Information for May 2011, District Meetings Proposed Revision to OAR Division 46 The Dog Training Rules In early 2011 a citizen advisory group was formed and charged with making recommendations to the Department for the revision of the rules related to competitive trials for hunting dogs and the training of hunting dogs or raptors. The following is a brief summary of the rules in three categories prior to January 2011 and the rule revision which will be proposed by Department to the Commission at the June 2, 2011 Commission Meeting. 1) Rules prior to January 2011 Dog Training in General o Dog training is considered wildlife harassment in productive wildlife habitat during April July o No person shall let dogs run at large or train dogs in game bird nesting habitat during April July 1) Proposed Rules Dog Training in General o Only Department rules related to dog training in time or place will be on Department owned or managed lands (wildlife areas). Note: Other land management agencies may still restrict the running of dogs or dog training on lands they control. 2) Rules prior to January 2011 Use of wildlife (domestically-raised game birds) during dog or raptor training o Release allowed only with permit from local wildlife district in which the release is proposed. Permit is at the discretion of the local biologist. o Shooting or take by falcons of those released birds is only allowed during an authorized hunting season and while following all bag limits, including sex restrictions. 2) Proposed Rules Use of wildlife (domestically-raised game birds) during dog or raptor training o Release allowed with self-issuing (website) Game Bird Release Permit for Hunting Dog and Raptor Training. Release prohibited on Department owned or managed lands unless in designated dog training area and release is specifically allowed by the wildlife area. o Shooting or take by falcons of those birds released under the above permit is allowed in any number provided; the person is licensed, someone present has a release permit, the take occurs the same day as release or within 4 days if a multiday session, and the take of the birds is solely the purpose of dog or raptor training. Take prohibited on Department owned or managed lands unless in designated dog training area and take is specifically allowed by the wildlife area. Use of wildlife (wild-born game birds) during dog or raptor training o Pursuit of wild-born game birds is allowed from September 1 January 31. Take may only occur during the authorized season for an individual species. 1
3) Rules prior to January 2011 Competitive Trials o Allowed under discretionary permit from local wildlife district in which the trial is proposed any time wildlife is released or from April 1 August 15. 3) Proposed Rules Competitive Trials o Only minor changes to the rules are proposed. Discretionary permit is still required in most cases. Upland Game Bird/Waterfowl/Furbearer Regulations Upland Game Bird Season Frameworks are set for five year period, no framework changes are planned for 2011-12 seasons. Waterfowl Season proposals for 2011-12 Migratory Game Bird (Duck, Goose, etc.) Seasons will not be available until after the federal season frameworks are established in July 2011. Furbearer Trapping and Hunting Regulations are set for two year periods. Any new regulations proposed for the July 1, 2012-June 30, 2014 seasons will be provided next year. Big Game Regulation Overview and species by Species Highlights Potential Regulation Changes and Concepts Under Consideration Proposals for Potential Adoption June 2, 2011 Hunt area expansion: The Department is proposing to expand two hunt areas for 2011 once in a lifetime hunts to be sure hunters have a reasonable chance of success. Upper Owyhee Bighorn Sheep hunts 568A1 and 568A2 is proposed to be expanded to include the area of the Lower Owyhee hunt. During recent surveys at different times of the year biologists in Idaho, Nevada, and Oregon found few bighorn sheep in the vicinity of the Upper Owyhee hunt. The three states are planning coordinated flights this summer to survey the entire area during a short time period to determine the number and distribution of sheep in the area. o Recommendation, Add Lower Owyhee hunt area to Upper Owyhee hunts for 2011. Delete Upper Owyhee hunts for 2012. Most recent survey of the Cusick Mtn Rocky Mtn Goat hunt area (hunt 960B) located only ~15 Mtn Goats. Surveys during previous years have found up to ~50 goats in the area. The area is extremely rough and remote. Because of the continuing downward observed trend in the population the District is not confident a hunter would have the chance of success appropriate for a once in a lifetime tag. o Recommendation, expand the Cusick Mtn Hunt for 2011 to include the area of a new hunt proposed for 2012 (South Snake River). Delete Cusick Mtn Hunt for 2012. 2
