2017 Lake County
Hunting &
Fishing A Special Edition to the Lake County Examiner
Page 2 — Wednesday, August 2, 2017 Hunting & FISHING in Lake County, Lakeview, Oregon
Editorial Index
The thrill of the bow and arrow
By Jimmy Hall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Uptick in redband numbers closes Sprague By Jimmy Hall . . . . . . . 6 ODFW offers how to hunt deer and elk course By Jimmy Hall . . . . . . . . . 6 McNair bags big bear By Jimmy Hall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Winter has positive effect on fish population By Michael Acosta . . . . . . . . . 10 Beginners guide to hunting By Michael Acosta . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Your Hometown Grocery Store
Bowmen Club taking a break for hunting season By Michael Acosta . . . . 14 Les Schwab invites hunters with 13th Lucky Buck Contest By Jimmy Hall . . . 14 Trophy trout taking Oregon by Storm By Jimmy Hall . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Illegal introduction of fish a big problem By Michael Acosta . . . . . . . 18 Training the next generation of Hunters By Jimmy Hall . . . . . . . . . . 20 Forest Service employee offers Fly Fishing Tips By Michael Acosta . . . . . . . . 22
Lake County Road Maps
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Winter Hours 7am-8pm • Summer Hours 7am-9pm
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Hunting & Fishing in Lake County, Lakeview, Oregon, Wednesday, August 2, 2017 — Page 3
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Page 4 — Wednesday, August 2, 2017, Hunting & FISHING in Lake County, Lakeview, Oregon
The thrill of the bow and arrow By Jimmy Hall Lake County Examiner
ing sport came when he realized that not many people pursue it. In 1991, While the bulk of hunt- Copeland and a few of his ers may opt to go out to the hunting friends were near desert or forest with a rifle, John Day when on openLakeview long time hunter ing morning he shot a bull Jim Copeland opts to go when a group of hunters with a bow, just for the fun were coming down from a ridge. One of them shot off that it provides. Copeland, a bow hunt- a round, exclaiming that he er for the last 26 years, said startled them. From this he enjoys the challenge of experience, he wanted to getting close to the animal pursue something different that was a little more niche that becomes his target. “With a gun out in the and fewer participants. Popularity of the bow desert areas, I can shoot at something 200 yards and hunting has been on the they’ll never know I’m in rise, said Copeland. He said the area,” he explained. “To that those who might draw get within the maximum a tag to rifle hunt they’ll range of 50 yards, you have do so. If this doesn’t work to get within that range to out, they’ll buy an over-thebe comfortable getting a counter bow hunting tag, SUBMITTED PHOTO quality shot to kill the ani- contributing to the rise of mal humanly and quickly.” popularity to the shooting Jim Copeland with his father Ray in 2004, claiming an antelope from Oregon’s His reasoning for get- sport. Outback. Through the nearly ting into this kind of huntthree decades, Copeland where we go,” he laughed. has used traditional and “Lake County has a lot to modern equipment, taking offer with bow hunting. You a couple deer with tradi- have the mountains with tional bow out of the trout trees and it varies of how creeks and nice animals you hunt it.” He recalled out of Lake County. “The the times where he sat on hunting in the county is waterholes and passed good, though it is hard to up on many shots for antelopes, trying to get the draw tags.” He said that the inter- most qualified as a trophy, state unit is good for deer which would be an 80 on the that is only strengthened Pope and Young scale. Elk with Oregon Department hunting is a rush, he said. of Fish and Wildlife’s ef- He goes out during the rut forts to remove cougar and uses a call that causes populations. Copeland said a buck to charge at times. “It’s an adrenaline that there are North and South Warner’s, Beatty feeling when you get a shot Buttes, Juniper and Wagon- off at an animal,” Copeland tire units, all of which are said. “You just can’t beat within Lake County, that it.” Special equipment are fairly good for their incan include a range finder, dividual species. “They are managing which cannot be attached to for quality elk hunt,” said the bow per regulation. AnCopeland about the North other to help out a hunter Warner unit. He said they is a liquid knot, which is alare up early in the morning lowed this year. When fired, until about 4 p.m., getting it attaches the battery to the knot to see the flight of SUBMITTED PHOTO to know the routine of the herds is essential for suc- the arrow and where it hits on the animal. It stays lit cess. Found in western Oregon, Washington and Northern California, Copeland took a “Everyone has their for up to five hours, which Roosevelt elk in woody parts of the region with a bow. favorite spots, most of helps recovery if it passes us are close-lipped about through the kill.
