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Know the Rules

Here are some other steps shed hunters should take to be responsible and help wildlife:

Don’t disturb big game animals: Don’t approach animals or follow the same ones on a daily basis.
Don’t take vehicles off-roading: The ground is water-logged at this time of year and off-roading in the wrong place can damage critical wildlife and fish habitat. Travel by foot or horseback instead.
Don’t be in the same spot every day: Deer and elk might need to be in that spot for food or cover, and your presence will keep them from it.
Keep dogs under your control: Don’t let dogs approach or follow wildlife. State law prohibits dogs (and people) from harassing wildlife. (ORS 498.102 and 498.006)
Don’t trespass on private property: You always need permission to be on private land. Antlers that are shed on private land belong to the landowner under Oregon statutes.

Check the Oregon Big Game Hunting Regulations​ for more information.​

Trapper Education Requirement

By action of the 1985 Oregon Legislature, all trappers born after June 30, 1968, and all first-time Oregon trappers are required to complete an approved trapper education course.

The course is not required of persons trapping on land owned or leased by that person, the person’s immediate family, or a person’s agent who is controlling damage to livestock or agricultural crops on that property.

The course may be completed at home. Testing will take place at Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) offices throughout the state. A furtaker’s license will be issued by the Salem ODFW Headquarters office after the test has been successfully completed and mailed to Salem Headquarters, and the license application with payment has been received.

Course materials are available by contacting Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, I&E Division, 4034 Fairview Industrial Dr. SE, Salem, OR 97302, 503-947-6000, ODFW.Info@state.or.us​.

License Requirements

Juveniles younger than 12 years of age are not required to purchase a license, except to hunt or trap bobcat and otter. However, they must register to receive a brand number through the Salem ODFW office. To trap bobcat or otter, juveniles must complete the trapper education course.

Landowners must obtain either a furtaker’s license, a hunting license for furbearers, or a free license to take furbearers on land they own and on which they reside. To receive the free license, the landowner must obtain from Salem ODFW Headquarters office a receipt of registration for the location of such land prior to hunting or trapping furbearing mammals on that land.

Furtakers need either a Furtaker’s License or a Hunting License for Furbearers. A Furtaker's License allows the holder to trap, hunt and pursue. A Hunting License for Furbearers allows the holder only to hunt and pursue. A general hunting license does not allow the holder to trap, hunt or pursue furbearers, but only to hunt unprotected mammals.

For additional information visit the ODFW Hunting and Trapping Resources​ page.​
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As of Jan. 1, 2019

Under the new law SB 372 passed by the 2017 Oregon State Legislature, ODFW will make permits for salvaging road-killed deer and elk available no later than Jan. 1, 2019.
Salvaging deer and elk remains unlawful until new rules creating a roadkill salvage permit program are adopted by the Fish and Wildlife Commission. See below for more information about the current rules related to roadkill. More info.


Can I keep a road-killed animal?

Under Oregon law, the only people who can keep roadkill are licensed furtakers, and only for animals that are classified as furbearers (bobcat, gray and red fox, marten, muskrat/mink, raccoon, river otter, beaver). Some of these furbearers can only be taken at certain times of the year; licensed furtakers need to check regulations for those dates.

Game animals like deer, elk, bear, cougar, pronghorn, bighorn sheep, Rocky Mountain goat that are found as roadkill may not be kept by anyone, including licensed hunters. It’s not a legal method of hunting. This law is meant to discourage people from hitting a game animal with their vehicle in order to keep the meat or antlers. (Oregon wildlife regulations state: “No person shall possess or transport any game mammal or part thereof, which has been illegally killed, found or killed for humane reasons, except shed antlers, unless they have notified and received permission from personnel of the Oregon State Police or ODFW prior to transporting.”)

The exception to the above rules are unprotected animals, which can be picked up by anyone. Examples of unprotected animals include coyotes, skunks, nutria, opossum, badger, porcupine, and weasel.

If you do hit and kill a large wild animal or see a dead one on the roadway, remove it to the side of the road if it is safe to do so.  If this can’t be done safely, call Oregon State Police or 911. Position your vehicle in a safe way and turn on your hazard flashing lights to warn other motorists. If your vehicle is damaged, call OSP or 911 to report it.

Drivers should not take the animal home or attempt to dispose of it themselves. ODOT or county road maintenance crews are responsible for disposing of animals hit on roadways.

If an animal has been injured but is not dead, contact OSP or ODFW.​

 

Is This Legal?

No it is illegal to hunt big game in Oregon with a range finding scope that projects a beam to the target.
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No Person Shall: Shoot from or across a public Rd, Rd right of-way or railroad right-of-way, except that persons legally hunting on closed roads within Cooperative Travel Management Areas are not violating current prohibitions on shooting from or across a public Rd. The same is true for other roads closed to use of motor vehicles by the public.
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Yes it is legal to hunt with suppressors in Oregon. There are no wildlife regulations that restrict the use of suppressors; however you need to have all necessary permits required to possess and use a suppressor. Under ORS 166.272 it is unlawful to possess a suppressor / silencer unless it is registered as required by federal law.​
Yes the magazine block would be legal. As long as the magazine does not have a capacity greater than 5 rounds you can hunt with it.
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No. Crossbows are illegal to hunt big game with in Oregon.
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​No Person Shall: Hunt any game mammal with dogs, except western gray squirrel.
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​Contact

​​​​​Fish & Wildlife Division
3565 Trelstad Avenue SE
Salem, OR 97317
Phone: 503-378-3720
OSP.FWD@osp.oregon.gov​