B OREGON EE GAME S T A E MISSION ulletin MARCH-APRIL 1967
BOREGON STATE GAME COMMISSION ulletin Number 2, Volume 22 March-April 1967 Published Bimonthly by the OREGON STATE GAME COMMISSION 1634 S.W. Alder Street P.O. Box 3503 Portland, Oregon 97208 MEMBERS OF COMMISSION Joseph W. Smith, Chairman Klamath Falls J. Pat Metke, Vice-Chairman Bend Wayne E. Phillips. Baker John P. Amacher Winchester Tallant Greenough Coquille P. W. SCHNEIDER, Director MIRIAM KAUTTU SUHL, Editor H. C. SMITH, Staff Artist Second-class postage paid at Portland, Oregon. Please report promptly any change of address. Send in address label from a recent issue with notice of change. Include zip code number. Bulletin is circulated free of charge. The Cover To many anglers the high point of the year is opening the trout season on their favorite stream or lake. For some April 22 will be the big day as it marks the opening of the general trout season in the state except for streams in Zones 1, 3, and 4 and for Cascade lakes in national forests. General opening date for the latter is May 20. Numerous exceptions prevail, however, and each angler should consult the 1967 angling synopsis. (Photo by Ron Shay) BULLETIN HUNTER SAFETY TRAINING PROGRAM Instructors Approved s of December and January 34 Total to Date 3,927 Students Trained s of December and January 835 Total to Date 104,848 Total Firearms Casualties Reported, 1966 Fatal 12 Nonfatal 67 Firearms Casualties Reported in 1967 0 SALMON-STEELHEAD ANGLERS NOTE REPORT CHANGE Anglers should note two changes made in the format of the 1967 salmon-steelhead angling license before entering report of fish caught. The new license card has two separate columns, one for salmon and the other for steelhead. Each column provides space for recording the catch by month, day, and river or port. The punch requirement has been eliminated. The season bag limit remains the same, 20 salmon and 20 steelhead in a calendar year. STATE OF OREGON GAME COMMISSION SALMON ANGLER LICENSE & CATCH RECORD JAN. 1, 1967 - DEC. 31, 1967 02002 FISHING LICENSE NO. 4 3,26 FOR INSTRUCTIONS SEE OTHEZIDE SALMON STEELHEAD April Day.3 J a. 1 1 Day I River or Port IV; 114ft efie TZ River or Port Al_t Cer. April Day 1,1( Feb, Rey 3 River or Port kosj. GO% R. 4 Li, /9 Do, 2. River or Port De et 041 A River or Port Rivet ar Port River or Pod River or Pal River or!or! River or Pon C or g atz R..y re Po ( "0 Fele Do O. liver.erfo r River or Port River or Pan Mo9tM1 Ri.e, or Port 18 WI VOLE C. Day FIREARMS HUNTING ACCIDENTS RESULT OF CARELESSNESS Careless handling of firearms by Oregon hunters in 1966 caused 79 casualties, including 12 fatalities. In 1965 a total of 74 casualties was reported. Juvenile hunters rated high in the number of accidents. Nineteen hunters were involved in shooting some other hunter, and 15 suffered self-inflicted wounds. Of the 12 deaths, 5 were juveniles. Twenty-two, either the shooter or the victim, failed to obtain certificates in the safe handling of firearms as required of juveniles by law. Of the total firearms accidents, 36 hunters shot themselves. Carrying loaded firearms in vehicles resulted in 15 casualties. Pistols were involved in 16 accidental shootings (none fatal). One bow and arrow hunter shot himself in the leg. Only 7 woundings could be classed purely accidental with ricochet the causing factor. Five victims were mistaken for game. Most accidents occurred at very close range with 52 reported at 3 yards or less and 7 more from 3 to 25 yards distance. Only 8 victims were wounded at a distance of 50 yards or more. A tame