Oregon: 2023 Hunting Application Details

Home to more than 34 million acres of public land open to hunters, the Beaver State brings a variety of diverse hunting opportunities on the West Coast. Oregon hunters can anticipate general season hunts for both deer and elk, as well as controlled hunts for antelope, elk, deer, bear, and cougar. Draws are also held for bighorn sheep and Rocky Mountain goat.

For those looking to hunt in Oregon, a hunting license is required in order to submit an application for Oregon controlled (limited) hunts. The cost for residents is $34.50, and the nonresident cost is $172. Due to this cost and the fact that Oregon caps nonresident big game tag allocations at 5%, it’s typically not considered a popular hunt destination for nonresidents.

The new 2023 Oregon regs, season dates, and hunt codes can be found here. The big game application period is currently open and ends May 15, 2023, with results available by June 12, 2023.

Hunters may apply for tags with the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife here.

Huntin’ Fool’s Oregon page is an excellent, updated resource for ongoing Oregon draw changes.

Oregon Draw Process FAQs

Application Dates and Deadlines: Huntin’ Fool lines out Oregon dates and deadlines.

Free for onX Elite members, Hunt Reminder’s Oregon page is also an excellent resource for timely application season reminders.

Hunting license and species costs for tags usually include:

• Application Fee
• Hunting License Fee to apply (usually need a qualifying license before you can apply)
• Species Fee (This is what you pay for the animal you want to hunt. Some you pay upfront at application, some you pay for once you get the tag.)
• Points-Only fee (fees for people just buying points and not actually applying for a hunt)

Point System

• For elk, deer, and antelope controlled hunts Oregon uses a Preference Point system.
• Preference Points are like a place in line: first in, first out. The applicants with the most Preference Points draw before those with less.
• If you apply for and are unsuccessful drawing your first choice, you’ll receive an additional Preference Point for future drawings.
• Applicants may apply for Preference Points only during the primary application window or in a separate application window that begins July 1st.
• Preference Points are considered for your first choice only. If you draw your first choice for a species, your Preference Points are purged back to zero.
• Preference Points do not expire.

Tag Allocation

• For every individual controlled hunt code, 75% of the total number of tags for that hunt will be awarded to the applicants with the most Preference Points.
• The remaining 25% of tags for any given hunt code will be issued in the Random Draw. The Preference Point drawing occurs first, then the Random Draw.
• For elk and deer a maximum of 5% of the total number of tags can be issued to nonresidents.
• However, half of the nonresident tags issued the prior year for deer and elk can be issued to outfitters in a separate drawing that is before the primary draw.
• For antelope, a maximum of 3% of the total number of tags can be issued to nonresidents.
• The nonresident allocation is not guaranteed, so it is possible for nonresidents to draw no tags for a hunt code if resident demand is high enough.
• When determining the 75% preference point tag quota, round up a tag if the decimal percentage is .5 or higher, otherwise round down.
• For hunt codes with three or fewer tags, all will be issued in the Preference Point drawing.
• For hunt codes with a total quota of 35 or fewer, a maximum of one tag will be made available to nonresidents/outfitters.

Useful Links:

• Access the onX Complete Package for Western Application Research
• Log Into Toprut Today to Start Your 2023 Application Season
• View Oregon Hunting Regulations Here
• Apply Here for Your Oregon Hunting Tags
• Read Oregon Hunting News and Updates Here
• Check Oregon CWD Updates Here

Toprut’s Top Three State Application Tips

• There are general tags available for elk and deer that are valid for specific game management units mostly in the western third of the state.
• For elk, deer, and antelope group applications there is no size limit on the number of people in your party. Preference Points are averaged for the group, rounding up only if the decimal portion for the average is .51 or higher. There must be enough tags left unissued for your entire party when drawn, otherwise the group application will be unsuccessful.
• In Oregon, all applicants are eligible to draw in the Random Drawing and Preference Points have no impact. Every applicant has the same odds in the random drawing for each particular hunt code (with consideration of an applicant’s residency status). Unless you’re hoping to draw a tag in the Preference Point draw for a given hunt, this is the important number to consider.

The Complete Service for Your Western Application Needs

To maximize your time spent researching and applying—and to help you build your strategy to successfully draw in 2023 and beyond—we’re providing onX Hunt Elite Members with FREE services in one comprehensive package:

Toprut: In-Depth Draw Odds and Application Tools

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