SALEM, OREGON — The deadline to purchase a Western Oregon general deer, bear, or cougar tag is this Friday Oct. 2 at 11:59 p.m. PT. Most rifle deer hunting seasons open Saturday, Oct. 3. ODFW offices and license agents typically experience long lines on Friday so hunters are urged to get their tags as soon as possible.

As of yesterday, ODFW had sold 41,503 Western Oregon deer rifle tags. In 2008, the department sold 102,008 of these tags.  Tags can be purchased online, at a license sales agent, or at an ODFW office that sells licenses.

Remember that many stores close earlier in the evening and even stores open 24 hours may not have staff available to do license sales at odd hours. Stores have also been known to stop accepting customers because of long lines.

Licensing staff also recommend you double-check your tag before leaving the shop to confirm you purchased the right one, especially if you are getting a controlled (limited-entry) hunt tag. Remember the deadline to purchase a controlled hunt tag is the day before the hunt period begins. New for this year, ODFW has a process for hunters that miss the tag sale deadline.

Hunters that pay a $6.50 fee in addition to the tag fee and sign an affidavit stating they have not yet hunted during the season will be allowed to purchase the tag. The process can take several days so hunters are urged to use it only as a last resort. 

Other tag sale deadlines follow. Note that ODFW offices will be closed due to a statewide furlough day on Oct. 16, 2009, the day of the Cascade bull elk tag sale deadline. Hunters may still purchase tags online or at license sales agents that day. However, any hunter that wants to make an exchange involving their Cascade bull elk tag (exchange it for another tag or exchange a different tag for Cascade bull elk) must come to an ODFW office no later than close-of-business Oct. 15 to complete the exchange. Tag exchanges cannot be made at license sale agents.

Upcoming general season tag sale deadlines
Cascade Elk – Oct. 16 (ODFW offices closed for furlough)
Rocky Mt Elk Centerfire, 1st season – Oct. 27
Rocky Mt Elk Centerfire, 2nd season – Nov. 6
Coast Elk Centerfire, 1st season – Nov. 13
Coast Elk Centerfire, 2nd season – Nov. 20
Controlled hunts – the day before hunt begins

This entry was posted on Tuesday, September 29th, 2009 at 2:14 pm and is filed under Community News, Outdoor News, Press Releases. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.