City of Union announces deer population reduction project to address public safety concerns December 11, 2025 Oregon, Elkhorn Media Group
... ODFW reviewed the City’s documentation-including complaints, council minutes, and incident reports and formally concurred that the deer population in Union meets the state’s definition of a public nuisance and qualifies for deer reduction authorization under Oregon Administrative Rules. ODFW has issued a permit to the City, allowing for the removal of 50 deer based on an estimated deer population of approximately 200 within city limits. Removal efforts will be carried out exclusively by USDA Wildlife Services, using humane, AVMA-approved methods and non-lead ammunition...
ODFW director talks wildlife, fees and wolves December 8, 2025 Oregon, PressReader
..." Mule deer populations are declining across the West, and we're seeing the same thing in Oregon... we have over a thousand mule deer collars in place, and we have massvely advanced our understanding of how mule deer are moving and their survival..." Debbie Colbert, ODFW director.
Elks carry important genetic variant December 6, 2025 Oregon, Ag UPDATE
... Alfred Roca, professor of animal sciences at University of Illinois, said, “We previously tested a small number of Columbian white-tailed deer in Oregon’s Douglas County, and we found that they were genetically very disadvantaged when it came to CWD. We didn’t find the protective variant of the gene in a single deer. That’s why we wanted to look at the Oregon elk population, because if the elk get CWD, it's quite likely that Columbian white-tailed deer will get it as well.” ...
Hunters find mixed bag this season December 2, 2025 Oregon, The Nugget Newspaper
... Black-tailed deer, long thought to be broadly struggling, are showing signs of stabilization and even local increases where newer population models and field observations indicate better overwinter survival and strong spring green-up... In Eastern Oregon, mule deer continue a slow regional decline, but trends vary by unit. Some areas show stable numbers and reasonable hunting success rates – around 30 percent, while other units report slight declines, lower fawn recruitment, or fewer animals entering winter..,
Oregon state troopers set up decoy elk to catch hunters flouting state fish and wildlife laws December 1, 2025 KGW
... Throughout Oregon's elk season, OSP Fish & Wildlife troopers, armed with a convincing fake, watch and wait for poachers willing to illegally take a young male elk...
Forest Service launches winter closures in Deschutes National Forest to protect declining deer herds November 28, 2025 Oregon, Bend Bulletin
... Local mule deer populations declined 56% between 2004 and 2021. Human disturbance during winter can cause the animals to flee, which expends energy they rely on to survive the season and to provide for young in the spring...
Fees are increasing for hunting, fishing, crabbing and clamming in Oregon. Here's how much November 24, 2025 Oregon Live
... An annual hunting license will go from $34.50 to $39 for 2026, a 13% increase from the previous year. It will then climb in 2028 to $42 and in 2030 to $45. That’s a total of a 30% increase over the four-year stretch...
Almost half of Oregon elk population carries advantageous genetic variant against CWD, study shows November 18, 2025 eurekalert.org
... a new study from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign shows that about half of Oregon elk carry a gene that makes them less susceptible to the disease... We are studying how common the advantageous variant of the prion gene is in Oregon’s elk population ... We previously tested a small number of Columbian white-tailed deer in Oregon’s Douglas County, and we found that they were genetically very disadvantaged when it came to CWD...
Experts warn of animal, vehicle danger during active migration season November 18, 2025 Oregon, Central Oregon Daily
...Wildlife Coordinator for ODOT, Cidney Bowman, says vehicle collisions account for around 20% of known mule deer mortality in an already declining population here in Central Oregon...
Lack of fall grass could lead to widespread deer deaths if winter is harsh, biologist fears November 11, 2025 Oregon, Baker City Herald
... The amount of nutritious new grass sprouting on the rangelands where deer spend most of the winter can be a literal lifesaver for the animals ... “On 90% of the winter range we don’t have anything,” Ratliff said, referring to newly sprouted grass. “It is going to be a dismal winter for deer.” ..,
ODFW urges hunters to keep it fair as poaching tech use rises October 13, 2025 Oregon, Central Oregon Daily
... The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife is reminding hunters that the use of drones, thermal imaging and e-bikes in closed areas is illegal when hunting and scouting. ODFW says it has seen an uptick in usage recently...
Experts confirm remarkable comeback of iconic species in US region: 'It's incredibly exciting' October 10, 2025 Oregon, The Cool Down
... The Columbian white-tailed deer is a species that was once abundant in Washington and Oregon. However, by the 1940s, these deer's numbers had dropped to less than 1,000, due to human growth and development, as well as habitat loss... one of the first wildlife species listed under the Endangered Species Act...
Douglas County man faces charges for allegedly filming deer attack October 6, 2025 Oregon, KEZI
... a 21-year-old from Douglas County, is facing serious charges after a video surfaced of his dog attacking an injured deer in Sutherlin. The video, uploaded to social media, has sparked outrage in the community...
Officials advance controversial new rules for longstanding US hunting practice: 'It's a big adjustment' September 27,, 2025 Oregon, Yahoo
.... The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife approved the changes for several reasons, including a decline in the mule deer population that has been attributed, at least in part, to habitat loss. This is a problem plaguing wildlife around the world, and it's largely due to human activity..,
Game and Fish honors four ranching families as 2025 Landowners of the Year September 23, 2025 Oregon, Oil City New
... In an effort to protect declining populations, Oregon officials have approved the biggest changes to the state's mule deer hunting in decades... mule deer boundary maps will change in Eastern and Central Oregon in 2026, and the number of mule deer tags will drop by about 9% ..,
Ending the 'roadless rule' could affect wildfires, wildlife in Oregon, Washington federal forests September 17, 2025 OPB
... the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule ... that policy has blocked most new road construction and logging in almost 59 million acres of federal forests across the country, including about 2 million acres in Oregon and 2 million acres in Washington... protecting these wildlands from roadbuilding helps ensure animals like elk have large expanses of intact habitat where they can roam freely...
Reminder to hunters, Chronic Wasting Disease Checks begin next month September 11, 2025 Oregon, Elkhorn Media Group
... To help track and prevent the spread of CWD, ODFW encourages hunters to get their animals tested, either at check stations, ODFW field offices, or at cooperating taxidermists and meat processors. For hunters out in the field, stopping at CWD check stations is mandatory when passing by with an animal harvest...
Feds Say Lower Columbia Whitetails Meet Recovery Criteria, Recommend Delisting September 10, 2025 Oregon, Northwest Sportsman Magazine
... They recently completed a five-year status review and say that a population viability assessment “found that the risk of extinction for the Columbia River population is extremely low, further supporting the recommendation to consider delisting.” ... from a low of just 300 to 400 in the 1970s, there are now an estimated 1,354 ...
Major changes in mule deer hunts could start in 2026 September 6, 2025 Oregon, La Grande Observer
... The agency’s proposal is to set tag numbers and hunting area boundaries based on what biologists call “herd ranges” — where mule deer actually live during hunting seasons — rather than on the traditional units. Biologists mapped 22 herd ranges east of the Cascades ...
Adenovirus hemorrhagic disease likely the cause of sickly looking deer in Bend August 5, 2025 Oregon, Central Oregon Daily
... Adenovirus Hemorrhagic Disease (AHD) was spreading through Bend... "It is a nose-to-nose virus, the way it's passed. So while they're eating ...
Cougar spotted burying small deer under Corvallis porch, homeowners warned to be alert August 4, 2025 Oregon, KOIN.com
... Corvallis police are urging residents to keep their small pets and children indoors ...
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife seeks applications for wildlife crossings July 17, 2025
Baker City Herald
... The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife has grants to help build bridges, overpasses and other structures that make it safer for wildlife to cross highways in the state. The agency’s Conservation and Recreation Fund is accepting letters of interest for its wildlife crossing infrastructure grants...
Firefighters spring into action to rescue bewildered baby deer from raging flames: 'It was so tiny' July 10, 2025 Oregon, The Cool Down
... a small fawn, alone, crying in the thick smoke ... ran toward the firefighters... brought to a nearby clearing, far from the fire's edge, and released ...
ODFW schedules online meetings to discuss proposed 2026 changes to mule deer hunting July 7. 2025 Oregon Hermiston Herald
... In many areas, mule deer live in a different area during hunting seasons than during the agency’s annual winter population count ... Due to the discrepancy, ODFW biologists believe the agency is allocating hunting tag numbers based on faulty numbers, Smith said...
Uncovering the hidden hazards that led to nearly 40 deer entanglements in Central Oregon last year July 3, 2025 KTVZ14h
... deer get stuck in everything, from soccer nets, string lights, sleeping hammocks, strings, swings, and much more. The issue usually gets worse in the winter when deer's antlers grow. One photo below even shows a deer with their head completely caught in a candy jar from Halloween...
ODFW to host online meetings about 2026 Big Game Regulations proposals: New Eastern Oregon deer hunting structure discussed July 3, 2025 Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
... The main topic of the meetings will be potential changes coming for deer hunts in Eastern Oregon in 2026, an outcome of the new Mule Deer Management Plan adopted in 2024. Deer hunts in the region will be structured based on Deer Herd Ranges, not WMUs, to reflect mule deer biology and allow for more accurate monitoring and management...
Drought-linked resource limitations on the body condition of a large ungulate June, 2025 Oregon - Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution
... Higher precipitation during the growing season significantly increased body fat for all groups of elk. These results collectively support the importance of the indirect, bottom-up effects on female elk nutrition. If summer drought continues to increase in duration and intensity in the Pacific Northwest, USA, we expect to see declines in elk body condition with potential impacts to population-level performance...
Off-leash dogs chase deer away from SW Bend front yard, much to residents’ May 15, 2025 Oregon, KTVZ12h
... "We just caught our neighbor's two large loose dogs running onto our property and chasing a herd of six deer off (babies included), ran the deer into the street and blocks away," ... against Oregon law ...
Lawmakers pass bill that could reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions May 2, 2025 Oregon, Bend Bulletin
... House Bill 2978 facilitates coordination between agencies to increase wildlife crossings at key areas, including parts of Central Oregon. The vote on Wednesday was broadly supported by the Oregon senate, passing 24 votes to three... What the bill doesn’t do is provide funds for wildlife crossings...
Oregon landowner hunting tag program poised to become permanent April 24, 2025 Capital Press
... More than four decades since it was started, a program that prioritizes Oregon landowners for hunting tags is poised to become permanent law this year. “The program is finally at a point where most people are willing to live with it,” said Brian Wolfer, deputy wildlife division administrator ...
ODFW proposing to change boundaries of mule deer hunts starting in 2026 April 15, 2025 Oregon, NewsBreak
... Due to declining mule deer populations, a trend ODFW attributes to multiple factors including predation, climate change, and habitat loss and degradation, Oregon’s 2024 mule deer plan calls on the agency to use herd ranges, rather than the current wildlife management units, as the basis for managing the species ...
Oregon wolf population reaches record 200 for first time since 1990s April 14, 2025 KNDU
... The state's wolf population has reached 200 for the first time since the 1990s ... The wolf population in Oregon grew by 15 percent last year, marking the most significant increase in five years..,
Grant County biologists notice impacts to deer health due to wildfire April 10, 2025 Oregon, Elkhorn Media Group
... “The elk are looking about normal. The deer are actually in pretty poor shape… They came into winter in pretty poor shape as well due to the fires, and, also, about four-and-a-half weeks of hundred degree heat we had baked out the feed.” [ ODFW John Day District Assistant Wildlife Biologist Ryan Platte]
Mule deer hunters face changes in 2026 April 5, 2025 Oregon, OregonLive.com
... state wildlife biologists have been using radio collars to track mule deer movements within the established management units and discovered nearly none of the units (created pre-GPS in the 1950’s) accurately reflect how established herds react and migrate from one season to the next...
Phillip W. Schneider Wildlife Area in Grant County to remain closed until May 1 April 3, 2025 Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
... he annual winter range closure on Phillip W. Schneider Wildlife Area will be extended an additional two weeks, through April 30, to provide additional protection to wintering big game as the region recovers from summer and fall wildfires. The Falls Fire Complex and Rail Ridge Fire burned hundreds of thousands of acres in Grant County last year, including approximately 38,000 acres of the wildlife area. As a result, winter forage available for mule deer is limited...
Oregon Mule Deer Migrations Mapped In Latest USGS Report February 7, 2025 Northwest Sportsman Magazine
... The migratory corridors, winter grounds and stopover points on the way too and from summer range of more than a dozen Central and Eastern Oregon mule deer herds are detailed in the latest edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s Ungulate Migrations of the Western United States...
Reconnecting Wildlife January 31, 2025, Oregon, Environment America
... House Bill 2978, which proposes vital updates to Oregon’s wildlife connectivity standards, including improved collaboration between agencies, updated design guidelines, and targeted training programs to ensure effective implementation... Crossings like those on U.S. 97 have reduced deer-vehicle collisions by more than 90% ...
Hwy. 20 the most dangerous highway in Oregon for deer, elk January 14, 2025 The Nugget Newspaper
... between Bend and Suttle Lake ... According to studies conducted by Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW), the 35 miles of single and double laned highway experiences between 350 to 600 mule deer and elk vehicular kills annually... project B2S Wildlife Passage Initiative will construct four priority wildlife overcrossings ...
