Oregon › Species › Belding's Ground Squirrel
Unprotected mammal
Belding's Ground Squirrel Hunting Rules in Oregon
Hunting Belding's ground squirrels in Oregon any day of the year: license, methods, land and shooting hours.
Photo: USDA Forest Service Pacific Northwest Region (Public Domain Mark 1.0)
Where Oregon Belding's ground squirrels stand this season
Nothing in the 2026-27 ODFW booklets limits when or how many Belding's ground squirrels may be taken. The license and the general hunting rules, from road shooting to night lights, apply to Belding's ground squirrels as to any other quarry. All have 2026 seasons except moose (no season). ORS 496.004 also lists gray wolf as a special status game mammal (no season).
From 2026 Oregon Big Game Hunting Regulations (Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife), checked November 8, 2026.
GearHeading out for a hunt? Hunting gear checklists by season →
All dated ground squirrel windows in Oregon
No dates appear for Belding's ground squirrels: the rows are the year-round listings from the big game and furbearer booklets.
| Season | Area | Kind | Dates | Bag | Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No closed season | Statewide | License | Year-round | No limit | Year-round |
From 2026 Oregon Big Game Hunting Regulations (Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife), checked November 8, 2026.
Belding's Ground Squirrel in the ODFW definitions
ODFW's species definitions place Belding's ground squirrels in one of these groups; read the note column for the license rule.
| Group | Species | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Furbearers |
| Need a Furtaker’s License or Hunting License for Furbearers; fisher (and ringtail, wolverine, kit fox, Canada lynx, sea otter) closed all year. |
| Predatory animals (ORS 610.002) |
| No closed season, bag limit or weapon restriction for predatory animals destructive to crops; landowners need no license on their land. |
| Unprotected mammals and birds |
| No closed season or bag limit, but a hunting license and all hunting regulations apply. |
From ODFW definitions (Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife), checked November 8, 2026.
How Belding's ground squirrels may be taken in Oregon
The legal and not-legal lists come from ODFW's weapon pages; the right list for Belding's ground squirrels depends on the season.
| Topic | Rule |
|---|---|
| Electronics |
|
The species table says of Belding's ground squirrels: any lawful method; hunting license required and all hunting regulations apply (electronic calls legal for coyote).
From species table and general hunting regulations (Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife), checked November 8, 2026.
Belding's Ground Squirrel hunting rules in Oregon
The rule lines below come from the regulations; the source links give the full text.
| Topic | ODFW rule |
|---|---|
| Landowners | A resident does not need a license to hunt on land they reside on that is owned by them or immediate family, unless hunting a species that needs a tag or applying for big game tags; landowners/agents need no license to take predatory animals on their land. |
| Transport | Game mammals in the field or in transit more than 48 hours after the season closes must be tagged by ODFW or Oregon State Police; transfers need a written Wildlife Transfer Record. |
From tagging and reporting and ORS chapter 496 (Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife), checked November 8, 2026.
Belding's Ground Squirrel license, tags and validations
Everything a ground squirrel hunter might need, with residency and the 2026 price.
| Purchase | Buyer | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Hunting | Resident | $39.00 |
| Hunting | Nonresident | $193.00 |
| Combination (hunt and angle) | Resident | $86.00 |
| Youth combination (12-17) | Either | $10.00 |
Every hunter needs a valid hunting license (calendar-year, January 1 or purchase date through December 31; only one annual hunting license) plus a big game tag (electronic or paper) valid for the dates, area and species. Documents must be shown on request.
From 2026 license and tag fees and license requirements (Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife), checked November 8, 2026.
Belding's Ground Squirrel: wildlife areas, forests and refuges
Where a card names a source, that agency lists Belding's ground squirrels there; acreage is the record's figure, and posted closures still apply.
ODFW A&H page (Huntable Species) puts predators on the list at Willamette Private Timberlands Law Enforcement Project (Santiam Unit and Stott Mtn Unit).
ODFW A&H page (Huntable Species) puts predators on the list at North Coast TMA-Law Enforcement Project (Saddle Mtn Unit and Scappoose Unit).
