2019 Big Game Regulations and Tag Numbers

Transcription

1 2019 Big Game Regulations and Tag Numbers Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission September 14, 2018 Bandon, Oregon 1

2 Meeting Overview 2019 Regulations Proposals Species Specific: season dates, tag numbers, etc. Ungulates Carnivores General Regulations Standard Regulation Process Regulation Simplification Process 2

3 Species Specific Information Population Overview/Monitoring 2019 Hunting Season Structure 2019 Tag Number Proposals 3

4 Ungulates 4

5 Bighorn Sheep Population Monitoring Population 5,000 4,500 4,000 3,500 3,000 2,500 2,000 1,500 1, Oregon Bighorn Population Trend California Rocky Mountain Year 5

6 Bighorn Sheep Population Management Capture planned for winter Disease Monitoring 10 in Burnt River 20 in Steens Mountain 20 Pueblo Mtns 10 Coleman Rim 20 Hart Mountain Refuge 6

7 Bighorn Sheep Tag & Season Proposals 10 Rocky Mountain Bighorn Tags in 2019 Includes 2 new hunts with 1 tag each 73 California Bighorn Tags in 2019 Expanded seasons for two Aldrich hunts Six Non-Resident (7%) One Day calendar shift for most hunts 7

8 Rocky Mtn. Goat Population Monitoring 1,400 Oregon Rocky Mtn. Goat Population Trend Population 1,200 1, Year 8

9 Rocky Mtn. Goat Tag & Season Proposals One Day calendar shift in Tags in 2019 Two Nonresident tags (8%) 9

10 Pronghorn Population Monitoring 30,000 Oregon Pronghorn Population 25,000 Population 20,000 15,000 10,000 5,000 0 Year 10

11 Controlled Pronghorn Tag Proposals Hunt Type 2018 Tags Buck/Either Sex 1,395 Bow/Muzzleloader 731 Doe 164 Youth 40 Premium 27 Total Pronghorn 2, Tags % Change 1, % % 164 0% 40 0% 27 0% 2, % Combine North & South Sumpter One Day calendar shift for

12 Mule Deer Population Monitoring Population Size 400, , , , , , ,000 50,000 0 Oregon Mule Deer Population Population MO Year 12

13 % Of MO 50% 51-75% 76-99% 100% 2018 Mule Deer Population Status Hood Maupin W Biggs Grizzly Metolius Paulina Fort Rock Silver Lake Sprague E Biggs Columbia Basin Ochoco Maury Interstate Klamath Falls Silvies Walla Walla Northside Murders Creek Juniper Beatys Butte Mt. Emily Starkey Desolation Malheur River Wenaha Sled Springs Beulah Minam Whitehorse Chesnimnus Snake River Imnaha Pine Creek Keating Lookout Mt. 13

14 General Deer Season Proposals Season Bag Limit 2019 Season Coast Buck Rifle Buck, 2 pt+ Sept. 28 Nov. 1 Cascade Buck Rifle Western General Bow NW Late Deer Bow SW Late Deer Bow Eastern General Bow Buck, 2 pt+ Buck, 2 pt+ or One Deer Buck, 2 pt+ or One Deer Buck, 2 pt+ or One Deer Buck w/ Visible Antler Sept. 28 Oct. 11 Oct. 19 Nov. 1 Aug. 24 Sept. 22 Nov. 16 Dec. 8 Nov. 9 Dec. 1 Aug. 24 Sept

15 Controlled Deer Tag Proposals Hunt Type 2019 Hunt Changes One Day calendar shift for 2019 Delete 619A Mill Creek Delete 624B East Tioga 2018 Tags 2019 Tags % Change Buck 51,472 50, % Bow/Muzzleloader 4,423 4, % Antlerless (600) 7,993 7, % Youth 1,196 1, % Premium % Total Deer 65,151 64, % 15

16 Limited LOP Mule Deer Tags Tiered approach for allocating Mule Deer LOP tags Tier 1: Population estimate > 80% of MO, 100 Series (Buck) LOP mule deer issued based upon the acreage table in OAR (2-14 tags/property) Tier 2: Population estimate 60%-79% of MO, LOP buck tags limited to five tags or 15% of the tags authorized for the public for each hunt, whichever is greater Tier 3: Population estimate < 60% of MO, LOP buck tags limited to five tags or 10% of the tags authorized for the public for each hunt, whichever is greater Exceptions: High % private land (143A E Biggs, 144 Columbia Basin, 167A NE Owyhee) High % white-tailed deer in the harvest (154A, 154B) 16

