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Hello there i am going to be moving to oregon around june 1st and i have been slowly planning a 2 week long backpacking trip in the oregon mountains. the thing is i want to be able to hunt small game and prepare them for my food after properly disposing of the waste. are there any laws keeping me from being able to do this? i would like to know because i am waiting to purchase a henry ar-7 or a powerfull .22 air rifle if i cant have a firearm.
 
You need a hunting license to hunt grey squirrel and unprotected mammals in Oregon. To get a resident license you need to have lived here for 6 months consecutively. A non-resident license sells for $140.50 and if you plan on doing this I strongly suggest you pick up a copy of the hunting regulations and spend time on the ODFW website learning what you can and cannot take.
 
You need a hunting license to hunt grey squirrel and unprotected mammals in Oregon. To get a resident license you need to have lived here for 6 months consecutively. A non-resident license sells for $140.50 and if you plan on doing this I strongly suggest you pick up a copy of the hunting regulations and spend time on the ODFW website learning what you can and cannot take.

okay noted. thanks a bunch. questoin 2!

would anybody be able to reccoment a good area to do this. i know only one person in oregon and that is my roomate and he has never gone hunting in his life.
 
The majority of Oregon hiking trails long enough to do two weeks on are up pretty high (Pacific Crest Trail) and theres really no game to speak of. Squirrels would be about it. And Western Gray Squirrels are only in season 8/24 to 11/6 Beldings Ground Squirrels that infest the clover and alfalfa fields in Central and Easter Oregon are open year round.

If you were to hike in the Steens Mountian area then you would be in Rabbit country But you have to be very careful processing and eating rabbits in the summer due to Ticks and flea's which carry desease.

There are many many Oregon trail guides available from Book sellers on line as well as dozens of web sites with Hiking trails shown for Oregon.

I also suggest the Hunting and Fur trapping regs. ODFW
 
Both of these are extremely remote and not for novices.
Tons of game there as well.

Bears and Mountain Lions also. (Make sure you are NOT the game.)

The Rogue River Wilderness area is excellent.
The Kalmiopsis Wilderness is beautiful Specifically the Illinois River. (There are trails that aren't the regular trails as well)
Fantastic area. Bring a Gold pan and Shovel.
Live bait aside from a Frog Spear are the only thing that works in that river. (Check Regs)
Holes will have 4-8 pound fish in them.

Another place is Mink Lake. 43.929426,-121.914797

The Mink Lake area is an ancient Glacial flow and has substantial water hence game.

Pack Deet. Camp Smart and don't leave Stuff to attract Bears.

The Mink Lake area is more traveled than the remote places along the Illinois river.

If you don't know what your doing in these remote wildernesses you won't be coming back. (Be Forewarned)

I don't suggest going alone unless you have done similar degree of difficulty outings over a half dozen times. (Still dangerous by yourself.)
 
I don't know how much time you've spent hunting, but it's a lot like fishing, and even if you are a competent hunter, nothing guarantees a meal, especially in a new place that you're not familiar with. I know last time I went on a hunting trip, we found zero big game, while we did get quite a bit of upland game (rabbit and dove) it really wasn't enough to keep us going if that's all we had.
 
One thing to keep in mind: the Rangers that patrol Wilderness Areas are Law Enforcement Officers and if they see a firearm will demand a hunting license, the results of not having one will be the lose of your firearm and never being able to Hunt in OR again
The Wilderness areas are over run with collage kids in the summer and they will turn your *** in via cell phone. Eastern OR has some big Recreation Areas that are gun friendly
 
Both of these are extremely remote and not for novices.
Tons of game there as well.

Bears and Mountain Lions also. (Make sure you are NOT the game.)

The Rogue River Wilderness area is excellent.
The Kalmiopsis Wilderness is beautiful Specifically the Illinois River. (There are trails that aren't the regular trails as well)
Fantastic area. Bring a Gold pan and Shovel.
Live bait aside from a Frog Spear are the only thing that works in that river. (Check Regs)
Holes will have 4-8 pound fish in them.

Another place is Mink Lake. 43.929426,-121.914797

The Mink Lake area is an ancient Glacial flow and has substantial water hence game.

Pack Deet. Camp Smart and don't leave Stuff to attract Bears.

The Mink Lake area is more traveled than the remote places along the Illinois river.

If you don't know what your doing in these remote wildernesses you won't be coming back. (Be Forewarned)

I don't suggest going alone unless you have done similar degree of difficulty outings over a half dozen times. (Still dangerous by yourself.)

this is some good advice. i have done some hiking and backpacking trips on my own before but this time will be bringing a buddy of mine who just got out of the military. he wanted to do something "away from it all" and im trying to put something together. i have the food required to make the trip so starving isnt an issue. if there are animal hazards i think i will be taking my .223 over my .22 :p and i refuse to go without doing the proper research and getting the hunting papers sorted out.
 
this is some good advice. i have done some hiking and backpacking trips on my own before but this time will be bringing a buddy of mine who just got out of the military. he wanted to do something "away from it all" and im trying to put something together. i have the food required to make the trip so starving isnt an issue. if there are animal hazards i think i will be taking my .223 over my .22 :p and i refuse to go without doing the proper research and getting the hunting papers sorted out.

Pumpkin
I wish you all the best, I have spent alot of time in the wilderness after I ETSed and I know it's healing powers. If you need logistical support or any other service, let me know.
 
Pumpkin
I wish you all the best, I have spent alot of time in the wilderness after I ETSed and I know it's healing powers. If you need logistical support or any other service, let me know.

Healing is exactly what this trip is for. My friend is less than satisfied with the ammount of things he accomplished in the military and before the military he was unhappy with his daily life then. Im hoping that this trip can give him a "second wind" maybe give him a new perspective. its this trip or he wants to spend his life savings and wander around europ. and i can just imagine he would get into some kind of trouble
 
Healing is exactly what this trip is for. My friend is less than satisfied with the ammount of things he accomplished in the military and before the military he was unhappy with his daily life then. Im hoping that this trip can give him a "second wind" maybe give him a new perspective. its this trip or he wants to spend his life savings and wander around europ. and i can just imagine he would get into some kind of trouble

10-4
The worst that can happen to a man is to have NO Plan, No Goal, and Money.
My FIL survived the Batan Death March, lived as a POW for 20 months, released, became a Guerala, joined the US Army in 1945, ETsed as a 1st Lt in 1978 and then lost his way, lost all his goals untill his family grabbed him and made him work 10 hours a day!
Keep in touch.
 
I spent about a year "in the woods" after I got out of the Army. Waldo Wilderness, Willamette Natl, Sisters... The solitude was what I wanted, and it was the worst part about it. I would get so lonesome I could barely stand it, but the only thing worse was going back to civilization. Was a pretty rough transition for me, and I wasn't even suffering from PTSD or anything... just a broken heart and a hell of a lot of resentment.

Being a light infantryman, I figured hiking out into the woods would be nothing. Totally true, if you've got radios, support, boxes of MREs on delivery, and evac if you get into trouble. I had none of that, and boy did I learn some hard, hard lessons. Nearly killed myself in several creative and unpredictable ways; from drinking bad water, to failing to accurately predict just how wet you get in a rainstorm, and how easily you go hyperthermic in mild temperatures when you and your gear are soaked through.

I have no idea how competent you guys are, but I strongly suggest biting off small pieces, if you've never spent "weeks" totally unsupported before. Try days, first... and within range of your vehicle... then work your way up.


Oh... and there's no food out there.
 
Ben, Solitude is a great and terrible thing, but getting to know yourself is priceless. Coming out the other side of lonesomeness is truly powerful... if it doesn't kill you.

Do you still catch yourself talking to yourself?
 
Last Edited:
Ben
I hardly Knew Yee
Your a pretty eloquent guy when you have a mind to be,, I'm impressed. (concider my ego centric posts to have been posted here)
My intro to wilderness was like a zombie going for fresh blood, I lived in a desert, a HIGH DESERT,,sorta like MARS.
HOT-COLD-HOT, no water, COLD, SNOW, HOT
I was drawn as a moth to a flame. Survival was outside my window,
 
I spent about a year "in the woods" after I got out of the Army. Waldo Wilderness, Willamette Natl, Sisters... The solitude was what I wanted, and it was the worst part about it. I would get so lonesome I could barely stand it, but the only thing worse was going back to civilization. Was a pretty rough transition for me, and I wasn't even suffering from PTSD or anything... just a broken heart and a hell of a lot of resentment.

Being a light infantryman, I figured hiking out into the woods would be nothing. Totally true, if you've got radios, support, boxes of MREs on delivery, and evac if you get into trouble. I had none of that, and boy did I learn some hard, hard lessons. Nearly killed myself in several creative and unpredictable ways; from drinking bad water, to failing to accurately predict just how wet you get in a rainstorm, and how easily you go hyperthermic in mild temperatures when you and your gear are soaked through.

I have no idea how competent you guys are, but I strongly suggest biting off small pieces, if you've never spent "weeks" totally unsupported before. Try days, first... and within range of your vehicle... then work your way up.


Oh... and there's no food out there.

I just want to thank everyone for the genuine concern. right now the only thing i dont know about is the laws and where to do everything. when it comes to the survival skills i would like to say i have that down. i have a good habbit of thinking twice when i need to.
I undersatand that this isnt a standard campground im going to and there are dangers involved. and i want to let everyone know that i wont set foot into a dangerous situation without at least doing my homework. I am 21 years old and i have been hunting from the age of 14. and at that point my father and grandfather (grew up in louisiana) showed me tons of things that could save your life. although i have no formal training i would consider myself a competent person. (save good grammar and spelling :p )
Im not telling any of you not to worry about me because it is much appreciated. im only trying to put you at ease
 
okay would anybody know of some gear they would recomend for a trip like this? i kinda have an amazon wishlist put together that im slowly working on in my spare time if i can find out how to share it on here would any of you feel its worth looking at?
 
That's some good advice there.

One thing to keep in mind: the Rangers that patrol Wilderness Areas are Law Enforcement Officers and if they see a firearm will demand a hunting license, the results of not having one will be the lose of your firearm and never being able to Hunt in OR again
The Wilderness areas are over run with collage kids in the summer and they will turn your *** in via cell phone. Eastern OR has some big Recreation Areas that are gun friendly
 
Frame packs with padded hip belts will pack weight W/O placing weight on spine.
you can find 4500CUI frame packs and much larger (5800-8500)
Do not go too large!
Go to REI web site, Mountains of info there!
REI.com?
 

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