The Bend Chapter is one of the OHA’s original chapters.

Oregon Hunters Association is a family oriented organization and the largest non-profit conservation group in the state. OHA volunteers contribute thousands of hours, dollars, and miles driven in personal vehicles to benefit public lands and resources each year.

Among the objectives of the Bend chapter are habitat conservation and enhancement, hunters rights and ethics, and hunter education. An annual banquet, the Mule Deer Classic generates most of our financial support. All funds from this banquet stay in Oregon and go towards the support of:

• The Charles L Beckley memorial scholarship
• An annual upland bird hunt for youth
• The TIP (Turn In Poachers) program which is sponsored state wide
• Numerous habitat preservation and improvement projects in Central Oregon and, in conjunction, with other OHA chapters, around the state
• Hunter education classes for all ages
• Funding for a full-time lobbyist to fight for hunters rights and opportunities at the state level

2019 Bend OHA Accomplishments – Click Here

2017 Bend OHA Accomplishments

1. Maintained and repaired 8 miles of fence supporting the Lava Butte wildlife crossings under Hwy 97 including emergency repairs in December when a vehicle accident wiped out over a 100 feet of fence.
2. Rebuilt a Walker Range Guzzler on the Gilchrist State Forest.
3. Cleared several more acres of juniper on the ongoing Flymon Project near Lake Billy Chinook in a one day effort as part of a chainsaw certification class that all volunteer saw users are now required to pass to use chainsaws on our National Forest projects. Eleven saw users are now certified.
4. Maintained and repaired several guzzlers in the Big Summit area on the Ochoco National Forest.
5. Held the 5th annual Youth and Family Fun Day event and another annual Youth Upland Bird Hunt.
6. Provided 5 individual scholarships by way of the Beckley Scholarship program.
7. Received a 2016 National Volunteers and Service Restoration Award for from the USFS National Office.

CHAPTER MEETINGS:

2nd Wednesday of each month at 7:00pm, though check our calendar for COVID Cancellations
Bend Golf and Country Club
61045 Country Club Dr.
Bend, OR 97702

CHAPTER OFFICERS

Chapter President: Rex Parks (541) 480-0230

1st Vice President: Doug Stout (541) 312-8332

2nd Vice President: Charlie Cookson  (541) 280-7525

Secretary: Wendy Borst (541) 480-0748

Treasurer: John Bambe (541) 480-9848

Past Presidents:
Bob Dixon (503) 572-2805
Bill Littlefield (541) 429-2950

Project / Volunteer Coordinator
Joe Giacinto (541) 410-4555

Banquet Chair
Position Open

Paulina Project Coordinator
Fred Newton – (541) 389-1321

Youth Events Coordinator – Member At Large:
Kevin Borst – (541) 388-7337

Youth Advisor – Member At Large:
JR Lorimor – (541) 420-2741

Media and Web Site Coordinator – Member At Large:
Bob Buddenbohn – (817) 472-4272

Youth Board President
Brock Guthrie – (541) 699-8330

MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION

OHA is one of the largest conservation groups in the state of Oregon but we are always looking for new members who are passionate about our hunting heritage. We need your support and value your input. Please join OHA and it will help us to carry out our mission. OHA is made up of over 20 chapters throughout the state. Two ways to join:

1) Click the application link that follows to download an application form, fill it out, and mail it to the OHA state office.

OHA MEMBER APPLICATION PDF

2) Link over to the OHA State website and select from one of the online purchase options.

Online Application

You can specify a chapter that you would like to join or the OHA state office will assign you to the one that is closest to your mailing address.

28th Annual Mule Deer Classic Banquet
The Riverhouse Convention Center
URGENT NOTICE
RESCHEDULED DUE TO CORONAVIRUS
August 15, 2020

Doors Open @ 4:00
Dinner Served @ 5:30
Live Auction Starts @ 7:30

In accordance with the Governor’s recent orders to cancel all large gatherings for 30 days in an attempt to minimize the spread of the Coronavirus, the Bend Chapter of Oregon Hunters Association is forced to reschedule its Mule Deer Classic fund raising banquet originally planned for this Saturday March 14 at the Bend Riverhouse Convention Center.