Proposals under Consideration for Adoption in October, 2011 Bag Limit During Archery Seasons and Disability Permits Factors considered to determine units recommended to have an expanded bag limit include: The deer or elk population characteristics in the unit particularly o Population level relative to the population Management Objective o Recruitment as measured by fawn or calf ratios The number of antlerless firearms tags authorized in the unit The distribution of firearms tags in the unit In June of 2011, the department will make projections on which units will have an antlerless animal in the bag limit for archers and hunters with disabilities permits for fall of 2012. If the Commission adopts this proposal in October 2011 the department would list the units with an expanded bag limit in the 2012 Big Game Regulations. Elk bag limit changes in Tioga and Sixes Units. The Department proposal is to remove the Tioga WMU from the group of units with expanded bag limit for archers and hunters with an Oregon Disabilities Hunting and Fishing Permit and add the Sixes WMU to the list of units that include an antlerless animal in the bag limit for archery hunters and hunters with disabilities permits. o The Tioga WMU elk population is estimated to be ~1,000 elk below MO of 8,000, there are 10 unit-wide antlerless tags for a youth hunt. Other antlerless hunts in the unit are focused on areas with damage caused by elk. Bag limits for controlled bow and muzzleloader hunts are now 3pt.+. o The Sixes WMU elk population is estimated to be ~1,500 over the MO of 2,500. Antlerless tags ~220, most are focused on areas where much of the land is private. The Department is proposing substantial reductions in antlerless deer tags for several WMUs in northwest Oregon units. The proposals could likely result in proposals to the Commission in October, 2011 to close these units to antlerless harvest during the general archery season and for hunters with disabilities permits in 2012. Affected units could be the Scappoose, Saddle Mtn., Wilson, Trask, Stott Mountain, Alsea, and Siuslaw WMUs. Under this proposal there would continue to be a reduced number of unit-wide tags which allows landowners to address property damage and provides some unit-wide youth hunting opportunity. Additional tags for antlerless deer would be focused on specific damage areas. There is some risk which the Department believes is manageable in setting antlerless areas a year ahead of seasons. If an extreme winter was to occur causing a major reduction in deer and/or elk herds in areas with antlerless animals in the bag limit, the Department would propose an emergency rule change by April 15 th (same reporting deadline as for canceled hunts) to protect antlerless animals in the impacted areas. 3
Travel Management Area (TMA) and Area Closure Changes Add the JWTR TMA to the Big Game Regulations. JWTR is not an acronym; it is the official name of a landholding company. The TMA covers over 600,000 acres of land owned by the JWTR LLC in Jackson, Klamath, and Lake Counties, generally around Klamath Falls, Oregon. This is an existing closure. Lands are open to hunting without permission and are patrolled by a dedicated enforcement officer funded by an Access and Habitat Program grant. Updates The Oregon Mule Deer Initiative As part of the Oregon Mule Deer Initiative five units (Heppner, Murderers Creek, Maury, Steens Mtn., and Warner) have been receiving additional management activities to improve mule deer populations. Local work groups developed priorities and management actions for each unit. Since its inception, the MDI has led to 41,266 acres of mule deer habitat being treated. Much of this activity is juniper control, but habitat actions also include seeding, burning, and protection of other critical habitats. Population management actions that have been implemented include reductions in tag numbers to improve buck ratios, changes to travel management to reduce disturbance on winter ranges, and an increased ODFW and OSP presence during hunting seasons to reduce illegal take. Additional