Hunting & Fishing in Lake County, Lakeview, Oregon, Wednesday, August 2, 2017 — Page 5
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Page 6 — Wednesday, August 2, 2017, Hunting & FISHING in Lake County, Lakeview, Oregon
Uptick in redband numbers closes Sprague By Jimmy Hall Lake County Examiner A dramatic increase of redband trout on a unique portion of the Sprague River has caused a closure between a few months in the year to allow the population to strive. According to Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Lakeview District fish biologist Justin Miles, a portion of the Sprague is located on a cold water spring, creating the perfect temperatures for redband trout to congregate. For three months the population would stay in that area where it doesn’t get too cold in the winter or too warm in the summer. Reports came in that over 400 fish in one day were being caught, individuals could’ve caught 50-100, a substantial number for any fisherman, only exacerbated by the popularity of the spot that draws a greater number of fish. In the last couple
ODFW PHOTO
Redband trout that can be found on the Sprague River have been striving due to superb conditions, causing an overstock and closure to protect the species from over-catching from local fishermen. years, Klamath Falls’ ODFW office tagged redband trout in Klamath Lake in April, May and parts of June. “It was started to get reported a few years ago when we tried to simplify fishing regulations, which caused specific regulations
that had to stay put,” Miles said, adding that this portion was lost in the shuffle. An emergency closure last year to save the redband trout in an important part of their lifecycle. “We want to protect the group of spawning trout from
now on,” said Miles. He said that ODFW is looking to close the entire mainstream Sprague River from Nov. 1 through April 21. The regulations still need to go through the ODFW commission in Salem for approval, Miles estimating
that it will happen. Miles said that there were some portions of the river that are springs that make these comfortable conditions for the fish to gather. Fishermen are allowed to catch as many fish as wanted as long as they are released after caught. “We want to provide the recreation, that’s why we are here,” said Miles, “but we need to protect the fish so they can spawn and reproduce.” Miles said that if a fish is caught a couple times per day and several times per week, many of them will probably die, especially when the temperatures are freezing. For questions, contact Miles at the Lakeview district office at 541-947-2950. Regulations can also be read in the Oregon Sport Fishing Regulations magazine that can be found at www.eregulations.com. For the Southeast Oregon regulations, they begin on page 60 of the publication.
ODFW offers how to hunt deer and elk course By Michael Acosta Lake County Examiner
Thousands of people statewide go hunting every season. If you haven’t had much luck, hunting deer or elk in the past couple of years, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) might be able to help by offering a free deer and elk hunting course. According to the ODFW website, the course is narrated by Cody Herman, a fishing and hunting guide who also hosts Day One Outdoors TV show that airs on Comcast Sportsnet. If you’re interested in taking the course, you can go at your own pace, you don’t have to view every topic and you can stop and start the course as many times as necessary.
The course covers regulations, licenses and tags, choosing the right rifle or bow, other necessary gear and equipment, firearm safety, hunting techniques, hunting terms and so much more. The ODFW has many opportunities this year, including sponsoring “Take a Friend Hunting Contest” for a chance to win many prizes including the grand prize of a statewide deer tag for 2018. Both individuals must be 18 or older at the time of entry. The mentee has either never had a hunting license prior to this year, is a second year hunter, or never had a hunting license in the past five consecutive years. Both hunters must have a valid 2017 Oregon
hunting license and have either gone hunting together or intend to hunt between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31. Hunters must also follow rules and regulation in the 2017 Oregon Big Game and Game Bird Hunting regulations. Registration is open until Dec. 31 and prizes will be handed out in January of next year. Hunters will have a chance to win several prizes including a Siberian sidekick cool, a riflescope, one of four $50 giftcards to Dicks Sporting Goods, a Sitka Timberline jacket, pants and hat. According to the ODFW website, rifle hunting deer season opens up in October, while archery deer hunting and begins at the end of August. For more information on the Bring a friend hunt-
SUBMITTED PHOTO
The ODFW is offering a free deer and elk hunting class that covers regulations, licenses, tags and much more. ing contest visit http:// www.oregonhunter.info/ take-a-friend/ For more information, or to take the free deer and elk course visit https:// pace.oregonstate.edu/con-
tent/ODFW/deerandelk/ story.html Contact the ODFW at 541-947-2950 for general information and questions about hunting season.
