Oregon’s change to controlled archery deer

[AaronPage]

Whats your opinion on Oregon changing eastern Oregon archery deer to all controlled? Do you think it will be a benefit in any way?

 

[DRP]

I’ve got mixed opinions about it, I’m definitely guilty of supporting the idea of picking either rifle hunting or bow hunting and not being able to go OTC archery after you don’t draw a rifle tag. I’m also guilty of using this to build preference points by applying for difficult to draw units and when I don’t draw I go OTC archery for deer and elk. I get the fact that rifle deer has been a controlled draw for 20 plus years but I feel that Oregon is using this as a money maker. There are a lot of bow hunters here that never apply for tags, they just buy an OTC deer and elk tag and go hunt. Oregon will now receive an extra $8 for each one of those people due to having to apply for the tag the bought OTC previous years. ODFW is also unwilling to take on the fight of reducing predator numbers, they would rather take the easy route and limit hunting opportunities. The top seven members of the ODFW commission is appointed by the governor, has anyone watched their meetings? I would guess none of them hunt or fish.

 

[wapitibob]

Way over due.
OR hunters like to complain about poor herds then complain when their unlimited OTC opportunity is being taken away. You can't manage a resource if you are unable to manage hunter numbers and with Deer herds down 50%, being able to control hunters on a per unit basis is common sense.
Currently there is no NR restriction on OTC tags. Once they go to a draw, the cap drops to 5%. The revenue loss just from the Elk side is over $300,000; a loss of 500 NR archery Elk licenses/tags at $760 ea. Deer numbers will be similar with a loss of $615 ea.

 

[Baddog]

I think points needed to draw rifle tags will go down. Time will tell I suppose

 

[elkliver]

They should have gone ahead with the Elk Change also. As much as i love being to just buy the Archery tag, if you were out in the woods this fall for archery, you experienced a complete circus. IT was nuts!

As to the Mule Deer. .. Populations continue to plummet. Yes, something needs to be done but i think that the Archery deer harvest is a drop in the bucket compared to the problems . They need to take extreme action. Predator, poaching, tag cuts. everything. 15 years ago, they implemented the Mule Deer initiative in 5 units to try and address falling deer numbers.... 15 years later, deer numbers are at an even worse number with no sign of improvement.

 

[Sanchez]

This is a move to increase and tighten government control. Oregon is a big government state.

Archers in Oregon have low success on deer, much less than rifle hunters. It is not a biological issue. This will be bad for hunters period.

The sad part of this is the government in Oregon successfully duped rifle hunters to think they are being treated unfairly. The ODFW pitted hunters against each other to achieve the desired outcome of tighter regulatory control. This is a loss of hunter flexibility and freedom.

 

[FI460]

All I've heard for the last 3 years from those that have hunted the east side is complaints about crowding. This won't fully fix the problem, but it will be a start.

 

[MeatBuck]

If you look down below there’s a couple threads about this already. Reading into those it seems like everyone wants to blame the predators. Typical.

 

[Sanchez]

I have hunted eastern Oregon archery for decades. Some areas are crowded while other areas have few hunters. It varies from year to year. If the area I am in has excessive hunters I move to an area with fewer hunters. Simple and effective. I have never been unable to get away from the crowds.

Moving to less crowded areas will be restricted by requiring a draw for a specific unit. It will prevent hunters from moving to other less crowded areas that are frequently in other units.

 

[DRP]

If you look down below there’s a couple threads about this already. Reading into those it seems like everyone wants to blame the predators. Typical.

https://www.dfw.state.or.us/wildlife/cougar/docs/2017_Oregon_Cougar_Management_Plan.pdf

have you had an opportunity to read the Oregon cougar management plan? it really is an interesting read. this is a quote from the study page 88

"A 3-year study in NE Oregon found cougar predation of adult mule deer to be the leading
cause of mortality, accounting for 33% of all known mortality"

As a bowhunter who also lives in Eastern Oregon I support the ODFW moving archery deer and elk to a controlled hunt but eluding that predators are not a major part of the problem doesn't help the overall solution.

