A10
OUTDOORS
Blue Mountain Eagle
Wednesday, October 2, 2019
ODF ends fire season
Blue Mountain Eagle
Recent cool temperatures
and precipitation have brought
an end to the 2019 fire sea-
son for Oregon Department
of Forestry’s Central Oregon
District.
Fire season was officially
terminated Sept. 26, according
to a press release. Wildland
fuels across the district do
not pose a significant risk of
rapid fire growth, but weather
and fuel conditions during the
fall can change quickly. The
public is reminded to follow
all local burning restrictions
to reduce the risk of escaped
debris burns.
Landowners who plan to
burn industrial logging slash,
fuel reduction or defensible
space materials or other debris
from forest activities should
contact their local ODF Office
to obtain a burn permit. Con-
tact local fire departments for
information regarding yard
debris and burn barrels.
Fires should never be left
unattended. A shovel and
water source on site are rec-
ommended when burning,
even small piles. Landown-
ers may be liable for fires that
escape.
Firefighters within the Cen-
tral Oregon District responded
to 126 fires across the 2.3 mil-
lion protected acres, burning
just over 230 acres year-to-
date. The 10-year average for
acres burned within the dis-
trict is over 8,000 acres annu-
ally. The small number of
acres burned in 2019 can be
attributed to the quick, coor-
dinated response of firefight-
ing resources, wet thunder-
storms and a more moderate
fire season across the region
allowing more resources to be
available for initial attack and
extended attack for suppres-
sion efforts. Human ignitions
accounted for 49 fires, with 77
fires attributed to lightning.
For more information, visit
odfcentraloregon.com.
Culvert removal, bridge construction underway
Blue Mountain Eagle
Work is underway on a project to
replace a failing culvert with a bridge
on Forest Service Road 5200, the Blue
Mountains Scenic Byway, 10 miles north
of Granite. The result will be a safer,
more reliable road for forest travelers and
improved passage for native fish, accord-
ing to a press release.
The current culvert carries Trail
Creek, a tributary of the North Fork John
Day River, underneath the highway, and
is at the end of its service life. By con-
structing a concrete bridge to replace the
culvert, the road will be kept in operat-
ing condition and opening up a more nat-
ural stream channel will make the pas-
sage easier for native fish found within
the watershed.
A 500-foot bypass road is currently
being built to allow the culvert to be
removed while keeping one lane of the road
open through the winter. Travelers should
use caution in the area, be alert for con-
struction workers and prepare for possible
delays. The project is expected to continue
through mid-November.
For
more
information,
call
541-523-6391.
ODFW seeks comment on fish passage exemptions for
several Silvies River tributary streams in Grant County
Blue Mountain Eagle
The Oregon Department
of Fish and Wildlife seeks
public comment on a request
to exempt fish passage
requirements on four tribu-
tary streams to Silvies River
in Grant County.
Silvies Valley Ranch has
requested exemptions to pro-
viding fish passage on four
streams: Paine Creek, Jack
Andy Creek, Flat Creek and
Jump Creek, according to a
press release.
The exemption requests
are being filed in connection
with a Remedial Action Plan
that Silvies Valley Ranch has
completed with the Oregon
Department of State Lands
and ODFW. The enforcement
action required the ranch to
develop a remedial action
plan that would address fish
passage in waters contain-
ing or historically contain-
ing native migratory fish, and
address unpermitted wetland
impacts through mitigation.
Silvies Valley Ranch and
the state of Oregon have
identified four streams as
candidates for fish passage
exemptions due to the lack
of appreciable benefit if fish
passage were restored.
Fish passage exemptions
are being sought based on a
10-year period where artifi-
cial beaver dams were con-
structed by Silvies Valley
Ranch personnel. A total of
160 dams have been con-
structed, which include Paine
Creek (26), Jack Andy Creek
(33), Flat Creek (91) and
Jump Creek (10). All are
presently proposed for fish
passage exemptions.
These four creeks were
identified as streams that his-
torically contained native
migratory fish, but currently
do not support redband trout
or other native migratory fish
populations. Silvies Valley
Ranch is pursuing 160 fish
passage exemptions at these
sites, and ODFW is currently
working through the exemp-
tion process and plans to
have that process reviewed
and discussed at the Fish Pas-
sage Task Force Meeting on
Oct. 18 in Salem.
