The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, or ODFW, has a mission: to protect and enhance Oregon’s fish and wildlife and their habitats for use and enjoyment by present and future generations. Oregon’s fish and wildlife policies are set by the Fish and Wildlife Commission, a seven-member volunteer board. Commission members are appointed by the Governor. ODFW regulates fishing in the state of Oregon, both in freshwater rivers, lakes and streams and on the Oregon Coast. That means, among other fish-y things, they issue angler’s licenses, provide education, set seasons and limits on specific species and, each year, ODWF stocks millions of trout in dozens of reservoirs, lakes and ponds throughout the state. ODFW also helps manage Oregon’s 34 million acres of public land open to hunters of big game, like elk and deer. Their management of game bird hunting and populations includes upland birds, waterfowl and turkey. From the mentored youth hunter program to the Recreation Report to ODFW’s hands-on workshops and family fishing events, they will provide the instruction you’ll need to actually catch a fish, dig for clams, crab, apply for a hunting tag or get the latest conditions. Two-thirds of the ODFW staff work in field offices, hatcheries, wildlife areas and other facilities throughout the state. This puts the resource managers close to the resources they’re managing, and in touch with local hunters, anglers and wildlife viewers.