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Oregon · 2026-27 season year

Oregon Small Game Season 2026-27

Quail: September 1, 2026 to January 31, 2027. Grouse: September 1, 2026 to January 31, 2027. Every date below was read from Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife’s own published page, linked beside it, on September 19, 2026.

This page covers the 2026-27 season year. Dates were read from the agency sources linked below, last checked September 19, 2026. Seasons change annually and agencies correct their own pages; confirm against the linked agency page before you hunt.
October 10, 2026 to December 31, 2026
Pheasant
published
September 1, 2026 to January 31, 2027
Quail
published
September 1, 2026 to January 31, 2027
Grouse
published
units open year-round per the agency
Rabbit
published
September 1, 2026 to November 15, 2026, plus units the agency lists as year-round
Squirrel
published
3 zone rows
Zone structure
as the agency draws it
Five seasons, one state

Oregon small game seasons, 2026-27

“When does small game season open” is five questions wearing one coat. Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife dates ruffed and blue (sooty and dusky) grouse, rooster pheasant, California and mountain quail, chukar and Hungarian (gray) partridge, sage-grouse and western gray squirrel; cottontail rabbits and black-tailed jackrabbits are unprotected mammals with no closed season separately, so each species is below under the agency’s own name for it, with the zone rows exactly as the agency lists them.

Rooster Pheasant

published

Rooster Pheasant runs October 10, 2026 to December 31, 2026 across all zones.

Oregon rooster pheasant, as published by Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
ZoneOpensClosesNotes
StatewideOctober 10, 2026December 31, 2026

Dates read from 2026-27 Oregon Game Bird Hunting Regulations, Game Bird Seasons, ODFW, accessed 2026-09-19.

Oregon's rooster pheasant season is a single statewide window opening the second Saturday of October and closing December 31. Four special permit pheasant hunts on western Oregon state wildlife areas run ahead of it in September and October, and there are reservation based youth upland bird hunt days; both are under other seasons.

Opening day, the daily limit and the full season calendar are on the Oregon pheasant season page.

Quail (California and Mountain combined)

published

Quail (California and Mountain combined) runs September 1, 2026 to January 31, 2027 across all zones.

Oregon quail (california and mountain combined), as published by Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
ZoneOpensClosesNotes
Western OregonSeptember 1, 2026January 31, 2027
Eastern OregonOctober 10, 2026January 31, 2027

Dates read from 2026-27 Oregon Game Bird Hunting Regulations, Game Bird Seasons, ODFW, accessed 2026-09-19.

Oregon dates California and mountain quail together, split at the Cascades: Western Oregon opens September 1 with the grouse season, Eastern Oregon opens October 10 with pheasant and partridge, and both run through January 31. The department asks eastern Oregon hunters to report mountain quail sightings.

Ruffed and Blue Grouse

published

Ruffed and Blue Grouse runs September 1, 2026 to January 31, 2027 across all zones.

Oregon ruffed and blue grouse, as published by Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
ZoneOpensClosesNotes
StatewideSeptember 1, 2026January 31, 2027

Dates read from 2026-27 Oregon Game Bird Hunting Regulations, Game Bird Seasons, ODFW, accessed 2026-09-19.

Ruffed and blue (sooty and dusky) grouse share one statewide season from September 1 through January 31. Spruce grouse, found only in the Wallowa Mountains of Baker, Union and Wallowa counties, are protected in Oregon and not open to hunting. Sage-grouse is a controlled hunt under other seasons.

Unprotected Mammals (cottontail rabbits)

published
Oregon unprotected mammals (cottontail rabbits), as published by Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
ZoneOpensClosesNotes
StatewideOpen year-round, per the agencyA hunting license is required

Dates read from 2026-27 Oregon Game Bird Hunting Regulations, Game Bird Seasons, ODFW, accessed 2026-09-19.

Oregon sets no rabbit season. The regulations state that unprotected mammals are not covered under the game mammal, furbearer or sensitive species rules and that for unprotected mammals there are no closed seasons, while a hunting license is still required and all general hunting regulations apply; cottontail rabbits and black-tailed jackrabbit are listed among the commonly hunted unprotected mammals.

