Oregon Property Deer Hunting

obuzhduga · Oct 31, 2024

I'm having a difficult time with regulations on this one:

Can I hunt deer on a friend's property in Willamette unit?

1. Friend is outside city limit
2. Friend has 9 acres that back into BLM that backs into the clackamas
3. Will be hunting from his porch and punching the deer within 100 yards...40-50 even.
4. Yes...I have an anterless Willamette tag
5. Neighbor lives far away and I will not be shooting towards neighbors house.
6. Is this a rule, or regulation I need to watch for? I'm trying to get a hold of ODFW but that's nearly impossible.

Member 55555 · Oct 31, 2024

Most every gun store has free booklets with Oregon hunting rules and regulations.
Better to get it in black and white than to rely on opinions in a gun forum.

Bobbygun · Oct 31, 2024

Flintlock Tom said:
Most every gun store has free booklets with Oregon hunting rules and regulations.
Better to get it in black and white than to rely on opinions in a gun forum.

I wonder if it's even covered in the hunting regs. I would be surprised if ODFW cares. Might be more of a county ordinance type of thing. I really don't know, but my neighbor has about 80 acres around me, and he was telling me something about being able to shoot on his property anytime he wants because he has more than X (can't remember how many he said) acres. The conversation came up because one of the other neighbors had complained when he and some friends were shooting for a couple of hours. I have less than three acres and don't shoot on it very often, usually at gophers with a shotgun, so I've never had that neighbor, or any others complain. I live in Lane County, so their rules wouldn't be relevant to the OP anyway.

Bobbygun · Oct 31, 2024

I was curious and did a little Google searching: (Blue highlight is mine.)

Oregon State Law:

166.171 Authority of county to regulate discharge of firearms. (1) A county may adopt ordinances to regulate, restrict or prohibit the discharge of firearms within their boundaries.
(2) Ordinances adopted under subsection (1) of this section may not apply to or affect:
(a) A person discharging a firearm in the lawful defense of person or property.
(b) A person discharging a firearm in the course of lawful hunting.
(c) A landowner and guests of the landowner discharging a firearm, when the discharge will not endanger adjacent persons or property.
(d) A person discharging a firearm on a public or private shooting range, shooting gallery or other area designed and built for the purpose of target shooting.
(e) A person discharging a firearm in the course of target shooting on public land that is not inside an urban growth boundary or the boundary of a city, if the discharge will not endanger persons or property.
(f) An employee of the United States Department of Agriculture, acting within the scope of employment, discharging a firearm in the course of the lawful taking of wildlife. [1995 s.s. c.1 §2; 2009 c.556 §1]

I'm not an attorney, just a keyboard clicker, so take this for what it's worth. I know what I would do. LOL Actually, if I was worried about it, I might use a bow. I think the old rifle season is now an "any legal weapon" for general season, but I'm not sure about special draw tags.

obuzhduga · Oct 31, 2024

Bobbygun said:
I was curious and did a little Google searching: (Blue highlight is mine.)

Oregon State Law:

166.171 Authority of county to regulate discharge of firearms. (1) A county may adopt ordinances to regulate, restrict or prohibit the discharge of firearms within their boundaries.
(2) Ordinances adopted under subsection (1) of this section may not apply to or affect:
(a) A person discharging a firearm in the lawful defense of person or property.
(b) A person discharging a firearm in the course of lawful hunting.
(c) A landowner and guests of the landowner discharging a firearm, when the discharge will not endanger adjacent persons or property.
(d) A person discharging a firearm on a public or private shooting range, shooting gallery or other area designed and built for the purpose of target shooting.
(e) A person discharging a firearm in the course of target shooting on public land that is not inside an urban growth boundary or the boundary of a city, if the discharge will not endanger persons or property.
(f) An employee of the United States Department of Agriculture, acting within the scope of employment, discharging a firearm in the course of the lawful taking of wildlife. [1995 s.s. c.1 §2; 2009 c.556 §1]

I'm not an attorney, just a keyboard clicker, so take this for what it's worth. I know what I would do. LOL Actually, if I was worried about it, I might use a bow. I think the old rifle season is now an "any legal weapon" for general season, but I'm not sure about special draw tags.

I'd assume if you have permission, your not in city limits (where discharge of firearms is not allowed), have a tag to shoot a deer with a rifle, permission from landowner, and doing it safely, you should be able to. I'm gonna do more research but I'm leaning towards a go on this one.

obuzhduga · Oct 31, 2024

Flintlock Tom said:
Most every gun store has free booklets with Oregon hunting rules and regulations.
Better to get it in black and white than to rely on opinions in a gun forum.

