OREGON STATE GAME COMMISSION ULLETIN SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 1964 OREGON STATE Bird Hunting Prospects GAME COMMISSION Bird hunters may expect a good sea- change evident in Malheur County. Adult son although production generally is be- birds make up a large percentage of the low that of 1958 and 1963. The prospects population in all areas this year. in eastern Oregon this spring were dim A good hatch of pheasants was pro- ULLETIN duetodry conditions on the lower duced in the Willamette Valley and in ranges but June rains improved the out- Malheur County. Umatilla County also look and some late nesting occurred, par- appears fair but elsewhere production is ticularly in the case of valley quail and below the bumper crop available last September-October 1964 chukars. year. Morrow County is particularly poor. Number 5, Volume 19 Commission biologists completed in- Although good habitat is limited, the tensive brood counts during the period grain and diversified farming sections from July 27 through August 14. Results of the Willamette Valley should offer Published Bimonthly by the of these studies, along with the stated some of the best hunting in the state. OREGON STATE GAME COMMISSION desires of landowners and the hunting 1634 S.W. Alder StreetP.O. Box 3503 Stay clear of the rye grass areas since Portland, Oregon 97208 public, served as the basis for the regula- these are unproductive. tions adopted at the August 21 hearing. MEMBERS OF COMMISSION This should be another good year for Tallant Greenough, Chairman Coquille Following is a brief run-down on what Joseph W. Smith, Vice-Chairman_Klamath Falls valley quail and the extended season John P. Amacher Winchester may be expected this fall. through December will offer unlimited Wayne E. Phillips Baker J. Pat Metke Bend Upland Game opportunities for the shotgun enthusiast P. W. SCHNEIDER, Director interestedinsport.Wasco,Umatilla, MIRIAM KAUTTU SUHL, Editor Dove and pigeon seasons open Sep- Grant, Lake, and Malheur Counties look H. C. SMITH, Staff Artist tember 1 and extend through the month. like the best bets. Mountain quail produc- Second-classpostagepaidatPortland, A good supply of both species is avail- Oregon. tion is similar to last year although the Please report promptly any change of ad- able and should offer excellent sport birds are widely scattered and much of dress. Send in address label from a recent for the shotgun enthusiast. Doves in issue with notice of change. Bulletin is circu- the range is inaccessible. lated free of charge. particular are numerous and the daily bag limit has been increased from 10 to The outlook for chukars does not 12 in order to crop the surplus of birds. compare with last year. There was a good Hunting success will depend on weather carry-over of adult birds from 1963 but The Cover the cold, dry spring resulted in poor Cock of the Walk. (Photo by Ron Shay ) conditions before the season since rains or a cold spell will encourage doves to productionthisyear. June rainsen- move southward. Hot spots at the first couraged some late nesting. In view of poor production and late broods, the BULLETIN of the season are expected to include grasslands and stubble fields in central Septemberseasonincludesonlythe HUNTER SAFETY and northeastern Oregon. Good hunting Labor Day week end followed by a sec- TRAINING PROGRAM also is anticipated along the river bars ond opening with deer season on Octo- and in harvested grain fields in western ber 3rd. This will provide some early Instructors Approved Oregon. Water holes in southeastern Ore- recreationbuthuntersshouldselect Month of June 10 gon offer excellent shooting later as the adult birds which represent a large part Month of July 15 birds begin to migrate. of the population. The season will close with waterfowl hunting on January 7 Total to Date 3,193 Band-tailed pigeon hunting is fairly well confined to the vicinity of mineral to provide as much recreation as possible. Students Trained springs and tidal mud flats areas. Con- Brood production varies considerably Month of June 406 centrations of birds around such areas between areas. The best opportunities Month of July 363 depend on weather, and a warm spell appear to include the entire Snake and Malheur River drainages and the upper Total to Date 68,389 immediately prior to the season will re- sult in heavy use. Excellent hunting is John Day River system. Production is Firearms Accidents Reported 1964 available at times along the Coast Range poor in the Steens Mountains, lower John Fatal 0 and the west slope of the Cascades as Day, and Deschutes areas which have been popular in the past. Adult birds, Nonfatal 13 migrant flocks feed southward through cut and burned over areas which produce wise to the ways of hunters, make up a huckleberriesandotherfruits.Few large percentage of the chukar popula- tion this year which will reduce success. BIG GAME SEASONS hunters have taken advantage of these opportunities in the past. Little change is evident in Hungarian Oct. 3.25General deer season. Short September