Hunting Opportunities in the Highway 58 Region

By Gary Lewis, Author...Hunting Oregon

Directory

Mountain Quail

Mountain quail are located mainly in western Oregon.

Typical habitat is between 2500 and 6000 feet above sea level, in the
new growth of an old logging area or burn. They prefer the lower brushy
slopes of canyons with year-round water. Favorite foods include lupine,
clover, acorns and wild carrot.

They feed early in the morning and again in the late afternoon, taking
dust baths and shade in the middle of the day. When flushed, they won’t
fly far, preferring to run and hide in dense thickets.

Quail coveys may be widely scattered across a mountain range. Since
they live on steep, brushy hillsides, a good way to hunt them is to ride
logging roads on a mountain bike until birds are seen. The hunters can
then dismount and hunt on foot.

Mark the spot on your map after you find quail. You will probably find
birds there again.

Mountain quail are often under-hunted. Many hunters avoid them because
of the difficulty of the terrain, the heavy cover they live in and their
tendency to run instead of fly.

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Ruffed Grouse

Ruffed grouse come in two color phases, red and gray, and birds of both
colors can be found throughout the state.

Like blacktail deer, grouse prosper in a changing environment, one that
undergoes the changes brought by logging and fire. Aspens and related
trees such as alder thrive on disturbance, filling the niche left by the
trees that were taken by foresters or infernos.

Find good grouse cover and eventually you will find good grouse hunting.
Hunt draws with criss-crossed blowdown timber and brushy creekbottoms.
Walk the edges of clearcuts and meadows. And hunt the edge habitat in
hardwood forests and woods of mixed conifers and hardwoods.

In western Oregon, hunt the creek bottoms and the younger stands of
mixed hardwoods and fir trees. An abundance of foods such as berries
will help to concentrate the birds. Old apple orchards with trees that
still bear fruit are sure to draw and hold birds close by. Look for
tracks in muddy banks close to water and a place for the birds to go for
gravel in the evenings.

Early in the season, usually beginning at the first of September, look
for birds close to water. Warm temperatures mean that they will be
getting less moisture from the food they are eating and need more from
creeks and swamps.

Grouse are tough but that is as it should be. A bird as tasty as the
grouse should be hard to get and the hunter will appreciate his game all
the more.

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Small Game

Cottontails

In Oregon you can hunt cottontails from one side of the state to the
other. Though the terrain you find them in will change, there are a few
constant techniques that the hunter can apply to consistently bring home
the game. I’ve enjoyed hunting with a dog or making a drive with three
or four hunters walking abreast, but I believe that the most challenging
way to hunt them is alone.

I took my first cottontail while hunting a Christmas tree farm. Planted
in rows, the diminutive douglas firs gave ample cover for a variety of
wildlife that thrived on eating the young growth of the little trees.
The trees were food and they were shelter. Rather than inhabiting a
burrow, the rabbit could just settle beneath the branches of a bushy fir
tree and stay safe, well-fed and reasonably warm. With acres and acres
of tightly packed trees, there wasn’t much wind that made it to ground
level. What snow and rain fell was caught by the upper branches,
keeping the runways beneath the trees dry and passable.

What I learned was that by walking slowly, perpendicular to the
carefully planted rows, I could look up and down, sometimes spotting a
rabbit sitting in the trail. If I could raise the rifle in time then I
had one to skin. If not, then there was my next trick: From a rabbit’s
standpoint, it was much healthier to be traveling in the opposite
direction than I was. So, periodically, I would make a large circle
re-covering the ground I had just seen. Often, I would glimpse a rabbit
that I had missed the first time, now making a sneaky getaway.

These same principles can be applied to still-hunting any type of cover
known to hold rabbits. Walking noisily through an area is bound to move
some animals but many more will be seen by taking it slow. Take a few
steps and pause to look around. You’re watching for parts of a rabbit,
the flick of an ear, a shiny black eye, or the slope of its back as it
waits in a clump of grass. Take a few more steps and pause again. It’s
important to do this. Rabbits, like deer, will hold up and wait for you
to pass by. If you’ve come upon a rabbit without seeing it first and
you pause to look, the rabbit, thinking that you’ve spotted it, will
make its break.