drake, banded as a day-old duckling last June in Illinois, was shot near Scappoose last January by Bob Queirolo of Portland. Tennessee Turkeys Travel Two air shipments of wild turkeys from Tennessee, totaling 18 birds, were released last month in the Rogue Canyon country below Galice. The birds were trapped and flown to Oregon in exchange for black-tailed deer provided last fall to the Tennessee Fish and Game Commission. The Tennessee turkey is somewhat smaller than the Merriam's strain previously released in eastern Oregon with good results. If the Tennessee turkey does as well, southwestern Oregon will have a fine trophy game bird. BIG GAME REGULATION HEARING MAY 19 The annual hearing on big game regulations will convene at 10 a.m. May 19 at the Portland headquarters of the Game Commission, 1634 S.W. Alder Street. Under consideration will be the 1967 season dates, bag limits, and methods of hunting big game species. Tentative regulations will be announced and the hearing recessed until June 2 when final action will be taken. Page2
'..e4"-`41-61-ca..4vvv0)%6 (Y\24 By Bob Stein, Chief Biologist, Big Game OREGON BIG GAME HUNTERS RE- PORT a very successful 1966 hunting season. A survey of Oregon's 343,360 licensed hunters indicated that they enjoyed an estimated 1,960,000 days of hunting and harvested more than 160,000 big game animals. Deer hunters experienced the best success since 1961 and the third highest kill on record. A large deer population provided opportunity for 270,769 deer hunters to harvest 147,975 deer, averaging 55 percent success. Deer tags issued increased 2.8 percent over 1965. Five percent of the 285,961 persons obtaining a deer tag reported they did not hunt and missed out on one of the best seasons in recent years. Elk hunters found animal populations similar to the past several years, but the quality of hunting and their success were affected by a further increase in the number of elk hunters. Elk tags issued inci eased by 3.6 percent totaling 69,880 and the reported harvest of elk was 11,402. Success of elk hunters averaged 17 percent. Antelope, sheep, and goat hunters reported taking 445 antelope bucks, 3 bighorn sheep, and 5 mountain goat. Deer Seasons The buck deer season extended from October 1 to October 23 for mule deer and October 1 through October 30 for black-tailed deer. Antlerless permits authorized 47,500 mule deer hunters to take a deer of either sex in designated units GAME BULLETIN during the last nine days of the season. Black-tailed deer ant 1 e r le s s permits authorized 59,350 hunters to take a deer of either sex during the last 16 days of the season. Unit permits provided a harvest of 30,449 deer. Fifty-six percent of the mule deer hunters and 52 percent of the black-tailed deer hunters were successful. Mule deer provided 60 percent of the total harvest. Antlerless deer provided about onefourth of the yield of both mule and black-tailed deer. Deer hunting provided 1,525,000 days of recreation during the 1966 season. Black-tailed deer hunters spent 670,000 days afield while mule deer hunters spent 855,000 days hunting. Elk Seasons The general season opened October 29 and extended through November 27 for Rocky Mountain elk hunters in eastern Oregon. The western Oregon Roosevelt elk season was delayed until November 12 and extended through November 27. s were again required to choose between hunting Roosevelt or Rocky Mountain elk by issuance of a separate tag. The objective of these regulations is to improve the distribution of hunters and to reduce concentrations that jeopardize both wildlife