News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
A change in the weather helped mule deer hunters after a slow-starting opening weekend September 28-29.
Biologist Stephen George of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife said success rates for opening weekend were at about 8 percent, down from a 10-12 percent average.
However, when weather turned chilly at the beginning of the week and snow began to fly in the higher elevations, rifle hunters began to score.
"With this cooler weather and the snow we've been having... the success rate really jumped up," George said.
He reported preliminary statistics of 18 percent success early this week.
Cool weather allows deer to move around more comfortably during the day and snow allows hunters to track them more easily.
George reported improved success rates in the Upper Deschutes Unit (Highway 242 to Highway 58; Highway 97 to Pacific Crest).
In recent years, that unit has been hovering at 5 percent success rates.
This season, that rate jumped to 9 percent.
However, the Metolius Unit (Highway 242 north to the Warm Springs Reservation) has dropped significantly, down to a 5 percent success rate.
George fears that the deer population has suffered from an invasion of Adenovirus, a hemmorhagic disease that was identified in Crooked River Ranch last spring and crept to the Sisters area this summer.
"We're now getting some in Tollgate," George reported.
The disease, which does not affect humans or domestic animals, causes massive internal bleeding in the lungs and gastro-intestinal track.
It can kill a healthy deer in five days, though not all deer that are exposed die from the disease.
George believes the disease may have impacted populations in the Metolius unit, making deer less numerous.
However, he encouraged hunters to get out in the woods now, while conditions are optimal for finding deer.
"The deer are there," George said.
"When we have a little bit of weather like this, take advantage of it."
Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.
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