![image of two tom turkeys talking trash](/sites/default/files/styles/380x228/public/2020-09/Sounds-turkeys-make-NWTF.jpg?itok=YBB5JryG)
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Oregon has two species of pelicans, American white and the Brown pelican, and three species of cormorants. All are fish-eating water birds with four toes joined by webbing. Depending on the species, pelicans and cormorants inhabit the Oregon coast, rivers or interior waterbodies.
![309_american_white_pelicans_shipley_odfw.jpg Thumbnail](/sites/default/files/styles/232x139/public/309_american_white_pelicans_shipley_odfw.jpg?itok=PvI4jUZw)
The text for this turkey hunting course was originally written by Scott Haugen and edited by Jessica Sall. Videos were produced by Scott Haugen. Special thanks to the National Wild Turkey Federation for sharing many of the photos used in this course. Additional photos were from Scott Haugen and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
![image of two tom turkeys talking trash](/sites/default/files/styles/380x228/public/2020-09/Sounds-turkeys-make-NWTF.jpg?itok=YBB5JryG)
The Eastern gray squirrel is the smallest member of the genus in Oregon. This squirrel was introduced into Oregon and can now be found in Salem, Portland, Milwaukie, and Vale. All populations in Oregon have been found in urban areas. This squirrel is active throughout the year, activity restricted to daylight hours. Photo from Washington Fish and Wildlife
![eastern_gray_squirrel_wfw.jpg Eastern gray squirrel](/sites/default/files/styles/232x139/public/2023-05/eastern_gray_squirrel_wfw_cx.jpg?itok=tZwnbuAt)
![Two adult pronghorn in a field](/sites/default/files/styles/232x139/public/2021-06/two%20pronghorn.jpg?itok=CQQVn6y8)
Mouth calls, also known as diaphragm calls, can seem intimidating but they have some advantages over other kinds of calls. Mouth calls are popular with Oregon turkey hunters because: They're easier to keep dry during wet, spring seasons than are box or slate calls. Since the the call is in your mouth, you can call in a turkey without moving and possible spooking the bird. With practice, they can produce very realistic turkey sounds. Parts of a mouth call There are four parts to a mouth call. Starting at the outside of the call there’s: The tape. The tape stops
![image of a hunter pulling a mouth call from his vest pocket](/sites/default/files/styles/380x228/public/2020-09/Using-mouth-call-NWTF.jpg?itok=H9VoBiic)
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W hen it comes to calling turkeys in the spring , we ’re being a bit unnatural. In the turkey woods, toms gather on strutting grounds and try to call hens to them. Hunters are doing just the opposite: making hen sounds to bring toms to them. For this reason, it pays to develop confident turkey calling skills. Here ’s a look at the turkey sounds hunters will want to be able to make. Refer to the instructions for each kind of call to see how to mimic these sounds. The yelp is a basic turkey call and the easiest
![image of a hunter outside of a turkey ground blind](/sites/default/files/styles/380x228/public/2020-09/hunting-from-blind.jpg?itok=tZ95S4Jl)
The modern compound bow is the most popular choice for turkey hunting, but traditional recurve and longbows also have their fans. Hunting with crossbows is illegal in Oregon. If you already have a bow you use for deer or elk hunting, it will work fine for turkey Many turkey hunters, though, like to reduce the draw weight of their deer/elk hunting bow to 45 pounds or less for turkey. Unlike deer and elk hunting, where you’re usually standing or kneeling when you take a shot, you’re likely to be sitting when shooting a turkey. In this case, a lighter draw
![image of several hunting bows together](/sites/default/files/styles/380x228/public/2020-09/bow-accessories.jpg?itok=RWPGaUEJ)
Terns are generally associated with marine environments and salt marshes, but the Forster's tern inhabits freshwater areas. During the breeding season this graceful bird is eastern Oregon's resident small white tern. Typical of terns, the Forster's employs a dramatic hunting method of plunge-diving into shallow waters to capture small fish, the bird sometimes submerging completely. This is an uncommon but highly visible colonial breeder east of the Cascades. Hear the call of the Forster's tern Photo by Dave Budeau, ODFW
![480_forsters_tern_budeau.jpg Foster's tern](/sites/default/files/styles/232x139/public/2023-05/480_forsters_tern_budeau.jpg?itok=ctHsLad-)
Oregon's owls are mostly nocturnal, hunting for insects, fish, frogs, birds, mice and other small mammals in the night. Their hoots, screeches and calls can be heard after dark or early in the morning. Owls don't build nests, but instead use tree cavities, nests created by other species, naturally occurring structures or human-made nest platforms. The Western burrowing owl nests underground in abandoned dens dug by squirrels, prairie dogs and badgers. Learn more about Oregon's owls.
