Mount Hood Meadows has announced it will extend its skiing season into the middle of May.
The ski area said it will remain open daily until April 28, then also be open the weekends of May 3 to 5, May 10 to 12 and May 17 and 18.
The ski area’s entire terrain will be available through May 5.
For the final two weekends, chairlifts scheduled to operate include Mount Hood Express, Cascade Express and Buttercup from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. All food and beverage service will be out of the South Lodge.
The annual pond skim event will be May 4.
Anglers punished for sturgeon violations
Three Oregon men owe thousands of dollars in fines and one has served jail time after a felony conviction for poaching five oversize sturgeon in Scappoose Bay in 2022.
The incident gained attention when sportsmen fishing along the banks of Scappoose Bay noticed anglers in a boat not releasing sturgeon as required. Oregon State Police then monitored the area.
Julio Duran of Salem served 20 days in Columbia County jail and owes $5,500. Duran is on 36 months of probation, has three-year angling restriction and forfeited his fishing rods.
Jose Plascencia of Dayton, Ore., must serve either 10 days on a Columbia County work crew or 80 hours of community service, plus pay $750 and is suspended from fishing for three years.
Axel Guell of St. Helens, Ore. must pay $500 and is suspended from fishing for three years.
Reward offered for Bighorn poacher
Rewards stand at $4,500 for information leading to the felony arrest of the person who illegally shot a Rocky Mountain Bighorn ram south of Baker City last November. The poacher took the animal’s head and horns, leaving the rest to waste.
Oregon Wild Sheep Foundation (OR WSF) President Kevin Martin announced they will add $2,000 to the standard Oregon Hunters Association (OHA) reward of $2,000 and the Oregon Wildlife Coalition (OWC) reward of $500, for a total of $4500.
Individuals who call the Turn In Poachers (TIP) Line may opt for five hunter-preference points from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife in lieu of the cash reward.
Information must lead to an arrest or citation, and tipsters may remain anonymous.
Poaching a bighorn carries a penalty of up to $10,000 in fines, as well as hunting license suspension and forfeiture of the firearm used to commit the crime. Forfeiture of any wildlife parts, including the head and horns, is standard, according to ODFW officials. In this case, additional charges of waste of a game mammal would likely apply.
The carcass was on Bureau of Land Management property near Hibbard Creek Road, which is within the Lookout Mountain Wildlife Management Unit.
Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Oregon State Police dispatch at 1-800-452-7888 or email to tip@osp.oregon.gov