The still-hunter will do best to carry a .22 caliber rifle. Most shots
will be at ranges of ten to eighty yards. Well-placed shots will damage
little, if any, meat.

On cold winter days, look for rabbits on sunny slopes and among the
rocks. During the day, rocks hold the sun’s heat better than other types
of cover. South-facing slopes are best bets because exposure to sun is
longer and snow cover will be lighter.

Sometimes it can be hard to find the rabbit after you shoot. After
taking a long shot, you should mark the spot well in your mind before
you go to find your game. Fix the landmarks in your sight and walk right
to the spot where you last saw the rabbit. You will want to find it
because I have a good recipe for you to try.

You will need one rabbit for every two or three people. Carve the meat
into bite-size pieces about ¼ inch thick. Dip them in egg then roll the
meat into a mixture of flour and spices. Fry the meat at medium heat
until browned. Serve with scalloped potatoes and gravy.

Enjoy the warm food while you can. No matter how cold it is outside you
will want to go do it all again.

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Western Gray Squirrel

Sciurus griseus, the western gray squirrel, is bluish-gray or
silver-gray in appearance. Its underbelly is generally white as are the
ends of the guard hairs in the tail, lending a frosted or silver look to
the tail.

Because the squirrel can provide a good meal for hawks, owls, weasels,
minks, bobcats, foxes, coyotes or humans, he must be alert at all times,
whether on the ground or high in a tree. Frightened, he will take to the
closest tree, using its trunk to shield him from danger. With a predator
close behind, he will jump from the branches of one tree to the next,
using branches and trunks and foliage to keep out of view.

Alternately, he may freeze on a branch, waiting for danger to pass,
laying his belly against the bark, tense, claws locked, ready to run.

To find squirrels in abundance, look to their principal food sources.
Their tastes run mainly for nuts. Acorns from oak trees and pine nuts
from pine trees are favorites. In the spring, they will eat the buds of
new growth on the branches of trees. In the fall, they may find apples
in old orchards. They need water and will take it several times a day
when it is available.

During stormy weather the squirrels will hole up, but they don’t
hibernate. They require food for the winter months and so spend much of
the autumn months gathering a supply against cold weather.

Look for stands of oak trees or other nut producing trees. An old apple
orchard close to timberlands may also produce good hunting. The best
time of day for hunting squirrels is in the early morning, from when the
dawn’s first light is warming the tops of the trees till about ten
o’clock. Watch the water sources at mid-morning and again in
mid-afternoon. Squirrels will generally stay close to their nests during
the warmer part of the day and start feeding again in the evening.

Still-hunting, making your way carefully and slowly through the squirrel
woods, is one popular method of hunting the western-gray. Listen and
watch more than you walk. The still hunter watches for the slightest
movement, the twitch of an ear, the flick of a tail, the shine of an
eye, and listens for the cutting of teeth on nuts or the skittering of
claws on bark.

The stand hunter finds a patch of cover with good feed and access to
water. Prowling carefully through the trees, he locates discarded nut
shells or chewed pine cones or the discarded cores of apples. Taking a
position, leaning back against a tree, the hunter watches and waits,
letting the disturbance he made in approaching the hunt area settle
down.

Soon, if squirrels are still in the area, the hunter will hear them
feeding among the leaves or cutting nuts with their sharp teeth.

Patience is the key for the stand hunter in good squirrel cover.

A .22 rimfire rifle or handgun loaded with solid point ammunition is
good squirrel medicine. Shots at squirrels are generally taken at less
than 50 yards. The diminutive bullet, when placed properly will spoil
little meat. Many squirrel hunters like to use a scope on their gun as
an aid to accuracy. Aim for the head to avoid destroying meat with your
shot.

A .410 shotgun loaded with #6 shot is the favored load for
scatter-gunners. This is also the weapon of choice for the walking
hunter whose targets will likely be leaping from tree to tree or running
along the ground.

For the tremendous hunting opportunity and the education that squirrel
hunting provides, you can’t beat the western gray squirrel.