seasons are sched- (Continued on Page 8) Oct. 17-25Deer unit permit hunts. uled this year for grouse. Numbers con- tinue to fluctuate irrespective of hunting Oct. 31-Nov. 22Roosevelt Elk W. Ore. and it is felt that some recreation can be GAME BULLETIN provided despite the limited supply of PUBLISHED BIMONTHLY Oct. 31-Nov. 29Rocky Mt. Elk E. Ore. birds. The best prospects for blue and The Game Commission Bulletin is be- Nov. 14-29Elk permit hunts N.E. Ore. ruffed grouse appear to be in Wallowa County and along the west slope of the ing issued every other month instead NOTE: Check official synopsis of big game of monthly because of lacks of funds. regulations for detailed information on sea- Cascades. Sage grouse production is down sons, limits, and open areas. in Lake and Harney Counties with little Page 2 SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER PRINCIPLES OF UPLAND BIRD MANAGEMENT

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4,00 I 40,

By R. U. Mace, Chief Biologist, Upland Game

IN 1963, approximately 100,000 Oregon agement. We will evaluate the current the Willamette Valley, Columbia Basin, hunters spent 818,000 days afield in the upland game management program and and Malheur County. process of bagging 1,285,000 upland game offer some predictions as to the future. Hungarian partridge from the plains birds. For simplicity, the following dis- Such an evaluation must include an in- of central Europe were first introduced cussion will be limited to the resident ventory of what is available, how the in 1900 and have become established on species of pheasants, quail, partridge, and supply can be increased, and what bene- the rolling grasslands and wheat fields grouse, although migratory doves and fits the public can expect. of northeastern Oregon. Releases of pigeons also are classed as upland game. Inventory chukar partridge, a native of India, were The pioneers who settled the Oregon Currently, Oregon supports 12 forms started in 1951 and have resulted in phe- country were familiar only with grouse of resident upland game. The ring-necked nomenal success throughout the steep, and quail, the remaining species being in- pheasant was introduced from China in rocky areas of eastern Oregon. The De- troduced at a later date. Such introduc- 1881 and remains the most important schutes, John Day, Snake, and Malheur tions continue to be made today in an from the standpoint of hunting. Pheasants River drainages support sizable popula- attempt to establish populations of value are confined primarily to agricultural tions and hunting has been permitted for hunting. areas. Grain is almost a "must" for these since 1956. The importance of upland game was birds and the riche], .ne land, the more Five species of grouse are native to recognized as early as 1872, the date of numerous the pheasants. Oregon. Since these birds are scattered Oregon's first game law which prohibited Three species of quail are present. and fluctuate in abundance, grouse hunt- hunting during the nesting season. Closed Valley quail originally were found only ing is not of major importance. Blue and seasons and bag limits became more re- in southern Oregon but have since been ruffed grouse occupy the mountainous strictive during the early 1900s and such transplanted to much of the farmland areas of the state, ranging into the brushy restrictions,along with stocking pro- and range areas of the state. Mountain foothills and valleyedges.Franklin's grams, were the major forms of manage- quail were native to timbered areas and grouse, or "fool hens," are confined to ment practiced until recent times. distribution has changed little with the the higher areas of the Wallowa Moun- Times and values change, and today passing years. Bobwhites were introduced tains. A remnant of sharp-tailed grouse the interest and demands of the hunting from the Midwest as early as 1879 but exists in Baker County, while sage grouse public require refined and orderly man- persist today only in limited numbers in (Continued on Page 4) GAME BULLETIN Page 3 Principles of Upland Bird Management (Continued from Page 3) occupy the sagebrush areas of southeast- ern Oregon. Wild turkeys are the most recent game birds to be introduced successfully. Planting turkeys from game farms dates back to 1899 but such efforts failed to establish wild flocks. Birds were trapped from the wild in Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico in 1961 and released in Was- co, Jefferson, and Wallowa Counties. Re- sults to date have been encouraging. The above review of upland game birds in Oregon reveals that nearly every portion of the state supports one or more forms. One of the Game Commission's most important jobs in managing these resources is acquiring up-to-date knowl- edge on what we have. Improving condi- tions and regulating seasons would be impossible without such knowledge, so Introduction of the chukar partridge proved successful, and high hopesare held for the more recent our first principle of upland game man- turkey plantings. agement is