![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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The Long-tailed weasel is the larger of the two weasels in Oregon, but smaller than the other member of the genus, the mink. Males are considerably larger than females. The head is flattened and somewhat triangular; the body and neck are elongate and almost cylindrical; the legs are short, and the tail is long. The summer pelage is brown dorsally; the venter is yellowish to orangish except for a white chin and sometimes one or more scattered brown spots. The tip of the tail is black. The pelage is molted twice annually. In the Cascade Range and eastward through the
![1838_long-tailed_weasel_petit_odfw.jpg Long-tailed weasel](/sites/default/files/styles/232x139/public/2023-06/1838_long-tailed_weasel_petit_odfw_cx.jpg?itok=hGeamnOj)
A thick body, small head and coloration similar to a killer whale make this dolphin easy to recognize. Dall’s porpoise is mostly black with a large white patch on the belly and flanks. The small dorsal fin is partly white and the trailing edges of the tail are frosted white. About seven feet long and weighing around 400 pounds, Dall’s live only in the north Pacific. Dall’s are the fastest of all small cetaceans and can swim at up to 35 miles per hour, almost as fast as a killer whale. When swimming at the surface they create a characteristic
![dall_porpoise_susan_adams_flickr.jpg Dall's porpoise](/sites/default/files/styles/232x139/public/2023-06/dall_porpoise_susan_adams_flickr_cx.jpg?itok=_vP21W4N)
The northwest zone provides many opportunities for crabbing and clamming. This zone encompasses Clatsop beaches, Nehalem Bay, Tillamook Bay, Netarts Bay, Nestucca Bay, Siletz Bay, Yaquina Bay, Alsea Bay and Siuslaw River.
As the winter day turns to dusk, White-tailed kites drop into their roosts and Short-eared owls rise to take their place on the local hunting grounds. White-tailed kites in Oregon often roost communally in winter, but they disperse in early spring and are more difficult to find during the breeding season. By day, they are conspicuous as they hover over rural fields searching for prey, in part because of their pale appearance. The tail is entirely white, as are the head and the underparts. Dark crescents on the underwing can be seen when a bird is flying or hovering. Above
![white_tailed_kite_len_blumin_flickr.jpg White-tailed kite](/sites/default/files/styles/232x139/public/2023-05/white_tailed_kite_len_blumin_flickr_0.jpg?itok=6c_Td7_5)
The majestic trumpeter swan is the largest of our native waterfowl and one of the heaviest flying birds in the world with males sometimes exceeding 30 pounds. Historically hunted to the brink of extinction, it was recognized as an endangered species long before there was an Endangered Species Act, and its recovery is a conservation success story. The adult's snow-white plumage with contrasting black bill and feet and 8-foot wingspan define this magnificent bird. Their neck is as long as their body and is used to reach food at the marsh bottom. In spring, the trumpeter swan is a locally
![Trumpeter-swan_0841.jpg Trumpter swan](/sites/default/files/styles/232x139/public/2023-04/0848_trumpeter_swan_budeau.jpg?itok=MDObgUNL)
Features: Common carp are deep-bodied, heavy-looking fish with short heads and forked tails. They have large (really large) scales ranging from grey to bronze. Two barbels hang from each side of the upper lip of their subterminal (near the bottom of the head) mouth. This distinguishes them from goldfish that have no barbels. The dorsal fin is elongated. Habitat: Though tolerant of most conditions, common carp prefer large bodies of slow moving or standing water with soft sediments like mud or sand, and good growths of aquatic vegetation. They’re omnivorous bottom feeders that prefer aquatic insects, worms, mollusks and zooplankton
![angler holding a large common carp](/sites/default/files/styles/232x139/public/2021-06/Common%20carp.jpg?itok=2Ot-Cfk4)
![close up photo of a rainbow trout ready to be released](/sites/default/files/styles/232x139/public/2019-12/rainbow%20release.jpg?itok=h_bi9wUv)
The kit fox is the smallest canid that occurs in Oregon. It has the typical canid conformation: the body is slim, the legs are long and thin, and the ears are large and erect. The tail is about 40 percent of the total length and is tipped with black, but has no dark mane on the dorsal surface. The feet and legs are whitish interiorly, light rusty-brown posteriorly. The dorsum is grizzled brownish-gray medially blending to grizzled gray then to light buff laterally and finally to white on the chest and venter. The head and posterior surface of the ears
