Recreation Report

Highlights from this week’s Recreation Report:

New phone line for reporting 2018 hunts

The deadline to report all 2018 big game and turkey tags has been extended until April 15, 2019 (from Jan. 31) to give hunters more time to report under ODFW’s new licensing system. In addition to applying online, you can now call the dedicated reporting phone line at 866-947-6339 to report your hunts.

Youth turkey clinics at Denman and White River wildlife areas, April 6

Wild turkey hunting can be a great way to introduce your child to hunting—not to mention it’s a lot of fun! At these clinics, kids will spend the day learning turkey hunting skills and techniques: scouting, turkey biology, use a turkey call, turkey habitat and camouflage. They’ll also have a chance to practice their shotgun and archery skills.

Learn more and register.

Apply for a premium hunt

ODFW’s Premium Hunts give any hunter a chance to draw an additional deer, elk or pronghorn tag with a months-long season. There’s no preference point advantage, and you can apply again even if you’ve drawn before. Tag application deadline is May 15 (sound familiar?).

Learn more and apply.

Best bets for weekend fishing

Warmer weather and a bit of rain have combined for better fishing in many parts of the state, including:

• Winter steelhead are still being caught on the Siletz and Alsea, and the warmer temperatures may make the fish a little more active, and the anglers a little more successful.
• The warm weather has created some excellent conditions for catching recently stocked trout in the SW Zone.
• With the recent storms and fish available, steelhead fishing on the Illinois River should be great for anglers willing to take a scenic drive.
• Tenmile Lakes should start giving up some nice holdover trout in the coming weeks; some can measure over 17-inches long. Yellow perch and other warmwater fish should “wake up” and start biting with spring weather. 
• Surfperch fishing on ocean beaches can be excellent this time of year, when safe surf conditions allow. 
• Winter steelhead fishing conditions on the Clackamas are decidedly improved over the past couple of weeks, with the arrival of warmer temperatures and precipitation.
• Anglers are beginning to harvest spring Chinook in the lower Willamette.

Find more details about all the weekend opportunities in the zone reports.

Apply now for your 2019 big game tags

Yes, the tag application deadline isn’t until May 15. But there’s always a last minute rush to apply for tags, and this year there’s an extra step (verifying your account) with the new licensing system. Apply early and beat the rush.

Here’s how to apply for a controlled hunt.

Header photo by Kathy Munsel