Oregon Fall Black Bear Hunt

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Jan 17, 2021
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I’m thinking of heading to Oregon for a fall archery bear hunt. After a little research, i’m leaning towards Siuslaw or Tioga units.

I hear the forest service can close a lot of their roads and areas due to potential fires. Have they started this already?

Any help would be appreciated for sure.

Thanks
 
Give the local ODFW branch a call. Private logging land gets shut down more frequently due to fire/fire potential.
 

Check the public and industrial restrictions first, plus the corporate closure list if you're going on any of the publicly accessible private timber. For the NF, might be best to call the USFS office directly to check on any gates or closures.
 
Pay attention to the regulations. I believe you cannot bear hunt with a bow during archery elk/deer season without an archery tag for either elk/deer. Same thing for elk/deer rifle season, you cannot bear hunt with a rifle during those seasons without a corresponding elk/deer tag.
 
Pay attention to the regulations. I believe you cannot bear hunt with a bow during archery elk/deer season without an archery tag for either elk/deer. Same thing for elk/deer rifle season, you cannot bear hunt with a rifle during those seasons without a corresponding elk/deer tag.
I've gotta double check the regs, but I thought that mostly applied for controlled rifle tags? I thought you could bear hunt during the western general deer season and general archery.
 
I grew up hunting western Oregon. Every time I witnessed roads get closed, they were nearer to the fire than I wanted to be, and there was no shortage of options for other areas to hunt. You'll have no trouble finding alternate places to hunt. Bears are everywhere from the Cascades to the coast.
 
I've gotta double check the regs, but I thought that mostly applied for controlled rifle tags? I thought you could bear hunt during the western general deer season and general archery.
It applies to centerfire rifle hunting in areas with specific controlled deer and elk seasons and specific OTC elk seasons, but if OP is archery hunting, he has nothing to worry about. Even if he does decide to rifle hunt, he wouldn't be affected west of of the PCT until the general Cascade elk season opened in November.
 
It applies to centerfire rifle hunting in areas with specific controlled deer and elk seasons and specific OTC elk seasons, but if OP is archery hunting, he has nothing to worry about. Even if he does decide to rifle hunt, he wouldn't be affected west of of the PCT until the general Cascade elk season opened in November.
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Good call, I had to check the exact wording but you're right on. Page 19 of the 2025 regs.
 
I’ll actually have an archery elk tag but will focus on bear. I live in Arkansas the forest road closers is a little new to me. Does anyone have contact info for the private timber companies and Forest services
 
I’ll actually have an archery elk tag but will focus on bear. I live in Arkansas the forest road closers is a little new to me. Does anyone have contact info for the private timber companies and Forest services
Check that ODF link in my earlier comment, look for the link on there to the corporate closure information. It lists all the private timber that has public access agreements in place, along with what restrictions at what fire levels, type of access granted, permit requirements, and contact info by company and district. There's a lot of private timber, some large and some small, so you'll want to narrow it down to where you're thinking of going.
 
I’ll actually have an archery elk tag but will focus on bear. I live in Arkansas the forest road closers is a little new to me. Does anyone have contact info for the private timber companies and Forest services
Pretty low odds that the National Forest lands will be closed in either one of those units, especially in the areas within a few miles of the coastline/fogline. That happens very rarely, though it has happened before. Unless we get rain, the timber company lands, even the hunter friendly ones, will be closed due to fire danger. The timber company land in the Tioga unit is primarily permit only and the permits are sold out. For both units, the good news is there are bears everywhere. Bad news is the NF ground is super steep and super thick in most of it.
 
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