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Pheasants, grouse, quail and turkey are all upland game birds that are chicken-like and ground-dwelling. Wild turkeys are the largest upland game bird in Oregon.

Features: Overall, medium-gray with a white underside. Gray, bushy tail has a white "halo." Habitat: It is commonly associated with mixed forest communities in central Wasco, Jefferson, Deschutes, and Klamath counties west, except for unforested portions of the Willamette Valley, to central Washington, Benton, Lane, Douglas, Coos, and Curry counties. It is active at all seasons and exhibits diurnal activity almost exclusively. Techniques: Most hunters use a small caliber rifle, and aim for the head to avoid ruining the meat.

Features: The most distinguishing feature of white-tailed deer is the tail. Whitetails have long, wide tails that can easily be seen, especially when they are startled and raise their tails. White-tailed deer antlers differ from mule and black-tailed deer in that there is one main beam with points coming off. Mule and black-tailed deer have antlers that fork on the main beam. Habitat: White-tailed deer share the same habitat as eastern Oregon’s mule deer. Deer both graze and browse. Forbs and browse (stems and leaves of woody plants) are favored forage during the growing season. Grasses are consumed during some…

Features: Columbian black-tailed deer are smaller and darker than mule deer. As the name suggests, black-tailed deer have a wide, triangular tail with a dark brown or black top and a white underside. Habitat: Blacktails are a subspecies of mule deer found in western Oregon from the Coast Range east to the Cascade Mountains. They are edge-adapted species using the region’s dense forest cover to hide during the day and are then more open in early successional forest to feed at dawn and dusk. Places with a mix of forest age classes offer the best habitat for black-tailed deer. Techniques…

Features: Mule deer are larger and lighter in color than black-tails. Mule deer have a thinner “ropelike” tail that is white with a black tip. Their antlers are forked, as opposed to having a main beam. And as their name implies, they have large ears, like a mule, that stand at an angle. Habitat: Mule deer occupy a wide range of habitat types; some live in desert shrub-steppe, some in woodlands, and some in conifer forests. In general, however, mule deer occupy the more open, rugged areas. Although mule deer commonly are considered “browsers," they consume a wide variety of…

Features: Roosevelt elk are one of two subspecies of elk found in Oregon, with an estimated population of 59,000 in the state. “Rosies” are darker in color than other elk subspecies and the largest in terms of body size, with bulls generally weighing 700-1,100 pounds. Habitat: Roosevelt elk occupy most of western Oregon, with concentrations in the Cascade and Coast ranges. All elk west of Hwy 97 are considered to be Roosevelt elk, though there is some overlap of Oregon’s two subspecies in the Cascades. Techniques: Roosevelt elk make their home in the thick and lush forests of western Oregon…