Hunting & Fishing in Lake County, Lakeview, Oregon, Wednesday, August 2, 2017 — Page 7
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Page 8 — Wednesday, August 2, 2017, Hunting & FISHING in Lake County, Lakeview, Oregon
SUBMITTED PHOTO
Tony McNair had the kill of a lifetime, capping off several years of going after black bears around the county.
McNair bags big bear By Jimmy Hall Lake County Examiner Outdoorsman Tony McNair might have shot his last bear for his lifetime and the final one was worth it. The reason isn’t that he doesn’t find joy in the yearly endeavor, but that he is running out of room to display his annual trophies. “I’ve got so many of them,” McNair said, adding that it takes up a lot of his home space both in Lakeview and Montana. This year’s bear was bagged in the winter behind Cougar Mountain in a boulder field where bears move to hibernate in the rocks when the first snow hits. When they wake up, they’ll use the pass to a creek. This year, McNair went back to that area by himself in late April, getting the biggest bear that he’s ever killed in his many years of participating in the sport. Walking through snow and up the canyon with his dog, which was giving off signals of alert, he snuck down within the trees and took his shot with a 7mm Magnum center fire rifle. One unique aspect about this kill was that it had chocolate hair except for strip of honey blond hair. When he got it back from the tanner, it stayed, surprising McNair. “It’s the only color I’ve gotten except black. They’re all black
bear but with different color variations.” After he field dressed the beast, he estimated it to be around 320 pounds, 50 of which were organs. He measured it be about seven-foot three-inches in height. The skull is getting measured after a process of which beetles clean off the excess meat. McNair is estimating that the skull will have a combined inch count of 22 inches from back to front and side-to-side, getting close to the state record of 26 inches. McNair recommended springtime as the best time to go out for bear. “The best thing is to walk. If you ride a four-wheeler, you’ll only see their backside,” he said. He said not many put in for these tags since it’s easy to spot them, while in Lake County it’s more of a challenge. About 10 years ago, he got into the sport of hunting bear, leading to hunting in the spring. He began to piece together the best practices like walking to the meadows where they head when they wake up from hibernation. Since bears are much bigger and thicker than other game, they soak up the energy of the bullet, sometimes requiring multiple shots to put them down. He said that though they have a lot of power and could maul an attacker, their first instincts are to get away from them. This black bear marks seventh for McNair and has already done much to preserve and enjoy the most out of it. It takes about $600 to cut
up and smoke the meat, $300 to tan, and after a rug is made, it comes out to be about $1,300. He said that he can make up to 270 pounds of smoked products including sausages and salamis, 20-40 pounds of summer sausage and 15 packages of steaks out of the bear. Comparing to other animals, McNair described the meat as darker than others unlike elk and deer. As an outdoorsman, McNair not only goes after bear but a widespread variety of other game. McNair also traps beaver on private property for ranchers. He doesn’t ask for anything return except for permission to hunt for coyotes on their property. They aren’t worth much as far as their pelts are concerned, he explained, but can cause a lot of harm on streams. All that required is a trapping license or a permit through Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. “Once they start irrigating, they’ll plug it up,” McNair laughed about the habits of the pests. He also goes after coyotes all winter long for their fur from October to February as well as bobcats. As an employee for Cornerstone, he works three days one week, giving him a lot of days off for this hobby. Though he is an avid bear hunter, he still looks to what the rest of hunting season has in store for him.
