Yearlings Newsletter

Get Ready to Hunt!

Fall hunting season will be here soon, and Oregon has many ways kids can get started in big game hunting, even if they haven’t taken Hunter Education yet. If you are under 12, you are too young to get your own tags, but kids ages 9 to 13 may hunt with a licensed adult and hunt big game in Oregon’s Mentored Youth Hunter Program. See Pages 84-85 of the 2010 Oregon Big Game Regulations for more information.

If you are 12 or older, you can buy general season deer and elk tags, or, if you applied for elk or deer tags in Oregon’s controlled hunt drawing this spring but didn’t draw them all, you could still be a winner if you have never drawn a tag for that hunt series before.

Oregon’s “First Time Hunter” program, which OHA helped create, allows young hunters who have never drawn controlled tags for buck deer, antlerless deer or elk to be guaranteed a tag if they apply before Sept. 1, 2010.

There are some restrictions, though. For example, the only elk tags you can get this way are cow tags, and you can apply for only those hunts that offer a certain number of tags.

For more information about Oregon’s First Time Hunter program, see Pages 32, 35, 59 and 77 of the 2010 Oregon Big Game Regulations.

Kids Do Dirty Work for Wildlife

Oregon kids can get as dirty as they like this summer. The Oregon Hunters Association will do wildlife habitat projects around the state, and these projects help make food, water and shelter for wildlife – the three things wild animals need most.

Many of these are projects that kids and their families can do together with the OHA chapter in their area. Some of the projects are weekend campouts in Oregon’s great outdoors, where the families who help out get to camp together and enjoy some good food and good times.

Watch your chapter’s newsletter for projects near you this summer!

OHA Gives Kids Turkey Hunting Tips

One hundred kids ranging in age from five to 17 turned out at the White River Wildlife Area in Tygh Valley for the 8th Annual Youth Wild Turkey Clinic on April 3 to learn the basics of hunting wild turkey. Sponsors included the Mid-Columbia, Portland, Hoodview, Pioneer and Tillamook chapters of the Oregon Hunters Association, Celilo Bowmen and Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.

In addition to the 100 youthful participants, 90 adults registered to attend along with more than 50 volunteers, resulting in a gathering of more than 250 people, many making the long drive from
the Portland metro area, Tillamook, Salem and other parts of the state. A number of participants came from as far away as the Seattle area.

Events at the all-day clinic featured turkey-calling instruction along with lessons on turkey hunting techniques, turkey behavior and biology, and hunting safety. Shotgun and archery ranges were also available where participants practiced their shooting skills.

Kids also won raffle prizes donated by businesses including binoculars, riflescopes, a shotgun and guided turkey hunting trips. Two young attendees won guided turkey hunting trips donated in memory of Wayne Elliott, an OHA state director from John Day who died in a motor vehicle accident last November on the way to a youth hunt.

The White River Wildlife Area, where the clinic is held each year, is managed by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and is an Oregon wild turkey hotspot. In 1963, the wildlife area was the first place in the state to have wild turkeys successfully introduced. More releases in the 1990s bolstered the population. Since then, wild turkey hunting has become an increasingly popular activity and healthy wild turkey populations can now be found in the Cascade Mountains, and in various portions of central, southwest and northeast Oregon.

OHA Youths Win Awards

The Oregon Hunters Association has chosen two great kids to receive OHA’s annual Youth Member of the Year awards, which were presented by OHA President Fred Craig at the OHA State Convention on May 15.

• Justin Wytcherley – Justin Wytcherley is a member of the OHA Josephine County Chapter. Justin has attended many of the chapter’s work projects and helps out at the annual banquet, and even made a metal art buck for the banquet in his metals class. He also made an eagle metal art item for the silent auction at the OHA State Convention, where he received his award.
• Kevin Duke – Kevin Duke is a member of the OHA Klamath Chapter. In the past year, Kevin has gotten his hands dirty at the Hart Mountain project, the chapter’s guzzler campout and removing 100 cubic yards of trash from the local forest in the JWTR clean-up project.

WILDLIFE CLOSE-UPS: Summer is time for baby animals: Leave ‘em alone!

As Oregonians gear up for the start of the outdoor season, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife reminds those who come across baby deer, bear, raccoon, and other baby wildlife animals to leave them alone.