 

[wapitibob]

Uncontrolled Bear and Cougar populations and the inability to effectively manage those populations has been devastating to our Deer and Elk calves. Add in some wolves in certain areas and there is only one direction these game herds are going.

 

[DakotaBPNW]

Part of the issue stems from the lack of predator hunting. Folks just don't seem interested in it. Out of all the guys at work that hunt, none of them carry a cougar/bear tag with them.

 

[PLhunter]

Part of the issue stems from the lack of predator hunting. Folks just don't seem interested in it. Out of all the guys at work that hunt, none of them carry a cougar/bear tag with them.

It would be interesting to see what a 7-10 day effort similar to the effort we put in for deer and elk each year would yield for cats. Lots of people complain hardly anyone goes out to hunt them. Me included.

 

[Aqua Sage]

This, Oregon resident currently going to School in CO, and just went for my first big game Black Bear. Yeah, it was tough, put in 5 days with the 7 day season here in CO and ran into no sign, but will be better prepared for next time. I may even put in for Spring Bear back in OR. While I still would like to get my elk and deer, the greater good predator hunting accomplishes in balancing the ecosystem is why I chose it and the support I got from elk and deer hunters was tremendous.

 

[Tx_trad]

Did they end up doing this for OTC archery elk as well? I remember hearing about the proposals earlier this year.

 

[elkliver]

Did they end up doing this for OTC archery elk as well? I remember hearing about the proposals earlier this year.

It got postponed. Too many upset people. The same people that are really upset with crowds in their units!

 

[Hoodie]

I'm for it. Partially for managing the resource, partially for selfish reasons. Resource-wise, Oregon's mule deer have been in a sharp decline for a while. Everyone's already mentioned predators, and while I'm not as staunchly anti-cougar/bear/wolf as some it does somewhat irk me that ODFW patently refuses to acknowledge predation as even part of the issue. Seems like now they're saying the primary problem is reduced forage quality on summer range.

That said, like anything it's multifactorial. Predators are a part of the equation. So are subdivisions on winter range/migration routes (at least on the east slope of the Cascades). Hunting pressure may be too, but I don't think anyone thinks it's the central problem.

Given the proposed tag numbers they're floating it doesn't look like this is going to reduce overall pressure much anyway. Just prevent guys from hopping from one unit to another.

I hunt two units that hardly get any pressure anyway so I'm expecting even less now that folks will have to commit to them for the whole season.

And hopefully, like someone else mentioned, rifle tags will get a bit easier to draw.

 

[CamoPirate]

It would be interesting to see what a 7-10 day effort similar to the effort we put in for deer and elk each year would yield for cats. Lots of people complain hardly anyone goes out to hunt them. Me included.

Hunting mountain lions without dogs is laughable, let's be real. I'm looking at using an e-call, but solo bowhunting cougars has people questioning my sanity. Notice the loophole left for Fish and Game to use hounds. They should make it illegal for ODFW to use hounds also; would probably change shit real quick when they can't track Fido's killer.

 

[Fatcamp]

Hunting mountain lions without dogs is laughable, let's be real. I'm looking at using an e-call, but solo bowhunting cougars has people questioning my sanity. Notice the loophole left for Fish and Game to use hounds. They should make it illegal for ODFW to use hounds also; would probably change shit real quick when they can't track Fido's killer.

Can you only hunt them with a bow? Folks here in the Black Hills have had good luck tracking them in fresh snow and once close running a caller to get them to step out. Then shoot them with a rifle. Bow seems like a waste of time.

 

[bohntr]

Way over due.
OR hunters like to complain about poor herds then complain when their unlimited OTC opportunity is being taken away. You can't manage a resource if you are unable to manage hunter numbers and with Deer herds down 50%, being able to control hunters on a per unit basis is common sense.
Currently there is no NR restriction on OTC tags. Once they go to a draw, the cap drops to 5%. The revenue loss just from the Elk side is over $300,000; a loss of 500 NR archery Elk licenses/tags at $760 ea. Deer numbers will be similar with a loss of $615 ea.

That depends on the archery success rate. If the success rate is very low, as well as amount of deer taken, then it’s not warranted. I’d like to see that data before rendering an opinion.