elk question

svg4 · Oct 23, 2012

If you don't get an elk on your control hunt tag, can you use it on the general bull hunt at the coast? I have a Aug.1 to Nov. 1 cow tag Grizzly Unit. A friend told me it is true. I have not heard this before.

joshkk · Oct 24, 2012

I don't think so.

longcolt · Oct 25, 2012

If you have an Elk tag and are not successful on your draw hunt, say eastern OR, then yes you can hunt Elk in the Coast Range during that season. You only have to buy one Elk tag. But you cannot do the bow and rifle switch game.

dplev4 · Oct 25, 2012

Right. You can't use your controlled rifle tag for archery elk on the coast. But you should be able to use your rifle tag for 1st/ 2nd season bull elk. But also be aware that there are limits on where you can rifle hunt in some coast units (Stott Mtn for example). Best advice is to call ODFW they will explain tag parameters.

lucky guy · Oct 30, 2012

I don't think that's correct. You can BUY only one elk tag (excluding leftover tags maybe) and can only hunt the area your tag is issued for. I've been wrong before (ask my wife) but unless I see a reg otherwise I'm pretty certain you cannot hunt a general hunt on a limited draw tag and vice versa.

sheepdip · Oct 30, 2012

what lucky guy said!

dplev4 · Oct 30, 2012

Check with ODFW. I have a sportsman's pac and selected archery, general and a drew a tag for a controlled hunt. Per ODFW you can hunt general bow elk and also your controlled hunt (bow), but you are only allowed one elk, total. So if you if you fill your tag during the first hunt, then you are done. No controlled hunt. I did not check rifle season, other than to confirm that if you select bow, then you are not entitled to a rifle tag too. There is an exception to even this though. You can try for a leftover tag, and f you are selected you could bow and rifle hunt the same year, but again only to the point you fill your tag.

longcolt · Nov 2, 2012

dplev4 said:
Check with ODFW. I have a sportsman's pac and selected archery, general and a drew a tag for a controlled hunt. Per ODFW you can hunt general bow elk and also your controlled hunt (bow), but you are only allowed one elk, total. So if you if you fill your tag during the first hunt, then you are done. No controlled hunt. I did not check rifle season, other than to confirm that if you select bow, then you are not entitled to a rifle tag too. There is an exception to even this though. You can try for a leftover tag, and f you are selected you could bow and rifle hunt the same year, but again only to the point you fill your tag.

Exactly! You only buy one Elk or Deer tag in Oregon. Controlled or not if you do not fill your tag in your controlled hunt you are not denied the ability to hunt the general hunt on the coast to fill that tag.
Read the regs folks and show me where a controlled hunt tag limits your general tag options.

Whitey375 · Nov 6, 2012

longcolt said:
If you have an Elk tag and are not successful on your draw hunt, say eastern OR, then yes you can hunt Elk in the Coast Range during that season. You only have to buy one Elk tag. But you cannot do the bow and rifle switch game.

That is completely incorrect. Your drawn/controlled elk tag is only good for the area and dates you drew for. Not just, "Hey, I have an elk tag, there's a season open somewhere, let's go hunt."
In certain areas, usually, and I think only bow season hunts for deer, ie N Warner bow, will you get a tag for general season and one for your controlled area. But you can only fill one.

dplev4 · Nov 7, 2012

That is completely incorrect. Your drawn/controlled elk tag is only good for the area and dates you drew for. Not just, "Hey, I have an elk tag, there's a season open somewhere, let's go hunt."
In certain areas, usually, and I think only bow season hunts for deer, ie N Warner bow, will you get a tag for general season and one for your controlled area. But you can only fill one.

OK. I think I can clarify the confusion. The above quote is correct. You can only hunt a controlled tag in the controlled unit and during the time period specified for the controlled hunt. BUT, and at least insofar as archery is concerned and if you have a sportsman's pac, you are allowed to hunt the general bow season, and you are also allowed to hunt your controlled hunt too, after general bow season, so long as you did not already fill your elk tag. Really.

It is even theoretically possible to hunt rifle and bow in the same year, if you put in for and drew a left over controlled rifle hunt tag, (which is difficult because there are very very few of them) and didn't fill your archery tag, but again your entire elk season ends whatever the hunt period, once you fill your tag. I hope this helps someone.....

samuelm16 · Nov 7, 2012

there are some tags that do allow this but not many, and you better read the regs it will say right under the controlled hunt if you do not fill a tag you are allowed to hunt general. high cascade deer rifle tag is one of them but im not sure if there are any elk hunts like that