SALEM — Northeast Oregon hunters should be aware that several travel management areas (TMAs for short) that are listed in the 2023 Oregon Big Game Hunting Regulations as having a change for this year will operate under 2022 rules instead, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife announced.

Last September, when the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission adopted regulations, ODFW made changes to TMAs for 2023. Most of the changes started TMAs at an earlier date or included a specific date the TMA was in effect. The purpose of the changes was to protect wildlife habitat, improve the hunting experience and make the regulations more consistent and understandable.

But parts of these TMAs are on U.S. Forest Service lands, and a separate public process is required before they can be adopted. That process is not yet complete.

Instead of what’s printed in the regulations, the following rules will be in effect for the TMAs and winter range closures listed below:

• Dark Canyon (Sumpter): Three days prior to opening of controlled buck deer season (e.g., archery season) through the close of the last elk season.

• Patrick Creek (Sumpter): Three days prior to the opening of controlled buck deer season (e.g., archery season) through the close of the last elk season and May 1-June 30.

• Clear Creek (Starkey): Three days prior to the opening of the deer and elk archery season through the close of Rocky Mountain bull elk second season.

• Trail Creek (Starkey): Three days prior to the opening of Rocky Mountain bull elk first season through the close of Rocky Mountain bull elk second season.

• Indian Creek-Gorham Butte (Starkey): Three days prior to the opening of deer and elk archery season through the close of Rocky Mountain bull elk second season.

• Bald/Angel: Not in effect for the 2023 season.

• Chesnimnus: Three days prior to first Chesnimnus any legal weapon bull elk season through the end of the second Chesnimnus any legal weapon bull elk season.

• Grouse-Lick Canal (Imnaha): Three days prior to the opening of Rocky Mountain bull elk first season through the close of Rocky Mountain bull elk second season.

• Lake Fork-Dutchman (Pine Creek): Three days prior to the opening of archery season to end of all elk any legal weapon seasons and from May 1 to July 1.

• Okanogan-Fish (Pine Creek): Three days prior to opening of buck deer any legal weapon season to end of all elk any legal weapon season and from May 1 to July 1.

• McCarty Winter Range: Dec. 15-March 31 (not through April 30).

Find GeoPDF maps of several TMAs with the correct dates for 2023 online at https://tinyurl.com/bdha89jn or on the ODFW storefront on Avenza, https://tinyurl.com/5cjud9n3.

The purpose of TMAs is to protect wildlife habitat, reduce disturbance of wildlife from motorized vehicles and help keep big game from shifting to private land during hunting seasons.

Research conducted at Starkey Experimental Forest shows that elk avoid roads that are open to motorized vehicle use, whether on-road vehicles or ATVs. A 2022 study by ODFW found avoidance of roads was even stronger during hunting seasons. This pattern of avoiding roads has been observed throughout North America and is typically one of the strongest factors affecting habitat use by elk.