Farmers, hunters spar over elk damage bills

Legislation aimed at reducing crop damage from elk has pitted Oregon agriculture groups against hunting organizations that say the proposals will allow for irresponsible killing. The state House and Senate are considering bills under which the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife would issue tags with more flexible rules for killing elk that consume hay, trample fields and damage fences.Proponents of House Bill 3227 and Senate Bill 301 argue that existing tools for managing elk damage have proven to be insufficient as populations of the ungulates have increased.“It’s like someone coming into your living room every month and saying, ‘Give me 25% of your income,’” said Rep. Greg Barreto, R-Cove, chief sponsor of HB 3227.The specifics of each proposal are different but both would call for damage tags to be issued to “persons” rather than “landowners,” which hunting organizations claim will greatly expand the field of people who qualify to kill elk.