and recreational values. The proportion of Roosevelt elk hunters to the total elk hunters has been reduced 8 percent from the 1964 ratio, the beginning year of separate tag regulation. The popular north coastal area had 19 percent fewer hunters than in 1964. Roosevelt elk tag sales totaled 19,178, a decline of 2.8 percent; Rocky Mountain elk tag sales totaled 50,702, an increase of 6 percent. The survey indicated 68,168 persons hunted elk and 2.5 percent of the tag buyers reported they did not hunt. The estimated harvest of 11,402 elk included 8,030 bulls and 3,372, or 30 percent, antlerless. Elk hunters enjoyed 433,363 man-days of recreation, an average of 6.2 man-days per hunter. A total of 24,646 applications were processed to determine the successful applicants for the 4,900 antlerless elk permits authorized. s reported that 63 percent of all bulls taken were spikes, emphasizing the heavy utilization of bulls. Antelope Season Antelope return cards from 686 hunters reported a harvest of 445 bucks. Six areas were open from August 20 through August 24. Area IV (Juniper, Hart Mountain, and Steens Units) led with 130 antelope taken and 71 percent reported success. This year's harvest was the highest since 1960 and holds fifth ranking for the past 15 years. Mountain Sheep Three sheep tags were issued for a season of September 24 through September 30 in portions of Hart Mountain. All three tag holders were successful in bagging a full 3/4 curl ram. This was the sec- (Continued on Page 8) Page 3
,r7 - os. tvw - --1 Airb \\\A'. r.i.gav 1 1, gv ;').' -,:y V;'""i,..., n id.,-53 i i 4 5.14- The Western Meadowlark THE WESTERN MEADOWLARK is a permanent resident of the grassland regions throughout Oregon. It is as much at home in the arid sage plateaus and coastal tide flats as it is in the open prairies and grassy valleys. In the extensive grasslands of eastern Oregon, the meadowlark is a common breeding species; but west of the Cascade Range, its summer population is low, having declined sharply in recent years. Much of this loss has been attributed to destruction of habitat through changes in farming operations and 14 PIONEER ANGLERS.. FATHER AND SON. Charles G. Stanton, 96, and his son, Charles V. Stanton, 71, both of Roseburg, receive their recently purchased pioneer angling licenses from Game Commission regional supervisor, J. W. Vaughn (center). They are believed to be the only father and son combination eligible for pioneer licenses. The younger Stanton is former editor of the Roseburg News Review and widely known for his work as a conservationist. His father came to Oregon in 1880 from Illinois. He was an ardent fisherman until the age of 90, but now fishes only occasionally. (News Review photo) through urban expansion. In 1928 an election was held in our public schools to select an official bird for the State of Oregon. The children chose the western meadowlark over all other species. This popular choice was ratified by the state legislature the following year. North Dakota, Kansas, Nebraska, Wyoming, and Montana have also proclaimed the meadowlark as their state symbol. Throughout the winter the meadowlark is a silent, inconspicuous bird. With the first sign of spring it makes its appearance in brilliant new plumage and with a clear, melodious song announces its presence from a fence post or the top of an isolated tree. The meadowlark is about the size of a robin but is much chunkier, with a broad, stubby tail. Its back is light colored and streaked with brown, which serves to camouflage the bird in its grassland surroundings. The