OREGON 2023-24 UPLAND BIRD FORECAST
Note: I abreviated the state report to include the counties and species with the best opportunities for a traveling hunter. You can find the full Oregon report here: https://myodfw.com/articles/2023-24-game-bird-hunting-forecast
Baker County
Upland game bird hunters should see a better than average year in Baker County. Favorable spring conditions and good numbers of birds last year has led to good chick production. Chicks were of good size, and broods were generally large. Hunters that hunted last season in Baker County should see a very similar season this year. A&H properties offer good upland hunting and access to public land.
Grant County
Turkey and chukar offer the best opportunities this season for upland hunters, with turkey widely distributed through the county. Turkeys tend to congregate in large numbers in the John Day Valley, Ritter area and Monument during winter months. However, many of these birds are on private land so hunter must be sure to obtain permission before hunting. Turkey season starts September 1 in Grant County. This allows hunters the opportunity to harvest turkeys on public lands before turkeys migrate to private lands.
The Philip W. Schneider Wildlife Area is open to the public and offers good bird hunting. Quail, both California and mountain, can be found in brushy and riparian areas throughout the county but hunters will have to work to flush them out of cover. Hunters will find grouse throughout the national forest with blue grouse on ridge tops, like Strawberry Mountain or Vinegar Hill, and ruffed along brushy creek bottoms, like Murderers Creek or Camp Creek.
Harney County
Upland game bird hunting in Harney County is expected to be good, with chukar counts reaching levels not seen since 2016. This past winter we saw an increase in precipitation in the form of snow, followed by relatively high amounts of rain leading to good forage conditions for chicks. This appears to have resulted in fair production for most upland birds.
Chukar- Trend surveys found 147.4 birds/10 miles which is a 102 percent increase compared to last year and a 96.3 percent increase from the 10-yar average. However, the increase over last year can be attributed to an increase in survey effort and is reflective of a doubling in sample size from last year. Production was only fair with 2.6 chicks/adult. Production appeared to be better in the Steens Mountain and Malheur River areas rather than in the far south end of the country.
California quail- Trend surveys found 30.9 birds/mil which represents an 11 percent decrease from last year making this year 2.6 percent below the 10- year average. Production was fair with 2.7 chicks/adult, which is below the 10- year average and possibly attributed to harsher conditions this past winter.
Pheasants- Most pheasant hunting opportunity is found on the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. No formal surveys are conducted, but observations suggest some pheasant production occurred on the refuge. Hunting opportunities will likely be similar to last year.
Klamath and Lake counties
In Klamath and Lake counties, a late yet heavy winter coupled with a wet spring provided a positive vegetative response and worked to combat the ongoing drought. However, portions of the counties remain in lower levels of drought. A late snowfall in the end of June likely hurt early nests throughout Lake County, but the broods that did survive had large clutch sizes.
Forest Grouse – The best areas for forest grouse are in the Cascades on Fremont-Winema National Forest or private timberland that's open to public access. Look for blue grouse along ridge tops in more open forest habitats in both Klamath and Lake counties, and ruffed grouse along riparian areas in the Cascade Mountains. Places in Lake County such as the Warner mountains and Winter Rim can hold blue grouse. There are very few ruffed grouse in Lake County.
Sage-Grouse – Seasons for sage-grouse throughout Lake County are offered through a controlled permit draw similar to big game tags. Warner and Beatys Butte both had stable numbers of birds this spring during lek counts, with reports of good brood success as well. Locating water sources with sage-grouse sign can be a great way to target birds for those lucky to draw a permit. Remember successful hunters are encouraged to submit wings to assist with demographic data that can be obtained from wings.
Quail - In Lake County, California quail appeared to have had an okay year, with many early broods not surviving the late snow in June but later broods producing large numbers. Most birds occur on private lands throughout the valleys, but many riparian zones throughout the county can hold quail. Brood counts are high in most of the valleys within Lake Co. Klamath county brood observations indicate good nesting success. Remember there is a two-bird bag limit for mountain quail in eastern Oregon.
California quail production was fair on Summer Lake Wildlife Area and should provide good hunting opportunities. The northern portions of the wildlife area along Thousand Springs Lane (Lake Co. Road 4-17) up towards Lake View Lane (Lake Co. Road 4-18) and homestead sites such as the Turner Place are the best places to find quail.
Chukar - In Lake County, the best chukar hunting opportunities are along the desert rims such as Diablo, Coglan, Abert and Coleman in the southeast portion of the county. Many places that historically have held chukar in the county are holding water this year, which will help distribution and numbers. Most small canyons throughout the county can hold chukar. If it looks rocky and not like a place to hike, it has a good chance of holding chukar. While there are very few Hungarian partridge in Lake County, they're generally found in open rolling grasslands.