Check the Oregon Big Game Regulations for season dates and bag limits.

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Bobcat

The bobcat may be the least understood and under-hunted of Oregon’s game
animals. Existing in great abundance in some areas, the spotted cat can
be found on both sides of the Cascades.

Except for males roaming in search of female companionship, a bobcat’s
range is usually small, seldom exceeding six square miles. They can be
hunted wherever their principle prey species are found. Squirrels, mice,
rabbits, turkeys, grouse, chukar, pheasants and quail are all on a
bobcat’s menu. Though not as big as cougars, a bobcat weighs 20 to 30
pounds on the average, they will take a deer when given the opportunity.

East of the Cascades, canyons and brushy draws choked with sagebrush and
juniper adjacent to rocky outcroppings are good places to start looking
for bobcats. They can make a very good living on flat-topped finger
ridges which may isolate game such as chukar and rabbits.

In the west, look to swamps and river bottoms for good bobcat habitat.
Forested and replanted foothills and fringe areas with an abundance of
squirrels, grouse and mountain quail are also good bets.

A bobcat’s track shows four oval toes. In general, they are spread
farther apart than the toes of a fox or a coyote. Since bobcat claws are
retractile you will not see a claw mark. They are smaller than cougar
tracks.

During the day bobcats travel in thick cover, at night they may roam the
open spaces, looking for mice or rabbits in field and prairie.

A hunter that would take his cat with the call should consider the
scoped varmint rifle or handgun as the best bet for collecting a spotted
cat’s pelt. The optimum load for bobcat is one that will anchor a cat
with one well-placed shot, yet do little damage to the pelt. The .22 WRF
Magnum is a good place to start. Another good choice would be the .22
Hornet. Cartridges such as the .223 or one of the 6mm’s are deadly for
bobcats but may do more damage to the pelt than is necessary.

Hunters that use hounds in pursuit of bobcats will often use a .22 rifle
or a handgun to dispatch the animal. With the cat at bay, the hunter
often has the time to take careful aim. Others might choose the shotgun,
because of the potential of taking the cat as it circles in front of the
hounds, for a running shot on the ground. A 12 gauge shotgun is the best
choice here with shot not smaller than #2.

Check the current regulations before going afield. Oregon Furbearer
Trapping and Hunting Regulations are available at the nearest office of
the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. Hunters are required to
possess a Resident Hunting License for Furbearers and a Bobcat Record
Card.

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Coyotes

Coyotes perform a valuable function, keeping rodent and rabbit
populations in check. However, coyote populations across the state are
increasing and deer and antelope herds are suffering as coyotes take a
large number of fawns.

Coyotes, formerly animals of the western plains have spread across the
continent. They are thriving now because of humans. In the late 1800’s
and early 1900’s, ranchers and trappers declared war on wolves. So, for
decades, the coyote’s ancient enemy has been largely absent from the
lower 48 states. With no competition from the wolf, coyotes have taken
over. And, they have become educated about how to live around people.
Even within the city limits of Portland, coyotes prowl golf courses and
fields in search of their prey. In the suburbs, residents complain about
the coyotes that roam at will, eating from dogfood dishes and garbage
cans or picking up unsuspecting dogs and cats.

Across the country, coyotes are increasingly confronting humans as
potential meals. Small children have been stalked as they played and
bitten severely before the coyote was pulled off. In California alone,
53 verified attacks on people occurred within the last 10 years. Just as
they learn to live and eat in the suburbs, coyotes can be taught to
respect humans again. When a few coyotes lose their skins to hunters the
remaining wild dogs lose their much of their audacity.

A fawn-in-distress or a dying rabbit predator call costs only a few
dollars and can be easily mastered. Not only is it a lot of fun but it
helps to reduce the coyote population which in turn reduces the number
of deer and antelope fawns and elk calves that are lost to coyotes each
year.

The first two hours in the day and the last two hours of light in the
evening are the best times of the day for calling. A coyote may respond
anytime of day but the likelihood is greater at first and last light.
Coyote hunting at night is legal in Oregon and hunters use red lights to
spot the animals as they come in.