Hunting & Fishing in Lake County, Lakeview, Oregon, Wednesday, August 2, 2017 — Page 9
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Page 10 — Wednesday, August 2, 2017, Hunting & FISHING in Lake County, Lakeview, Oregon
SUBMITTED PHOTO
Chewaucan River is one of the many rivers throughout Lake County that experienced high water levels after last year’s winter. The high water levels allowed the fish to have ample food opportunities.
Winter has positive effect on fish population By Michael Acosta Lake County Examiner
Droughts have affected much of Oregon the last couple of years, but with the harsh winter this last year it has been great for not only the water levels, but for the fish
as well. Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) assistant fish biologist Justin Miles said that with the snow pack the last couple years, especially last winter, allowed water to get into the reservoirs and the fish to recover from the years of drought. “There was a lot of opportunity for non native fish in some of the larger reservoirs like Deep Creek, they just needed that snow pact,” Miles said. Miles said it’s very important to have that slow melt to keep increasing the water flows for these fish. With water levels recovering and in some places like Goose Lake, where the levels are higher than normal has made it a good year for redband trout. “When the redband trout go up and spawn, they’ll go and put eggs in the gravel,” Miles said. “The smaller juveniles will stay in the stream for about a year and they’ll want to go downstream, if there’s a lot of water like there was this year then they’ll shoot down the stream pretty quick.” Miles said that the water levels allowed for ample opportunities for food for the trout, which allowed them to grow really quickly. He expects more of the same, if Oregon has another good wet season. The recent blue-green algae outbreak in the lakes and rivers hasn’t had hardly any affect on the fish population. “With the recent droughts, there has been a lot of vegetation that has grown on the sides of the lake,” Miles said. “Some of these reservoirs were dry so you get a lot of vegetation that builds up over a years and now because we have so much water, it eventually kills the vegetation. So
when we had the spring that we did, all that dead vegetation that’s been growing, there is a ton of nutrients that come out of it.” Miles added that the signs of bacteria that create the blue-green algae is always present on the bottom of the lakes, but when that flips over and the signs of bacteria become present at the top of the lake, it starts photosynthesizing and starts really growing and eating things. The recent weather, where it was really hot and then turned cold for a week back in early June and then got really hot allowed for smaller places like Juniper RV Park and Muddy Creek to flip two or three times. This is where it was cold on the surface, then hot, then cold again allowed for nutrients to always be present, which then caused an explosion of blue-green algae. Miles said he has been able to put fish into some of these smaller reservoirs that had been dried up the past couple of years, like Spalding Reservoir. The fish there should be growing eight-ten inches this fall and by next year. “As long as there is a good amount of water present, they could potentially grow over 20 inches within the next couple of years,” Miles said. The summer months will bring very little to no rain and some of the water levels will start to evaporate, but when fall hits as long as there is some precipitation, the fish should be fine. “If we have another good snow pact this year it will be extremely beneficial,” Miles said. Fishing maps are available on the ODFW website, that show where all the fishing spots are around Lake County and what kinds of fish are present. Brochures are also available at the ODFW office located at 18560 Roberta Rd. For more information on fish and fish species contact Miles at 541947-2950.
Hunting & Fishing in Lake County, Lakeview, Oregon, Wednesday, August 2, 2017 — Page 11
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Page 12 — Wednesday, August 2, 2017, Hunting & FISHING in Lake County, Lakeview, Oregon
Beginners guide to hunting By Michael Acosta Lake County Examiner Hunting can be overwhelming if you’ve never done it before. You’re not sure what equipment to buy or whether or not you actually need certain equipment. Oregon Department Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) Biologist Craig Foster said that the first thing that a hunter has to do before buying equipment or anything is to identify what they’re interested in. “You have to figure out, do you want to hunt big game, game birds, or birds and other predators,” Foster said “My advice is to not spend a lot of money on equipment and things when you’re first starting out.” Foster said that it’s easy to open a Cabela’s catalog and they have something for every type of critter or animal that you want to hunt and you can easily walk out of there spending thousands of dollars. “The more hunting that you do, the more money you’re going to spend,” Foster said. “You don’t want to go out and break the bank.” Once you identify what you want to hunt, spend some time getting to know the habitat of the animal. Go out and buy a predator call, which you can buy at your local KBE, or True Value Hardware and they can help you pick out the right call to fit your needs. Foster said when you’re first starting out, it’s always great to go hunting with a friend, but don’t be afraid to go hunting by yourself.