17 Limited LOP Mule Deer Tags (cont.) 4,896 Limited LOP buck tags for 2019 (-2%) 13 Hunts changed tier Hunt Status Change 2018 LOP Sold 2019 LOP Avail 138 Grizzly Unit Tier 1 to Tier Maupin Tier 1 to Tier B White River Tier 2 to Tier Desolation Tier 3 to Tier Wenaha Tier 2 to Tier M N Wenaha - E Sled Springs Tier 2 to Tier R1 Wenaha Tier 2 to Tier Chesnimnus Tier 2 to Tier Malheur River Tier 2 to Tier M N Malheur River Tier 2 to Tier A Beatys Butte Tier 2 to Tier Silver Lake Tier 2 to Tier M Silver Lake - E Fort Rock Tier 2 to Tier

18 Mule Deer Population Monitoring 1,031 animals radio-collared Delineate herd ranges Estimate annual adult female survival Over 650,000 Location Estimates 18

19 Mule Deer Population Monitoring (cont.) 100% Adult Doe Survival 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% Jun % Blue Mtns N Blue Mtns S Blue Mtns E Blue Mtns Grizzly Maury Ochoco Sumpter Jul 2015 Aug 2015 Sep 2015 Oct 2015 Nov 2015 Dec 2015 Month Jan 2016 Feb 2016 Mar 2016 Apr 2016 May 2016 Adult Doe Survival 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% Jun 2016 Jul 2016 Blue Mtns N Blue Mtns S Blue Mtns E Blue Mtns Grizzly Maury Ochoco Cath. Cr Keating Lookout Mtn Pine Cr. Snake R. Aug 2016 Sep 2016 Oct 2016 Nov 2016 Dec 2016 Month Jan 2017 Feb 2017 Mar 2017 Apr 2017 May

20 Mule Deer Population Monitoring (cont.) 100% 95% Adult Doe Survival 90% 85% 80% 75% 70% 65% 60% 55% Blue Mtns N Blue Mtns S Blue Mtns E Blue Mtns Grizzly Maury Ochoco Cath. Cr Keating Lookout Mtn Pine Cr. Snake R. 50% Jun 2017 Jul 2017 Aug 2017 Sep 2017 Oct 2017 Nov 2017 Dec 2017 Jan 2018 Feb 2018 Mar 2018 Apr 2018 May 2018 Month 20

21 Population Size 80,000 60,000 40,000 20,000 0 Elk Population Status Roosevelt Elk Population MO Population Size 80,000 60,000 40,000 20,000 0 Year Rocky Mountain Elk Population MO Year 21

22 Roosevelt Elk Population MOs Saddle Mt. Scappoose Wilson Stott Mt. Trask % Of MO 50% 51-75% 76-99% 100% Alsea Siuslaw Santiam McKenzie Metolius Tioga Indigo Dixon Fort Rock Powers Chetco Evans Creek Applegate 22 Elk De-Emphasis Area

23 % Of MO 50% 51-75% 76-99% 100% Rocky Mtn. Elk Population MOs Hood Biggs Grizzly Paulina Fort Rock Silver Lake Sprague Elk De-Emphasis Area Columbia Basin Ochoco Maury Interstate Klamath Falls Silvies Walla Walla Northside Murders Creek Juniper Beatys Butte Mt. Emily Starkey Desolation Malheur River Wenaha Sled Springs Beulah Minam Sumpter Whitehorse Chesnimnus Snake River Imnaha Pine Creek Keating Lookout Mt. 23

24 General Elk Season Proposals Season Bag Limit 2019 Season Coast 1 st Season One Bull Nov. 9 Nov. 12 Coast 2 nd Season One Bull One Spike Bull (Wilson, Trask, Siuslaw) Nov. 16 Nov. 22 Cascade One Bull Oct. 12 Oct. 18 Rocky Mtn. 1 st Season One Bull Oct. 23 Oct. 27 Columbia Basin Extended Season Rocky Mtn. 2 nd Season One Elk One Antlerless One Spike Bull One Bull (Hood, Maupin, White R., W. Biggs) Oct. 23 Nov. 30 Dec. 1 Dec. 31 Nov. 2 Nov. 10 General Bow Legal Bull Aug. 24 Sept

25 2019 Controlled Hunt Changes One Day calendar shift for 2019 Delete 224A Callahan & 224B Old Blue Delete 253M Mount Harris Starkey Experimental Forest: Existing Bull hunt changing to Either Sex Two New Antlerless Hunts 25

