Oregon's duck hunting season has been set for the 2008 and 2009 seasons. Fish and Wildlife Commission adopted 2008-09 regulations for birds hunted in Oregon including migratory birds (duck, goose, mourning dove, band-tailed pigeon, coot, snipe) upland birds (pheasant, forest grouse, chukar, pheasant, California quail, mountain quail, sage grouse, turkey) and crows.
Duck Hunting Season:
The Commission approved another liberal 107-day duck hunting season with a daily bag limit of seven ducks with no more than one pintail, two scaup (86-day season), two hen mallard, and two redheads. Canvasback hunting is closed.
Due to calendar shifts, both Zone 1 and Zone 2 will open on Oct. 11 this year. Season dates are Oct. 11-26 and Oct. 29-Jan. 25 in Zone 1 and Oct. 11-Nov. 30 and Dec. 3-Jan. 25 in Zone 2. The scaup season is Nov. 1-Jan. 25 in Zone 1 and Oct. 11-Nov. 30 and Dec. 3-Jan. 6 in Zone 2.
While the duck season will remain liberal overall, canvasback hunting is closed, a conservation measure in response to drought conditions on important duck breeding grounds. The scaup bag limit will be reduced from three to two and the season length will only be 86 days.
Goose Hunting Season:
Most zones continue a 100-day Oregon gooses hunting season with a liberal daily bag limit of four dark geese and six white geese (up from four last year). Openings are concurrent with duck openers in most areas. The Tillamook County goose season, introduced last year after a 20-year closure, will be lengthened by two weeks.
In the NW Oregon Permit Zone, hunters that do not check out their geese will not only lose their hunting privileges for the remainder of the season, but for the following season. “Checking out geese is fundamental and critical to keeping this season open,” explained Brad Bales, ODFW Migratory Bird Program Coordinator. Goose hunting in the NW Permit Zone is carefully regulated due to concerns about the population status of Dusky Canada geese.
The Commission made permanent a rule allowing the destruction of resident Canada goose nests and eggs where the birds are causing property damage or threatening public health or safety. The rule brings Oregon in compliance with federal regulations adopted last year.