MICHAEL ACOSTA/Lake County Examiner
Local stores like True Value sell inexpensive predator calls for young hunters who are just starting out. Hunters don’t always have to spend big money to get quality equipment. “There are a lot of people that will give you tips about places to hunt, but they’re not going to give out their particular spot,” Foster said. “If you’re starting out, you can always come by the fish and wildlife office and I can direct them and tell them about some of the different species to hunt and where they can find them.” Camouflage is a great thing to have, but it isn’t an absolute necessity. “There was a guy a few years ago, who went out and caught a bear, wearing a Santa Claus suit,” Foster said. “While camouflage is nice to have, you don’t have to have it.” A lot of what goes into hunting is on the job training, figuring out what works for you as the
hunter. Foster said when he goes out and hunts; he is out there to challenge himself. “Something that may be important to me, for example an electronic predator caller, may not be as important to you,” Foster said. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife is open Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. and is located at 18560 Roberta Rd. Lakeview and has brochures and magazines and things to look at and take home. The staff is in the field a lot, so visitors are encouraged to call ahead of time. For more information contact Foster at 541-947-2950.
Hunting & Fishing in Lake County, Lakeview, Oregon, Wednesday, August 2, 2017 — Page 13
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Page 14 — Wednesday, August 2, 2017, Hunting & FISHING in Lake County, Lakeview, Oregon
Bowmen club taking a break for hunting season By Michael Acosta Lake County Examiner With hunting season fast approaching, many people have their tags and have dug out all of their equipment; the Lake County Bowmen’s club is taking a short break from their events, but will return in November with their annual turkey shoot. A date has not been set yet, because the Warner Mountain Gun Club has done a turkey shoot in November and the bow club generally does their shoot either the weekend before or the weekend after the Gun Club, in order to hopefully get more turnout at both events. Sheila Holloway, one of the coordinators of the annual event said that bow season starts in August and with deer, elk, antelope, bears and turkeys those tags will run into October and November. “The turkey shoot is always held down at the archery range and events usually start around 10 a.m. and run until 2 or 3 p.m. in
“We have different types of competitions and every 15 minutes we move on to a different game,” Holloway said. Last year, there was a poker shoot where different playing cards were secured on a target. Participants lined up their arrows to shoot, landing arrows on the cards. Whoever had the highest poker hand was the winner. There was also a lucky buck game where playing cards are put on a board and the cards have a dollar sign or some sort of prize on it. Everyone lines up and shoots their arrows and whoever lands their arSUBMITTED PHOTO row on the target wins. Holloway said this The Lakeview bowmen’s club holds a turkey shoot every year around Thanksgiving, event is a lot of fun espethat is a big hit among little kids because of the games that they play. cially for the kids, because everyone has a chance to win. The archery range is the afternoon.” nated based off of sponsors. Holloway said that Holloway said that Last year, the turkey every year they have dif- located at 1080 S. E. St. For more information they don’t give out actual shoot was held the weekend ferent competitions and turkeys; they instead give before Thanksgiving. The that you don’t have to be a about the Bowmen’s club out gift certificates to Safe- cost for the shoot was $2 member of the bow club to or the Turkey shoot contact Holloway at 541-947-3233. way. Other prizes are do- per person per event. come out and participate.
Les Schwab invites hunters with 13th Lucky Buck Contest By Jimmy Hall Lake County Examiner
When a hunter gets their big kill, whether with a bow or rifle, the first thing they want to do is show it off. Pulling out a camera to capture a memory, post on social media or print out for their wall, pride comes with each downed deer, elk or other high trophy kill. Lakeview’s Les Schwab is hoping that the luck in number 13, the number year that the Lucky Buck Contest has been going on, will rub off on Lake County hunters. As with previous challenges, Les Schwab staff is inviting avid bowmen and riflemen to bring in the antlers, whether still attached or not, of their yearly earnings to get their picture taken and posted on the inside of the store lobby. Each hunter will be put in for a draw with all their fellow contestant for a chance to win either a Savage Axis rifle or similar model or a Diamond Edge bow. There is no pre-registration or fee required, but contestants must bring in their tag and hunting license for their entry to be valid.
