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52 °F Forecast | Road Cams Sunday, October 10, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Rogue Valley's Finest EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend October 7, 2004 Buckhunters have average success on opening weekend By MARK FREEMAN Mail Tribune Buck hunters had a slow go of it during opening weekend across Oregon, where black-tailed and mule deer seasons opened for rifle hunters. A combination of depressed deer numbers, warm weather and some early-season migration likely contributed to what state wildlife biologists say were less than average success rates for hunters in Jackson County. "It was a lot slower opener than last year," says Mark Vargas, Rogue watershed wildlife biologist for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. "There were less deer available at higher elevations and from what we hear, there were more deer harvested below 5,000 foot (elevation) than above it." Deer hunters reported seeing few animals in the woods, and they heard fewer shots from their hunting brethren, says Vargas, who spent the weekend interviewing hunters in the Union Creek and Prospect areas. Similarly poor results were reported, at least anecdotally, in the High Desert and Northeast regions, Vargas says. Advertisement "It might be a statewide phenomenon but we really don’t know," he says. The general rifle season for black-tail bucks opened Saturday and remains open through Oct. 15 in the southwest Cascades. After a one-week hiatus to allow for the general bull-elk season, deer hunting resumes Oct. 23 and runs through Nov. 5. Most opening weekends here are plagued by hot, dry weather that leaves the forest floor crispy (and thus noisy) and entices the deer to remain hidden in brush. But a taste of early fall in mid-September brought rain and even snow to high-elevation forest lands, triggering an early migration of some black-tails to low-elevation winter range, Vargas says. More than eight out of every 10 buck hunters can expect to go home empty-handed while hunting eastern Jackson County’s Rogue Unit, once a hotbed of black-tail hunting. The success rate for Rogue Unit hunters was just 14 percent last year in the general season, and 13 percent in 2002. Reasons for the decline include depressed herd numbers from disease, predation and loss of habitat as well as poor hunting conditions. Surveys show deer numbers here are slightly more than half of what they were about a decade ago. Buck ratios among the black-tailed deer herds here are up, helping take a little sting out of the continued downward spiral of deer plagued by disease, predation and loss of usable habitat. Places like the Applegate Unit sport the greatest surge in buck-to-doe ratios, sporting 29 bucks per 100 does heading into this season. The Rogue Unit is holding steady with 26 bucks per 100 does as well. Reach reporter Mark Freeman at 776-4470, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities