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Common Ground News

Can you own reindeer in Oregon?

Author

Matthew Cannon

Updated on February 20, 2026

Can you own reindeer in Oregon?

This Reindeer Farm In Oregon Will Positively Enchant You This Season. Think the North Pole is the only place you can find reindeer? Think again. Nestled away on a farm just outside of Springfield, you'll find a whole herd of Santa's reindeer.

Beside this, can you own a reindeer in Oregon?

Basic Requirements

(b) To hold fallow deer (Dama dama) or reindeer (Rangifer tarandus), a Type 2 license is required. (c) No other species or subspecies of cervids may be held under a cervid license.

Subsequently, question is, is it legal to own reindeer? Fortunately, you can still own a reindeer (as long as it isn't wild), a single-humped camel, a toucan, or an elk—and you don't even need a permit for these!

Beside this, what kind of exotic pets are legal in Oregon?

Exotic pets that are allowed in Oregon include non-human primates, crocodilians, bears (except for the American black bear), and non-indigenous canines or felines which are not domestic or domestic crosses.

Can you have a pet monkey in Oregon?

Oregon. In Oregon, it is illegal to possess wild cats, bears other than black bears, canines not native to Oregon, monkeys, alligators, crocodiles, or caimans. You can get a special permit for a service monkey.

What animals are illegal in Oregon?

The law covers the following animals:
  • Felines not native to Oregon, with the exception of domestic cats.
  • Non-wolf canines not indigenous to Oregon, except domestic dogs.
  • Primates such as monkeys or capuchins.
  • Bears. *
  • Members of the crocodile family.

How much does a baby reindeer cost?

The ROBA recommends that new owners purchase young stock, as reindeer calves are easier to train than mature animals. Make sure any reindeer you purchase come from a certified tuberculosis-free herd. Expect to pay around $1,000 at the low end for a male reindeer, with prices rising for trained, female reindeer.

How much is a real reindeer?

Most reindeer probably cost between $5000 and $10,000 dollars.

Can you farm reindeer?

You could raise reindeer if you want to! Some people raise them for their healthy meat. However, most American breeders raise and train reindeer to take part in Christmas events like parades and “Meet Santa†photo ops. Christmas-tree farms sometimes keep reindeer as attention-getters, too.
Raccoons are not pets!

Raccoons do not make good pets. It is illegal in the State of Oregon to take a raccoon out of the wild to be kept as a pet.

Oregon state law permits bobcats to be kept as pets if they are obtained through an outside source, not taken from the wild, though local ordinances can prohibit them. According to the ODFW's Web site, there are no known reports of attacks by bobcats on people.
Platypus are difficult and expensive animals to keep in captivity, even for major zoos and research institutions. Sensibly, platypus cannot be legally kept as pets in Australia, nor are there currently any legal options for exporting them overseas.

Can you own a tiger in Oregon?

The following states completely ban the ownership of exotic animals: California, Washington, Oregon, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, Iowa, Illinois, Ohio, Kentucky, Georgia, South Carolina, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts.

Can you own an ocelot in Oregon?

Many exotic animals are not legal to own in Oregon. Oregon has 49 permits for 88 animals. Nearly half of those permits are for exotic felines, including servals, caracals, an ocelot, lynx, margay, and a Geoffray cat. , owning many exotic pets became illegal.
OR Sugar Gliders (Petauridae, Petaurus breviceps) is classified as a noncontrolled mammal under the Oregon Wildlife Integrity Rules (OAR 635-056-0060). Noncontrolled mammals may be sold, purchased or exchanged without restriction.

Can I own a sloth in Oregon?

The only sloths the center keeps in Oregon - both species of two-toed sloths - are not. It's possible to possess and sell the two-toed variety as pets. And in fact, old ads - associated with the center or its owner - offered exotic animals for sale, including sloths.
See Helpful Hints on the Wildlife page. Opossums are not native to California. It's a violation of California law for any wildlife to be kept as pets.
To put it simply: no, foxes are not legal in Oregon. Note: Native foxes, red foxes (Vulpes Vulpes) and gray foxes (Urocyon cinereoargenteus), require a fur farm permit. With a fur farm permit, you must have 10 or more foxes and you must raise them for commercial profit.

