It’s Time to Look Forward to Fall

If you haven’t applied for your fall controlled hunt yet, now is the time. Apply online until Thursday, May 15 at 11:59 p.m. or at a license sales agent (hours vary). Make it even easier by having one person in the party apply for everyone via Group Purchase. Change your mind about your hunt choices? Make changes to your application until May 25.

Get a Premium Experience

Add a Premium deer, elk and antelope hunt when you apply for your controlled hunt. A dream hunt that costs the same price as a regular tag, Premium Hunts provide a four-month season (Aug. 1-Nov. 30) and all hunters have the same chance to draw.

Win the Hunt of a Lifetime

Big game raffle tickets (staring at $4.50) make great gifts for yourself or loved ones who hunt. Win a deer, elk, antelope, bighorn sheep or a combo deer/elk tag and hunt for four months anywhere that hunting for the species is allowed. Proceeds fund hunting access on private land and big game research so it’s a win-win for any hunter. Purchase online until 10 a.m. on May 27.

Changes for Eastern Oregon Deer in 2026

Changes may be coming for Eastern Oregon deer hunts next year. Hunt areas and boundaries are proposed to change in 2026 so they align with mule deer herd ranges. Hunters should expect a period of uncertainty regarding the amount of preference points needed to draw a deer hunt in 2026, which occurs with any new hunt. ODFW’s Game Program Manager explains more in this video.

Tech Tip: See the total preference points for your party. Click the “View” button in your controlled hunt application.

ODFW and many partners have addressed more than 85 high priority fish passage barriers in the past five years,  opening about 1,450 miles of fish habitat for salmon, steelhead, Pacific lamprey, cutthroat trout and other native migratory species.

Family Fun: Free Fishing

Bring the fam to the Great Outdoor Experience at Henry Hagg Lake on June 7. I’m Hooked Inc. hosts this free annual event with dozens of stations teaching fishing basics like casting, handling rods and reels, fish cleaning and preparation—plus water and boat safety, life jacket fittings, nature and conservation education, wildlife discovery and more. 

Surfperch’s Up

Pack some heavy tackle when you head to the beach and fish for surfperch. There are hundreds of places to fish along Oregon’s sandy beaches and rocky shores, and there are plenty of fish within an easy cast. Late spring and early summer are some of the best times of year to fish for them as they school up along sandy shorelines for spawning.

Catch Cash, Save Salmon

You can help save salmon and get paid to do it by going fishing! The Pikeminnow Sport Reward Fishery Program pays anglers for each Northern Pikeminnow they catch that is nine inches or longer. Rewards range from $6 to $10 per fish, and special tagged fish are worth up to $500. The Northern Pikeminnow reward fishery runs May 1-Sept. 30.

Clamming Tides are Coming

Minus tides, when the low tide is lower than average and exposes more of the shoreline, are the best time of the year to clam. These negative tides start hitting the coast in late spring and summer. Digging for razor and bay clams is easy and fun for the whole family. See our guide for tips and locations and don't forget to check for closures first. Razor clamming is currently closed from Cascade Head to the CA border. 

Protect Against Invasives

A Chinese mitten crab was caught on April 22 in the Lower Columbia River east of Tongue Point, a first for the Pacific Northwest. This single crab was a large male that could have been introduced to the Columbia illegally by a person or via ballast water as larvae. Finding this crab is a good reminder to report invasive species to ODFW. Remember to clean, drain, and dry your boat and waders. Aquatic Invasive and Waterway Access Permits help fund ODFW surveillance and boat inspection stations to keep invasives out.

Beaver Benefits

Beavers and the habitat they create bring benefits for salmon, amphibians and wildlife. But they can also cause damage. North Coast conservation biologists are working with landowners to limit damage to their property while protecting beaver and their habitat. Tools like pond leveler devices can help.

Catch of the Month Photo Showcase 

Consider this your reminder to take your mom fishing this Mother’s Day! Christine and Nicole on a Mother/Daughter Weekend springer fishing trip on the Willamette River.

Want a chance to showcase your awesome catch to other anglers? Excited about your latest fishing trip? Snap a great photo while wildlife viewing? Proud picture of your recent harvest? Share your best photos and videos with us. Chosen photographs and videos will be displayed in the Catch of the Month spotlight in an upcoming issue of the ODFW Monthly Messenger, ODFW Photo Gallery and may be used in promotional materials including the cover of the Sport Fishing Regulations.

If you know of or suspect crimes against fish, wildlife, or habitat, please contact OSP Dispatch at: 800-442-0776 for the Northern Command Center or 800-442-2068 for the Southern Command Center; or call *OSP (*677) from a mobile device. Or email: TIP@osp.oregon.gov.

ODFW Messenger: Monthly Edition | May 2025

The ODFW Messenger is a monthly email which highlights some of the best seasonal opportunity available, and we’ll cover content for fishing, hunting, clamming, crabbing, wildlife viewing, and everything in between. Consider the Messenger your short list for the best adventures in the current season. Lastly, we want to thank you for your continued readership and hope you’ll share it with your friends.