Oregon › Species › Sage-grouse
Upland game bird
Sage-grouse Seasons in Oregon, 2026-27
9 hunt numbers with 0 tags for 2026, plus every general season, unit and 2025 harvest figure for Oregon sage-grouse.
Photo: Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (Public Domain Mark 1.0)
Quick read on Oregon sage-grouse
The 2026 sage-grouse draw has 9 hunts and 0 tags: 9 permit. First-choice demand in 2025 came to 1,076 applicants, roughly 0.0 per tag on offer now. The first sage-grouse opener on the calendar is 2026 controlled sage-grouse season on September 12, 2026, and the last day of any sage-grouse row is September 20, 2026. For the bag, the booklet says: 2 per season (daily bag not printed separately). Some sage-grouse rows apply only in listed units: 8 units in all.
From 2026-27 Oregon Game Bird Hunting Regulations (Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife), checked November 8, 2026.
GearHeading out for a hunt? Hunting gear checklists by season →
Oregon general sage-grouse tags and dates
One row per printed sage-grouse season. Unit numbers link to the unit pages.
| Hunt | Area | How issued | Dates | Limit | Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Falconry season | Falconry | Sep 1–Jan 31, 2027 | 1 daily, 2 in possession, season limit 2 |
From 2026-27 Oregon Game Bird Hunting Regulations (Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife), checked November 8, 2026.
Sage-grouse hunt numbers, tags and applicants
Each row is one sage-grouse hunt number with its 2026 tags and the 2025 first-choice applicant count printed beside it.
| Series | Number | Tags | 2025 apps | Start | End | New |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sage-grouse permits | 9 | 0 | 1,076 | Sep 12, 2026 | Sep 20, 2026 | 0 |
| Hunt | Hunt area | Weapon | Season | Tags | First choices | WMUs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| J65 | Beulah Unit | Permit | Sep 12–Sep 20, 2026 | – | 143 | |
| J66 | Malheur Rvr Unit | Permit | Sep 12–Sep 20, 2026 | – | 155 | |
| J67 | Owyhee Unit | Permit | Sep 12–Sep 20, 2026 | – | 52 | |
| J68A | Trout Cr Mtns a | Permit | Sep 12–Sep 20, 2026 | – | 82 | |
| J68B | E. Whitehorse b | Permit | Sep 12–Sep 20, 2026 | – | 119 | |
| J69 | Steens Mtn Unit | Permit | Sep 12–Sep 20, 2026 | – | 105 | |
| J70 | Beatys Butte Unit | Permit | Sep 12–Sep 20, 2026 | – | 145 | |
| J73A | N. Wagontire c | Permit | Sep 12–Sep 20, 2026 | – | 103 | |
| J74 | Warner Unit | Permit | Sep 12–Sep 20, 2026 | – | 172 |
From 2026-27 Oregon Game Bird Hunting Regulations and controlled hunt applications (Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife), checked November 8, 2026.
Oregon counties with sage-grouse rows
| Unit page | Oregon side | Rows | 2026 tags | County overlap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beulah Unit (65) | East | 2 | 0 | |
| Malheur River Unit (66) | East | 2 | 0 | |
| Owyhee Unit (67) | East | 2 | 0 | |
| Whitehorse Unit (68) | East | 2 | 0 | |
| Steens Mtn Unit (69) | East | 2 | 0 | |
| Beatys Butte Unit (70) | East | 2 | 0 | |
| Wagontire Unit (73) | East | 2 | 0 | |
| Warner Unit (74) | East | 2 | 0 |
Counties are listed for orientation; the legal boundary for sage-grouse is the unit or hunt area printed with each row.
| County page | Season rows | Units in the county | Side |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baker | 2 | East | |
| Deschutes | 2 | East | |
| Grant | 2 | East | |
| Harney | 2 | East | |
| Lake | 2 | East | |
| Malheur | 2 | East |
From WMU maps and 2026-27 Oregon Game Bird Hunting Regulations (Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife), checked November 8, 2026.
How many sage-grouse you may take in Oregon
The table copies the sage-grouse limit lines from the booklets so the counting rule is plain.
| Which limit | As printed |
|---|---|
| In the rows | 2 per season (daily bag not printed separately) |
| In the rows | 1 daily, 2 in possession, season limit 2 |
From species table (Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife), checked November 8, 2026.
Sage-grouse: what you may hunt with
Oregon sets weapon rules by season type, so an archery sage-grouse hunt and an any-legal-weapon hunt allow different tools.
| Season type | Legal | Not legal |
|---|---|---|
| Game birds and crows |
|
|
ODFW's summary for sage-grouse: shotgun 10 gauge or smaller holding no more than three shells, or bow; no slugs; steel shot no larger than F (other shot no larger than BB); falconry allowed.
From species table, legal weapons and general hunting regulations (Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife), checked November 8, 2026.
Licenses and fees for sage-grouse
Oregon fees for sage-grouse; licenses and tags are sold online, at license agents and at ODFW offices.
| Item | Residency | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Hunting | Resident | $39.00 |
| Hunting | Nonresident | $193.00 |
| Combination (hunt and angle) | Resident | $86.00 |
| Youth combination (12-17) | Either | $10.00 |
| 3-day bird license (18+) | Nonresident | $36.00 |
| Youth bird license (11 and under) | Either | Free |
| Upland game bird validation (18+) | Resident | $11.00 |
| Youth upland game bird validation (12-17) | Either | $4.00 |
| Nonresident game bird validation (18+) | Nonresident | $50.00 |
| Sage-Grouse permit | Either | $2.00 |
| Big game application | Either | $10.00 |
| Bird hunt application | Either | $4.00 |
Physically reside in Oregon at least six consecutive months immediately before applying; owning property or paying property tax is not enough; claiming residency elsewhere disqualifies; false application is a crime. Waived for uniformed service members stationed in Oregon (and spouse/dependents).
From 2026 license and tag fees and license requirements (Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife), checked November 8, 2026.
Before you hunt sage-grouse: the rules
A short list for sage-grouse: Oregon has no Sunday limit, but it does have the rules below.
| Subject | What it says |
|---|---|
| Bait | Unlawful to hunt game birds by aid of baiting or over a baited area; an area stays baited for 10 days after complete removal of bait (salt, grain or other feed). |
| Evidence | Edible portions of game mammals (except cougar) and game birds must not be wasted; deer, elk, pronghorn, sheep and goat need evidence of sex (head/scalp with antlers or horns, or a reproductive organ attached to meat; option 1 for antler-point hunts); game birds keep the head or a fully feathered wing in transit. |
| Hunter orange | Hunters younger than 18 hunting any game mammal or upland game bird (except wild turkey) with a firearm must wear a hunter orange hat or exterior garment (shirt, jacket, coat, vest or sweater) visible from all directions; hunter orange camouflage is acceptable. No hunter orange requirement for adults. |
| Roads | No hunting or shooting from or across public roads or railroad rights-of-way (except roads closed to vehicles); no hunting in city limits, parks, cemeteries or school grounds, or on closed refuges. |
From tagging and reporting and ORS chapter 496 (Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife), checked November 8, 2026.
Public places for sage-grouse
The land list for sage-grouse uses the species named by ODFW visitors' guides, refuge rules, A&H pages and forest pages.
Listed for sage-grouse by ODFW A&H page (Huntable Species): Otley Access Area, in Steens Mtn Unit.
Listed for sage-grouse by ODFW A&H page (Huntable Species): Jenkins Access Area, in Steens Mtn Unit.
Listed for sage-grouse by ODFW A&H page (Huntable Species): Alvord Ranch Access Area, in Steens Mtn Unit.
BLM Marys Peak Field Office is open to hunting under its own rules, in Trask Unit and Stott Mtn Unit.
BLM Myrtlewood Field Office: public land in Tioga Unit and Sixes Unit; check its page for access.
In Sumpter Unit and Beulah Unit, BLM Malheur Field Office keeps its own access rules.
From land records and agency page (Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife), checked November 8, 2026.
Sage-grouse hunting hours on key dates
Oregon clocks fall back on November 1, 2026 and spring forward on March 14, 2027, so sage-grouse times jump an hour across those dates.
