OPEN: Waterfowl, pheasant, grouse, ruffed grouse and mountain quail, bear, cougar, western gray squirrel (ends Nov. 7) , crow, general coast elk rifle (Nov. 10-13)

Forest grouse and mountain quail

Look for these birds while they search for their meal of seeds, insects and grit along graveled roads in the forest. Hunters targeting the blue grouse should look in upper elevations, especially forested areas on ridge tops. Ruffed grouse are more common along stream bottoms and mid-slope areas. Mountain quail should be found in older, brushy clear cuts, especially on south facing slopes, and tend to be more abundant in the eastern half of the coast range than the western half. ODFW staff observed higher than average number of grouse and moderate numbers of mountain quail on summer surveys in the Coast range.

Bear and cougar

Black Bear are actively feeding as the fall progresses, and have largely switched from the very abundant wild berry crops of this summer to later fruit crops, such as apples and pears from abandoned orchards in the forest. A strategy for hunting them in the early morning and late evening hours is watching clear-cuts, old meadows and natural openings. At other times during the day, use of a predator call is the best approach. Generally, long and persistent calling is the most effective way to call them in.

All indicators point to the north coast as having relatively low cougar densities, when compared to most of the rest of the state. However, they can still be located, especially if hunters are dedicated to using calls as their primary strategy. Like with black bear, cougar are probably most effectively hunted by long and persistent calling with a predator call.

Western gray squirrels (ends Nov. 7)

Western gray squirrels are most likely to be found in mixed deciduous-conifer forests amid oak and maple trees and in filbert orchards, especially along the eastern slope of the coast range and the Willamette Valley. Unlike in southern Oregon, these native squirrels occur at naturally low densities in north coast forests. Western gray squirrel season will end Nov. 7th in this region.