ODFW Updates
Below you will find the latest updates provided by our local ODFW offices. Follow the link to access the ODFW website.
October 2025
Fall hunting seems to be off to a good start, with reports of a few elk and deer taken during the
first bow season, and then with the ALW General Deer Season starting, both deer and bear
hunters seem to be doing very well.
The Jackson Travel Management Area (JACTMA) goes into effect October 15th and will last until
April 30th of 2026. Maps can be printed from the ODFW website at
https://www.dfw.state.or.us/maps/travel_management_areas/jackson.pdf. In addition to the
JACTMA, the road restrictions in the Upper Rogue Cooperative Travel Management Area will
again be in effect 3 days prior to the opening of the ALW West General Cascade Elk Season
and run through the end of the season. As you may know, many of ODFW’s signs informing the
public and hunters of those road restrictions were stolen last year. These signs were paid for
through funds given to ODFW by the OHA, and ODFW highly encourages hunters to reach out
to Oregon State Police with any tips or information that could help lead to the party responsible
for the theft.
Many of you may also know that Oregon is now the last west-coast state without any detections
of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD). As a result, ODFW is trying to get as many CWD samples
as possible going forward from our hunters. If you have a relatively fresh deer or elk head that
you would like tested, please come by any one of our ODFW offices in the state and we will
collect a sample as well as get a tooth to age your animal. You can also get your deer and elk
tested at several cooperating taxidermists around the state. The entire process should take less
than 10 minutes and you should have results of the CWD test available to you in about 5 weeks.
ODFW would like to remind hunters to complete the online mandatory reporting by January 31 st
to avoid the late reporting fee when purchasing your tags in 2027.
Thanks again to the Rogue Valley, Curry County and Josephine County Chapters of OHA as
well as Backcountry Hunters and Anglers for your continued support of Oregon’s wildlife, and
best of luck in your late season hunts!
Chris Shelton
Rogue District Wildlife Conflict Biologist
September 2025
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Update- Sept/Oct 2025 – Rogue Watershed
It’s been quite a busy summer and early fall here in the Rogue District and fall and hunting
season is right around the corner. Hopefully your early season bear, deer, elk, or upland bird
hunt were successful. Success doesn’t always need to be defined as harvesting an animal; I
would argue that success is growing your arsenal of knowledge for your passion, maybe
slowing down and listening more, maybe it’s prioritizing time in your busy schedule to just “get
out there”, maybe it’s mentoring a youth or someone new to the outdoors, or being better
prepared/better physical shape, or being grateful and mindful that you can still walk in the
woods with a bow, rifle, or shotgun. Every hunting season I learn something new, and I hope
for many of you, that this opportunity to learn may trickle into what you consider being a part of
your success. One thing is certain, lessons learned are usually not a bad thing. Also, being a
lifelong learner will help you make heads or tails of the world or at minimum hopefully help keep
you out of trouble at least. This update is a big one, mostly geared around public access, but
hopefully will give you some tools, opportunities, and reminders that will help you navigate your
upcoming hunting seasons.
Like it or not, many of us have a device in our pockets that has been a game changer and given
many of us a new tool for means of exploration, scouting, and preparation. You should still have
a map and compass and know how to use it; however, technology has given us easier certainty
for what is and what is not public land. However, it can also get some of us in trouble. I’m
talking about online mapping subscription services like OnX or GoHunt to name a few of the
more popular products. These mapping programs are not always entirely right, or do not give
the full picture on access, particularly on road ownership. Road ownership and maintenance,
and public easement access to public lands in our region is very much a product of the Oregon
& California Railroad Act of 1866 which resulted in much of the “checkerboard” of Bureau of
Land Management (BLM) and private ownership that we see throughout southwestern Oregon
today.