“It may or may not be an orphan when you find it, but if you remove any baby animal from the wild, it certainly becomes one and its chances of survival go down quickly,” said ODFW Conservation Planner and Wildlife Biologist Holly Michael. “Our motto is, ‘if you care, leave ‘em there.’”

Michael said that deer, elk and other game animals often hide their babies while foraging for food during the afternoons. Hikers, bikers and other outdoor enthusiasts each spring encounter what appear to be “orphans” and attempt to rescue the animals by removing them from their habitat. Officials say that, unless the death of the adult animal is seen by you first-hand, no baby animal should be thought to be orphaned.

“Baby animals need their parents to teach them important survival skills, like finding food and escaping from predators,” Michael said. “Animals raised by people never learn these skills, and are not ready to survive on their own in the wild. They often die shortly after release.”

Wildlife managers offer the following tips for some of the more frequently “rescued” Oregon wildlife species:

• Baby birds: Nestlings (baby birds not fully feathered) can be gently and quickly returned to the nest. If the nest is out of reach, place the bird on an elevated branch or fence, out of the reach of children and pets. Leave the area so the parents can return.
• Deer: Fawns often are left for several hours at a time, but are well adapted to their surroundings. Unless you see the parent killed, it is safe to believe the doe is nearby. In fact, your presence could be what is keeping the doe away.
• Raccoons and squirrels: Animal care centers in suburban and urban areas get overloaded with squirrels and raccoons each spring. Raccoons are a major transmitter of diseases dangerous to people and pets, including a virus that can cause permanent blindness in humans. Both species are highly adaptive animals, and many babies that appear too young to make it on their own are capable of surviving, especially in suburban and urban environments where food is plentiful and predators are few. So leave them alone.

WILDLIFE CLOSE-UPS: Moose

Moose have not always lived in Oregon, but they are moving here from Washington and Idaho. During the past eight years, small numbers of moose have made themselves at home in the Wenaha Unit in northeast Oregon. Wildlife managers think about 50 moose now reside in Oregon.

Moose are the largest member of the deer family (Cervidae), and like other species in the deer family, bull moose shed and grow a new set of antlers each year. Antler shedding happens between December and March with new antlers starting to grow by early spring. Adult bull moose in Alaska can weigh over 1,600 pounds, stand 7 feet at the shoulder, and may have antler widths that spread to 80 inches. Moose that live in Oregon are smaller and are the Shira’s subspecies, but still stand over 6 feet at the shoulder, weigh up to 1,000 pounds, and can have antler widths close to 60 inches. Because of their long legs, moose can winter in much deeper snow than deer and elk, often spending winters in snow depths of 2 to 3 feet.

Moose use shallow ponds, lakes and marshes during summer months to feed on nutritious water plants. Otherwise, moose feed by browsing on willow and a variety of other deciduous trees and shrubs. In Oregon moose prefer dense conifer forests with openings created by wildfire or logging, where shrub and tree species provide plenty of browse for forage.

Normally cow moose give birth each May or June to single or twin calves.

Despite their large size, adult moose are sometimes preyed upon by cougars or wolves, while young calves often fall prey to coyotes, wolves, black bears, and cougars. There is no hunting for moose allowed yet in Oregon, but if their numbers keep growing, that could change.

Get a new Youth Sports Pac for $55!

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife wants to make it more affordable for young people and their families to hunt.

A $55 Juvenile Resident Sports Pac license is one of the new juvenile licenses ODFW will offer in 2010 to make hunting more affordable for young people and families.

The Oregon Hunters Association came up with the idea of a lower-priced youth version of Oregon's adult Sport Pac, and ODFW liked the idea.

The Juvenile Sports Pac includes all the tags in an adult version (hunting/ fishing license, deer, elk, bear, spring turkey, cougar, upland game bird validation, waterfowl validation, combined angling harvest card) plus a shellfish license. Other new juvenile licenses proposed include a $20 Non-Resident Angler, $20 Non- Resident Hunting and $20 Non-Resident Turkey Tag.

"We understand it can be expensive to buy tags for mom, dad and the kids, too," said Tom Ruddiman, ODFW Deputy Director. "The Sports Pac and other new juvenile licenses and tags will make it more affordable for families to hunt. We remain committed to recruiting more youngsters to the great tradition of hunting, and we hope this brings more youth to the sport."

