Oregon Elk Hunting

Oregon Elk Hunting 2025

Oregon has two species of elk—Roosevelt and Rocky Mountain. Roosevelt elk occupy most of Western Oregon, with concentrations in the Cascade and Coast ranges. Rocky Mountain elk inhabit most of the central to eastern part of the state.

Oregon manages for opportunity for most of the state, but they have a couple of trophy units available for both species. Due to the limited number of trophy units and the fact that they only give non-residents applying in the draw 2.5% of the elk tags, you can see why it can take more than two and a half decades to draw one of the trophy Rocky Mountain elk units in the state. The top three Rocky Mountain elk areas are Wenaha, Walla Walla, and Mt. Emily. All three of these units are going to take 26+ points to draw for either archery or rifle.

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2025 Oregon Elk Draw

If you are a rifle hunter sitting on 6-14 points, you may want to look more at Sled Springs, Snake River, and Ochoco. If you are an archery hunter, you can draw the Snake River and Ochoco units on a regular basis as these tags can be drawn with a lot lower points. If you did not start applying 25 years ago, there are not a lot of options in Oregon for the trophy elk hunter. Without a lot of points, a trophy elk hunter’s best chance of getting a tag is applying in the premium draw and also buying raffle tickets as Oregon raffles off a lot of different elk tags.

For over-the-counter Rocky Mountain elk areas, one unit that still offers over-the-counter archery hunts with good trophy quality is Lookout Mountain. This unit is a mix of public and private land, but there were some fires that burned in this unit in 2024. There are also a few elk spread throughout the southeast units, which are still over-the-counter archery units. You can expect super low densities of elk in the Steens, Whitehorse, and Owyhee units. The archery season will run August 30 - September 28 for 2025.

The trophy Roosevelt elk hunts don't require as many points to draw as Rocky Mountain elk in Oregon. The best Roosevelt elk rifle hunts typically take 9-14 points to draw, with some other rifle hunts taking 2-4 points. The Powers unit is the only limited-entry archery Roosevelt elk hunt in the state, and it took 18 points to draw.

Oregon has some of the best archery Roosevelt elk hunting in the West. All of the Roosevelt units are over-the-counter, except the Powers unit. The best units for over-the-counter archery hunting are Sixes, Tioga, Chetco, Trask, Siuslaw, and Saddle Mountain. The archery season will run August 30 - September 28 for 2025.

Oregon OTC Elk Hunt Opportunities

In the February issue, we covered Oregon’s deer and elk hunts that are available through the draw. This article, you will find over-the-counter opportunities that are available for Rocky Mountain elk, Roosevelt elk, and blacktail deer. For further information on Oregon’s rules and regulations, refer back to our February issue or Oregon’s 2025 Big Game Regulations.

You can purchase an over-the-counter tag online or stop by any Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife office or any of the hundreds of ODFW license vendors located throughout the state. If the season you want to hunt is already open, you must buy your tag from an Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife office.

Roosevelt elk are found on the western side of Oregon and live in steep, thickly-timbered, nasty country. Be prepared for a tough hunt with usually low success. Most rifle and archery Roosevelt tags are available over-the-counter. For 2025, the archery season dates run August 30-September 28 and the rifle hunts run November 15-18, with some units having second seasons of November 22-28. The best opportunity to harvest a Roosevelt bull is the archery season as they are most vulnerable during the rut. Every archery Roosevelt unit is over-the-counter with the exception of the Powers unit, which is a draw for everything but spike bulls. Huntin’ Fool Adventures works with great Roosevelt elk outfitters, so if that is on your bucket list, give us a call to set up a hunt.

For our archery Rocky Mountain elk table, we only listed Lookout Mountain and Sled Springs Mountain. Lookout Mountain has a healthy elk population, but most of the hunt is private land, which can make the hunt frustrating. Sled has a lot of public land, but there is a lower elk density in this big desert unit. Other desert units that we did not cover in the chart that can still be hunted on the over-the-counter elk tag are Wagontire and Beulah. Both units have extremely low elk densities but border some of Idaho’s better elk units. Last year on the archery hunt on the Owyhee unit, four bulls were harvested, and one bull was harvested on the Whitehorse unit.

If you plan on hunting deer or elk in Oregon, you need the combination tag to buy a black bear and cougar tag. Those tags can be purchased at any time for the cost of $16.50 each. You never know when you are in the field or are going to cross paths with a bear or cougar, but if you do, you can harvest that animal if you have purchased a tag.

Oregon still has great over-the-counter opportunities for Roosevelt elk and blacktail deer. If you still need a hunt for 2025, Oregon may be the opportunity you are looking for. If you have any questions about Oregon, give us a call.

Self Guided DIY Oregon Elk Hunts

For rifle hunters, there are two general hunts for Roosevelts in November. The rifle hunts are tough due to the thick timber and steep terrain. Glass the clear-cuts and burns for the best success. The best hunting is in areas that have burned or on timber company land where they are still logging and creating good habitat for elk. Some timber companies allow access, but some charge a fee.

If you are looking for a guided Roosevelt elk hunt, then you need to reach out to Huntin’ Fool Adventures as they are working with the best outfitters in the state. Most outfitters are booked a couple of years out, so it is good to plan ahead for your Roosevelt hunt.

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Private Land, Semi-Guided, and Guided Elk Hunts in Oregon

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2025 Application Dates for Elk in Oregon

The application deadline is May 15th with draw results available by June 20th• Since applicants do not submit tag fees, no refunds will be sent. If you draw, you will receive a notice to purchase your tag.

Our online/print magazine has everything in one location: Application info, draw details and odds, fees, hunter requirements, point structure, age restrictions, youth information, weapon restrictions, other tag opportunities, hunt planning and much more. If you would like access to all of our research join today!

2025 Oregon Non-Resident Elk Hunting Fees

2025 OREGON NON-RESIDENT FEES Up-Front Fees
Adult Hunting License	$172
Juvenile Hunting License (9-17 years old)	$10
Application Fee per Species	$8
Post Draw Fees (if successful)
Elk ( controlled or general)	$588

Oregon Elk Hunting Articles from Huntin' Fool Magazine