Western Gray Squirrel

published

Western Gray Squirrel runs September 1, 2026 to November 15, 2026 across all zones.

Oregon western gray squirrel, as published by Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
ZoneOpensClosesNotes
North - Central Oregon (Units 34, 35, 39, 41 and 42)September 15, 2026October 31, 2026
Remainder of the State (Units 10-33, 36-38, 40, 43-77)September 1, 2026November 15, 2026
That part of Unit 30 south of Rogue River and South Fork Rogue River and north of Highway 140Open year-round, per the agencyThe regulations list this area as an exception with no closed season

Dates read from 2026-27 Oregon Game Bird Hunting Regulations, Game Bird Seasons, ODFW, accessed 2026-09-19.

The western gray squirrel is Oregon's one game mammal squirrel, with a short mid September to October season in north central Oregon and a September 1 to November 15 season across the rest of the state, by wildlife management unit. The regulations carve out the part of Unit 30 south of the Rogue River as having no closed season.

Some rows above say “open year-round” rather than carrying a date. That is the agency’s own designation for those units.

Ruffed and Blue Grouse Statewide Sept. 1 - Jan. 31, 2027
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, read September 19, 2026. Read it at the source
A rooster ring-necked pheasant with a red face, iridescent green head and white neck ring striding through dry pale crop stubble
A rooster in harvested crop stubble in North Dakota. Most pheasant openers land in October and November, once the fields are cut. Photo: Courtney Celley, USFWS. “Ring-necked pheasant (54120901581)”, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - Midwest Region, Public domain
The rest of the calendar

Other Oregon small game seasons the agency names

Beyond the five main species, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife dates 5 further seasons on the same small game pages. They are reproduced here under the agency’s own names, because a hunter reading a calendar needs to know which window a licence or stamp actually covers.

Partridge (Chukar and Hungarian [Gray] combined)

published

Partridge (Chukar and Hungarian [Gray] combined) runs October 10, 2026 to January 31, 2027 across all zones.

Oregon partridge (chukar and hungarian [gray] combined), as published by Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
ZoneOpensClosesNotes
StatewideOctober 10, 2026January 31, 2027

Dates read from 2026-27 Oregon Game Bird Hunting Regulations, Game Bird Seasons, ODFW, accessed 2026-09-19.

Chukar and Hungarian (gray) partridge are dated together statewide, opening with pheasant on October 10 and running through January 31.

2026 Controlled Sage-Grouse Season

published

2026 Controlled Sage-Grouse Season runs September 12, 2026 to September 20, 2026 across all zones.

Oregon 2026 controlled sage-grouse season, as published by Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
ZoneOpensClosesNotes
Controlled hunts J65 to J74 (Beulah, Malheur River, Owyhee, Trout Creek Mountains, East Whitehorse, Steens Mountain, Beatys Butte, North Wagontire and Warner units)September 12, 2026September 20, 2026Permit numbers are finalized by early August

Dates read from 2026-27 Oregon Game Bird Hunting Regulations, Game Bird Seasons, ODFW, accessed 2026-09-19.

Sage-grouse is a nine day controlled hunt in southeastern Oregon with one season window across all nine hunt areas; applications ran July 1 through August 14 with results August 25. Hunt area boundaries follow the big game wildlife management units.

2026 Western Oregon Fee Pheasant Hunts

published

2026 Western Oregon Fee Pheasant Hunts runs September 14, 2026 to October 31, 2026 across all zones.

Oregon 2026 western oregon fee pheasant hunts, as published by Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
ZoneOpensClosesNotes
Denman WASeptember 21, 2026October 9, 2026
E.E. Wilson WASeptember 28, 2026October 31, 2026
Fern Ridge WA (Open Areas: East and West Coyote, Fisher Butte and Royal Amazon units)September 14, 2026October 11, 2026
Sauvie Island WA (Open Area: Eastside Unit)September 21, 2026October 4, 2026

Dates read from 2026-27 Oregon Game Bird Hunting Regulations, Game Bird Seasons, ODFW, accessed 2026-09-19.

