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Waterfowl and snipe
Oregon White-fronted and White Geese Seasons and Limits, 2026-27
Season dates, bag and license for Oregon white-fronted, snow and Ross's geese in 2026-27, starting regular white-fronted and white goose on October 3.
Photo: Joan Amero (CC BY 2.0)
White-fronted and White Geese in Oregon at a glance
Regular white-fronted and white goose starts the white goose year on October 3, 2026; the final white goose row closes on March 10, 2027. In ODFW's words, the white goose bag is: 6 white-fronted and 20 white daily; 18 and 60 in possession. Map-only zones (Zone 1 and Zone 2) decide which white goose dates apply; the boundary is not written out as counties.
From 2026-27 Oregon Game Bird Hunting Regulations (Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife), checked November 8, 2026.
GearHeading out for duck and goose season? Duck and goose gear checklist →
The white goose calendar for 2026-27
Each line is one ODFW row for white-fronted, snow and Ross's geese, earliest first, with the area it covers and the paperwork it needs.
| Hunt | Where | Tag or license | When | Limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regular white-fronted and white goose | South Coast Zone | Validation |
| 6 white-fronted and 20 white daily; 18 and 60 in possession | |
| Regular white-fronted and white goose | High Desert and Blue Mtn Zone | Validation |
| 6 white-fronted and 20 white daily (Lake County: 1 white-fronted daily, 3 in possession) | |
| Regular white-fronted and white goose | Southwest Zone | Validation |
| 6 white-fronted and 20 white daily; 18 and 60 in possession | |
| Regular white-fronted and white goose | Mid-Columbia Zone | Validation |
| 6 white-fronted and 20 white daily; 18 and 60 in possession | |
| Regular white-fronted and white goose | Northwest Permit Zone | Permit |
| 6 white-fronted and 20 white daily; 18 and 60 in possession |
From 2026-27 Oregon Game Bird Hunting Regulations (Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife), checked November 8, 2026.
Oregon goose zones and counties
Five goose zones. Northwest Permit Zone and the coast zones are defined in text; High Desert and Blue Mountains and Mid-Columbia zones are shown only on the map image.
| Goose zone | Counties | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| Northwest Permit Zone | All of Benton, Clackamas, Clatsop, Columbia, Lane, Lincoln, Linn, Marion, Multnomah, Polk, Tillamook, Washington and Yamhill counties; dusky | |
| Southwest Zone | Those portions of Coos, Curry and Douglas counties east of Highway 101 and all of Josephine and Jackson counties. | |
| South Coast Zone | Those portions of Coos, Curry and Douglas counties west of Highway 101; no September Canada goose season. | |
| High Desert and Blue Mountains Zone | Map only | Map only. |
| Mid-Columbia Zone | Map only | Map only. |
From 2026-27 goose zones (Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife), checked November 8, 2026.
Units and counties for white-fronted, snow and Ross's geese
County lines mean little in Oregon's big game rules: a white goose row is valid in its units or hunt area, and a unit can cross three or four counties.
| County | Rows | Its WMUs | Oregon side |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coos | 2 | West | |
| Curry | 2 | West | |
| Douglas | 2 | West | |
| Benton | 1 | West | |
| Clackamas | 1 | West | |
| Clatsop | 1 | West | |
| Columbia | 1 | West | |
| Jackson | 1 | West | |
| Josephine | 1 | West | |
| Lane | 1 | West | |
| Lincoln | 1 | West | |
| Linn | 1 | West | |
| Marion | 1 | West | |
| Multnomah | 1 | West | |
| Polk | 1 | West | |
| Tillamook | 1 | West | |
| Washington | 1 | West | |
| Yamhill | 1 | West |
From WMU maps and 2026-27 Oregon Game Bird Hunting Regulations (Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife), checked November 8, 2026.
Limits on white-fronted, snow and Ross's geese for 2026-27
These are the white goose limits in ODFW's words; check the counting period before planning a second hunt.
| Where or what | Exact wording |
|---|---|
| Northwest Permit Zone | 6 white-fronted and 20 white daily; 18 and 60 in possession |
| High Desert and Blue Mtn Zone | 6 white-fronted and 20 white daily (Lake County: 1 white-fronted daily, 3 in possession) |
From bag limit table (Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife), checked November 8, 2026.
White-fronted and White Geese methods of take
Night vision, thermal scopes and drones are never legal for hunting white-fronted, snow and Ross's geese in Oregon.
| Weapon rule | Yes | No |
|---|---|---|
| Game birds and crows |
|
|
Method line for white-fronted, snow and Ross's geese: shotgun 10 gauge or smaller plugged to three shells, or bow; federally approved nontoxic shot required for waterfowl and snipe; no electronic calls (except crows).
From species table, legal weapons and general hunting regulations (Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife), checked November 8, 2026.
Oregon white goose fees for 2026-27
From the ODFW fee table: the license first, then any tag, validation or permit the white goose rows call for.
| License, tag or validation | Who | 2026 price |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| HIP validation | Either | Free |
| Waterfowl validation (18+) | Resident | $15.00 |
| Youth waterfowl validation (12-17) | Either | $4.00 |
| Nonresident game bird validation (18+) | Nonresident | $50.00 |
| Northwest Oregon goose permit | Either | $2.00 |
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.