Is it illegal to shoot your dog in Oregon?

Except as provided in subsection (3) of this section, any dog, whether licensed or not, which, while off the premises owned or under control of its owner, kills, wounds, or injures any livestock not belonging to the master of such dog, is a public nuisance and may be killed immediately by any person.

Are reindeer considered livestock?

The reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) has long been herded by northern peoples of Eurasia, such as the Lapps of Scandinavia. Both of these species of deer can be considered as being in the early stages of domestication, and they may be more important as livestock in the future.

What states are Axolotls illegal in?

Axolotls are illegal to own in some states, including California, Maine, New Jersey, and Virginia. In New Mexico, they are legal to own but illegal to import from other states. Check your local exotic pet laws to verify that you may keep one.
It's legal to own a pet raccoon in the following states:
  • Arkansas.
  • Delaware.
  • Florida.
  • Indiana.
  • Nebraska.
  • North Carolina.
  • South Carolina.
  • Michigan.

How many acres do reindeer need?

Dieterich said an acre or two of land is sufficient for a few head of reindeer, but although the animals aren't really jumpers and a 4 1/2foot fence would keep them in, some states require a 10-foot fence for any member of the deer family.
Answer: Reindeer are a restricted species and may not be imported as pets, so you must have a verified use or need. Incidentally, California law also prohibits the importation of reindeer for meat production (aka “deer farmingâ€).

Are reindeer hard to raise?

They're easy animals

“They lie around most of the day,†says Murdoch, who has raised them for 13 years. If trained early and given proper cues from a herd leader or trainer, reindeer behave more like horses than lions or gazelles.

How much is a pet monkey?

Pet monkeys typically cost between $4,000 and $8,000 each. However, this will depend on the monkey's age, rarity and temperament. Younger, more rare and friendlier monkeys tend to cost more.

Are possums protected in Oregon?

Oregon has no extermination policy for the notorious marsupial known for dining on the eggs of native birds. And while possums are ugly, they do have their fans.
State Laws for Keeping Exotic Cats as Pets
  • 4 states have no laws on keeping dangerous wild animals as pets: Alabama, Nevada, North Carolina, and Wisconsin.
  • 6 states do not ban or regulate keeping big cats as pets: Alabama, Nevada, North Carolina, Wisconsin, Delaware, and Oklahoma.

Can you legally own a bobcat?

States Where Bobcat Ownership is Legal

Owning bobcats for private purposes or as a pet is legal in several states. These states include Arizona, Delaware, Florida, Indiana, Maine, Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Texas and Wisconsin.

It is currently legal to own domesticated skunks in only 17 states: Alabama, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

How many cats can you own in Oregon?

Cats: People living within the City limits of Hillsboro shall keep no more than three cats on their property, unless the cats are under four months of age and are the offspring of a resident female cat.
As mentioned above, it is illegal to own a pet squirrel in Oregon, and no permits are issued to new squirrel owners. The only ownership permits made available to squirrel owners are permits for animals grandfathered in as per the information noted above.
In Idaho and Oregon, USA, European hedgehogs are illegal. African Pygmy hedgehogs are legal. In Maine, New Jersey and Wyoming, USA, a permit is required. In Wisconsin, USA, an import permit from the state department of agriculture is required to bring a hedgehog into the state.
Wolf hybrids are regulated as domestic dogs in Oregon. ODFW has no jurisdiction over wolf hybrids. Authority to regulate the breeding, raising and holding of wolf hybrids lies with individual Oregon counties. Some Oregon counties have adopted ordinances that regulate the possession of wolves and wolf hybrids.

Can you have a coyote as a pet?

Pet coyotes are rare outside of zoological facilities and individuals with licenses to hold them (often for 'educational' purposes) but owners do exist. They are not as commonly bred and sold like wolves and wolfdogs because they are regulated as native wildlife, making them illegal in most, or all states.

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