The banquet has been rescheduled to August 15, 2020 at the same location and time. We encourage all registered guests to attend the banquet in August. Our banquet team is already contacting all registered guests and donors to share more details and we encourage you to check for updates on our Chapter Website https://oregonhunters.org/bend-chapter/ and Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/OHABend/ .

Feel free to contact any chapter board member if you have questions and as always, thank you for your support and understanding.

To learn more Click here for the announcements or contact Susan Myers – Banquet Chair
541-639-5024 or susanmmyers@sbcglobal.net

Join us Saturday, August 15th at The Riverhouse Convention Center for the 28th annual Bend chapter Oregon Hunters Associations Mule Deer Classic Banquet and Fundraiser. Come at 4:00 for the social hour, where you will enjoy games, enter raffles, preview the live auction, bid on silent auction items, and swap hunting stories with fellow hunters. Enjoy the buffet dinner, enter raffles for more than 30 firearms and other prizes, including hunting and camping gear, trips, artwork, golf, and more.
Reserve your dinner and raffle ticket packages on the Registration Form below

Banquet Invitation 2020

Registration Form

2020 Raffle Descriptions

2020 Donor Solicitation letter

2019 Bend OHA Accomplishments – Here’s how we put the funds raised from last year’s MDC to good use in 2019

CENTRAL OREGON YOUTH CONSERVATION CORPS (COYCC) is hiring for outdoor jobs this summer. Want to work outdoors on conservation and habitat improvement projects, learn about career possibilities with the Forestry Service, BLM and ODFW? Then click YOUTH or CREW LEADERS for all the details

NEW YOUTH BOARD LAUNCHED – December 2019
This year OHA Bend Chapter is making youth a top priority. Our future depends on helping our youngsters experience the joy and wonders of our great outdoors, and our hunting traditions. In addition to our traditional Youth events, our chapter is once again leading the way being the very first chapter to….

NEW YOUTH BOARD LAUNCHED – December 2019 

… we are setting up a new youth board under the supervision of the Bend Chapter Youth Advisor and the 2^nd VP, the Bend Chapter of the to raise youth interest and participation within the OHA as well as hunting.  This will be a great opportunity for our youth to have their own voice as well as providing leadership skills to participating youth OHA members. The aim is to have the Youth Board decide upon projects & programs that interest them and attract other youth to jump in.  The only stipulation for these projects will be that they keep with the mission statement of the OHA “Protecting Oregon’s wildlife, habitat and hunting heritage”.  The Youth Board will pick at least one project of regular responsibility such as adopting a guzzler build or repair. They will also play a significant role in helping plan and run our more traditional youth and family events. And they will need to develop recruitment ideas for getting their peers involved.  No board can succeed on its own. The Youth Board will have funds and other resources available from the Chapter to use towards getting started and their projects. And they will periodically report to the Bend Chapter’s Board

For clarification or questions please feel free to reach out to JR Lorimor, Youth Advisor, OHA Bend Chapter, Cell #541-420-2741
jrlorimor10@gmail.com

2019 WAYNE ELLIOTT MEMORIAL YOUTH UPLAND BIRD HUNT – November 23, 2019
What a day we had …

2019 WAYNE ELLIOTT MEMORIAL YOUTH UPLAND BIRD HUNT – November 23, 2019

TBD

2019 YOUTH & FAMILY OUTDOOR DAY – June 2019
This year’s event was the biggest and most successful yet. We …

2019 YOUTH & FAMILY OUTDOOR DAY – June 2019

You missed another good one. Check here again for next years event!

Youth and Family Outdoor Day is an opportunity for adults and kids to enjoy outdoor activities together. You will have an opportunity to participate in shotgun shooting, archery, making outdoor craft projects, wilderness survival education, bird calls, GPS, maps and compass skills, outdoor first-aid, fly tying skills, and a chance to win prizes. You’ll also get to see taxidermy displays, camp cooking, and bird call demonstrations. If that isn’t enough, we’ll include lunch too!

