FERN RIDGE WILDLIFE AREA 2009 Season Summary YOUTH UPLAND HUNT AND WESTERN OREGON FEE PHEASANT HUNT PROGRAM

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1 FERN RIDGE WILDLIFE AREA 2009 Season Summary YOUTH UPLAND HUNT AND WESTERN OREGON FEE PHEASANT HUNT PROGRAM

2 FERN RIDGE WILDLIFE AREA 2009 SEPTEMBER YOUTH UPLAND BIRD HUNT and WESTERN OREGON FEE PHEASANT HUNT PROGRAM The 20 th annual Western Oregon Fee Pheasant Hunt program at Fern Ridge Wildlife Area from Sept 7 Oct 4 resulted in a monthly total of 1826 hunter trips to harvest 699 pheasants. A total of 887 birds were released throughout the season on a 4-day per week schedule in addition to 190 pheasants that were released for the Sept. 5 and 6 Youth Upland Hunt program. Pheasants were supplied by Mortenson s Purple Sage Game Farm in Caldwell, Idaho. The pheasants again this year were of excellent stock and demonstrated the elusive and wary tendencies of their wild kin. Marianne Brooks handled all details of administering the hunt including unloading, loading, tending, and release of pheasants, and stocking, retrieving, and recording data from hunt permits. Field conditions were excellent again this year for hunters as dry conditions prevailed for the entire season.

3 2009 DATE # HUNTERS REGISTERED FERN RIDGE WILDLIFE AREA YOUTH UPLAND BIRD HUNT PROGRAM EAST COYOTE / WEST COYOTE / FISHER BUTTE UNITS SEPTEMBER 5-6, 2009 # HUNTERS PARTICIPATING # PHEASANTS HARVESTED # DOVES HARVESTED PHEAS/HUNTER AVERAGE # HUNTER HOURS 9-5 N/A* AV N/A* AV 140 TOTAL N/A* AV N/A* AV N/A* AV N/A* AV N/A* AV N/A* AV N/A* AV N/A* AV N/A* AV N/A* AV N/A* AV N/A* AV AV AV AV AV AV AV AV N/A AV - - Hunters register on the morning of the hunt. Advance pre-registration is not required. Youth hunt is for hunters 17 years of age or younger accompanied by a non-hunting adult.

4 YEAR FERN RIDGE WILDLIFE AREA WESTERN OREGON FEE PHEASANT HUNT PROGRAM EAST COYOTE / WEST COYOTE / FISHER BUTTE / ROYAL-AMAZON UNITS # HUNTERS # PHEASANTS HARVESTED SEASON TOTAL HUNTER HOURS BIRDS PER HUNTER AVERAGE # PHEASANTS RELEASED % OF RELEASED PHEASANTS HARVESTED % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % * Fee Pheasant hunt dates: 1990 to 2002 = Oct 1-31 / 2003 = Sept 22 - Oct 22 / 2004 = Sept 13 - Oct = Sept 12 - Oct 31 / 2006 = Sept 11 - Oct 8 / 2007 = Sept 10 Oct = Sept 8 - Oct 5 / 2009 = Sept 7 - Oct 4

5 PHEASANT HUNTERS WESTERN OREGON FEE PHEASANT HUNT 2009 DATES: SEPT 7 TO OCT 4 EAST COYOTE, WEST COYOTE, FISHER BUTTE, AND ROYAL-AMAZON UNITS REGULATIONS: $11.50 FEE PHEASANT TAG REQUIRED o EACH TAG WILL ALLOW HARVEST OF 2 ROOSTER PHEASANTS o MULTIPLE TAGS MAY BE PURCHASED THROUGHOUT THE SEASON BAG LIMIT: TWO ROOSTER PHEASANTS PER DAY UPON TAKING A PHEASANT, EACH HUNTER SHALL IMMEDIATELY RECORD SUCH TAKING ON THE TAG IN INK. o CARRY AN INK PEN IN THE FIELD. DO NOT HUNT WITHOUT AN INK PEN TO RECORD YOUR HARVEST OR YOU MAY BE CITED FOR FAILURE TO VALIDATE YOUR TAG. FERN RIDGE WILDLIFE AREA WESTERN OREGON FEE PHEASANT HUNT PROGRAM 2009 RELEASE SCHEDULE AND REGULATIONS SHOOTING ENDS AT 5 PM EACH DAY FOR PHEASANTS. o MORNING SHOOTING HOURS START ACCORDING TO TIME LISTED IN GAME BIRD REGULATION BOOKLET. o HUNTING FOR WATERFOWL AND OTHER SPECIES ENDS ACCORDING TO SHOOTING HOURS TABLE IN GAME BIRD REGULATION BOOKLET. NON-TOXIC SHOT REQUIRED FOR ALL GAME BIRD HUNTING ON THE WILDLIFE AREA ALL HUNTERS ARE REQUIRED TO CHECK IN AND OUT AT WILDLIFE AREA HUNTER CHECKSTATIONS. Fern Ridge Wildlife Area Cantrell Road Eugene, OR /

