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"I was out hunting near a reserve, and I shot a white-tailed deer. I didn’t know it was a white-tailed deer. The rules don’t say what kind of deer to hunt, they just say a deer, and I shot a deer, but I guess it’s a white-tail. What do I do now?" "Do I have to turn myself in to OSP?" -- recent call to ODFW

January 29, 2026

A few waterbodies in Oregon are set aside just for younger anglers and those with disabilities—offering everything from warmwater and stocked trout to salmon and steelhead fishing.

Spring, fall and winter are the seasons when most big game hunters will be in the woods or on the grasslands. Visit e-regulations

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

If you bought a tag you must report, even if you weren't successful or didn't hunt. Report your hunt online or at an ODFW license vendor. Hunters have until January 31 (or April 15 if purchased a late tag) each year to report their previous year's hunts.

Check your preference points.

Mentored Youth Hunter Program allows youth 9 through 15 years of age to hunt without first passing an approved hunter safety education program. It gives unlicensed youngsters an unlimited opportunity to receive mentored, one-on-one field experience and training on the ethics, safety, responsibility and enjoyment of hunting while closely supervised by a licensed adult who is 21 years of age or older and who has a valid license and tag(s) for the dates, area and species being hunted. Register for the Mentored Youth Hunter Program free of charge online (or after clicking the online link – go to Purchase from…

The Rogue-South Coast Steelhead Validation is required for all winter steelhead anglers fishing in the Rogue Basin or on the south coast from Dec. 1 to April 30. In addition, a harvest tag is required to keep wild winter steelhead in this area.‌ Visit e-regulations

Bighorn sheep and Rocky Mountain goat the rarest game mammals in Oregon today, with less than 100 bighorn sheep tags and 20 Rocky Mtn goat tags offered in 2015. The tags are “once-in-a-lifetime” so hunters who draw them can’t draw them again.

All funds raised by deer and elk auction and raffle tags go directly to the Access and Habitat Program. Funds raised by bighorn sheep, pronghorn, and Rocky Mountain goat auction and raffle tags go directly to the management of those species.

The Landowner Preference Program (LOP) was established to acknowledge the contribution of private lands to support wildlife and provide a form of compensation to landowners for resources used by wildlife. Tags are available to landowners, family members, and others designated by the landowner based on the acreage owned. Pronghorn hunts are only available to landowners and family members. Recipients of LOP tags may only hunt on the property for which they are registered. step-by-step instructions Create Landowner Account

Cougar season and hunting information, including information about cougar conflict target areas. Resuming in 2022, successful cougar hunters must appear in-person at an ODFW office to check in their cougar.

An emergency hunt is an unanticipated hunt held on short notice to address acute agricultural damage. Many damage situations are addressed by controlled hunts during annual big game seasons. ODFW expects to implement very few emergency hunts during any year. On average, about 200 tags are issued annually statewide. Emergency hunt tags are in addition to tags for general seasons, controlled hunts or leftover hunts. Emergency hunt participants are selected from a list established on a county-by-county basis. You may apply for only one county.

ODFW’s Premium Hunts give any hunter a chance to draw an additional deer, elk or pronghorn tag with a months-long season.