The coyote knows what the sound of a rabbit in distress means. It
signals an easy meal if it can take the rabbit away from whatever is
killing it. That is why sometimes a dominant coyote will come right in
while a younger dog might be hesitant.

Put fright and pain in your calling. The first sounds a rabbit makes
when it is captured are a series of squalls which then become gasping
cries. If the predator shifts its grip then the squalls might come
again.

Study the land and determine likely approaches a coyote might make. The
wind is of paramount importance. Situate yourself downwind from where
the coyote is likely to be. If you have partners, situate them up to 30
yards away from you as the caller. The predator will come right to you
and so they should be close by.

Call in one location for at least fifteen minutes before moving on.
Depending on the topography you might need only move a quarter of a mile
before calling again.

A good place to hunt coyotes is wherever they can find their main food
sources. Fields, meadows and prairies are full of mice. Brushy draws
hold rabbits and upland birds. Wherever there are deer there will be
coyotes close by. In the spring when deer are giving birth to their
young a fawn in distress call can draw in predators. You may bring in an
angry deer as well.

When you find an area that has all the right coyote foods, then look for
sign. Coyotes use trails and waterholes just like the other animals. If
there are coyotes in the area then you will soon see their sign.

In September and October the young of the year are out searching for
food on their own. The population is strongest at this time of the year
and many coyotes lose their skins during deer and elk seasons. But the
coyote pelt is best after the first snows and a tanned pelt or a coyote
rug makes a fine trophy to remember a successful hunt.

Coyotes have been taken with the ubiquitous .22 long rifle and its more
powerful cousin, the .22 magnum but these are not recommended for coyote
hunting. A shot at a coyote might be taken as close as ten feet or as
far out as 400 yards. A good coyote weapon should be able to accommodate
either circumstance.

For a dedicated coyote rifle, the best choice might be one of the
flat-shooting .22 centerfires or a 6mm or .243. Beyond these, any rifle
a big-game hunter is proficient with is the perfect choice for coyotes.

For the same reasons, any centerfire handgun in .22 caliber or larger,
will work for coyotes.

For calling situations where the coyote is likely to come in close to
the caller, a shotgun is ideal. Use a load with sufficient knockdown
power in the range between #2’s and 000 buckshot.

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Big Game

Blacktail Deer

Young forests are the best places to find blacktails. One to ten years
after a fire or a logging operation has passed through, blacktails will
thrive. A mix of various ages of timber and types of foliage provide the
food and shelter that the deer require throughout the year.

The blacktail rut begins in the first week of November and continues
into December. The best bucks are normally taken during the rut, when
good judgement is cast to the wind. In November, blacktails are
vulnerable to rattling, and calling.

Bucks shed their antlers in late winter. The sheds can be found on
forest trails and at fence crossings. These clues provide a better
understanding of the quality of local deer than the sheds found on mule
deer winter range. Blacktails aren’t as migratory as mule deer because
most blacktails live in more temperate climates.

In body size they are, on average, smaller than their mule deer cousins.
Most blacktails won’t exceed 200 pounds in body weight.

In coloration, blacktails go from red-gold in summer to gray and brown
in their winter coats. Ears are smaller than mule deer ears. Like the
mule deer, a blackish patch can be found between the eyes. Antler
conformity is similar to the mule deer, but smaller. Antler spread
typically ranges from fifteen to 23 inches.

The blacktail’s flag is similar in shape to that of a whitetail deer,
but not as long. It is brown at the base and predominantly black, shaped
like a willow leaf. The underside is white. The blacktail has a white
throat patch.

Due to his secretive ways, a mature blacktail buck, whether his antlers
make ‘book’ or not, is a prize that any hunter can be proud of. And a
truly big blacktail may be one of the toughest trophies of all.

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Mule Deer

The mule deer is the classic big game animal symbol of the west. It
takes its name from its large ears, resembling those of a mule.

It is the largest of the three main species of North American deer.
Overall body size varies with the region, available food, water and
genetics. Mature bucks can weigh up to 300 pounds or more.