inventory. This applies to any business and, lest we forget, game birds depends on land use, and such practices Game birds are a product of the land are big business. A third of Oregon's as removal of fence rows, destroying and prosper or decline in response to hunters hunt one or more species. cover by burning and spraying, housing land use practices. Imprcivement of food Basically, the game manager must in- developments, and others all serve to re- and cover is the most important and dif- ventory three factors.First, the birds duce habitat. Knowledge of current con- ficult phase of game bird management, themselves. What is available in the way ditions and changes is necessary to plan particularly on private lands where there of breeding stock and production? It is improvements and take advantage of is little incentive to better conditions for impossible to count every bird, but we every opportunity to increase bird sup- wildlife. Land values prohibit the pur- are able to sample portions of the popu- plies. Compatibility with agriculture must chase of extensive acreage for the pri- lation and determine whether numbers be considered in this planning, too, since mary use of game birds, although some are above or below past levels. Breeding birds, particularly pheasants, are respon- key areas have been acquired for this population inventories during the late sible for some crop damage. purpose. winter are designed to measure brood The third factor to be inventoried is Cooperative programs with landown- stocks, and considerable effort is expend- the harvest, which is the end product of ers offer the best chance of success. Areas ed for this purpose. Continuity in sam- upland game management. Hunting suc- in Oregon selected for concentrated effort pling is necessary, and identical areas are cess is estimated by means of a scien- include Columbia Basin wheatlands and covered on foot at the same time each tifically designed questionnaire mailed to the mid-Willamette Valley. Under this year. Breeding populations of pheasants a random sample of 20,000 hunters, or a program, individual landowners are visit- and quail on farmlands are expressed as little over six per cent of those who pur- ed and ten-year agreements signed where- birds per 100 acres for comparative pur- chase licenses. The experience of those by the Game Commission agrees to de- poses, while grouse, quail, and partridge answering the questionnaire is applied velop waste areas that cannot be farmed on timber and rangelands are inventoried to all hunters in order to determine the profitably.Inreturn,the landowner as birds seen per mile traveled on foot total kill. This procedure is fairly uni- agrees to permit hunting on portions of or horseback. form in all states although we sample a his property. Development of the selected Despite size of the breeding popula- higher percentage of hunters than most. areas includes fencing to protect from tion, hunting depends on success of the Accuracy depends on the cooperation of livestock, installation of water cisterns, nesting season. The production inventory hunters, and it is pleasing to note that and food crop and cover plantings. is made in late July and early August approximately 90 per cent of all ques- Game Commission crews have been when broods are in evidence. Extensive tionnaires are filled out and returned. responsible for improvements on over observations at this time are used to de- The effects of hunting on survival of 300 private properties to date. Develop- termine average size and age of broods breeding stock can be used to plan future ments have included the installation of and numbers of chicks per adult. With regulations. Such information has been approximately 665 water cisterns, the such information available, the Commis- the basis for a recent trend toward liber- planting of 1,350,000 trees and shrubs sion can establish sound hunting regu- alized seasons. and 10,000 acres of annual food crops, the lations. Production construction of 175 valley quail roosting So much for an inventory of the birds Inventory of the resource is a neces- platforms, and the building of 21,000 rods themselves. The second type of inventory sary preface, but producing upland game of fence to protect 525 individual sites. involves habitat, which is even more im- for hunting remains the primary objec- The agreements have resulted in approxi- portant. Games birds are dependent on tive of game bird management. What are mately 475,000 acres being opened to the quantity, quality, and distribution of the principles of production, and how do hunting for a ten-year period. food, water, and cover. Welfare of birds we go about it? (Continued on Page 5) Page 4 SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER ed for trial release in the hope of dupli- over much of the state from their original Principles of Upland cating our success with the chukar. range in southern Oregon. Mountain quail A second important function of the and chukar partridge are other species Bird Management game farm is to furnish a nucleus of which can be trapped readily. (Continued from Page 4) breeding stock for re-establishing popu- Protection in the form of law enforce- While the list is impressive, develop- lations decimated by winter loss or other ment, predatorcontrol,refuges,and ment is expensive and slow and affects natural catastrophies. Many sub-marginal winter feeding is a part of upland game only a small portion of the area available. pheasant ranges support birds through production. Enforcement is a continuing It does offer a positive means of improv- mild winters and can furnish some hunt- requirement, particularly in the face of ing conditions and is a sound program ing if restocked periodically following increased hunting pressure. which will be continued within the limits severe weather. Intensive predator control is costly ofavailablefunds. Improvements on The third function of a game farm is and cannot be applied on all upland game public land where ownership is stable to supply some birds for hunting. Public ranges. Some control of predators is de- will receive greater emphasis in the land near centers of population can be sirable to protect newly introduced spe- future. stocked for the gun most efficiently, thus cies such as the wild turkey, but the A field receiving more attention in reducing hunting pressure on private maintenance of good cover is the most recent years is the educational effort property.Such stocking is costly and reliable protection that can be provided being expended to save existing habitat. must be limited, however. Mortality is established bird populations. Many federal programs in the past have high and not all birds released show up Research work elsewhere substanti- worked at cross purposes insofar as wild- in the hunter's bag. A research study at ates this conclusion. Charles P. Brown life was concerned. One agency making Summer Lake between 1946 and 1950, in and Stacy B. Robeson (1959, The Ring- incentive payments to drain or clear land which all the birds were banded, empha- necked Pheasant in New York) state that would be in direct conflict with another sized this point. The cost for each cock predation is but one of many checks agency attempting to preserve such areas. bagged from mixed releases of both sexes acting to hold down the potential in- Increased interest in wildlife and recre- during August was estimated to be $18.44. crease and that predators harvest but a ation has been effective in counteracting The return from roosters planted during portion of the surplus above numbers some of these conflicts, and it is encour- the hunting season was much better, re- which good range will support. They aging to note a definite improvement in ducing the cost to $4.50 per kill. Even refer to a fox control study in which this respect. Game managers now are be- this figure is high compared to the $4.00 foxes were reduced on one area to a level ing consulted in advance, both by land- charge for a hunting license permitting about one-fifth the number present on owner groups and f e der al agencies three roostersdaily.Currently, game an adjacent check area. No appreciable planning work on public lands. Sagebrush farm production totals 20,000 pheasants gains in pheasants resulted from such spraying and other control programs are and, since hunters will bag 500,000 birds activities, and the cost was considered being coordinated with the Game Com- during a good year, it is obvious that we excessive. e, mission, and such relationships are help- must depend on natural reproduction for Refuges have been popular in the past ful in preserving key game bird habitat. a successful season. as a means of increasing breeding stock. Another phase of game bird produc- Trapping and transplanting wild birds Experience, however, has revealed that tion involves stocking. One of the first, also is an effective means of stocking. the abundance of natural cover and avail- and still most popular, forms of upland Valley quail were trapped and distributed game management involved in releasing (Continued on Page 6) birds raised on game farms. Early stock- ing programs emphasized variety and numbers with little regard to suitability of the habitat. Needless to say, such an approach proved expensive and failures were many. On the credit side, foreign species such as the Chinese pheasant and Hungarian partridge owe their presence in Oregon to early day stocking programs. Stocking of game farm or wild-trapped birds remains a most important part of modern management. The game farm serves three major purposes, the first being to produce a supply of a new species for initial planting. Nowadays we plan ahead and match the bird with the area to which it is being introduced. After comparing the native range of the Indian chukar partridge with areas in eastern Oregon, the Game Commission commenc- ed to raise and release these birds in 1951. Wild populations were established at a minimum cost and hunting became possible in 1956. Much of the range oc- cupied by chukars is public land, offering hunting opportunities on areas which