Number of Tags

Beastman · Jan 20, 2019

I am moving from Wisconsin to Oregon this summer and am seeking some information on hunting tags. I have looked on the Oregon website, followed forum posts, following a variety of groups on facebook and spoke with a relative that hunts sparingly. He mentioned that if you tag a deer with archery you are not able to rifle hunt for deer and the same for elk. Then on facebook groups, I have seen hunters post multiple deer pics for the same year or have seen one pic with a comment saying they are headed to fill their next deer tag. Looking for some guidance and how this all works. Any help would be appreciated.

Thank you,
Brad

WapitiBob · Jan 20, 2019

LAST EDITED ON Jan-20-19 AT 12:29PM (MST)[p]

Page 8 of the 2019 regs explains it all.

https://www.dfw.state.or.us/resources/licenses_regs/regulations.asp

I would not recommend you get hunting rules/regulation/draw advise from a facebook group based on what I have seen. Ifish dot net is oregon based and you'll get accurate info there or over here.

kickerbuck · Jan 20, 2019

There are general season OTC tags for blacktails on the west side of the state. For rifle all Mule Deer is draw and is under a series 100 hunt. The only other extra deer tag you could get would be a series 600. Archery is OTC for most units but there are some draw Archery and Muzz tags. In short yes you could get two but you would need a 600 series tag.

Deer will be extinct in Oregon in my kids lifetime due to terrible management and everything else that they have going against them. The thought of shooting two in Oregon is rediculous.ODFW needs to shut the WHOLE state down for hunting period!!!!

Every unit is thousands of deer below objectives and it's getting worse every year!!!!

dz · Jan 20, 2019

I'm not sure what you have seen, but my family hunts two to three states every year. I harvested two bull elk this year. So a lot of guys shooting more then one are traveling out of state. Wyoming allows you to shoot 2 bucks and 4 does of both deer and antelope. Also you can get 3 elk tags. Wyoming used to have lots of leftover tags after the draw to pickup the extra ones. Not so since they added the second draw. Like said above deer are really hurting so I have stopped hunting them. My kids will want to go shoot one and so we do.

What part of the state are you moving to? I suggest you start close to home so you can spend more time out in "Your" spot.

DZ

Beastman · Jan 20, 2019

DZ,
Moving to Canby which is about 30 miles south of Portland. I have been reading up on public land opportunities in other states - Idaho and Montana mainly. It will be a big change from hunting in Wisconsin. Tons of deer in the farmland areas. I could have harvested 2 bucks and 8 does this year between gun and bow. Hunting smaller woodlots, field edges from tree stands is mainly what I do.

Beastman

Beastman · Jan 20, 2019

WapitiBob,
That was very helpful. Thank you.

The groups I follow at Oregon Bow Hunters, Oregon Hunters Association, Oregon Hunting. Not that I was looking for the rules or anything, but with what I see I can do more research and digging to find out as much as possible.

Beastman

lostinOregon · Jan 20, 2019

Welcome to the neighborhood. I live here, but hunt everywhere else. Your days of multiple deer are over unless you travel to other states.

Rich

bonepicker · Jan 21, 2019

Beastman,
I live in Sandy now, about 30 miles NE of Canby (after living 30+ years in Eastern Oregon) There are some blacktail opportunities over here, but just one tag and not a guaranteed harvest by any means. Many other states definitely have better hunting than Oregon. But if we are talking specifically an Oregon strategy, if you put in for a controlled hunt every year, you can build up points and eventually draw a tag for a higher quality unit that will be a fun hunt even if you don't get anything. Every year you do not draw, you can get a general season blacktail tag for western Oregon and that can be a fun challenge. Some good opportunities for hunting from tree stands that may be similar to what you are used to. Elk hunting in Oregon can be good, many opportunities. Again, the draw units are the best.
Outside of big game, there are tons of great outdoors things to do in this area. Good duck and goose hunting, plenty of salmon and steelhead opportunities nearby, crabbing and clamming at the coast, several lakes and rivers for boating, some decent pockets of public land on the west side of the state and a lot on the east side for ATVs or camping.
I have found if you shift your expectations a little, there really are alot of opportunities to keep you busy while you build up points for some of the better big game tags.

callsalot · Jan 21, 2019

Beastman,

I have lived in Oregon my whole life. 20 years in central Oregon and 30 years in western Oregon. The good news is there is quite a bit of opportunity in western Oregon and decent opportunity in Eastern Oregon especially if you archery hunt. The bad news is that is not typically a quality experience with crowded lands. Put in for special hunts in Oregon and get some general deer tags if you don't draw anything good. I would look at Idaho and Montana as your best backups. However a bad day in the Oregon woods is better than a good day at work. I've still killed lots of game "mostly archery elk" in Oregon and it can be done with some work.

Welcome.

Beastman · Jan 21, 2019

Bonepicker,

Great advice and thank you for it! I have been reading a lot of forums and from everything I see I will need to temper my expectations. The style of hunting will be a new challenge and I am looking forward to it. Some of my most favorite days in the woods end empty handed. It's not always about harvesting an animal!

I appreciate the extras that you include to make the outdoor experience the best it can be.

Beastman

Beastman · Jan 21, 2019

Callsalot,

I am super excited to learn about archery elk hunting more than anything. With my wife wanting to move to Oregon to be by family, I said well then I get to upgrade my hunting equipment! She agreed! I am headed out to look at new bows this weekend as its been about 10 years since my last upgrade. I have been watching quite a few Randy Newberg episodes and taking in as much as I can. Having lived in Wisconsin, I have really never had a reason to join the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, but have been looking into that as well. Lots of learning for this guy!

Appreciate your time to message.
Beastman

bonepicker · Jan 22, 2019

The beauty of the Oregon archery system, especially for elk, is that you can put in for the draw and if you don't get the tag you get a preference point and you can still get a general season archery tag. Archery hunting for elk can be a blast, takes some time to learn but if you connect with someone who knows how to call, you'll be less frustrated early on and it will reduce your learning curve by quite a bit.

desperatehills · Jan 23, 2019

Although our deer herds are in trouble, our elk are doing well. The thing you will love about Oregon vs Wisconsin is the amount of public land we have. Private ground can be better but there is a endless supply of public ground to hunt