p I i L- w ' si: s D I OREGON GUEST EDITORIAL WILDLIFE Editor's Note: In recent months, especially since the setting of the 1980 ocear. have been a number of accusations and implications MAY i 980 salmon seasons, there Volume 35, No. 5 concerning the Director of the Department of Fish and Wildlife, Jack Donald- son. Not a few of the comments have been based on misinformation and a lack of understanding of certain procedures and responsibilities. OREGON FISH AND WILDLIFE COMMISSION At the April 4 Fish and Wildlife Commission meeting an editorial suggesting the Director should resign was discussed by the Commissioners. As a result Herbert Lundy, Chairman ......... Lake Oswego the ensuing discussion the following letter was written Jack Steiwer, Vice Chairman ............. Fossil of that editorial and Since we feel it succinctly addresses Donald Barth ...................... Newport by Commission Chairman Herb Lundy. John Boyer ..................... Beilfountain a number of the most heard allegations of recent months, we pass it along Allan Kelly ........................ Portland for your information. Kenneth Klarquist .................. Portland R.E.S. Fred Phillips ......................... Baker the Editor JOHN R. DONALDSON, Director To Bay Reporter Coos Bay, OR This is to inform you and your readers, in response to your recent editorial Oregon Wildlife (ISSN 0094-7113) is published monthly by the Oregon State Department of Fish suggesting that John R. Donaldson should resign as Director of the Oregon and Wildlife, Portland, Oregon. Volumes i through Fish and Wildlife Department, that the Fish and Wildlife Commission, in 28 were entitled Oregon Game Commission Bulletin. Oregon Wildlife is circulated free of charge with an unanimous vote on April 3, 1980, expressed complete confidence in Director second class postage paid at Portland, Oregon. Mate- performance in office. rial may be reprinted, credit would be appreciated. Donaldson's integrity and The Bay Reporter editorial stated that commercial fishermen on the coast Address changes and correspondence should be sent to: were blaming Director Donaldson for "salmon season closures, the intrusion Oregon Wildlife of aquaculture, licensing moratoriums, Indian fishing rights and more . ." P.O. Box 3503 Portland, OR 97208 Commercial fishermen, as well as members of the Legislature, should be aware that: When sending address changes, be sure to send in both old and new address complete with zip codes. 1. Salmon seasons have been shortened by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce Ofl of the Pacific Fishery Management Council, and the Ron E. Shay, Editor recommendation Ken Durbin, Managing Editor Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission - since 1977 because of data-based predictions of reduced numbers of coho and Columbia River chinook - and for no other reasons. Lower catch and escapement records proved the predic- tions accurate. The emergency closure of the coho harvest on September 3, 1979, was necessary to- protect coho spawning stocks in a run which proved to be the lowest since 1963. The coho stocks in 1980, it is estimated on the basis of reliable indicators, may be the lowest since 1962. After the shortened coho season in 1979, the numbers of natural spawning cobo were still only half those needed to preserve and improve wild runs. Only the North Fork Cover photo - Rocky Mountain bull elk poses cooperatively for the photographer Nehalem hatchery had surplus fish, and there oniy because of a disease problem on the Department's Bridge Creek elk which prevented the transplanting of adults out of the Nehalem system. winter range. Seasons are set for fish, not fishermen. Photo by Ken Durbin 2. Aquaculture: Director Donaldson has no stock in Oregon Aqua-Foods, owned by Weyerhaeuser. The Fish and Wildlife Commission adopted the cobo closure last year primarily to protect wild stocks and assure adequate returns _______________________________________ to public hatcheries. The season was not adjusted to serve private, commercial salmon enterprises, nor will other seasons be altered for that reason. Private salmon ranching operates under laws adopted by the Legislature, but under regulation by the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Department. Offshore fishermen, both commercial and sports, are the expected beneficiaries of greater salmon HUNTER EDUCATION production by both public and private hatcheries. Continued on page 13 PROGRAM INSTRUCTORS APPROVED Month of March ........... 23 Total Active ............. 1,757 COMMISSION MEETINGS STUDENTS TRAINED The Fish and Wildlife Commission will conduct a general business meeting Month of March .......... 