In Oregon you can legally hunt a long list of animals: big game (mule, black-tailed, and white-tailed deer, Rocky Mountain and Roosevelt elk, pronghorn antelope, bighorn sheep, Rocky Mountain goat, black bear, and cougar), upland birds (pheasant, quail, grouse, chukar, Hungarian partridge, and turkey), waterfowl and other migratory birds (ducks, mergansers, geese, coots, snipe, and doves), western gray squirrel, several unprotected mammals with no closed season, and feral swine. What you need to carry in your pocket, and when you can go, depends on the species.
Big Game
Deer and elk are the headline species. Deer hunters pursue mule deer, black-tailed deer, and white-tailed deer. Elk hunters target Rocky Mountain elk, mostly in eastern Oregon, or Roosevelt elk on the west side and the coast. General-season deer and elk tags are sold over the counter, so you don’t have to enter a draw to get one, though each unit and weapon type has its own tag.
Pronghorn antelope, bighorn sheep, and Rocky Mountain goat are controlled-hunt only. Bighorn and mountain goat are once-in-a-lifetime draws, and no preference points build up for either.
Black bear and cougar are also classified as big game, and both offer general-season tags over the counter alongside controlled-hunt options. Black bear runs August 1 through December 31, and cougar season is open year-round.
Game Birds and Waterfowl
Upland bird hunting covers pheasant, California and mountain quail, ruffed and blue grouse, sage-grouse, chukar, Hungarian partridge, and turkey. Sage-grouse requires a separate permit on top of the upland game bird validation. Oregon also runs a fee pheasant program in designated western Oregon areas.
Waterfowl and migratory bird hunting targets ducks, mergansers, geese, coots, snipe, and doves. Because these birds cross state lines, federal rules apply on top of Oregon’s. Resident hunters 14 and older need a state waterfowl validation, and anyone 16 or older must also carry a signed federal duck stamp. Dove, snipe, coot, and crow hunting don’t require the federal stamp.
Small Game and Unprotected Mammals
Western gray squirrel has a regulated season that generally runs September 1 through November 15 in most of the state, with a shorter window (September 15 through October 31) in north-central Oregon units.
Several other mammals are classified as unprotected: coyotes, cottontail rabbits, black-tailed jackrabbits, opossums, nutria, California ground squirrels, and Belding’s ground squirrels. No closed season, no bag limit, no tag beyond your hunting license. Belding’s ground squirrels are a popular eastern Oregon target from February through July.
Children 11 and younger can hunt rabbits and squirrels without any license at all.
Feral Swine
The Oregon Department of Agriculture classifies feral swine as a predatory animal. You can hunt them on public land with a hunting license, or on private land with the landowner’s permission and no license required. No set season, no bag limit, no weapon restrictions. You do have to follow the current big game rules while you’re in the field.
Licenses, Tags, and Validations
Every Oregon hunter 12 and older needs a hunting license. All hunters under 18 must complete a hunter education course before hunting, with one exception: the Mentored Youth Hunter Program lets kids ages 9 through 15 hunt under close supervision of a licensed adult 21 or older without completing the course first.
To qualify for resident pricing, you must have lived in Oregon for at least six consecutive months immediately before applying. A driver’s license, state ID, or three documents showing your name, address, and six months of residency will prove it. A Social Security number is required for any hunting license.
A basic resident hunting license is $34.50; nonresidents pay $172.00. Resident youth ages 12 through 17 get a combination hunting, angling, and shellfish license for $10.00. The resident Sports Pac bundles the license with deer, elk, bear, cougar, and turkey tags plus upland and waterfowl validations for $196.50.
Tags are bought separately. Common resident and nonresident prices:
- Deer: $28.50 resident / $443.50 nonresident
- Elk: $49.50 resident / $588.00 nonresident
- Black bear: $16.50 resident
- Cougar: $16.50 resident
- Pronghorn antelope: $51.50 resident / $395.50 nonresident
- Bighorn sheep: $142.00 resident / $1,513.50 nonresident
- Rocky Mountain goat: $142.00 resident / $1,513.50 nonresident
Bird hunters need validations on top of the license. Resident hunters 18 and older, and all hunters 12 through 17, need an upland game bird validation for pheasant, quail, grouse, chukar, and partridge. Waterfowl hunters need the state waterfowl validation at 14 and the federal duck stamp at 16. Nonresidents 18 and older buy a single nonresident game bird validation that covers both upland and waterfowl.
