Can you bait big game in Oregon
Olivia Owen
Published May 09, 2026
Some hunters had proposed that Washington come in line with most states to prohibit baiting. … The baiting rule passed by an 7-1 vote with Commissioner Larry Carpenter of Vancouver voting no. Washington and Oregon are the only two Western states that do not prohibit use of bait for hunting deer and elk.
Can you bait animals to hunt?
Using bait is illegal to hunt bears, deer, elk, pronghorn or moose. Bait means to put, expose, distribute or scatter salt, minerals, grain, animal parts or other food as an attraction for big game.
Can you feed elk in Oregon?
ODFW does feed deer and elk at several wildlife areas during the winter, to keep them off adjacent agricultural lands where they damage crops. These feeding programs are long-term commitments that require significant financial and staffing resources.
Are salt licks illegal in Oregon?
Yes, it is legal to use salt licks for deer and elk. You may place them and hunt over them.Is it legal to feed deer in Oregon?
Oregon law makes it illegal to feed bears, cougars, coyotes and wolves, and for good reason. They can be dangerous. While it doesn’t bar feeding deer, doing so is a bad practice. … Finally, feeding deer can actually cause their malnutrition.
Is hunting over bait ethical?
Some people think hunting deer over bait is wrong but hunting pigs over bait is okay. … In my home state of Michigan, baiting was legal with very few restrictions for decades until a case of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) was found in the state several years ago. Until CWD was found, those with the largest bait pile won.
Are food plots considered baiting?
Due to their size and amount of food produced, food plots spread deer out over a much larger area than bait sites, and thus they mimic natural forage in woods and fields. … Some people equate food plots to baiting and claim that if baiting is not allowed then food plots should be illegal too.
What can you hunt in Oregon?
There are a variety of game species to hunt in the state of Oregon. Some of the state’s game species include: Big game including white-tailed deer, mule deer, elk, pronghorn, bighorn sheep, cougar, and turkey. Small game including pheasant, pigeon, grouse, partridge, and quail.Can you hunt with bait in Oregon?
Washington and Oregon are the only two Western states that do not prohibit use of bait for hunting deer and elk.
Can you bait bear in Oregon?Using bait to lure a black bear is illegal in Oregon. … Troopers asked the public to notify the Oregon State Police of any bear baiting sites by calling the tip hotline at 800-452-7888.
Article first time published onIs it legal to feed wildlife in Oregon?
People are still allowed to feed songbirds as long as they use a secure container that prevents access from other animals. People can also feed wild animals if they have a valid permit issued by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Where are the most elk in Oregon?
Rocky Mountain elk are found in eastern Oregon and Roosevelt elk are found in western Oregon, with most concentrated in the Coast, Cascade and Blue Mountain ranges.
Are we allowed to feed the deer?
Allowing deer access to your garden and landscaping, or intentionally feeding deer, can be deadly. Wild animals naturally fear people, keep a distance, and will not bother you, so long as they remain truly wild. … Never intentionally feed deer. It’s illegal to feed deer in California!
What is considered baiting deer?
Deer baiting is strategically placing a pile of food near hunting blinds or clearings in hopes of luring a deer (or bears) into close range. … They do not hunt those animals or allow others to use their pile as bait. Deer baiting, however, is not without controversy.
Should you feed deer corn?
Corn is high in starch and a good source of digestible energy, but can cause problems in a deer’s digestive system. When deer eat too much corn or other high-‐carbohydrate food, many complex changes occur in the rumen. Some microbes proliferate while others die. … They quit eating and become lethargic.
What do Oregon deer eat?
Deer both graze and browse. Forbs and browse (stems and leaves of woody plants) are favored forage during the growing season. Grasses are consumed during some seasons. In many areas, the availability of forage is strongly associated with logging or fire, which create favorable forage conditions for whitetails.
Can you over bait deer?
