Pheasant Hunting Workshops Held Around Oregon: Portland, Corvallis

Published 07/29/2019 at 4:53 PM PDT
By OREGON TRAVEL DAILY STAFF

(Salem, Oregon) – Pheasant hunting is a distinctive sport in Oregon with its own breed of devotees. If you’re one of those hunters that have always wanted to cross over into this endeavor but don’t have the right gear or someone to take you along, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) has just the ticket. Coming up in the Portland and Corvallis areas are a set of pheasant hunting workshops. The Sauvie Island Wildlife Area in Portland hosts them on September 7 or 8, while the EE Wilson Wildlife Area near Corvallis features the workshops on September 14 or September 15.

These pheasant hunting workshops are hosted by ODFW each fall, for adults only. Staff bring all the gear new hunters need (firearms, eye and ear protection, hunter orange clothing) and take participants through a shotgun skills safety class on a separate day prior to the hunt. Trained bird hunting dogs and guides come along on the hunt too, meaning even first-time hunters have a great chance to find birds, take a shot and harvest their first pheasant. Finally, instructors will show participants how to field dress your pheasant and share some cooking tips.

“Our focus is teaching beginners how to get started hunting in a safe and friendly environment,” said Cat Sandor-Korte, ODFW Outdoor Skills Coordinator. “If you’ve ever wanted to try hunting but aren’t sure where to start, this workshop is for you.”

Cost for the workshop is only $52 (plus cost of hunting license and upland bird validation). You will need to take a shotgun skills class on a separate day before the hunt – which costs $12. This is so hunting (and the dogs involved) can begin in the morning and finish up before the day gets too warm.

The shotgun skills classes are also open to people not taking the pheasant hunting workshops, and scheduled for:

Aug. 10 at Mid-Valley Clays in Gervais

Aug. 18 at EE Wilson Wildlife Area (Monmouth)

Register for both the workshop and a shotgun skills class online or at an ODFW office that sells licenses. To register online, go to MyODFW.com and click Buy a License. If you have never purchased a fishing or hunting license before, you will need to Create an Account—or if you are a returning customer, use Verify/Look Up Account to find your online profile if you haven’t yet. Once you have logged in, go to Purchase from the Catalog / Class/Workshop / Outdoor Skills to register and purchase a class.

There are two slots for youth (age 18 and under) available at each workshop and shotgun skills class. Contact event organizer Jered Goodwin, jered.w.goodwin@state.or.us, 971-600-4250 to take one of these spots. Kids need to be at least 9 years old and be hunter education certified to join the workshop and must be accompanied by a participating adult. (Note ODFW hosts free pheasant hunts for kids in September; see the Workshops & Events page for a list of these events.)

Before the class, participants also need to purchase a 2019 hunting license ($33.50 for resident adults/$10 for youth) and 2018-19 upland game bird validation ($9.50 for resident adults/$4 for youth ages 12-17). Licenses and validations aren’t sold at the events but it’s easy to purchase online and carry your license and tag on your phone (or print a paper version from home). You can also purchase at a license sales agent or ODFW office before the event. The license will be valid for hunting the rest of 2019, and the validation is good for the rest of the 2019-20 upland bird season.