Hunting & Shooting

Hunting seasons and permits are regulated by the State of Oregon. To find out more about where you can go hunting and what regulations apply in the Umpqua National Forest and surrounding area, please contact the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.

The Umpqua National Forest would like to remind hunters that all Travel Management rules apply and that vehicles must remain on designated routes as shown on the current Motor Vehicle Use Maps. Please use existing campsites and campfire rings when possible.

When on Forest Service land remember that:

• All firearms and bows with arrows should be cased and unloaded while in a recreation area or other public areas.
• Discharging a firearm (including a bow and arrow) is prohibited in or within 150 yards of a developed recreation site, a residence, or any place where people are likely to be.
• Shooting across bodies of water or a Forest Service road is prohibited.
• Shooting into or within any cave, mine or open shaft is prohibited.
• Private land is interspersed with public land and you must obtain written permission from the private landowner to hunt on their property. Obtain a map and use caution to ensure you don't inadvertently stray off public land onto private.
• Only portable stands or blinds are allowed. Check with your local ranger district for restrictions and time limits.

Hunting

Umpqua National Forest provides a variety of hunting opportunities for both small and large game.

Recreational and Target Shooting

For recommended target shooting areas and additional information contact the local ranger districts

Fundamentals of shooting:

• Treat every gun as if as if it is loaded
• Never let the muzzle of a firearm point at anything you do not intend to shoot.
• Keep your finger off the trigger until your sights are on the target and you are ready to shoot.
• Always be sure of your target and what is beyond.
• Ricochets can cause fires. Conditions in the forest can be dry at any time of year. When shooting firearms, please take safety precautions and be mindful that hot projectiles and sparks from ricochets can ignite fires in dry, grassy, brushy fuels.

Federal Rules

According to the Code of Federal Regulations (title 36), recreational shooting can take place on the National Forests and Grasslands under these conditions:

• You are at least 150 yards from a residence, building, campsite, developed recreation area or occupied area
• You are not shooting across or on a National Forest System Road or an adjacent body of water.
• You are not shooting into or within a cave
• You are not shooting in any manner or place where any person, property or resource is exposed to injury or damage due to such discharge
• You are not firing any tracer bullet or incendiary ammunition.