The game bird table governs sage-grouse; Zone A is Western Oregon and Zone D the far east, with a Mountain Time column for part of Malheur County.
| Date | Zone A | Zone B | Zone C | Zone D |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 1, 2026 | 6:05 a.m. to 7:48 p.m. | 5:56 a.m. to 7:40 p.m. | 5:59 a.m. to 7:38 p.m. | 5:46 a.m. to 7:28 p.m. |
| Sep 12, 2026 | 6:22 a.m. to 7:22 p.m. | 6:12 a.m. to 7:14 p.m. | 6:14 a.m. to 7:13 p.m. | 6:02 a.m. to 7:03 p.m. |
| Oct 15, 2026 | 6:55 a.m. to 6:31 p.m. | 6:46 a.m. to 6:22 p.m. | 6:45 a.m. to 6:24 p.m. | 6:35 a.m. to 6:12 p.m. |
| Dec 21, 2026 | 7:15 a.m. to 4:37 p.m. | 7:15 a.m. to 4:37 p.m. | 7:02 a.m. to 4:33 p.m. | 6:55 a.m. to 4:18 p.m. |
| Jan 15, 2027 | 7:15 a.m. to 4:56 p.m. | 7:08 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. | 7:03 a.m. to 4:52 p.m. | 6:56 a.m. to 4:37 p.m. |
Times from the 2026-27 game bird shooting hours table; checked November 8, 2026. Legal hours for every county.
Photo: Bureau of Land Management Oregon and Washington (CC BY 2.0)
Photo: Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (Public Domain Mark 1.0)
Photo: daveynin (CC BY 2.0)
Sage-grouse FAQ
Are 2026 sage-grouse permit numbers out?
Sage-Grouse Permit ($2) by controlled drawing (applications July 1-August 14, results August 25). The table prints 2025 permits and applicants; 2026 permit numbers were to be finalized in early August.
Are electronic calls legal for sage-grouse?
Oregon bans live decoys, electronic calls (crows excepted) and baiting for sage-grouse.
How long is the Oregon sage-grouse season?
Sage-grouse can be hunted between September 12, 2026 and September 20, 2026. 2026 controlled sage-grouse season: September 12, 2026. One or more sage-grouse seasons are running now.
How many sage-grouse can I take in Oregon?
2 per season (daily bag not printed separately); 1 daily, 2 in possession, season limit 2.
What does it cost to hunt sage-grouse in Oregon?
A hunting license ($39.00 resident, $193.00 nonresident) and the Upland Game Bird Validation ($11.00; nonresidents use the $50.00 game bird validation). Sage-grouse also need a Sage-Grouse Permit from the controlled drawing.
How are sage-grouse tags drawn in Oregon?
9 in the Sage-grouse permits. July 1-August 14, results August 25. Sage-grouse permits are drawn at random in the game bird controlled hunt drawing.
How may sage-grouse be taken in Oregon?
Shotgun 10 gauge or smaller holding no more than three shells, or bow; no slugs; steel shot no larger than F (other shot no larger than BB); falconry allowed.
Which units have sage-grouse hunts?
Rows tied to units name 8 Wildlife Management Units touching 6 counties. The unit table above links each unit page.
Which hours table applies to sage-grouse?
Game birds only between the times in the 2026-27 shooting hours table (zones A-D), except fee pheasant hunts (end 5 pm at EE Wilson and Fern Ridge, 6 pm at Sauvie Island), youth upland hunts, the Northwest Permit Goose Season and some state or federal areas.
Is blaze orange required for Oregon sage-grouse hunters?
Hunters younger than 18 hunting any game mammal or upland game bird (except wild turkey) with a firearm must wear a hunter orange hat or exterior garment (shirt, jacket, coat, vest or sweater) visible from all directions; hunter orange camouflage is acceptable. No hunter orange requirement for adults.
How does Oregon punish unlawful sage-grouse kills?
Civil damages under ORS 496.705: game birds $20 (turkey or sage-grouse $1,000). Damages for sage-grouse are civil and separate from any fine.
Other photos on this page: Bureau of Land Management Oregon and Washington (CC BY 2.0); Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (Public Domain Mark 1.0); daveynin (CC BY 2.0).