Oregon Deer Season?

[Sarah]

Hi Everyone,
I realize that I may be posting this in the wrong place, but I thought there was a better chance that someone would respond here rather than in the Oregon forum.

I'm a recent transplant to Oregon, moved here in January 2011. I am a resident of OR.

I'm coming from Pennsylvania, where I passed a State-mandated Hunter-Trapper Education course. I hunted for one season in PA (I had only practiced archery for around 4 months at the time and managed to bag a squirrel - some of you will remember - quite a feat at the time!).

I've been practicing and now I'd like to go for a deer here in Oregon. I live on property where I can hunt, and we tend to get a lot of Black-tailed does coming around.

So, I've been reading through the OR Game laws and I'm completely baffled. I don't understand how to read the seasons or interpret the regulations for my region (I live outside of Grants Pass, OR). I feel completely confused and would love it is someone from the State would help me out - I didn't grow up in a hunting family and have learned everything so far from scratch.

Some immediate questions that I have about my predicament:

- When can I hunt deer in my region?
- What are the differences in regulations between antlered and antler-less permits?
-What is the permitting process? Do I need to pass another Hunter's Ed. course here or will my PA one do?
- What tags are required for (1) hunting (2) archery (3) antler-less hunting?
- What are other regs I should know about? Are they different for private property?
- Are there any weight minimums for bow poundage?
- Any State-specific things I should know?

That's all I've got for now. Thanks!

Sarah

[cody94]

what ever friends you have that hunt they will probably help you. sorry i dont live in oregon but when i really checked into hunting regs i found out x-tremly useful things. for exp. if i have proven permission that im hunting on my land iget free tags but still have to have my license. for me its 6 doe 1 buck with land owners permit. as far as another states hunting license ithink you have to take it again just because state law verys. sorry i couldnt help out more.

[cody94]

i tried to look at the regs for your state but your right they are confusing. just get a booklet on the stuff.

[Sarah]

I wish I had some friends to ask - like I said I'm a recent transplant - I don't have any friends here who hunt or have ever hunted (let alone friends who are versed in OR Archery regs).

Thanks, though!

[clayton95]

You need to first determine which hunting area you will be hunting in.  The map for general deer bow seasons is color coded and will give the dates. Page  51 of the regulations.  You can buy a general season tag and it is good for one deer statewide during an open season. You buy a tag for the weapon season that you wish to hunt.

Area you hunt determine whether or not you can harvest an antler less deer or not.  Some areas you can only harvest a buck with certain antler restrictions.

Your hunter education course should be sufficient as long, but you will need to provide some verification of that to them.  

You just need a license and an archery deer tag.

Nothing is different for private property.

Minimum 40lbs for deer and 50 lbs for elk. Page 30 of the regulations.

Page 89 is the start for the unit boundary descriptions. And will help you figure out which unit you are in.

Hope this helps.

Clayton

[sweeney3]

Ok.  I am chewing through your state's regs now.  This may take a bit as I have never even visited an Oregon site before.  But I have swum the rivers of red tape to hunt in several states before.  Maybe some Oregonians (??) can chime in here and help you out shortly.  

Incidently, you are to be commended for having the initiative to try and learn to hunt from such a raw begining.  We don't hear of this too often.  Most of us grew up hunting in some form.  Most of the remainder had a friend or few to mentor them along if they took interest later in life.  You're in a relativly unique, though not unheard of, situation.

[Sarah]

Thanks. I always wanted to learn archery growing up and fell in with the "right" crowd while working in Iowa in 2008 (ie: TradGang and some individuals who I will never be able to thank enough).

Where I'm living now, I'm more likely to meet people who want to give me a piece of their mind regarding the ethics of meat eating than swap hunting tips. So you'll understand why I need and appreciate your assistance!

[Sharpend60]

I found the regs fairly easy to read.
40 lbs for deer, bear, cougar.
50 lbs for elk and big horn sheep.

Buy an over the counter General archery tag for deer and/or elk, bear cougar.

This works for general season and the late season if you don't fill your tag.
Near you you can shoot Columbian white tail or Columbian back tail. The regs show maps of what is legal where, cross reference the map with the written descriptions on the back

Most of the units near you will be any elk and antlered deer, i.e a spike or bigger.

Its is easy enough to figure out, you can buy tags everywhere, Fred Meyers even.

I have family near Grants pass, only ever hunted bear near there however.

More specific questions would help though...
I'm moving next month but if you need help ,PM me and Ill pick up some regs and help ya figure them out.

[Sarah]

Here is one I have: Is there any way to get a tag for an antler-less deer in the Applegate area?

I ask because we get almost exclusively does on our property.

[Oregon Okie]

Put it on Oregon too. Not alot of guys checking it but the ones who do might know what's up. It took me a season or two to make sense of the OR regs but eventually they did.. I think. Now I'm trying to sort out Utah???  Go into a Bi-Mart.. the people working there were usually pretty helpful.

[slivrslingr]

Sarah-If I were you and if you wanted a tag for everything huntable in general season and you wanted to fish, I'd buy a Sports Pac, you can hunt deer, elk, bear, cougar, upland birds, turkey, waterfowl, and fish for pretty much everything with fins.  It includes your hunting license, tags and state stamps for the birds and fish.  