breast is bright yellow, crossed with a distinctive black V. When walking, the bird exhibits a nervous trait of constantly flicking its tail open and shut. A small depression beneath a tuft of meadow grass is the site most often selected in which to construct a nest of grasses. A dome-shaped roof is added to provide concealment from enemies and protection from the elements. Four or five white eggs, speckled with brown, are usually laid. After the young have left the nest, the female starts construction of another nest in which to raise a second brood. During much of the year, the main diet is composed of cutworms, beetles, grasshoppers, and other injurious insects; but when winter sets in and insect life becomes scarce, weed seeds and waste grain are readily consumed. These feeding habits have endeared the meadowlark to the farmer and made it his favorite bird ally in the constant battle to control farm pests. C. E. Kebbe Ed. Note. An excellent 6x9 color reproduction of a painting of the western meadowlark by Harold Cramer Smith may be obtained free of charge from the Oregon State Game Commission, P. 0. Box 3503, Portland, Oregon 97208. PUBLIC SHOOTING GROUND USE INCREASES use increased on the Game Commission public shooting grounds during the 1966 waterfowl season. Almost 18,500 hunters patronized the five areas where records were kept: Sauvie Island, Government Island, Summer Lake, Warner Valley, and Camas Swale. Over 35,200 birds of all species were shot, making the average hunter success almost two birds per man. The total included over 25,900 ducks (5,000 more than the previous year) and almost 9,100 geese, also considerably higher than the 1965 take. Coot and snipe make up the balance of the total. In 1965, a total of 22,500 waterfowl was bagged by 14,300 hunters. NEXT MEETING OF THE GAME COMMISSION The Oregon State Game Commission will hold its next regular business meeting on Friday, March 24. The session will be convened at the Portland office of the Commission. MARCH-APRIL, 1967
This is Your Land know it... enjoy it... protect it! NATIONAL WILDLIFE WEEK MARCH 19-25, 1967
UNITS by REGIONS s Days TABLE 1 - SUMMARY 1966 DEER SEASONS GENERAL DEER SEASONS Bucks Does Total EXTENDED SEASONS CONTROLLED Alsea 11,212 64,768 3,696 1,360 5,056 45 54 1,002 480 6,538 3.8 Clatsop 4,358 30,302 1,203 372 1,575 36 60 1,575 1.8 McKenzie 14,414 87,573 3,994 1,595 5,589 39 53 2,730 8,319 2.9 Nestucca 1,415 7,677 341 282 623 44 50 623 2.1 Polk 3,096 17,274 817 163 980 32 44 940 1,920 3.8 Santiam 15,742 85,863 3,072 1,572 4,644 30 52 2,289 6,933 2.3 Siuslaw 3,782 24,610 1,234 153 1,387 37 61 608 1,995 2.2 Trask 6,839 35,341 1,760 948 2,708 40 61 370 3,078 3.6 Willamette 4,342 22,562 772 459 1,231 28 66 2,500 3,731 5.3 Wilson 4,409 23,883 936 784 1,720 39 36 1,720 2.9 NORTHWEST 69,609 399,853 17,825 7,688 25,513 37 54 10,069 850 36,432 3.0 Applegate 3,210 22,232 1,313 94 1,407 44 21 250 1,657 1.5 Chetco 2,300 16,812 1,086 62 1,148 50 45 50 1,198.8 Dixon 4,836 27,703 1,807 423 2,230 46 31 300 2,530 1.2 Elkton 1,466 8,324 662 0 662 45 38 359 53 1,074 1.2 Evans Creek 1,740 13,849 389 164 553 32 38 150 703 1.0 Melrose 4,703 31,080 2,053 451 2,504 53 25 300 2,804 4.0 Powers 2,500 16,169 1,168 188 1,356 54 38 113 1,469 1.6 Rogue 8,927 57,595 3,198 423 3,621 41 35 191 250 4,062 3.9 Sixes 4,883 28,248 2,665 588 3,253 67 45 3,253 4.1 Tioga 2,634 13,924 1,070 317 1,387 53 42 1,387 1.5 SOUTHWEST 37,199 235,936 15,411 2,710 18,121 49 36 550 1,466 20,137 1.9 Deschutes 9,253 50,072 2,924 333 3,257 35 46 153 3,410 2.6 Fort Rock 5,753 31,066 2,320 658 2,978 