THE OREGON SPORTSMAN 53 
MANY ELK IN UMATILLA COUNTY 
By Warpven GeEorGE TonxIn, Pendleton, Oregon. 
The deer sign in this county indicate that the deer are more 
plentiful than for the past few years, but fewer deer than usual have 
been killed in the hunting season of 1915. We had a very dry fall 
and the bucks seem to be growing more alert and shy. There are 
few places now that cannot be reached by the automobile parties and 
more hunters are in the hills each succeeding year. 
It is estimated that fifty deer were killed in this county during 
the past season. Only five hunters were known to have killed the 
limit; very few got two, and several reported no success at all. 
Several hunters from various parts of the county who had seen 
deer during the season were questioned as to the number and sex of 
the deer that they had seen and also asked their opinion regarding 
the hunting laws. The forty-two hunters thus questioned saw four 
hundred and thirty-four deer; one hundred and thirty-seven of which 
were deer with horns and the remaining two hundred and ninety- 
seven were does and young deer. They killed twenty-six bucks. 
Some hunters contended that there were too many does in com- 
parison with the number of bucks and that the killing of at least 
one doe in a season should be permitted. That is what led me to 
question the hunters and find out if possible something upon which 
we could base our estimate of the comparative number of the two 
sexes. 
Though we have hunters who want to kill the does, I believe 
we have more who would rather see the season closed for at least 
two years. 
Umatilla County now has about 110 elk, 90 of which are native 
elk ranging in the hills in the southeastern part of the county. Many 
of the elk that were liberated in the northeastern part of the county 
have left for haunts of their choosing. It is believed that the action 
of the State Fish and Game Commission in offering $100 reward for 
conviction in elk killing will nearly, if not quite, perfect the protec- 
tion that has been given these animals in this section. They are 
increasing rapidly and should afford some excellent hunting in a few 
years. 
Duck shooting has been below the average this season. There 
were many local birds at the beginning of the season but the migratory 
birds did not arrive until late and most of these went directly to the 
small creeks in the foothills, thus escaping the hunters at the ponds 
in the lower end of the county where the shooting is usually so 
much enjoyed. 
China pheasants have found this county to be an ideal home. 
They are multiplying very rapidly. Our Hungarian Partridges, Moun- 
tain Quail, Valley Quail, and Bob White Quail are also doing very 
well. Most of our ranchers like to have these birds about the place 
and many declare that there will always be a closed season for them 
on their ranch. This is especially the case regarding the Bob White. 
It is thought that such protection will afford excellent refuge for 
enough birds for propogation when such a time comes that we may 
have a hunting season for them. 
Rainbow trout are now running in the Umatilla River but this 
season finds most of the sportsman engaged in other lines of sport 
and very little fishing has been done. 
