NEWPORT, Ore.—The fall hunting seasons are fast approaching. Hunters Planning to use travel management areas on the coast are reminded of some changes this season. Most importantly, 60,000 acres of new hunting access.

Reminder: Hancock Forest Management NW TMA open year-round incl. fire season (Trask, Stott Mt, Alsea Units)
Over 190,000 acres of Hancock Forest Management (HFM) timberlands are open for year-round hunting access in the Trask, Stott Mt, and Alsea Wildlife Management Units along the mid-coast this year (parts of Lincoln, Benton, Polk, and Tillamook counties).

https://www.dfw.state.or.us/maps/access_habitat/stott_mtn_n_alsea_hancock_FM_NW_page1.pdf
https://www.dfw.state.or.us/maps/access_habitat/stott_mtn_n_alsea_hancock_FM_NW_page2.pdf

While HFM properties had allowed hunting access before as part of the Stott Mt/N Alsea TMA, the lands were closed during fire season (typically July 1-Oct. 15). This project is expanding no fee public access during Industrial Fire Restriction Levels (IFPL) I-III.

Effective year round, green dot posted roads under HFM control in this area will be open to motorized vehicle use to access larger blocks of their land when the IFPL is below level III. When the IFPL reaches III, only walk-in access is allowed, even on green dot roads. The only time the lands would close is when the IFPL reaches IV, a rare event that requires complete shutdown of forest operations by state rule.

Only roads with green dot posts are open to motorized vehicles on Hancock managed lands. If you do not see a green dot post then the road is closed to motorized vehicles year round. Kiosks will be in place on some of the green dot mainline roads into their ownership with TMA maps for hunters’ use. This access project is being funded through 2021 by the Access and Habitat Program, which provides public hunting access and improves wildlife habitat on private land.

Reminder that Weyerhaeuser Properties open to no fee access use yellow signs to indicate closed roads
The Weyerhaeuser lands in the Stott Mtn-North Alsea TMA that are open to no fee public access use posted yellow signs (see photo) to identify roads that are closed to motor vehicles. Effective Dates for travel management restrictions are one day prior to general bow season through 2nd coast bull elk rifle season.

Weyerhaeuser property access information can be found on this website: https://www.weyerhaeuser.com/recreational-access/northwest-region/ Scroll down and click on Willamette Valley access information link to view Mid-Coast Area (North Toledo HWY 20) information. While there is no additional permit needed for Weyerhaeuser property in this TMA, hunters should pay attention to signs at gates for other possible leases in the area.

NEW: Coos Mountain Hunting Access Area (Tioga Unit)
This new Coos Mtn TMA replaces the Coos Bay BLM travel management area and provides access to 89 square miles of the Tioga Unit on a “Welcome to Hunt” basis. Commercial timberland ownership in the area has shifted in recent years so the TMA opens access to more private and public land in the area.

To find out more about Oregon TMAs, see page 81-84 of the 2019 Oregon Big Game Regulations or see https://www.dfw.state.or.us/maps/#Travel for TMA maps.

Hunters may face fire restrictions and/or closures on other lands, especially earlier in the fall hunting seasons. It is each hunter’s responsibility to know access conditions and restrictions before heading afield.

Here are some helpful hunting access information links:

Private timberland closures, http://www.ofic.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/2019-OFIC-Closure-Form-1.pdf
ODF Industrial Fire Restrictions (IFPL), https://gisapps.odf.oregon.gov/firerestrictions/ifpl.html
ODF Public Fire Restrictions https://gisapps.odf.oregon.gov/Firerestrictions/PFR.html
US Forest Service, https://www.fs.fed.us/
Bureau of Land Management, https://www.blm.gov/oregon-washington