![Kit-Fox_kohl.jpg Kit fox](/sites/default/files/styles/232x139/public/2023-05/Kit%20Fox_kohl_cx.jpg?itok=dKRuUIiG)
The Short-eared owl is one of our most conspicuous owls owing to its use of open country and crepuscular habits. It is often seen hunting low over the ground across marshes, fields, and other open areas on its buoyant, long wings, flying slowly and irregularly like a giant moth. This owl also differs from most other owls as it seldom vocalizes and is more often seen than heard. It was named for its inconspicuous "ear" tufts arising from the center of the forehead, though field observers rarely see these tufts. Distinguishing characteristics include a pale buff facial disk and a
![73_short-eared_owl_odfw_0.jpg Short-eared owl](/sites/default/files/styles/232x139/public/2023-05/73_short-eared_owl_odfw_cx.jpg?itok=93p23DGZ)
![volunteers walking in stream looking for reds](/sites/default/files/styles/232x139/public/2023-09/redd%20surveys.jpg?itok=PZD9o125)
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)
![Photo of a colorful bluegill with a popper lure in its mouth](/sites/default/files/styles/232x139/public/2020-07/bluegill%20with%20popper.jpg?itok=4Y4sQCZL)
![an image of two wading anglers holding nice rainbow trout from the Fall River](/sites/default/files/styles/232x139/public/2020-12/2660_fall_river_rainbows.jpg?itok=M6RhFu9M)
The Columbia River is renowned for its salmon and steelhead runs. In a year of good returns, over 1 million Chinook, coho and sockeye salmon, and summer steelhead travel up the river to spawn in its tributaries. Less known are the river’s excellent smallmouth bass and walleye fisheries. While most anglers fish this large river from a boat, there is plenty of good bank access at various parks, boat launches and beaches.
To be an accurate shooter, it’s important to develop a consistent grip and draw. One of the most common mistakes bowhunters make is tensing up and gripping the bow too firmly. A firm grip will torque the bow, or send it out of alignment, resulting in a poor shot and perhaps a painful slap on your arm from the bow string. Develop a consistent grip The grip of the bow should rest on the pad of your thumb and should not cross the lifeline of your hand. With the bow in this position, your fingers will be off to the
![close up image a hand holding a bow](/sites/default/files/styles/380x228/public/2020-09/proper-grip.jpg?itok=P6_jezA7)
The Canada lynx is only slightly larger than the bobcat. Nevertheless, long legs and long fur produce the illusion that the lynx is considerably larger than it actually is. Documented accounts of wild lynx are rare and lynx are not expected to currently reside in Oregon. However, if lynx were to be observed, it is likely to occur at higher elevations such as in the Cascade Range, Blue Mountains or Wallowa Mountains. Habitats used by lynx often are defined in terms of habitats used by their primary prey species, thus good snowshoe hare habitat usually is considered to be good
![0409_lynx_pair.jpg Canada lynx](/sites/default/files/styles/232x139/public/2023-05/0409_lynx_pair_cx.jpg?itok=QKKzOa17)
Shooting accurately starts with the proper form, and that begins with a good stance. From your feet up through your hips and torso, a solid foundation in your lower body will improve your shooting. Start with an open stance The “open” stance is a good one for beginners. It’s easy to master and to practice consistently. An open stance positions yours hips and shoulders in-line with the direction you ’re shooting. This perpendicular setup to the target is simple to do. First, place one foot on each side of the shooting line. Most ranges will have these lines. If not
![image of how to place feet when bow shooting](/sites/default/files/styles/380x228/public/2020-09/proper-stance.jpg?itok=ciMovxHD)
![volunteer holds a small turtle to face the camera](/sites/default/files/styles/232x139/public/2024-06/Turtle%20trapping.jpg?itok=o1mZduCG)
The most common whale off the Oregon coast is the gray whale. In addition to the approximately 200 resident gray whales that live nearly year-round off Oregon, a winter and spring migration brings about 18,000 more past our coast. Gray whales are baleen whales (mysticetes). They grow to 50 feet in length and will weigh up to 80,000 pounds; adult females are larger than males, which is common in all baleen whales. They do not have a dorsal fin on their back but instead have a series of knuckles. These whales are mottled gray and are covered with barnacles and
![CB036273_gray_whale_corbis.jpg Gray whale](/sites/default/files/styles/232x139/public/2023-06/CB036273_gray_whale_corbis_cx.jpg?itok=F8UqDuBR)