1) Summer Lake closure 7 days prior to opener:

• Most of the marsh area of Summer Lake Wildlife Area (south of Thousand Spring Lane or Lake Co Rd 4-17) will be closed to all public access (except campgrounds and open roads) for seven days before the opening day of waterfowl season.
• This is to decrease disturbance to birds and give them a chance to settle before the opener. It should improve success on opening day. 
• This year the closure begins Oct. 3, 2009.

2) Immediate retrieval of game birds

As a tool to reduce poor hunter practices like “skybusting” (shooting at birds too far away and losing track of where they fall), the word “immediately” will be added to the waste rule so it reads:

-        “All game birds killed or crippled must immediately be retrieved, if possible, and kept by the hunter in the field.”

Background if asked about need for this:

• There are some waterfowl hunters not going after birds that or crippled (they just continue to shoot) and others are high shooting (aka sky-busting) so they can’t see where hit birds fall.
• It’s important for hunters to retrieve birds not just for hunter ethics but also for wildlife management. Certain species of waterfowl have quotas or hunting restrictions.
• This new rule is another tool to deal with the problem. For several years ODFW has also been hosting shooting clinics to help hunters judge distances better and we will do so again at Summer Lake this year (during opening weekend).

3) Other changes to be aware of:

• Summer Lake: Ongoing habitat work at Gold Dike impoundment and alternative hunting opportunities in Bullgate.
• Under new rules, people that break area rules or are disruptive can be evicted from wildlife areas. The rule reads: “The department may evict any person from the area for violation of any department rules or regulations or when continued presence of that person could cause a threat to the rights and safety of others or property.”

Duane Dungannon

State Coordinator, Oregon Hunters Association

Editor & Publisher, Oregon Hunter

PO Box 1706, Medford OR 97501

(541) 772-7313 Fax (541) 772-0964

www.oregonhunters.org