2020 temp rule that postponed requirement due to Covid expires March 31

January 29, 2021

SALEM, Ore. – Youth hunters (age 17 and younger) will need to fully complete their hunter education certification, including completing a field day, to hunt in Oregon on their own tag as of April 1, 2021.

Hunter education classes and field days were cancelled or more limited last year due to Covid-19 restrictions statewide. A temporary rule was approved that postponed the requirement for youth to attend a field day class in order to receive their hunter education certificate and hunt in 2020. The rule expires March 31, 2021.

Any student who was only able to complete the online or workbook portion of the class in 2020 will need to complete the field day portion to hunt as of April 1, including for 2021 spring turkey and spring bear seasons. 

The temporary rule is still good for hunts from the 2020 season that end by March 31, 2021.

To see the latest hunter education classes and field days available and register, visit https://myodfw.com/articles/hunter-education-classes-field-days  More classes and field days are being added regularly so check back if you don’t see one in your area.

ODFW offers two types of hunter education classes: conventional which is all in-classroom instruction, or online which students can complete mostly independently, except for the in-person field day. Find a list of approved online courses at https://myodfw.com/articles/hunter-education-classes-and-field-days-schedule

ODFW has taken a number of steps to protect both students and instructors participating in classes/field days since the pandemic began. Class size is restricted to 25 students/parents and then broken up into smaller groups at arrival. Social distancing is maintained and all students and volunteer instructors are required to wear a mask during the class. Hand sanitizer is available and equipment and materials are wiped down regularly.