Pheasant - Wild pheasant numbers remain at extremely low levels. Unlimited Pheasants will be releasing pheasants at Klamath Wildlife Area and selected private lands open to the public. The Summer Lake Wildlife Area doesn't release pheasants, and wild pheasant populations on the wildlife area, already very low, appear to be down this year with very few broods having been observed this past summer.
Summer Lake Wildlife Area (Summer Lake WA Map)
California quail production within the wildlife area was good this year, while pheasant production looks to be average.
Malheur County
Last winter the county received above average precipitation and snow did not melt of mid-elevations tell mid-April. Timing and the amount moisture was good for nesting conditions resulting in good brood production of upland birds. Over all hunters should expect another year of good bird hunting across the county. Due to roads damaged by spring runoff not all routes were completed in their entirety.
Chukar - Surveys on established routes yielded 48 birds per 10 miles, this is a 7 percent increase from last year and 4 percent above the 10-year average of 45 birds per 10 miles. Brood production was excellent at 13.5 chicks per brood, total number of brood classified was similar than last year. Most notable increase in chukar number was in the northern part of Malheur County. This is the second year in a row with good chukar production with incidental observations of good chukar numbers across the district.
Pheasant - Surveys along established routes yielded 3.1 birds per 10 miles, a 4 percent increase in number of birds observed from the 3-year average and 42 percent below the 10-year average. Chick production was excellent at 4.6 chicks per brood. Hunting prospects will vary depending on the farming practices in the area where you have permission to hunt. The outlying areas around Willow Creek and Vale have higher bird numbers than areas closer to Ontario and Nyssa.
There are very few public lands in the area available to pheasant hunters and the few parcels that are available tend to get hunted daily. One option for private lands access is the Cow Hollow fundraiser to benefit the Cow Hollow Park.
California quail - Surveys on established routes yielded 52 quail per 10 miles, a 44 percent increase from last year and 31 percent above the 10-year average. Production was excellent at 11.8 chicks per brood with good production observed in range and agricultural lands.
Mid-Columbia counties (Hood, Wasco, Sherman)
Summer brood counts this year suggest production across upland bird species is consistent with or greater than 10-year averages. A moderately warm and dry spring benefitted upland birds and resulted in high chick survival. Summer weather has been dry and hot across the district. Multiple small fires have disrupted some key upland habitat, but overall fire activity has been below average.
Pheasant numbers have been relatively low throughout the district over the past 10 years. This year's counts are in alignment with 10-year averages but are up significantly from 2022. In areas with suitable habitat, pheasant densities should be high and provide adequate opportunities to harvest a bird. Pheasants can be found in and around farmlands throughout Sherman and Wasco counties primarily on private lands. Habitat is a limiting factor for these birds within the district so focus on areas with adequate cover and water. There are opportunities to harvest pheasants on private lands enrolled in ODFW's UCAP program. Call The Dalles field office at 541-296-4628 to learn more about this program. There are some limited pheasant hunting opportunities on public land primarily near the breaks of the Deschutes and John Day River canyons.
Chukar hunting is the premier upland hunting opportunity in the Mid-Columbia district. Summer surveys indicated that the hatch this year was good to excellent in most areas. Counts were slightly down from 2022 numbers, but production continues to be greater than the 10-year average. Hunters can find chukar on public and private lands throughout The John Day and Deschutes River canyons. Popular access points include the Macks Canyon access road in the Deschutes, the Lower Deschutes Wildlife Area, and Cottonwood Canyon State Park in The John Day canyon. In early season water sources are a good place to start searching for birds. As the season progresses hunters will need to walk farther from access points to find birds. Later in the season snowfall can present an opportunity to find concentrations of birds where snow has melted or been blown off hillsides exposing bare ground.
Gray partridge (Huns) counts increased this year and were double the 10-year average. They are almost exclusively a private land hunting opportunity. Common habitat for Huns includes grasslands, wheat stubble, and heavy cover adjacent to farmlands. Hunters can also try hunting UCAP properties within the district for Huns.
Surveys indicate
California quail populations are stable with production being consistent with past year averages. Approximately 10 quail per every 10 miles were counted along established brood route surveys. Quail can be found throughout the district primarily in areas with heavy cover adjacent to riparian areas.
Sooty and ruffed grouse can be found in forested portions of Hood River and Wasco County. There are relatively few grouse of either species throughout the Mid-Columbia district and are mainly concentrated in the Hood unit and the western part of the White River unit. Both species were counted in low numbers during spring and summer surveys in the Mid-Columbia district.
Hunters can find mountain quail in forested portions of the district. They are rarely counted on surveys; therefore, it's difficult to report trends over time. Look for brushy areas that are two to 10 years post burn or timber harvest.
Morrow, Gilliam and Wheeler counties
Hunters should find it easier to find uplands birds this fall. This year's counts indicate that all upland bird species are up from last year's counts. Pheasant and Hungarian partridge numbers were up slightly but chukar and California quail were up dramatically. Hunters can access lands in the Upland Cooperative Access Program, and the Heppner Regulated Hunt Area (RHA) for upland bird hunting . Maps can be found here or by calling the Heppner District office. Also, see ODFW's Columbia Basin Bird Hunting Guide for additional information.
Umatilla County
Hunters should find it easier to find uplands birds this fall. This year's counts indicate that all upland bird species are up from last year's counts. Pheasant and Hungarian partridge numbers were up slightly but chukar and California quail were up dramatically. Hunters can access lands in the Upland Cooperative Access Program, and the Heppner Regulated Hunt Area (RHA) for upland bird hunting . Maps can be found here or by calling the Heppner District office. Also, see ODFW's Columbia Basin Bird Hunting Guide for additional information.
Union County
The best hunting opportunities are pheasant on the Ladd Marsh Wildlife Area and forest grouse on national forests. Hunters should work ridge tops above 5,000 feet for blue grouse and stream corridors with heavy cover and water for ruffed grouse.
The best hunting opportunities are pheasant on the Ladd Marsh Wildlife Area and forest grouse on national forests. Hunters should work ridge tops above 5,000 feet for blue grouse and stream corridors with heavy cover and water for ruffed grouse.
Ladd Marsh is open Wednesday, Saturday, Sunday and federal holidays Aug. 1 through Jan. 31.
Pheasant: A good spring and warm rains in the summer have produced an amazing batch of wild birds on Ladd Marsh! We are very optimistic about what we are seeing so far with large broods and birds spread across the entire wildlife area. Water is doing good across the area so that is allowing the birds to spread out and not have to concentrate. We are excited to see how the year unfolds but at this point we have high hopes!
Quail: It was a late hatch but a good one! Birds are being seen in areas that they haven't occupied in many years. Some very large coveys with over a dozen chicks per adult pair are common sights along many brush rows. With pressure I am sure the birds will recluse back to the edges of safety zones but for now they are very prevalent and spread across the entire area.
Hunters can find upland game birds throughout Ladd Marsh providing ample hunting opportunity for all. Grassland, fencerows, brush and areas adjacent to agricultural fields are good locations to key on -- but don't overlook dry and receding wetlands. The wetland habitat provides more opportunity for pheasants than all the other areas combined.
All visitors, including hunters, must have in their possession a free daily permit to access the wildlife area. Permits will be available at several self-check-in stations at entry points and parking lots. All visitors are required to have an ODFW Wildlife Area Parking Permit to park on the wildlife area. Hunters receive a free parking permit with their hunting license. Parking permits are to be displayed on the vehicle dash. Learn more about ODFW's Wildlife Area Parking Permit Program.
Please call the Ladd Marsh Wildlife Area with any questions 541-963-4954.
Wallowa County
Late winter and wet spring conditions did not seem to affect birds and were likely good for production. Moderate drought conditions throughout the summer may have impacted brood survival due to limited forage resources.
Surveys for blue and ruffed grouse indicate that blue grouse populations are still below the long-term average. Nevertheless, these species should provide fair opportunity during September and early October, especially in more heavily forested areas throughout Wallowa County.
Forest grouse hunters should be aware that there are restrictions on Manulife forestlands during fire season, please call the Manulife Information Line at (541) 962-2184 for updated closures and restrictions.
Chukar remain abundant in more arid areas, specifically in patches of cheatgrass above the Imnaha River and on vegetated slopes along the Wenaha and Grande Ronde rivers.
Upland game bird hunting locations
See ODFW's Columbia Basin Bird Hunting Guide for how to hunt the 250K acres open to hunters in the area. Also see ODFW's Oregon Hunting Access Map and wildlife areas Summer Lake, Klamath, Lower Deschutes, Prineville Reservoir, Riverside and White River (Tygh Valley). Some private lands are accessible through the Access and Habitat program. Through ODFW's Upland Cooperative Access Program, hunters can access private land in Gilliam and Morrow counties in the Columbia Basin to hunt.
