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About Baker City herald. (Baker City, Or.) 1990-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 5, 2020)
B Saturday, September 5, 2020 The Observer & Baker City Herald RECREATION REPORT ODFW FIXES BUG AFFECTING MYODFW APP The bug affecting the MyODFW app on Apple devices announced last week has been fi xed, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife announced this week. Hunters and anglers using an iPhone or iPad should update their MyODFW app to the latest version by visiting the App Store and choosing Update or Open as soon as possible. ODFW and Oregon State Police recognize that some hunters and anglers may be in a remote location and unable to update their app immedi- ately. Hunters and anglers who return to cellular or Wi-Fi service must update their MyODFW app as soon as they are able in order to be in compliance with laws and regulations. GROUSE, QUAIL HUNTERS ASKED TO LEAVE WINGS The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife is asking successful forest grouse and moun- tain quail hunters to return a wing and a tail from each bird they harvest. Clip the right wing close to the bird’s body. Submit the left wing if the right wing is damaged or missing feathers. Biologists use wings to learn more about bird populations. To fi nd dropoff locations go to https:// arcg.is/18uj5f HIKING THE EAGLE CREEK TRAIL IN THE WALLOWA MOUNTAINS Lisa Britton/For the EO Media Group The alpine meadow along Eagle Creek is a classic mountain fi eld, with tawny grass, thickets of spire-shaped subalpine fi rs, and a backdrop of the granitic peaks of the Eagle Cap Wilderness. The tallest summit in the area, in the middle left of the photo, is Needle Point, elevation 9,018 feet. M OUNTAINS & A M EADOW ■ Also lakes and streams and forests and a waterfall ... and a lost pair of sunglasses E agle Creek stole my favorite sunglasses. Sort of. It wasn’t exactly larceny, what happened beside the limpid stream in the Eagle Cap Wilderness the afternoon of Aug. 29. Nor do I want to give the impression that Eagle Creek was entirely to blame in the incident which left my cor- neas unprotected on a nearly cloudless day. The creek, which in late summer is pretty placid, didn’t conjure a rogue wave What Causes ‘Cactus Buck Syndrome’ In Deer? 5 miles to go, much of the distance on a trail through the deep and JAYSON JACOBY pleasantly shaded woods. that plucked the glasses from I knew the tamaracks my face. and the Douglas-fi rs and the Indeed I wasn’t even wear- Engelmann spruce, some of ing them. which in this unlogged area Which was part of the tower over 100 feet, would problem. shelter my eyes. It could have been a worse But I was still irked about predicament, to be sure. losing the glasses, which I We were on the home- have worn, quite happily, for ward leg of a nearly 14-mile several years. As can happen round-trip hike to Culver with a shirt or other gar- Lake, with a little more than ment that fi ts perfectly, I had ON THE TRAIL Photo and caption by Jim Ward and fi lled the bag that at- taches to the fi lter. Once the bottles were fi lled with the refreshingly chilly water I zipped my pack and slung it over my shoulder. Then I reached for my sun- glasses, a gesture so common it’s all but subconscious. My fi ngers grasped only cotton. I knew immediately, in the way you do when you’ve lost something, what had hap- pened. See Eagle Creek/Page 6B Scouting: secret to hunting success I decided years ago that the people who get a bull or buck every year scout. And I don’t mean a little. They scout a lot. And therein lies the problem for most of us. The ones who don’t scout enough usually fall into two categories. A mule deer buck displays his odd-looking antlers north of La Grande. His appearance is often referred to as the “cactus buck syndrome.” These animals may never lose their antlers like normal bucks, never rub their velvet off or even participate in the rut. Their antlers grow year-round and will often get frostbite during cold spells. This abnormality is often caused by some sort of testicular trauma — an injury or wound. Some scientists have even discovered a re- lationship between this malady and a disease called empizootic hemorrhagic disease. Reports of these deer in Oregon have increased over recent years. gotten so accustomed to the sunglasses that I scarcely noticed them. Which has much to do with why I no longer have them. We paused beside Eagle Creek to fi lter water to replenish the two drained bottles in my pack. It was shady there so I took off the sunglasses and tucked one earpiece