Oregon Traditional Only Units

[Eastman528]

I am an Idaho resident I purchased preference points in Oregon this year for both deer and elk. My primary purpose is for deer but figured sense I am purchasing a license I might as well pay the $8 and start building elk points as well. I am working on planning my application strategy for 2025 if I even apply this year in Oregon. it seems a little difficult to figure out the true draw odds for some of these tags that were until just recently general tags. Seems like most of the archery tags can be drawn on 0-1 point currently pretty easy. I am wondering if anyone has any better understanding than I do of the Traditional only units specifically for elk, I think I have the deer units figured out. I am using both gohunt and the E regulations. I will continue to dig but having a hard time really sorting out what the difference is, I cant seem to find information explaining what part of the units if any is traditional only. On gohunt for example Unit 49-51 traditional only says valid only within the North Fork John Day Wilderness but the regulations dont seem to indicate that or that its only traditional tags, so in my mind you would be competing with all of the other controlled archery tag holders as well if that makes sense? Maybe the intent of these tags is just to provide additional opportunity.

The only real difference I see is that a couple of the traditional tags go until October 3rd for 2025. That could be enough of a benefit in and of itself but just trying to get a better idea of what I am looking at.

Like I said I am primarily applying in Oregon for deer as its relatively close to where I live in Idaho so makes sense for me even though maybe not a real draw for "trophy mule deer".

I do like the idea of being able to draw an elk tag with minimal points if I can hunt it the first few days in October when archery seasons in Idaho are closed.

Appreciate any insight!

 

[wapitibob]

We generally use unit names, makes it easier for us.

Oregontags dot com is a predictive odds site for OR and he should update this month for 2025.

If the hunt is not the full unit, or is multiple units, the hunt description and boundary will be listed in the back of the regs, usually odfw will have a map if it's a select area of a unit.

 

[Elkdreamer]

On a trad only hunt it will be closed during that time frame or part of that unit to compound hunters.

 

[Eastman528]

We generally use unit names, makes it easier for us.

Oregontags dot com is a predictive odds site for OR and he should update this month for 2025.

If the hunt is not the full unit, or is multiple units, the hunt description and boundary will be listed in the back of the regs, usually odfw will have a map if it's a select area of a unit.



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Thanks for the info. I'll have to give the oregontags.com a look be interesting to compare draw odds from there and Gohunt.

 

[wapitibob]

Thanks for the info. I'll have to give the oregontags.com a look be interesting to compare draw odds from there and Gohunt.

Gohunt only shows the previous years actual odds, ron wold does predictive odds for the upcoming year.

Read the regs as shown above for dates and then the hunt description section, the North Fork traditional Elk bow is valid in all of units 49-51. And there are regular bow hunts going on at the same time in all 3 units, the only difference is the closing date and the traditional tag takes fewer points to draw.

 

[Eastman528]

On a trad only hunt it will be closed during that time frame or part of that unit to compound hunters.

That would make sense but it doesn't appear to be quite that straight forward at least not specific to elk in some of the units. I know for Mule Deer for example, Unit 68 - Whitehorse they are specific about the area only open to traditional archery equipment and provide maps. I did more digging on the elk units last night and couldn't find the same type of information. For example: The Eagle Caps traditional only and archery controlled hunt numbers have the exact same season dates and I found no information indicating the traditional only tag has any special area where only traditional equipment is allowed. Entirely possible I am missing something but they sure don't make it intuitive if I am. I am hoping someone who is a resident or familiar with these specific hunts I am talking about chimes in or PM's me but I will end up calling ODFW when I get a chance.

 

[Elkdreamer]

Sorry, I might have been mistaken. Oregon did change things up a few years ago. One of the units I hunted elk had a trad only area during specific dates. My bad.