OHA BEND SUPPORTS YOUTH TRAP CLUB in 2020

OHA BEND CONITUNES TO SUPPORT CENTRAL OREGON YOUTH CONSERVATION CORPS in 2020

Deer Fence Maintenance, Lava Butte to Sunriver Junction
Thursday May 7, 2020

4 Bend OHA members conducted a routine fence patrol today and we are happy to report that there were only a few minor issues to deal with.  One small tree was removed, 3 end caps to support bracing re-attached and electric strips on the highway were cleaned.

The only current issue with the fence is southbound at approximately mile post 150.5 where an intoxicated driver recently plowed through the fence.  The day after this event Tim McGinnis, ODOT D-10 Central TMM notified me of the event and that the fence had been temporarily repaired.  Tim further advised that he would have a local fence company make the permanent repairs and bill the driver’s insurance company.  The driver destroyed a large metal post, two angle braces and a section of fence.  Thanks Tim for letting us know because the day after this event I started getting phone calls about the damage.

Steve Jones inspecting alcohol fueled fence damage done by an intoxicated motorist.  Metal post and angle braces are in lower right corner of picture.  Fence has been temporarily wired back together however a section of wire will need to be replaced along with the lower 3 foot wire which spreads out onto the ground.

Greg Petsch left and Eric Brown right work on cleaning off the electric strips on the off ramps.

Volunteers:  Eric Brown, Steve Jones, Roger Points & Greg Petsch

Total time including travel time = 3 hours each for 12 hours total

3 Trucks total miles = 118
4 ATV’s total miles = 21

Eric R. Brown, Bend OHA
C: 541-647-0424

US Senate Committee Passes Highway Bill with Funding for more Wildlife Crossings – like the highly successful 5 mile stretch that our Chapter supported and now maintains south of Bend along the 97 near Sunriver

This is good news for states like ours looking to put in overpasses, underpasses, and culverts where busy roads intersect with fish and wildlife habitat.

In a 21-0 vote, the US Senate Environment and Public Works Committee passed a bipartisan highway bill with a major priority for sportsmen’s groups and wildlife managers: The legislation would carve out $250 million in dedicated funds over the next five years for wildlife-friendly roadway crossing structures like overpasses, underpasses, and culverts that connect fragmented fish and wildlife habitat.

More than 40 sportsmen’s groups  signed a letter to congressional leadership in April 2019 asking for a competitive grant program with at least $50 million annually be directed toward the planning, design, and construction of wildlife crossing projects. This includes a stretch of Hwy 97 near Gilchrist which OHA and our Chapter have also been supporting in several ways including matching grants, and offers to maintain the fencing after it’s constructed

These innovative enhancements to our roads and highway infrastructure should reduce vehicle collisions with wildlife and integrate habitat connectivity into highway planning, so fish and wildlife are not an afterthought. For more details go to http://www.trcp.org/2019/07/31/senate-committee-passes-highway-bill-funding-wildlife-crossings/

OHA STATE & BEND CHAPTER TEAM UP WITH OREGON YOUTH CHALLENGE PROGRAM CADETS TO CONSTRUCT POTHOLE SPRINGS BUCK & POLE FENCE – SEPTEMBER 18-21, 2019

IMAGINE A 300% RETURN ON AN INVESTMENT IN DAYS
Yet that’s exactly what our Chapter’s PotHole Springs Buck & Pole Fence Project accomplished this Fall!
Between a $15K donation from OHA State plus $16.6K attributed to about 500 volunteer hours “invested” by mostly Bend Chapter members, the project qualified for an additional $94.9K of state and federal grants. That’s 300% – HUGE!

That additional $94.9K will now be used to improve more Deer habitat in that area!

LEVERAGING OUR FINANCIAL DONATIONS & VOLUNTEER HOURS INTO MATCHING GOVERNMENT GRANTS IS HUGE. SO OUR CHAPTER, OHA STATE & OTHER OUTDOOR ORGANIZATIONS ALONG WITH STATE & FEDERAL AGENCIES WILL BE AGGRESSIVELY PURSUING THESE TYPES OF OPPORTUNITIES GOING FORWARD!
IT’S A WIN, WIN, WIN – FOR GAME, HABITAT & EVERY OREGONIAN!

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Bend OHA took the lead for this important event to communicate and coordinate the build with Ecotrust Forest Management (EFM), Lake and Klamath OHA Chapters, Mule Deer Foundation (MDF) and Oregon Youth Challenge Program (OYCP).

The project took place on the lower end of Pothole Springs on EFM property. Pothole Springs is located within the nearly 26,000 acre Embody Tract in the Fort Rock Basin that’s located 20 miles southeast of La Pine. In 2018 EFM, a Portland-based conservation-based timber management company (https://efmi.com), purchased the property which is mostly forested property and a key migration area for Mule Deer between their summer range in the Cascade Mountains and wintering ground in Fort Rock and Christmas Valley. EFM with help from ODFW and OHA is committed to enhancing this habitat by protecting critical springs and other riparian areas and supporting the Cabin/Silver Lake Winter Range Cooperative Closure. During hunting season, the property is open to the public.

The purpose of the project was to fence out cattle and sheep within the meadow allowing the meadow to restore itself and not be heavily grazed while deer and elk can still obtain access over the fence.  Grant dollars aided by $15K of OHA  State funds plus volunteer hours valued at $16.6K made this project and other buck and pole projects on EFM property possible as it is directly connected to the Mule Deer Initiative (MDI)  See below links to learn more about EFM and MDI.

*************

On Wednesday September 18 three Bend OHA members, Greg Petsch, Rex Parks and Eric Brown set up a camp near the project site and spent the next 3 days prepping the site for the building of a 1600 ft Buck & Pole fence. They cut down standing trees along with a large amount of deadfall.  They also cleaned up a large amount of brush using a hand held brush cutter. EFM supplied the material to make the fence but Rex spent considerable time placing the material properly. Just before arriving, they also unexpectedly learned that 80 of the Bucks had not been notched. They had never done this before but Greg and Eric built a jig and completed the task. On Friday they built two gates at either end of the project so that the following build day they could show volunteers how and what to do.  This project would not have come together as it did if their pre-work had not been done. It was a Herculean task for which we all owe them a huge amount of gratitude!

On Saturday the cavalry arrived. Members brought their personal generators, small sledge hammers and cordless drills to use at the project along with 4 ATVs. And 28 eager OYCP Cadets joined us as well; the Bend Chapter enjoys a fantastic relationship with OYCP. If you are not familiar with OYCP please refer to the attached web link. This is a fantastic program and past classes have helped us with other conservation projects along with our annual banquet each year.

With all this help we completed the 3 rail fence Buck and Pole fence in record time. And that allowed us enough time to also cut up and make piles of tree limbs within the meadow for EMF to dispose of afterwards.

EFM provided donuts for the group in th emorning and pizzain the afternoon for all however the cadets brought their own food as they are on a healthy diet.

When all was said and done – $15K plus 48 volunteers (28 being OYCP Cadets) worked just under 500 hours to complete this project. In addition to Bend OHA, volunteers from the Lakeview and Klamath Chapters plus Mule Deer Foundation pitched in.

BEST OF ALL – our collective efforts helped EMF qualify for an additional $95K in matching government grants; enough to take on quite a few more projects on this vitally important tract of land.  

A huge Thank You to all who were involved, but especially Eric, Greg and Rex whose extraordinary efforts were responsible for the project being a success!

www.oycp.com/about-the-program/

https://efmi.com/team/

https://www.dfw.state.or.us/resources/hunting/big_game/mule_deer/docs/Mule_Deer_Initiative_5_Year_Summary.pdf

PreProject Photo

Site Prepped & Ready to Build

Unloading the Materials

Work Crews Building the Fence

The Finished Project

The Volunteers and OYCP Youth

Ladies Hunting Camps

Bend OHA Chapter and OHA State both proudly support the one of a kind Ladies Hunting Camps held every July near LaPine. Women come from all over the country to attend this comprehensive hands-on program which introduces women to every aspect of Hunting, Camping, Safety and enjoying our great outdoor hunting traditions.

