Where do I buy a Oregon hunting license?

Oregon hunting licenses and tags are sold by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) through its official licensing site. Buy direct from the agency rather than a reseller, and complete hunter education first if your birth year requires it.

When is Oregon hunting season?

Seasons differ by species, weapon and zone, and the Oregon season dates change every year. Our Oregon deer guide summarizes the 2025-26 deer season structure; for every other species, check the current Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) regulations before you plan a hunt.

What can you hunt in Oregon?

Besides black-tailed deer, mule deer, white-tailed deer, our species guides single out Oregon for elk, pronghorn antelope. Each species guide explains tags, seasons and tactics.

Where is public hunting land in Oregon?

Good starting points include Siuslaw National Forest, Umpqua National Forest, Ochoco National Forest. Confirm access rules, closures and special regulations with the managing agency before you go.

Hunting · State by State

Oregon Hunting Guide

What to hunt in Oregon, what it costs, the laws that matter and where the public land is — with the official Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) links.

Rainforest black-tails on the coast, high-desert mule deer to the east — Oregon offers two completely different deer hunts in one state.

Western Oregon black-tail hunting is a game of patience and woodsmanship — thick second-growth timber, near-constant rain, and deer that bed tight and move at last light make it one of the more physically and mentally demanding deer hunts in the country. Glassing clearcuts at dawn and dusk and still-hunting logging roads are staple tactics.

Agency: Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW)
Region: Pacific
Deer rank: #34 of 50
Species guides: 3

Oregon hunting license and tag costs

Deer license and tag prices as last reviewed. Other species' permits are listed in the agency fee schedule.

License / tag	Price
Resident annual hunting license	approx. $44
Nonresident annual hunting license	approx. $210
General season deer tag (resident/nonresident)	approx. $35 resident / $105 nonresident
Controlled hunt application fee	approx. $9 per species application, plus tag cost if drawn

Oregon hunting laws to know

Rules that catch hunters out most often. Not a substitute for the regulations book.

Topic	Rule
Blaze orange	Not legally required for big game hunters in Oregon, though ODFW strongly recommends hunter orange for visibility, especially during general rifle seasons.
Baiting	Baiting deer is illegal statewide in Oregon; scent attractants and food plots are treated differently from bait piles, so check current definitions before using any attractant.
Crossbows	Crossbows are legal only during general firearm seasons, not during archery-only seasons, except for hunters with a qualifying disability permit.
Sunday hunting	Allowed statewide with no day-of-week restrictions.
Legal firearms	Centerfire rifles and shotguns with slugs are legal during general rifle seasons; muzzleloader seasons have separate equipment rules for ignition type and sights.
Tagging/reporting	Hunters must validate (notch) their tag immediately upon harvest and report their hunt (harvest or not) online or by phone after the season, even if unsuccessful.
CWD sampling	ODFW asks hunters, especially in and near CWD surveillance areas, to submit lymph node samples from harvested deer; rules on carcass movement can apply if CWD is detected nearby.
Hunter education	Required for anyone born after a set date (generally those who have never held a hunting license) before purchasing a license, unless hunting under a mentored youth program.

Oregon deer season structure (2025-26)

Oregon's season dates and tag structure (general vs. controlled) vary significantly by wildlife management unit; always check the current year's Big Game Regulations and the unit-specific hunt information on myodfw.com.

Season	Weapon	Typical window
Archery deer (western/eastern)	Bow / crossbow	Late Aug. – late Sept.
Western Oregon general black-tail	Rifle/shotgun/muzzleloader	Late Sept. – early Nov.
Eastern Oregon general mule deer (buck)	Rifle	Roughly early-to-mid Oct., about 9 days
Controlled mule deer hunts	Rifle/muzzleloader/archery	Various windows Sept.–Nov.
Late-season antlerless/muzzleloader hunts	Muzzleloader / antlerless rifle	Nov.–Dec., select units

What you can hunt in Oregon

Deer — Black-tailed deer, Mule deer, White-tailed deer
Good · ranked #34 of 50 for deer.
Elk
Roosevelt elk in coastal rainforest and strong Rocky Mountain herds
Access: General and limited tags depending on unit and weapon
Pronghorn Antelope
Lower density, high quality, and big country
Access: Bonus-point draws, longer waits

Public hunting land in Oregon

Oregon's public land is split between wet, timbered national forests in the west and enormous BLM and national forest holdings in the high desert east of the Cascades.

Siuslaw National Forest
National forest · Oregon Coast Range
Nearly a million acres of coastal timber and clearcuts holding classic Columbian black-tail habitat.
Official page
Umpqua National Forest
National forest · Southwest Oregon Cascades
Rugged, heavily forested black-tail country with a mix of old growth and regenerating clearcuts.
Official page
Ochoco National Forest
National forest · Central Oregon
Ponderosa pine and juniper country bordering prime mule deer range in central Oregon hunt units.
Official page
Malheur National Forest
National forest · Eastern Oregon (Blue Mountains)
Extensive timbered and open range holding solid mule deer numbers, particularly in the John Day drainage area.
Official page
Steens Mountain / Andrews BLM lands
BLM public land · Southeast Oregon high desert
Vast, remote high-desert terrain with classic mule deer spot-and-stalk hunting, mostly in controlled-hunt units.
Official page
Tillamook State Forest
State forest · Northwest Oregon
Accessible, well-roaded black-tail habitat close to Portland with a mosaic of clearcuts and regrowth.
Official page
Fremont-Winema National Forest
National forest · South-central Oregon
Big blocks of pine and juniper country adjoining some of the state's better-regarded mule deer units.
Official page

Official Oregon links

Last reviewed 2026-09.

Nearby state hunting guides

Questions

Frequently asked

Where do I buy a Oregon hunting license?: Oregon hunting licenses and tags are sold by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) through its official licensing site. Buy direct from the agency rather than a reseller, and complete hunter education first if your birth year requires it.
When is Oregon hunting season?: Seasons differ by species, weapon and zone, and the Oregon season dates change every year. Our Oregon deer guide summarizes the 2025-26 deer season structure; for every other species, check the current Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) regulations before you plan a hunt.
What can you hunt in Oregon?: Besides black-tailed deer, mule deer, white-tailed deer, our species guides single out Oregon for elk, pronghorn antelope. Each species guide explains tags, seasons and tactics.
Where is public hunting land in Oregon?: Good starting points include Siuslaw National Forest, Umpqua National Forest, Ochoco National Forest. Confirm access rules, closures and special regulations with the managing agency before you go.