Special permit pheasant hunts on four western Oregon wildlife areas, each with its own dates in September and October ahead of the statewide rooster pheasant opener.

Youth Upland Bird Hunts

published

Youth Upland Bird Hunts runs September 12, 2026 to October 24, 2026 across all zones.

Oregon youth upland bird hunts, as published by Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
ZoneOpensClosesNotes
Fern Ridge WASeptember 12, 2026September 13, 2026
Denman, Klamath, Ladd Marsh, Sauvie Island and White River WAs and the John Day AreaSeptember 19, 2026September 20, 2026The John Day Area hunt is on private lands in the John Day Valley
Coquille Valley, E.E. Wilson and Irrigon WAsSeptember 26, 2026September 27, 2026Irrigon WA on Sep 26 only
Klamath WAOctober 24, 2026October 24, 2026

Dates read from 2026-27 Oregon Game Bird Hunting Regulations, Game Bird Seasons, ODFW, accessed 2026-09-19.

Reservation based youth upland bird hunt days on state wildlife areas and the John Day Area for hunters 17 and younger accompanied by a non-hunting adult, covering rooster pheasants, quail, chukar, Hungarian partridge and doves.

Unprotected Mammals (black-tailed jackrabbit)

published
Oregon unprotected mammals (black-tailed jackrabbit), as published by Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
ZoneOpensClosesNotes
StatewideOpen year-round, per the agencyA hunting license is required

Dates read from 2026-27 Oregon Game Bird Hunting Regulations, Game Bird Seasons, ODFW, accessed 2026-09-19.

Black-tailed jackrabbit is listed among Oregon's commonly hunted unprotected mammals, which have no closed season.

Rules

Oregon small game hunting regulations

Season windows are carried here with their source and read date attached. Everything else a hunter is bound by is set by Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, and its regulations page is linked below.

Current Oregon regulations

Bag and possession limits, legal methods, shooting hours, license and stamp requirements, and youth or special season rules for Oregon are set by Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, are legally binding and change annually. Its current regulations page is linked here.

Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife: current regulations
Close view of an eastern cottontail rabbit in green grass, ears up, dark round eye and white chin catching the light
An eastern cottontail. Rabbit is usually the last small game season to close, running into February in most of the East and Midwest. Photo: Grayson Smith, USFWS. “Eastern Cottontail Rabbit (48935527872)”, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - Midwest Region, Public domain

Small game season dates in other West states

Every state’s pheasant, quail, grouse, rabbit and squirrel dates are on the national small game season page.

A pair of northern bobwhite quail standing together in a carpet of purple violets, the male with a bold white throat and eye stripe, the female buff faced
A bobwhite pair. Quail seasons run from late autumn into winter across the South and Midwest; several western states date scaled, Gambel's and California quail on the same row. Photo: Steve Maslowski, USFWS. “Colinus virginianus USFWS”, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Headquarters, Public domain
Oregon pheasant seasonOpening day, the daily limit and the full Oregon pheasant calendar, read from the same agency.Oregon deer seasonArchery, firearms, muzzleloader and youth deer dates for 2026-27, under the same sourcing rules.Oregon turkey seasonSpring and fall wild turkey windows for 2026-27, read from the same agency.Oregon duck seasonDuck and goose season dates by zone and flyway, read from the same agency.Oregon fall foliagePeak color and the first grouse and squirrel weeks overlap. Plan the same trip.

Oregon small game season questions

A fox squirrel with a grey back and rust orange belly crouched on a lichen covered branch against bare winter trees and blue sky
A fox squirrel in bare winter woods in Ohio. Squirrel is the earliest small game opener in many states, from mid August or September, and runs to January or February. “Eastern Fox Squirrel (Sciurus niger vulpinus) (13255025953)” by Andrew C, CC BY 2.0

This page covers the 2026-27 season year with data as of September 19, 2026. Every season window is republished from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife page linked beside it, read on September 19, 2026; windows the agency had not yet published are labelled not yet published. Bag and possession limits, legal methods, shooting hours and licence rules are set by Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, whose page is the final word on the day you hunt. See also the national small game season guide.