[ODFW-News] New 03-04 Oregon Game Bird Regulations Available

[ODFW News]

Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife 	
Contact: 	Anne Pressentin Young (503) 947-6020	
Internet: www.dfw.state.or.us  Fax: (503) 947-6009
	
For Immediate Release	Thursday, August 28, 2003

New 2003-04 Oregon Game Bird Regulations Available
Hunters must learn important correction

SALEM - The new 2003-04 Oregon Game Bird Regulations have been delivered to Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife offices and 600 license agents statewide, and are available free to hunters. 

The regulations cover hunting seasons for upland game birds and waterfowl from Sept. 1, 2003, through May 31, 2004.

Hunters should be aware of a typographical error on page 8 of the regulations that describes the type of federally approved non-toxic shot that may be used on federal refuges, state refuges, state wildlife areas and regulated hunt areas. The sentence should read: Current federally approved non-toxic shot includes steel, bismuth-tin, tungsten-matrix, tungsten-polymer, tungsten-nickel-iron, tungsten-iron, or tungsten-iron-nickel-tin.

Bird hunters will notice a few changes in the new regulations:
·	Two new controlled fall turkey seasons will occur in the White River and Pine Valley areas this fall. Hunters must apply for one of the 100 tags by Sept. 14, 2003, at any license agent. 
·	The number of general fall tags available has increased to 3,000 in the "first come, first served" turkey hunt in Curry, Josephine, Jackson, Coos, Douglas, Lane, Benton, Polk, Marion and Linn counties. Hunters may purchase tags starting Sept. 22 at any license agent. 
·	The restrictions on the harvest of canvasbacks have been slightly eased. Hunters may harvest one canvasback within the normal daily bag limit of seven ducks during a 60-day season. The harvest of pintails also is limited to one per day during a 60-day season within the seven duck daily bag limit. 
·	The open days for the Northwest Oregon Permit Goose Season are Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays. In addition the location of check stations has changed for some hunters due to federal budget cuts. 
·	The use of battery and other self-powered decoys is now illegal. The new rules prohibit the use of spinning or flapping wing "robo ducks" and "wiggling" decoys for waterfowl hunting. Human-powered or wind-powered decoys are allowed.
·	Game bird stamps no longer will be mailed to hunters unless requested through a mail order process.

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Information and Education Division
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife