ODFW News: Spring Bear Tags / March 15

[Pete]

For Immediate Release Friday, February 20, 2004

Controlled tags for spring bear hunts to be sold first come, first served starting March 15

PORTLAND - More than 880 tags left over from the limited-entry lottery for spring bear hunts will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis starting at 10 a.m., Monday, March 15, at license agents statewide, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife announced today.

The following tags will available for sale:
· 712A - Wilson/Trask - 99 total tags with no more than 10 being sold to non-residents.
· 722A - SW Oregon - 728 total tags with no more than 45 being sold to non-residents.
· 756T - Wenaha Unit Youth - 29 total resident tags.
· 757T - Sled Springs/Chesnimnus Youth - 20 total tags with no more than two being sold to non-residents.
· 760T - Minam/Imnaha Youth - Eight total tags with no more than two being sold to non-residents.

The three youth hunts with leftover tags are limited to hunters aged 12 to 17 years who are accompanied by a non-hunting adult.

The tags being sold were left over in five of the 16 spring bear hunts after the annual February drawing for "controlled" bear tags. Leftover tags are those for which hunters did not apply. The hunts are often less desirable because they require landowner permission, access is difficult or supply exceeds the demand.

Leftover tags may be purchased in addition to any general season or controlled hunt bear tags already in possession. Non-residents may purchase the tags, but non-resident sales are limited to a maximum of 3 percent of the total tags allocated for the hunt. Hunters must go to a license agent to purchase the tags because no mail order or fax orders are taken for left over tags.

Oregon has both general season and controlled bear hunts. There are a limited number of spring season controlled hunt tags, and hunters must apply for them by Feb. 10. There is no limit on the total number of general season tags sold for the fall hunts.
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Information and Education Division
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
(503) 947-6002