You can read and learn more about these O&C timberlands here:
https://www.blm.gov/programs/natural-resources/forests-and-woodlands/oc-lands
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oregon_and_California_Railroad_Revested_Lands
In much of our area, historically we had only 2 or 3 large industrial timberland owners. Over the
past few decades, these lands have been sold to a plethora of various owners (some possibly
making up a portion of your retirement portfolio if you have a 401k or IRA), many with different
public access policies. It’s been only since the last decade or so that some of these landowners
have been starting to exercise their private property rights more visibly, by posting these lands
and even gating them off. Increased fire danger, illegal dumping and vandalism, liability
concerns, or a “pay to play” permit process have all been leading to more landowners making
the decisions to close off public access. Even roads that appear well traveled and graveled have
been posted “No public access”, “No hunting”, or “Do not enter except with written permission
from the landowner”. If you are uncertain if a road is public or not, I recently came across a
super helpful website managed by the BLM that may help in clarifying that status. It’s
particularly useful to identify roads which are indeed classified as public easements or “public
continuity”, which refers to the ability to traverse from one parcel of public land, through a
private parcel, to reach the public parcel beyond. Most USFS managed roads do have public
access that must be granted through private forestlands, however BLM O&C timberlands are
different. Check it out:
OR/WA BLM Roads Data Viewer
For those not viewing this from a digital source, you could also just “google” this phrase:
“BLM OR/WA Roads Data Application”. The first webpage that pops up which is housed
on a “ArcGIS Online” is the site you want to visit.
Keep in mind on this webpage, the roads that are pink are technically owned and
maintained as private roads by private companies. This has always been the case since
these lands were first divvyed up during that O&C process, however, private landowners
are now just finally starting to exercise their private property rights and posting these
roads.
Look at the attributes of each road segment. If you don’t see “public continuity”, then
chances are that road segment is likely not accessible to the public. When a new no
trespassing sign pops up on what you thought was a public road, indeed, they may be
within their right to restrict access through their land via the road.
Perhaps your old way of getting into a public parcel isn’t going to legally be possible anymore.
However, knowing the neighboring timberland owner and their access policies may be your
ticket in, and via a road that does show a public continuity.
I’ll be honest, it’s tough to actually track down the ownership sometimes on a private parcel,
especially when there are constant changes in ownership. Fortunately there is an industry
cooperative which might help answer some of these ownership and access status questions:
https://ofic.com/private-forestland-closures/ Unfortunately, not every private industrial
timberlands are included in here, so you may need to get creative in finding a landowner contact
such as the county assessor or looking up a Oregon Dept of Forestry timber sale notice, or call
me!
If this is just too much for you, the Access & Habitat program has tried to make things a bit more
clear. Our Jackson Cooperative Travel Management Area, aka, the Jackson TMA was recently
expanded in our region, in part because we wanted to help give hunters certainty on which
roads were indeed open and which were not publicly accessible. It uses the same “green dot”
road designations as many have become familiar with in other travel management areas, such
as the Upper Rogue TMA. The Jackson TMA has long been used as a management tool to
help protect our overwintering blacktail deer, and the sensitive habitats they utilize, from
excessive vehicle disturbance by placing motorized use restrictions on certain roads (while still
allowing walk-in access) during the late fall through early spring. However, now it is also
ensuring continued public access to popular public lands within the BLM O&C checkerboard, as
well as continued access to public industrial timberlands outside of fire season.
We have paper maps available at entrance locations throughout the Jackson TMA, at ODFW’s
office here in Central Point, and online. The online map is super helpful because it is
georeferenced and can be viewed with a free cell phone app known as Avenza which can be
used when outside of cell reception. Use it with your other mapping applications. Other maps
in the SW are also digitized such as the New River Access Area (for waterfowl hunters) and
also the Upper Rogue TMA (Cascade General Any Legal Weapon Elk Season). There are
many more A&H Access Areas and TMA maps available at ODFW’s mapping page:
https://myodfw.com/articles/maps
Now onto some reminders:
If you didn’t put in for a big game controlled hunt this year and would still like to accrue a
preference point in that hunt series for 2025, there is still an opportunity to purchase a
preference point. You have until November 30, 2025, and can purchase it online via
myodfw.com, at a license vendor, or at your local ODFW office. If you put in for a
controlled hunt series and did not draw your first choice, you accrued a preference point.
New this year for turkey hunters is a beardless turkey permit for the Rogue, Applegate,
and part of the Evans Creek unit. This permit is the same price as a regular turkey tag,
but is good for 3 beardless turkeys for use on private, non-industrial timberlands. There
is a limit of 3 permits that hunters can purchase, in addition to their fall and spring turkey
tags. More information can be found on page 24 of the 2025-2026 upland bird
regulations.
