Northwest Area
Table of Contents
Recreation Report
Noc. 8, 2023
If there’s not a photo, it didn’t happen
Submit your hunting photo to ODFW and we might use it here or elsewhere on MyODFW.com.
Currently open
Black bear, cougar (check current harvest numbers), coyote
Upcoming general seasons
West Cascade elk (Nov. 11-17), coast elk 1st season (Nov. 18-21), coast elk 2nd season (Nov. 25-Dec. 1), western archery deer (Nov. 25 - Dec. 17), eastern Rocky Mountain elk 2nd season (Nov. 11 - 19).
Announcements, resources
CWD check stations, other ways to get your animal tested
As elk seasons open, ODFW will monitor hunter harvested elk for CWD – a fatal, highly infectious disease. What can hunters do to help combat CWD?
- Get your animal tested – at a roadside test station, ODFW office or participating meat processor and taxidermist.
- Education yourself, and others, about CWD, the risks to Oregon's wildlife, and other ways you can help.
Find out more about CWD, check station locations and the ways to have your animal tested.
Tips for e-tagging
ODFW's electronic licensing system makes it easy to tag your harvest on your phone. Here are some tips for making it go smoothly.
Hunting tips for Roosevelt elk, both kinds
Learn more about the two kinds of Roosevelt elk in western Oregon – their biology, life history and hunting strategies – in these ODFW podcasts.
- Cascade elk tend to act more like Rocky Mountain elk due to their preferred habitat.
- Coastal elk live in rugged, wet terrain and offer a very different hunting experience.
Please report elk with hoof disease
If you see elk showing signs of elk hoof disease, including lame or limping elk or elk with damaged, injured, missing or deformed hooves, please report it using this online form.
Coyote and wolf ID
Coyote hunters need to take extra care to identify their target as wolves can look like coyotes, especially wolf pups in the mid-summer and fall. Test your ID skills.
Please report any wolf sightings or wolf sign to ODFW using the online reporting system.
District updates
NORTH AND MID-COAST (Saddle Mt., Wilson, western Trask, western Stott Mt., western Alsea, north Siuslaw wildlife management units)
General deer: The last day of the General ALW Western Oregon Deer season is Nov. 10 for everyone except for youth hunters with a designated youth hunting license (not mentored youth hunting program) who can hunt for an additional two days.
Buck deer are rutting and therefore are more active during the daytime. Search for fresh deer sign and groups of does, a buck shouldn't be far behind them. Hunt thinned and older growth timber adjacent to clear cuts during bad weather to optimize your time hunting.
As always, the most productive coastal areas are early successional habitats with brushy clearcuts and meadows. Look for a mixture of young < 8-year-old brushy cuts, older timber edges, and older >8-year-old cuts for prime areas to hunt.
Elk: The General ALW Western Oregon Coast Elk are from Nov. 18-21 for 1st season and Nov. 25 – Dec. 1 for 2nd season. These seasons are very popular in Oregon, so we recommend hunters get familiar with multiple hunting spots. Nothing is worse than being beaten to a hunting spot by someone else and not having a backup plan.
Focus on areas that have a mixture of forage areas (clearcuts, thins, meadows, powerline corridors) and adjacent cover habitat (older growth forest, thick vegetation). Remember that at this time of year, mature bulls are often on their own or are in bachelor groups away from cows. However, cow/calf herds will often have spikes and even some raghorn bulls mixed in with them.
Black bear: The statewide fall bear season opened Aug. 1. Blackberries are starting to wane or mold but are still prevalent in logged areas. Huckle and salal berries are around as well so focus on seldom-used roads and trail systems.
Apples, pears, and other tree fruits have been abundant throughout the fall and early winter. Look for any trees still bearing fruit as bears will be attracted to them.
Be ready to hunt during any time of the day. Bears are now in hyperphagia meaning that they are consuming large amounts of food in preparation for winter hibernation. During this time, they can be actively searching for food and feeding for up to twenty hours a day.
Cougar: The most productive way to hunt cougar on the north coast is to use a predator call. By mimicking the sound of a cougar's prey (elk, deer, etc.), a cougar can be enticed into entering an area. They are normally very cautious when approaching, so keep an eye out and bring a buddy to help.
Also, watching deer and elk in clearcuts is another productive way to hunt cougars as they are often seen hunting these game species.
WILLAMETTE UNITS (Scappoose, eastern Trask, Willamette, Santiam, McKenzie, N. Indigo wildlife management units)
General deer: The general buck deer season ends Friday, Nov. 10. Take advantage of rutting activity and recent rain to walk areas that would otherwise be too noisy to pass through quietly. The general western archery deer season opens again Saturday, Nov. 25-Dec. 17 (does not include units 11, 12, 14).
General elk: The general coast elk 2nd season opens Nov.25-Dec.1. The general west Cascade elk season opens on Saturday, Nov. 11. Take advantage of recent rain to walk areas that would otherwise be too noisy to pass through quietly. Bulls have been bugling and may continue to do so for a few more weeks. Hunters can expect to find bulls with or near the cow and calf groups.
Hunters in the Scappoose unit (11) are encouraged to harvest elk that are showing signs of Elk Hoof Rot Disease (TAHD). Signs may include lame or limping elk or elk with damaged, injured, missing or deformed hooves. TAHD does not affect the meat. Hunters that harvest an elk with suspected TAHD should contact the local ODFW field office or report it using the online form mentioned above.
Black bear: The deadline to buy a fall bear tag passed on Oct. 6. Fall bear opened Aug. 1. As food sources dwindle, bears this time of year will be seeking out denning areas or other protected sites to spend the winter. Look for remaining sources of food away from human disturbance, such as acorns and fallen logs with ant colonies..
Cougar: A productive hunting technique is to use predator calls to mimic a distressed prey species, but don't be afraid to switch up your sound and experiment with something different. Cougar vocalizations have been known to entice other cougars into range as well. Approaching cougars can be difficult to see when you are predator calling so hunting with a partner is advised.
Make sure to buy your cougar tag before going hunting. Cougar hunters are also reminded that it is required to submit the reproductive tract of any female cougar taken. The reproductive tract provides valuable information on the number and frequency of kittens born annually in Oregon and is a critical part of ODFW's cougar population models. Please review the 2023 Big Game Hunting Regulations before your hunting trip to ensure that you are familiar with all the requirements.