 

[Bob b]

There are 2 eastside traditional archery tag options.
1: north fork hunt. This unit is good for desolation sumpter and ukiah units and it goes an extra 5 days after the compound season closes. Yes you will be hunting with the compounders the first 4 weeks but you can jump around in 3 units and they have to stick to the one they draw.
2: Eagle cap traditional- this is the same season dates and the same units as the compound tag. It was created to save some opportunity because when it went to controlled they were cutting the tags in there to keep it a zone. They added back in 200 traditional archery tags. It’s good for all 5 units that that have the eagle cap wilderness in it.
The other traditional elk tag is on the west side in the santiam unit. It is in a general unit but if you draw the tag you can hunt an extra 5 days with a traditional bow. So if your going to hunt general you can just put as second choice and hunt an extra 5 days.
The last couple years I have ran into guys that didn’t draw the compound tag and were able to get the traditional tag because it was easier to draw. They were out hunting and having a great time instead of sitting on the couch- wish more states would do this!!

 

[Eastman528]

Sorry, I might have been mistaken. Oregon did change things up a few years ago. One of the units I hunted elk had a trad only area during specific dates. My bad.

Hey no need to apologize!

 

[wapitibob]

Sorry, I might have been mistaken. Oregon did change things up a few years ago. One of the units I hunted elk had a trad only area during specific dates. My bad.

The Canyon Creek traditional was a special hunt and unfortunately they dropped it a while back.

 

[Eastman528]

There are 2 eastside traditional archery tag options.
1: north fork hunt. This unit is good for desolation sumpter and ukiah units and it goes an extra 5 days after the compound season closes. Yes you will be hunting with the compounders the first 4 weeks but you can jump around in 3 units and they have to stick to the one they draw.
2: Eagle cap traditional- this is the same season dates and the same units as the compound tag. It was created to save some opportunity because when it went to controlled they were cutting the tags in there to keep it a zone. They added back in 200 traditional archery tags. It’s good for all 5 units that that have the eagle cap wilderness in it.
The other traditional elk tag is on the west side in the santiam unit. It is in a general unit but if you draw the tag you can hunt an extra 5 days with a traditional bow. So if your going to hunt general you can just put as second choice and hunt an extra 5 days.
The last couple years I have ran into guys that didn’t draw the compound tag and were able to get the traditional tag because it was easier to draw. They were out hunting and having a great time instead of sitting on the couch- wish more states would do this!!

Hey I really appreciate the clarification. Its good to hear that from someone in the know who has hunted in Oregon. I suspected it was in part to create opportunity which I am all for! To your point I agree I have made that argument in Idaho, rather than remove opportunity or just take away portions of rifle seasons add in a primitive weapon or traditional bow hunt or even compound. I should mention I am not even currently a traditional bow hunter, just "trad curious" ha and haven't quite taken the leap from compound, I know myself and I don't do anything halfway so once I do I'll be off the deep end in no time. So that is in part what brings me to applying in Oregon in a nut shell Opportunity. I am mostly looking at the far NE units sense I am right on the border I can get to most of that country more easily than areas I hunt in Idaho. If I can increase my opportunity by picking up a trad bow might be enough to push me off the ledge.

Appreciate your thoughts!

 

[nphunter]

Hey I really appreciate the clarification. Its good to hear that from someone in the know who has hunted in Oregon. I suspected it was in part to create opportunity which I am all for! To your point I agree I have made that argument in Idaho, rather than remove opportunity or just take away portions of rifle seasons add in a primitive weapon or traditional bow hunt or even compound. I should mention I am not even currently a traditional bow hunter, just "trad curious" ha and haven't quite taken the leap from compound, I know myself and I don't do anything halfway so once I do I'll be off the deep end in no time. So that is in part what brings me to applying in Oregon in a nut shell Opportunity. I am mostly looking at the far NE units sense I am right on the border I can get to most of that country more easily than areas I hunt in Idaho. If I can increase my opportunity by picking up a trad bow might be enough to push me off the ledge.