It is illegal to hunt, locate, or scout for the purpose of hunting any wildlife with
infrared or other night vision sight or equipment except trail cameras. This
regulation is found on page 19 of the 2025 big game regulations and is a reminder that
thermal imaging devices use infrared detecting technology. ODFW and OSP are aware
of this, have received numerous complaints and tips from hunters about potential
violations of this prohibited method and OSP is actively pursuing these cases. There will
likely be additional language added to the 2026 hunting regulations to clarify the
possession of such devices while in the field during hunting seasons. OSP will also have
various detection capabilities out in force this upcoming hunting season. As always, dial
*OSP if you suspect hunting violations or poaching as public tips are vital in curbing
illegal activity.
The annual wildlife forage seed giveaway is coming up on Wednesday October 1, 2025.
New this year, thanks to contributions from Josephine County and Curry County
chapters of OHA, there will be give-aways in Gold Beach and Grants Pass. The Rogue
Valley Chapter has continued it’s generous donation toward the seed giveaway again
this year. The private contributions have been matched with federal funds from the
Pittman-Robertson Act granted to ODFW. Seed dispersal will start at 7:00 AM, is limited
to 2 bags per landowner, and is available at these locations:
o Central Point: Denman Wildlife Area ODFW Office, 1495 East Gregory Rd.
o Grants Pass: Rogue Valley Secure Storage, 3591 Highland Ave.
o Gold Beach: ODFW Gold Beach Field Office, 29907 Airport Dr.
Thanks for your continued support,
Ryan Battleson
Rogue District Wildlife Habitat Biologist
SW Regional Access & Habitat Program Coodinator
541-857-2408 Ryan.d.battleson@odfw.oregon.gov
June 2025
June is here, which means summer is right around the corner. While many of us are now in fishing mode, there is still much to be done in preparation for the upcoming hunting season. The results of the 2025 controlled hunt applications will be available on June 12. For those who have drawn tags, June is a great month for scouting. Antler development is not as exciting as it will be in another month, but animals are quite visible, and this is a great opportunity to familiarize yourself with the terrain if you are going to be a hunting a new area. Additionally, fire danger shouldn’t be high yet so access limitations should be minimal.
June means offspring season. Many species are having their young and while young animals may appear to be abandoned or orphaned, in most cases the parents have just left to forage and will return later. Remember, if you care, leave them there. If you do suspect a young animal to be injured or orphaned, please contact your local ODFW office for advice before taking any action. Picking up young wildlife not only reduces their chance of survival, it is also illegal to possess wildlife without the proper permits.
ODFW will be hosting the 2026 Big Game Public Meetings coming up in July. The southwest region will hold a joint public meeting virtually on Thursday, July 10 at 6:00pm. A link to attend will be provided at a later date so watch for additional information. Additionally, there will be three other meetings held in the Rogue District: 1) Curry County OHA meeting on Wednesday, July 2 at 6:30 PM at the Curry County Fairgrounds in Gold Beach;
2) Jackson County OHA meeting on Thursday, July 10 at 7:00 PM at the Eagles Lodge in Medford;
3) Josephine County OHA meeting on Thursday, July 17 at 7:00 PM at the Black Bear Diner in Grants Pass.
While there are no major changes planned for southwestern Oregon big game hunts for the 2026 season, there will be some significant changes for the mule deer hunts. As always,check the current Oregon Big Game Hunting Regulations before going afield.
May 2025
Summer is just around the corner and that means that ODFW is in full swing with the regulation setting process for 2026 Big Game Hunting seasons. ODFW will be proposing a major change to our eastern Oregon mule deer hunts, which includes redefining hunt zone boundaries. Based on collar data obtained by ODFW staff we have identified new mule deer "herd ranges", which include the entire area a herd uses in a year, including summer ranges, winter ranges, and the migration corridors between them. These ranges now form the basis for ODFW's mule deer monitoring and management, including harvest management. You can find more information here: https://myodfw.com/articles/eastern-oregon-deer-hunts
In addition to this, locally we are looking at the possibility of adjusting some of our controlled cow elk hunts here in southern Oregon to help give hunters a better opportunity as well as focus pressure on certain elk damage areas. Once things are finalized, we will present the details later this summer at our public meetings for comment.
Fall turkey hunters in southwestern Oregon will also see a major change this year as a new beardless turkey permit will be available. This permit is only valid on private lands (excluding industrial timber) in all of the Applegate, Rogue, and most of the Evans Creek WMU. The permit is valid for three beardless turkeys and is designed to provide landowners experiencing turkey damage a method to reduce and/or deter turkey populations from their property. Anyone can purchase the permit to hunt on these private lands, it will be up to hunters to secure permission to access private lands. Each individual can purchase up to three permits for a total of 9 birds, these permits are in addition to the normal fall turkey tags.
