2020-21 Proposed Upland Game Bird Regulations...2016 2017 Tags/Harvest Year Statewide Fall Turkey:...
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Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission Meeting August 7, 2020 Mikal Cline Upland Game Bird Coordinator 2020 - 21 Proposed Upland Game Bird Regulations 2020 Upland Stamp Contest Winner by John Connor
Transcript of 2020-21 Proposed Upland Game Bird Regulations...2016 2017 Tags/Harvest Year Statewide Fall Turkey:...
Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission MeetingAugust 7, 2020
Mikal ClineUpland Game Bird Coordinator
2020-21 Proposed UplandGame Bird Regulations
2020 Upland Stamp Contest Winner by John Connor
Upland Game Bird Regulations
• Population Status
• 5-Year Regulation Framework
• Special Hunt Opportunities
• Youth Hunts
• Hunting Workshops
• Fee Pheasant Hunt
• Controlled Sage-grouse Season
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Population Status2019 Harvest Surveys Upland bird harvest declined (-29%) from 2018
Except spring wild turkeys (+17%)
2020 Population surveys Limited production due to weather during hatch
Evidence of successful renesting
Habitat and Weather Mild winter, heavy spring precipitation
Good cover, insect production
Dry summer
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5-year Upland Game Bird Hunting Season Framework
2020-2025Why every 5 years?
• Populations fluctuate naturally due to weather patterns
• Long-term trends related to habitat • Short-lived, high annual death rate• Hunting typically does not affect
overall mortality• Hunters are self-limiting – hunting
pressure decreases in poor years• No need to change upland
regulations every year4
Should we make changes?
• Changes in population trajectories
• Recognize new opportunities• Simplify regulations• Proposals from stakeholders
5-year Upland Game Bird Hunting Season Framework
2020-2025
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5-year Upland Game Bird Hunting Season Framework
2020-2025
1. Open mountain quail season statewide with 10-bird bag in W. OR and 2-bird bag in E. OR• Align mountain quail
seasons with CA quail• Combined quail bag limit• Shift Hood/Wasco to
eastern OR season
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2. Change eastern Oregon season opening from “Saturday closest to October 8th” to “second Saturday in October”• Keep spacing with eastern
Oregon controlled buck deer opener (proposed)
5-year Upland Game Bird Hunting Season Framework
2020-2025
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3. Extend fall turkey season to Jan. 31st statewide
4. Remove cap on total tags available for fall turkey hunts
5. Standardize fall turkey opening date statewide to second Saturday in Oct.
5-year Upland Game Bird Hunting Season Framework
2020-2025
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3. Extend fall turkey season to Jan. 31st statewide
4. Remove cap on total tags available for fall turkey hunts
5. Standardize fall turkey opening date statewide to second Saturday in Oct.
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2020-2025
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6. Eliminate White River Controlled Fall Turkey Hunt• Most popular
spring hunt• Transplants sustain
population• Hen harvest does
not make sense• Last controlled
turkey hunt
5-year Upland Game Bird Hunting Season Framework
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2020-21 Upland Game Bird Season Proposals
UPLAND GAME BIRDS OPEN AREA OPEN SEASON DAILY BAG
"Blue" and Ruffed Grouse Statewide Sept. 1 – Jan. 31 3 each species
Chukar and Hungarian (Gray)
PartridgeE. OR counties Oct. 10 – Jan. 31
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Klamath Hills = 2)
Rooster Pheasant Statewide Oct. 10 – Dec. 31 2
Quail (California and Mountain)
W. OR Sept.1 – Jan. 31 10 in aggregate
E. OR Oct. 10 – Jan. 31 10 (no more than 2 Mtn Quail)
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2020-21 Upland Game Bird Season ProposalsUPLAND GAME BIRDS OPEN AREA OPEN SEASON DAILY BAG
Spring Turkey –General Statewide Apr. 15 – May
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(season limit 3)Youth Spring Turkey –
General Statewide Apr. 10 – Apr. 11
Fall Turkey – General Western Oregon 17 W. OR WMUs Oct. 10 – Jan.
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1 (season limit 2 Fall Turkey tags)
Unlimited tags offered
Fall Turkey – General Eastern Oregon 28 E. OR WMUs Oct. 10 – Jan.