As far as your original inquiry, you need a hunting license and a general season archery deer tag to hunt the Applegate unit.  Season runs Aug. 27-Sept. 25.  You are only allowed to take a buck with at least one forked antler, sorry no doe hunting allowed.  If you look at the map on page 51, you can also determine where you can hunt late season, it's color coded.  The Rogue and Evans Creek units have a late season hunt open Nov. 12-Dec. 4, buck only as well, but it is during the rut.  Your tag pretty much allows you to hunt the entire state in the early season, same dates as previously mentioned, with the exception of a few areas, highlighted in grey.  You are NOT allowed to hunt Columbian white tails on a general season archery tag, they can only be hunted with a controlled (draw only) tag, you can only hunt blacktails or mule deer, though no mulies in the Applegate, they are found on the east side of the state.  It shouldn't matter for you anyway, as the white tails are only found up around Roseburg and west of Portland along the river.  Your Pennsylvania hunters safety card and Oregon drivers license are all you need to buy a license and deer tag, as well as some money!          

You mention that you only see does on your property.  Well, if there are does, there are bucks, you don't see them because Blacktail bucks mostly move at night.  When the rut kicks in you'll likely see a few bucks in the daylight.  The best time to catch a legal deer during season is right at daylight or just before dark.  Find a well used trail coming onto your property and set up a tree stand or ground blind then wait them out.  It looks to me like the only way to hunt does in the Applegate unit is to draw a muzzleloader or antlerless rifle tag.

You can stop at most sporting goods stores for advice or call ODFW Licensing @ (503) 947-6100.  Remember to buy your license and archery tag BEFORE the season opens, once the season opens you can't buy a deer or elk tag.  Good luck and I hope this helps!

Oregon is where I call home and have lived there over 14 years, though not at the present time!

[wingnut]

Found it!!

  http://licenseinfo.oregon.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=license_seng&link_item_id=14369  

"To purchase a resident license, residents 18 years of age and older must show proof of Oregon residency for six months immediately preceding the date of the application"


Mike

[pdk25]

Good luck out in Oregon, Sarah.  What a beautiful and diverse state. My wife and I spent a couple of weeks, several years ago, driving all over the state looking for a potential place to live.  Once you get east of the cascades, it is a different mentality.  The attitude towards hunting is a little better.

[sweeney3]

Looks like plenty of knowledgable folks pitched in, which is good.  My head was starting to swim!  Good luck and enjoy!

[slivrslingr]

The hunting regs aren't too bad to figure out really.  If you want a challenge, try deciphering the fishing regs!

[Roughcountry]

Sarah
You've got some good info from the guys above.
If you still have some questions just look for the ODFW district office address on that synopsis pamplet you have. Call and make a opointment with the district bio or the assistant bio.
Take your property map with you and all your questions.
They will answer all your questions and may even offer a few helpfull tips on where they would like to get a strong harvest.

Welcome to the beaver state, If you ever decide to hunt the dry side for mullies or elk give a shout. I can point you to a few good areas.

[canopyboy]

Sarah,

I used to live in GP, and even lived out on the Applegate for several years as a kid.  So while I can't help you out by answering your questions (I've been transplanted to the East coast for the last decade), why not check with a local shop?  There was a Wapiti Archery on Redwood Avenue.  The sporting good stores are pretty good about licenses and stuff too, although they might not be up on any of the archery regs.

My parents are on the other side of the hill from you on the Rogue River side (Greens Creek), and they've had a ton of turkeys move in the last 10-15 years.  Never had a single one when I was growing up there....  I plan to go back sometime this fall.

Man, now you're making me miss "home".

[**DONOTDELETE**]

Welcome to Oregon. I've spent most of my 55 years living in Oregon and 21 of them archery hunting here. I wish I'd started this great sport younger, but it is, what it is in life.

our season starts pretty soon here....it's been noted on this thread already, but be sure and BUY YOUR LICENSE & TAGS BEFORE the season opens or you are SOL.

many guys prefer to concentrate their hunting efforts on elk in the early season, and wait for the rut to hunt black tail bucks. I've done the same for many years.... But... here is something you may want to consider.....

Black tail bucks, especially the the nice big ones you'd really like to harvest pretty much do the nocturnal thing shortly after the season opens, and even in the rut, these Wiley big bucks will out fox you 9 out of 10 times.

But here is one trick you don't hear much about. These deer are still in full velvet right now, and will remain so until about early to mid September. When these big boys are still in velvet they are more careful about banging up their horns, and are seen more often in daylight hours in more open areas too..... after they start rubbing, they will crawl into the thickest brush imaginable and don't come out in daylight hours much at all....

Hunting the black tail busks can be seriously challenging, but you have a window of opportunity right after the season opens to catch these big bucks still pussy footing around being careful not to damage their horns. I've had a huge buck I've been hunting for 2-3 years now in the late season with no luck at all. he seems to just disappear completely once those horns are polished up.... I'm going to hunt him early this year and see if i can catch him off guard.... these deer seem to know when you are a threat, and when you are not.

last year i hunted this big boy all of the late season without a sighting, and he bedded down in my yard the day after the season closed.... $^&($@@^(*(()^%&*!!@%%^...      

have fun figuring out the regs... btw... these regs are constantly subject to changes and updates, and you are required to check the regs on line to make sure they haven't changed something too. the written regulations, especially the fishing regs are not even good for TP.... check out the regs on line right before you head into the field, or you could get ticketed for unknown changes or updates.

hope this is helpful....  Kirk

[Sarah]

Thanks, everyone! This really helps clarify everything.

Lucky for me I became an official resident back in March, so the timing's just about right for a license.

I realized that one of my friends does have a trailcam (she just likes to get photos of wildlife) - I'll have to borrow it and set it up or a few nights to see what we've got. The deer are around a lot during the day, but whenever I've seen bucks it was at lower elevations (just 500ft or so) - it never occurred to me that they might come up here in the dark.    

Thanks again!

[snag]

You live in some great blacktail country Sarah. Good gene pool and habitat.