I live in the central part of the state and the game has had an easy winter, we had a couple rough weeks but they'll be fine, weather wise that is.
My usual deer area is north of Izee but the same unit and the deer numbers have dropped to the pathetic level. I suspect cats, the game commision says poor habitat and too many horses. I can see the horses being a problem but there have been lots of horses for years, the habitat looks fine in my opinion and we haven't had a real bad winter since '93 so I still say cats.
One thing I keep finding all over eastern Oregon for the last 10 years that bothers me is dead fawns, not killed they just layed down and died. I've found at least a dozen including one on the John Day last weeek while chuckar hunting. it looks like a healthy fawn just went to sleep and never woke up, I've tried to get a gamey to take a look and they just say " things die " . that's true and it might be an ok answer if deer weren't to the point they should be on the ESA.
In my opinion there should be no deer season in eastern Oregon until the numbers come back, partly to increase populations and partly to take the money from ODFW so they'd have an interest in bringing them back. I've lived here my whole life and I can tell you I never thought I'd see the day the deer numbers were this pathetic.
