Columbian white-tailed deer

Columbian white-tailed deer were listed as a federally endangered species in 1968, and listed by Oregon in 1987. The Columbia River population is still listed under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA). However, the Roseburg population has been de-listed, and in 2005 a hunting season was opened for this population for the first time in almost 40 years.

a Columbia white-tailed doe looks toward the camera

Features: Oregon’s rarest deer has a brown tail that is longer than a blacktail’s wide tail. Its antlers will branch off from a single main beam, unlike mule deer and blacktail antlers that branch twice.

Habitat: The Columbian whitetail is a subspecies unique to Oregon and southwest Washington and found in just a few locations—along the lower Columbia River in Oregon and Washington, and in the Umpqua Basin near Roseburg (where it is expanding its range).

Techniques: Just a few controlled hunts for this subspecies exist in the Umpqua Basin region and tags are limited; see the regulations for details.

Identifying Columbian white-tailed and black-tailed deer

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