predator management is also continuing in three MDI Units. Coyote control has been initiated in the Heppner Unit whereas 29 and 13 cougars have been taken out of the Steens and Warner Target Areas, respectively. Including cooperator funds, nearly 2.5 million dollars has been spent implementing on-the-ground management actions in the five MDI units since activity began. Additionally, over $600,000 has been spent implementing improved population surveys in the last two years for all five MDI units and comparison areas. Much of the activities associated with MDI would not be possible without collaboration and the Department. Collaborators include: Oregon Hunters Association, Mule Deer Foundation, Oregon Wildlife Heritage Foundation, Wildlife Services, ODFW A&H program, USFS, BLM, NRCS, and the USFWS. Finally, landowners too numerous to list have stepped up and are allowing habitat management for the benefit of mule deer on their properties. Black-tailed Deer Management Plan The Oregon Black-tailed Deer Management Plan was adopted by the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission in November 2008. A primary objective in the plan is to develop improved population estimates for black-tailed deer in western Oregon. By using the age of deer taken (determined by analyzing the teeth) and other population information collected by the Department, the Sex-Age-Kill (SAK) population model can be used to develop a population estimate. For the model to be viable an extremely high proportion (>90%) of the total deer harvest needs to be aged. Thus hunter cooperation through providing teeth from their harvested deer is essential to development of the model. 4
To facilitate tooth collection, tooth envelopes for submitting teeth are available at all license agents and Department offices. During 2010, the Department mailed envelopes to hunters with controlled hunt tags for black-tailed deer and attempted to inform general season black-tailed deer hunters with information in the regulations and with multiple press releases. However, resulting tooth return rates from hunters remain very low; 1,858 teeth were returned from the 2010 seasons. With a total harvest of 17,396 black-tailed deer, an 11% return rate is not sufficient for a viable population model. Efforts to improve tooth collection from harvested black-tailed deer will continue for 2011. Although activities also are being implemented relative to other objectives in the black-tailed deer plan (e.g. working with land managers regarding habitat management for black-tailed deer, black-tailed deer research in the Trask Unit), the Department is developing a more aggressive process for implementing the Black-tailed Deer Management Plan. Local groups will be organized during 2011 to develop specific action plans to benefit black-tailed deer. Hair Loss Syndrome in Deer Deer Hair Loss Syndrome (DHLS) is a condition affecting both black-tailed and Columbian white-tailed deer. The condition produces hair discoloration, hair loss, weight loss, diarrhea, lethargy and can result in death from exposure and associated pneumonia. Trends in DHLS for western Oregon deer are static. Recently, field staff have identified and confirmed that a second exotic louse, Bovicola tibialis, is causing symptoms in eastern Oregon mule deer. Field staff will continue sampling to determine the extent and prevalence in mule deer populations. Extended Youth Elk Hunts Concerns were expressed last year regarding 46 new extended season youth elk hunts for 2010. The 5-month long youth hunts for antlerless elk were designed to provide maximum opportunities for youth to find time to hunt amongst all the other demands competing for their time. In total, 678 antlerless elk tags were authorized for these hunts in 2010. The primary concerns were with overlap of the youth rifle hunts with General and Controlled bow hunts and hunting during August when calves are likely still at heel. As a result of these concerns, a special telephone survey was conducted for these hunts. Results indicate the hunts were very well received. Highlights of the results are as follows: 98% of the tags authorized were purchased 93% of the youth purchasing the tag reported that they hunted 86% of the hunters reported making at least one special trip to hunt with this tag, 66% of the hunters reported another deer or elk season was open when they were hunting 4,242 youth days afield were relatively evenly distributed over the five month season 313 elk harvested by 548 hunters for 57% overall success rate (0% - 100% by hunt) 128 166 youth cow elk hunters in the field monthly during the five month season Of those hunters that hunted and reported harvesting an elk, 24% report harvesting their elk during August (estimated 75 elk) 97% of tag holders that hunted enjoyed the hunting experience 94% of unsuccessful hunters and 98% of successful hunters indicated they will try to hunt elk again 5
