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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend September 8, 2005 Officials hope to keep annual youth hunt safe By MARK FREEMAN Mail Tribune WHITE CITY — Denman Wildlife Area officials and a few hundred of the Rogue Valley’s youngest hunters are coming off a record show in last year’s Youth Pheasant Hunt. But the one record they hope to keep during the 13th annual event Sept. 24-25 is the hunt’s spotless safety record. A combination of well-cropped fields, well-dispersed hunters and the perpetual mantra of "safety first" have wildlife area managers continuing a popular youth hunt that remains unblemished by accidents. That’s not the case elsewhere in Oregon, where young guns have logged firearms-related accidents during the weekend hunt. "There’s a lot of preparation on our part," wildlife area Manager Vince Oredson says. "Also, they’re well-trained by their hunter-education instructors and these kids are excellent hunters. But I guess I’m always going to head into these at least a little worried." Advertisement The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife is now taking reservations for the two-day annual Youth Game-bird and Waterfowl Hunt at the wildlife area, 1595 E. Gregory Road, White City. For pre-hunt reservations, call 826-8774. Five hundred pheasants will be planted in the fields just for juvenile hunters to stalk during this free hunt, and only kids 17 and younger can hunt that day. The birds were purchased for $12.95 apiece from an Idaho pheasant farm by ODFW and the Oregon Hunters Association, which is one of several co- sponsors. The ODFW and OHA used to supply 400 birds for the weekend, but they stepped it up with 100 more birds two years ago and saw excellent results. Oredson says 196 kids participating in the pheasant hunt shot 183 birds for a success rate of .93 birds per hunter. "That’s the most kids we’ve ever had and the harvest was the highest we’ve ever had," Oredson says. The success rate is more than twice that of the wildlife area’s fee-pheasant hunt in October. Also, the kids logged 668 hours and fired 856 shots in the field for an average of 4.37 shots per hunter last year, Oredson says. "That’s a lot of steel flying around out there," Oredson says. But the event remains accident-free because of preparedness by everyone involved, Oredson says. Wildlife area employees and volunteers keep the fields well mowed for the hunt, which improves visibility among the little-legged hunters whose participation is targeted in this event. Also, the wildlife area scatters the planted pheasants over a large area to ensure safe hunter densities. The hunt remains similar to last year. On both days, walk-up registration for open spaces not filled through the pre-registration process begins at 6:30 a.m., with shooting hours running from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. For safety, a maximum of 85 hunters are allowed in the field at any given time. As hunters leave the field, stand-by hunters will be allowed to participate as long as the 85-hunter maximum is kept. Following a string of weapons-related injuries at other wildlife areas in the late 1990s, the ODFW has operated its youth-only hunts with added safety measures. Adults can supervise just one hunter at a time in the field, and they both must read and sign a safety-review card and participate in a safety orientation. Participants must wear blaze-orange vests and blaze-orange hats. Only non-toxic shot is allowed on the wildlife area. Regardless of whether visitors participate in the pheasant hunt, kids can join the shotgun skills clinic that runs both days. Free breakfast and lunch also will be available. Birds that survive the youth hunt often stay on the wildlife area, which hosts a fee-based pheasant season Oct. 1-16. Reach reporter Mark Freeman at 776-4470, or e-mail Officials hope to keep annual youth hunt safe ">[email protected] . Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker dvd-r Distance Education Computer Security Ztechmedia Website Hosting Student Loans tcg student loan consolidation Online Pharmacy online casino Myspace Home Equity Loans Windermere Van Vleet Rogue Valley Travel Reservationstogo Hotel Reservations Southern Oregon Loans Online Casino News Natto Kinase Nattokinase Casino Gambling Sites Budget Website Templates Advertisement s