The first rifle and bow hunter who bring in their kill will receive a $50 product and service gift certificate. The deadline for each contest is at the end of their respective seasons. According to Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife website, rifle deer hunting is general season for western Oregon but requires a controlled hunt tag in eastern Oregon. Most rifle buck deer hunting seasons begin the Saturday closest to Oct. 1 each year and runs for 12 days in the eastern part of the state and about a month in western Oregon. Archery deer hunting coincides with archery elk season, opening in late August for 30 days and ending on a Sunday in late September. Les Schwab Mgr. Kerry Rucker said that the contest is kept alive to keep the outdoor lifestyle alive in Lake County. “We want to keep our customers involved with this sort of recreation that is so prevalent in the county,” he said. “Hosting this contest allows for that.” For more information, contact Les Schwab Tires at 541-947-3388 or come by its location at 422 N. F St. in Lakeview.
EXAMINER FILE PHOTO
Tucker Roberts and Chad Webster were the winners of the Les Schwab Lucky Buck Contest 2016 for bringing in their yearly earnings made out in the wilderness shown here with Asst. Mgr. Vince Stanton.
Hunting & Fishing in Lake County, Lakeview, Oregon, Wednesday, August 2, 2017 — Page 15
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Page 16 — Wednesday, August 2, 2017, Hunting & FISHING in Lake County, Lakeview, Oregon
Trophy trout taking Oregon by storm By Jimmy Hall Lake County Examiner
SUBMITTED PHOTO
Trophy trout are finding their way to reservoirs, streams and lakes throughout Oregon and Lake County by way of helicopter drop-off.
Sportsmen and outdoorsmen who traverse Oregon streams for fish will have a much better chance to get a big one on the end of the line this year. Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) have released more than 350,000 fingerling trout in hundreds of mountain lakes across the Cascade Range this fishing season for any who are looking for a suitable fish fry. From March to the beginning of November, ODFW will release legals, larger and trophy sized all around Oregon, including bodies in Lakeview District. These include Ana Reservoir, Priday Reservoir, Thompson Valley Reservoir, Lofton Reservoir, Holbrook Reservoir, Hart Lake, LD Bennett Pond, Duncan Reservoir, Thompson Valley Reservoir, Vee Lake, Campbell Lake and Deadhorse Lake. Several thousand legals sized fish will grace these waters with fewer number larger and trophy trout on also available to lucky anglers. “Oregon is the only state that I know of that has such a robust high mountain fish stocking program,” said project leader Erik Moberly, ODFW fish biologist from Bend. “We want to provide a unique angling experience for backpackers and hikers who might like to catch a cutthroat or brook trout for dinner around the campfire.” Releasing this many fingerling trout into Oregon’s high lakes happens every year and the process is more elaborate than what may be thought at first. They are transported
mostly by helicopter in a custom shuttle carrying 30 individual canisters that hold a few gallons of water and up to 1,000 fingerling trout. They are then opened individually while hovering over a body of water. The tactic to use helicopter is to increase efficiency. A crew can seed as many as 20 lakes with 20,000 trout in a single hour flight. In other areas, oldfashioned foot and horseback is also employed with the help of volunteers. Juvenile fish, measuring about three inches, are used so more can be loaded into an aircraft and make the 100-foot fall with less trauma than what would happen to a larger fish, improving survival rates. Just 95 percent of little fish survive the fall. Biologists believe that they have more difficulty surviving once they are in a lake than larger. OFDW personnel are releasing a bigger number of larger fish to experiment with the survival rate, which looks to seed lakes with brook, cutthroat and rainbow trout that will live on another two years or more to reach about eight inches. Some may grow up to be 15 inches or more, which are classified as “trophy” trout by ODFW. “Trout fishing is still by far our most popular type of fishing in Oregon,” said Mike Gauvin, manager of ODFW’s Recreational Fisheries Program. “The thing about Oregon’s high lakes is there are not a lot of places in the lower 48 United States where you can have this kind of wilderness fishing experience.” It is not unusual in Oregon’s mountain lakes for anglers to have an entire lake to themselves.
