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Article

How to fish for crappie

Crappie are scrappy, hard-fighting fish, and with a two-rod validation you can double the excitement of reeling in these delicious panfish. Lucky for us, Oregon has lots of opportunity for crappie, and some of our waterbodies are considered premier crappie fishing destinations!
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Species and Subspecies

Mussels

Features: Along Oregon's coast there are two species of mussel. Bay mussels ( Mytilus edulis) are bluish-black and grow to about 3 inches in length. California surf mussels ( Mytilus californianus) are brown or black and grow to about 7 inches long. Habitat: Mussels often inhabit boulders in the upper tidal zone so it is best to go looking for them during low-tide. Technique: Wearing a glove, use a twisting motion to pull mussels off the rocks, then immediately pull the "beard" off the bottom, the hairs that previously anchored the shellfish to the rocks. Be sure to check the…

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Species and Subspecies

Rock scallops

The rock scallop ( Crassadoma gigantea) lives in the swift current shallows of Oregon's nearshore rocky reefs. Due to the coloration at its hinge, it is also known as the purple hinged scallop. These highly specialized scallops cement themselves to rocks, primarily at depths from 10 to 150 feet. They feed on microscopic plankton they filter from the water and reproduce via broadcast spawning. In order for spawning to be successful, they need to be close to one another. For this reason, it is best to harvest solitary rock scallops and minimize harvest pressure on dense aggregations which are more…

Rock scallop
Press Release

Mussel harvest reopens from Cascade Head to the California border

NEWPORT, Ore – Mussel harvesting is now open from Cascade Head to the California border the Oregon Department of Agriculture and Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife announced today. Marine biotoxin levels in this area tested below the alert level. People should always call the Shellfish Safety Hotline at 1-800-448-2474…

October 24, 2025
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Educational Moment

How to skin a turkey

When preparing your turkey for the pot, you can either skin it or pluck it. Because wild turkeys have such thin skin, many hunters prefer skinning their turkeys as it ’s must faster than plucking the bird. Pick up where you left off gutting the bird Simply continue making the cut in the skin from the body cavity, all the way up the breast bone to the base of the neck. The skin is thin enough that you often can peel it free from the breast meat. Slide your thumbs under the skin and working it up and away from…
May 19, 2020
image of a hunter butchering a turkey
Press Release

Mussel harvest closure Cape Blanco to California border

SALEM, Ore – Mussel harvesting is now closed from Cape Blanco to the California border the Oregon Department of Agriculture and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife announced today. Recent mussel samples indicate levels of Paralytic Shellfish Toxin – a naturally occurring marine biotoxin that can cause Paralytic Shellfish…

November 21, 2025
Article

How to fish for trout

More people in Oregon fish for trout than for any other kind of fish. Anglers can experience a lifetime of varied and rewarding adventures fishing for trout in Oregon’s shaded coastal streams, alpine lakes, urban ponds and high desert rivers.
November 17, 2025
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Article

How to hunt waterfowl

Oregon supports diverse waterfowl populations, from sea ducks in coastal saltwater to puddle ducks in the alkali basins of southeast Oregon. You might think you need lots of gear (decoys, boats, a trained dog) to hunt ducks and geese, but you don’t. All of these things are nice but not necessary. All you really need is a hunting license/tag, shotgun, shells and some basic identification skills.
A hunter dressed in camo and a black dog walk down a snowy road
Article

How to purchase leftover tags

This step-by-step guide will show you how to purchase leftover tags from the controlled hunt drawing. Leftover tags are available online beginning July 1 at 10 a.m. Remaining tags will be available from license vendors beginning July 3. 2025 Leftover Tag list
Article

How to hunt rabbit

Rabbit hunting is the third most popular type of hunting activity in the U.S., behind wild turkey and deer hunting. Few people take advantage of it in Oregon, but they should—rabbits and hares are abundant and there is no closed season or bag limit. Plus, they taste good!
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Educational Moment

How to sight in and pattern a shotgun

There are two steps in patterning your gun: Verify your point of impact. Confirm the pellets are hitting where you’re aiming. Often called sighting in. Check the pattern of the pellets to see what loads shoot most accurately. Often called patterning. Sight in scopes and fiber optic sites If you’re shooting a shotgun with a single bead on top of the barrel, you can go right to patterning. If you’re shooting a shotgun mounted with a scope or reflex sight, or a fiber optic front and rear site, you’ll need to sight in the gun before you pattern it. Start…
May 19, 2020
photo of two paper turkey targets showing shot patterns from shotgun
Article

How to snipe hunt in Oregon

Snipe fly fast and erratically. They aren’t hard to kill, just hard to hit. Here are a few tips to improve your odds.
photo of Wilson's snipe using long bill to feed in mud
Article

How to fish for steelhead

Steelhead have been called the ultimate game fish. These elusive and challenging fish can test an angler’s patience and persistence, but the reward is hooking into a fish that is famous worldwide for its line-peeling runs and spectacular, acrobatic fight.
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Press Release

Free fishing days Friday and Saturday after Thanksgiving

Note: Recreational ocean crabbing is closed through Nov 30. SALEM, Ore.- Get outdoors with friends and family and enjoy free fishing, crabbing and clamming on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 28 and 29. Statewide free fishing days are a great chance to take someone new fishing and celebrate Oregon's natural resources…

November 21, 2025
Educational Moment

How to pluck a wild turkey

There's more than one way to pluck a turkey. Whatever method you choose, don’t just grab a handful of feathers and start yanking. This could rip the very thin skin, and once you’ve ripped the skin it’s difficult to finish plucking. In fact, at that point you may need to resort to skinning the bird. Keep the feet attached to while turkey while plucking it. They’ll give something to hold on to as you rotate and move the carcass around for thorough plucking. Dry plucking a bird – simple but time consuming To dry pluck a turkey, hang it up…
May 19, 2020
image of a hunter beginning to pluck a bird on the gate of his pickup truck
Article

Fishing regulation updates

These updated rules were adopted after the current regulation booklet was printed, and supersede those printed regulations. Always check for regulation updates before fishing. Find crabbing and clamming updates
January 8, 2026
Article

How to hunt mourning dove

Dove hunting seasons open earlier than many others and offer one of the first opportunities to go afield each year. The action can be fast, offering lots of opportunities to shoot and the chance to sharpen your skills for the opening of other bird seasons later in the fall.
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Article

How to clean and keep your catch

A quick guide to cleaning and storing the fish you catch.
November 17, 2025
Article

How to read a point summary report

This example will show you how to read a point summary report. Print this table
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Education Collection

How to hunt wild turkey in Oregon

May 19, 2020
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