previously supported few or no upland game birds. Other species are being rear- Habitat improvement crew using seed driller for grass planting. GAME BULLETIN Page 5 Principles of Upland Bird Management (Continued from Page 5) ability of posted land provide adequate protection from hunting without the nec- essity of a separate refuge system. R. A. MacMullan (1954, The Life and Times of Michigan Pheasants) writes that Michigan has had long experience with refuges and, with few exceptions, such sanctuaries have no more pheasants than surrounding areas. He concluded that refuges were a waste of effort if used to make good range out of poor, and that merely protecting birds from hunting would not increase the capacity of land to produce pheasants. Winter feeding may be practical in emergency situations but is a poor sub- stitute for natural food and cover. The difficulty of reaching but a small portion of birds coupled with the danger of con- centrating predators in the vicinity of feedarebut two seriousarguments against a planned winter feeding pro- gram. 0 - N toIt 1/4) to01sz N er) a 16) CO coof Quail, in particular, suffer during ex- tremely cold weather when crusted snow 0) covers the ground. An alternative to feed- Figure I SPRING PHEASANT POPULATION DENSITY , WILLAMETTE ing is to trap large concentrations and hold the birds at a game farm until the VALLEY 1940 1959. severe weather has passed. Pheasants, on provement, stocking, and protection are 1942 and 1948. One might conclude that the other hand, are hardy and can survive important but Mother Nature still retains protection from hunting was responsible food shortages for a considerable period. control over annual production. Take the for the increase if it weren't for the fact It takes nearly a month to starve a cap- case of chukar partridge, for example. that similar peaks were reached in 1955 tive ringneck in winter, and here in west- Moisture during the early spring months and 1959 following open seasons. ern Oregon we have found that game appears to be all-important. A wet spring An extensive refuge program was in farm birds could survive for three months promoting good grass growth generally effect during the early 1940s in an effort in the winter on green feed alone. is followed by an excellent crop of birds. toincreasepheasants.Approximately Production and survivalof upland Chukars fail to pair or nest during dry 120,000 acres of private lands were closed game are controlled by carrying capacity, springs with the result that few broods under five-year contracts during this pe- particularly on the winter range. This is are produced. On the other hand, too riod. These refuges were permitted to not a strict and inflexible limit but one much rain during the hatching period expire and by 1953 only 8,000 acres still which fluctuates, dependent on weather. may result in a heavy loss of chicks remained under contract. It is interesting While the annual turnover averages be- through chilling. The effect of weather to note that the 1955 and 1959 population tween 70 and 80 per cent for most species, on annual production assumes major im- peaks were comparable to those experi- the carry over of breeding stock varies portance to hunters since the harvest is enced during the refuge period. We can substantially between years. made up primarily of young birds. No only conclude that the Willamette Valley Habitat improvement is the only pro- control by man can have as much in- will support a maximum of 23 to 28 duction technique which can affect long fluence. pheasants per 100 acres through the range carrying capacity. The benefits of Population changes irrespective of winter and that closed seasons, refuges, artificial propagation and such protection protection have been well documented and management programs other than measures as refuges and predator control in the case of Willamette Valley pheas- food and cover developments have little are limited for established species since ants. Figure 1 graphically illustrates fluc- or no effect over the long run. This con- most ranges are stocked to capacity. Re- tuations which occurred over a 20-year clusion is basic to an understanding of moving the habitat bottleneck is the most period between 1940 and 1960 when con- upland game management. effective means of improvement. sistent counts were made each spring on Harvest Any comments on upland game pro- approximately 9,000 acres of habitat. The The hunter is primarily interested, duction would be incomplete without average number of birds per 100 acres and rightly so, in the end product of some discussion on the effects of weather. varied in a fairly rhythmic pattern during upland game management, which is birds There is a tendency'to overemphasize the the period, reaching a peak at about six- for the gun. Designing hunting regula- importance of management and either year intervals. tions is a most important function and heap praise or abuse on the game ad- Low breeding populations prompted one which must be based on current ministrator dependent on the outcome