LA GRANDE — The upland game bird hunting season starts a week or so later than usual, but conditions should be worth the wait for hunters.

According to forecasts from Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife biologists, populations of popular species such as chukars and California quail should be higher in many areas than has been typical over the past several years.

Biologists attribute the increases to favorable weather, including a moist spring that created good nesting conditions.

The main season starts Oct. 14.

Upland bird hunting starts the Saturday after the opening of the rifle deer season, which is the first Saturday of October. This year that date is Oct. 7, compared with last year, when deer season started Oct. 1, and the upland bird season on Oct. 8.

The season continues through Jan. 31, 2024, for some species, including chukar, Hungarian partridge and California quail, but ends Dec. 31, 2023, for rooster pheasant.

Hunting for blue and ruffed grouse, which started Sept. 1, continues through Jan. 31, 2024.

UPLAND GAME BIRD OUTLOOK

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 this year. Chicks were of good size, and broods were generally large. Hunters should see a very similar season this year. Access and Habitat properties offer good upland hunting and access to public land.

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.

Ladd Marsh Wildlife Area

Ladd Marsh is open Wednesday, Saturday, Sunday and federal holidays through Jan. 31, 2024.

Hunters can find upland game birds throughout Ladd Marsh providing ample hunting opportunity. 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.

• Pheasant — A good spring and warm rains in the summer have produced an amazing batch of wild birds on Ladd Marsh, with large broods and birds distributed across the wildlife area.

• 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.

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 through early October, especially in more heavily forested areas throughout Wallowa County.

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.

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 started Sept. 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.

• Chukar — Trend surveys found 147.4 birds/10 miles which is a 102% increase compared to last year and a 96.3% increase from the 10-year 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/mile which represents an 11% decrease from last year making this year 2.6% 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.

Malheur County

Last winter the county received above average precipitation and snow did not melt as earlier as in recent years. Timing and the amount moisture was good for nesting conditions resulting in good brood production of upland birds. Overall, 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, a 7% increase from last year and 4% 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%increase in number of birds observed from the 3-year average and 42% 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 yielded 52 quail per 10 miles, a 44% increase from last year and 31% above the 10-year average. Production was excellent at 11.8 chicks per brood with good production observed in range and agricultural lands.

Morrow, Gilliam and Wheeler counties

Hunters should find it easier to find upland 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.

Umatilla County

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.

Ruffed and blue grouse

Open area: statewide

Open dates: Sept. 1 to Jan. 31, 2024

Daily bag limit: 3 of each species

Possession limit: 9 of each species

Chukar and Hungarian (gray) partridge

Open area: statewide

Open dates: Oct. 14 to Jan. 31, 2024

Daily bag limit: 8

Possession limit: 24

Rooster pheasant

Open area: statewide

Open dates: Oct. 14 to Dec. 31, 2023

Daily bag limit: 2

Possession limit: 8

Quail (California and mountain)

Open area: Eastern Oregon

Open dates: Oct. 14 to Jan. 31, 2024

Daily bag limit: 10 (may not include more than 2 mountain quail)

Possession limit: 30 (may not include more than 6 mountain quail)

Bobwhite quail may be taken as part of the quail bag limit.

Wild turkey

Units 36-38, 40, 43 – 45, 48 (area north and west of the North Fork John Day River), 49, 51, 52, 53 – 65, and 673

Season dates: Oct. 14 – Nov. 30 and Dec. 1- Jan. 31, 2024

Daily bag limit: 1 turkey of either sex

Season limit: 1

Note: From Dec. 1 – Jan. 31, 2024, hunting is allowed only on private lands by permission.

Units 46, 47, 48 (area south and east of the North Fork John Day River), and 50

Season dates: Sept. 1 – Nov. 30 and Dec. 1- Jan. 31, 2024

Daily bag limit: 1 turkey of either sex

Season limit: 1

Note: From Dec. 1 – Jan. 31, 2024, hunting is allowed only on private lands by permission.