Oregon Passes Landmark 1.25 Percent for Wildlife Act 🙌

Welcome to the Wednesday edition of the newsletter. If you’re still with us, that means you’ve made it to the middle of yet another week.

With that said, let’s all take a minute to grab a coffee or whiskey and get this mid-week dispatch out the door.

Here's what's worth reading about this morning:

A GOOD MOVE
OREGON PASSES LANDMARK 1.25% FOR WILDLIFE ACT

Flexing some creative muscle, Oregon’s Legislature has passed an interesting piece of legislation that promises to deliver stable, dedicated funding for wildlife conservation, habitat restoration, and related programs by modestly increasing the state's transient lodging tax. Earlier this month, House Bill 4134, known as the "1.25 Percent for Wildlife Act", passed both the House and the Senate in a bi-partisan effort that could prove to be the most substantial investment in Oregon's natural resources in over a generation.

At its heart, HB 4134 addresses a longstanding funding shortfall for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and broader conservation efforts. The bill raises Oregon's statewide transient lodging tax, which is applied to hotels, motels, vacation rentals, and campgrounds, from 1.5% to 2.75%, an increase of 1.25 percentage points.

This change alone is projected to generate about $38 million in additional funding on an annual basis, kicking off in January of 2027…

Montana spring turkey hunting season kicks off April 15: A new regulation established for 2026 impacts non-resident hunters, requiring them to wait 10 days longer than local residents before they can start hunting. This change aims to prioritize local hunters during the initial days of the season. Read the full story. 

Despite CWD surge, northwest Wyoming mule deer hunters, outfitters disregard threat to their fall tradition:  It’s business as usual as an insidious disease tightens its deadly grip on nine prized mule deer herds that dwell in the Bighorn Basin. Read the full story.

One person charged in deaths of three deer run down by truck in southern Sask.: Witnesses saw two fawns and an adult chased through a field and run over and now a suspect has been charged. Read the full story.

Mississippi hunter bags rare black and copper-colored turkey: A Mississippi hunter was about to call it quits after an unsuccessful morning of trying to get gobblers within shooting range, but as he thought about giving up for the day, a rare turkey made an unexpected appearance and the hunter bagged a bird of a lifetime. Read the full story.

Fish and Game reminds the public that winter ticks on moose are normal: Idaho Fish and Game’s Panhandle Region has recently received several reports of moose that appear to have mange-like conditions or are exhibiting sickly behavior. In most cases, the cause is moose ticks, also known as winter ticks. Read the full story.

What Missouri turkey hunters can expect during the spring season: Turkey hunters who are nonresidents of Missouri can now harvest just one bearded turkey instead of two. The change was prompted by concern from Missouri residents about overcrowding and its negative impact on local hunters. Read the full story.

🫎 I wouldn’t approach those two if I were you. Watch as this skier rolls up on a cow moose and her calf and just about finds out what being stomped feels like.

He’s lucky…

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