Its coat is typically blond or red-gold in summer and gray in winter. It
has a white patch below the throat. Mule deer have an identifying black
patch which comes down the face from between the ears to a point below
the eyes. Its hooves are larger and more blunt than other deer, allowing
them to negotiate snow and rugged ground.

The mule deer’s tail is smaller than the blacktail or whitetail’s flag.
It is white and thin in comparison, with a black tassel at the end. In
build, it is muscular and blocky, though graceful.

Mule deer antlers are highly prized among North American hunters. Spread
and mass are bigger than that of a whitetail or a blacktail. Typically,
main beams fork into two branches and each branch forms two tines.
Westerners would call this buck a four-point. Eyeguards, if present, are
shorter than the whitetail’s.

The mature adult buck is difficult to hunt. He is an animal of the high
country and the desert. Secretive, he makes his living in a rugged land,
subsisting on twiggy flora, broad-leafed plants, and grasses. Only in
the breeding season does he lose a bit of that natural wariness,
sometimes traveling tens of miles in search of willing does. In much of
the mountain west, the rut begins in early November.

Mule deer bucks grow antlers in their second year. Often a set of
spikes, a spike and a fork or forks. In his third year, the buck might
grow a wispy three or four point rack. Much of the western buck harvest
consists of these younger deer.

It is in the fourth year when the mule deer begins to grow the size of
antlers for which he is famous. In the next few years of his life,
antler spread will go from 20 inches upwards to 30 inches and beyond. A
very few bucks will grow antlers in excess of 40 inches wide. At the end
of his years, antler growth begins to diminish. What was once a
magnificent buck with up to six points or more per side may become a
two-point again albeit with a great spread and a noble appearance.

Mule deer shed their antlers in February or March. Shed antlers can be
found in deer wintering habitat at low elevations. Migratory muleys
spend summer and fall in the higher elevations escaping heat, flies and
predators. They move to winter range when snow flies at the onset of
winter.

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Elk

There are three parts to our elk hunting seasons. Pre-rut, rut, and
post-rut. During the pre-rut the older bulls are just beginning to feel
the urge to breed. They're scraping their antlers, thrashing small
trees and shadow sparring with other bulls. At this time they'll be
moving down out of the high country and looking for cows.

The younger bulls are confused. They're smelling strange new enticing
odors. They haven't experienced the kinds of things before that are now
happening to them. The cows that bore and fed them have driven them
away. The older bulls are becoming aggressive, swinging deadly headgear
at any young bull who comes too close.

For these reasons, look for early season bulls to be on the move.
They're searching for cows, putting together their harems. They'll be
establishing dominance and herd hierarchy. Look for long, deep
drainages and scout the adjacent trails. Find where the animals have
bedded and watch nearby meadows at first and last light. The animals
will drink twice a day and so won't range too far from water. But don't
hunt too close to fast water because the animals won't stay there long.
The sound masks predator noise.

August and September days are usually hot, so look for sign on north
slopes and in cool, shaded bottoms. Deep canyons and thick timber with
few or no access roads are the best bets.

As the season progresses and elk start feeling the pressure, they'll
head for higher ground once again. This is where familiarity with a
particular drainage pays off. Pre-season scouting will acquaint you
with the trails they'll be using to escape.

After the rut, bull elk are recovering from the rigors of breeding.
Rifle hunters can find the elk often in the same general area that
bowhunters found them in September, but bulls will be wary.

For the best chance of success, hunters should be scouting before the
season to pattern the movements of herds in their hunting units.

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Cougar

Cougar habitat is easy to find. Find a herd of deer on their wintering
ground and there will most likely be a mountain lion nearby. Finding a
place to call from, a place where a cat will come to a call is a little
more difficult.

A lion needs food. Deer are their primary prey. Deer come down out of
the mountains in the winter, feeding in the valley basins and foothills,
depending on snowpack and the availability of browse. So when deer are
concentrated, cats will be in close proximity. They will stick close to
the deer herds throughout the winter, following them back up into the
mountains as the snow recedes.