Reducing Wildlife Collisions January 8, 2025 Oregon, centraloregondaily.com
... Interstate 5 ... Animals don’t have an easy time getting from one side of the road to the other... thanks to a $33 million federal grant ... ODOT to construct a wildlife crossing over Interstate 5 ... Each year in Oregon, officials document about 6,000 vehicle collisions with deer and elk...
Troopers turn up the heat to catch thermal imaging poaching December 24, 2024 ODFW Daily Digest Bulletin
... Oregon State Police Fish and Wildlife (OSP F and W) Troopers arrested 13 individuals and seized 14 infrared thermal imaging devices, one rifle and four deer in an operation that followed months of investigation into the subjects' use of Forward-Looking Infrared, or FLIR, to illegally kill deer, elk and other big game animals...
ODOT receives $33.2 million federal grant to build first Interstate 5 wildlife overcrossing in southern Oregon December 20, 2024 KTVZ
... The Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument protects a wealth of biodiversity and connectivity for wildlife—including deer, bear, elk, cougars, and many small animals—which all face great risk as I-5 bisects the connectivity of this monument...
Deer wandered around with arrows lodged in them before dying, Oregon officials say December 18, 2024 Oregon, Charlotte Observer on MSN
... in Corvallis, officials said. One deer had an “arrow lodged in its neck” and the other had one stuck near its spine ... “The acts represent a multitude of violations including using a crossbow to kill big game animals and shooting in city limits,” ...
Winter Range Closures In Place December 2, 2024 Oregon, MyCentralOregon.com
... Winter range closures are essential for wildlife survival during the cold months. Animals such as elk, mule deer, and pronghorn rely on undisturbed habitats to conserve energy and access limited food resources...
Lack of fall grass could imperil deer if winter turns harsh November 26, 2024 Oregon, Baker City Herald
... “The rain was a little too late.” ... The biologists all said that the scanty fall greenup poses a bigger threat to deer, both mule and white-tailed, than it does to their larger cousins, Rocky Mountain elk... more adept at moving to new habitat ..,
2 CWD-positive Wyoming Deer Brought Back To Oregon, Are Being Incinerated October 28, 2024 Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
... ODFW biologists confirmed that two mule deer harvested in Wyoming, illegally transported into Oregon, tested positive for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) on Oct. 24. To date, CWD has not been found in any wild deer or elk in Oregon..,
Juniper Thinning In Ochoco Forest Begins October 26, 2024 Oregon, MyCentralOregon.com
... improving habitat for species like pronghorn antelope and mule deer, and enhancing water availability... Over the past century, fire suppression, historical forest management practices, the discontinuation of cultural fire use by Indigenous people, and the spread of invasive species have led to unnaturally dense forests and overgrown grasslands. These changes have made landscapes more vulnerable to high-intensity wildfires...
Watch for wildlife: Vehicle collisions with deer, elk peak this time of year October 16, 2024 Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
... Each year, Oregon Department of Transportation crews remove about 6,000 carcasses of deer struck and killed by vehicles on Oregon’s public roadways, and many more die away from roads or on county, city or private roads. ODFW research tracking mule deer with GPS collars shows that deer faithfully follow their migratory routes, no matter how many roads are in the way. They often have no choice but to cross roads to get to food and shelter...
Deer entangled in Bend backyard hammock highlights common dangers for wildlife September 30, 2024 Oregon, Central Oregon Daily
... when no one else was available, the community service officers used scissors to free the desperate animal as best they could... A week later, ODFW tranquilized a deer near Pilot Butte and removed hammock material from its antlers ...
Get your deer or elk tested for CWD and be entered in drawing to win hunting gear from OHA September 17, 2024 Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
Oregon Hunters Association (OHA) is partnering with ODFW to encourage hunters to get their deer and elk tested for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) this season. Hunters who submit a CWD test from a harvested deer or elk between Aug. 1, 2024 and April 1, 2025 will automatically be entered to win ...
What to know about Chronic Wasting Disease this hunting season in Oregon September 4, 2024 Oregon, Elkhorn Media Group
... CWD has not yet been detected in Oregon, however it has been found in all surrounding states – Idaho, California, and Washington ... If you encounter a CWD check station while transporting an animal carcass you are legally required to stop..,
Mule deer selection of fuel reductions is restricted by site fidelity and structured by circadian and seasonal patterns Oregon - Forest Ecology and Management, 2024
... Our results show that thinning and burning of forest stands can benefit mule deer both immediately and for up to 15 years after treatment and that researchers should evaluate temporal and seasonal patterns in studies of habitat selection. Given the diverse habitat needs of mule deer, treatments would be most beneficial if they were scattered across large landscapes and staggered in time to provide a diversity of forage and cover types...