Licenses and tags can be purchased at MyODFW.com, at ODFW offices, or from authorized license agents.
The Controlled Hunt Draw
Several big game hunts are controlled, meaning you apply and hope to be selected. Controlled hunt series cover buck deer, elk, antlerless deer, pronghorn antelope, bighorn sheep, Rocky Mountain goat, and spring black bear.
Seventy-five percent of tags are awarded on preference points. Each year you apply for a first-choice deer, elk, pronghorn, or spring bear hunt and don’t draw, you earn a point that boosts your odds next year. The other 25 percent go to randomly drawn first-choice applicants, so first-time applicants can still pull a tag. Bighorn and mountain goat don’t use preference points at all.
Deadlines are February 10 for spring bear and May 15 for all other big game. Kids as young as 9 can apply for point savers to start building preference before they’re old enough to hunt big game.
When Seasons Run
Oregon sets separate seasons by species, weapon type, and geographic unit, and dates shift year to year, so pull the current ODFW regulations before you plan a trip.
For general seasons, archery deer and elk in western and eastern Oregon typically open in late August and run through late September. The general rifle deer season in western Oregon usually starts in early October and runs into early November. Black bear runs August 1 through December 31, and cougar is open all year.
Controlled hunts operate on their own schedules and often open earlier or later than general seasons. Upland bird and waterfowl seasons are set annually and published in the Oregon game bird regulations.
Where You Can Hunt
National forests, BLM ground, and ODFW wildlife areas offer the most accessible hunting. You still follow ODFW rules plus any restrictions from the federal agency managing that particular area. Hunting on private land always requires the landowner’s permission.
State parks, certain wildlife refuges, and urban areas are off limits or heavily restricted, and safety zones around occupied dwellings apply everywhere. Oregon is divided into numbered wildlife management units, and many rules are unit-specific, so check the map and the unit’s regulations before you go.
Rules That Catch People Out
Bear and Cougar Methods
Oregon bans using bait to attract black bears and using dogs to hunt or pursue black bears or cougars. Violating either is a Class A misdemeanor and triggers an automatic five-year hunting suspension on a first offense, permanent on any repeat. The only exceptions are government wildlife agents on official duty and landowners dealing with animals causing property damage.
Hunter Orange for Youth
Every hunter under 18 must wear fluorescent orange visible from all directions when hunting any game mammal or upland game bird (except turkey) with a firearm. It has to be a hat or exterior garment such as a vest, jacket, or coat. Fluorescent orange camouflage counts. Adults are not required to wear it, though ODFW recommends it.
Tagging and Harvest Reporting
After harvesting a big game animal, validate your tag immediately, either by notching the paper tag or using electronic tagging in the MyODFW app. Electronic tagging does not replace the separate harvest report.
Anyone who bought a deer, elk, bear, cougar, pronghorn, or turkey tag must file a harvest report by January 31 of the following year (April 15 for late-season tags ending March 31). You report even if you didn’t hunt or came home empty. Miss the deadline on a deer or elk tag and you owe a $25 penalty before you can buy another hunting license, even if you skip a year.
Penalties
An intentional wildlife violation is a Class A misdemeanor. A second unlawful taking of a game mammal within 12 months, or any poaching done to sell or trade the animal, becomes a Class C felony.
A court can revoke all your hunting licenses, tags, and permits on conviction. A first revocation lasts 36 months, a second runs five years, and a third or later is permanent. Oregon also participates in the Wildlife Violator Compact, so a conviction or noncompliance in another member state can suspend your Oregon privileges too.
On top of criminal penalties, the state can sue for civil restitution based on the animal. Values run from $20 per game bird up to $50,000 for a bighorn sheep, mountain goat, or antlered moose, with deer, bear, cougar, elk, and trophy pronghorn falling in between. Restitution is separate from any criminal fine, and the state recovers its attorney fees if it wins.