Below highlights cut from press release at: http://www.dfw.state.or.us/news/2006/october/005.asp and news report at: http://www.mailtribune.com/archive/2006/1012/sport/stories/newhunts-jnl.htm

Date: October 6, 2006
Contact: Michelle Dennehy (503) 947-6022
Fax: (503) 947-6009

SALEM - The Fish and Wildlife Commission today adopted 2007 regulations governing the hunting of big game including deer, elk, cougar, bear, Rocky Mountain goat, bighorn sheep, pronghorn antelope and Western gray squirrel.

The new regulations will make the reporting of hunter harvest and effort mandatory beginning next year, coinciding with implementation of ODFW’s new point-of-sale (POS) system in spring 2007. The system will replace telephone surveys by ODFW staff and enable hunters to report by phone through an interactive voice response or over the Internet. Hunters will need to provide the following information: days hunted, wildlife management unit hunted, sex of animal harvested and antler points of bucks and bulls. To introduce hunters to the new system, there will be no penalties or incentives related to participation in the survey for the first year.

The 2007 Big Game Regulations will be available at ODFW offices and license agents statewide in November.

* The sale of raffle tickets for pronghorn, bighorn sheep, Rocky Mountain goat, deer and elk tags will be delayed due to implementation of the new POS system. Tickets will be available Jan. 2-March 14 at 15 ODFW sites and March 15 at POS agents statewide.

* Bighorn sheep — A new West Deschutes River No. 2 hunt was added for next year. The hunt will run Oct. 13-21, with an estimated two tags.

* Rocky Mountain Goat — A new hunt called the Second Hat Point hunt was added. It will run Oct. 13-23 with an estimated one tag.