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Oregon

Game Bird Hunting

Game Bird Hunting

Oregon › Hunting › Game Bird Hunting › License Requirements

License Requirements

Licenses, permits, validations, tags, and controlled hunt applications can be purchased online or anywhere ODFW licenses are sold.

All Hunters

  • Every hunter must have in his or her possession a valid hunting license (See below for specific category types). (See exceptions for youths participating in the Mentored Youth Hunter Program on Mentored Youth Hunter Program and youth under 12 in YOUTH section.)
  • No hunter may possess more than one valid Oregon hunting license. However, for the purpose of acquiring preference points under the controlled hunts system and hunting big game, a youth between 9 and 12 years of age may hold both a free youth game bird hunting license and a youth license.
  • Annual hunting licenses are valid through Dec. 31 of each year. Hunts extending into the following calendar year require a new hunting license.
  • Depending on the species of bird you are hunting, you must have a federal waterfowl stamp, HIP validation, permits, tags, and/or state game bird validations to hunt (License, Tag, & Permit Fees).
    • Upland Game Bird, Waterfowl, Nonresident Game Bird, and HIP Validations and Federal waterfowl stamps are in effect from Jul. 1 - Jun. 30 of the following year.
    • Any person 16 years of age or older must have a current, signed Federal waterfowl stamp or E-Stamp in his or her possession to hunt ducks and geese.
    • No federal waterfowl stamp is required for band-tailed pigeon, mourning dove, crow, coot, or snipe hunting.
    • To hunt sage-grouse, western Oregon fee pheasants, band-tailed pigeons, brant, sea ducks, or NW Oregon geese, a separate permit for each is required (License, Tag, & Permit Fees).

Oregon Residents

  • Oregon residents 18 years of age and older must obtain a resident hunting, combination or Sports Pac license to hunt in Oregon.
    • A resident is any person who has:
      1. Has physically resided in Oregon for not less than six consecutive months immediately prior to making application for a license, tag, or permit.
      2. Members of the uniformed services of the United States who: (i) Are permanently assigned to active duty in this state, and their spouse and dependent children, (ii) Reside in this state while assigned to duty at any base, station, shore establishment or other facility in this state, (iii) Reside in this state while serving as members of the crew of a ship that has an Oregon port or shore establishment as its home port or permanent station.
      3. Aliens attending school in Oregon under a foreign student exchange program.
      4. Except for persons who qualify as a resident in (b) or (c), a “Resident” does not include a person who merely owns real property or pays property taxes in this state, or who claims resident privileges in another state or country for any purpose.
    • Submitting a false application is a crime.
    • For hunters 17 years of age and younger, please refer to Youth section.
  • Oregon residents must obtain appropriate validations to hunt in Oregon.
    • SPORTS PAC LICENSE HOLDERS MUST REDEEM SPORTS PAC VOUCHERS FOR CURRENT GAME BIRD AND HIP VALIDATIONS ON OR AFTER JULY 1.
    • Residents 12 years of age or older must have a state waterfowl validation in their possession to hunt ducks (including mergansers), geese and coots. See ALL HUNTERS for information on federal stamp requirements.
    • Residents 12 years of age or older must have a state upland game bird validation in their possession to hunt pheasant, grouse, quail and partridge.

Youth (Resident and Nonresident)

  • All youths 17 years of age and younger must have a Hunter Education Certificate or a Department issued document which includes their Hunter Education Certificate Number in their possession to hunt anywhere except on their own land or land owned by their parent or legal guardian. For Hunter Education information, call the Hunter Education office in Salem at 503-947-6028.
  • Youth 12 years of age or older must obtain applicable state youth waterfowl and youth upland validations (License, Tag, & Permit Fees). See ALL HUNTERS for federal waterfowl stamp requirements.
  • Youth 11 years of age and under do not need a license to hunt game birds, small game, or unprotected wildlife except:
    • To obtain a HIP Validation to hunt for migratory game birds, to purchase a turkey tag, to purchase permits to hunt for band-tailed pigeons, sea ducks, brant, geese during the Northwest Permit Season, and/or pheasants during a Fee Pheasant Hunt they need to obtain either a free Youth Game Bird License or purchase a Youth License. To apply for controlled sage-grouse permits or wildlife area reservation hunts they must purchase a Youth License.
  • The free Youth Game Bird Hunting License does not allow a youth to participate in the controlled hunt drawing or apply for preference points.
  • Youths 13 years of age and under while hunting on property other than their own must be accompanied by an adult 21 years of age or older.
  • See exceptions for the Mentored Youth Hunter Program (Mentored Youth Hunter Program).

Nonresidents

  • All nonresidents who want to hunt in Oregon must obtain a nonresident hunting license if they are 18 years of age or older.
  • A 3-Day Nonresident Hunting License for game birds and crow is valid for three consecutive days.
    • Applicable game bird validations, permits, and turkey tags are required along with this hunting license.
    • This license is not valid to apply for controlled bird hunts. To apply for controlled bird hunts, a regular nonresident hunting license is required.
  • Nonresidents 18 years of age or older must have a nonresident game bird validation along with their hunting license or their 3-day nonresident hunting license to hunt ducks (including mergansers), geese, coots, pheasants, grouse, quail and partridge.

Landowners

  • Resident landowners can obtain a FREE landowner license to hunt game birds on their own property, except for brant, band-tailed pigeon, sea duck, sage-grouse and turkey (spring and fall). For these hunt types, a regular hunting license and applicable tags and permits are required for landowners hunting on their own property.
  • Landowners must obtain appropriate validations to hunt (dependent on species, see License, Tag, & Permit Fees).
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