Members of the public
have until Oct. 14 to submit
written comments on the pro-
posed plans. Both fish pas-
sage exemption applications
and the department’s benefit
analyses are available at dfw.
state.or.us/fish/passage.
Members of the public
can send written comments
to or request additional infor-
mation from Kregg Smith,
ODFW fish passage coordi-
nator, 4034 Fairview Indus-
trial Drive SE, Salem, OR
97302,
kregg.m.smith@
state.or.us, 503-947-6217.
Woodpecker study closure area now open
Blue Mountain Eagle
Malheur National For-
est officials announced this
week that the field portion of
the woodpecker research in
the Canyon Creek Complex
fire salvage area is complete
and the area is open to the
public.
In 2016, the Rocky
Mountain Research Station
825 SOUTH CANYON BLVD.
IN JOHN DAY
(541) 575-5500
initiated a four-year study
in the Canyon Creek Com-
plex fire salvage area. The
results of the study will be
utilized to help shape man-
agement practices by identi-
fying post-fire salvage har-
vest prescriptions that allow
benefits to the economy
while minimizing impacts to
wildlife.
The field work for the
study was completed this last
week. The area that had been
closed since 2016 is open to
the public once more.
For more information
on the woodpecker study
or questions about the Mal-
heur National Forest, visit
fs.usda.gov/malheur or call
541-575-3000.
A MAN
WAKES
UP in the
morning
after sleeping on...
an advertised bed, in advertised
pajamas.
He will bathe in an ADVERTISED TUB, shave with an ADVERTISED RAZOR,
have a breakfast of ADVERTISED JUICE, cereal and toast, toasted in an
ADVERTISED TOASTER, put on ADVERTISED CLOTHES and glance at his
ADVERTISED WATCH. He’ll ride to work in his ADVERTISED CAR, sit at an
ADVERTISED DESK and write with an ADVERTISED PEN. Yet this person
hesitates to advertise, saying that advertising doesn’t pay. Finally, when his
non-advertised business is going under, HE’LL ADVERTISE IT FOR SALE.
Then it’s too late.
AND THEY SAY ADVERTISING DOESN’T WORK?
DON’T MAKE THIS SAME MISTAKE
Advertising is an investment, not an expense. Think about it!
Blue Mountain Eagle
MyEagleNews.com
CREAMY
GARLIC
GARLIC OR CHICKEN
CHICKEN
ARTICHOKE
CHICKEN, BLACK OLIVES,
ONION, GREEN PEPPERS,
TOMATOES, AND
REAL CHEESE WITH
CREAMY GARLIC SAUCE
CHICKEN, ARTICHOKES,
SPINICH, AND BACON
WITH GARLIC SAUCE
Limit one at this price. May not be combined
with other offers. No cash value.
Coupon code 0102. Valid through 12/31/19.
EXTRA LARGE
PIZZA
Limit two at this price. Take-n-bake
unlimited topping double-portion pizzas
excluded. May not be combined
with other offers. No cash value.
Coupon code 0103. Valid through 12/31/19.
SHOOTING THE BREEZE
Handgun hunting
H
unting with a
handgun is a
purely American
sport at its roots. Largely
this is because handgun
ownership is not permitted
in most other places in the
world. While it may seem
daunting to limit oneself
to such close distances,
stalking within handgun
range of your game can be
a very rewarding exercise.
Mastering the art of
marksmanship with a hand
cannon is no small feat.
The late Jack O’Connor,
although arguably one of
the most skilled of rifle-
men, was a self-admittedly
poor pistol shot. Inversely,
most good pistoleros are
also excellent riflemen. So
what’s the deal?
In short, it’s been my
experience that a pistol
betrays the mistakes you
make as a rifle shooter
— in many cases, it even
magnifies them. Things
you can get away with
on a long gun are huge
no-no’s with a handgun.
Consistent grip, sight pic-
ture and trigger squeeze
are even more important
if you wish to hit your tar-
gets. One should start out
at close range with a .22
handgun to practice fun-
damentals and develop
their skills. As you prac-
tice, your groups will
shrink, and your effective
range will increase. Once
you’ve mastered a .22, you
may desire more power.
Although some prefer a
.41 or .44, a great next step
is the .357 Magnum.
