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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Ashland schools superintendent announces resignation ... Linn County officials oppose Douglas fir monument proposal ... Oregon insurers lose, hospitals win in Affordable Care Act fallout ... Ashland schools superintendent announces resignation ... Linn County officials oppose Douglas fir monument proposal ... Oregon insurers lose, hospitals win in Affordable Care Act fallout ... SINCE YOU ASKED Since You Asked: Split Oregon deer season goes back decades Comment By Mark Freeman Mail Tribune Follow @@MTwriterFreeman MailTribune.com By Mark Freeman Mail Tribune Follow @@MTwriterFreeman Posted Mar. 4, 2016 at 12:01 AM By Mark Freeman Mail Tribune Follow @@MTwriterFreeman Posted Mar. 4, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Social News I'm a native Oregonian for just shy of 70 years. I've been hunting since I was a 4 years old and began carrying a rifle at age 12. Back in the day, I could hunt Eastern Oregon or Western Oregon with just a deer tag. When did the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife begin its policy of having hunters apply for draw in units in Eastern Oregon for deer, elk, etc. You folks seem to find answers to just about everything. Just asking. Thank you. — Larry B., Medford Well, Larry, it seems you've been out of the woods looking for deer for about 40 years because that's how long state wildlife managers have split Western Oregon and Eastern Oregon and required hunters to choose whether they were going to hunt black-tailed deer in Western Oregon and mule deer in Eastern Oregon. It's been even longer for Eastern Oregon Rocky Mountain elk hunters, who have seen a split season with limited-entry tags there since 1972. The deer seasons go back to 1901 when the Oregon Legislature — which in those days set hunting seasons — set the first deer season, which was statewide and with a five-deer limit, according to the ODFW's Mule Deer Management Plan. In 1923, concerns over shooting too many does turned the season to buck-only, and it pretty much ran that course until 1941, when the Legislature turned over big-game management to the Oregon Game Commission, the plan states. In 1948, Oregon issued its first deer tag (just a license was all you needed until then) so biologists could track effort. The horrible winter of 1968-69 decimated mule-deer herds, and Oregon clamored for a way to protect that Eastern Oregon resource, the plan states. And in 1976, the state settled on a split season with Oregonians required to choose to hunt either Eastern Oregon's mule deer or Western Oregon's blacktails. Send questions to “Since You Asked,” Mail Tribune Newsroom, P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501; by fax to 541-776-4376; or by email to [email protected] . To see a collection of columns, go to mailtribune.com/youasked . We’re sorry, but the volume of questions received prevents us from answering all of them. By Mark Freeman Mail Tribune Follow @@MTwriterFreeman MailTribune.com By Mark Freeman Mail Tribune Follow @@MTwriterFreeman Posted Mar. 4, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2016 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501