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Archery hunters ready to stalk Hunting seasons Here are some of the hunting opportunities in Oregon that begin within the upcoming week, including the season dates and tag requirements: ARCHERY DEER -- Bow season for deer is Aug. 28 through Sept. 26 statewide. A general bow-deer tag will allow a hunter either a buck or doe in Western Oregon, but just a buck in Eastern Oregon. Tag-holders can also hunt the Evans Creek, Rogue, Sixes and Melrose units Nov. 13-Dec. 5 if they have not filled their bow tag. ARCHERY ELK -- Bow season for elk is Aug. 28 through Sept. 26 for almost all of Oregon, with a one-elk limit in most units. A general bow-elk tag is required. GENERAL BLACK BEAR -- The season runs Aug. 28 through Nov. 30 statewide, except for a strip of land along the Rogue River from Grave Creek and Lobster Creek. The limit is one black bear of either sex. It is illegal to take cubs under 1 year old or a sow with cubs less than a year old. FOREST GROUSE -- Hunting season is Sept. 1 through Jan. 9 in Western Oregon, Sept. 1 through Nov. 28 in Eastern Oregon. Limit is three blue and three ruffed grouse a day, and only shotguns and bows are legal weapons. MOUNTAIN QUAIL -- Hunting season is Sept. 1 through Jan. 9 in Western Oregon, and Oct. 16 through Dec. 31 in Klamath and Wallowa counties. Mountain quail hunting is banned in the rest of Eastern Oregon. The limit is Western Oregon is 10 a day, but two a day in Klamath and Wallowa counties. By MARK FREEMAN Judging by the near triple-digit temperatures you might not know it, but the fall hunting season kicks off with a string of hunting opportunities beginning within the next five days. Deer and elk hunting for archers, along with rifle hunting for black bear, all begin Saturday throughout most of Oregon. They are followed Wednesday by the advent of this year's forest grouse hunting statewide and mountain quail hunting in Western Oregon. The heat has been a big topic for archery hunters. They're playing the typical August game of find-the-deer in a hot, dry forest that has game hovering at high elevations. The occasional rain sprinkles this week have hunters hoping early-season conditions will bring the hunter and the hunted closer together. "(Bowhunters) are always optimistic and excited," says Don Pritchett, who takes the bowhunters' pulse from behind the counter at his DewClaw Archery Supplies store in West Medford. "Even though the rain has given them a false sense of security, it has everyone's enthusiasm up even a little more," Pritchett says. Bowhunting for deer and elk statewide begins Saturday; Friday night is the deadline for bow tags. While general bear season begins Saturday across Oregon, tags can be bought through Oct. 1. For the fifth consecutive year, bear hunters cannot use bait or hounds on their hunts. Serious bowhunters have spent the past week or two scouting high-elevation areas for the target of their attention -- deer and elk. Those who have shared their finds with Pritchett say they see plenty of elk but find deer a scarce commodity. "I'm hearing the same thing -- lots of elk, lots of elk," Pritchett says. "I'm not getting the same thing about deer." Pritchett's information jibes with local big-game population estimates collected by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. Based on ODFW spring census counts, the Rogue Unit's deer population is estimated at 14,800 -- a full 38 percent below the unit's benchmark level of 24,000 deer. The East Applegate Unit is faring just as poorly, with its deer population down 40 percent from the benchmark. The populations have been down the past five years and have yet to rebound. ODFW biologist John Thiebes attributes this to a lack of quality deer winter-range and a rise in deer's main predator: cougars. Elk, however, are a different story. The Rogue Unit's elk populations are estimated at 3,300 animals -- the same as in 1998 and a hair higher than '97, Thiebes says. The Evans Creek Unit also sports an estimated 600 elk -- the same elk levels estimated for 1998, Thiebes says. While big-game archers have a good-news, bad-news scenario awaiting their hunting, those who sniff out upland game birds have good news and better news. Upland game birds have had excellent production in 1999, with good brood survival and a fine growing season that has meant many of the young birds are already grown to attractive size. Mountain quail, for instance, have shown themselves early and often to ODFW biologist on census routes, with broods hovering in the six- to seven-bird range and plenty already fully feathered, Thiebes says. Forest grouse are tougher to count, but weather and habitat conditions have favored them this year. "Inevitably, this is going to be a great year for upland game birds," Thiebes says. Outdoor Journal main page Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA