East Area

EASTERN OREGON

October 1, 2026

Current Season:

Crow, mourning dove, ruffed and blue grouse, turkey (Select WMU's)

Announcements, resources 

Beardless turkey permit hunts begin Oct 1 in select areas – obtain permission prior to hunting private lands, view details in Game Bird Regulations.

Western Oregon fee pheasant hunts offered at Wildlife Area locations for additional hunting opportunity – Check for dates and locations in October.

View the 2026 Game Bird Hunting Forecast to plan this season's hunts, information provided by ODFW field staff.

Check ODFW Wildlife Areas game bird harvest summaries for the latest population and harvest stats.

Buy your 2026-27 bird stamp(s) and validations - upland, waterfowl, or non-resident bird validations, federal duck stamp and don't skip the HIP survey. Reminder to activate your sports-pac validations before the hunt.   

ODFW's Hunt by Reservation Program connects bird hunters with private landowners. By making a reservation online, hunters receive a permit to hunt select private lands on dates that landowners select ahead of time. 

Turn in wings and tails - Grouse and mountain quail hunters, please turn in your bird's wings and tails – our biologists collect them to help assess bird populations and set seasons. Use this map to find blue collection barrels where you hunt.

Permits required for band-tailed pigeons and sea ducks. For more information on permits.

Hunting in drought and wildfire season - actions you can take to protect wildlife.  

For the most current fire closures and restrictions--KNOW BEFORE YOU GO. 

ALL DISTRICTS  

Eurasian collared doves: These birds have no protection in Oregon, so there are no closed seasons and no limits to their harvest. Target Eurasian collared doves around agricultural areas where food sources are abundant. Be sure of your identification before you hunt these birds which are larger and lighter than mourning doves with a distinctive band around the back of the neck. Identify this species and its habitat.  

All birds except European starling, house sparrow, Eurasian collared-dove, and rock pigeon are protected by federal and/or state laws and may not be taken without authorization. Contact the law enforcement branch of the USFWS for Federal regulations regarding take at (503) 682-6131.

Harney and Malheur Counties

Mourning dove: Zone 2 opened Sept 1 and season will continue through Oct 30. This year for Harney County, doves are down in number with brood routes performed this summer showing a 43% decrease from last year. Although the forested portion of the county observations have been higher. Malheur County's brood routes showed an improvement 86% above the ten-year average. Look at agricultural lands with water available and always remember to ask permission before accessing private property.

Forest grouse: Both blue and ruffed grouse are available in the Blue Mountains north of Burns. Season dates are Sept 1 – Jan 31. Look for high elevation ridge tops on the forest, and low-lying riparian drainages where you should find these species. Hunting for Forest grouse is typically better the further North you go towards Grant County.

Chukar and Hungarian partridge: Statewide season opens Oct 10 – Jan 31, 2027. Harney county should be similar chukar hunting compared to last year, with chukar routes showing a small increase of 6% from the previous year. Malheur County saw a decline in overall chukar production compared to last year, but chukars are still above the 10-year average. Hungarian partridge can be found in both counties, although higher densities occur in Malheur County.

Quail: Quail season in Eastern Oregon opens Oct 10 – Jan 31, 2027, with varying bag limits for both Californian and Mountain (see page 20 in Oregon's Game Bird Hunting Regulations). California quail in Harney County are currently below the 10-year average, while currently above in Malheur County. Most quail are associated with agricultural areas, and permission to access private property must be obtained beforehand.

Turkey: Fall turkey season in both Malheur and Harney Counties will begin Oct 10 – Nov 30 for the unit wide fall hunt and again only on private property from Dec 1 – Jan 31, 2027. Note that the bag limit is one wild turkey of either sex. Looking on the forest and its fringe where it meets the desert can be a productive place to bag a bird.

Pheasant: Season dates for Eastern Oregon are Oct 10 – Jan 31, 2027. Most opportunities for pheasant in Harney County occur in the huntable portion of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. Due to wildfire that has occurred portions of the MNWR are currently closed, for more information call the refuge at (541) 493-2612. Malheur County Pheasant hunting should be similar to last year.

Klamath and Lake Counties

Mourning dove: Season is open and continues through Oct 30. Best prospects are near agricultural areas and water. Be sure of your identification before you hunt these birds which are smaller and darker than the Eurasian collared dove. Learn more about hunting mourning dove.

Forest grouse: Season is open and continues through Jan 31, 2027. Best prospects are in the Cascade Mountains for both blue and ruffed grouse, although there are fair numbers of blue grouse in forested habitat in eastern Klamath County. Hunters are asked to provide a wing and tail from each grouse harvested and drop them off at the Klamath District Office on Miller Island Road. In Lake County some areas to look for blue grouse are along ridge tops in more open forest habitats such as Winter Rim and the Warner mountains.

Klamath Wildlife Area

• Dove season is open now through Oct 30.
• Oct 10 is the opening of Zone 2 duck, merganser, coot, snipe and pheasant.
• Oct 24-25, a free youth chukar hunt for youth hunters only, by reservation only – Limited; Contact Klamath Chapter OHA (541) 883-8326.

Miller Island Unit:

The Miller Island Unit is located 6 miles south and west of Klamath Falls. Miller Island Unit is closed to all access from 10 p.m. until 4 a.m.

• Discharging firearms is prohibited except during authorized game bird hunting seasons or by special permit.
• Oct 1 – Dec 31: Open to public use Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays.
• Open to game bird hunting Oct 10 and 11 and every following Monday, Wednesday and Saturday during authorized game bird seasons.
• All other days are closed to all entry, except public roads, parking areas, boat ramp, designated birding trail and designated dog training area.
• Upland game bird shooting hours begin at 10 a.m.
• Overnight camping is not allowed on the Miller Island Unit.

Gorr Island Unit:

Gorr Island is located four miles south of the Miller Island Unit in the Klamath River, accessible only by boat. Gorr Island is open daily with no wildlife area permit required during authorized seasons.

Shoalwater Bay Unit and Sesti Tgawaals Unit:

Shoalwater Bay and Sesti Tgawaals are both located on the west side of Upper Klamath Lake approximately 10 miles to the north and west of Klamath Falls. Both units are open for hunting daily with no wildlife area permit required during authorized seasons.

Hunting Information Miller Island Unit:

Mourning dove hunting is generally good for the first couple of days of the season. It does tend to drop off after that. Hunters should focus on areas around some of the old homesteads where there are plenty of trees and shrubs for roosting.

A free youth pheasant hunt is coming up on Oct 24, no advanced registration required. First come basis, but limited to youth hunters only, for more information please call (541) 883-5732. All hunters must obtain and have a daily hunting permit in their possession while in the field. Free daily hunting permits will be available either by self-service or in person check-in at the check station. Check out is mandatory and can be accomplished by filling out and dropping the "B" portion of the permit off in check-out boxes found at major access areas. If you have any questions, please contact Klamath Wildlife Area at (541) 883-5732.

Summer Lake Wildlife Area

Dove season is currently open and continues through Oct 30. All hunters must obtain and have a daily hunting permit in their possession while in the field. Free daily hunting permits will be available either by service or in person check-in. Check out is mandatory and can be accomplished by filling out and dropping the "B" portion of the permit off in check-out boxes found at major access areas.

From Oct 3 through 4 a.m. Oct 10, entry is prohibited south of Thousand Springs Lane except Foster Place unit and open roads to campground areas.

Summer Lake Wildlife Area harvest statistics, maps and weekly bird counts can be found on the here.

Please contact Summer Lake Wildlife Area at (541) 943-3152 for additional information.

Deschutes County

Overall, central Oregon has lower densities of game birds than other portions of the state. Many of the birds that are present are associated with private agriculture, so obtaining permission is a must.

Mourning Dove: Season is open and will continue through Oct 30. Most doves are concentrated on private agricultural fields within central Oregon, but locating public areas adjacent to these ag fields can set hunters up for success. Doves can roost and commute to the ag fields, so finding those pinch points where doves will fly over can result in success. Many of the doves will migrate south as the season progresses, so hitting it early is recommended.

Forest Grouse: Season opened Sept 1 and will run through the end of January. Our portion of the east slope of the Cascades has low densities of grouse when compared to the western slope, but ridgetops and creek bottoms with water and berries can occasionally hold some birds.

Union County

Forest Grouse: Grouse numbers should be similar to/better than last year due to the easy winter. Blue grouse will be found along ridgelines and timbered slopes at higher elevations than ruffed grouse. Ruffed grouse will be closer to riparian areas and lower in elevation. Please remember to turn in wings into our wing barrels that are at various locations throughout the county.

Quail: The best public land quail hunting will be found on Ladd Marsh Wildlife Area. Quail like to be close to riparian areas with plenty of brush and cover. Numbers are better than years past, likely due to the mild winter.

Pheasant: Hunting this year should be similar to last season and birds can be found throughout the county, just like quail. The best public land hunting is located on the Ladd Marsh Wildlife Area. Pheasants will be found near the grain fields, along taller ditches, and near cattails. They can use the cattails as hiding cover and seem to hold in those areas fairly well.

Ladd Marsh Wildlife Area

Ladd Marsh is open to Hunting Saturday, Sunday, Wednesday, and Federal Holidays

Nontoxic shot only

Upland hunting:

The most recent cold weather sent most of our Doves flying south for the winter. Some doves can still be found but may be sporadic at best.

Pheasant season is just around the corner. The population seems to be similar to the last couple of years. They are currently scattered throughout the area but will soon be pushed to the thicker cattail areas. With the dry conditions, water could be a factor in finding birds.

Waterfowl hunting:

Attention waterfowl hunters, because of the light winter and dry summer conditions, water on Ladd Marsh is extremely limited. Please make sure you scout for the water on an open day before you intend to hunt or call the office for a water report. It is anticipated that only 2-3 ponds will have water by opening weekend.

Current water conditions: 1 pond West of Union Hwy, 2 ponds West of Peach Rd, 1 pond East of Peach.

Umatilla County

Umatilla County is located in Zone 1 of Oregon's migratory game bird seasons.

Mourning Dove: Season reopens Nov 15 through Dec 14. Mourning doves can be found throughout the county. Good strategies include setting up between feeding and watering sights as well as hunting tree lines where birds perch during the day.

Forest Grouse: Forest grouse season is underway in Umatilla County and runs through January 31. Forest grouse numbers appear to be healthy this year thanks to a mild winter in 2025-26. Ruffed grouse prefers riparian areas and lower elevation forest roads. Blue Grouse can be found at higher elevations on ridgetops, forest edges and more open timbered slopes. Hunt them early in the morning or evenings when they will be on the ground foraging for berries and insects.

Wallowa County

Mourning Dove: Season is open until Oct 30. Doves are often found in open grasslands and pastures and are more concentrated in farmlands or agricultural areas.

Forest Grouse: It was a successful first week of the season with many wings being submitted in the barrels. Grouse numbers are up from previous years. Blue grouse experienced a good hatch this year, likely due to a mild winter. Blue grouse hunters should expect good hunting along the timber edges and open timbered slopes, look for nearby berries such as chokecherry. Ruffed grouse will be found closer to the riparian areas. Spruce grouse can be identified by the red combs over their eyes, and their behavior can also help as spruce grouse tend not to flush. ODFW is seeking help from the public to report observations of spruce grouse they encounter, please consider submitting a report if you see one.

Hood River, Wasco, Sherman Counties

Habitat Conditions: It has been a dry summer leading to drought conditions. We have also had several fires that have impacted the landscape and have led to closures in areas. John Day was affected by the Hay Creek Fire Complex that resulted in the closure of BLM lands in the affected area, details can be found by contacting the Prineville BLM office. The Grasshopper Fire in the Mt Hood National forest west of Wamic has resulted in the closure of a portion of the national forest. More information can be found here. Green Diamond has opened its land and its sister company's land. Hood River County has lifted several of their restrictions, but some are still in place including motor vehicle or ATV restrictions. More information about Hood River County closures can be found on their website here.

Mourning dove: Season is open and continues through Oct 30. Best prospects are near agricultural areas and water. Be sure of your identification before you hunt these birds which are smaller and darker than the Eurasian collared dove. Learn more about hunting mourning dove.

Crook County 

Crook county tends to have lower game bird populations than some neighboring counties, however, there are still opportunities for mourning dove and forest grouse. Mourning doves are typically associated with agricultural areas, acquiring landowner permission before hunting is essential. Forest grouse occur in relatively low numbers within Crook County; however, they can be found in high elevation areas with dense timber and along creeks with healthy riparian vegetation.

Much of Crook County has been affected by wildfires, please use caution when recreating in burned areas, as of September 12, all public land closures within the district have been lifted.