Poaching it’s a major issue in the state and it can have lasting impacts on wildlife.
Bend second grader Wyatt Wismer wants to raise awareness of the issue and make a change.
“I did this project because a lot of people poach when they’re not supposed to,” Wyatt says. “We started kind of working on it and my mom ordered some posters from Oregon.”
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Nathan Wismer, Wyatt’s Dad, was surprised by his son for choosing the topic of poaching.
“Yeah, I couldn’t believe that he brought up poaching,” Nathan says. “What we did is when we got the signs, we went around to local businesses and hung them up there.”
Nathan, an avid hunter himself, encouraged his son’s project and made a call to a fly shop in the Old Mill District to see if they would help out and they did.
Taylor Goodhue, a sales associate with Confluence Fly Shop thinks it was awesome idea.
“I think it’s really important to get the young people into the sport and really focus on keeping the environment pristine,” said Goodhue.
But why poaching? For Wyatt and his family, the issue hits a little close to home in Tumalo.
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Nathan adds, “I believe there’s two, maybe three elk that were taken off private property. To my knowledge, now that there has still not been caught or apprehended.”
As for Wyatt’s project, he’s hoping for “probably an A, because I’m going a good job at it.”
If you know of or suspect other crimes against fish wildlife or habitat, please report to the Turn In Poachers (TIP) Line. 1-800-452-7888 or *OSP (*677) from a mobile phone. Or email: TIP@osp.oregon.gov.
