SPORTS PULLOUT & CLASSIFIEDS INSIDE
• B SECTION • Friday, OctOber 21, 2022
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A fly angler on the Metolius River.
Not too late to wet a line
BY MARK MORICAL • the bulletin
R
ain, snow and freezing temperatures are on their way to Central
Oregon, but that does not mean it’s time to put away the fishing gear.
Autumn is an ideal time for wetting a line on the High Desert, as many
river and lake opportunities remain for anglers throughout the fall and winter.
Here are a few options for fishing
in Central Oregon this time of year.
fishing on Sept. 30, but the section
from Benham Falls downstream
to Bend remains open year-round
Deschutes River upstream of Bend
and offers incredible scenery in ad-
During the fall, the section of the
dition to the angling.
Deschutes River just below Benham
The trout in that stretch of the
FISHING
Falls can offer productive fly-fish-
Deschutes range from about 6 to
ing for anglers looking to land rain-
12 inches, according to the Ore-
bow trout, brown trout and whitefish. And
gon Department of Fish and Wildlife, but
anglers can often have the water virtually to
many fish in the 14- to 18-inch range also
themselves.
live there.
The river above Benham Falls closed to
See Fishing / B9
Paulina Lake
is known for
its brown
trout fishing.
This one was
hooked with a
worm and bob-
ber.
bulletin file photo
Chukar, Huns and quail on A&H lands
Plenty of bird hunting, elbow room in Eastern Oregon
The Access & Habitat Program was created in
1993, establishing a mechanism to provide grants to
Want to walk the ridgelines for miles with a good
landowners, timber and ag corporations and other
dog and a shotgun where you probably won’t see an-
groups for projects designed to increase hunting ac-
other hunter?
cess to private lands and/or improve wildlife habitat.
Private lands in the Malheur River, the Steens, the
Southeast area properties include the Kueny
HUNTING
Beulah, the Owyhee offer opportunities for hunting chu-
Ranch (4,276 acres), Jenkins (13,233 acres), Otley
Inside
kar, Hungarian partridge and quail all season long. The
(16,734 acres), the Alvord Ranch (10,100 acres) and
first time I hunted above the Alvord Ranch, we came
the Mackenzie (11,029 acres). Some properties pro-
the bulletin
down out of the hills, footsore and tired but the German asked readers
vide drive-thru access to public land, opening up
shorthair flagged a pair of Huns in the grasslands near
more habitat for chukar, Huns and quail hunters. Go
to submit their
where the parking area. I bagged a bonus Hun and was
to myodfw.com/articles/hunting-private-lands-ac-
favorite hunt-
as proud of that partridge as any limit of chukar.
cess-habitat-program for a list of private lands. Scroll
ing and fishing
photos. contest
down to the Malheur Council.
Want elbow room?
winners on B10
Each listing includes management unit, location,
huntable species and the access period, which usu-
There are close to 80,000 acres of private land open
through the Access & Habitat program in Southeast Oregon in ally runs from August to the first of March. Special regula-
tions are listed for each property and can range from walk-in
some of our favorite units.
only to motorized travel on roads posted as open; leave the
How many times have you flushed a covey of chukar or
gates like you found them.
quail while stalking mule deer under a rimrock? If those red-
Gary Lewis is an award-winning outdoor writer and television host. Contact
legged partridges caused your old pump to palpitate, it’s time
Lewis at garylewisoutdoors.com
to plot the paybacks.
BY GARY LEWIS
For the bulletin
█
Gary Lewis/For the bulletin
Hungarian partridge numbers have bounced back in Southeast Or-
egon in places where wildfire scoured junipers.