as far as i can tell, those sections of the ORC that deal with the wildlife refuges do not  say anything about closing them to birders and allowing "hunters-only."  quite the contrary, they are speaking of sections of certain wildlife areas that are not open to anyone INCLUDING hunters.  in fact, public lands are just that, public.  some of the more popular state parks and/or wildlife areas may close certain trails during deer season to avoid risky situations, but even that would be surprising to me.  it would only advertise that hunters and hunting are not safe.  statistically speaking, that's just not true, and certainly not the message the DOW would want to send.  i suspect that some crack-pot hunter told a birder to stay out of the way at some point and that's how this idea got started.
 
just keep in mind a few things while birding during ANY hunting season:
 
WEAR HUNTER ORANGE!  don't try to substitute some other fluoresent color!  a cap and vest are very inexpensive compared the the idea of having a mishap with a hunter.
 
don't walk through heavy cover or off trails where your outline may be harder to define.
 
don't bird alone, and make some noise.  even if it's just talking at a low volume.  again, maybe you won't see a bird or two, but better than an accident.
 
if hunters and birders use common sense, they can coexist just fine.  if you find anyone to be aggressive or confrontational, contact the local county sherriff or county wildlife officer.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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