Set your sights on a big game youth hunt

Young guns in Oregon will get a number of special big game hunts to apply for in 2010, including 57 youth elk hunts – up 40 from last year! The new 2010 Oregon Big Game Regulations will be out in December, and there are many youth hunts for kids only, plus guaranteed first-time tags in the general big game tag drawing again in 2010. Also, a program started in 2008 allows kids who haven't yet passed Hunter Education to hunt under the close supervision of an adult.

Oregon will offer youth hunts again this coming year for deer, elk, antelope and spring bear. The new regulations list 32 youth deer hunts, 57 youth elk hunts, 3 youth spring bear hunts, and 2 youth antelope hunts. Some of the youth hunts can be harder to draw than adult hunts, so pay attention to how many hunters applied last year.

The deadline to apply for youth hunts is May 15, 2010.

Oregon's "first-time hunter" program allows a hunter under age 18 who is unsuccessful in the controlled hunt drawing for deer or elk tags to reapply for a controlled hunt having a minimum number of tags and be guaranteed a first-time tag. For more details about Oregon's "First-time hunter program," see the 2010 Oregon Big Game Regulations. For more information about Oregon's new Mentored Youth Hunter Program for kids ages 9-13, visit the ODFW web site at www.dfw.state.or.us

OHA summer youth events offered all kinds of activities for kids.

OHA Offers Spring and Summer Youth Events

The Oregon Hunters Association offered special youth field days for kids all over Oregon this spring and summer. Some were free, while others charged a small amount to coverthe costs of putting on the events.

Most of the events gave kids a chance to test their shooting and outdoor skills, and there was plenty of food kids love to eat.

The first youth event was the OHA Mid-Columbia Chapter's youth turkey clinic in April. Some field days were held in early May.

There were more big events in late spring and summer, including youth field days hosted by OHA chapters all over the state. In July, the OHA Capitol Chapter hosted a youth shotgun skills clinic.

In the fall, OHA is involved in youth bird hunts around the state. You can stay up to date on youth events in your area by logging on to www.oregonhunters.org

Dylan Thompson, 10, took this buck with his mother's tag in Oregon's Mentored Youth Hunter Program.

You Can Try Hunting with a "Learner's Permit"

Oregon's Mentored Youth Hunter Program makes it possible for more of the state's young people to try hunting safely with an experienced adult.

The Mentored Youth Hunter Program allows kids ages 9 through 13 to go hunting without the need to pass a Hunter Education class, as long as they are with a licensed hunter over the age of 21. Supervising adult hunters may mentor only one youth hunter at a time and must have the youth under immediate control at all times while hunting. The adult may not also hunt while mentoring a youth.

Kids hunting in the Mentored Youth Hunter Program have to register with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife each year. Kids ages 14 to 17 still must pass a Hunter Education class and have their own hunting licenses and tags.

"The Mentored Hunter Youth Program makes it easier for younger kids to get started hunting by allowing them to hunt before they take a hunter safety course as long as they are accompanied by a responsible adult," said Oregon Hunters Association President Fred Craig.

Similar programs in other states have shown a strong safety record while helping more kids to take up hunting as a healthy outdoor activity.

The Oregon Hunters Association has worked with ODFW to reduce the barriers to participation. One result was the Mentored Youth Hunter Program.

"This program offers a chance for kids to 'try before they buy,'" said Craig. "We're hopeful that once they experience hunting for themselves, they'll want to make the commitment to take the Hunter Education class and become hunters."

Studies also show that the younger someone begins hunting, the longer he or she will participate in it.

About 235,000 Oregonians over the age of 16 are hunters. For every three hunters in the state who drop out of the sport due to age or other reasons, only about one new person starts hunting.

Mark Kirsch, an Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife biologist in Pendleton, has seen healthy elk "just fall over and die" in the winter because they've been fed the wrong food by well-meaning people.

The diet of deer and elk changes with the seasons, and in the winter, their food is naturally lower in protein. So when deer or elk suddenly switch to high-protein wheat or grains, their stomachs cannot adjust. They get sick, lose weight, and some die. That's why any feeding of wildlife must be done carefully and thoughtfully.