Appreciate your thoughts!

I feel like a lot of guys would probably still hunt with a compound bow during the season except for instance in the Desolation during those last 5 days. It is way too hard to regulate when there are 2K compound tags and only a couple dozen trad tags at during the same season. 95% of hunters it's legal to use a compound so nobody will be checking, IMO doing this state wide would cause a lot of issues.

A lot of residents use the trad as a 3rd choice since archery tags are no longer guaranteed as a 2nd choice in all of the better units. As far as NR, you need 2 points currently to be guaranteed to draw most of the better archery tags in the NE, some are available to guys with a good seed number and 1 point but if your planning a vacation around the tag you need 2 points.

 

[Bob b]

I feel like a lot of guys would probably still hunt with a compound bow during the season except for instance in the Desolation during those last 5 days. It is way too hard to regulate when there are 2K compound tags and only a couple dozen trad tags at during the same season. 95% of hunters it's legal to use a compound so nobody will be checking, IMO doing this state wide would cause a lot of issues.

A lot of residents use the trad as a 3rd choice since archery tags are no longer guaranteed as a 2nd choice in all of the better units. As far as NR, you need 2 points currently to be guaranteed to draw most of the better archery tags in the NE, some are available to guys with a good seed number and 1 point but if your planning a vacation around the tag you need 2 points.

I guess you probably right about some guys hunting with compounds. I guess I always assume most guys would be honest.

 

[wapitibob]

I guess you probably right about some guys hunting with compounds. I guess I always assume most guys would be honest.

Almost nobody will do that, you can get the regular archery tags that coincide with the trad hunts as a 2nd choice.

 

[nphunter]

Almost nobody will do that, you can get the regular archery tags that coincide with the trad hunts as a 2nd choice.

You have a chance to get them as a second choice. I know several people who didn’t draw this year second choice. I agree with you that very few will do this, however if the whole state or other states did similar I can easily see it becoming an issue and very hard to enforce.

Personally I put in first choice for EO archery because I want a guaranteed tag every year however I’d be happy to hunt with my trad bow if I need and have done trad only hunts with it in the past.

 

[Bob b]

You have a chance to get them as a second choice. I know several people who didn’t draw this year second choice. I agree with you that very few will do this, however if the whole state or other states did similar I can easily see it becoming an issue and very hard to enforce.

Personally I put in first choice for EO archery because I want a guaranteed tag every year however I’d be happy to hunt with my trad bow if I need and have done trad only hunts with it in the past.

Yes, I have a couple pissed off buddies who didn’t draw this year second choice

 

[hibernation]

Hey I really appreciate the clarification. Its good to hear that from someone in the know who has hunted in Oregon. I suspected it was in part to create opportunity which I am all for! To your point I agree I have made that argument in Idaho, rather than remove opportunity or just take away portions of rifle seasons add in a primitive weapon or traditional bow hunt or even compound. I should mention I am not even currently a traditional bow hunter, just "trad curious" ha and haven't quite taken the leap from compound, I know myself and I don't do anything halfway so once I do I'll be off the deep end in no time. So that is in part what brings me to applying in Oregon in a nut shell Opportunity. I am mostly looking at the far NE units sense I am right on the border I can get to most of that country more easily than areas I hunt in Idaho. If I can increase my opportunity by picking up a trad bow might be enough to push me off the ledge.

Appreciate your thoughts!

Definitely check out oregontags.com once it updates with 2025 odds, sometime between now and end of January. Really good stuff. Just consider that most of the eastern Oregon archery elk tags only went to a draw about 3 years ago, so a lot of the draw odds are still shaking out as people get used to the change. It's not going to be as consistent as something that's been a draw for 10+ years.

The nonresident 5% cap is really going to affect you on these too. The eagle cap traditional hunt has 200 tags, which means only 10 for nonresidents. I bet that one has some major swings from year to year for awhile, at least for nonresidents.