ODFW A&H page (Huntable Species) puts predators on the list at Lincoln County Forest Patrol Project (Stott Mtn Unit and Alsea Unit).
ODFW A&H page (Huntable Species) puts predators on the list at Linn County Forest Patrol Project (Santiam Unit and McKenzie Unit).
ODFW A&H page (Huntable Species) puts predators on the list at Mid Coast Access Area (Trask Unit and Stott Mtn Unit).
ODFW A&H page (Huntable Species) puts predators on the list at Jackson Access & Cooperative Travel Management Area (Dixon Unit and Evans Creek Unit).
ODFW A&H page (Huntable Species) puts predators on the list at Thomas Creek Access Area (Santiam Unit).
ODFW A&H page (Huntable Species) puts predators on the list at East Lane TMA-Law Enforcement Project (McKenzie Unit and Indigo Unit).
From land records and agency page (Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife), checked November 8, 2026.
Belding's Ground Squirrel legal hours by date
The dates are the ground squirrel openers on this page plus the shortest day of the year.
For Belding's ground squirrels, legal light opens a half hour before sunrise and closes a half hour after sunset.
| Date | Jackson County centre | Grant County centre | Umatilla County centre |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 1, 2026 | 6:05 a.m. to 8:17 p.m. | 5:48 a.m. to 8:05 p.m. | 5:45 a.m. to 8:06 p.m. |
| Oct 15, 2026 | 6:52 a.m. to 7:01 p.m. | 6:40 a.m. to 6:44 p.m. | 6:40 a.m. to 6:41 p.m. |
| Dec 21, 2026 | 7:06 a.m. to 5:11 p.m. | 6:59 a.m. to 4:49 p.m. | 7:02 a.m. to 4:44 p.m. |
| Jan 15, 2027 | 7:08 a.m. to 5:31 p.m. | 6:59 a.m. to 5:10 p.m. | 7:02 a.m. to 5:05 p.m. |
| Mar 20, 2027 | 6:46 a.m. to 7:52 p.m. | 6:31 a.m. to 7:37 p.m. | 6:30 a.m. to 7:36 p.m. |
Hours rule from the ODFW general hunting regulations; times worked out with the NOAA solar formula on Pacific Time for each county centre; checked November 8, 2026. Legal hours for every county.
Photo: USDA Forest Service Pacific Northwest Region (Public Domain Mark 1.0)
Photo: Hugh Millward (CC BY 2.0)
Photo: daveynin (CC BY 2.0)
Answers about Oregon Belding's ground squirrels
Can I use a rifle for Belding's ground squirrels in Oregon?
Any lawful method; hunting license required and all hunting regulations apply (electronic calls legal for coyote).
Is ground squirrel hunting limited to certain units?
Every county, within the zones named in the ground squirrel rows; reservations and Crater Lake National Park are closed.
Can I hunt Belding's ground squirrels at night in Oregon?
Half an hour either side of sunrise and sunset; ODFW prints no mammal table, so the ground squirrel times here are calculated.
What are the private land rules for Belding's ground squirrels?
Permission first: Oregon treats private property as closed to hunting Belding's ground squirrels without consent.
What trapping rules apply to Belding's ground squirrels?
Trapping Belding's ground squirrels falls under the furbearer rules, with a Furtaker's License and regular trap checks.
Are there day-of-week limits for Belding's ground squirrels?
No Oregon rule closes Sundays to Belding's ground squirrels, though a few wildlife areas open only on set days.
When can Belding's ground squirrels be hunted in Oregon?
Every day is open for Belding’s ground squirrels; only the license and general rules apply.
Is there a bag limit for Belding's ground squirrels in Oregon?
No limit.
What paperwork do Oregon ground squirrel hunters carry?
A hunting license ($39.00 resident, $193.00 nonresident); no tag or validation is listed for Belding's ground squirrels.
Other photos on this page: USDA Forest Service Pacific Northwest Region (Public Domain Mark 1.0); Hugh Millward (CC BY 2.0); daveynin (CC BY 2.0).