The Columbia Basin Wildlife Areas are a composition of four Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (department) managed wildlife areas located along the Columbia River, in the Columbia Basin. The four wildlife areas (Power City, Irrigon, Coyote Springs and Willow Creek) are within the Columbia Plateau ecoregion. Management agreements for these areas were initially established between 1971 and 1977 between the department and Federal agencies which own the lands. The Columbia Basin Wildlife Areas, which total approximately 1,885 acres, provide an important landbase for the conservation and recreation of fish and wildlife within a highly privatized and altered landscape and
SALEM, Ore. – People across Oregon are being urged to avoid contact with sick or dead birds as highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) continues to impact wild and domestic bird populations across the state. There is currently no effective treatment for wild and domestic birds, and the virus can…
The Columbia Basin Wildlife Areas are a composition of four Oregon Dept. of Fish & Wildlife managed wildlife areas located along the Columbia River in the Columbia Basin. The four wildlife areas (Power City, Irrigon, Coyote Springs, and Willow Creek) are within the Columbia Plateau ecoregion. Management agreements for these areas were initially established between 1971 and 1977 between the department and Federal agencies which own the lands. The Columbia Basin Wildlife Areas, which total approximately 1,885 acres, provides an important landbase for the conservation and recreation of fish and wildlife within a highly privatized and altered landscape and play
Phillip W. Schneider Wildlife Area provides winter range for mule deer populations and year-round habitat for a variety of wildlife including mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians. Elk, deer, and bighorn sheep viewing is often good during winter and early spring. Bird watching is excellent all year. Native habitats include sagebrush shrubland, riparian, ponderosa pine forest, western juniper woodland and mixed conifer which support a diversity of fish and wildlife. The riparian areas along the mainstem John Day River, South Fork John Day River and Murderers Creek provide excellent habitat for many birds. Upland areas provide important habitat for passerines and
Sauvie Island Wildlife Area was established in 1947 with primary objectives of protecting and improving waterfowl habitat and providing a public hunting area. The initial purchase of five acres in 1940 and subsequent purchases through 2012 has brought the wildlife area to its present size of 11,643 acres, of which 8,153 acres are under fee title to the department and 3,490 acres are managed through a cooperative agreement with the Oregon Department of State Lands. Currently, the wildlife area supports a biologically diverse association of wildlife which includes at least 275 species of birds, 37 species of mammals, 12 species
Jewell Meadows Wildlife Area is located in the Oregon Coast Range Mountains, in the northwestern part of the state. The wildlife area was established in 1969, with an initial purchase of 183 acres. It now encompasses 1,114 acres. The wildlife area’s purpose is to protect and enhance habitat to benefit native wildlife species, to reduce wildlife damage to adjacent properties, and to provide the public with an opportunity to observe wildlife in a natural setting.
White River Wildlife Area was established in 1953. Located along the east slope of the Cascade Mountains in the north central part of Oregon, the wildlife area encompasses 29,480 acres. An additional 1,280 acres of land owned by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is managed by the ODFW bringing the total acres managed by the department to 30,760. The primary purpose of White River Wildlife Area is to provide winter range habitat for black-tailed deer and Rocky Mountain elk and to minimize big game damage to adjacent private agricultural lands.
Located near the Elkhorn Mountain Range, Elkhorn Wildlife Area is best known for Rocky Mountain elk and mule deer herds that use the area during the winter. To keep deer and elk from feeding on agriculture lands when they come down from snow-covered higher elevations, ODFW operates 10 feeding sites on the area to feed 1,400 elk and 800 deer during the winter months.
The E.E. Wilson Wildlife Area came into existence in 1950 when the U.S. Government gave quitclaim title to the property to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. The wildlife area covers approximately 1,788 acres, is located on Highway 99W about 10 miles north of Corvallis and is situated on the Willamette Valley floor. SHOTGUN RANGE BACK OPEN AS OF LATE OCTOBER 2025: The renovation is complete and the shotgun range is back open. Improvements include: four times as many shooting lanes, fully paved ADA-compliant walkway with pullouts that will make it easier for disabled shooters, a new covered pole
Whether you’re out the night before preparing for your morning hunt, or studying the habits of a flock throughout the year, scouting ahead of your hunt will help you find more birds during your hunt. Use optics to spot birds With binoculars or a spotting scope you’ll be able to spot and study birds from a distance without spooking them. Don't be in a hurry when watching turkeys through binoculars or a spotting scope. The birds won’t know you’re there, so take time to study the hens and toms in the flock. See if there’s a big tom you want
Nick Myatt, Region Manager Golden eagle research in northeast District wildlife staff in Wallowa County, in partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Nature Conservancy, began a pilot project to study the survival, movement, and reproductive success of golden eagles. During the pilot phase, ODFW staff tested methods of capture as well as telemetry units to determine feasibility for a longer-term study. The first capture event during this pilot project took place in mid-December 2024. USFWS provided four GPS units for this pilot year. The data from golden eagles captured in northeast Oregon during this pilot phase
