Lum recommends that for trophy blacktails, hunters look at the Dixon Unit, around the town of Tiller and in the Rogue River drainage.

Another good prospect is in the South Indigo. Hunt the Steamboat drainage and focus on the south-facing slopes late in the season and during muzzleloader season.

Lum said that interest in the Columbian whitetail deer hunt -- now in its third year -- is still high. Most whitetail hunting is on private land, but trap-and-transplant operations are ongoing, spreading the deer to more of their historic range.

"Blacktail hunters still need to be mindful," said Lum. "Just because a deer has antlers, doesn't mean it's a legal buck. It could be a whitetail."

Know the difference before you pull the trigger.

On the central coast, spend your time on the higher ground on public lands and private timber property. Deer populations are down in the region. In the Alsea, Siuslaw and Tioga units, scouting will be more important than ever.

Don't just look for habitat. Look for deer using the habitat and before you hang a stand, look for tracks, rubs and trail crossings.

Blacktail numbers are stable in southwest Oregon. High country deer that make their home in the Rogue Unit are migratory, so the heavy snows that blanketed the Cascades should have had less of a winterkill impact than the snows that hit the desert-dwelling mule deer last winter.

Centerfire rifle hunters who spend their seasons in the Rogue Unit average 18 percent success. Again, hunt from above for your best chance to surprise a buck.

The Applegate is made up of 58 percent public land. With a general rifle season success rate of about 19 percent, the Applegate doesn't stand out. But more than 51 percent of muzzleloaders usually tag their deer.

For the trophy hunter, the Dixon, Evans Creek, Applegate and Rogue units offer the best chances at a mature buck. And remember, bluebird days are for bluebirds. Watch the weather and time your hunt to coincide with the rainiest, snowiest days.

The Western Oregon archery season runs Aug. 30 through Sept. 28. The Alsea, McKenzie, Santiam, Siuslaw, Stott Mountain and Willamette units, and a portion of the Indigo Unit in the Willamette drainage will be open from Nov. 22 through Dec. 14.

Archers may hunt from Nov. 15 through Dec. 7 in the Evans Creek, Melrose, Rogue, and Sixes units; a portion of the Saddle Mountain Unit will be open to bowhunters from Nov. 29 through Dec. 14.

The West High Cascade buck season runs Sept. 13 through 21.

In the Cascades, the Western general centerfire season is Oct. 4 through 17, and opens again from Oct. 25 through Nov. 7. The Coast buck hunt runs Oct. 4 through Nov. 7.

In western Oregon, kids get two extra days to hunt. Young hunters with unfilled Western Oregon, West High Cascade or Hood-White River tags will be able to hunt Nov. 8 through 9 without having to compete with their elders.

For 2008, Oregon has adopted a new mandatory reporting system of hunter harvest and effort. Hunters will be required to provide their hunter/angler ID number, the season name or hunt number and the number of days they've hunted.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
To order a signed copy of Deer Hunting -- Tactics for Today's Big-Game Hunter, send $24.75 (which includes shipping and handling) to Gary Lewis Outdoors, P.O. Box 1364, Bend, OR 97709