Northwest Rut Report, Week 2: Drought Conditions Are Limiting Hunting Opportunities

Oregon and Washington are renowned for having gray, rainy skies but neither state is living up to its reputation this year. Instead of packing rain jackets, hunters are wearing light layers as hot, dry weather persists from summer into fall. Over half of Oregon is considered to have extreme drought conditions. In Washington, 40% of the state is in moderate drought.

For hunters this means battling a very early and active wildlife season. In Oregon, rain was nearly entirely absent during June, July, and August. As rifle seasons begin to open across the state it’s important for hunters to check the latest fire restrictions and look for closures due to active wildfires. Archery hunters faced several public land closures due to wildfires.

The good news for hunters is that Oregon experienced a mild winter. With the exception of very few areas, the Oregon Department of Fish and Game (ODFG) says deer numbers are generally stable or increasing. In Southcentral, deer numbers are down in a few areas after a late snow took its toll on fawn survival. In the Northern part of the state, whitetail deer populations have yet to fully recover from an outbreak of epizootic hemorrhagic disease in 2019.

Portions of Oregon experienced significant wildfires during summer 2021. Biologists say these areas have now produced new growth that is benefiting deer and hunters. The ODFG also moved back the start of rifle season by a few days in some areas. This means rifle hunters will get the opportunity to potentially pursue rutting bucks, which isn’t usually the case.

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Oregon’s rifle hunters are seeing success opening week. Charity Courtney harvested a mule deer buck during opening week of Oregon’s rifle season. But instead of any early season rut activity, she encountered wolf activity.

Laura Groesbeck helped her husband harvest a mule deer buck in Oregon before taking her mule deer buck in Idaho days later. During the hunting trips she reports mule deer bucks were still hanging out in bachelor groups and beginning to spar just a little bit.

Washington hunters were struck with bad news earlier in the year when biologists discovered the state’s first cases of chronic wasting disease (CWD). On August 1, 2024, officials confirmed a deer in north Spokane County tested positive for CWD. The state responded by implementing mandatory testing for elk and deer harvested in the newly created CWD initial response area, as well as transport restrictions in certain game management units. If you plan to hunt Washington, it’s important to check the updated CWD restrictions.

In Eastern Washington, whitetail numbers are still recovering after EHD outbreaks in 2015 and 2012. However, across most of the state, deer numbers are generally good. Biologists with the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife predict that hunters could have a good year after a mild winter.

With mid-October right around the corner, Northwest hunters are really hoping for a cold snap or moisture to ease the fire danger.