Deer hunters

ODFW Articles

Need to figure out controlled hunts, find a place to clam, learn how to fish or get directions to a wildlife area? We've got information on all that and more, straight from ODFW biologists and other accomplished hunters, anglers and wildlife watchers. 

Header image by Dave Budeau

two hunters in a blind looking over decoys
How to hunt game birds
Adjust your strategy for changing conditions

Frigid temperatures, frozen water, wary birds – the last month of duck hunting season can be tough. Here are some...

screenshot of a razor clam video
And much more on ODFW's YouTube channel

This list features some of the best performing videos of the year and takes viewers to unique parts of Oregon...

three band-tailed pigeons feeding on the groud
How to hunt game birds
A test of your shooting skills, a delight for your palette

Learning the flight patterns of the birds, and honing your long-range shooting skills are keys to this unique and challenging...

a close up of a steelhead in shallow water
How to fish
Help protect wild fish during historic low runs

Wild steelhead mortalities are generally low under normal fishing regulations. But with several years of low runs, many anglers...

image of a herd of grazing elk
Where to hunt big game

Due to increasing numbers of elk on private land and chronic elk damage, ODFW is piloting a new general season...

How to hunt big game

This permit allows hunters with certain disabilities to use a draw locking device attached to the riser of a modern...

How to fish

Let’s go fishing! Not enough time? Think again.
If you live on Oregon’s South Coast, there are a number of...

photo of a white-tailed deer doe standing in a shrubby field
How to hunt big game

"I was out hunting near a reserve, and I shot a white-tailed deer. I didn’t know it was a white-tailed...

One hunter’s story

An experienced hunter witnessed a mule deer being poached. He was so rattled he forgot who to call and how...

image of angler holding up a small smallmouth bass on the John Day R
How to fish
Our tips for new or novice anglers

Fishing isn’t hard, but it can be confusing to know how to begin. Here’s a step-by-step approach to get from...

image of an ocean charter boat leaving Newport

In the spring of 2019, several clients chartered an ocean fishing trip out of Coos Bay. They were promised trophy-size lingcod...

Photo of a colorful bluegill with a popper lure in its mouth
Popular setups for bass, walleye and more

Ask 10 anglers how to fish and you’re likely to get 10 different answers. However, there are a few types...

photo of oversize sturgeon with head and tail removed
Where to fish
Exceeding the bag limit, snagging fish are common violations

Each year, thousands of fish are harvested illegally in Oregon. Anglers who wait all year for their favorite salmon or...

How to hunt game birds

Legal hunting weapons and weapon restrictions for hunting big game and game birds in Oregon.

image of three bird watchers looking in a tree through binoculars

Each year over 9 million Oregonians and visitors head to hills – and the desert, and the beach – to...

Where to fish

See the Oregon records for both coldwater and warmwater game fish. And, find the forms to submit if you think you've...

image of a snarling cougar
How to hunt big game

Oregon’s population of about 6,000 cougars occupies a wide variety of habitat across the state, offering a year-round, readily-accessible hunting...

Where to fish

Includes lakes in the Umpqua National Forest and the Rogue-Umpqua Divide Wilderness.

a cutthroat trout lays on the bank of a river. There is fishing line coiled next to the fish.

Take the Western Native Trout Challenge and you’ll learn about native trout and where to find them, earn bragging rights...

Hybrid bass_Wiper from Ana Reservoir
How to fish

Wipers, a cross between striped and white bass, reach prodigious proportions in the productive waters of Ana Reservoir. Their size...

30 years to the day after her grandfathers rocky mtn bighorn
how to hunt

Bighorn sheep and Rocky Mountain goat the rarest game mammals in Oregon today, with less than 100 bighorn sheep tags...

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Columbian white-tailed and black-tailed deer share the same habitat in some parts of western Oregon. This video and related graphic illustrate several key...

Bird watching

Can't find a place to see Oregon’s iconic spring chinook salmon spawning? Want to cross the ferruginous hawk off your birdwatching...