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Mark Freeman Commentary Hunters stalk last-minute tags Hunters readying themselves for their annual fall foray into the forest better first figure on footing it to the local sporting goods store -- and fast. The annual tradition of waiting until the 11th hour to buy an Oregon hunting license and general-season deer tag is as much a ritual as it is unnecessary. The general deer season for Western Oregon begins Saturday, and the $11 tags for the fall hunt are sold through Friday night at point-of-sale licensing outlets across Oregon. Tags and licenses have been on sale since last winter, but hunters typically inflict themselves with lengthy lines on deadline day. But the deep lines and long wait are not nearly the trouble to sporting goods stores and hunters who revel in almost a holiday-like atmosphere. "And it's one I hope we never lose," says Mike McMullen of the Black Bird Shopping Center, which will have three tellers selling licenses today and Friday. "There's a lot of excitement to it," McMullen says. "It's not like standing in line at a grocery store or a bank. They're standing in line to get their tags so they can go hunting (Saturday)." Hunters who get their tags can expect "low to moderate success" for opening weekend, says John Thiebes from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife's Central Point office. Deer herds in the Rogue Unit -- which accounts for the bulk of eastern Jackson County -- are down 40 percent from their numbers in the early 1990s. And a lack of recent precipitation has left stalking conditions on the forest floor akin to walking on potato chips. "It looks like (hunters) will still get potato chips this weekend," Thiebes says. "With things dry, it is still going to be tough hunting for everyone." Despite the conditions, deer herds are just starting to migrate out of high-elevation summer range, Thiebes says. But in spite of most hunter folklore, deer do migrate in hot and dry conditions and migration is not so tightly tied to stormy weather as many believe, he says. Hunters are reminded that fire restrictions remain in most of Southwest Oregon, including Jackson and Josephine counties. A long-range forecast calling for low humidity on ridge lines, strong easterly winds and no rain keep the potential for large fires very much on the minds of Greg Gilpin and others at the Oregon Department of Forestry. On state-protected private and Bureau of Land Management lands, campfires are banned except in improved campgrounds. Off-road driving is banned, and smoking is allowed only inside closed vehicles while in forest and grasslands. In higher-elevation Forest Service lands, campfires are allowed but only if done safely and properly. Forest Service officials warn hunters to keep a shovel, bucket of water and other fire-squelching tools handy, don't build fires under over-hanging branches, keep fires small and don't leave them unattended. (Staff writer Mark Freeman covers the outdoors for the Mail Tribune. Call him at 776-4470, or e-mail him at: [email protected] ) Outdoor Journal main page Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA