Department of Fish and Wildlife

Controlled Hunts
3406 Cherry Avenue NE
Salem, Oregon 97303
503-947-6102
Fax: 503-947-6113
TTY: 503-947-6339
www.dfw.state.or.us/

DEAR YOUTH HUNTER:

Congratulations! You have been successful in drawing a controlled hunt spring bear tag.
Check your tag for the authorized hunt area, hunt dates, and bag limit.

We hope you are as excited about this hunting opportunity as we are in offering it to you. The future of
juvenile hunts and the potential for the program to expand will depend on the ethics, safety, and conduct
of the participants who were chosen for this hunt.

It is h ighly recommended that you practice with your weapon by firing and sighting-in your gun or bow and
review the safety standards you should follow. We urge yo u to use your local gun and archery clubs and/or
rifle or archery ranges with safe and proper facilities. These facilities have qualified members that are happy to
give instructions if con tacted. For information and location of these facilitie s contact your local hunter
education instructor.

Adults: This controlled hunt is par t of a program to encourage youth participatio n in big game hunting. To
participate in this hunt the Youth Hunter must be accompanied by an adult 21 years of age or older who cannot
hunt. Please set a good example (role model) for these young hunters. We anticipate the highest level of
sportsmanship on your part and wish you a very pleasant outing.

HUNTER UPDATE

Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) have initiated a mandatory check-in for all har vested bears.
Specifically, the skull of any bear taken must be presented to an ODFW office or designated collection
site within 10 days of the kill to be checked and marked. Biologists will remove a small premolar tooth and
will take measurements of the can ine and se cond molar teeth. In order t o accomplish this, the skull must be
presented in an unfrozen condition. It is also helpful to have braced the bear’s mouth open with a stick or
similar object shortly after the bear is harvested and have the hide remo ved. Removal of the appropriate tooth
will not impact the qual ity of any taxidermy work you wish to have done with your trophy. You will receive a
postcard telling you the age of your bear, but it t akes up to 18 months. In many areas local businesses may be
trained and prepared to check in your bear skull. For information on local business locations, check the ODFW
website at www.dfw.state.or.us.

Sectioned and stained premolar teeth will enable ODFW biologists to estimate the age of the bear and
determine if the bear h as been “m arked” as p art of a statewide population study. Measurements taken from
the canine and molar teeth will provide valuable information regarding overall bear population composition.

Hunters also are reminded to collect reproductive parts from female bears. Combined with tooth d ata,
examination of reprodu ctive tracts indicates the age at whi ch females first breed and the number of youn g
produced p er breeding female. Reproductive parts to be collected are described on the reverse side of t his
letter. Collected parts can be dro pped off wh en your bear skull is checked in a t Departme nt of Fish a nd
Wildlife offices or at participating local businesses, if available.

Mandatory Reporting, “Remember to Report”, you are required to complete a Hunter Survey for all big game
tags and turkey tags. You can provide harvest information by:
Calling a toll-free telephone number, 1-866-947-ODFW (6339) or
o Reporting via the internet at www.dfw.state.or.us/resources/hunting/reporting/index.asp

The information that you provide is essential to sound black bear population management.
 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Please be aware that current law prohibits the u se of bait and dogs for hunting bears. You may not place bait
to attract bears, hunt bears over bait, or use dogs to locate, track and tree bears.

ATV use is increasing in Oregon and damage to wildlife h abitat and r oads during spring bear season is also
increasing. Please stay on open ro ads and avoid cross co unty travel. Many areas are wet and muddy du ring
this time period and ve hicle use ca n cause serious damage to soft roads, meadow, grasslands and forested
areas. Check the Oregon Big Game Regulations for other vehicle area closures and regulations.

Hunters must also remember to Ask First before hunting on private lands. Your cooperation is vital in order t o
keep private lands open . Information on Cooperative Tr avel Management Areas can be found in the current
Big Game regulations.

As always, check your copy of the current Oregon Big Game Regulations for other important
regulations.

Good luck! Have an enjoyable hunt, and thank you for your help!

Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife

 COLLECTING THE REPRODUCTIVE TRACT FROM A FEMALE BEAR

1. Label a pla stic bag wit h Date of Kill, Unit Number and Name, County, and YOUR Name and
Address. Ziploc type kitchen or freezer bags work very well for this purpose.
2. Locate the “Y” shaped reproductive tract beneath and slightly ahead of t he pelvis or hipbone. It usually
is necessary to mo ve some of the intestines a side to locate the entire tract, includ ing both ovaries and
the uterus.
3. Cut the uter us immediately forward of the bladd er. Use caution handling the bla dder and cu tting the
reproductive tract from the body cavity to insure the meat is not contaminated with urine fro m the
bladder.
4. Place the entire reproductive tract in the labeled plastic bag and seal. Secure the tooth envelope to the
outside of the bag containing the reproductive tract.
5. Preserve parts by freezing as soon as possible and submit to any ODFW district office or check station
in SW Oregon.

BE SURE TO COLLECT AND SUBMIT THE ENTIRE UTERUS,

INCLUDING BOTH OF THE HORNS AND BOTH OF THE OVARIES.