March 2025
While the weather may not always be a good indicator, Spring is only a couple of weeks away…at least on paper. It’s once again time to think about upcoming Spring hunting opportunities and finally ridding ourselves of this nasty case of cabin fever that has plagued us all Winter.
Oregon’s controlled Spring black bear hunts all begin on April 1st, which will be here before we know it. If you purchased a Sports Pac, please remember to redeem your black bear tag voucher in order to avoid a late fee and/or a brush with law enforcement. Black bears are beginning to become active, but don’t expect too much movement early. Early Spring bears stick pretty close to home, which can make them challenging to find.
Next on the docket is the Spring turkey season, which begins statewide on April 15. Again, please be sure you have your tag and not a voucher. Toms are already showing their stuff, so this is a great time of year to scout for the upcoming season. Oregon offers some great turkey hunting in many different parts of the state. This provides a good opportunity for hunters to travel, experience new areas, and maybe do a little scouting for Fall big game hunts.
Speaking of Fall big game hunts, there are some significant changes coming to Oregon’s mule deer hunt structure. If you have not been following, please take some time to check out the updated Mule Deer Management Plan and how that will change mule deer hunt structures. The updates, available on the ODFW website, are continually being updated as new information becomes available, so please check back regularly. As always, if you have any questions, you can contact your local wildlife biologist who will be happy to answer them.
One last reminder, for any hunters who possessed big game tags that were valid after January 1, 2025, the mandatory reporting deadline is April 15. That’s correct, April 15 means taxes, turkeys, and reporting.
Stay safe and enjoy all the great outdoor experiences Oregon has to offer!
Jason Badger
Assistant District Wildlife Biologist
ODFW Gold Beach Field Office
541-247-7605 (office) 541-519-7708 (cell)
February 2025
Happy New Year to everyone. I hope you all were able to fill your tags and freezers in 2024. For those who drew late season tags that end after January 1st, don’t forget to report on those hunts by April 15 and avoid the $25 late fee when you purchase your license and tags in 2026.
Although fall hunting seasons are far away, there are still great opportunities for hunting in southern Oregon right now. Our cougar season goes year-round, and a tag is included with the sports pac. As you are all aware we have healthy cougar populations throughout much of Oregon and abundant opportunity to pursue these elusive predators in the Rogue District. We are checking in more and more animals every year that are the result of hunters specifically targeting cougars. Techniques often include checking new fallen snow for tracks, as well as predator calling. There are numerous podcasts and online resources available to help hone your skills.
Aside from cougars, our next opportunity for hunting big game is the spring bear hunt that begins April 1st. Remember that the spring bear season is a controlled hunt, so be sure to get your applications in by February 10th.
On the smaller side, we also have a year-round gray squirrel season in the Rogue WMU with no bag limit or closed season in that part of unit 30 south of the Rogue River and South Fork Rogue River and north of Highway 140. Gray squirrels can be a fun animal to hunt and are a great way to enter the sport for young or new hunters. They can also be quite tasty when prepared well. https://www.themeateater.com/hunt/squirrels/world-
championship-squirrel-cookoff-recipes
In addition to small game and late winter/early spring big game hunting, the Access and Habitat board has continued its partnership with some private landowners to provide a good waterfowl hunting opportunity on the south coast. The New River Access Area is open during the South Coast goose season; from February 22nd to March 10th. Access is free, but days/times need to be reserved with the landowners, who are great to work with. You can check out the map for the location and rules for the program with the following link and be sure to get permission from the landowners and fill out a harvest card. https://www.dfw.state.or.us/maps/access_habitat/new_river.pdf
Oregon’s big game hunting seasons are structured to protect young animals, and it is illegal to take spotted kittens or a cougar traveling with spotted kittens, bear cubs under a year old, or a sow travelling with cubs under a year old. Please remember to always check the regulations before heading into the field, and make sure you have the needed tags, licenses and endorsements for 2025.
Thank you all again for your support, and best of luck in your 2025 hunts!
Chris Shelton
Rogue District Wildlife Conflict Biologist
December 2024
Major hunting seasons are coming to a close and ODFW would like to remind hunters to complete the online mandatory reporting by January 31st to avoid the late reporting fee when purchasing your tags the following year.