into the neck of my T-shirt. This is not a particular secure tactic, especially when the T-shirt has a loose fi t. I knelt on the streambank Uggh, it started off rough. Katy and I were going to go scouting but the BASE CAMP four-wheeler wouldn’t start so I threw TOM CLAYCOMB a chain on it and had her pull me to jump start it. Unfortunately, it locked tion with your family. So unfortunately, up, threw me over the front, sliding on for many of us the fi rst few days of our the asphalt and then fl ipped over on top hunt (if you’re lucky enough to hunt for of me. Luckily, she was looking in the LOVE TO DO IT ALL one week solid) is spent scouting more mirror and stopped right fast or she’d I’m defi nitely in this category. I’m not than hunting. The fi rst elk that I ever have drug it over the top of me. Trip to an expert at anything because I like to got we moved camp twice before we got the emergency room, broke rib, jerked do it all. I have a buddy and all he does into them. the skin loose from the knee to the hip, is fl yfi sh. I love fl y-fi shing but I’ll never And the above scenario is why a lot of thought I’d broke both legs etc. But be as good as him because that is all he people hire guides. Guides are a great despite the minor delay, we got out 24 does. Year round. Read my articles. You option — if you can afford them. hours later. see what I do. Spring it is mushroom, So with all of the above said, there It took me a couple of trips but I bear, whistle pig and turkey hunting, are a lot of underlying reasons as to found a nice buck. Now I knew where to bowfi shing and crappie fi shing. why we don’t scout as much as we go. BUT, you need to have two or three Then it’s strictly crappie fi shing and should. I know. I get it. I live in the spots checked out. What if you get there then backpacking/fl y-fi shing and pick- same world that you do. All I’m saying opening morning and someone else is ing huckleberries. Then bow hunting is that the more you scout, the more there? Or what if wolves have moved in and on and on it goes. So if you’re like successful you will be. If you can only and run everything out of the country? me, it’s hard to dedicate three or four scout for a Saturday, then so be it. If You’ll have to jump. weekends to strictly scouting. I know you’re lucky and can scout for 4 week- Just like when hunting, scout at that I should. But there’s too much to ends prior to your hunt, that’s better. daylight and dusk. Find out where the do. I still want to do four to six more But whatever boat you’re in, let’s get herds are. Find a shootable buck. On crappie trips, a couple more backpack- into scouting. most draw hunts you’ll be hunting a ing trips.... you get my drift. Due to all First off, you don’t want to start trophy animal so it is worth the time of the opportunities there are just too scouting in April, as the elk and deer to scout. Use good optics. I use Riton many voices screaming for our time. So, are still in their wintering grounds. Optics and have had good luck with this is one big reason we don’t scout as They may migrate out 5 to 15 miles by their 10x42 binoculars. You’ll also want much as we should. October. You probably ought to wait to a good spotting scope. Your goal when do your scouting until July and hitting scouting isn’t necessarily getting up FAMILY & WORK it hard in August is actually the best. right on top of them, you just want to There are rich people who have If you draw a special tag, spend time know where they are and if there’s a unlimited time off, but as a whole most scouting. Especially if it’s a once-in-a- good one in the herd and pattern them. of us have precious little free time. For lifetime draw. A moose is a once-in-a- Also, pre-locate a spot to camp. You the last 43 years I’ve worked 10.5 to 12 lifetime deal so you want to give it full don’t want to camp in the meadow hours a day. Most of you readers have attention. The good deal on my moose where the elk are at. A lot of hunters one to 4 weeks of vacation per year. If tag was, I had something like 2 to 3 throw up their tent the weekend before. you have a growing family, you’re lucky months to hunt. So I could hunt while It stakes out their spot plus, they can if you get to take 1 week of vacation to scouting. But most hunts may only be a drive up and not have to take a day to hunt. You sure can’t justify taking 1 or 2 week so you need to scout beforehand. set-up camp. more weeks to go scouting. So how do you scout? Let’s go over Well, hopefully some of these tips You have to (and want to) take vaca- one of my antelope scouting deals. help. Good luck.
