Oregon Draw 2023

[rtraverdavis]

Now that we’ve gotten most of the other boring states out of the way, we can all, together as a nation of sportsmen and women, focus on the draw we’ve all been waiting for—Oregon.

Seed numbers are drawn today. I should draw a pretty decent deer tag with my points this year, and hope to get lucky on any of my other applications. Good luck, everybody.

 

[LopeHunter]

Oregon. 2.5% of elk and deer tags (outfitters get other 2.5% of “NR” cap) then 3% of pronghorn tags to NR in the draw is hard to get excited about though is a draw opportunity. Roosevelt elk used to have OTC options when I lived there if a hunter wanted to tick that box.

 

[ashersdad]

Oregon is about my last chance for a tag I'm afraid. Good luck indeed.

 

[rtraverdavis]

Oregon. 2.5% of elk and deer tags then 1.5% pronghorn tags to NR in the draw is hard to get excited about though is a draw opportunity.

Come on. The land of NR opportunity!

 

[LopeHunter]

Come on. The land of NR opportunity!

I had to fix the pronghorn as no outfitter welfare on those. Tough place to justify. I have a ton of elk points I will let lapse as the NE units keep offering huge tag numbers for spike hunts messing with the branched bull tag holders plus predators have worked over the herd recruitment.

 

[gonhunting247]

I hope to draw a surprise sheep, goat or premium tag . Other than that just the regular backup plan easy to draw hunts for me. Season timing may be interesting this year

 

[more_cowbell]

With lower calf survival each year, for some units NE Oregon spike season gets progressively tougher.

Also seems for some areas many of the remaining elk are pushed to lower elevations and onto private. Then ODFW issues OTC cow tags for agricultural damage control.

In the April ODFW commission meeting someone was asked whether predators including wolves were causing elk to move to “new” areas. Answer was we’re unsure, it might be any number of factors such as climate change but we’re looking into it.

Good luck on the draw everybody!

 

[Salmonchaser]

I hope to draw a surprise sheep, goat or premium tag . Other than that just the regular backup plan easy to draw hunts for me. Season timing may be interesting this year

I think it was three years ago someone at ODFW decided to change what had been tradition in Oregon since well before I started hunting in 1967. Traditionally deer season opened the Saturday closest to the first of October. Now deer season opens the first full weekend of October. This years opener is the latest its ever been which should have us hunting deer in the rut. This also pushes elk season later into November and after the first major snow storms have hit the mountains.

 

[more_cowbell]

Every once in a while in mid October you’d see a buck that was in the pre rut so definitely may see more of that now. Sometimes the walla walla and wenaha units get decent snow even by end of October.

One year I had a spike tag for the walla walla unit and it snowed quite a bit night before opening day. Guys were getting stuck or turning around. I kept going and although someone else beat me to my spot, he’d pushed a herd out across the road boundary into the wenaha unit. The tracks crossing the road were about 200 yards from where he’d parked.

So I took my camera and followed the tracks into the wenaha side and within a 100 yards of the road found a spike and cow bedded down.

If the any of the guys who had already turned around due to snow were wenaha tag holders, they could’ve punched their tag. Moral of the story: keep driving!

 

[Salmonchaser]

I’ve held 57 elk tags in Oregon, 2 for Chesnimus, 10 in Hells Canyon, 2 in Starkey, The rest have all been in Walla Walla or Wenaha. Killed my first bull near Jubile lake in 67. I always have snow shoes in my kit.

 

[QuazyQuinton]

Last year my son and I had Walla Walla first season spike tags, and snow limited everybody for several days of the season. Now both seasons will be several days later this year. Could be interesting. But what do I know, I'm all in with my points for a Wenaha tag this year.

QQ

 

[more_cowbell]

I admit I like to see spikes still alive after the two spike seasons.

 

[more_cowbell]

Most frustrating thing is seeing this but having a spike tag in your pocket....

 

[Gr8bawana]

I’ve held 57 elk tags in Oregon, 2 for Chesnimus, 10 in Hells Canyon, 2 in Starkey, The rest have all been in Walla Walla or Wenaha. Killed my first bull near Jubile lake in 67. I always have snow shoes in my kit.

My wife and I were camping at Jubilee lake last Sept. and the bulls were going crazy every morning. It was almost impossible to see any of them because it was so smoky.

 

[rtraverdavis]

Well, based on this year's seed numbers, I will NOT be drawing any surprise tags...

 

[Salmonchaser]

Every year I get pics of good to great bulls. I’ll look again, thought the second pic was the spike I killed standing behind his big brother.

 

[Salmonchaser]

My wife and I were camping at Jubilee lake last Sept. and the bulls were going crazy every morning. It was almost impossible to see any of them because it was so smoky.

I live just a short drive from there, It is fun to head up in there and just listen. If you’re ever up in there again take the old Kendall skyline road, it was built by homsteaders in the 1850’s, it follows the breaks, lot of good ground for elk viewing.

 

[cgasner1]

With only 2.5% of the tags available they could at least make it a random draw instead of the preference

 

[FairWeather]

Yeah, I could possibly get an antler less 600 series tag. All my other ones though, no chance.

 

[fishing4sanity]

I hope not too many of you guys hate me when I draw my sheep tag this year.