Our 2025 Big Game Regulations are now available. On the top of page 41 you will find some information on our plan to rework the mule deer units for 2026. While we have been working through the public process of updating our Mule Deer Management Plan for the past year, for some hunters this may be the first time they are hearing of this change and therefore it has created some speculation on what will actually be changing in 2026. I would encourage everyone to scan the QR code on page 41 (shown at right) or visit this LINK to get a more in-depth look at the new Mule Deer Management Plan and why these changes are being implemented. In short, this new change will allow ODFW to better manage mule deer populations by creating hunts based on herd ranges determined through GPS collar data, as opposed to the older more arbitrary unit boundaries. No unit boundaries will be changed for western Oregon black-tailed deer hunting at this time.
If you are still looking to get out this winter various upland bird seasons continue through the end of January including fall turkey. There is waterfowl hunting in Jackson and Josephine County that will continue uninterrupted until January 26th, 2025. The Denman Wildlife Area is popular in our area for waterfowl hunting, the recent heavy rains have started to flood the fields we planted with various grain crops earlier in the year. Finally, cougar hunting is year-round; hunters can find the most success by driving roads after a light snow to locate tracks, then follow those tracks off the road a ways and start predator calling.
2025 Hunting Licenses and Tags went on sale starting December 1st, 2024.
Remember to report on your hunts by January 31st, 2025.
Mathew Vargas
Rogue District Wildlife Biologist
November 2024
The general fall hunting seasons have been a mixed bag so far this year. With the warm and dry temperatures deer hunting has been unusually slow, but bear harvest seems to be holding steady, with multiple bears being checked in at the Rogue District office everyday.
Moving the General Cascade Elk hunt back into November has continued to result in higher harvest rates in our area, with hunter success jumping from 2-3% before the date change to 4-13% in 2022, and 3-15% in 2023, depending on the unit that was hunted. ODFW is expecting similar results this year.
The Jackson Travel Management Area (JACTMA) went into effect October 15th and will last until April 30th of 2025. Please note that some additional lands were added late to the TMA around Fredenburg Butte, near Butte Falls. Supplemental maps have been added as an insert to the JACTMA paper maps, and both maps can be printed from the ODFW website at https://www.dfw.state.or.us/maps/#Travel
With the major hunting seasons soon ending, ODFW would like to remind hunters to complete the online mandatory reporting by January 31st to avoid the late reporting fee when purchasing your tags in 2026.
Thanks again to the Rogue Valley Chapter and Josephine County Chapters of OHA as well as Backcountry Hunters and Anglers for your continued support of Oregon’s wildlife, and best of luck in your late season hunts!
Chris Shelton
Rogue DistrictWildlife Conflict Biologist
October 2024
Fall is in the air, the days are getting shorter, and hunting seasons are in full swing. If you were lucky enough to fill an archery elk tag back in September or one of those successful opening weekend rifle folks that’s now wondering what to fill your time with, besides cleaning the gutters of leaves, perhaps consider checking out one of our local Access & Habitat Program’s regional Access Areas (https://www.dfw.state.or.us/maps/). For waterfowl hunters, the New River Access Area outside of Langlois on Oregon’s south-coast would be a fun adventure. The 5 cooperating ranches out here offer 3,540 acres of private land to hunt waterfowl, access to an additional 500 acres of BLM lands, and at times can be chock full of Aleutian Geese. Early Fall can be some of the best time to target the south-migrating geese here (especially Oct-mid Nov), and the ranchers will be happy you did! Make sure to call ahead to reserve a spot as each property allows up to 6 hunters per day, and please fill out a hunter survey card!
Have you heard of the Hunt by Reservation System?https://myodfw.com/HBR This is another program where private landowners allow public hunting access. Sometimes these are associated with A&H projects, sometimes they are just landowners that experience a lot of damage and want help in reducing wildlife damage. Turkeys comes to mind… The online lottery for October hunts closed mid-September, but there’s always Nov/Dec and next Spring to think about. Check regularly!