ODFW does feed deer and elk at a few state wildlife areas to keep wildlife off private agricultural land in the winter, when herds come down from the high country to their "winter range" in valleys. The feeding starts early and goes on all winter so the animals don't have to suddenly get used to new food. OHA chapters fed elk in Grant County and game birds in Union, Baker and Wallowa Counties this past winter to help the animals, as well as the farmers whose crops and land they were harming.

Wildlife biologists think very carefully before feeding wildlife, as you should, too, because it can cause problems:

• It gathers wildlife, which leads to the easier spread of disease and easier take by predators.
• It attracts their natural predators to areas where humans live.
• It invites more animals to your property and encourages them to stay.
• Wildlife can lose their natural fear of humans and become aggressive when fed.
• It can lead to an increase in road kills and conflicts between wildlife and pets.
• It can hurt habitat if the animals graze on it too much.

Usually wild animals don't need to be fed. Even songbirds don't need to be fed all year, so take down birdfeeders in spring and summer when there is plenty of natural food available.

Remember, it is natural for some wildlife to die; it's Mother Nature's way of keeping wildlife healthy. But there are steps you can take to help wildlife get through the winter without causing problems:

• Don't approach wildlife. Getting close will encourage them to run away, wasting their strength and energy.
• Keep your pets far away from wildlife.
• If you have shrubs on your property, knock the snow off to expose some natural food.
• Support efforts to protect winter range in Oregon, by joining your local OHA chapter, or simply buying a hunting license, because $2 of the cost goes to the Oregon Access and Habitat program, which helps improve winter range.

Courtesy of Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife

Birds die every day in Oregon from cats, vehicles, and other causes, so don't be alarmed if you find a dead bird. Some diseases, like West Nile Virus and the deadly "bird flu" (which has never been found in North America), are causes for concern and are checked by ODFW and public health officials. Here's what you can do to help.

Call ODFW's dead bird reporting hotline at 866-968-2600, a number checked daily:

• When you see lots of birds are ill or dying.
• If the dead or sick bird is a duck, goose, swan, or shorebird (sandpiper, phalarope, dowitcher).
• If the incident is unusual or unexplained (bird acting sick, dies acutely while flying).

If you think the bird died due to a cat or vehicle, you or your parents can safely dispose of it by doing the following:

• Pick up the dead bird, but avoid direct contact with it by wearing disposable rubber gloves, gloves that you can immediately put through a hot soapy wash, or use a plastic bag over your hand.
• Double-bag the bird in plastic bags and place it in a sealed garbage can or other safe container where it cannot be disturbed by other animals.
• Do not bring the bird into your home.
• Do not eat, drink, or touch your face with the gloves while handling the bird.
• Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds after handling the bird.

Don't let your birdfeeder become a source of bacteria or diseases like salmonella. Keep it clean by:

• Providing fresh seed that does not have mold.
• Cleaning feeders, water containers and bird baths weekly.
• Cleaning up old seed that has fallen on the ground below the feeders.

Stop feeding for at least one month in the event that birds die at your feeder.

Remember to always wear rubber or plastic gloves when handling or cleaning dirty feeders.

     The Oregon Hunters Association has worked to help pass a new law that will give more young people a chance to try hunting safely.
     The Oregon Legislature passed the new law, setting up the Mentored Youth Hunter Program in July. The Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission made the rules for the new program in August.
     The Mentored Youth Hunter Program allows kids between the ages of nine and 14 to go hunting without the need to pass a Hunter Education class, as long as they are with a licensed hunter over the age of 21. Supervising adult hunters may mentor only one youth hunter at a time and must have the youth under immediate control at all times while hunting.
      Kids hunting in the new Mentored Youth Hunter Program will have to register with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife each year. Kids ages 14 to 17 still will be required to pass a Hunter Education class and buy their own hunting licenses and tags.
     "The Mentored Hunter Youth Program will make it easier for younger kids to get started hunting by allowing them to hunt without taking a hunter safety course as long as they are accompanied by a responsible adult," said Oregon Hunters Association President Fred Craig.
      Similar programs in other states have shown a strong safety record while helping more kids to take up hunting as a healthy and constructive outdoor recreational activity.
      Studies show that states with the toughest Hunter Education requirements also have the lowest rates of getting new hunters. Oregon is among the states with the strictest Hunter Education requirements, that include up to 18 hours of evening classroom instruction as well as outside shooting range practice and class time to receive a Hunter Education card. It's a big time commitment that many kids can't make.
      "This program offers a chance for kids to ‘try before they buy,'" said Craig. "We're hopeful that once they experience hunting for themselves, they'll want to make the commitment to take the Hunter Education class and become hunters." Studies also show that the younger someone begins hunting, the longer he or she will participate in it.
      About 235,000 Oregonians over the age of 16 are hunters. For every three hunters in the state who drop out of the sport due to age or other reasons, only about one new person starts hunting