454 Ofl Thursday, May 29. On Friday, May 30 the Commission will conduct a Total to Date ......... 271,332 public hearing on seasons for hunting deer and elk and regulations for all HUNTING CASUALTIES game mammal hunting in 1980. On Saturday, May 31, the public hearing REPORTED IN 1980 will be continued and at its conclusion the Commission will set the regulations. three days will begin at 9 a.m. at Fish and Wildlife Department Fatal .................... O Meetings all 506 SW Mill Street in Portland. o Nonfatal ................. O headquarters, Page 2 MAY i 980 Pronghorn antelope buck 1979 Big Game Seasons by Paul Ebert Staff Big Game Biologist Interest in deer and elk hunting elk season commenced, conditions percent did. continued to increase as indicated by had changed and elk hunters experi- A total of 150,952 hunters partici- record tag sales for both of these enced more typical weather. During pated in the 37-day black-tailed sea- species in 1979. This occurred in spite the 1979 hunting seasons, Oregon's son and took a total of 47,837 deer of declining mule deer hunting oppor- big game hunters harvested an esti- and averaged 32 percent success. Sev- tunities and a major change in elk mated 99,702 deer, 16,128 elk, 776 enty-five percent of the deer taken hunter management which required antelope, 812 bear, 24 bighorn sheep during the general buck season, the the hunter to choose between a short and 23 cougar. either sex hunter choice season in or longer hunt in both western and northwestern Oregon and the con- eastern Oregon. Interest in elk bow- Deer trolled either sex hunts in south- hunting more than doubled, in- An estimated 300,982 deer hunters western Oregon were buck deer with fluenced by the 1ieral statewide ei- harvested 99,702 deer in 1979. The antlers. Buck hunters took 39 percent ther sex season. Bear hunters decline in deer harvest from the of their harvest, which consisted of returned to their normal level after 124,001 taken in 1978 occurred main- bucks with two or more antler points, a one-year drop and interest in ante- ly in the antlerless take caused by a during the last nine days of the 37-day lope, cougar and bighorn sheep hunt- reduction in antlerless permit quotas. season. ing remained constant. General season deer hunters shifted The five-day hunter choice season, Weather was again a big factor from eastern to western Oregon be- the extended seasons and the 9,996 nfiuencing hunter success during all cause of only fair mule deer hunting controlled either sex permits which of the mule deer buck season and prospects. Last season 54 percent of also required an unused black-tailed during the first half of the black- the buck hunters chose to hunt in deer tag generated a take of 11,852 tailed deer season. By the time the western Oregon while in 1978 only 46 antlerless deer and 4,238 spike bucks. OREGON WILDLIFE Page 3 1979 DEER SEASON General Deer Season Additional Harvest Total All Seasons Number Percenr of Book, Spikes G Tord Hunter Rifle Seasons How Total Hontar Units by Zone orArefl H rotors 2 po. + Annletleso' Harvest S000eso Esrly Lote' Seasons Harvest Days Scappoose ...... 5156 514 544 1,058 21 0 0 42 1100 46.809 Saddle Mountain. 8.765 1,606 1,364 2,910 34 0 0 249 3.219 13,295 Wilson ........................... 8,007 1,243 606 1,849 23 0 0 166 2.015 45,411 Trask 16,311 1,698 1,910 3,668 22 0 241 13 3,982 103.1 52 Stott Mountain . 5,520 575 666 1,241 22 0 60 0 1,30 36.946 Alsea ........................... 20,048 3.001 2.668 5.669 28 0 212 249 8,190 141,335 Sitslaw . 8,704 1,392 112 1,564 18 0 180 21 1,165 50,454 Willamette. 25719 2,031 1,394 3,425 2.638 52 . 13 0 6.115 188.493 NORTH COAST AREA TOTALS 78,463 12,060 9,384 214M 21 0 3,391 852 25.687 685,755 Tioga ............................. 8,249 2,091 172 2,263 27 0 0 156 2,419 62,228 Sixes ............................. 3,130 1,058 104 1,162 31 0 90 73 1,325 21,507 Powers ............................ 4,094 968 140 1,108 27 0 0 31 1,139 26,115 Chetco ............................ 4,155 998 67 1.065 26 0 0 52 1,117 28.369 Applegate .......................... 8189 1,422 539 1.961 24 0 0 21 1,982 53,5.4 Evans Creek ........................ 6,399 908 450 1,358 21 0 9 21 1,319 35,439 Mnlrose 7,491 1,362 512 1,874 25 0 0 125 1,999 51,050 SOUTHWEST AREA TOTALS 34,212° 8,807 1.984 10.791 31 0 90 479 11.360 284,242 Santiam ........................... 19,926 2,273 1,636 3,909 20 120 568 218 4,815 139,439 Mckenzie .......................... 16,256 1,879 1,516 3,395 21 211 635 93 4.334 115,893 Indigo ............................. 7,218 1.304 536 1.840 25 0 50 73 1,963 48.680 Dixon ............................. 8,704 2,393 398 2,791 32 0 0 187 2,978 53,883 Rogue ............................. 14,170 3,031 636 3,667 25 0 0 300 3,967 110.490 CASCADES AREA TOTALS...............