For the rest of us that may not have been as lucky earlier in the season, make sure you know about our regional Jackson Cooperative Travel Management Area (JACTMA). This Travel Management Area (TMA) is another Access & Habitat Program funded project. The JACTMA recently added another 3,500+ private timber acres to it around the Town of Butte Falls and it runs from Oct 15 through April 30. This project has a total of 21,125 acres of private industrial timber cooperators, and over 57,000 public acres. Open roads are clearly marked with green dots on road markers and paper maps are available at entry points and at the Denman Wildlife Area’s office (1495 East Gregory Rd. Central Point). Closed roads are open to walk-in hunting access, and many are marked with yellow signage. Digital maps are also available at the same website mentioned above regarding New River Access Area. The JACTMA can be an excellent area to check out if you’re a late season archer, as this area is in prime Winter range for our migratory black-tail deer. Watch for hazard and closures on part of it that was associated with the 2024 Salt Creek Fire. In the footprint of the 2020 Obenchain fire, some good habitat is starting to re-form. If you’re trying your luck with the Any Legal Weapon General West Cascade Elk Season, remember about the Upper Rogue Travel Management Area as well. This TMA runs 3 days prior to the start of the season and through its end. For this year, those Upper Rogue TMA dates would be November 6 through November 15, 2024. There’s tons more Access & Habitat areas available on our website. If you’re ever wondering if private lands are open to hunting, the Oregon Forest Industries Council is a great resource to check out as well:
https://ofic.com/private-forestland-closures/ .
If you’re interested in starting an A&H project (https://www.dfw.state.or.us/lands/ah/), have potential leads on a large tract of land or collection of private landowners that may be interested, would like to become a participating landowner in the Hunt by Reservation Program, or to find opportunities to volunteer on habitat enhancement projects, ODFW would love to hear from you. Please contact Ryan.d.battleson@odfw.oregon.gov or give him a call at
541-857-2408. Stay tuned for upcoming opportunities in your respective newsletters and monthly meetings. In the Rogue District, some conifer thinning projects around Montane meadows and some fence removal/installation is on tap for this Fall, Winter and Spring. I’d love to see you!
Chronic Wasting Disease Update
Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is a fatal disease infecting deer and elk across North America. It is highly contagious. While CWD has not yet been detected in Oregon, it has been recently detected in our neighboring states of Idaho, California, and Washington. https://myodfw.com/CWD
ODFW has been ahead of many of the other western states in the level of monitoring that it has employed to detect this disease in the past few years taking thousands of samples per year, but we are ramping up our detection tactics and turn-around time to notify hunters even further (via Senate Bill 5701), thanks in part to support from OHA and other conservation groups’ lobbying pressure. New check stations will be deployed throughout the state this year, including here in SW Oregon. You may run into ODFW staff while in the field, and we’d be happy to sample your harvest. The sampling process should take about 10 minutes. You can also drop heads off or make an appointment with a biologist at your local ODFW office. It’s best if the heads are unfrozen. For deer and elk, the retropharyngeal lymph nodes are taken, and additionally the obex from the brain of elk are sampled. With an increase in funding, hunters should have their results within 3-5 weeks (sooner than the 7+ weeks from the past) as samples are now being tested in-state at Oregon State University. If your animal tests positive, ODFW will notify you on further guidance and steps to follow.
Hunters can do their part to limit the spread of CWD by adhering to the parts ban which is found on page 16 of the 2024 Oregon Big Game Hunting Regulations. The Prions which are responsible for the infection of CWD in cervids (Deer/Elk) are found in the spinal column and brain tissue. These are extremely difficult to destroy, hence the parts ban is in effect. Only deboned meat, quarters, hides or capes with no head attached, skull plates cleaned of any meat/brain tissue, fully processed/cleaned skulls void of any brain/meat, antlers with no brain tissue attached, finished taxidermy mounts/heads, or upper canine teeth “ivories” are allowed to be transported over state lines. CWD has not been documented to spread to humans. However, public health and wildlife officials advise that hunters can also protect themselves with basic precautions used in the field when cleaning cervids like wearing disposable gloves, boning out meat instead of sawing through the backbone or spinal column, minimizing handling of brain and spinal tissues, and avoiding consuming meat from an animal that has tested positive.
As always, thanks for your support!
Ryan Battleson
Wildlife Habitat Biologist
SW Regional Access & Habitat Program Coordinator
(Jackson, Josephine, Coos, Curry, Douglas counties)
ODFW Rogue District, Central Point
August 2024
Bear hunting season is here upon us. A reminder to check-in any bear within 10 days of harvest. ODFW would like to have the reproductive tract (uterus, ovaries) of females. The reproductive tract allows us to determine the number of young she has had in her lifetime. Important information for determining recruitment into bear population.