311 (season limit 1)
Unlimited tags offered
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Special Hunting Opportunities• Require special seasons• Opportunities change annually• Not covered by Framework2020 Proposed Youth Upland Game Bird HuntsHUNT AREA DATES HUNTERSFern Ridge Wildlife Area September 12 & 13 75Central Oregon (Near Madras) September 19 & 20 80Denman Wildlife Area September 19 & 20 85John Day (private land) September 19 & 20 30Klamath Wildlife Area September 19 & 20 80Ladd Marsh Wildlife Area September 19 & 20 35Sauvie Island Wildlife Area September 19 & 20 50White River Wildlife Area September 26 & 27 20E. E. Wilson Wildlife Area September 26 & 27 70Irrigon Wildlife Area September 26 & 27 15Coquille Valley Wildlife Area September 26 & 27 40
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Special Hunting Opportunities
2020 Proposed Western Oregon Fee Pheasant Hunts
HUNT AREA DATES
Fern Ridge Wildlife Area September 14 – October 11
Sauvie Island Wildlife Area September 21 – October 4
Denman Wildlife Area September 21 – October 9
E. E. Wilson Wildlife Area September 28 – October 31
Photo courtesy of Dave Budeau 14
Special Hunting Opportunities
• Extend E.E. Wilson fee pheasant season to begin the day after youth season
E.E. Fee Pheasant Opener
Youth
Weekend
Special Hunting Opportunities
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2020 Spring Population Estimate• Burns BLM District: +12.7%• Lakeview BLM District: +12.5%• Prineville BLM District: +12.6%• Vale BLM District: -10.8%
Current Status of Sage-grouse
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2020 Controlled Sage-Grouse Season
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Why hunt sage-grouse? • Wing collections provide vital information
Nest success Peak hatch date Age and sex ratios Annual turnover (adult mortality)
• Upland Game Bird Stamps fund ODFW’s sage-grouse conservation coordinator, non-federal match for research grants
• Oregon practices adaptive management, conservative season
• Habitat is the key to sage-grouse conservation
Current Status of Sage-grouse
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2020 Controlled Sage-Grouse Season
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Current Status of Sage-grouse
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2020 Controlled Sage-Grouse Season
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Harvest affects population mortality rate (additive)
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Harvest does not impact population mortality rate (compensatory)
Oregon Sage-Grouse Action Plan • Developed by Sage-grouse Conservation
Partnership (SageCon) in 2015
• Hunting is specifically addressed “Conservation ObjectiveEnsure that state-regulated hunting remains consistent with the conservation and long-term viability of sage-grouse populations. Minimize the effects on isolated or declining populations.
Conservation Actions Because of the restrictive and conservative nature of Oregon’s current approach to regulated hunting of sage-grouse, this Action Plan does not propose additional immediate restrictions on hunting.
Action HNT-1: Maintain ODFWs harvest policy of less than 5% of the fall population. Action HNT-2: Do not authorize recreational harvest of sage-grouse in wildlife management units where the estimated spring population is <100 males in consecutive years” Pages 190-192
Current Status of Sage-grouse
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2020 Controlled Sage-Grouse Season
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What are the impacts of cancelling the hunt? • Would contradict the Governor’s “Oregon Sage-Grouse Action
Plan” – hunting allowed under current conditions
• Falsely indicate that hunting is responsible for sage-grouse declines, taking the focus away from habitat
• Spend stamp funds from upland hunter validations on a non-hunted species
• Would cancel a funded research project with OSU to examine the effect of hunting on Oregon’s sage-grouse with one year of data
• Negatively affect ability to monitor sage-grouse populations (no sex or age ratios, nest success, peak hatch, adult mortality)
Current Status of Sage-grouse
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2020 Controlled Sage-Grouse Season
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How are permit numbers set? • Males + Females + Chicks = Fall Population (by WMU)
• Fall Population x 5% = Max harvest allowed (by WMU)
• Max harvest allowed x Avg hunter participation rate x Avg hunter success = permit recommendation
• Consider extenuating factors
• Consult with Districts
Current Status of Sage-grouse
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2020 Controlled Sage-Grouse Season 21
2020 Controlled Sage-grouse Season• Season Dates: September 12-20
• Daily/Season Bag Limit: 2 sage-grouse
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WMU2019
Permits
Proposed 2020
PermitsJ51 - Sumpter 0 0J64 – Lookout Mtn. 0 0J65 - Beulah 150 150J66 – Malheur River 100 100J67 - Owyhee 75 70J68A – Trout Crk Mtns. 25 30J68B – E. Whitehorse 70 70J69 – Steens Mtn. 45 30J70 – Beatys Butte 80 80J71 - Juniper 0 0J72 - Silvies 20 20J73A – N. Wagontire 20 20J73B – S. Wagontire 0 0J74 - Warner 60 60Total 645 630
Proposed WMUs for Sage-grouse Hunting – 2020
Climate Change & Game Bird Management
• Habitat determines carrying capacity of landscape
• Weather causes annual fluctuations • Extreme weather events• Monitor for long term cycle failure• Habitat conservation investments • Research on habitat and population
interactions, effectiveness• Prepare for range shift due to
habitat or land use changes
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Questions?