10 Commandments of Shooting Safety

1. Control the direction of your firearm's muzzle. Carry your firearm safely, keeping the safety on until ready to shoot. Keep your finger off the trigger until ready to shoot.

2. Identify your target and what is beyond it. Know the identifying features of the game you hunt.

3. Treat every firearm as if it is loaded.

4. Be sure the barrel and action are clear of obstructions and that you have only ammunition of the proper size for the firearm you are carrying.

5. Unload firearms when not in use. Leave the actions open. Firearms should be carried unloaded, and in cases while in a vehicle traveling to and from shooting areas.

6. Never point a firearm at anything you do not want to shoot. Avoid all horseplay with a firearm.

7. Never climb a fence or tree, or jump a ditch or log, with a loaded firearm. Never pull a firearm toward you by the muzzle.

8. Never shoot a bullet at a flat, hard surface or water. During target practice, be sure your backstop is adequate.

9. Store firearms and ammunition separately in locked spaces beyond the reach of children and careless adults.

10. Avoid alcoholic beverages and drugs before or during shooting.
 

Think Before You Drink

Picture yourself in the great outdoors. You're thirsty, and there's a stream just ahead. There are no livestock around and the water looks clean. It's probably safe to drink, right? WRONG! It's likely NOT safe to drink! Hidden in the water there could be bacteria such as e coli, parasites like giardia, or simply enough animal wastes to cause beaver fever. Drinking water from an unknown source is not worth the chance you take of getting sick. Hopefully you brought drinking water. Even if you didn't, you could make the water safe to drink, either by filtering or by boiling it.
 

DON'T SHOOT SIGNS!

     
Have you ever seen a sign with bullet holes in it along a road? When you see that, you know that someone has not only damaged property that doesn't belong to them, but they have also shot from a road or across a road, which is very dangerous.
Along some roads, you can see signs with bullet holes in them that are posted on corners, where the shooter could not possibly have seen if there were any vehicles coming around the corner.
Don't shoot signs, don't let your friends shoot signs, and if you see anyone shooting signs, report them on the State Police hotline:
1-800-452-7888.

 

O.H.A. MEMBER PLEDGE

As an OHA member, I pledge to:
* Respect the environment and wildlife;
* Respect property and landowners;
* Improve my outdoor skills and understanding of wildlife;
* Support wildlife and habitat conservation;
* Know and obey the law;
* Hunt safely;
* Show consideration of nonhunters;
* Abide by the rules of fair chase;
* Hunt only with ethical hunters; and
* Pass on an ethical hunting tradition.
* Adapted from the Hunter's Pledge of the Izaak Walton League of America

  

WILDLIFE CLOSE-UP: Mountain Goats   Mountain goats live high in Oregon's mountains. They are strong animals with hooves that work well for rock climbing. Both nanny (female) and billy goats (male) have beards and slightly curved black horns. They do not shed their horns. Their coats are long and snowy white, and cover very thick skin. Nannies give birth in the spring, having one or two kids. Mountain goats live in such a harsh habitat that predators do not usually pursue them. Falling down steep mountainsides is the most common cause of death for young goats. Mountain goats are native to Oregon, but people and diseases spread by farm animals killed them all in the 1920s. In the 1980s, a transplant program brought goats to the Elkhorn and Wallowa mountain ranges in northeastern Oregon, where they live today. There are now enough goats that a few controlled hunt tags are awarded each year to very lucky hunters. Pheasant Ringneck pheasants have lived in Oregon for more than 100 years. They were first brought here from China in 1882. Pheasants are large birds that live on grain crops. The males, called roosters, are brightly colored, while the females, called hens, are a light brown color that helps them blend in with their surroundings when they are on their nests. Rooster pheasants are a popular game bird for hunters. Because most pheasants are found in or around farm lands, the best hunting usually takes place on private property. Pheasant populations have dwindled in recent years because they are losing much of their habitat as homes and businesses are built where there used to be farms and fields. Some wildlife areas now have special pheasant hunts for young hunters in the fall.

Canada Geese

The western Canada goose is found all over Oregon all year long. There is a large population of these geese. Watch for them during the summer, since they will probably be in the same area in the fall. They have a black neck and head with a large white cheek patch. The large body is gray-brown with a black tail. The underside is white at the rump.
There are six other subspecies of Canada geese which winter in Oregon, mostly in the northwest portion of the state. They are named cackling, lesser, dusky, Taverner's, Aleutian and Vancouver geese.
The dusky Canada goose has a fairly small population, and in order to protect the dusky there are special hunting regulations in northwest Oregon.

Quail

Quail are upland game birds. They have topknots (feathers on the head) which make it easy to identify the two kinds native to Oregon. Quail stay together in groups called coveys, and tend to run to cover rather than fly away from danger.
The valley quail is by far the most common quail in Oregon. It is among Oregon's most widely distributed game birds, preferring to live around farmlands. Valley quail have a well-known call you've probably heard, and a topknot plume that curls forward. Their average weight is four to five ounces. Males have a longer plume and a black throat patch; the throat patch on females is gray.
A native of brushy hills and mountains, the mountain quail is found in most areas of the state, but mainly southwest Oregon. The bird is the larger of the two native quail, with an average weight of about nine ounces. Its topknot has two straight plume feathers pointing up and back. It has bright bars on the lower body. Mountain quail usually live in widely separated family groups rather than large coveys like valley quail.

VARMINTS

Ever hear hunters talking about varmint hunting? Ever wonder what varmints look like, where they live or even how they taste?
So just what the heck is a varmint, anyway? Varmints are animals that are thought of as pests - usually ones that you wouldn't want running around your home. Game animals are those that are good to eat, like ducks or deer, for example. Varmints are not what you'd want to find on your dinner plate, unless you're hungry for porcupine chops or a chunk of skunk. Although the meat of most varmints isn't worth eating, the hides - called pelts - are prized by some people. Some folks even sell them. Landowners often are very willing to allow you to hunt varmints on their property, because they do so much damage to the land and crops, and some even harm farm animals and pets.
Most varmints are unprotected, meaning you can hunt them as much as you want. Examples of varmints are coyotes, badgers, jackrabbits, rock chucks and some ground squirrels. For a list of unprotected mammals and birds, see the Oregon hunting regulations.
 

WILDLIFE CLOSE-UP: Western Gray Squirrel

The western gray squirrel is Oregon's smallest game mammal. The squirrels make dens in tree cavities, or make nests of twigs, bark and leaves built far out on the branch of a large tree. They grow up to 24 inches, including the long bushy tail. The squirrels are gray with a white underside. Tree squirrels do not have cheek pouches like ground squirrels, but have the usual squirrel toe pattern - four toes on the front feet and five larger toes on the hind feet.
The squirrels feed mostly on pinecones, acorns, and other nuts. They also will eat fungi, berries, and insects, and in the spring, new leaf buds.
Gray squirrels are arboreal, meaning they live in trees. When young are in the nest or out playing, the female stands guard as a sentry. At any sign of danger she calls for the young to sit still or retreat to the nest. Families may have multiple nests scattered throughout an area for quick retreat.

WILDLIFE CLOSE-UP: Chukar

The chukar is a game bird found in eastern Oregon. Chukars were brought to Oregon from India in 1951.
These birds, which are relatives of partridges, are larger than quail, but smaller than pheasants. They have plump bodies, short tails and short, red beaks for picking up seeds. Their bodies are often gray with black and white patches on their faces and wings.
Chukars have round wings and large breast muscles that help them to escape predators with short, fast bursts of flight.
Hunters find that chukars are difficult to hunt because they run uphill and then fly down quickly.
Even though chukars are hard to hunt, they are Oregon's most harvested upland game bird.
Water is usually not a problem for these high desert dwellers, because they get a lot of water they need from the food they eat. Their favorite food is cheatgrass, but they can be seen feeding on waste grain at the edges of planted fields near their habitat.

Mule deer live throughout the western United States, Canada and Mexico. In Oregon, mule deer live in eastern Oregon.

