Recreation Report: Youth Turkey, Premium Hunts, and more
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Highlights From The Week's Recreation Report
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.
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?).
Best bets for weekend fishing
Winter conditions throughout much of the state will make fishing conditions tough. But for the hardy angler, there are options:
Winter steelhead are still being caught on the Siletz every day, and if the weather warms up fishing should improve.
The lower Alsea is in good shape for drift boats and winter steelhead fishing has been fair.
Both the North and South Umpqua should be shape for some weekend fishing, and there should be good numbers of winter steelhead around.
We’ve gotten recent reports of some good days of steelhead fishing on the Smith River.
Ice fishing access to Phillips, Pilcher and Wolf Creek reservoirs is good (though 4x4 vehicles are recommended). So is the fishing.
Waterbodies scheduled to be stocked in the Willamette Zone this week include Row River Nature Park Pond (aka Cottage Grove Pond) Walter Wirth Lake, Walling pond, Dorena Reservoir, Sheridan Pond, EE Wilson Pond, and Alton Baker Canal.
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.
Be safe when winter fishing
Oregonians are lucky to be able to fish 365 days a year. But during the worst winter weather (like now) anglers should be taking some extra safety precautions: Check road conditions before you go and be prepared for winter driving conditions. Carry a change of dry clothes and be mindful of the risks of hypothermia. Take the following precautions when ice fishing: use the “buddy system,” wear a PFD in case of thin ice, carry a throw-rope, and use a heavy metal staff to check for thin-ice.
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.
Information provided by Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.
The Recreation Report is brought to you by the Klamath County Fair.
Midland, Jon Wolfe, and Lonestar all perform at the 2019 Klamath County Fair. TICKETS ON SALE NOW.