Now before you choose
a rail with which to run me
out of town upon, allow
me to make a case. The
.357 is a classic, powerful,
versatile load useful for
both hunting and self-de-
fense. Handguns thusly
chambered can also use
the more even tempered
.38 Special
cartridge
for prac-
tice and
plinking.
The avail-
able fac-
Dale Valade tory bul-
let weights
range from 110 to 180
grains. And for use against
those pesky buzzing rep-
tiles CCI manufactures a
lethal shotshell load, turn-
ing your .357 into a close
range, small-bore shotgun.
I’m sure all of my read-
ers are wise enough to
wear proper hearing pro-
tection whenever they
shoot, but it is even more
prudent to do so with a
.357. If there is one fly in
the ointment concerning a
.357, it is that exceedingly
concussive muzzle blast.
Tinnitus is no joke, I can
truly tell you.
Over the years I’ve
taken small game like
squirrels and rabbits, rac-
coons and skunks and a
handful of badgers with
various handguns. Just
recently I took my first
coyote with a 25-yard off-
hand shot with my Ruger
.357 as you can see in the
accompanying graphic.
These experiences have
my wheels turning about
possibly trying for bigger
game with a pistol.
If you’re up for a chal-
lenge or wishing to hone
your skills as a pistolero,
give handgun hunting a
try. It’s a useful skill in
any case, and it may just
help you fill the freezer
someday!
Have you ever hunted
with a handgun? Any tips
to share? Write us at shoo-
tingthebreezebme@gmail.
com!
Dale Valade is a local
country gent with a deep
love for handloading,
hunting and shooting.
Debbie Ausmus
245 South Canyon Blvd.
John Day, OR 97845
OPEN WED. & THUR.
9 am - 5 pm
541-575-1113
24 hrs/7 days wk
debbie.ausmus@
countryfinancial.com
TOM CHRISTENSEN
CHRISTENSEN
TOM
CONSTRUCTION
(541) 410-0557 • (541) 575-0192
Please Join us for the
Best of the Old West 1st Annual Grant County
Harvest Festival
CCB# 106077
REMODELS • NEW CONSTRUCTION • POLE BUILDINGS
CONCRETE EXCAVATION • SHEET ROCK • SIDING
ROOFING • FENCES • DECKS • TELESCOPING FORKLIFT SERVICES
FRIDAY AND SATURDAY
ANY TWO
SAVE ON
EXTRA LARGE
$ 5 .00 PIZZAS
FOR THE PRICE
OF A LARGE
Don’t get left behind, call today! Kim Kell 541-575-0710
Contributed photo
Handgun hunting is challenging but a useful skill.
ORDE
ONLI R
FIGA
NE
ROS
.COM
October 18 & 19
— FRIDAY OCTOBER 18 —
starting at 3:00pm
Evening Market, Movie and Beer Garden
— SATURDAY OCTOBER 19 —
8:30am: Live Music, Pumpkin Painting,
Apple Press and Hayride
11am: Community Garden
Outdoor Pizza Oven and Pumpkins
12:00-3:00pm: Children’s Carnival
3:30-5:00pm: Pie Feed at Methodist Church
Saturdays
8:30am-12:30pm
Brent Street
between Umpqua Bank and
Bank of Eastern Oregon
www.JohnDayFarmersMarket.com
Author’s Presentation: Karen Spears Zacharias: Thursday, October
10, 5:30 - 7:30 PM. Free public event! Learn about the true crime story
Karen is currently working on & more.
Beginning Photography Class: October 9, 10, and 11, from 4:30 - 6:30
PM. All skill levels welcome!
Chalk Fun: Thursday, October 15, from 6:00 - 8:00 PM. Chalk couture
class, using chalk paste and reusable silk transfer onto chalkboard
surface.
Basic Drawing Class: Ongoing, Wednesdays through November 6, at
5:30 PM to 7:30 PM.
Arts After School: Ongoing, Mon-Thus 3:30-5:45 PM, and Fri 8:00 AM-
5:45 PM; follows school calendar.
Youth Arts Program: Ongoing, Monday 6:00 PM rehearsals through
December.
Music lessons coming soon!
To register visit paintedskycenter.com or
email paintedskycenter@gmail.com.
Sponsored By: