COLUMBIA COUNTY, If you walk, bird or run a dog on Sauvie Island, the map changed Oct. 17. The Westside, Eastside and Oak Island units of the Sauvie Island Wildlife Area are now open only to hunters with a daily permit on reservation hunt days, and parts of the area are closed to everyone else through April, under ODFW’s wildlife area rules.
What is open and what is not, through the season:
- Westside, Eastside and Oak Island units: hunting only, on reservation hunt days, Oct. 17 through Jan. 31. Shooting ends at 4 p.m. and hunters check out by 6 p.m. The units were fully closed Oct. 5 to 16.
- North Unit and the Columbia River beaches: open every day of the authorized seasons for waterfowl, upland birds, snipe, crow and rabbit; rabbit runs through Jan. 31. Voluntary check-in at the North Unit lot at the end of Reeder Road.
- Refuges: Sturgeon Lake and North Oak Island are closed to hunting year-round; boats are banned in the Sturgeon Lake refuge Oct. 1 through April 15. Boats over 5 mph are prohibited on all area lakes.
- Everyone: the whole area is closed 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. Dogs on leash except while hunting or in a designated training area. Nontoxic shot only.
A wildlife area parking permit is required; it comes free with an annual hunting license or Sports Pac and is sold to everyone else at license outlets and on myodfw.com. Westside hunters are drawn by random number at the check station at the north end of Sauvie Island Road, with parties in line 90 minutes before shooting time; Eastside and Oak Island go to hunters who drew reservations, with unfilled slots released an hour before shooting time. The Willow Bar lot on Reeder Road, at the Multnomah-Columbia county line, is a check point.
A veterans and active military waterfowl day is Feb. 6. Questions: wildlife area headquarters, 18330 NW Sauvie Island Road, 503-621-3488. ODFW’s visitor guide has maps.