Hunting & Fishing in Lake County, Lakeview, Oregon, Wednesday, August 2, 2017 — Page 17
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Page 18 — Wednesday, August 2, 2017, Hunting & FISHING in Lake CountY, Lakeview, Oregon
SUBMITTED PHOTO
Bullheaded catfish is a more common type of fish introduced illegally to bodies of water. The fish can survive for days at a time without much water or oxygen.
Illegal introduction of fish a big problem By Michael Acosta Lake County Examiner
Becoming a big problem nationwide is the illegal introduction of fish. Illegal introductions can cause serious problems. Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) fish biologist Justin Miles said that in places like the Eastern United States, the big problem is non-native fish pushing out the native fish. “We’re trying to develop something in Oregon and put more signs up around Lake County,” Miles said. “We’re developing an invasive species sign for all water bodies, instead of individualizing them and it costing more money.” Miles said that more education is key. A lot of people don’t understand fish and wildlife interactions. “The biggest thing, around the Hart-Loftin area near Plush, a lot of people have a bucket for when they catch bull head catfish,” Miles said. “Bullhead catfish can live in a bucket for days, they can survive without much water and
oxygen.” Miles said that bullheaded catfish are everywhere because they are extremely difficult to kill and you can take them to any river and they’ll survive because they don’t need much water. Bullheads can be caught any month of the year, but catching them is best from February through October. They are most commonly found on the bottom in the shallows of mud-bottomed ponds. Miles said that a lot of people will go from lake to lake searching for fish like the bullhead catfish and if they don’t catch anything, or they only have one or two fish at the end of the day, then they will just dump the fish back into the lake, which isn’t necessarily the lake that the fish started in. “I don’t think they’re trying to be malicious a lot of the time,” Miles said. “It’s just easier than killing it and dumping it in the woods or dumping it somewhere else.” Miles said some of the illegal introductions are on purpose like putting croppy in different areas or especially large mouth bass in
different water. “Large mouth bass will live in a lot of different areas, so if they’re a lot of fish in that area, they’ll end up staying in that water and living,” Miles said. It’s illegal to introduce live fish moving from one place to another. “If I were to take a rainbow trout, to move that fish and re-locate it somewhere else is illegal,” Miles said. “You can’t have live fish moving, unless you have a transport permit that the ODFW has to give you.” Brown bullhead, large mouth bass, brooks trout, goldfish and croppy are some of the more common fish that are illegally introduced and give the ODFW the most problems. Miles said that the illegal introductions are tough to prevent and the best thing that people can do is to let him know if there’s something that doesn’t look familiar wherever they are fishing. For more information about fishing and illegal introductions of fish, contact Miles at 541947-2950.
Hunting & Fishing in Lake County, Lakeview, Oregon, Wednesday, August 2, 2017 — Page 19
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Page 20 — Wednesday, August 2, 2017, Hunting & FISHING in Lake County, Lakeview, Oregon
Training the next generation of hunters By Jimmy Hall Lake County Examiner
As an avenue to keep the hunting tradition alive and teach valuable safety tips, Lake County’s Chapter of Oregon Hunters Association (OHA) is always a popular event for young, interested outdoorsmen. Held every June, the event invites all youth from around the county to participate in the day’s worth of stations that range from trap shooting to navigation skills. There was a change this year, however. Usually it takes place at Camp Cottonwood but was moved closer to the Warner Mountain Ski Area to get more youthful participants and SUBMITTED PHOTO their families involved. The day started about Youth trackers took to the trails at this year’s OHA Youth Day held at the the Warner Canyon Ski Area, a tradition 10 years ago with the efforts for the Lake County chapter.