26 Controlled Elk Tag Proposals Hunt Type 2018 Tags 2019 Tags % Change Bull / Either Sex 35,956 35, % Bow/Muzzleloader 9,255 8, % Antlerless 14,291 14, % Youth 1,264 1, % Premium % Total Elk 60,830 60, % 26

27 2019 Western Gray Squirrel Seasons 1 Day Calendar shifts proposed for 2019 Western and South-central Oregon Aug. 24 Nov. 6 5/day, 15 in Possession Hood & White River Units Sept. 7 Oct. 13 3/day, 6 in Possession Portion of Rogue Unit Jan. 1 Dec. 31 No Bag/Possession Limit 27

28 Bear and Cougar 28

29 Bear Population Monitoring Harvest sustainable if median age of males >2 years, females >4 years, and all bears >3 years No indication of unsustainable take Median Age Male Median Age L M H Median Age Female Median Age L M H Median Age Median Age All Bears Light Harvest (L) Moderate Harvest (M) Heavy Harvest (H) 29

30 Bear Population Monitoring Cont. Sex-age criteria to assess take level of black bears in Oregon. Criteria based on 3-year running averages Criteria Light Moderate Heavy % Males 5 yr old >35% 25 35% <25% % Males 5+ 50% 45% 40% 35% 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% Light Moderate Heavy 30

31 Bear Population Monitoring Cont. Sex-age criteria to assess take level of black bears in Oregon. Criteria based on 3-year running averages Criteria Light Moderate Heavy % Females <30% 30 40% >40% % Females 50% 45% 40% 35% 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% Heavy Moderate Light 31

32 Spring Bear, 2019 Season Proposals 9,386 Spring Bear Tags 4,986 Tags in 20 Controlled Hunts 4,400 Tags in SW Oregon Continue to Protect Cubs & Sows with Cubs Continue Mandatory Check-in Year Estimated Harvest Spring Bear Teeth Check-In Rate % % % 2018 * 582 * 32

33 General Bear, 2019 Season Proposals No Change to General Season Dates Aug 1 Dec 31 Western Oregon Aug 1 Nov 30 Eastern Oregon Tag Sale Deadline September 27 Maintain Season Structure 2 Bear Tag Opportunity Protect Cubs & Sows with Cubs Continue Mandatory Check-in Year Fall General Season Estimated Harvest Teeth Check-In Rate , % , % , % 33

34 General Bear Season Update HB 2030 (2017) eliminated 3% limit on nonresident general season bear tags Hunt structure same for residents and nonresidents General Season Nonresident Tags tags tags tags (as of Sept 5, 2018) Note: ~52,000 Resident General Bear Season Tags Sold Annually 34

35 Cougar Management Zones ZONE D COLUMBIA BASIN ZONE E BLUE MOUNTAINS ZONE A COAST/ NORTH CASCADES ZONE F SOUTHEAST OREGON ZONE B SOUTHWEST CASCADES ZONE C SOUTHEAST CASCADES 35

36 Cougar Population Monitoring Objective 1: ODFW will manage for a stable cougar population that are to not to fall below 3,000 cougars statewide Statewide Population Estimate of 6,643 in 2017 Zone E: Blue Mountains Zone B: SW Cascades Zone F: SE Oregon Zone A: Coast/N Cascades Zone C: SE Cascades Zone D: Columbia Basin 36

37 Cougar Population Monitoring (cont.) Three-year average proportion adult (3+ year old) females in the total mortality 25-35% No Cougar Zones exceed 35% Proportion Adult Females 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Zone A Zone B Zone C Zone D Zone E Zone F Year 37

38 Cougar Population Monitoring (cont.) Zone quotas (i.e. mortality caps) include all known cougar mortalities When quotas are met, all harvest ceases for rest of calendar year, removals due to damage and conflict are still permitted Total Mortality Total Mortality Zone Quota Quota A Coast/North Cascades B SW Cascades C SE Cascades D Col. Basin E Blue Mts F SE Oregon Total

39 Cougar, 2019 Season Proposals Year-round Season Two Cougar Tag Opportunity September 27 Tag Sale Deadline for General Tag No Deadline for Additional Cougar Tag Must purchase first tag by deadline Mandatory Check-in Protect Kittens & Females with Kittens 39

40 Questions? 40 40

41 General Regulation Proposals 41

42 Area Regulations Department Owned Managed or Controlled Areas Not Listed in OAR Division 008: Proposing one addition to the standard rules for these areas (4) Open fires are prohibited from June 1 through October 31 except in designated areas. Open fires are prohibited during designated fire closures. 42

43 Taxidermy Regulations Taxidermist Record Keeping Requirements: (c) For game mammals and game birds requiring tags, record the confirmation number of electronic tags, record the date (month/day/year) and time (hour/minute) of issuance of paper tags. 43

