Bird’s Eye View
The outlook for Oregon bird hunting this fall may depend on where you stand.
By Jim Yuskavitch
The fortunes of both upland birds and waterfowl are foretold by the weather. Just the right amount of rain at the right time will determine the population size, along with hunting prospects for the year.
For upland birds, too little in early spring can suppress the growth of vegetation and insect hatches that serve as food for adults and chicks alike, while too much rain after broods have hatched risks lethal cold for the young birds.
For waterfowl, it’s all about nesting habitat, and as a rule of thumb, the wetter the better.
With a mild winter throughout the state, winter mortality was very low for adult birds, and they saw good carryover into the spring. But it was spring conditions that made all the difference. In some areas, especially west of the Cascades, spring rains came at just the right time and at the right intensity, while in parts of eastern Oregon the opposite was true. A very dry year is being predicted for the east side that may hit waterfowl numbers especially hard.
Here’s what a selection of ODFW biologists across the state had to say about gamebirds in their district and hunting prospects for the fall.
Forest Grouse
On the north coast, a mild winter along with good spring rains that brought a healthy green-up, followed by a sunny, drier summer, added up to a jackpot for upland birds in that part of the state. “This year, we’ve had the highest number of grouse counts per stop on our grouse surveys in recent years,” reported Tillamook ODFW Assistant District Wildlife Biologist Austin Reeder. “It was that good weather we had.” Reeder also notes that the berry crop came off really well this year, offering birds an abundant additional food source.
In southwest Oregon, Roseburg-based District Wildlife Biologist Nick Leonetti reports that the combination of a mild winter and well-timed spring rains that brought good plant growth and insect numbers has been a boon for local forest grouse. He’s expecting a good year for both sooty and ruffed grouse.
In the John Day region, a mild winter that facilitated high overwinter survival along with favorable spring conditions certainly helped grouse populations. But District Wildlife Biologist Ryan Torland did mention that their grouse wing turn-ins were down last year, which might indicate fewer birds. Nevertheless, said Torland, “Good winter survival and spring conditions this year could produce an upswing in numbers.”
“Our grouse numbers have been down a little over the past few years, especially sooty grouse,” said Heppner-based District Wildlife Biologist Steve Cherry. Ruffed grouse are doing OK, even though their numbers are a little below average. He did report that he’s noticed large broods this summer while driving in the forest.
Pheasant
Once a standout state for pheasants, especially in the Willamette Valley, human development and changing agricultural practices have reduced Oregon hunting opportunities considerably over the decades.
The best western Oregon pheasant hunting now is through participation in ODFW’s Fee Pheasant Hunts offered at Fern Ridge, Sauvie Island, Denman and E.E. Wilson wildlife areas in September and October.
However, there are still wild pheasants to hunt in the Heppner, Pendleton and Ontario areas, along with scattered populations on and around Malheur National Wildlife Refuge.
Pheasant nests were likely washed out during last year’s flooding that caused a significant drop in populations on the Malheur NWR. For this year, said Hines-based District Wildlife Biologist Lee Foster, “It was a mild winter, so I’m not expecting winter kill. But we had a very dry spring that affected brood numbers and survival.”
Quail
If you are looking to hunt mountain quail this year, the northern Coast Range may be where you want to head. “It seems like we can’t drive down a forest road this year without flushing a covey of mountain quail,” said Reeder. The drier east slopes tend to have more birds than the wetter west side.
While there are healthy populations of valley quail in southwest Oregon, they are found mostly on private agricultural lands in the Rogue Valley, where permission to hunt can be difficult to obtain. (See public options on Page 10.) Most hunters go after mountain quail in the Cascades.
Local biologist Nick Leonetti expects good mountain quail hunting this fall.
John Day-based Ryan Torland reports seeing valley quail broods a month earlier than typical, suggesting a successful breeding year and lots of time for re-nesting. He predicts good numbers of valley quail available for the fall.
Valley quail are doing better in the Heppner area, but Steve Cherry suggests that hunting success improves as you move toward Condon, where there is more of the brushy habitat the birds like.