Definitely not looking for an opinion. Looking more for someone that's had this experience. Hunting rules and regulations are never black and white.

Member 24198 · Oct 31, 2024

It sounds like you have a tag for the unit and you're not in city limits.

Tlock · Oct 31, 2024

Yes your good to go

Tlock · Oct 31, 2024

obuzhduga said:
I'm having a difficult time with regulations on this one:

Can I hunt deer on a friend's property in Willamette unit?

1. Friend is outside city limit
2. Friend has 9 acres that back into BLM that backs into the clackamas
3. Will be hunting from his porch and punching the deer within 100 yards...40-50 even.
4. Yes...I have an anterless Willamette tag
5. Neighbor lives far away and I will not be shooting towards neighbors house.
6. Is this a rule, or regulation I need to watch for? I'm trying to get a hold of ODFW but that's nearly impossible.

You know the bag limit on that 615 tag is 1 deer right?

obuzhduga · Oct 31, 2024

Haha yes of course.

deadeye · Oct 31, 2024

obuzhduga said:
Haha yes of course.

One deer, as in anything.......... Doe or buck. In my neck of the woods You would be OK even with a western tag right now (for a week anyway) let alone the Willamette tag. It all depends on if the county there has any rules against shooting mine doesnt I shoot regularly. Have a 2x3 hanging right now that trespassed this morning damn hoodlums.

mattig · Nov 2, 2024

I have experience with this and can confirm you're good.

If the season is open in the unit in question, and you have a tag, all that remains is to be sure firearm discharge is allowed at those coordinates.

foxmeadow · Nov 2, 2024

The Urban Growth Boundary might have some impact. A friend used to hunt ducks on a pond close to Eugene. He was informed, by the cops who investigated the shots, that said property was inside the Urban Growth Boundary and that he couldn't hunt or shoot there.

obuzhduga · Nov 2, 2024

foxmeadow said:
The Urban Growth Boundary might have some impact. A friend used to hunt ducks on a pond close to Eugene. He was informed, by the cops who investigated the shots, that said property was inside the Urban Growth Boundary and that he couldn't hunt or shoot there.

Gotcha. I'll look into it.

dondoo1315 · Nov 2, 2024

I had called the odfw on this subject before and I was in the same hunting area and they told me the land owner had to put in for certain tags I can't remember off the top of my head what they were called but basically it was to notify odfw that hunting could happen there and then I could purchase a tag specifically for his area it sounded like more trouble than it was worth and I never went through with it.

Bobbygun · Nov 2, 2024

dondoo1315 said:
I had called the odfw on this subject before and I was in the same hunting area and they told me the land owner had to put in for certain tags I can't remember off the top of my head what they were called but basically it was to notify odfw that hunting could happen there and then I could purchase a tag specifically for his area it sounded like more trouble than it was worth and I never went through with it.

That sounds like the Landowner Preference Program tag process. The OP didn't mention that, so I'm guessing he just has a tag and wants to hunt on a friend's property. I don't believe 9 acres is enough acreage to qualify for Landowner Preference tags, but I could be mistaken. If you do get a Landowner Preference Program tag, I think you can ONLY hunt on the identified property with that tag.

bionic knees · Nov 2, 2024

Bobbygun said:
That sounds like the Landowner Preference Program tag process. The OP didn't mention that, so I'm guessing he just has a tag and wants to hunt on a friend's property. I don't believe 9 acres is enough acreage to qualify for Landowner Preference tags, but I could be mistaken. If you do get a Landowner Preference Program tag, I think you can ONLY hunt on the identified property with that tag.

A minimum of 40 acres is required for lop tags.

dondoo1315 · Nov 2, 2024

bionic knees said:
A minimum of 40 acres is required for lop tags.

Bobbygun said:
That sounds like the Landowner Preference Program tag process. The OP didn't mention that, so I'm guessing he just has a tag and wants to hunt on a friend's property. I don't believe 9 acres is enough acreage to qualify for Landowner Preference tags, but I could be mistaken. If you do get a Landowner Preference Program tag, I think you can ONLY hunt on the identified property with that tag.

Well I got screwed out of a hunt then because I even told odfw that I was trying to hunt on a 5 acre property lol that's what I get for calling in instead of just going for it.