2022 OREGON DEER PROSPECTS

Oregon deer season is dead ahead – do you know where your buck is? Trail cameras are a great tool to use both in the preseason and during the hunt to find travel routes and

pattern deer. (TROY RODAKOWSKI)

As this fall’s season kicks off, here are some good units and tips for bagging your buck.

By Troy Rodakowski

It’s that time of year once again as we prepare to venture into Oregon’s outdoors in hopes of filling our freezers with fresh, proteinrich venison. Deer hunting is not always an easy task and recently has proven even tougher with drought, increased predation, disease and forest closures due to fire.

Still, in the Willamette Valley, the lower sections of the Santiam, McKenzie and Indigo Units near old logging sites and private ranchlands are excellent places to find blacktails. On the coast, the Alsea, Trask and Siuslaw have produced some decent animals over the last few seasons as well. Lower reaches of the Coast Range, under 1,000 feet in elevation, near tree farms and agricultural productions hold very good numbers of deer, especially near old apple and pear orchards.

The Melrose Unit near Roseburg and large sections of Jackson County around Grants Pass and Medford where recent fires have burned will be hotbeds with abundant feed for deer.

On the Eastside, sections of the Eagle Cap Wilderness, Snake River, Wallowas, Steens and Strawberries

Chronic wasting disease edged even closer to Oregon and Washington last fall with the discovery of the always-fatal condition in six deer and elk in Idaho just east of Hells Canyon, and that has Northwest wildlife managers ramping up testing efforts. (USGS)

OREGON HUNTERS REQUIRED TO STOP AT CHECK STATIONS

Last November’s confirmation of chronic wasting disease just across Hells Canyon in Idaho had Oregon wildlife managers ramping up testing, particularly in the state’s northeast corner. So far the always-fatal deer family disease has not been found in any of the roughly 24,000 hunter-killed, road-killed or other dead deer and elk tested since the late 1990s. But new this Oregon hunting season, it will be “mandatory for anyone transporting wildlife carcasses or parts to stop at a check station if they encounter one and to allow their animal to be tested.”

That’s based on House Bill 3152, passed overwhelmingly by Beaver State legislators during last year’s session with support from the Oregon Hunters Association. The state Department of Fish and Wildlife says it expects to set up check stations along “major highways” during this year’s deer and elk seasons. In the past, ODFW has had stops on westbound I-84 near Celilo Park, Highway 26 just east of Prineville, and the intersection of Highway 66 and Dead Indian Memorial Road in Ashland.

CWD is caused by prions – “mutated proteins” that affect the brain – and cause the animal to essentially degenerate as its neurological functions are destroyed. It can be spread by ungulates via bodily fluids such as poop, pee, snot and spit, or by people transporting the carcasses of infected deer, elk and moose from CWD areas to those where it’s not known to occur.

A University of Wyoming study estimated that CWD shrank the size of one deer herd by 19 percent every year and that in 41 years the population would go extinct.

For more information on the rule and CWD, go to myodfw.com/CWD. –NWS are home to numerous high-elevation mule deer. Good portions of Central Oregon near Fort Rock and the Upper Deschutes have excellent habitat, especially near ranch and farmlands where deer can become a nuisance.

FALL’S APPROACH

The lowering barometer, smell of moisture and settling of the dust seem to trigger massive urgency in ungulates to move about. It’s almost as if they are throwing a backwoods party to celebrate the return of the rains. So keep a close eye on the barometer and weather forecasts for the first good storm and make sure you are in the woods when it hits. You will likely be surprised at the increased number of deer you see. And be sure to also watch the moon phases closely, as they trigger major movements during clear nights. I have found that evening hunts can be optimal during these cycles.

“Find a high vantage point to glass where other hunters aren’t and do the opposite of what most hunters typically do,” tips Gary Lewis, a well-known Oregon author, Frontier Unlimited TV show host and avid blacktail hunter. “Also, don’t just park at the end of roads and hike in; find access points that aren’t frequented by hunters and go left instead of right.”

Apparently, it is human nature to go right as opposed to left.

ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLICATIONS

While biting flies, ticks and skeeters are usually pretty darn bad this time of year, mosquito repellant doesn’t work too well together with cover scents, buck bombs, scent wicks and urine lures. Remember, natural urine lures and/or scents are now illegal here in Oregon, due to the threat of chronic wasting disease.

Wearing long sleeves or bug nets during 75- to 80-degree weather is sometimes necessary during the early season, despite its uncomfortable nature. I prefer light-meshed longsleeve shirts that allow some air flow and cooling near the body. I have still

Deer hunting in the Beaver State actually runs from late August through early December, providing good opportunities for archers, riflemen and muzzleloaders. Author Troy Rodakowski, who bagged this blacktail with his smokepole in the late season, says rattling works well during the pre-rut and rut for blacktail. (TROY RODAKOWSKI)

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seen a good number of deer moving during the midmorning and early afternoons, changing bedding areas or taking a potty break and getting a nibble or two.

