With the start of 2009, new safety laws are in effect for operating quads and three-wheel ATVs (Class I ATVs) and off-road motorcycles (Class III ATVs) on lands open to public use.
The program is similar to the boat operator certification requirements now in force in Oregon.
As of Jan. 1, youths 15 and under and adults supervising youths must complete a basic training course that is offered on-line and have a card to be able to ride on public lands. By Jan. 1, 2010, all riders 30 and under must be certified. The following year, all riders 40 and under must be certified, and so on until, by Jan. 1, 1014, all riders must have an ATV safety education card.
The Oregon Parks and Recreation Department offers a free safety and education program and certification on-line at http://www.rideatvoregon.org. A student can expect to spend between one and two hours for the entire process. Upon completion, the state will mail you a plastic, wallet-sized All-Terrain Vehicle Safety Education Card approximately 30 days after you pass the test. (You can print a 30-day temporary education card immediately after you get a “pass” confirmation.) You must carry the ATV safety education card with you whenever you operate a Class I or Class III ATV on lands open for public use.
There is no minimum age to take the on-line course, though some children may have a difficult time with the course material. Parents are strongly encouraged to go through the course materials and test with their children. Parents who participate and who pass the test will receive their safety card as well. Even parents who choose not to take the test might learn something.
If you don’t have access to the Internet or are physically unable to take the on-line course, call toll free 877-7SAFELY for a hardship application.
If you are over 16 and have five or more years of riding experience, you can challenge the on-line course requirements. Before you start the course, you will be given an opportunity to complete and submit a “challenge the course” form.
If you meet all requirements and agree to the testing conditions, you will be given one opportunity to bypass the study materials and take an “equivalency exam.” If you pass the exam with a minimum score of 80 percent correct, you will be issued an ATV Safety Education Card. If you fail the exam, you will be sent back to the standard online course including reviewing the study chapters, chapter quizzes, and passing the final exam.
Safety training isn’t mandatory for riders using an ATV or off-road motorcycle for farming, agriculture, forestry, nursery, Christmas tree growing operations or when riding on private land.
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Perhaps the largest elk ever produced in the wild — a Utah bull taken in 2008 by a hunter on public land — has been confirmed as a new World’s Record. The official declaration was made Jan. 2 by the Boone and Crockett Club.
A special judges panel determined a final score of 478-5/8 B&C non-typical points, an incredible 93-plus inches above the Boone and Crockett minimum score of 385 for non-typical American elk, and more than 13 inches larger than the previous world’s record.
It is the only elk on record with a gross score approaching the 500-inch mark, at 499-3/8. Official data dates back to 1830.
The giant bull has nine points on the left antler and 14 points on the right. The larger antler has a base circumference topping 9 inches.
The Boone and Crockett scoring system, long used to measure the success of wildlife conservation and management programs across North America, rewards antler size and symmetry, but also recognizes nature’s imperfections with non-typical categories for most antlered game. The bull’s final score of 478-5/8 inches includes an amazing 140 inches of abnormal points.
“Along with measurements that honor the quality of the animal, Boone and Crockett Club records also honor fair-chase hunting,” said Eldon Buckner, chairman of the Club’s Records of North American Big Game committee. “Through our entry process, signed affidavits and follow-up interviews with the hunter, his guides, and state and federal officials, we were satisfied that this bull was indeed a wild, free-ranging trophy and that the tenets of fair chase were used in the harvest.”
The hunter, Denny Austad of Ammon, Idaho, hunted the Monroe Mountain District in south-central Utah. Hunting with a self-designed rifle, Austad killed the bull on Sept. 30. He hunted for 13 days before connecting with the trophy, dubbed “spider bull” for its unique antler configuration.
“Utah’s conservation pro-fessionals really deserve a pat on the back, as do the citizens of Utah for their support of their state’s wildlife programs,” said Buckner.
Across North America, ever-improving conservation practices have translated to flourishing big game populations, with balanced age-class and mature, trophy animals.
Over the past 30 years, qualifying Boone and Crockett records book entries for American elk have increased 193 percent from a total of 14 in 1977 to 41 in 2007.
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January is National Learn a Snow Sport Month across the United States.
Twenty-three states, including Oregon, are offering special learn-to-ski-and-snowboard packages to locals.
Oregon ski areas have promoted this initiative for many years and will once again be offering special packages that are fun and affordable. Whether learning for the first time or simply brushing up on unpracticed skills, these ‘Learn to Ski/Ride’ packages are the jackpot for people looking to improve their skills on the slopes this January.
For more information on January Learn a Snow Sport Initiative, and to find a participating ski area in Oregon, visit http://www.SkiOregon.org. Click on the Learn to Ski/Snowboard Packages icon and then click on it again on the upper right. From there, click on individual ski area logos to view packages.
Visit http://www.SkiOregon.org for detailed information on each ski area’s openings. You will find links to each ski area where detailed information is posted on opening times, rates, weather conditions, lodging and transportation, hot deals and more.
Ski Oregon is a non-profit association representing the ski industry in Oregon.
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Getting cabin fever?
If you’re willing to take a road trip, you can learn how to tie flies, which may be just your answer for the winter blahs.
The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife has scheduled fly tying workshops in John Day on Saturday, Feb. 21 and in Pendleton on Feb. 28.
“It’s an activity you do indoors where it’s warm and cozy and come spring, you’ll have the flies you need to go fishing,” said Mary Hoverson, ODFW Northeast Region education coordinator.
At these workshops, participants will learn the basics of fly tying by actually tying wet and dry flies such as the Wooly Bugger, Elk Hair Caddis, Gold Ribbed Hare’s Ear and other basic trout fishing flies. Experienced instructors will also cover tools and equipment, materials, terminology, how and what trout eat and aquatic insect life stages and the fly patterns that represent them.
“The workshop is open to anyone 18 years of age and older. It’s designed for beginners, but all skill levels are welcome,” said Hoverson. “This is a hands-on course. At first everyone feels they are all fingers and thumbs, but they soon improve as they tie a few flies.”
Space is limited to 15 participants and pre-registration is required. The $30 registration fee covers instruction, program materials, use of equipment and lunch. It’s an all day workshop beginning at 8:30 a.m. and ending around 4:00 p.m.
These workshops are two of several being offered under ODFW’s Outdoor Skills Program. Under this program, ODFW provide participants with instruction in a variety of outdoor skills in a casual and supportive environment. The program offers workshops for adults, families and for women under the Becoming an Outdoors Woman program.
Workshops are held year-round at locations throughout the state. Additional events scheduled for 2009 include a small game clinic, two pheasant hunts, two fly fishing workshops, Dutch oven cooking, clamming, crabbing, use of inflatable watercraft, shotgun clinics and a multi-course family outdoor day.
To register for the fly tying workshops or to get information about the Outdoor Skills Program and other workshops scheduled, check out the Education and Training page of ODFW’s Web page at http://www.dfw.state.or.us/outdoor_skills/workshops.asp or call ODFW either in Salem at (503) 947-6025 or your local ODFW office.