Some hunters use bait to hold deer on their property, but don’t hunt over it. This is a common tactic in the Southeast. It can be effective, especially in areas lacking in quality browse or agricultural food sources. When doing this, it’s a good practice to place the bait in the center of the property.
How often should you bait deer?
Daytime Deer Herd Feeding Deer need to feed on adequate amounts of browse, 2 out 5 times during a 24 hour period within their daylight bedding areas. However, quality browse without a quality afternoon food source can leave you scratching your head, when you fail to consistently hold deer on your land.
Can you bait deer with food?
To my knowledge, in virtually every area with Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), it’s illegal to feed or bait deer with anything. It’s also illegal in areas with known pockets of other deer-to-deer diseases. If you’re in such areas (or near them), don’t feed deer — even if it’s still legal.
Why is deer baiting bad?
1. It is well documented that baiting and supplemental feeding sites concentrate deer and have contributed significantly to the increased spread and transmission of diseases in white-tailed deer and other wildlife, including.
Why baiting is bad?
BOTTOM LINE – BAITING IS BAD FOR THE RESOURCE. This increases the likelihood of spreading diseases between animals by direct contact and through eating bait contaminated with disease causing agents shed in feces, saliva or other excretions.
Is baiting fair chase?
Where an increased harvest of a particular species needs to occur, or where positive identification of size or sex is a legal requirement, baiting is “appropriate given the circumstances” and does not violate Fair Chase principles.
Is a spike buck legal in Oregon?
Western Oregon general season buck deer hunters will be able to take a spike in the 2020 season as the new bag limit is “any buck with visible antler.” There are sufficient bucks in the population to support increased harvest and the change may also help the buck deer population by allowing hunters to remove deer in …
Can you use corn for bait in Oregon?
In some states such as Utah and Oregon, chumming with corn is illegal, while using corn as bait is legal. Due to the intense damage that chumming does to the environment, it is best to avoid carrying out this practice. The rules and regulations about what can be used or not as bait vary in all 50 states.
Are spikes legal to shoot in Oregon?
GOLD BEACH — General season black-tailed deer hunters will be allowed to shoot single-point spike bucks in Western Oregon beginning in 2020 under new hunting rules adopted by the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission. … Under the previous rule, hunters could shoot only forked-horn deer.
What can you trap in Oregon?
Furbearers include 17 species that may be trapped and hunted: badgers, beavers, bobcats, coyotes, gray fox, marten, mink, muskrats, nutria, opossum, raccoons, red fox, river otters, spotted skunks, striped skunks, and weasels (short-tailed and long-tailed).
Why is big game hunting bad?
American trophy hunters pay big money to kill animals overseas and import over 126,000 wildlife trophies per year on average. They also do their sport-killing domestically: Bears, bobcats, mountain lions, wolves and other domestic wildlife also fall victim to trophy hunting, damaging natural ecosystems.
Can you keep dead heads in Oregon?
Shed hunters can only pick up antlers that have been naturally shed by deer and elk in the wild. … You cannot keep the antlers of a deer or elk you salvage under Oregon’s new roadkill salvage law. Instead, you must surrender the antlers and head to an ODFW office within five business days of picking up the carcass.
Is it legal to hunt cougars in Oregon?
ATTENTION LANDOWNERS: Oregon law allows landowners to kill a cougar that is damaging livestock or property. If you experience cougar damage, call your local ODFW office.
Can you trap cougars in Oregon?
WHITE CITY – State wildlife biologists have built new welded iron traps to help them catch and kill cougars that have attacked pets or livestock. Lured by bait, the cougar will walk into the trap door, then go to the back of the screened-in cage.
Can you bait cougars?
NOW: Are you baiting a cougar? … The cougar will likely not treat anything in its path as prey unless it is actively hunting. Crystal Sharlow-Schafer explains anyone that’s been around a house cat should know what “actively hunting” looks like: brookfield cougar web xtra from CBS 58 News on Vimeo.