This year (2019) there were two camps and our chapter was right there with them for the second year in a row. Bob Dixon (Bend President) and 8 other volunteers assisted. Bend OHA Members put in 302 volunteer hours at this event. Bend OHA also provided funds for a catered meal and a raffle for a firearm.

We also signed up 15 new members on the calendars (most for Bend), did one renewal, signed up six new youth members, turned the pistol and a little over $600 to Candy, sold a little swag and cooked a lot of bacon.

There will be another camp July 16-19, 2020 at dry Creek Ranch, Fort Rock Oregon. To learn more or register, go to http://ladieshunting.com/

Wilderness First Aid Class

• September 28-29, 2019

• 8:00am-5:00pm daily

Sisters Parks and Rec Department, Sisters, OR

• $195.00
• More information and registration: https://www.longleafmedical.com/september19-wfa-sisters.html

If you have any questions, please let me know – I am happy to help!

Katie Cartier Luthy
Program Manager
Longleaf Wilderness Medicine
katie@longleafmedical.com
(o) 208.274.3596
(c) 508.596.6456

Shootin the Bull Pint Night

July 29 – Bend OHA hosted its first Shootin’ The Bull Pint Night at Bridge 99 Brewery.  Corey Heath, ODFW Wildlife Biologist spoke to the group about proposed ODFW hunting changes.  There were about 33 people in attendance with at least 8 new members.  This was a great chance to engage the new members and tell them more about what we are doing in attempts to get them involved.  The night was very enjoyable and we intend to do it again. Stay tuned!

Corey Heath ODFW Explaining Proposed Regulations

New Member Welcome

Charles Beckley Scholarship

The Bend Chapter of the Oregon Hunters Association has established a scholarship for higher education honoring the life-time member Charles Beckley, who passed away in 2004. Mr. Beckley was a dedicated OHA member, hunter, teacher, and was among the first hunter education instructors in Oregon. This scholarship furthers OHA’s goal of helping to educate future hunters and outdoor enthusiasts in Oregon.

Each year the Bend Chapter accepts applications for scholarships. Qualified applicants will be Bend Chapter OHA members and have a passion for hunting and the outdoors. Applications must be postmarked by the April 15th deadline each year. All applications are reviewed by the scholarship committee and grants are awarded to those individuals that the committee feels are most deserving based on our award criteria. Grants are paid directly to the school’s scholarship department and must be used for the year or term for which they were awarded. For more details about the scholarship application process or criteria, please click on the links below and download the information. Good luck!

2020-Beckley Scholarship Information & Application

For additional information about how to apply, you can contact an OHA representative by calling (541) 480-9848.

OREGON BACK COUNTRY HUNTERS

Thank you letter from Oregon BHA for our Chapter’s Support at the Beers, Bands & Public Lands Event in June

4-H SHOOTING SPORTS

Click Here to read Shooting Sports – Thank You for Financial Support

CENTRAL OREGON YOUTH CONSERVATION CORPS

Click Here to read COYCC-OHA Bend Report & Thank You for Support

Click Here to learn about COYCC

Click Here to read COYCC 2019 Crook County Accomplishments

THE MULE DEER FOUNDATION

TEDDY ROOSEVELT CONSERVATION PARTNERSHIP

Click here if you want to help the TRCP guarantee all Americans quality places to hunt and fish

ROCKY MOUNTAIN ELK FOUNDATION

Here are some useful links to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife’s website:

ODFW Home

Mandatory Tag Reporting

Hunting Resources

Hunting and Access Maps

National Forest Use

• Discover Your Forest
• Hunting Montana Archery Elk with Randy Newberg and Corey Jacobsen (FT S4 E3)
• Stillwater Fly Shop
• OHA Statewide Website

Advertising

• www.gundogsupply.com
• High Desert Sage Rat Guide Service

Hunting News

Photo Galleries

Newsletters & Publications