Mandatory Reporting of Hunter Harvest and Effort The new hunter reporting system has been operational for three years. Although hunter compliance has improved, it continues to be too low to provide reliable information. Overall for the 2008-09 seasons hunters reported on 15% of the tags issued; the reporting rate doubled to 36% for 2009-10 seasons (Table 1). By the end of March 2011, there was no apparent increase in reporting by hunters for the 2010 seasons. As a result, the Department mailed 147,000 hunters with outstanding reportable tags a reminder postcard. An additional 54,000 reports have been received from 28,000 hunters as a result of the postcard as of April 25 but reporting rate is still too low (50%) to be used for management decisions. Table 1. Trend in reporting rates for the Mandatory Harvest Survey. 2007 2010. Year Hunt Type 2007 2008 2009 2010 Controlled Pronghorn 8% 28% 57% 74% Controlled Elk 4% 20% 46% 60% General Bow 3% 15% 35% 48% General Cascades 2% 12% 29% 43% General Coast 1st 2% 12% 31% 44% General Coast 2nd 2% 11% 27% 41% General Rocky Mtn 1st 3% 14% 30% 42% General Rocky Mtn 2nd 4% 16% 36% 51% Total Elk 3% 16% 37% 51% Controlled Buck 4% 21% 47% 61% Controlled Doe 4% 22% 48% 60% General Bow 3% 14% 33% 45% Western General 1% 10% 25% 38% Total Deer 3% 15% 34% 48% General Fall 5% 20% 37% 44% Controlled Fall 15% 40% 67% 76% General Spring 5% 3% 42% 54% General Bonus Spring 5% 5% 42% 56% Total Turkey 5% 5% 42% 54% General Cougar 5% 17% 36% 47% Additional Cougar 5% 14% 31% 46% Total Cougar 5% 17% 36% 47% General Fall 4% 16% 35% 47% Additional 5% 16% 39% 48% SW Limited Spring 47% 64% Controlled Spring 6% 8% 61% 77% Total Bear 4% 15% 37% 50% Total All Tags 3% 15% 36% 50% The Department has two legislative concepts currently working through the 2011 Oregon Legislature specifically for improving hunter reporting rates. The first concept provides for a penalty that if approved would provide the authority for the department to implement an administrative fee of up to $25 which would allow hunters to buy back in and purchase tags or applications if they failed to report by the deadline. The penalty fee in other states range from $10 to $50. The second concept would provide more incentive for hunters to report on time. Hunters that report on their hunts by a specific date are entered into a drawing for special tags. The rules for the tags are similar to those for Auction and Raffle tags (long season, statewide, etc). Currently, the department does not have the authority to give away tags; the legislative concept would allow the department to award free tags rather than requiring the hunter to purchase the tag for full price. Reporting deadlines for the special tag drawing are: January 31 - for cougar tags and all hunts that start on or after August 1, and end on or before December 31, of the previous year (January 31, 2011 for most 2009 hunts). April 15 - for hunts that end January 1-March 31 (such as late elk hunts). June 30 - for Spring Bear hunts and Spring Turkey season, all of which end May 31. 6
Proposed 2011 Controlled Hunt Tag Numbers Table 2. Summary of corrected controlled hunt tag numbers, 2008 2011. Proposed *Percent Species/Hunt Type 2008 tags 2009 tags 2010 tags 2011 tags Change TOTAL DEER 77,358 74,265 73,817 72,054-2% Buck 62,146 59,242 58,550 57,880-1% Bow/Muzzleloader 3,067 3,093 3,454 3,446 0% Antlerless (600 Series) 10,806 10,573 10,372 9,453-9% Youth 1,339 1,357 1,441 1,275-12% TOTAL ELK 53,841 52,627 53,285 56,946 7% Bull/Either Sex 38,524 37,100 37,251 36,786-1% Bow/Muzzleloader 4,190 4,290 4,216 7,540 79% Rifle Antlerless 10,452 10,550 10,783 11,543 7% Youth 675 687 1,035 1,077 4% BIGHORN 89 91 89 93 5% MT. GOAT 8 11 10 11 10% TOTAL PRONGHORN 2,893 2,736 2,696 2,642-2% Rifle Buck/Either Sex 1,713 1,605 1,554 1,521-2% Bow/Muzzleloader 946 914 920 904-2% Doe 205 182 187 187 0% Youth 29 35 35 30-14% Proposed *Percent Spring Bear 2009 tags 2010 tags 2011 Tags 2012 Tags Change TOTAL SPRING BEAR 7,635 8,379 8,376 8,403 0% Controlled Spring Bear 3,687 4,181 4,178 4,205 1% Youth Spring Bear 198 198 198 198 0% SW Limited 3,750 4,000 4,000 4,000 0% Proposed 2007 Incl. 2008 Incl. 2009 Incl. 2010 Incl. *Percent 08 Spr. Br. 09 Spr. Br. 10 Spr. Br. 11 Spr Bear Change Grand total tags 141,824 138,109 138,273 140,149 1% *Percent change calculated for the difference between 2010 and 2011 tags for all species except bear which is calculated for the difference between 2011 and 2012. 7