Big Game Regulation meetings were held in July. They were done virtually throughout the State. We want to thank our two OHA chapters for hosting. Here locally we also shared the information with our two OHA chapters. ODFW strongly encouraged hunters to write their comments into the Commission before September 13, 2024. By submitting your comments in writing the Commissioners can better understand your ideas and comment rather than us providing a summary. Here is the email address: ODFW.Commission@odfw.oregon.gov.
The Commission meeting will be held in The Dalles for those who would like to attend. If planning to testify they ask you register 48 hours in advance.
Local proposal:
600 Series for Applegate, Evans Creek and Chetco along with Applegate Youth and Chetco Youth will have a 5-tag increase. Evans Creek Youth will have 10 tag increase.
Youth Pheasant hunt will be September 17 & 18. Be sure to sign up for the event in September either online or at any place that sells license. We are always looking for volunteers to help and dog handlers to provide the youth with their best success. Thanks to RVOHA for providing more birds for this event.
Denman Wildlife Area 3D Archery Shoot will be held August 10th and 11th. Three start times 8, 9, 10am with $10 fee. At the end of Tou Velle Road. Registration online at: MyODFW.com/workshops-and-events.
Summary of proposals:
Extend Beardless turkey permit for private lands to Marion, Polk, Yamhill, Benton, Linn, and eastern Lane Counties.
Expansion of Fall turkey season into Ochoco and Beula Wildlife Management Units.
Concurrent openers for Zone 1 and Zone 2 duck season.
Only one harlequin duck is allowed in the daily bag limit.
A new Red Fox closure area will be 15 miles from the Pacific Crest trail from Washington to Interstate 5 at California boarder. This is to help protect the Sierra Nevada Red Fox subspecies that is found only in the higher elevation of the Oregon Cascades.
Mule Deer Management Plan was approved by the commission. No changes will be made for 2025 regulations, but discussions about what these changes might be for 2026 may occur.
Buck deer 100 series: increase tags in Sumpter, Beulah, Malheur River, Owyhee, NE Owyhee, Interstate, Silver Lake, Steens Mtn archery, Sixes muzzleloader, and Hart Mtn muzzleloader.
Three new muzzleloader hunts on private in Chesnimnus, Snake River, and Imnaha to address increasing white-tailed deer and damage. These hunts will require mandatory chronic wasting disease (CWD) Sampling.
Elk 200 series: decrease in tags in Murderers Creek, Fossil, Heppner. Reduced spike tags in Mt Emily, Walla Walla, and Wenaha. Increase in cow tags in Ukiah and Starkey. Reduction to three Zumwalt hunts.
Increase in bear tags for S Blues and Starkey-Ukiah hunts and a new Youth hunt for Alsea-Stott Mt.
Dan Ethridge
Asst. District Wildlife Biologist
ODFW ROWD
(541) 857-2406 dan.d.ethridge@odfw.oregon.gov
June 2024
June is a time of transition and renewal. Spring gives way to summer and other than cougar, most hunting seasons are now closed. Hunters are eagerly awaiting the results of the controlled hunt applications, which will be available on June 12. For those venturing forth with a cougar tag in pocket, the onset of fawning and calving season provides an opportunity to lure a big cat into range with the use of predator calls. Finding an ideal setup location and exercising extreme patience are key to this pursuit.
The application period for Sage Grouse hunts will be July 1 – August 11, so start planning now if you think you may be interested in hunting these fascinating birds. Oregon’s Sage Grouse are tenacious, holding their own in the face of many threats. Tags are issued through a controlled hunt process and are limited to protect this valuable resource while still providing an opportunity for a uniquely western hunt.
Also on the calendar are the ODFW 2025 Big Game Public Meetings. The Southwest region will hold a joint public meeting virtually on July 9 at 6:00 pm. A link to attend will be provided. There are no major changes planned for Southwestern Oregon big game hunts for the 2025 season. However, always check the current Oregon Big Game Hunting Regulations before going afield.
Many wildlife species are now having their offspring so please remember to leave young wildlife where you find it. While young animals may appear to be abandoned or orphaned, in most cases the parents have just left to forage and will return later. If you do suspect a young animal to be injured or orphaned, please contact your local ODFW office to advice before taking any action.
Jason Badger
Assistant District Wildlife Biologist
ODFW Gold Beach Field Office
541-247-7605 (office) 541-519-7708 (cell)
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