August 31, 2018
T he C olumbia P ress
Hunter’s group provides big game preview
B y J iM y uskaVitCh
Oregon Hunter’s Association
Hard winters can wreak hav-
oc on big game herds, making
forage harder to find and caus-
ing deer and elk to be more
vulnerable to predators as they
struggle through deep snow.
Hunters often are relieved
when winters are mild.
However, while deer do bet-
ter in light winters, it doesn’t
make much difference to elk,
who thrive in both harsh and
mild winters because of their
size and strength.
Deer stick to their traditional
winter range even when con-
ditions are poor, while prong-
horns light out for new territo-
ry.
Despite the mild winter
weather this year, some biol-
ogists report decreased fawn
survival and poor calving in
some areas. Nevertheless,
most predictions are for better
big game hunting opportuni-
ties this fall.
Here’s what Oregon Depart-
ment of Fish and Wildlife bi-
ologists had to say about big
game prospects.
d eer
“Deer numbers are pretty
good,” said Dave Nuzum, Til-
lamook-based assistant dis-
trict wildlife biologist. “The
black-tailed deer population is
at benchmark on all our units
and my sense is that winter
survival was pretty good.”
The story is the same in the
Cascades and Coast ranges
with habitat conditions for
ungulates declining due to the
lack of logging and clear cuts
on national forest land, driv-
ing many animals onto private
timberlands, where logging
continues to create early ser-
al stage vegetation conditions
that help grow more deer and
elk.
“Our winter didn’t have any
impact and the fawn ratios are
similar to last year,” said Chris
Yee, ODFW district wildlife bi-
ologist in Springfield.
5
Warriors kick off fall season
Road closures will benefit deer, elk
The Oregon Department of For-
estry will restrict access on some
roads this fall in the western part
of Tillamook State Forest to give
deer and elk a better chance of es-
caping during hunting season.
Some roads will close during the
general archery and rifle hunting
seasons in September, October
e lk
The North Coast elk popu-
lation is slowly building back
after being a little on the low
side a few years ago, according
to biologist Nuzum.
“We have a healthy elk popu-
lation, although it’s slightly be-
low management objectives,”
he said.
Bull ratios are robust on all
his units, which includes Sad-
dle Mountain, Wilson and
Trask.
Cascades elk continue to suf-
fer from a lack of succulent
new growth on public lands
due to the significant cutback
in logging over the years, al-
though wildfires help make up
some of the difference.
As a rule, there will be more
elk on private timberlands
with active logging operations.
“Most of the elk population
on industrial forest land is
good,” Yee said.
B ear and Cougar
There continue to be healthy
-- and increasing -- popula-
and November. Selected roads in
the Trask, Wilson and Nehalem
River areas will be gated and
signed. The move is designed to
reduce hunting pressure there.
Hunters and other recreational
users can access the gated areas
by foot, mountain bike, horse or
other nonmotorized means.
tions of bears and cougars.
There’s a good number of
bear in the Cascades and Coast
ranges, with the population
going up as you move south,
biologists said.
The Applegate unit is the
top bear producer in the state.
Northeast and southwest Ore-
gon still tend to have the larg-
est cougar populations.
Cougars have been docu-
mented slowly expanding
their populations into the
northwestern part of the state,
including into the outskirts of
Astoria and Portland, with the
biggest increase currently in
the Alsea unit.
Successful bear hunters lo-
cate food sources, such as ber-
ry patches, and are there when
food ripens, because that’s
when the bears show up.
While some hunters spe-
cifically target cougars using
predator calls or snow track-
ing, most of these secretive
cats are taken opportunistical-
ly.
Above:
Quarterback
Jake Morrow
takes down
a Neah-Kah-
Nie Pirates
player during a
scrimmage last
Friday.
Left: Warren-
ton’s Kaleo
Kapua works to
stop a Pirates
player while
Mark Warren
supports.
Debbie Morrow
for The Columbia
Press