OSP wildlife enforcement?

[Padovani]

I don't often listen to OSP, but with the opening of hunting season I'd like to. I'm interested in activity in the Coast Range of Polk county.

I've brought up both Salem & Albany dispatch, but haven't heard anything from the units assigned to fish & game. In fact, I've heard more from Polk SO than OSP! I know they're out in the woods - I see their 4x4 pickups heading into the forest - but don't know what frequencies they're using.

Anyone?

 

[oregontreehugger]

Might try OSP's tactical channel (156.030) to see if that's active in your area. I am guessing they like to keep a low profile to begin with to keep the element of surprise. Which makes me wonder if they are using cell phones or Nextel to communicate the chit-chat between units, at least in areas with cell reception.

 

[Gezelle007]

Might try OSP's tactical channel (156.030) to see if that's active in your area. I am guessing they like to keep a low profile to begin with to keep the element of surprise. Which makes me wonder if they are using cell phones or Nextel to communicate the chit-chat between units, at least in areas with cell reception.

I notice in the DB there's two channels with that frequency. I'm guessing one is for simplex, have you heard that channel being repeated before?

 

[PMJ2kx]

Based on everything I've just read through, I'd guess they're on the same OSP frequencies as every other trooper - perhaps you just don't hear then as often as a patrol trooper?

On a side note, this doesn't have any frequency information, but it was an interesting read about OSP:F&W:
http://www.pcouncil.org/bb/2009/0909/F1b_SUP_OSP_PPT_0909.pdf

 

[oregontreehugger]

I notice in the DB there's two channels with that frequency. I'm guessing one is for simplex, have you heard that channel being repeated before?

Can't say that I have. However, I have picked up quick unit-unit chat on the tac channel in the past. Usually it's discussing where to meet up or who wants which type of coffee. I also have heard F&W units doing traffic stops before on regular OSP dispatch channels, but that was a few years ago when OSP's budget was really crunched (not that things are *that* much better now).

I wouldn't be surprised if, in addition to using cell phones to coordinate activities, F&W troopers were using some off-the-shelf "solution" to keeping their short-range comms secure. Something like Motorola's DTR radios or TriSquare's offerings, both of which use 900 MHz frequency-hopping. Wouldn't be much for range, but it would allow them to talk to each other, along with staying off the easily-monitored CB/FRS/GMRS channels. (But I am just daydreaming here.)

Either way, I think they do a lot of sitting and watching behind a pair of binoculars, more so than talking on the radio. Same goes for USFS or BLM law enforcement. You might hear them check in on-the-air (usually on a county sheriff dispatch channel) or run a plate and that would be it. I've only heard limited traffic on the allocated USFS LE frequencies, usually just short unit-to-unit traffic. Compounding things further is that some counties enter into a contract to patrol certain USFS and BLM land in federal vehicles, but using a county deputy behind the wheel. NPS is another matter; Crater Lake has their own small dispatch center, but after-hours they have a contract with dispatch out of Medford.

I guess the moral of the story is you don't really know who is going to be patrolling the backcountry, could be just about any agency, operating on a myriad of radio systems.

 

[dkf435]

They have something in 158.xxxx they use sometimes also, cannot remember exactly. Have heard them using it at night tracking headlights from a plane.

David

 

[PMJ2kx]

They have something in 158.xxxx they use sometimes also, cannot remember exactly. Have heard them using it at night tracking headlights from a plane.

David

Some of the websites that came up in a Google Search for Fish & Wildlife frequencies were in the 158.xxxx range - and the frequencies were licensed under Oregon Department of Forestry licenses.

 

[oregontreehugger]

Yes... jogged my memory -- 158.895 MHz. Dunno if this is still in use by OSP as an alternate tac channel. After ODF went through frequency changes a few years ago this is now the input to the Fire Cache 2 repeater (151.445 output).

A search on the RR Forums turned up this older post: http://forums.radioreference.com/oregon-radio-discussion-forum/95353-odfw-frequencies.html

 

[mikepdx]

Many times I've heard activity by XX-7X cars on 158.895 MHz simplex.
I've heard them chat about setting up the deer decoy and staking it out
while some poachers came along and got busted.

BTW, their transmissions are often readable at the valley floor
when they're way up in the hills.

 

[Gezelle007]

That shows in the DB as the input to the OSP Tac frequency 156.0300, Did any one hear any PL with that? It also shows up in the ODF database as the input to the Cache Net 2 Repeater - 151.4450.

 

[dkf435]

Have also heard stuff on 156.030 045 060 and so on, I think that the radios they have one of the buttons programed for the "Direct" function.

Remember, it does not have to be in the database to use it. User agreements with other agencies will not show up.

David

 

[Gezelle007]

...it does not have to be in the database to use it. User agreements with other agencies will not show up...

Good point.

Now that I've put 158.895 in, I can hear 1800 units talking to dispatch with PL, but I can't hear dispatch. They definitely sound simplex but I'm not even sure it is the Banks station units because I always hear them on 156.225.. so I've successfully confused myself.