tillamook Spring Chinook Terminal Area fishery in the ocean off of Tillamook Bay is also closed this spring as part of the ocean angling closure announced March 12 (see news release below). “This terminal area fishery is regulated as part of the overall ocean season, and because the ocean is now closed so is the terminal area,” explained ODFW biologist Keith Braun.

NEWPORT – With northern California chinook salmon runs forecast to be at historic lows, the sport salmon season south of Cape Falcon scheduled for March 15 through April 30 has been closed. The commercial ocean troll salmon fishery for all species except coho between Cape Falcon, Oregon and the Oregon/California Border that was scheduled to open for the period of March 15 through April 30 was also closed.

Both actions were by the National Marine Fisheries Service in consultation with the Pacific Fishery Management Council, the State of Oregon, and fishery interests. A decision on any April seasons will be made at the Pacific Fishery Management Council meeting April 6-12.

Oregon’s Chinook Salmon 2008 Fisheries

The ocean salmon fishing closure off the California and Oregon coasts that was announced this week does not affect Oregon’s spring 2008 Columbia River and inland fisheries. These fisheries will continue as scheduled providing great angling opportunities:

• On the Columbia River, fishing opens on Sunday, March 16 in what promises to be a great season. The spring chinook salmon run is projected to be 269,300, the third-highest since 1977.

• On the Willamette River, spring chinook salmon fishing is open now. The projected run of 34,000 is below average and slightly below last year’s.

The Portland Chapter of SCI along with Sportsman's Warehouse of Clackamas have distributed over one thousand hunter orange vests to students who have completed ODFW Hunter Education course. Ken Palmer, store manager for Sportsman's Warehouse purchased the vests and the Portland Chapter of SCI covered the silk screening costs. The back of the vests have the Sportsman's Warehouse along with the TIP, Turn in Poachers phone number 1-800-452-7888 on the back of the vest. The SCI logo, First for Hunters, Portland Chapter is on the left front of the vest. These vests have been distributed since January of 2005 to hunter education graduates in Tigard, Hillsboro, Banks, Dundee, and the Tri County Gun Club in Sherwood.

Oregon is one of only three states where hunter education is not mandatory if you are over eighteen years of age, but all other western states have stricter requirements and many adults are taking the course so they can purchase or apply for tags in other western states. For example, in Nevada, those born on or after Jan. 1, 1960 must show proof of hunter education to purchase a hunting license. The birth year in Wyoming is 1966, in Utah, 1965, in Texas, 1971, and in Colorado, 1949. That means if you are 56 or younger you must have proof of hunter education to hunt in Colorado. All first time hunters in Hawaii must have a hunter education card no matter what your age. If you need or want to take a hunter education class you can go to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife website (www.dfw.state.or.us) to find a class near you, but be forewarned, they fill up fast.