52 52 478 3,456 2.0 Grizzly 3,265 17,898 1,120 361 1,481 45 59 1,481 2.0 Hood River 533 2,794 114 0 114 21-114.4 Keno 2,171 13,430 662 333 995 46 37 21 1,016 1.3 Klamath 7,266 37,300 3,405 541 3,946 54 56 138 4,084 4.1 Maupin 780 3,347 263 0 263 34 36 263 1.1 Maury 2,402 10,883 1,148 361 1,509 63 56 1,509 3.0 Metolius 2,622 12,451 902 325 1,227 47 45 1,227 2.0 Ochoco 12,701 54,588 4,797 799 5,596 44 53 5,596 4.0 Paulina 6,513 33,382 2,775 376 3,151 48 41 3,151 2.2 Sherman 2,375 9,872 933 227 1,160 49 46 1,160 1.2 Sprague 4,460 22,016 1,932 513 2,445 55 44 227 2,672 3.0 Wasco 5,671 28,577 1,466 568 2,034 36 55 114 52 2,200 2.7 CENTRAL 65,765 327,676 24,761 5,395 30,156 46 50 766 417 31,339 2.4 Baker 4,965 23,792 2,657 251 2,908 58 60 10 2,918 3.2 Catherine Cr. 2,136 10,989 1,066 341 1,407 66 57 1,407 4.7 Chesnimnus 1,826 9,347 893 349 1,242 68 64 1,242 2.1 Columbia Basin 666 3,088 228 82 310 47 50 310 1.0 Desolation 1,748 8,551 1,016 226 1,242 71 44 1,242 1.9 Heppner 7,791 31,619 3,159 1,830 4,989 64 57 4,989 3.7 lmnaha 3,037 12,094 1,583 588 2,171 71 49 2,171 2.4 Keating 2,794 11,326 1,754 390 2,144 77 57 15 1,453 3,612 6.0 Lookout Mtn. 1,595 5,718 841 308 1,149 72 80 1,149 3.3 Minam 1,407 6,341 925 192 1,117 79 60 154 506 1,777 2.4 Murderer's Cr. 6,188 29,765 2,317 1,485 3,802 61 46 17 3,819 3.8 Northside 5,447 25,470 2,915 1,176 4,091 75 45 620 4,711 5.9 Sled Springs 3,174 14,485 1,795 419 2,214 70 62 2,214 3.2 Snake River 2,187 10,119 1,187 494 1,681 77 59 235 1,916 2.5 Starkey 1,983 10,260 847 329 1,176 59 60 10 1,186.9 Ukiah 3,331 17,659 1,246 694 1,940 58 50 1,940 3.5 Umatilla 3,308 17,510 1,387 282 1,669 50 58 15 1,684 3.7 Walla Walla 545 2,285 204 55 259 48 36 259 1.3 Wenaha 1,023 5,173 380 212 592 58 80 592 1.5 Wheeler 6,235 25,450 2,798 1,148 3,946 63 56 3,946 3.9 NORTHEAST 61,386 281,041 29,198 10,851 40,049 65 56 221 2,814 43,084 3.2 Beulah 3,531 15,187 1,920 396 2,316 66 56 2,316 1.7 Hart Mountain 169 494 94 0 94 56-15 109.1 Interstate 7,156 38,897 3,069 1,873 4,942 69 53 4,942 2.9 Juniper 341 1,481 204 0 204 60 27 204.3 Malheur River 2,485 11,996 1,426 110 1,536 62 50 1,536.8 Owyhee 494 1,525 286 0 286 58 29 286.5 Silver Lake 5,738 30,059 1,968 1,093 3,061 53 66 251 3,312 4.1 Silvies 3,045 17,349 1,391 0 1,391 46 60 1,391 1.2 Steens Mtn. 1,297 6,118 631 0 631 49 52 23 654.5 Wagontire 443 1,493 164 0 164 37-164 1.1 Warner 2,951 16,522 1,466 333 1,799 61 41 1,799 3.3 Whitehorse 459 3,049 270 0 270 59 38 270.2 SOUTHEAST 28,109 144,170 12,889 3,805 16,694 59 52 289 16,983 1.4 Gen. Season Totals 262,068 1,388,676 100,084 30,449 130,533 50 50 2.1 Extended Seasons 31,136 112,316 5,933 5,962 11,895 38 Cont. Seasons 8,495 23,956 1,740 3,807 5,547 65 GRAND TOTALS 270,769 1,524,948 107,757 40,218 147,975 55 50 11,895 5,547 147,975 2.4 Page 6 285,961 - Total Deer Tags Issued MARCH-APRIL, 1967 9/0 Success % Yearling Bucks SEASONS TOTAL DEER DEER per Sq. Mile
Year Deer Tags Issued Total Deer Harvested Success TABLE 2 - SUMMARY TOTAL DEER HARVEST 1952-1966 *s Number Harvested MULE DEER Success of Total Antlerless Harvest Antlerless *s Number Harvested BLACK-TAILED DEER Success of Total Antlerless Harvest Antlerless 1952 188,250 77,897 41 126,719 53,030 61 68 20,570 39 61,531 24,867 40 32 5,210 21 1953 204,808 105,275 51 121,356 64,607 53 61 24,652 38 83,552 40,668 49 39 13,045 32 1954 215,047 112,622 52 134,617 76,877 57 68 22,410 29 80,430 35,745 44 32 8,043 22 1955 230,585 133,834 58 148,566 90,126 61 67 37,752 42 81,919 43,708 53 33 13,446 31 1956 233,842 146,568 54 146,568 85,394 58 68 37,978 44 87,274 40,277 46 32 13,340 33 