These are dangerous animals that weigh between 80 and 200 pounds. Even a
small cat, given the advantage, can kill a human in the amount of time
it takes to read this paragraph. Calling in a dangerous predator is
different from shooting a cornered animal in a tree. It takes a good
hunting bullet with good expansion characteristics, that has the
knockdown power to destroy organs, bones and muscle. Wounding and losing
a cat is simply not acceptable.

The hunter should use a rifle that he or she can shoot well. Shots will
most likely be at running lions and so practice is essential. Use a deer
rifle and not a so-called varmint gun. These are big game after all. Not
coyotes.

Consult the Oregon Big Game Regulations before hunting. At present
(2001) it is illegal to use dogs to hunt cougars. It is also illegal to
take spotted kittens or to harvest a female with spotted kittens. Any
cougar taken must be checked in at the nearest ODFW office within 72
hours of the kill. Fish and Wildlife requires that the hide, skull and
proof of sex be checked in. If the cat is a female, the reproductive
tract must be submitted as well.

Open seasons vary across the state. In some areas the big cats may be
hunted year-round. Talk to ODFW biologists to find areas with high lion
populations and then start talking to landowners. Lions are a real
concern for many rural residents.

Oregon’s lion population is growing. They pad the wilderness trails in
the summer and follow the deer down into the valleys and river canyons
in the winter. Few hunters have seen him but be certain, if you walk the
forest ridges in the fall or like to sit on a desert rimrock high above
a river, a mountain lion has seen you.

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Bear

By all indications, Oregon’s black bear population is growing steadily.
Though there are probably bears within a half-hour’s drive of any city
in the state, some possible hunting locations may have few or none at
all. Look first for good habitat providing access to denning areas,
water, succulent plants and other springtime food sources. Once you have
picked an area meeting all these criteria then spend time there,
searching for sign.

Learn to spot a bear’s tracks. Often, in forests with thick cover, a
black bear will travel established trails and old logging roads. You can
often find the tracks they leave on these roads. An intimate knowledge
of your hunting area will help you determine where that bear was feeding
and give an indication of where you might find him again.

Black bear droppings are shaped like an apple fritter, though not quite
as tasty. They will contain hints at where to find the bear. The color
of fresh droppings may reveal that a bear was eating grass, robbing an
ant hill or finding grubs in rotten logs and stumps. These clues may
lead you to a feeding area.

To find a bear in the fall, hunt the food sources that are available to
him. In September, hunt the high mountain meadows and the old burns
where huckleberries grow. On high, alpine mountains, small berry bushes
such as crowberry, blueberry and bear berry often are a food source for
a bruin. One year there may be berries everywhere, another year a late
spring frost can kill most berries. Where blackberries grow wild, a
hunter can find a bear eventually by watching the trails where he finds
tracks and waiting.

Throughout the summer, bears search rotten stumps and logs for grubs. On
occasion, they will find a bee hive. I once came upon a bear in early
September near the headwaters of the Willamette. It was pawing through a
log and the bees were swarming about its head. I was less than thirty
yards away when it caught my scent and bolted.

When the apples or pears in old orchards begin to fall, a stand taken in
a nearby tree, downwind of course, can yield the hunter a bruin.
Likewise, bear will return year after year to hardwood forests when
acorns carpet the ground beneath the oak trees.

In October and November when the berries have withered and died on the
vines and in locations where visibility is good, calling can produce a
bear. Sporting goods stores now have a wide array of calls that a bear
hunter can use. Rabbit in distress calls can be used, as can fawn and
calf calls. Several companies offer bear calls that imitate the squall
of a cub. Bears can and will come in to elk bugling if they are
optimistic.

A bear is not normally credited with excellent eyesight but will make up
for it with good hearing and a superb sense of smell. To be successful
on a bear hunt, you must pay attention to the wind, testing it
frequently to make sure any bears ahead are not being forewarned of your
approach.

Bear hunters should note that during the course of some deer and elk
seasons, it is unlawful to hunt bear with a rifle without the
corresponding deer or elk tag for that area. Always check the current
regulations carefully before hunting.

In 1994 voters put a stop to the use of dogs to locate and tree bears or
baiting for bears. And numbers are on the increase and future prospects
for bear hunting in Oregon are bright

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