Mule deer are large deer. Their bodies are usually bigger than blacktails. Mule deer get their name from their ears, which are big, like a mule's. Those big ears, which they can move around like radar dishes, help them listen for dangerous predators like hunters, bears or cougars that might be coming near.

Male deer are called bucks, and they grow antlers that can get very large. A young buck, called a yearling, might only have a spike antler (one point) or a forked-horn (two points). But older bucks can grow huge antler racks. A female, called a doe, usually gives birth to twin fawns each spring.

Mule deer numbers have gone down in recent years. There are many reasons for this, but the biggest problems are that people are taking away their habitat and there may be too many predators eating them.
 

WILDLIFE CLOSE-UP: Black-Tailed Deer

Black-tailed deer live in western Oregon, while mule deer live on the east side of the Cascade Mountains. Blacktails are smaller deer than mule deer, both in body size and antler size.

How can you tell a blacktail from a mule deer? The easiest way is by looking at their tails. A mule deer has a big white patch on its rump, with a tail that is white on the top part and has a big black spot on the end. A blacktail has a tail that is black from top to bottom, although it's white on the underside.

While mule deer like the big, open country found in eastern Oregon, blacktails like to hide in thick, brushy cover. Big blacktail bucks are mostly nocturnal, meaning they usually only come out at night. This makes them hard to hunt. The best times to hunt blacktails are in the early morning and just before dark.

Blacktails like to eat broadleaf plants that grow in openings, such as areas that have been logged, but they also love to eat vegetables and flowers that grow in your garden. For that reason, deer can cause a lot of damage where people live.

WILDLIFE CLOSE-UP:  Black Bear

The shaggy hair of black bears ranges in color from blonde through many browns to black, but most black bears really are black or dark brown. Cubs are usually born as twins, each weighing less than a pound. They grow to be adults that are about five feet long and weigh from 125 to 400 pounds, with small eyes, rounded ears, a long snout, a large body, and a short tail.  While black bears can stand and walk on their hind legs, usually they use all fours. Each paw has five strong claws used for tearing, digging, and climbing. One blow from a powerful front paw is enough to kill an adult
deer. In addition to their size and strength, black bears can move very fast. Black bears are omnivores, which means they eat all kinds of food. While they prefer berries, insects, nuts, grass, and other plants, they also eat carrion (dead animals they find rather than kill themselves), small animals, and fish. Bears are known for hibernating, or sleeping through the cold winter months, so they must eat large amounts of food in the fall. If the winter weather turns warm, they may wake up and spend some time outside. In warmer places, like the coastal areas of Oregon, they do not always truly hibernate. (Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)

Bighorn sheep live mainly in the highest, steepest mountains of eastern Oregon. They eat grass and plants that grow in steep, rocky areas where other animals like deer and elk won't go. The bighorns also feel safer from predators on steep canyon walls.
Male bighorns, called rams, have the big, curly horns. Sometimes they fight each other by butting their heads together. Females are called ewes, and the babies are
called lambs.
Many bighorns once lived in Oregon, but they were all killed by the settlers and the diseases carried by tame
sheep that settlers brought to Oregon.
Bighorns were brought back to Oregon about 50 years ago with money from hunters. They were brought in from other states and released into Oregon. They survived, and more were brought in. Their numbers have grown steadily over the past 40 years, and now there are many bighorns in
Oregon again. Each year about 100 tags are allowed for hunters who are lucky enough to draw them.

Sage grouse are the second-largest of all Oregon game birds. Only wild turkeys are bigger. Mature males may weigh six or more pounds. As with most animals, females and younger birds are smaller. Sage grouse live in southeast Oregon. They used to be in most of eastern Oregon, but died out in most of the north as their habitat became farms and ranches. There were times when people thought sage grouse would become extinct, but that did not happen. The sage grouse population went way up and down in the earlier 1900s, but has stayed pretty much the same since the 1970s.
Oregon's hunting season is by permit. The number of permits is based  on how many birds there are and how hard it may be to find them. When the weather has been dry, they can often be found near water, especially in the early morning. If it has been rainy, sage grouse can be more spread out and harder to find.
The sage grouse pictured here is a rooster trying to attract a mate on an area called a "lek," which is a place sage grouse use for a dance floor. He usually doesn't look like this, but here he's all puffed up, trying to look big and bad for the ladies.