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Application deadline nears for private deer hunt By Mark Freeman Oct 07, 2022 12:15 AM A A Archery hunters are lining up for one of the most sought-after, yet largely unsuccessful, black-tailed buck deer hunts on a private ranch in the Lake Creek area. Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife is taking applicants for five hunters who will get a chance to hunt alone for three days in late fall on the C2 Cattle Company ranch 25 miles east of Medford. Winners of the Oct. 11 drawing will get three days of unguided hunting on the 10,000-acre ranch that is the well-known home to some large blacktail bucks, particularly during the migration time that coincides with the Nov. 12 to Dec. 4 hunt times. “It’s, basically, access, but success is pretty low, which is not out of line, especially when you get only three days to hunt,” says Dylan Edwards, the ODFW habitat biologist who is running the hunt. “But it’s winter range in the late season,” Edwards says. “You do get some whopper bucks in there.” Only two blacktails have been killed in recent years as part of this hunt offered through the ODFW’s Access and Habitat Program, in which ODFW offers habitat work on the ranch in exchange for limited hunter access. “A lot of the hunters I’ve talked to said they saw quite a few really nice blacktails but just couldn’t seal the deal,” Edwards says. As of Tuesday, 142 hunters have applied for one of the five slots, Edwards says. As recently as two years ago, upward of 1,100 archery hunters have applied for one of the slots. Applications are free, and the deadline is 11:59 p.m. Monday. To be eligible, hunters must have an unused “2022 General Archery Season Western Oregon Deer Tag.” Click here to register. To be eligible, hunters must have an unused “2022 General Archery Season Western Oregon Deer Tag” already in their possession. Hunters need not be local to win. The drawing will be Oct. 11 at ODFW’s office at Denman Wildlife Area. Winners will be notified by Oct. 14. Winners will coordinate with the ranch to set hunting dates that best accommodate the schedules of the archers, Edwards says. Edwards says the relatively poor success for archers in this particular hunt has created a change for next year, when four hunters will each get four days of access. Mark Freeman covers the outdoors for the Mail Tribune. Reach him at 541-776-4470 or by email at mfreeman@@rosebudmedia.com.