Seasons, tags, and land access
2026 big game rules for 7 species, 643 controlled hunts, and 23 harvest report groups.
Oregon
Pick an activity, check the deadline or access condition that could stop the trip, then confirm the exact place and date with ODFW.
Checked
4
trip checks that can change the plan
Start with your activity
Permanent rules, in-season changes, and harvest safety
39 tracked in-season changes plus the 2026 guide split into licenses, rules, zones, marine, and fish ID pages.
Checks that can change the trip
Deadlines first. Fire access and shellfish health status can change sooner than any printed date.
Hunting
Deadline August 28
Buy general archery tags before the season opens
Western Oregon deer and eligible general-season elk areas
Western Oregon general archery deer and general archery elk seasons open August 29. ODFW lists August 28 as the tag sale deadline for both.
Before you go: Eastern Oregon deer archery is controlled-only, and some eastern elk units also require a controlled tag. Match the tag to the hunt area before buying.
Hunting and access
Updated August 25
White River closure is smaller, but Level 3 ground stays closed
White River Wildlife Area and the Grasshopper Fire perimeter
ODFW reduced the wildlife-area closure on August 25. Land inside the current Level 3 GO NOW evacuation perimeter remains closed, and access increases only as evacuation levels are downgraded.
Before you go: Check the live Wasco County evacuation perimeter before entering. The older closure map does not show every access change after August 25.
Hunting and access
Closed until conditions improve
A&H and UCAP access closures remain in effect
Northeast Oregon plus Kueny, Alvord, and Pine Creek access areas
ODFW says all northeast Oregon Access and Habitat areas and year-round Welcome to Hunt UCAP lands are closed. Its August 7 update also adds Kueny, Alvord, and Pine Creek in southeast Oregon.
Before you go: A legal hunt season does not reopen private access land. ODFW says these closures remain until fire danger and firefighting capacity improve.
Fishing and shellfish
Safety closure
South-coast razor clam harvest remains closed
Cape Blanco to the California border
The Oregon Department of Agriculture lists recreational razor clam harvest closed south of Cape Blanco because of domoic acid. Razor clamming is open from the Washington border to Cape Blanco, subject to separate ODFW rules and conservation closures.
Before you go: Check the ODA status on harvest day or call 1-800-448-2474. Biotoxin safety and ODFW season, license, and limit rules are separate checks.
Selected coverage.
Wildlf tracks selected high-impact deadlines and restrictions. Check the official rule, land manager, and safety source for the exact place and date of your trip.
Contact ODFW