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Mark Freeman Commentary Animal rights activist to speak One of Oregon's best-known animal-rights activists is coming to meet with some of Medford's best-known sport-hunters today, and no extra police are on standby in riot gear. Brooks Fahy of the Predator Defense Institute sees no reason for trouble when he meets up with members of the Oregon Hunters Association's Rogue Valley Chapter. And neither do his counterparts at the OHA. Despite philosophical differences between the two groups, Fahy's presentation will open a new dialogue with the OHA which will, in part, help both camps stop looking at each other as wacko extremists and start dealing with each other as people concerned about Oregon's wild critters. "No matter what, it's mutually beneficial for all of us to talk," Fahy says. "It takes away some of the stigma, and you start dealing with each other as individuals rather than fantasized extremes -- on both sides. The worst that will happen is that we'll agree to disagree." OHA representatives agree. They see Fahy's talk, set for about 7 p.m. today at J.J. North's Grand Buffet restaurant, as an excellent opportunity to learn firsthand that Fahy is not the anti-Christ. And OHA members are more likely to sit like choir boys and politely soak in Fahy's points than spit fire at him just because they see some wildlife issues from the opposite side. "A couple people have said, why let him come?" says Bill Kirk, the chapter's gruff president. "Those biologists come and tell us why we should shoot all the does. I disagree with them, and we let them come here. At least, you ought to have the courtesy to listen to him, even if you don't agree with him." And they have plenty to disagree about. Fahy, 46, is director of the Predator Defense Institute, a Eugene-based non-profit group that has clashed with the OHA over bear and cougar hunting restrictions and, more recently, over efforts to reduce coyote numbers in Eastern Oregon over concern for antelope. Fahy says credible scientific studies indicate that massive eradication programs that shoot, trap or poison large numbers of coyotes actually lead to mini coyote explosions that increase predation problems. That might be a tough sell to the OHA chapter, which recently held a yearlong coyote bounty that paid members $10 for each pair of coyote ears they could produce. While their disagreements make news, both camps have one big area of agreement which both Fahy and Kirk believe makes a meeting worthwhile. "We have certain things in common, such as a legitimate concern for wildlife," Fahy says. This common concern is what got Fahy and some OHA representatives talking a few years ago during a trip to Hart Mountain, a hotbed of coyote predation issues. That respectable dialogue enticed Fahy to seek an audience with the OHA, which obliged. Without stealing the thunder from his presentation, Fahy is here today to discuss why he and many scientists believe that mass-coyote killings don't help curb damage. He'll be joined by George Werthner, a hunter and cowboy who will tell the crowd why they should not fear the re-introduction of wolves in Oregon. Both are hot buttons. "If that doesn't get them stirred up," Kirk says, "nothing will." Stirred up or not, the OHA crowd will be able to ask questions directly to Fahy and Werthner. They will see each other more as concerned people, and less by the two-dimensional stereotypes borne from newspaper quotes and sound bites. "That's not in anybody's interest," Fahy says of the stereotypes. "That's what happens when issues get so polarized." But don't assume that all will be warm and fuzzy tonight. The two factions have placed each other on their respective dance cards once, not arranged a marriage. "We've said we need to be willing to work with whoever or whatever to advance the idea of benefitting wildlife," says Duane Dungannon, the OHA's statewide spokesman in Talent. "We need to listen to everybody." And for now, just listening is enough for Fahy. "I just turned 46 (Tuesday)," Fahy says. "I'm looking, personally, at life getting shorter and looking at how you can make things better in this world. Whether you're talking about predators or peace negotiations, (opposing sides) have to talk with each other. "I don't think any one meeting will solve all the problems and differences," Fahy says. "But it's a start." (Staff writer Mark Freeman covers the outdoors for the Mail Tribune. Call him at 776-4470, or e-mail him at: [email protected] ) Outdoor Journal Today's Edition : News | Sports | Business | Weather | Tempo | Classifieds Mail Tribune Mail Tribune � 2000 -- Medford, Oregon USA