With its millions of acres of timbered mountains, grassy meadows and brushy canyons, central Oregon supports a lot of elk. Hunters may buy tags over the counter to hunt in the Cascades or to bow hunt in most units east of the Cascades. Almost all rifle hunting in eastern Oregon is controlled through a limit on hunting permits, which are issued by computer lottery. Hunters may apply for five hunt choices and receive preference points if they do not draw a first choice permit. Most units produce a few six-point bulls. Tags in the better units are hard to draw with many applicants for each tag. Some tags are issued randomly, giving everybody an opportunity to draw even the most coveted tags. The better tags take many years or a lot of luck to draw.
License Costs
|
Resident |
Nonresident |
Elk Tag |
$49.50 |
$588 |
Controlled hunt application fee |
$8 |
$8 |
| Resident | Nonresident |
Elk Tag | $49.50 | $588 |
Controlled hunt application fee | $8 | $8 |
News, notes and alerts
Hunters who don’t get their first-choice tag earn a preference point
Applicants must buy a hunting license
Hunting parties may apply together
General bow tags sold until the day before general archery season
Highlights
Elk numbers are affected by drought and severe winters
Increases in cougar numbers and wolf introductions have affected herd sizes
A maximum of 5% of limited tags are issued to nonresidents
Elk benefit long term by forest fires, which have opened up much forest in recent years
Bowhunters may buy tags over the counter in most units where rifle tags are limited
In many units most mature bull elk live entirely or mostly on private land
Predator control has shown promise in some units
You do not lose preference points if you forget to apply for two or more years
Preference points are averaged for groups of up to 18 hunters applying together
Limits on hunting pressure have significantly increased the number of mature bulls
Boone and Crockett entries: Typical
** Units listed below may not have a current hunt for this species. Units in this table are included if a significant part of the unit is found within the county.
County |
Entries |
Game Management Units |
Grant |
6 |
Crook |
5 |
Wheeler |
3 |
Wallowa |
3 |
Union |
2 |
Boone and Crockett entries: Nontypical
** Units listed below may not have a current hunt for this species. Units in this table are included if a significant part of the unit is found within the county.
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