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While recreationally harvesting green crab has been allowed for decades, the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission recently increased the daily bag limit to 35 crab. This gives recreational shellfishers an opportunity to help native shellfish by taking more of these invaders home. European green crab are an invasive species in Oregon. While recreational harvest is allowed (35 per day), harvesters must correctly identify these crabs (see below) as they often are mistaken for native species. Commercially harvesting green crab is prohibited. Green crab: Compete with native crabs for food. Larger green crab may eat smaller native shellfish. May disturb eelgrass
![Showing the underside of a green crab](/sites/default/files/styles/232x139/public/2022-03/GreenCrab.jpg?itok=k1zLrSHs)
![0276_upland_hunter_sagebrush_budeau.jpg Thumbnail](/sites/default/files/styles/232x139/public/2018-03/0276_upland_hunter_sagebrush_budeau.jpg?itok=qjpMSHHI)
Western pond turtles prefer marshes, streams, rivers, ponds and lakes. They need sparse vegetation nearby for digging nests and like to bask on logs. Population declines are due to habitat loss, degradation of nesting areas by invasive plants, competition from non-native turtles and disease. Predators include raccoons and invasive bullfrogs and fish. Western pond turtles are Oregon Conservation Strategy Species in the Coast Range, East and West Cascades, Klamath Mountains and Willamette Valley ecoregions. Photo by Simon Wray, ODFW
![072010_western_pond_turtle_wray_odfw_0.jpg Western pond turtle](/sites/default/files/styles/232x139/public/2023-06/072010_western_pond_turtle_wray_odfw_cx.jpg?itok=mQwNkH51)
July 10, 2024 If there’s not a photo, it didn’t happen Submit your viewing photo to ODFW and we might use it here or elsewhere on MyODFW.com. Coos and Curry counties Coquille Valley Wildlife Area (CVWA) Coquille Valley Wildlife Area (CVWA) in Coos County is open to public access. Permits for access are required and are available, free of charge, at the kiosk located in the parking lot along North Bank Road. You must access CVWA through this point. Please fill out the upper half ("A" half) of the permit and deposit it in the slot located on the
This snake is found in meadows and at the edges of clearings in forests. It prefers areas with dense vegetation but, when basking, can be found in open areas or on talus slopes. It occurs in wooded areas on the floor of the Willamette Valley and has been found in the Rogue Valley. This garter snake is commonly found in suburban areas and city parks. The Northwestern garter snake feeds mainly on slugs and earthworms, but also takes insects, small salamanders, frogs, fish, small mammals, and possibly nestlings of ground nesting birds. Photo by J. Maughn, Flickr
![northwestern_gater_snake_j_maughn_flickr.jpg Northwestern garter snake](/sites/default/files/styles/232x139/public/2023-06/northwestern_gater_snake_j_maughn_flickr_cx.jpg?itok=T0JO1QN0)
Much variability in coloration exists in the common garter snake but the best identifying characteristic is a stripe down the middle of the snake's back. While the common garter snake frequents wet meadows and forest edges, it occurs in a variety of habitats far from water, including open valleys and moist coniferous forest. Smaller snakes eat earthworms, but adults feed on a variety of vertebrate prey, including frogs, toads, salamanders, birds, fish, reptiles, and small mammals. Invertebrates, including slugs and leeches, are also eaten. Photo by Dave Budeau, ODFW
![072_garter_snake_budeau.jpg Thumbnail](/sites/default/files/styles/232x139/public/2018-11/072_garter_snake_budeau.jpg?itok=2qowfbLb)
Seeing killer whales off the Oregon coast is a rare treat, but whale watchers can usually count on a pod of orca’s patrolling the coast in mid-April – just in time to intercept baby gray whales. Orcas are most often seen in the ocean off Depoe Bay and Newport, but can be spotted coastwide. The first thing you are likely to see when sighting killer whales is their dorsal fin. Male orcas have a dorsal fin that can be six feet in height, juveniles and females have shorter fins. These large fins can be seen from quite a distance. There
![0429_killer_whale_face.jpg Killer whale](/sites/default/files/styles/232x139/public/2024-02/Killer_Whale_Southern_Resident_DPS_credit_NOAA_Fisheries_460.jpg?itok=8TiecGHp)
The ears of the pygmy rabbit are short, rounded, and covered with long silky hairs inside and out; the tail is small and covered with hairs possessing wide buffy bands with narrow blackish tips above and below; and the feet are short, densely furred below, and colored a light orangy-buff. In Oregon, pygmy rabbits have been found east and south of a line connecting Klamath Falls, Fremont, Redmond, and Baker City. This rabbit is closely tied to habitats dominated by big sagebrush. The Pygmy rabbit is an Oregon Conservation Strategy Species in the Northern Basin and Range ecoregion. Photo from
![pygmy_rabbit_2_wfw.jpg Pygmy rabbit](/sites/default/files/styles/232x139/public/2023-05/pygmy_rabbit_2_wfw_cx.jpg?itok=khKdVhnY)
This species is found in a variety of habitats. To make matters more confusing, four subspecies are found in Oregon, each of which has somewhat different habitat preferences. All can be found in moist areas such as marshes and lake or stream margins, but two may occur some distance from water. The diet varies among subspecies; the more aquatic forms feed on fish, frogs, tadpoles, and leeches, which are eaten in the water. Terrestrial forms take frogs and toads, but also lizards, small mammals, salamanders and slugs. Photo by David Bronson, ODFW
![2885_garter_snake_bronson_0.jpg Western terrestrial garter snake](/sites/default/files/styles/232x139/public/2023-06/2885_garter_snake_bronson_cx.jpg?itok=M8SPsCJ8)
Commonly found along beaches and about estuaries, this large, ponderous bird is a conspicuous member of the summer coastal community, easily recognized by its large size, massive bill, and brownish plumage. Highly gregarious, it often forms large flocks; regularly observed foraging over the ocean just offshore. Brown pelicans often join mixed flocks of birds attracted to schools of small fish. They are common spring, summer, and fall visitors along the Oregon coast. Brown pelicans are an Oregon Conservation Strategy Species in the Nearshore ecoregion. Hear the call of the brown pelican Photo by Michael Lazott
![952_brown_pelican_flight_lazott_odfw.jpg Brown pelican](/sites/default/files/styles/232x139/public/2023-05/952_brown_pelican_flight_lazott_odfw.jpg?itok=jmNNs3gg)