Several calls came to me this week about where people can hunt with the West High Cascade controlled buck deer hunt tag. I’ve queried the different national forests from Mt. Hood NF in the north to Rogue River-Siskiyou NF in the south. Hunters should check with individual forests to get current closure information as the information below may change.
What’s closed as of 9 a.m. on Sept. 8, 2017, starting in the south:
1. Northern portion of Sky Lakes Wilderness
2. Rogue-Umpqua Divide Wilderness
3. Much of the central hunt section located on the Willamette National Forest
Potential areas to hunt as of 9 a.m. on Sept. 8, 2017:
1. Mt. Thielsen Wilderness
2. Area north of Mt. Thielsen north to Waldo Lake Wilderness (both on Umpqua NF and Willamette NF)
3. Area northeast of Bull of the Woods Wilderness north to Highway 26 (Mt. Hood NF)
As people already know, it remains dry in the woods despite the recent rain. On the Umpqua NF, we picked up another 6 confirmed fire starts from Sept. 6th lightning which delivered another 100-plus strikes. We are suppressing all fires as detected; we still have active fires from the previous round of lightning in August.
There are no campfires permitted except in designated campgrounds. Hunters who are setting up a dispersed campsite must bring alternate cooking and heat source other than wood. It should be a stove or heater that can be turned on and off.
Cheryl Caplan, USFS Umpqua National Forest