I would like to wish my all my readers a happy new year. 2007 is here and with the new year comes the time of year that us outdoorsmen dread a little bit: time to purchase new tags and licenses.
It’s also time to start thinking about controlled hunts. The deadline for controlled hunts is May 15 for most, but Feb. 10 for black bear.
With luck on my side and private property to hunt on, I was able to fill my tag locally last fall. The season’s success has been one that I will never forget. With Oregon being such a great hunting paradise I have become compelled to try hunting other parts of Oregon and maybe some land and terrain I haven’t seen before.
With the slow season of hunting upon us, I have started to slow down on outdoor activities but have found a way to stay busy inside. I have attempted to learn some taxidermy skills and did my own European mount. It turned out pretty nice.
If you’ve never done anything like this before, it’s not for one who has a weak stomach. I also was able to use a resource that is unbelievable, with Research Mannikins being located in Lebanon. It was nice to have our own hometown taxidermy supply store so close to obtain both information and product and tools to do anything you can imagine!
A European is a lot of work, but is worth every bit of it! More on taxidermy in the future.
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Raffle tickets for select 2007 big game hunts are on sale at license agents statewide and at most ODFW offices.
A total of 13 tags will be offered and raffled off at the Oregon Hunters Association (OHA) State Convention on May 19 in Bend. The deadline to purchase tickets at license agents and ODFW offices is May 7. Additional raffle tickets will be sold from 5-6:30 pm at the convention. The
Raffle tickets offered include hard-to-get tags for bighorn sheep, Rocky mountain goat, and pronghorn. Proceeds raised from raffle sales for these three hunts directly benefit the management and research of these species. Raffle tickets for bighorn sheep, Rocky Mountain goat, and pronghorn tags are $11 for one, $51 for six, and $101 for 13.
The other nine hunts are offered through the Access and Habitat (A&H) program, with proceeds funding projects that improve public hunting access and wildlife habitat on private land. The A&H hunts offered are statewide combination deer and elk (2 tags), statewide deer, statewide elk, northeast Oregon deer, southeast Oregon deer, central Oregon deer, northeast Oregon elk, central/southeast Oregon elk, and western Oregon elk. Ticket prices for deer hunts are $4 for one ticket, $11 for six, $21 for 15, $51 for 40 and $101 for 100. Elk raffle tickets are $6 for one, $21 for six, $41 for 15 and $101 for 40. Combination deer and elk hunt tickets are one for $11, six for $31, 15 for $61 and 40 for $151. Packages of 40 and 100 raffle tickets for these hunts can only be purchased through ODFW headquarters.
To order, visit ODFW headquarters or mail or fax 3406 Cherry Ave. NE, Salem, OR 97303, fax (503) 947-6117 or (503) 947-6113.
To be accepted, purchased tickets must be completely filled out. Completed tickets must be mailed back to ODFW, postmarked no later than May 12 and sent to: ODFW-Raffles, PO Box 7760, Salem, OR 97303. Completed raffle tickets may also be hand-delivered to ODFW Headquarters in Salem by May 17 at 5 p.m. or to the OHA Convention in Bend on May 19 by 7 p.m.
Order forms and more information are available from point-of-sale agents, on page 27 of the 2007 Oregon Big Game Regulations, by calling (503) 947-6300, or by visiting http://www.dfw.state.or.us/resources/hunting/auctions_raffles/
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The minimum legal size for lingcod has been lowered from 24 inches to 22 inches, and the 2007 Marine Sport Fishing Regulations have added a separate daily bag limit of 25 for flatfish, which includes flounders, soles, sanddabs, turbots and halibuts, but not Pacific halibut. All changes were effective Jan. 1.
The change for a more liberal minimum size limit for lingcod is due to a new federal stock assessment indicating the northern population of lingcod has rebuilt. The stock’s improvement from depleted status to healthy numbers also allows the lingcod sport harvest cap to be eliminated in 2007. The separate bag limit on marine flatfish will allow anglers more opportunity for those species.
“We heard from several fishermen at public meetings that they were catching a lot of 23-inch lingcod,” said Don Bodenmiller, sport groundfish project leader for ODFW’s Marine Resources Program in Newport. “The lower size limit should enable more anglers to fill their two-fish daily bag limit for lingcod.”
Other changes to the 2007 regulations include additional measures to protect yelloweye and canary rockfish by limiting fishing for certain species in the Stonewall Bank Rockfish Conservation Area (all year) and seaward of the 40-fathom curve (from April 1 to Sept. 30).
For more information on marine bottom fishing regulations, visit http://www.dfw.state.or.us/MRP/regulations/sport_fishing/.
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If you have a passion for fishing and want to share your love of the sport with others, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife wants to hear from you.
The ODFW’s Angler and Aquatic Education Program is recruiting instructors to introduce children and adults to the sport of fishing. You must be at least 21 to participate in the instructor program.
The Angler and Aquatic Education Program is a certified training program that teaches angling skills, angler ethics and responsibilities, water safety and basic understanding of aquatic ecology.
Training courses are available over the next three months at the following locations; Jan. 27 in Bend, Feb. 17 in Salem and March 3 in La Grande.
If interested please contact Chris Willard at (503) 947-6017 or by e-mail at [email protected].
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Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife is taking reservations for winter outdoor skills workshops held in conjunction with the agency’s Passport to the Outdoors and Becoming an Outdoors-Woman (BOW) programs.
A Small Game Hunting Clinic will be held Jan. 20 at EE Wilson Wildlife Area near Corvallis. The annual BOW Winter Workshop will be held Feb. 23-25 at Suttle Lake near Sisters. Space is limited and openings fill quickly.
The clinic is open to anyone interested in learning about small game hunting. The workshop, co-sponsored by the Mary’s Peak Hound Club, will introduce participants to all aspects of small game hunting including equipment, working with dogs, shotgun skills, safety and ethics.
The registration fee is $20 for the first participant and $10 for each additional person and includes a continental breakfast, lunch, instruction and use of necessary equipment. Successful completion of a Hunter Education class is required for all participating youths (age 18 and under). The minimum age to take part in the field experience is 12.
The annual BOW Winter Workshop will be held Feb. 23-25 at the Suttle Lake United Methodist Church Camp near Sisters. This is a great opportunity for women to learn outdoor skills by choosing among more than 15 different workshop classes.
Registration fee for this workshop is $175 per person for the entire weekend. For additional information on the BOW Program, contact Nancy Smogor at (503) 947–6018 or by e-mail: [email protected]