Handy resources for duck hunters‌

Now that the season is underway, here are some tools and tips to help you be more successful in the soggy field:‌

• Game bird hunting statistics from ODFW wildlife areas.
• 13 tips for early season duck hunting.
• 2023-24 game bird shooting hours.

Rogue-South Coast Steelhead Validation and Harvest Tag go on sale Nov. 1‌

All winter steelhead anglers in the Rogue Basin and on the south coast will need a Rogue-South Coast Steelhead Validation from Dec. 1 to April 30. In addition, anglers will need a new harvest tag to keep wild winter steelhead in this area.‌

The new validations will provide more accurate harvest information and close annual harvest loopholes on certain daily licenses. Learn more about this new validation and harvest tag.‌

Find coastal river salmon regulations‌

Find the latest regulation updates for coho and Chinook fishing in coastal rivers for the NW Zone and SW Zone.‌

Best bets for weekend fishing‌

Salmon and trout continue to top the list of this weekend's best bets, but don't forget steelhead and warmwater. Here are just a few suggestions.‌

• Chinook are moving up into tidewater throughout most Mid Coast basins with more reports of fish being caught in the Siuslaw and Siletz.
• Salmon are now distributed throughout the lower Chetco.
• Conditions in the lower Rogue are still good for anglers targeting half-pounders.
• Coho are now plentiful in the Willamette River and are sometimes concentrated at the mouths of tributaries systems such as the Yamhill, Rickreall, Molalla and Luckiamute.
• Salmon fishing in the lower Deschutes remains good, with Chinook anglers catching fish near the mouth and coho anglers having success at Sherars Falls.
• Both steelhead and coho fishing are picking up on the Grande Ronde River.
• After some recent cool, wet weather, look for steelhead to be on the move in the John Day.
• Fishing for bass should be good at both Lost Creek and Applegate reservoirs. Emigrant Lake continues to produce bass and black crappie but the reservoir remains too low for trailered boat access.
• October is a great month for trout anglers to hit popular lakes and reservoirs like the Howard Prairie, Hyatt, Fish Lake and Lost Creek Reservoir in the Rogue Basin, and Diamond Lake, Galesville Reservoir and Lake in the Woods in the Umpqua. Fish are hungry and bulking up for the lean winter months.

This list is for demonstration purposed only. Check the zone reports for even more options.‌

Watch for wildlife on roads and highways‌

Vehicle collisions with deer and elk tend to peak in October and November with the onset of both migration and breeding seasons. Here are some tips for avoiding close, and unfortunate, encounters with Oregon's wildlife.‌

Beach visitors, including dogs: Avoid sea lions on the beach‌

Each fall, some California sea lions die of leptospirosis on Oregon beaches. If you see a dead or injured sea lion or other marine mammal, keep your distance and report it to the Oregon State Police at 1-800-452-7888. Learn more.‌