SOUTHWEST REGION

JACKSON/JOSEPHINE - General season rifle hunting opens Saturday with the prospect of rain and cool weather giving hunters a rare edge for opening weekend. Blacktails remain at high elevations, with places such as Mount Ashland and the Grizzly Peak area likely to be crowded. Beat the brush, and get away from roads for best success.

Oregon waterfowl hunters will see their record run of long duck seasons reach 15 this fall as yet another maximum-length hunting season awaits.

Young hunters must now wear at least a blaze-orange hat under most hunting conditions under new rules meant to improve on Oregon's already good hunting-accident record.

Mark Vargas has a mantra for frustrated Southern Oregon rifle hunters who keep buying general-season bull elk tags that go unfilled: Pray for snow and at least unbuckle that seat belt.

The anomaly of spring 2010 and its persistently cold, wet weather acted like a major reset button for West Coast flora and fauna reacting to such strange conditions, and Southern Oregon's deer population was stuck in the middle of it.

It's ironic that the only place local upland game-bird hunters can unleash their dogs with a good guess that they'll flush a few pheasants is smack-dab in the middle of White City's industrial area.

Southwest Region

JACKSON, JOSEPHINE, CURRY COUNTIES