closed seasons in 1939 and 1940 and again knowledge. of the hunting season. in 1946 and 1947. These closures were Recreation is the major value. For True, such practices as habitat im- followed by high breeding densities in Continued on Page 7) Page 6 SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER after the season in some areas has indi- area. The other approach was to permit Principles of Upland cated a hen loss approaching the legal some hen shooting, and this has been kill of cocks. Needless to say, this is a done since 1955 with no effect on pro- Bird Management very disconcerting development and one duction. (Continued from Page 6) that makes us question the validity of Idaho also has allowed some hen shoot- this reason, length of the season rather hunting cocks only. Spring carrying ca- ing at the end of each season since 1960. than sizeofthe bag receives the pacity seems to be the controlling factor As the following table indicates, a modest most emphasis. Landowner tolerance, of and, if so, surplus hens might as well be take of hens has had no effect on the har- course, must be considered and is the harvested in the fall. Of concern, also, is vest of cocks in succeeding years. The basis for shorter seasons for pheasants the apparent heavy loss of hens some 1963 kill included 16 per cent hens, which and other farmland species than could be years between the March inventory and is a substantial bonus from the resource. allowed in order to accommodate the August when the broods are counted. Year Cocks Hens Total wishes of those who control the land. This knowledge may be the basis for Kill This problem will become more intense more liberal pheasant regulations in the 1960 500,500 25,100 525,600 as hunting pressures increase. future. A review of the experience of ad- 1961 495,400 39,600 535,000 Regulations have become more liberal joining states is interesting. 1962 494,900 59,300 554,200 in recent years due mainly to increased Work published by Chester M. Hart 1963 602,700 112,900 715,600 knowledge regarding the effects of hunt- (1955, Pheasant Survival Studies in Cali- We have discussed some of the prin- ing. Research in nearly every state has fornia)offers some food for thought ciples of upland game management and pointed out the small part played by the along these lines. A study at Sutter Basin the developments in Oregon to date. Man- gun in affecting the crop of birds. Basi- in the Sacramento Valley provided esti- agement of game birds is subject to many cally, the annual turnover rate of 70 to mates of survival and mortality rates uncontrollable factors, particularly the 80 per cent remains fairly constant and, with a cock season as follows: weather, and can never become an exact once capacity has been reached, produc- CocksHensTotal science. It is difficult to make predictions tion can be increased only by improving Survival, per cent 20 35 30 in advance since unknown variables often the habitat, not by carrying more birds Hunting mortality, upset the best laid plans. In fact, game through the winter. In most cases, hunt- per cent 56 9 27 management is more of an art than a ing merely takes birds which would other- Non-hunting mor- science. We develop techniques for ob- wise be lost to natural causes. tality, per cent 24 56 43 taining information, then mold future What are some examples of liberal The hunting mortality of cocks was changes on the basis of experience. The seasons? In 1963 the production inven- lighter than could be supported since cautious and flexible approach is the pro- tory revealed an excellent crop of chuk- much of the area was under hunting con- ductive one and the only course to follow ars. Since the larger proportion of these trols, either posted or in private shooting in dealing with the intangibles of upland birds are produced on public land where preserves. Of significance was the heavy game management. e" hunting is unrestricted, the Commission mortality of hens through causes other Despite successes to date, there can be authorized a four-month season with an than hunting. One approach suggested no letdown. New knowledge and new de- eight-bird daily bag limit. The result was was to improve the habitat to increase velopments must be applied to keep a harvest of nearly 300,000 birds by 28,- hen survival, but the author felt this to abreast of the increasing demand for 000 hunters who averaged four days be impractical in the intensively farmed game bird hunting in Oregon. apiece in the field. Grouse numbers are known to vary in Good management produces happy hunters. a more or less cyclic pattern. Originally, the season was closed during low years, but experience revealed that continued hunting had little or no effect on the upswing. Consequently, open seasons are continued each year, thus providing some recreation for those who enjoy pursuing these species regardless of availability. Hunting effort varies with game abund- ance and few participate when game is scarce. This virtually eliminates the pos- sibility of over-shooting a species such as grouse, which inhabit dense cover. In the case of pheasants, we have em- ployed a cock-only season since 1937. This is the only upland game species in which sex can be readily determined thus al- lowing the protection of females. A hen in the bag at the end of the season has been permitted in localized areas when production isparticularlygood. Such regulations have been designed to reduce crop damage the following spring rather than as a means of increasing the kill. r-Experience indicates that it has not af- fected production the following year. A comparison of sex ratios before and GAME BULLETIN 1964 UPLAND GAME AND WATERFOWL SEASONS

Daily Bag Possession Limit Limit

Hood River and Wasco Counties *Southwest Area *Northwest Area

Sage Grouse Sept. 5-13 Lake, Harney and that part of Mal- heur County south2 2 of U.S. Highway 20 Chukar and Sept. 5, 6 and 7 Bird Hunting Hungarian Partridge Oct. 3-Jan. 7 *Eastern Oregon 8 16 Prospects Cock Pheasants 8 a.m. Oct. 17-Nov. 29 Entire State 3 (d) 12 Valley and 8 a.m. Oct. 17-Nov. 29*Western Oregon (Continued from Page 2) Mountain Quail 8 a.m. Oct. 17-Jan. 7 *Eastern Oregon 10 20 partridge populations. While Huns are not numerous, they are similar in ap- WATERFOWL pearance to chukars and occupy much of Duck Oct. 10-Jan. 7 (b) Entire State 4 (b)8 (b) the same range, making it advisable to Goose Oct. 10-Jan. 7 Entire State 3 (c)6 (c) include both species under the same reg- Coot Oct. 10-Jan. 7 25 ulations. Entire State 25 Black Brant Dec. 7-Feb. 15 Entire State 3 3 Waterfowl Snipe Oct. 24-Dec. 12 Entire State 8 16 Forecasting of fall flights of water- American and fowl to Oregon requires reliance on re- Red-Breasted MerganserOct. 10-Jan. 7 Entire State 5(a)10(a) sults of production surveys over the ma- jor breeding grounds of Canada and FOOTNOTES TO SEASON TABLE Alaska. It is on these vast wetland areas (a)Singly or in the aggregate. (b) The daily bag may inClude not more than 2 wood ducks, 2 redheads or canvasbacks singly or that two-thirds of the ducks and most of collectively, and 1 hooded merganser. The possession limit may include not more than 2 wood ducks, 2 redheads or canvasbacks singly or collectively, and 2 hooded mergansers. In addition the geese which wing down the Pacific to other bag and possession limits 4 more mallards are allowed in the daily bag and 8 more Flyway are reared. mallards in the possession limit in Baker, Gilliam, Malheur, Morrow, Sherman, Umatilla, Union, Wallowa and Wasco Counties. In these counties the season is extended through The drought, which has plagued the January 24, 1965. (c)Daily bag may be increased to 6 providing 3 or more are snow geese. One Ross's goose prairie provinces of Canada since 1959, allowed in daily bag or in possession. continued to limit duck production last (d) One hen pheasant may be included in the daily bag or possession limit in Malheur County summer. Improved water conditions else- from November 21 through November 29. where in the flyway nearly offset this *DEFINITIONS: loss and, as a result, total duck produc- Western OregonAll counties west of the summit of the Cascades. Eastern Oregonallcounties east of the summit of the Cascades, including all of Klamath tion is down only slightly from 1963. County. The major goose breeding grounds Southwest AreaAll of Benton, Linn, Lane, Douglas, Coos, Curry, Jackson, and Josephine Counties and Klamath County west of U. S. Hwy. 97. lie north of the Arctic Circle and are not Northwest AreaAll of Multnomah, Clackamas, Marion, Washington, Polk, Columbia, and affected by drought. With a good carry- Yamhill Counties. overofbreedingbirdsand normal weather and breeding ground conditions, northeasternOregon,fouradditional birds elsewhere in the state. By early the fall flight is expected to be similar birds of this species are allowed in the November, hunting should improve in to last fall. daily bag. Also the season is extended to the Snake, Columbia, and Willamette Based on these findings, the U. S. January 24 in nine counties. Valleys as the mallards return to their Fish and Wildlife Service again allowed Production of canvasbacks and red- wintering areas. the western states a 90-day straight sea- heads was somewhat better than in re- A summary of game bird seasons and son or a split season of 81 days within an cent years and two of these species are bag limits is provided in the accompany- October 10 - January 10 framework. Sev- permitted daily or in possession. ing table. You are advised to consult the eral options on bag and possession limits Hunters should find fair shooting for official synopsis for information on spe- also were provided. both ducks and geese in Lake, Klamath, cial regulations and closures. A copy may In order to more adequately harvest and Harney Counties early in the season be obtained from any license agency. an increasing population of mallards in and only fair hunting for locally raised R. U. Mace - C. E. Kebbe.

Oregon State Game Commission Bulletin 1634 S.W. ALDER STREET OREGON SrArf P.O. BOX 3503 PORTLAND, OREGON 97208 idi004

GAME COMMISSION