Oregon · Deer · 2026 Edition
Oregon Deer Season 2026: Dates, Zones & Bag Limits
01 — Seasons by method
| Method | Zones | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| General Archery (buck) | Western Oregon | Aug 29 – Sep 27 |
| General Any Legal Weapon (buck) | Western Oregon | Oct 3 – Nov 6 |
| General Any Legal Weapon — Youth Extension (ages 12–17, buck) | Western Oregon | Nov 7 – Nov 8 |
02 — Bag limits
| General Archery & Any Legal Weapon — Western Oregon | 1 buck deer with visible antler per tag. Antlerless deer are not legal under the general tag — antlerless opportunities exist only through separate ODFW controlled-hunt tags. |
|---|---|
| Eastern Oregon | No general-tag bag limit exists — deer hunting is controlled-hunt (draw) only; limits are set per Deer Hunt Area in the tag you draw. |
03 — Shooting hours
Legal light on opening day (August 29, 2026) 05:53 — 20:12
Rule: Half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset for deer (per ODFW) — the state's general big-game rule, unlike the migratory-bird rule which gets no evening extension. Sunrise/sunset shift daily — the times above are computed for opening day; use your local Oregon sun times for any other date.
04 — License
An Oregon hunting license and deer permit are required. Costs, age rules and where to buy are on our license page below.
Oregon hunting license cost & deer permits →
Where to hunt public land in Oregon — WMAs by county & access rules →
05 — Scouting gear
Scouting a property before Oregon's opener usually means glassing terrain and running a trail camera through the summer and early fall.
- Hunting binoculars on Amazon →
- Trail cameras on Amazon →
- Trail camera SD cards — class, capacity & format explained →
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. These are category links, not a single named pick — we run no product tests of our own.
06 — FAQ
When does deer season start in Oregon?
The earliest 2026 opener is August 29, 2026 — General Archery (buck), limited to Western Oregon. Other weapons and zones start later — see the table above.
When does deer season end in Oregon?
The latest 2026 closing date is November 8, 2026. Individual methods and zones close on their own dates.
When does bow season start for deer in Oregon?
General Archery (buck) opens August 29, 2026 (Western Oregon). Later segments may follow — see the seasons table.
How many deer can you shoot in Oregon?
2026 bag limits: General Archery & Any Legal Weapon — Western Oregon — 1 buck deer with visible antler per tag. Antlerless deer are not legal under the general tag — antlerless opportunities exist only through separate ODFW controlled-hunt tags. Eastern Oregon — No general-tag bag limit exists — deer hunting is controlled-hunt (draw) only; limits are set per Deer Hunt Area in the tag you draw. Limits are set per zone and per permit — check the agency's own regulations before you hunt.
What time can you start shooting deer in Oregon?
On opening day (August 29, 2026) legal light runs 05:53 to 20:12. The rule is: Half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset for deer (per ODFW) — the state's general big-game rule, unlike the migratory-bird rule which gets no evening extension. Sunrise and sunset shift daily, so work the offset against your local Oregon sun times for any other date.
Can I hunt deer on my own land in Oregon without a license?
Oregon exempts a resident hunting on land they or an immediate family member owns and lives on — for every species except the ones that need a tag or permit, which still applies for big game.
Verified · Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife · Last verified 2026-08-11
Publisher's note. Dates from ODFW's own 'Big game seasons' page. Oregon splits deer hunting into two entirely different systems — Western Oregon runs the general, over-the-counter seasons shown below, while EASTERN OREGON DEER HUNTING HAS NO GENERAL SEASON AT ALL: ODFW's own page states plainly that 'Eastern Oregon any legal weapon is entirely controlled hunts' and 'Eastern Oregon archery is entirely controlled hunts.' A controlled hunt requires applying for a lottery-drawn tag by May 15, and its dates vary by the specific Deer Hunt Area drawn — there is no single date this page could honestly print for Eastern Oregon without inventing one, so it isn't shown here. Hunters east of the Cascades should apply through ODFW's controlled-hunt draw, not expect an open season. The Any Legal Weapon Western Oregon Tag is legally a 'Buck Deer Season' tag (OAR 635-065-0101) — no antlerless deer under the general tag, antlerless opportunities exist only through separate controlled hunts. RE-VERIFIED 2026-09-01, fetched directly from myodfw.com (a browser user agent is enough, no block). Confirmed: 'Deer, western Oregon Any Legal Weapon | Oct. 3 - Nov. 6' and 'Deer, western Archery | Season: Aug. 29 - Sept. 27', both sold over the counter as general season tags, with tag sale deadlines of Oct. 2 and Aug. 28. Also confirmed, and the reason this file carries no rows for eastern Oregon: 'Eastern Oregon any legal weapon is entirely controlled hunts' and 'Eastern Oregon archery is entirely controlled hunts'. A 2026 change ODFW highlights on the same page, and one that affects future checks: 'Starting in 2026, Eastern Oregon deer hunts will be structured based on Deer Hunt Areas, not WMUs' — anyone looking up older eastern Oregon figures by WMU will not find them that way any more. Late-season hunts are on page 33 of the Big Game Regulations per the page, and are not modelled here.