1957 221,960 116,409 52 140,627 81,873 58 70 26,853 33 81,333 34,626 43 30 8,877 26 1958 233,885 116,251 50 139,183 71,250 51 61 19,308 27 94,702 45,001 47 39 15,251 34 1959 248,701 145,823 59 138,856 88,261 64 61 23,686 27 104,750 56,670 54 39 20,108 35 1960** 259,739 157,504 61 141,102 96,122 68 61 28,254 29 110,725 61,382 55 39 20,133 33 1961 265,326 163,939 62 147,597 97,951 66 60 30,538 31 101,971 65,988 65 40 24,529 37 1962 263,838 139,712 53 143,580 76,776 53 55 24,977 32 108,343 62,936 58 45 21,932 35 1963 258,375 117,619 45 136,676 64,678 47 55 15,403 24 105,603 52,941 50 45 16,754 32 1964 271,339 143,023 53 148,215 84,665 57 59 19,931 23 110,555 58,358 53 41 18,807 32 1965 277,857 119,369 43 143,618 71,637 50 60 19,242 27 108,281 47,732 44 40 13,348 27 285,961 147,975 52 156,720 88,516 56 60 22,821 26 114,049 59,459 52 40 14,687 25 *General season hunters only. **1960-64 estimates of hunting pressure revised. TABLE 3-1966 ELK SEASONS REGIONS Units HUNTER NUMBERS HUNTER DAYS Total Av. Spikes HARVEST Adult Bulls HUNTER SUCCESS Alsea 515 2,936 5.7 48 38 86 17 56.30.05 Clatsop 7,475 41,113 5.5 661 296 4 1,003 13 69 8.79 1.18 McKenzie 839 4,279 5.1 43 55 98 12 44.29.03 Santiam 123 701 5.7 3 7 10 8....04 Siuslaw 89 409 4.6 9 12 21 23 43.10.61- Trask 400 2,000 5.0 73 17 90 23 81.47.11 Willamette 116 592 5.1 7 3 10 9....17.01 Wilson 2,079 10,811 5.2 282 77 363 17 78 3.47.61 NORTHWEST 11,636 62,841 5.4 1,126 505 50 1.681 14 69 Chetco 27 124 4.6 0 0 0 0 0 0.02 Dixon 343 1,955 5.7 23 24 0 47 14 49.16.6- Elkton 643 3,729 4.8 98 53 5 156 24 65.71.17 Melrose 568 2,897 5.1 25 19 2 46 8 57.81.07 Powers 370 1,702 4.6 34 14 0 48 13 71.41.05 Rogue 247 1,235 5.0 16 12 0 28 11 57.24.03 Sixes 42 235 5.6 2 2 0 4 9 50.05.01 Tioga 3,956 22,549 5.7 289 183 124 596 15 61 4.39.66 SOUTHWEST 6,196 34,426 5.6 487 307 131 925 15 61 Deschutes 109 600 5.5 2 5 2 9.08.01 Grizzly 27 174 6.4 0 3 4 7.04.01 Hood River 34 136 4.0 0 2 0 2.11.01 Keno 96 528 5.5 0 7 0 7......_.12.01 Maury 14 36 2.0 0 0 0 0.03 Ochoco 1,086 5,647 5.2 9 14 40 63.78.05 Wasco 603 3,678 6.1 18 42 0 60 10 30.75.08 CENTRAL 1,969 10,799 5.5 29 73 46 148 8 28 Beulah 1,248 8,112 6.5 13 52 168 233 18 20.92.17 Malheur 584 3,562 6.1 9 39 33 81 14 19.29.04 Silvies 239 1,243 5.2 5 10 15 30 13 33.03 SOUTHEAST 2,071 12,917 6.2 27 101 216 344 17 21 Baker 2,850 20,520 7.2 125 169 124 418 15 43 3.17.46 Catherine Cr. 1,000 6,100 6.1 68 26 64 158 16 72 3.33.53 Chesnimnus 3,123 18,738 6.0 345 106 170 621 20 76 5.21 1.04 Desolation 3,094 22,277 7.2 154 184 165 503 16 59 4.76.77 Heppner 2,659 18,613 7.0 102 92 128 322 12 52 1.97.24 Imnaha 1,373 8,787 6.4 134 113 115 362 26 54 3.43.91 Keating 682 4,637 6.8 34 29 71 134 19 54 1.14.22 Lookout Mtn. 170 765 4.5 7 2 50 59 35.49.17 Minam 1,943 13,212 6.8 154 174 156 484 51 47 2.59 1.31 Murderer's Cr 798 4,150 5.2 23 38 55 116 14 38.80.12 Northside 1,486 9,659 6.5 18 46 206 270 18 28.83.15 Sled Springs 3,688 22,866 6.2 330 104 333 767 21 76 5.27 1.09 Snake River 1,691 10,822 6.4 198 142 108 448 26 58 2.25.59 Starkey 6,600 48,840 7.4 323 227 335 885 13 59 5.28.71 Ukiah 3,876 29,458 7.6 223 155 137 515 13 59 7.05.94 Umatilla 4,651 31,162 6.7 454 111 204 769 16 80 10.34 1.71 Walla Walla 1,909 11,072 5.8 130 63 188 381 20 67 9.55 1.91 Wenaha 4,040 26,260 6.5 586 179 270 1,035 26 77 10.10 2.59 Wheeler 673 4,442 6.6 1 6 50 57 8....67.06 NORTHEAST 46,306 312,380 6.7 3,409 1,966 2,929 8,304 18 63 STATE TOTALS._68,178 433,363 6.2 5,078 2,952 3,372 11,402 17 63 *Square miles of habitat. GAME BULLETIN Page 7 Antlerless Total SPIKE BULLS HUNTERS Per Sq. Mi. ELK Per Sq. Mi.