44 Hunting From a Boat Proposal similar to regulation for game birds: It is unlawful: (2) To shoot game mammals from or with the help of any motorboat or sailboat unless the motor has been shut off and/or sail furled and movement caused by any motor or sail has stopped. 44

45 Electronic Devices on Bows Cameras on bows not currently allowed Common request from hunters No advantage for hunting effectiveness Concern allowing cameras could lead to more electronics allowed in the future Proposed change (7) Hunters shall not use any electronic device(s) attached to bow or arrow except lighted arrow nocks.. and cameras that have no other function (such as range-finding) are allowed. 45

46 Computerized Scopes Scopes with internal rangefinders are not legal for hunting. Proposed clarification plus addendum It is unlawful: (4) To use an artificial light for hunting any wildlife, except raccoon, bobcat, and opossum provided the light is not cast from or attached to a motor vehicle. This includes laser sights or any other sights which project a beam to the target, including scopes with electronic rangefinders and scopes that receive information from a rangefinder or any electronic device. This does not include battery operated sights which only light the reticle. 46

47 Night Vision Equipment Night vision technology generally uses infrared energy (heat), or amplifies low levels of available light Cost now varies from ~$50 to thousands Legal for game mammals as long as not a sight Proposed change It is unlawful: (5) To hunt or locate or scout for the purpose of hunting any wildlife with infrared or any other "night vision" sight or equipment except trail cameras. 47

48 Regulation Simplification Proposals 48

49 Simplification 49

50 Regulation Simplification Process 3 Phased approach; Phase 2 culmination today Public outreach started April 2018 Commission presentation/testimony June 2018 Public meetings in July 2018 Commission consideration September 2018 Summary table of proposals Attachment 4 50

51 #2 SW Limited Spring Bear Hunt Issues Simplification opportunities: Exceptions add complication to the regulations SW Limited Over-the-Counter Spring Bear Hunt is the only Limited hunt Management opportunities: Was previously a controlled hunt Tags sell out by mid-january, however <45% of tag holders actually hunt Proposal Return SW Spring Bear to a controlled hunt consistent with all other spring bear hunts 51

52 #12 to 20 - Weapon Restriction Proposals Focus of proposals: Easier to understand weapon restrictions Support efforts to recruit, retain and reactivate hunters Give hunters the opportunity to choose equipment based on performance and personal preference Allow hunters to tailor their setup to their individual requirements, abilities, and hunting situation 52

53 Weight of Big Game Mammals Species Male Weight (pounds) Pronghorn Cougar Mt. Goat Deer Bighorn Bear Elk

54 #13 - Minimum Centerfire Caliber Issues Minimum.24 - bighorn sheep and mountain goat Minimum.22 - bear, cougar, deer, and pronghorn Similar sized species with different restrictions Complexity to regulations Lethal.22 options Proposal Reduce minimum to.22 centerfire for sheep and goat Elk remain at.24 Anticipate very little change in weapons used for these species 54

55 #13 - Western States Minimum Caliber State Min Centerfire Caliber State Min Centerfire Caliber Alaska None Nevada.22 Arizona None New Mexico None California None Utah None Colorado.24 Washington.22 cougar,.24 all other Idaho None Wyoming.22 pronghorn, deer.24 bear, elk, moose, sheep, goat Montana None Oregon.22 pronghorn, deer, bear.24, elk, sheep, goat 55

56 #14 - Minimum Muzzleloader Caliber Issues Minimum.50 - bighorn sheep and mountain goat Minimum.40 - bear, cougar, deer, and pronghorn Similar sized species with different restrictions Complexity to regulations Lethal options below.50 Proposal Reduce minimum to.40 for sheep and goat Elk remain at.50 Anticipate no change to weapons used for these species 56

57 #14 - Western States Minimum Caliber State Min Muzzleloader Caliber State Alaska.45 Nevada.45 Arizona None New Mexico None California.40 Utah None Min Muzzleloader Caliber Colorado.40 deer, pronghorn, bear, sheep, goat.50 elk or moose, larger if round ball Washington.40 deer, pronghorn, bear.50 elk, sheep, goat Idaho.45 deer, pronghorn, cougar, wolf.50 elk, sheep, goat Wyoming.40 Montana.45 Oregon.40 pronghorn, deer, bear.50 elk, sheep, goat 57

58 #15 to 17 Muzzleloader Restrictions Issues One of the most commonly confused sections of regulations Have some of the most complicated regulations in the country Regulate caliber, ignition type and source, powder type, bullet type, size and material, material of patches and type of sights Objective Primitive, short-range weapon Approach Accomplish objective through the least regulation possible 58