2010 & 2011 Big Game Hunting Regulations Proposal Information Standard season dates for 2012 hunts are as follows: Archery Aug. 25 Sept. 23 Cascade Buck Deer Sept. 29 Oct. 12 & Oct. 20 Nov. 2 Coast Buck Deer Sept. 29 Nov. 2 Western OR Antlerless Deer Oct. 20 Nov. 2 Controlled Buck Deer Sept. 29 Oct. 10 Eastern OR Antlerless Deer Oct. 13 21 Cascade Bull Oct. 13 19 General Coast 1 st Season Nov. 10 13 General Coast 2 nd Season Nov. 17 23 Rocky Mt. Bull Elk 1 st Season Oct. 24 28 Rocky Mt. Bull Elk Season 2 nd Season Nov. 3 11 Rocky Mt. Std. Antlerless Elk Nov. 17 25 Pronghorn (1 st Centerfire Season) Aug. 11 19 Some relevant 2012 holidays that may impact season dates are: Labor Day September 3 Thanksgiving November 22 General Winter Conditions Western Oregon: Conditions were more severe during winter 2010 2011 than has been observed recently. Higher elevations of the Cascades and Coast Ranges receive high amounts of snow that persisted well into spring. The prevalence of Deer Hair Loss Syndrome remains variable across western Oregon primarily at elevations below 1,500 feet. Eastern Oregon: Many areas in eastern Oregon experienced cold temperatures and persistent snow conditions for winter 2010 2011, particularly northern Malheur and Baker counties. Similar to western Oregon, winter persisted late in to the spring which also may impact populations. Overall, 2010 spring surveys found fair-poor winter survival in many deer and elk herds. However, an excellent summer during 2010 resulted in many herds going into winter with fall fawns and calves in excellent condition which moderated the impact to some herds. Species by Species Highlights Black Bear Limited First-come First-served Spring Bear Season in Southwest Oregon. Hunters purchased the 4,000 available SW Oregon Spring Bear Limited, first-come firstserved tags in 2010. The Department is proposing to maintain tags at 4,000 for the 2012 season. Shift Fossil and Heppner Units to the South Blue Mtns Hunt: S. Blue Mts. (Hunt # 746A): Tag numbers are proposed to increase from 495 in 2011 to 550 in 2012. This adjustment was made because this hunt is proposed to include the Fossil and Heppner WMUs. See comments for 749A below. 8
W. Blue Mts. (Hunt Number 749A): No changes in tag numbers or season length, but a boundary change was made to exclude the Fossil and Heppner WMUs. This hunt is relatively difficult to draw and few of the tag holders hunt in the Fossil or Heppner units. These two units were moved to Hunt #746A to allow hunters interested in hunting these units the opportunity to hunt them more often as part of a hunt that is less difficult to draw. Cougar Target Areas Currently, four Cougar Target Areas, as described in Chapter VI, Adaptive Management Process, of the 2006 Cougar Management Plan, have been implemented to address declining ungulate populations. Beginning in December 2009 Through April 4, 2011, a total of 121 cougars have been administratively removed from the Steens Mtn., Ukiah, Warner, and Wenaha target areas (Table 3). Population Overview Table 3. Cougar target area objectives and removals Dec. 2009-April 2011. Target Area Annual Objective # Removed To Date Steens 20 29 Ukiah 35 61 Warner 14 13 Wenaha 20 18 Total 101 121 Data current as of April 4, 2011. Population modeling suggests a 2% increase in cougar numbers for 2010 to 5,757. The total number of damage complaints received was stable with 437 in 2009 and 423 in 2010, although data for 2010 are preliminary. Non-hunting mortalities increased 22% to 242 in 2010 Bighorn Sheep The Department is proposing 93 Bighorn Sheep tags (83 California, 10 Rocky Mountain) in 43 hunts (36 California, 7 Rocky Mountain) for 2011 (Table 17). This is an increase of four tags from 89 in 2010. Six tags (one Rocky Mountain, five California) are proposed for non resident hunters (6 percent). The Department will propose standard calendar shifts for most bighorn sheep hunts (Table 17). The Department will also propose a number of season changes in California bighorn hunts for 2012. The