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This is a medium-sized bat with large, long ears. It is gray, brown, or black and generally active only after full darkness. Townsend's big-eared bat is very vulnerable to human disturbance, and its numbers are declining. In Oregon, it is classified as a State Sensitive Species. It's also an Oregon Conservation Strategy Species in all ecoregions except Nearshore. Never disturb this bat if you are in a cave. Photo by ©Michael Durham

The Piute ground squirrel is the other of the two small gray ground squirrels without stripes or spots. In Oregon, it occurs south of Sheepshead and Cedar mountains in Malheur County. It is a species of the High Desert and commonly occurs in habitats in which the dominant shrub is big sagebrush, saltbush, or greasewood. It is commonly associated with rocky outcrops, levees, railroad embankments, ditchbanks, and sand dunes. Some occur in fencerows and edges of alfalfa and small-grain fields. These ground squirrels are usually active for three to five months each year. They emerge from their hibernacula in February

Features: Drakes have a reddish head and neck; black breast, lower back and tail coverts; nearly white back, flank, and belly, and dark gray tail. The hen is grayish brown with a darker brown head, neck, breast and tail coverts. Canvasbacks are large; adults in good condition are as heavy as mallards and second in size only to the white-winged scoter among common Oregon ducks. Habitat: Brackish estuarine bays and marshes with abundant submerged aquatic vegetation and invertebrates are ideal wintering habitat for canvasbacks. Techniques: Generally part of a mixed duck bag. These ducks have a reputation as good table

Features: Males' plumage is entirely black except for a small white teardrop around each eye, and white secondaries that form a conspicuous square wing patch during flight. A black knob graces the males' swollen, white-ridged, orange bills. Females and immatures are dark brown above and pale below with diffuse white patches in front of and behind the eyes. Their bills are dark. Habitat: Abundant along the coast from fall through spring. Techniques: Rarely taken as part of a mixed duck bag, their habit of resting and feeding on open ocean waters makes them inaccessible to most hunters.

Features: Valley quail are often detected by their distinctive call which seems to say "Chicago". They are a covey-loving bird and wintering groups may number over 100. They are gray to brown with intricate scaling in the feathers on the belly. Their top knot droops forward toward the beak. Habitat: Valley quail are among Oregon's most widely distributed game birds. They may be found associated with agricultural and urban areas, as well as in riparian habitats located miles from human habitation. Within these areas, however, valley quail habitat needs are rather specific. Valley quail feed on a wide variety of

The Long-tailed weasel is the larger of the two weasels in Oregon, but smaller than the other member of the genus, the mink. Males are considerably larger than females. The head is flattened and somewhat triangular; the body and neck are elongate and almost cylindrical; the legs are short, and the tail is long. The summer pelage is brown dorsally; the venter is yellowish to orangish except for a white chin and sometimes one or more scattered brown spots. The tip of the tail is black. The pelage is molted twice annually. In the Cascade Range and eastward through the

Features: Blue grouse are large in comparison to most other grouse species. The females are mottled brown, tan, and gray. The males are similar, but with solid blue-gray on the underside and bright orange-yellow combs over the eyes. Habitat: Blue grouse occupy the coniferous forests of western Oregon, the eastern slopes of the Cascades, the Blue Mountains of northeastern Oregon, and the Klamath Basin and south Warner Mountains. Preferred habitat includes timber edges, open timbered slopes, mountain meadows adjacent to springs or other sources of water, and near berry producing areas such as chokecherry thickets. Technique: Effective hunting techniques involve

Features: Brant are a small to medium-size goose. They have smoky black backs and bellies, and dissected white collars and white around the tails provide striking contrast. The brant can live up to 20 years and are resilient enough to ride out storms on the open ocean. Habitats: Brant are primarily found in bays and estuaries, but on occasion can be found inland. They forage on eel grass and other aquatic vegetation. Most of their feeding is in shallow water or in tidal flats. They tend to feed in flocks. Techniques: As with any waterfowl hunting, location is key. Seek