59 #15 Muzzleloader Ignition Issues Open Ignition confuses customers Intent is to keep weapon primitive Muzzleloaders are primitive hand loading, single shot, and other restrictions Proposal Eliminate requirement for open ignition 59

60 #16 Muzzleloader Projectiles Issues Complex and confusing Many bullets in Oregon stores are not legal Intent is to limit the range by not allowing advanced bullets Limited options for non-lead hunting Proposal It is unlawful to hunt with or have in possession while hunting, sabots, or bullets with plastic or synthetic parts 60

61 #17 Muzzleloader Propellant Issues It is illegal to hunt with pelletized powders or propellants Intent is to limit the range Range is limited by other regulations - no scopes, no centerfire primer ignition and bullet restrictions Primary advantage of pelletized powder is when used with 209 primers and sabots which are illegal Proposal Eliminate requirement to use granulated powder 61

62 #18 Mechanical Broadheads Oregon is one of two states that prohibit their use Quality and performance has changed drastically since 1991 Oregon bowhunters have been requesting to use this tool Department did not make a recommendation in June Staff recommendation is to allow mechanical broadheads Summary of justification for this recommendation 62

63 #18 Mechanical Broadheads When compared to fixed blade broadheads Larger cutting diameter, more lethal wounds Less drag in flight, increased arrow speed Flight performance closer to field point, increased accuracy Disadvantage, less penetration Hunters can mitigate with increased arrow weight and reduced shot distance Fixed broadheads generally recommended with low draw weight bows, however there are mechanical alternatives Considered ethical means of harvest by P&Y Club 63

64 #18 Mechanical Broadheads Request for science to inform decision Only modern study we are aware of comparing the two broadheads A Comparative Study on the Effectiveness of Fixed Blade and Mechanical Broadheads Journal of the SEAFWA Controlled archery deer harvest at naval facility in Maryland Bowhunters recovery rates with compound bows o Fixed blade 82% ( ) o Mechanical 88.8% ( ) Significantly less wounded animals with mechanical broadheads 64

65 #18 Mechanical Broadheads In absence of published studies rely on: Experience from other states Industry data on performance Professional judgement 65

66 #18 Mechanical Broadheads Western State Legal Western State Legal Table of other western states legal or Not Alaska Yes Nevada Yes Arizona Yes New Mexico Yes California Yes Utah Yes Colorado Yes Washington Yes Idaho No Wyoming Yes Montana Yes Oregon No 66

67 #18 Mechanical Broadheads Peterson s Bowhunting 2017 and 2018 broadhead tests Each year test broadheads; alternate fixed and mechanical Relevant results comparing mechanical to fixed: 53% increase in cutting diameter 36% less drag 0.5 group vs group 67

68 #18 Mechanical Broadheads Jon Syversen Penetration Test 70 pound bow, 30 draw, 3 trials Ballistics gel covered by cow hide Broadhead Penetration (inches) Fixed Fixed Mechanical Mechanical Mechanical Hybrid 1 14 Hybrid

69 #18 Mechanical Broadheads Jon Syversen Penetration Test 40 pound bow, 26 draw, 3 trials Ballistics gel covered by cow hide Broadhead Penetration (inches) Fixed Fixed Mechanical Mechanical Mechanical Hybrid Hybrid

70 #18 Mechanical Broadheads Conclusions: Accuracy and lethality of archery equipment is complicated and based on many variables Most important is shot placement, mechanical can be easier to shoot accurately Hunters need to select gear based on personal preference, equipment performance, individual abilities, species hunted, and the hunting situation Staff propose mechanical broadheads as a viable option for big game hunting in Oregon 70

71 #20 Minimum Archery Draw Weight Minimum Archery Draw Weight: 50 pound minimum draw weight for elk, sheep and goat; 40 for all other big game Different minimum draw weights complicate the regulations Barrier to entry for some youth and small framed hunters Restrictions adopted in 1955 Speed of compound bows has more than doubled since 1955 however draw weight has stayed the same Oregon is an outlier among western states 71

72 #20 Minimum Archery Draw Weight State Min Draw (lbs.) State Min Draw (lbs.) Alaska 40 deer, bear, sheep 50 elk, goat Nevada 40 Arizona 30, 40 for buffalo New Mexico None California None Utah 30 Colorado 35 Washington 40 Idaho 40 Wyoming 40, 50 elk and moose Montana None Oregon 40, 50 elk, sheep, goat 72

73 Questions? 73