In southeast Oregon, valley quail were up 30 percent last year above their 10-year average. But because of the dry spring the High Desert experienced this year, biologist Lee Foster expects stable numbers but not much in the way of increased populations.
Chukar
Although chukar numbers in the Heppner area are a little below average, they are still doing well, according to Steve Cherry. He notes that numbers and hunting opportunities are best along the John Day River. Overall, Cherry predicts that chukar hunting, as well as hunting for other upland bird species, will be at least average this year, based on the number and size of broods he observed.
As with valley quail in the High Desert, chukar numbers are also 30 percent above their 10-year average, benefiting from the mild winter. Also tracking with quail, biologist Lee Foster predicts stable numbers of chukar but not much in the way of a population increase for this year.
In the John Day area, Ryan Torland added, “Chukar are doing fine. I’d say they are about average for what we have been seeing here for the past four or five years.”
Some of the best chukar hunting areas in Oregon include the canyons of the Lower Deschutes, John Day, Snake, Malheur, and Owyhee rivers, along with the rugged terrain of Steens Mountain, Hart Mountain and the Trout Creek Mountains.
Sage Grouse
In the High Desert Region of Harney County, sage grouse numbers have dropped after a number of years of increasing populations. Wildfires have played a significant role in the current sage grouse population status, with varying impacts. For example, sage grouse numbers in the Trout Creek Mountains have fully recovered from the nearly 470,000-acre Holloway Fire in 2012, while birds in the Juniper Unit are still struggling from wildfire-caused habitat damage – and the reason that unit is still closed to sage grouse hunting. “In some cases,” said Lee Foster, “it may take the birds 10 to 15 years to recover from wildfire, and some may not recover at all.”
Wild Turkey
In southwest Oregon, Nick Leonetti reports that wild turkeys are doing well, although he has been seeing smaller broods this year than he normally encounters. Still, wild turkey hunting in his district will be productive for the 2026 season.
Wild turkeys are also doing very well in the Heppner area, with continuing good populations.
Biologist Steve Cherry notes that he is not getting as many damage complaints as he has in the past, although that may be because, he speculated, “People are getting used to living with wild turkeys and don’t call as much.”
“Wild turkeys are doing fine,” reported Ryan Torland in the John Day area, and production for this nesting season has been good.
Mourning Dove & Band-tailed Pigeon
Mourning dove and band-tailed pigeon numbers tend to be stable from year to year lately. For mourning doves, hunters need to get out in the field during September before a cold front drives them south. Good places to find band-tailed pigeons include elderberry bushes, water sources and mineral springs.
Ducks & Geese
This year ODFW conducted its aerial resident breeding duck surveys in late April and early May. Mallard numbers were found to be stable, similar to the past five years. Gadwalls were abundant, although a collective count of all species including wigeons, northern shovelers and green-winged teal shows a decline in overall duck numbers.
However, that’s not cause for alarm, according to Brandon Reishus, ODFW migratory game bird coordinator. During the course of the survey, there were still migratory birds around, and they didn’t see a lot of birds in flight, which drives the survey numbers. Most of the birds they saw were sitting in the water, so this year’s count may actually reflect reality more accurately.
Information on habitat conditions in Canadian prairie provinces was not yet available, but there were reports of heavy spring rains and flooding in southern Alberta. This is potentially good news.
“That significant rainfall definitely will help the ducks spread into additional nesting areas and encourage re-nesting,” said Reishus.
Alaska’s waterfowl habitat is generally stable and the “Last Frontier” state sends lots of migrants to Oregon each fall. That is expected to hold true this year as well.
“One bright spot,” said Reishus, “is Canada geese numbers have been climbing back to previous levels.” Oregon’s Canada geese took a severe hit to its population in 2023 – some of the lowest numbers recorded. This was due largely to extensive drought in 2020 through 2022, combined with initial heavy mortality from avian influenza. “Now,” said Reishus, “goose numbers are back to their long-term average”
As has been the case for the past few years, no reports on snow goose production on Russia’s Wrangell Island have been received, due to ongoing political tensions. It’s unclear when, if ever, those reports might restart.
