Forest Road Management Helps Deer & Elk Populations
The Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF), partnering with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) and the Tillamook Chapter of the Oregon Hunters Association (OHA), will resume road restrictions this fall in the western part of the Tillamook State Forest. These road restrictions are put in place to improve deer and elk escapement during hunting season. The partnership has been in place 14 years now and the location of gates changes year to year based on access needs, stand conditions and operations.
Some roads will be closed to motorized use during the general archery and rifle hunting seasons in September, October and November. Selected roads in the Trask, Wilson and Nehalem River areas will be gated and signed. Controlled access during the three-month period is designed to reduce hunting pressure in these areas.
Hunters and other recreational users are welcome to access the gated areas by foot, mountain bike, horse or other non-motorized means.
Motorized access by ODF staff or contractors working in those areas may occur on occasion. Maps of the road management areas are posted on the "Hunting Season" tab of this blog and are also available at the Tillamook ODF office located at 5005 Third St., Tillamook.
If you have questions about the road management program, contact Gary Baker at the Tillamook ODF office, 503-842-2545, or Herman Biederbeck at the Tillamook ODFW office, 503-842-2741.
When you are planning your holiday decorations, remember the Oregon Department of Forestry does not issue permits for nor allow personal or commercial cutting of Christmas trees in Oregon's State Forests.