Rewards climb to $2,000 in pellet gun poaching case August 13, 2024 Oregon, Natural Resource
... The Oregon Hunters Association (OHA) is offering $2,000 cash ... Residents reported multiple black tailed deer carcasses ... including at least one that died from a pellet lodged in its lung... Troopers canvasing the area learned that some residents use pellet guns to haze deer ...
Oregon sheriff’s deputy jumps into retaining pond to rescue drowning fawn August 13, 2024 KOIN Portland on MSN
... deputies tried to pull the baby deer to safety using catch poles. When rescue efforts continued to fail, Plamondon jumped into the water. “The fawn appeared to be tiring itself out as it continued to evade rescue attempts,” ...
C.O. stretch of Hwy. 20 state’s worst for wildlife collisions; coalition proposes 4 new overcrossing locations west of Sisters August 12, 2024 Oregon, KTVZ
... The section of US Highway 20 between Suttle Lake and Bend sees the highest density of deer and elk wildlife-vehicle collisions in the state, with 350 to 600 mule deer and elk killed yearly by vehicle strikes ...
Was there a 'spike' in blacktail deer harvest last year? August 10, 2024 Oregon, BendBulletin.com
... In 2023, hunters enjoyed a harvest success of 26% in northwest Oregon and 42% in the southwest... success in 2022, which averaged 17% in northwest Oregon and 33% in southwest Oregon... The difference was the number of hunters in 2023 and the end-of-season weather conditions.... blacktail season was running through Nov. 9 ... “When there is less hunter participation, like in 2022, you would expect to have carryover.” ..,
$2k reward for info leading to individual using pellet gun to kill deer July 26, 2024 Oregon, KOBI
... multiple Black Tailed Deer carcasses were found in the Meadows neighborhood. At least one deer died from a pellet lodged in its lung...
Officials remind people to keep dogs leashed to protect deer family in Portland July 11, 2024 Oregon, wgme on MSN
... Park official ... say for the safety of the pair, please keep your dog on a leash at all times, because if you get too close, the mother deer, which has very sharp hooves, will try to defend her baby...
Video shows deer warning yearling, Oregon family of approaching black bear June 20, 2024 USA Today on MSN
... Video shows the deer, called Ziggy by an unseen narrator, cautiously pacing through the yard and stomping to alert its yearling and the family that a bear is approaching. The black bear emerges from a clearing in the forest ...
Legislature bolsters testing for Chronic Wasting Disease March 25, 2024 Oregon, East Oregonian
... has yet to be confirmed in the state... The legislature approved $1.9 million to increase lab capacity for Chronic Wasting Disease testing at the Oregon Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory at Oregon State University..,
Poacher drops Oregon moose population by one February 1, 2024 ODFW News
... Moose historically are not native to the state and there is no legal hunting season for the largest of the Cervidae family, which includes elk, deer and pronghorn. Moose migrated to Oregon from Washington or Idaho and in 1960, biologists received the first confirmed sightings of moose in northeast Oregon. From 2001-2006 the number of sightings increased substantially in the Blue Mountains, including the first documented calf in 2005. Today there are an estimated 50 adults and calves in the area...
Evaluating Impacts of Imazapic Treatments on Mule Deer Forage Quality, Quantity, and Composition 2024, Oregon, Rangeland Ecology & Management
... The invasion of exotic annual grasses including cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum), medusahead (Taeniatherum caput-medusae), and North Africa grass (Ventenata dubia) have drastically altered grassland ecosystems across the western United States ... Our objectives were to evaluate the efficacy of using imazapic (Open Range G, Wilbur-Ellis) to improve summer mule deer forage ... Imazapic treatments appear to be an effective strategy to improve summer mule deer forage quality and quantity without adversely affecting winter food sources...
Initiative seeks to mitigate wildlife collisions January 16, 2024 Oregon, The Nugget Newspaper
... "In conclusion, it appears that the wildlife crossings have provided a means of safe passage for mule deer and other wildlife that routinely cross Route 97; however, the fence and jump-out configuration may be limiting the overall effectiveness of the project," said the report's authors Western EcoSystems Technology....
Video Below: Oregon Mule Deer Management Plan Update