Features: Rocky Mountain elk are one of two subspecies of elk found in Oregon, with a population estimate of more than 74,000 in the state. They are lighter in color and slightly smaller in size than Roosevelt elk, but their antlers are the largest of all elk and can weigh up to 40 pounds. Habitat: Rocky Mountain elk inhabit most of eastern Oregon with concentrations in the Blue Mountains and south-central Oregon. Techniques: Rocky Mountain elk live in much more open country that Roosevelts so try glassing, still hunting, spot and stalk and calling. Rifle, archery and muzzleloader seasons are

The pronghorn, often called "antelope," is deer-sized with relatively long and thin legs and feet with just two digits on each foot, a relatively small tail, and unique horns consisting of deciduous keratin sheaths set on bony cores arising from the fontal bones. Among males, the laterally flattened sheaths are long, branched and recurved, but in those females that possess horns they are short and simple. The horns and hooves are black. The front feet are larger and carry most of the weight when the pronghorn runs. The pelage is course. The dorsum is a light buff and is separated

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

Features: Canada geese come in many sizes and colorations. All have the same general long, black neck and white chinstrap. Their breast color can range from light gray to a dark brown. Habitats: Canada geese have become abundant in many city parks and agricultural fields where forage grasses are available. They can be found floating in bays, estuaries, rivers, reservoirs and lakes as well. Techniques: Canada geese can be hunted like other waterfowl. From jump shooting to calling birds into a decoy spread, Canada goose hunting can be productive. Note: If you want to hunt geese in Northwest Oregon, a

Features: The small Ross's goose looks very similar to a snow goose, but with some slight distinguishing features. Like the snow goose, this goose has black primary feathers. But it does not have the black grin of a snow goose on its pink bill. Also, their wing beat is faster and call higher pitched than a snow goose's. Habitats: The Ross's goose can be found in shallow lakes and wetlands while in migration. It feeds on grasses, sedges and small grains. Techniques: Often taken while snow goose hunting, the techniques are similar. Create a white decoy spread with silhouettes, white

Features: In breeding plumage, green-winged drakes have a cinnamon-colored head with a green eye-stripe, gray back, flanks, and a bright patch of iridescent green on the rear of the wing (speculum). Hens are brown with a green speculum. Habitat: Green-winged teal are primarily winter migrants in Oregon. They are puddle (dabbling) ducks that prefer shallow areas like ponds and marshes, where they feed on or near the surface of the water by tipping up. Techniques: Teal are early migrants that begin arriving in Oregon in August but will continue to arrive into November. There are good early season hunts in

Features: Similar to the greater scaup in appearance and habits, but smaller and lacking the white on the primaries. In the field, however, the black-and-white drakes and brown hens are very similar to greater scaups. Habitat: In general, the lesser scaup is more likely to be found in interior or freshwater habitats while the greater scaup is more a coastal bird. Techniques: Scaup are rafting birds attracted to large spreads of scaup decoys. Popular hunting destinations include coastal estuaries and lakes, where most hunters hunt from a boat. However, in the marshes of eastern Oregon, there can be good hunting

Features: Spruce grouse are gray with white spots on the belly. The back feathers often have dark bars. Females tend to be paler in color than the males. The eyes are outlined by red combs over and white arcs underneath. Habitat: The spruce grouse is native to Oregon and found in coniferous forests across northern North America. However, Oregon is on the periphery of this species' range and they likely were never abundant in the state. Currently, spruce grouse can only be found in the Wallowa Mountains and Snake River divide of northeastern Oregon. Technique: Spruce grouse have been protected

The long-legged myotis lives in forests and comes out early in the evening to hunt. It is a fast flier and will chase insects for a long distance. One baby is born in the summer, and the species hibernates in winter. In general, the long-legged myotis is a species associated with montane coniferous forests, but it also occurs in some desert and riparian habitats. The long-legged myotis is an Oregon Conservation Strategy Species in these ecoregions: Blue Mountains, Coast Range, East and West Cascades, Klamath Mountains, and Northern Basin and Range. Photo by ©Michael Durham