Search myodfw.com

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.

Binoculars? Check. Field guide? Check. Now what? Learn the basics for bird watching.

Surf fishing is one of Oregon’s most underutilized fisheries. There are hundreds of places to fish along Oregon’s sandy beaches, and there are plenty of fish within an easy cast from shore.

Prineville Reservoir Wildlife Area came under the shared management of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife & United States Bureau of Reclamation in 1962. It is managed for the protection and enhancement of wildlife habitat, big game winter range, improving riparian wetlands, and to promote wildlife stewardship. Goals of the PRWA include creating recreational opportunities for viewing and enjoying wildlife, including mule deer, bald eagles, and a variety of waterfowl. Boating, hiking, and camping are a few popular activities permitted in the wildlife management area. Hunting and fishing opportunities are also available within Prineville Reservoir Wildlife Area, as regulated…

Let’s go fishing! not enough time? Think again. If you live in the Medford area, there are a number of places you can get to in less than an hour. Directions, mileage, and times are approximate.

Bonneville Hatchery was constructed in 1909. In 1957, the facility was remodeled and expanded as part of the Columbia River Fisheries Development Program (Mitchell Act)—a program to enhance declining fish runs in the Columbia River Basin. The hatchery underwent another renovation in 1974 as part of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' (USACE) mitigation of fish losses from the construction of the John Day Dam. In 1998, construction was completed on the Captive Broodstock Facility for the Grande Ronde Basin spring Chinook supplementation program.

The McKenzie River originates in the Cascade Range and empties into the Willamette River near Eugene, which then flows northward into the Columbia River. McKenzie Hatchery was first constructed in 1938 and rebuilt in 1975. Today, 30 rearing ponds, a visitor's center, spawning room, egg incubation facility, office, feed storage, shop area, fish ladder and picnic area are the main components of the facility layout. McKenzie Hatchery is temporarily closed to comply with Oregon Department of Environmental Quality permit conditions. Visitors should be aware that no fish are present in the facilities' production raceways and show ponds. Fish have been…

Round Butte Hatchery was constructed in 1972 to mitigate for the fishery losses caused by Pelton/Round Butte (PRB) Hydroelectric Complex. Round Butte and its satellite, Pelton Ladder, are used for adult collection, egg incubation and rearing of spring Chinook, summer steelhead, and sockeye salmon.

Private lands accounts for just over half of Oregon’s land base and include farms, range lands, wetlands, forests and stream corridors. To improve landowner-hunter relations and engage landowners in the conservation of fish and wildlife, the Oregon Legislature created the Access & Habitat (A&H) Program in 1993. The law established a funding mechanism to provide grants to private landowners, timber and agriculture corporations, sportsmen groups, natural resource agencies, and others for projects designed to increase public hunting access to private lands and/or improve wildlife habitat.