ODFW reminder: Report your deer and elk tags by Jan. 31 or pay $25 more for 2025 license

SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) —Big game hunters who purchased or were issued a deer or elk tag in 2023 must report their hunt by Tuesday, Jan. 31 at 11:59 p.m. PT (for any hunt that ended by Dec. 31, 2023).

Report online, at a license sale agent  or via the MyODFW app. As of today, more than 57,000 customers still need to report their 2023 deer and elk tags by the deadline.

Failure to report by the deadline will result in a $25 penalty when purchasing a 2025 hunting license. Hunters should also report any other 2023 big game (cougar, bear, antelope) or turkey tags though there is no penalty for not reporting these tags.

Hunters need to report on every 2023 deer, elk, bear, cougar, turkey and pronghorn tag purchased—even if they didn't harvest an animal or go hunting. That includes any tag issued as part of a Sports Pac. E-taggers who validated their tag through the app or online also still need to complete a separate report.

Hunters who don't already have an online account can easily set one up to report online. Go to https://odfw.huntfishoregon.com/login and use Verify/Look Up Account to find your profile which will include any tags you need to report

Hunters can also visit any license sale agent (businesses that sell hunting and fishing licenses) to report. License agents will not charge hunters a fee for this service. See a list of agents at https://myodfw.com/articles/where-find-odfw-license-agentsvendors

While ODFW Licensing staff can take reports by phone at (503) 947-6101, call hold times can be long and are increasing as the Jan. 31 reporting deadline approaches. Hunters are encouraged to report online or visit a license sale agent rather than calling.

The information reported by all hunters helps ODFW determine harvest and hunting pressure for each hunt and is used to help set tags. This information is also available to hunters on the https://myodfw.com/articles/big-game-hunting-harvest-statistics 

As an incentive to report on time, every hunter who does is entered to win one of three special tags ODFW offers each year. Winners can choose a deer, elk or pronghorn tag that is valid statewide during a four-month season, similar to auction and raffle tags which people can pay thousands for.

More information about mandatory reporting at, https://myodfw.com/articles/report-your-hunt.