Oregon bird regulations now available; Sauvie Island change detailed

Duck hunters on Sauvie Island's east side management area will find new rules for this fall's reserved blinds, one designed to make hunts more fair for everyone.

Sauvie Island duck hunters will (finally) find a new twist this year on applying for coveted hunts on the wildlife management area's east side.
New regulations for 2016-17 are now in stores and posted online on the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Web site.
Among the changes is one for eastside reservation hunters on the department's 12,000-acre management area that will end the first-come choice selection.
Instead, successful applicants will be randomly assigned a draw order for both blind and roam units and will then be called to the checkstation according to that number.
In the past, hardcore hunters typically spent the night parked in line in order to be first or second to choose from the premium blinds and areas. Late comers rarely found the best spots still available. All reservation hunters will still be required to show up two hours before shooting hours, but will now be called forward according to numbers printed on their permits.
Managers had hoped to start the new system last season, but delayed it a year because of programming issues with the state's point-of-sale computer system.
The checkstation waiting line will now have a waiting road and an active parallel road on which rigs can pull out and approach as their numbers are called over an AM radio frequency.
Among other changes (some fee increases) are:

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