OHA launches Black-Tailed Deer & Roosevelt Elk Fund

OHA is working to expand its impact on big game and habitat statewide. In 2024, we began our leadership role with Blue Mountains Elk Initiative and have since invested $128,000 into eight excellent projects in central and northeast Oregon. In 2025, we implemented the OHA Mule Deer Fund, and to date, we have contributed more than $110,000 across nine projects that are working to improve conditions for mule deer.

Perhaps most importantly, OHA dollars have leveraged substantial private, state, and federal funds in Oregon to support wildlife and habitat projects that have attained millions of dollars in match funding. In order to expand our impact and this funding model across the state, we have developed the new OHA Black-Tailed Deer and Roosevelt Elk Fund.

This new fund will focus on supporting western Oregon projects that improve conditions for deer and elk, such as increasing forage availability, restoring meadows, protecting and enhancing habitat, addressing predation, investing in research, reducing deer and elk vehicle collisions, supporting anti-poaching efforts and more. The OHA Black-Tailed Deer and Roosevelt Elk Fund will allocate $50,000-$100,000 annually to projects selected by OHA Conservation Staff and our Deer and Elk Subcommittee. The first fund cycle will take place this winter.

OHA chapters that have contributed to this new effort so far include Umpqua ($20,000), Yamhill County ($20,000), Josephine County ($15,000), Pioneer ($10,000), Mid-Willamette ($10,000), and Bend ($5,000).