Fire restrictions and access to forest lands can be a major obstacle for hunters this time of year. Not only can it be frustrating, but it can ruin an entire summer of scouting and hard work. So make sure to have a backup plan or two, as options never hurt. I have unfortunately found myself implementing secondary plans several times over the years. Keep a close eye on access by calling hunter hotlines for timberlands such as Weyerhaeuser in Oregon (888-7415403; Washington 866-636-6531), the Oregon/Washington Bureau of Land Management public desk (503808-6001; blm.gov/orwafire) and the Oregon Forest Industries Council (ofic .com/private-forestland-closures).

PRIME TIME

Labor Day Weekend is always busy, with folks taking one last summer vacation before school begins, and the woods just seem to be crawling with people. However, if you find some secluded hidey holes where deer feel safe, then you are halfway to a successful early season. Locate benches near clearcut edges or small meadows near creeks and you may be able to find deer resting and moving to and from feeding zones. Early mornings and two hours prior to dusk will be when the majority of deer are on the move. This year looks to be pretty promising for good early-season hunting, with great summer forage across most of the state. There are some exceptions in Eastern and Central Oregon, where long-term drought has a good hold on the landscape, though even there the dry conditions have eased from this same time last year thanks largely to the wet spring.

More often than not I have found deer moving midday, either relocating from one patch of timber to another or moving from feeding to bedding areas. Animals learn to

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pattern people and when humans will be out and about. Mature bucks take full advantage of what they have learned over time.

HUNTING THE DRY

Although we have seen some improvement across the state, dry weather and lack of water especially on the Eastside have continued to take their toll on deer, elk and antelope populations. So how does one find success during drought conditions and high fire danger? Simply work harder at finding places to hunt that mammals and birds will gravitate to. For example, areas home to good amounts of quality forage and water, the main ingredients for success.

However, remember to try and not deter wildlife from using watering holes when placing a blind or treestand. Animals need these places to survive and hunting near them is OK but not over them, if that makes sense. Use your discretion when setting up. Extensive scouting is necessary to find ideal locations to put a treestand or ground blind. During seasons with plentiful water there are more options available to hunters. This is where onX, Google Earth and other digital mapping tools can be very helpful.

Less nutrition in dry years means less antler growth and stores of body fat for animals heading into winter and migration. Hunters should keep in mind that deer will be even more concentrated in desirable locations by fall. Again, water will be at a premium and focusing efforts around available sources will get you close to where you need to be.

“Predator control is something we need to be addressing, as it is a big reason for declining mule deer numbers here in Oregon,” states Stacy Anderson, Mule Deer Foundation representative and state chapter president. “However, on a positive note, deer should see some good antler growth with the spring moisture we had this season.”

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for finding frequently used travel routes between feeding and bedding areas, as well as patterning the movements of the animals you are after, giving you an advantage when timing your hunts. One of my favorite strategies on very dry years is to find underground springs or seeps. Many of these natural springs are marked on maps and will produce water even in the driest of years.

BY THE NUMBERS

On the Westside last season, the Rogue Unit boasted the highest number of 4-plus-point deer harvested during the general any-legal-weapon season, 361, followed by Applegate (335), Dixon (322), Melrose (315) and Santiam (298). But Santiam actually posted the largest overall buck kill, 1,465 blacktails, followed by Rogue (1,425), Melrose (1,411), Trask (1,320) and Alsea (1,288).

By success rate, Sixes was tops with 56 percent, then Chetco and Evans Creek (46), Melrose (44) and Dixon (41). Overall, 28,349 general Southwest Zone deer hunters harvested 10,184 bucks for a 37-percent success rate, and 38,066 Northwest Zone hunters harvested 9,500 bucks for a 26-percent success rate.

On the Eastside, where all tags are controlled, units with the highest success rates (and significant hunter numbers) included Beulah (1,029 hunters with 622 bucks, 61 percent success), Murderers Creek (831 with 491, 59 percent), West Biggs (711 with 405, 58 percent), Columbia Basin (1,380 with 730 bucks, 54 percent) and Sumpter (759 with 403, 54 percent).

Overall, 2,972 Southeast Zone hunters harvested 1,393 bucks for a 47-percent success rate, 2,955 Columbia Zone hunters harvested 1,250 bucks for a 43-percent success rate, 14,801 Northeast Zone hunters harvested 5,599 bucks for a 38-percent success rate, 4,311 Southcentral Zone hunters harvested 1,231 bucks for a 29-percent success rate and 5,477 Central Zone hunters harvested 1,427 bucks for a 26-percent success rate. NS

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