SUBMITTED PHOTO
Bowmen took aim as part of a rotation of stations, learning about hunter safety and survival.
of chapter members in conjunction with Klamath County’s. “We try to teach them a lot of aspects of hunting, including survival and first aid,” Keith Reed, president of the Lake County chapter, said. “The goal is to get more kids out. We try to target older kids, ages 13-16, and get them some other training like on ATV’s while getting younger kids involved.” Along with hosting the youth day, the local chapter has several other endeavors that are used to support wildlife in the region. Among these are building and maintaining goose boxes that the fowl use to nest and protect their eggs from predators. These were stationed near a reservoir west of Lakeview. The local chapter also maintains Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife guzzlers. Every so often, sometimes a few times per year, a crew goes out to the upward of 100 devices scattered around wildlife
habitat to make sure that they’re up to snuff. These help the animals keep hydrated even in the hottest times of year. Money also contributed goes toward the Lakeview Bowmen’s Club and 4-H Archery Club to help their yearly doings. The money to support these programs is thanks to donations from its member base. A banquet held every fall also contributes to the efforts, welcoming hunters from all over the region to bid on silent and live auction items that are geared toward the outdoor lifestyle. Reed invites any and all hunters who would be interested to attend an OHA meeting held at the Eagles Lodge the first Tuesday of each month at 6 p.m. For more information about Lake County OHA’s goings-on, contact Reed at 541-219-2629 or Tom Zarosinski at 541-219-0614 about the wildlife preservation projects.
Hunting & Fishing in Lake County, Lakeview, Oregon, Wednesday, August 2, 2017 — Page 21
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Page 22 — Wednesday, August 2, 2017, Hunting & FISHING in Lake County, Lakeview, Oregon
Forest Service employee offers
Fly Fishing Tips
By Michael Acosta Lake County Examiner
Chuck Burley who works with the forest service has offered a fly fishing course the last few years, where he teaches the basics and goes over equipment, different types of flies and tackle.
Chuck Burley, the Recreation, Engineering, Archaeology, Lands and Minerals staff officer for the U.S. Forest Service offers a flyfishing course that he began a few years ago. Burley, who is originally from Bend got the idea for the class because he belonged to a fly fishing club in Bend and he wanted to bring something similar to Lakeview. “Our club teaches park districts a fly fishing class, that’s one of the volunteer events that we do,” Burley said. “It’s really cool to watch people who have never fly fished before, come out and try it for the first time.” The biggest difference between fly fishing and regular fishing is the weight of the line carries the hook through the air, whereas in regular fishing the weight of the lure or sinker gives casting difference. Burley typically offers the class between Memorial Day and the Fourth of July, depending on what he has going on because he is the only one teaching the class. The course is a three-week course, meeting once a week on a Tuesday night for a couple of hours. The fourth class is held on a Sunday and participants get to spend the day fishing and applying what they have learned. “The past two years I just had it for BLM members and for Forest Service employees,” Burley said. “We would learn about different types of flies, life cycle of bugs, go over equipment, look at different types of tackle, look at pricing and go over what fly fishing is.”
MICHAEL ACOSTA/ Lake County Examiner
Burley said that when you’re fly fishing it’s important to know the basics, because when you’re out on the river, you’re going to see different types of bugs doing different types of things. It’s important to know those life cycles and what kind of flies you want to use to imitate that. One important thing to remember, is that you don’t have to buy the most expensive equipment, when fly-fishing. The best time to go is earlier in the summer while the water levels are still high. “Typically if you go after July 4, it’ll be too hot and the water levels will be too low,” Burley said. “Places like Ana Reservoir you can fish year round, even in winter. It’s all artesian spring fed and it never freezes over.”
Burley said that around Lakeview is a little harder to fly fish because it’s hard to find a body of still water. “The first year I taught the class, Justin Miles at the ODFW gave me L.D. Bennett’s name and he allowed me to use the ponds next to his property and let us fish because there was only two of us,” Burley said. Burley has only been doing the class for a few years and has only taught the class to the BLM and Forest Service members, the public is more than welcome to come and learn about fly fishing techniques when he does offer it. For more information about fly-fishing including some of the better places to fly fish contact Burley at 541-947-6297.
Hunting & Fishing in Lake County, Lakeview, Oregon, Wednesday, August 2, 2017 — Page 23
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Page 24 — Wednesday, August 2, 2017, Hunting & FISHING in Lake County, Lakeview, Oregon