two Upper Owyhee hunts and two East Trout Creek hunts will be combined into one East Whitehorse hunt. Similarly, the two Alvord-Buckskin hunts and East Beatys Butte hunts will be combined into two East Beatys Butte-Alvord Peaks hunts. Finally, a second hunt period will be added for the South Central hunt area and a third hunt period will be added to the East Deschutes area hunts in 2012. Mountain Goat The Department is proposing 11 Rocky Mountain goat tags in eight hunts (Table 18). In addition to Department proposals, the department expects tribal hunting from the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation during 2011. The department will propose standard calendar shifts for existing Rocky Mountain goat hunts in 2012 (Table 18). One hunt, Cusik Mountain, will be deleted and one new hunt area, South Snake River, is proposed to be added in 2012. The Department is also proposing to expand the hunt area for the Hat Point hunts current 26 square miles to include the northern portion of the Snake River WMU, a total of ~ 360 square miles. 9
Pronghorn Antelope The department is proposing 2,642 tags in 56 hunts for 2011 (Table 19), representing a decrease of two percent from 2010 tag numbers. The proposal for fewer tags is a result of declines in fawn ratios in some areas. Deer Proposals for 2012 pronghorn hunts are listed in Table 20. One new youth hunt, Thief Valley, is proposed for 2012 and no hunts are proposed for deletion. The Department proposes changing the bag limit in one hunt, east Fort Rock Silver Lake from one buck to either sex in 2012. Most hunts are proposed to have standard calendar shifts. General black-tailed deer hunter participation declined in 2010: western General rifle hunters declined 5% to 73,136 with 16% success, of ~12,000 deer. The number of western Oregon bow hunters with general tags declined 4% to 18,198 with 13% success and a harvest of ~2,400 deer The Department is proposing no changes to controlled archery and muzzleloader tags for deer in 2011. The Department is proposing a one percent decrease in the number of controlled buck deer tags (57,880) for 2011 (Table 21). The Department is proposing to reduce controlled rifle antlerless deer tags by ten percent to 9,453 for 2011 (Table 22). This decline is in response to declining black-tailed deer populations in northwest Oregon. Proposed tag numbers for youth hunts will also decrease 12% to 1,275. For 2012 overall, department proposals would delete two deer hunts and add five new deer hunts. Proposed changes include: o Add one new muzzleloader hunt in the Fossilunit. o Delete hunt 616A W Santiam and replace it with two hunts, NW Santiam and SW Santiam to better control hunter distribution. Elk Proposed 2011 Controlled Elk Tags Most archery elk hunting is conducted under general seasons. For the eleven controlled bow hunts for elk, the department is proposing 5,046 tags for 2011 (Table 24). The dramatic increase in controlled bow tags is a result of moving late archery antlerless elk hunting in northwest Oregon from general seasons to controlled seasons. Proposed controlled muzzleloader elk tags are up 2% to 2,494 for 2011. Proposed controlled elk rifle tags for 2011 are up one percent to 48,329 tags. The department is proposing a 4% increase in youth elk tags to 1,077 for 2011. Proposed 2012 Elk Seasons At this time the Department is proposing to maintain existing general season structure with standard calendar adjustment to most season dates for 2012. The archery bag limit is a legal bull except in units identified by the Commission each year. 10
For 2012, the following changes are proposed to controlled elk hunts (Table 24). Overall, department proposals would delete two hunts and create four new controlled elk hunts. Proposed changes include: o Delete the Steamboat and Tokatee hunts. o Add the Central Alsea Private Lands, North Starkey, and Mt. Harris rifle hunts. o Add one new muzzleloader hunt in the Heppner unit. Miscellaneous Regulation Concepts Being Considered Allow sale of preference points through November 30 th. This concept was introduced by a member of the public, potential benefits include: Allows hunters to spread the cost of licenses, tags, and applications throughout the year. Could increase revenue. Reduces the rush at Point of Sale outlets during the May 15 th tag sale deadline period which could reduce the risk of system slowdowns which have necessitated extending the application period in the past. 11