Disabilities Hunting & Fishing Permit Information

Oregon makes hunting and fishing more accessible for people with permanent disabilities.

Who May Apply

In order to be considered a person with a disability under the wildlife laws, a person shall provide either:

• Written certification from a licensed physician, licensed physician assistant or certified nurse practitioner which states that the applicant:
  • Is permanently unable to walk without the use of, or assistance from, a brace, cane, crutch, prosthetic device, wheelchair, scooter or walker;
  • Is restricted by lung disease to the extent that the person’s forced expiratory volume for one second, when measured by a spirometer, is less than 35 percent predicted, or arterial oxygen tension is less than 55 mm/Hg on room air at rest;
  • Has a cardiac condition to the extent that the person’s functional limitations are classified in severity as Class III or Class IV, according to standards established by the American Heart Association;
  • Has a permanent, physical impairment that prevents the person from holding or shooting a firearm or bow or from holding a fishing rod in hand; or
  • Has central visual acuity that permanently does not exceed 20/200 in the better eye with corrective lenses, or the widest diameter of the visual field is no greater than 20 degrees; or
• Written proof that the last official certification of record by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs or any branch of the Armed Forces of the United States shows the person to be at least 65 percent disabled (ORS 496. 018).

Accommodations

An “Oregon Disabilities Hunting and Fishing Permit” holder may:

• Hunt from a parked motor-propelled vehicle except on any public road or Hwy, or within Cooperative Travel Management Areas. A public road is the entire right of way of any road over which the public has a right of use. Public roads include, but are not limited to, road related structures that are in the right of way such as tunnels, bridges, or similar structures. Roads on federal, state, or local government lands are public roads. Hunting from a parked motor-propelled vehicle is allowed on private land with the landowner’s permission and on public land where offroad travel is permitted.
• Have an able-bodied companion accompany them and kill any animal wounded by the permit holder. The wounded animal must be killed using a legal weapon for the season and species designated on the tag. The companion must immediately complete the tagging procedure as described on General Hunting Regulations for the permit holder. The companion is not required to possess a hunting license or tag (OAR 635-065-0090(3)), except a person accompanying a visually impaired hunter is required to possess a valid hunting license and may shoot a game animal on behalf of the hunter while in the presence of the hunter (ORS 198.170).

Assistance From Others

Disabilities listed above must be permanent. A Disabilities Hunting and Fishing Permit will not be issued for temporary disabilities. Permits are valid for five calendar years. To renew a permit, the holder must submit a new, updated application form.

A person who is not visually impaired and who accompanies a hunter who is visually impaired that possesses an “Oregon Disabilities Hunting and Fishing Permit” may:

• assist the hunter in selecting a game animal or bird;
• assist the hunter aiming or sighting a firearm;
• advise the hunter when to fire a firearm;
• shoot a game animal or bird on behalf of the hunter while in the immediate presence of the hunter; and
• tag and retrieve game animals and birds on behalf of the hunter.

The person accompanying a hunter who is visually impaired is required to possess a valid hunting license and may also hunt game animals or birds if the person possesses the appropriate tags, permits, validations and stamps for the area and time period.

NOTE: FEDERAL MIGRATORY GAME BIRD EXCEPTION: No persons shall take migratory game birds from or by means, aid, or use of any motor vehicle, motor driven land conveyance, or aircraft of any kind, except that paraplegics and persons missing one or both legs may take from any stationary motor vehicle or stationary motor-driven land conveyance.