 Welcome to the 2011
Fall Hunting Forecast
General Overview
Click on “Reports by Region” to the left to see the regional hunting forecasts.
Print the 2011 forecast: doc or pdf
Youth hunter orange requirements
As of Aug. 1, 2011, youth hunters (age 18 and under) are required to wear a fluorescent orange upper garment or hat when hunting game mammals or upland birds (except turkey) with any firearm. Game mammals are deer, elk, bear, cougar, pronghorn antelope, Rocky Mountain goat, bighorn sheep and western gray squirrel. Upland birds are forest grouse (blue and ruffed), chukar/Hungarian (gray) partridge, pheasants, quail (California and mountain) and sage grouse. Hunter orange camouflage patterns are acceptable.
Travel Management Area changes
These TMAs restrict motor vehicle use, which can improve the hunting experience. See page 96-97 of the 2011 Big Game Regulations for more information.
NEW: Wendling TMA in McKenzie Unit (19). 90K acres of private timberlands, north of Hwy 126, east of Marcola Road, south of Mohawk River Mainline.
North Coast Access Area: Closes at the end of all bull elk rifle seasons (previously closed Dec. 1).
Alsea: Open roads now designated on the Siuslaw NF Motor Vehicle Use Maps.
Murderers Creek-Flagtail: TMA begins three days prior to beginning of archery season (previously began three days prior to rifle season).
BIG GAME HUNTING
Return black-tailed deer teeth!
Successful black-tailed deer hunters (western Oregon) are asked to return a tooth from their deer. See how to remove tooth. Postage-paid envelopes are available at license sales agents or ODFW offices. If you can’t pick up an envelope, send the tooth to ODFW, Wildlife Population Laboratory, 7118 NE Vandenberg Ave, Adair Village, OR 97330. Include the following information with the tooth: Your name and address, sex and species of animal (e.g. buck deer), date harvested, Wildlife Management Unit or Hunt where harvested, plus drainage or nearby landmark where harvested if possible. ODFW staff uses the teeth to determine the age of the animals, which is needed for population modeling efforts. Thank you.
Wildlife Area changes
William Finley National Wildlife Refuge (Benton County) is open to deer hunting by hunters with a 615 controlled hunt tag using only archery equipment form Sept. 1-26 or using shotguns or archery from Sept. 27-Oct. 31. Use of rifles or muzzleloaders is prohibited.
North Bank Habitat Management Area (Douglas County): Use of bait for hunting game mammals is prohibited.
Late season elk bow hunts now controlled
Elk archery season ends Sept. 25 unless you have a controlled archery tag. See page 29 of Big Game Regulations for details.
Archery equipment allowed during some rifle big game hunts
New for this year, it is legal to hunt with a bow during deer, elk and pronghorn rifle hunts.
Pioneers retain a preference point
Pioneer license holders (65 years or older, lived in Oregon 50 years) will retain one preference point after drawing a tag in a series.
BIRD HUNTING
Columbia Basin Hunting Guide
More than 250,000 acres of public and private land are open to hunting in the Columbia Basin. Get maps and other information in the Columbia Basin Hunting Guide. Printed versions will be available at some ODFW offices (Clackamas, Sauvie Island, Springfield, Corvallis, La Grande, John Day, The Dalles, Heppner, Bend, Prineville).
Goose hunting changes
Hunters will be able to take up to three cacklers/Aleutians in the Northwest General and Permit Zones. The bag limit restriction for cacklers/Aleutians is relaxed in all other zones.
Overall goose bag limits will remain the same as last year, except in Tillamook County where hunters can take an additional dark goose this season.
New dog training rules
New rules for dog and raptor training were put in place in July 2011, see the dog training rules website. The rules don’t further restrict hunting dog training activities but:
- Allow the release and take of domestically-raised game birds outside of normal hunting seasons for the sole purpose of training hunting dogs and raptors.
- Clarify that releasing and taking domestically-raised game birds to train hunting dog and raptors is not allowed on ODFW wildlife areas, except in designated areas or by special rule.
- Create a formal pursuit season for wild-born upland game birds from Sept. 1-Jan. 31.
- Allow hunting dog training in game bird nesting habitat year-round as long as wildlife is not harassed.
Snipe season dates shift
Zone 1 season is Nov. 5-Feb. 19 this year, shifting three weeks later to allow hunting in February.
REMEMBER TO:
Report results for each big game and turkey tag purchased
Reporting rates rose last year but are still not at 100 percent. Deadlines: Jan. 31, 2012 for hunts ending in 2011, April 15 for hunts ending between Jan. 1-March 31, 2012 and June 30 for 2012 spring bear and spring turkey hunts. Report online or call 1-866-947-6339.
Turn in Poachers to help wildlife
A six-year study in southcentral Oregon found that poachers killed more radio-collared mule deer than hunters did. Poachers often killed females not bucks, which means less females and fewer fawns when mule deer populations are suffering. Turn in Poachers by calling 1-800-452-7888. Rewards are paid for information that leads to an arrest/conviction. Amounts are higher for trophy big game.
Oregonhuntingmap.com
Don’t forget to use this great resource! It’s a google map that shows boundaries for A&H properties, wildlife areas, TMAs, national wildlife refuges and wildlife management units; additional ownership layers of BLM, USFS and other public lands; searches by species and location, and more.
Sight-in dates
Information provided by gun clubs. Please contact them directly for more details.
Northwest Region
Canby Rod & Gun Club (Canby)
Sept. 17, 18, 24, 25. Club open from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Fee $5 per gun.
Douglas Ridge Rifle Club (Estacada)
Sept. 10-11, Sept. 17-18, Sept. 24-25, Oct. 8-9. Sight-in 9 am.-3:30 p.m.
Molalla Rifle Club (Molalla)
Sept. 17, Sept. 25, Oct. 15. From 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
Four Corners Rod and Gun Club (Salem)
Sept. 3-4, 10-11, 17-18, 24-25. Sight-ins on September weekends between 8 a.m-4:30 p.m. each day. Cost is $6 per rifle.
Tri-County Gun Club (Sherwood)
Sept. 17-18, 24-25.
Emerald Empire Gun Club (Springfield)
Sept. 15-Oct. 15. Open Wed.-Sun., 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Southwest Region
Ashland Gun Club (Ashland)
Sept. 25 and 25 at 9 a.m.
Roseburg Rod and Gun Club (Roseburg)
Sept. 8-Oct. 16, Thursdays and Fridays 4 p.m.-dusk, Saturday and Sunday 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Member fee $2.00, non-members $5.00. Eye and Ear Protection Required.
High Desert Region
Central Oregon Shooting Sports Association (Bend)
Aug. 20-21 and Sept. 17-18, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Fee is $7 per gun.
Redmond Rod & Gun Club (Redmond)
Sept. 10-11, 18, 25, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Sept. 17 and 24 12:30-5 p.m.
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