1966 BIG GAME SEASONS (Continued from Page 3) and sheep season held in Oregon in the past 40 years. Mountain Goat The second goat season held in Oregon resulted in 100 percent success for all 5 goat hunters. The season opened September 24 and extended through September 30. The Wallowa Eagle Cap Wilderness area was divided into two sections and hunting was authorized in the portion not hunted in 1965. Bow Hunting The survey indicated that 10,693 persons hunted as archers and that they killed 880 deer and 111 elk. Bear The estimated take of black bear was 3,880 with approximately 8,500 persons hunting this species. Summary The 1966 hunting season was one of the better seasons on record. The third highest deer kill and a substantial elk kill were indicated from the hunter survey. Elk tag sales increased 3.6 percent and deer tag sales increased 2.8 percent, illustrating the increasing demand on big game resources. The separate elk tag regulation reduced the number of Roosevelt elk hunters in 1966. conduct throughout the big game seasons was generally good. Few instances of vandalism were reported and very few fires were caused by hunters. The present winter has been mild and game biologists report the probability of a good carry-over of big game animals. s can anticipate a comparable season in 1967. Elk making a dash to inspect their new surroundings in the Briggs Creek country back of Galice. The elk were transported to Josephine County after being trapped on the Millicoma Tree Farm in Coos County. They were hauled by truck to their new home. (Art Besaw Photo) TABLE 4 - ELK HUNTING TRENDS 1933-1966 Year State Total Rocky Mountain Elk Roosevelt Elk s Bulls Cows Total Success s Bulls Cows Total Success s Bulls Cows Success Total 1933 2,523 579 0 579 23% 2,440 579 0 579 23% No Open Season 1940 6,152 1,340 1,179 2,529 41% 4,809 1,152 1,179 2,331 48% 1,343 198 0 198 15% 1945 12,625 7,270 2,243 2,465 20% 7,270 2,176 67 2,243 30% 1,327 222 0 222 17% 1950 24,713 3,157 2,234 5,391 22% 16,726 2,210 1,234 3,444 21% 6,076 947 1,000 1,947 32% 1955 29,309 4,228 1,855 6,083 21% 21,504 3,361 1,749 5,110 24% 6,205 867 106 973 16% 1961 51,349 9,707 2,384 12,091 23% 36,514 7,098 1,863 8,934 24% 14,835 2,609 521 3,130 22% 1962 52,983 7,998 2,178 10,176 19% 39,432 6,460 1,925 8,385 21% 13,559 1,538 253 1,791 13% 1963 54,724 10,082 3,606 13,688 25% 41,216 6,959 3,606 10,565 26% 13,508 3,123._ 3,123 23% 1964 62,898 11,846 5,311 17,157 27% 41,010 7,576 4,879 12,455 30% 21,888 4,270 42 4,702 21% 1965 67,387 8,066 4,200 12,266 18% 47,651 5,768 3,594 9,362 20% 19,736 2,298 606 2,904 15% 1966 68,178 8,030 3,372 11,402 17% 49,504 5,529 3,189 8,718 18% 18,674 2,501 183 2,684 14% Oregon State Game Commission Bulletin 1634 S.W. ALDER STREET P.O. BOX 3503 PORTLAND, OREGON 97208 GAME COMMISSION