6 FERN RIDGE WILDLIFE AREA YEAR: 2009 PHEASANT RELEASE SCHEDULE YOUTH HUNT & WESTERN OREGON FEE PHEASANT HUNT PROGRAM PHEASANTS PHEASANTS DAILY DISTRIBUTION DATE SCHEDULED RELEASED EAST WEST FISHER TOTAL TOTAL COYOTE COYOTE BUTTE Youth Upland Hunt Weekend Sept 5 & 6 4-Sep Sep TOTAL Western Oregon Fee Pheasant Hunt Sept 7 - Oct 4 ROYAL AMAZON 6-Sep Sep 8-Sep 9-Sep Sep 11-Sep Sep Sep 14-Sep Sep 16-Sep Sep 18-Sep Sep Sep 21-Sep Sep 23-Sep Sep 25-Sep Sep Sep 28-Sep Sep 30-Sep Oct 2-Oct Oct 4-Oct TOTAL * PHEASANTS RELEASED AFTER 5 PM ON EACH RELEASE DAY Difference between scheduled / released numbers accounts for mortalities during transport from Idaho

7 FERN RIDGE WILDLIFE AREA 2009 WESTERN OREGON FEE PHEASANT HUNT COMMENTS FROM HUNTER PERMITS : Saw no dove or quail I found empty Lead shell hulls again! Didn t see a pheasant. Dog didn t smell one : Too much mowing Release more birds please Thank you! : It looks great! Nice job!! W. Coyote: Really like what you ve done out in the canary grass, leaving/making low grass, leaving islands walking paths/edges. Oh, and the great break-up of the patch NW of the corn. It s a nice mix of cover and access to hunters. I d like to see an expansion of the patches on W. side of road S.W. corn patch and around the large oak. Never saw a bird. Game comm. Sucks.

8 Can t find em : The place looks great! : Great hunt Thank you for cutting those paths through the canary grass (on the north side of the grove) (east coyote) GOOD JOB! : Trash can needed at check station I see hunters not fill this out for hunting mid-morning usually : Heard shots but didn t see a bird Where are all the birds, We heard 1 shot all morning? : Did you plant this side? Fewest shots I ve ever heard. Not a lot of shooting anywhere Seemed very slow : Wasted time : Thanks for your hard work it s been fun! You guys do great!!! Great work done for us hunters this year. Great opportunity if not only opportunity to hunt pheasant for the average person. Thank you! My first time I will be back! How about releasing ½ as many birds everyday or 2/3 Monday and half after 12 mon Tuesday etc Saw 2 otters ---cool! Thanks for the hunt. Good work- the only way I buy a upland tag : Zero for the season! I need a dog! Lots of fun! Thanks! This is a great opportunity for us hunters for upland birds. Only pheasant hunting I get to do. Thanks! : I flushed the birds by blind #2. I dropped it stone dead with hevi-shot nitro magnum #4 s. Pheasant with wild rice & sweet potatoes coming soon! You guys and girls do a great job!!! Excellent opportunity for old retired local hunters who can t go East- thank you! Poorest year ever if birds were planted they were put where people with good dogs can t find them, in the woods No birds, all hunters going in circles

9 W. Coyote: 2 nd weekend people shooting 3-5 min. early before legal time : Thanks for a great year of hunting. Birds were great!

10 Map of fee hunt pheasant hunt area Fern Ridge Wildlife Area