Field rules that matter for white-fronted, snow and Ross's geese
Read these before a white goose hunt; a violation with a culpable mental state is a Class A misdemeanor.
| Area | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Calls and decoys | No live decoys, no recorded or electronic calls (except crows), no motorized or battery-powered decoys or quiver magnets. |
| Shot | ODFW encourages non-lead ammunition (message in the big game regulations); nontoxic shot is required for waterfowl and snipe and on many wildlife areas. |
| Season length | General duck season in each zone plus the youth and veterans/active military seasons may not exceed 107 days; at most one split per zone. |
| Private land | Hunting on private property requires landowner permission (ORS 105.700, 498.120); enclosed land includes posted Indian reservation boundaries. |
From tagging and reporting and ORS chapter 496 (Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife), checked November 8, 2026.
Public land for Oregon white-fronted, snow and Ross's geese
Public land picked for white-fronted, snow and Ross's geese: first the places whose agency source lists them, then big wildlife areas, forests or BLM land.
Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge names waterfowl in 50 CFR 32.56 "We allow hunting of …"; it lies in Beatys Butte Unit and Juniper Unit.
Malheur National Wildlife Refuge names waterfowl in 50 CFR 32.56 "We allow hunting of …"; it lies in Steens Mtn Unit and Juniper Unit.
Mid Coast Access Area names waterfowl in ODFW A&H page (Huntable Species); it lies in Trask Unit and Stott Mtn Unit.
Thomas Creek Access Area names waterfowl in ODFW A&H page (Huntable Species); it lies in Santiam Unit.
Klamath Marsh National Wildlife Refuge names waterfowl in 50 CFR 32.56 "We allow hunting of …"; it lies in Sprague Unit and Silver Lake Unit.
Upper Klamath National Wildlife Refuge names waterfowl in 50 CFR 32.56 "We allow hunting of …"; it lies in Keno Unit.
Summer Lake Wildlife Area names waterfowl in ODFW visitors' guide hunting text; it lies in Wagontire Unit and Silver Lake Unit.
Lewis and Clark National Wildlife Refuge names waterfowl in 50 CFR 32.56 "We allow hunting of …"; it lies in Saddle Mtn Unit.
From land records, agency page and agency page (Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife), checked November 8, 2026.
When light allows white goose hunting
Wildlife areas can set shorter hours than these for white-fronted, snow and Ross's geese.
Game birds, white-fronted, snow and Ross's geese included, may be shot only between the times in ODFW's 2026-27 table, which splits Oregon into Zones A to D.
| 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. |
| Oct 3, 2026 | 6:46 a.m. to 6:44 p.m. | 6:38 a.m. to 6:34 p.m. | 6:37 a.m. to 6:36 p.m. | 6:27 a.m. to 6:24 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: Murray Foubister (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Photo: David Prasad (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Photo: Sam Beebe (CC BY 2.0)
White-fronted and White Geese, answered
Why are dusky Canada geese closed?
All of Benton, Clackamas, Clatsop, Columbia, Lane, Lincoln, Linn, Marion, Multnomah, Polk, Tillamook, Washington and Yamhill counties; dusky Canada goose season closed; Northwest Goose Permit (goose identification test) required in the regular season; Fern Ridge Wildlife Area, EE Wilson Wildlife Area and most of Sauvie Island Wildlife Area closed to goose hunting in the permit season.
Does Oregon print white goose shooting times?
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.
Which calling and baiting rules cover white-fronted, snow and Ross's geese?
No. Hunting white-fronted, snow and Ross's geese over bait is illegal, and an area stays baited for 10 days after the bait is gone.
Can I use any shotgun for white-fronted, snow and Ross's geese?
Plugged shotguns or bows for white-fronted, snow and Ross's geese; lead shot is not legal.
When can I hunt white-fronted, snow and Ross's geese in Oregon?
The white goose calendar spans October 3, 2026 through March 10, 2027. Regular white-fronted and white goose: October 3, 2026. White-fronted, snow and Ross’s geese are in season today under at least one row.
Are weekends open for Oregon white-fronted, snow and Ross's geese?
Every day of the week works for white-fronted, snow and Ross's geese unless a wildlife area says otherwise.
What license do I need for white-fronted, snow and Ross's geese in Oregon?
A hunting license, the free HIP validation, the Waterfowl Validation ($15.00) and the federal duck stamp for hunters 16 and older. Northwest Oregon goose permit as listed in the license table.
How many white-fronted, snow and Ross's geese may one hunter keep in Oregon?
6 white-fronted and 20 white daily; 18 and 60 in possession; 6 white-fronted and 20 white daily (Lake County: 1 white-fronted daily, 3 in possession).
What methods may be used on white-fronted, snow and Ross's geese?
Shotgun 10 gauge or smaller plugged to three shells, or bow; federally approved nontoxic shot required for waterfowl and snipe; no electronic calls (except crows).
Other photos on this page: Murray Foubister (CC BY-SA 2.0); David Prasad (CC BY-SA 2.0); Sam Beebe (CC BY 2.0).