Hunt 253A Catherine Cr Unit: Oregon elk tags, draw and harvest
Oregon controlled hunt 253A, Catherine Cr Unit, is one antlerless elk, Nov. 21 to Nov. 29, with 110 tags for 2026 (ODFW regulations, page 53). In ODFW's June 2026 draw, 110 of 148 residents who put it first drew a tag. ODFW estimates 40 hunters took 6 elk on this hunt in 2025, 15 for every 100 hunters.
Data updated October 2026. Tags and dates: ODFW's 2026 regulations. Draw: ODFW's 2026 Preference Point Draw Report. Harvest: ODFW, 2021 to 2025.
National forestBLMODFW landState forest and trust landBureau of ReclamationOther public (city, county, parks, military)Unit 53Lake, reservoir or riverHighway
The hunt's own boundary is ODFW's written description, regulations pages 94 to 101.| Bag limit | One antlerless elk |
|---|---|
| 2026 season | Nov. 21 - Nov. 29 |
| Weapon | Any legal weapon |
| 2026 tags | 110 |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 draw | 148 residents, 2 nonresidents |
| Drawn, 2026 | 110 |
| Harvested, 2025 | 6 by 40 hunters |
| Units | 53 Catherine Creek |
How hard is it to draw hunt 253A?
ODFW's 2026 report shows 148 residents and 2 nonresidents putting hunt 253A first for 110 tags; 110 residents drew, and 0 of 2 nonresidents. In the preference phase, which fills 75% of the tags, the residents who drew had 1 point or more. In 2025: 72 resident first-choice applicants, 54 drew, for 55 tags.
| Points | First-choice applicants | Drew in the preference phase |
|---|---|---|
| 8 | 1 | 1 |
| 5 | 2 | 2 |
| 4 | 2 | 2 |
| 3 | 8 | 8 |
| 2 | 29 | 29 |
| 1 | 45 | 41 |
| 0 | 61 | 0 |
| Points | First-choice applicants | Drew in the preference phase |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | 2 | 0 |
Source: ODFW 2026 Elk Preference Point Draw Report; ODFW 2025 Elk Preference Point Draw Report. The table is ODFW's preference point phase only; tags drawn at random (25%) are not printed by point level.
How many elk are taken on hunt 253A?
ODFW's estimates for hunt 253A, year by year: 6 from 40 hunters in 2025, 10 from 42 hunters in 2024, 6 from 42 hunters in 2023 and 3 from 21 hunters in 2022.
| Year | Hunters | Days hunted | Elk harvested | Bulls | Antlerless | Per 100 hunters |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 40 | 201 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 15 |
| 2024 | 42 | 205 | 10 | 0 | 10 | 24 |
| 2023 | 42 | 228 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 14 |
| 2022 | 21 | 96 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 14 |
| 2021 | 24 | 138 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 13 |
Source: ODFW harvest statistics (2021 to 2025). Where a hunt covers several units ODFW prints a row for each; these are added up.
Which units does hunt 253A cover?
ODFW's 2025 rows put hunt 253A hunters in 1 unit:
| Unit | Hunters, 2025 | Elk harvested, 2025 | Public land in the unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 53 Catherine Creek | 40 | 6 | 24.2% |
Public land measured by FilledTag from USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land by manager, 2025) for the whole unit, not the hunt's own boundary.
Questions hunters ask
How many tags does hunt 253A have?
ODFW lists 110 tags for hunt 253A (Catherine Cr Unit) in 2026, one antlerless elk, Nov. 21 - Nov. 29 (regulations page 53). ODFW's 2025 draw report lists 55 tags for 2025.
How many points do you need to draw hunt 253A?
In ODFW's 2026 draw, the fewest points a resident drew hunt 253A with in the preference phase was 1 (41 of 45 at that level drew). The other 25% of tags are drawn at random among all first-choice applicants, whatever their points.
What is the success rate on hunt 253A?
ODFW estimates 6 elk from 40 hunters on hunt 253A in 2025, 15 for every 100 hunters. In 2024: 10 from 42.
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Where these numbers come from
- Tags, season and bag limit: ODFW 2026 Oregon Big Game Hunting Regulations, page 53.
- Draw: ODFW 2026 and 2025 Preference Point Draw Reports.
- Harvest: ODFW harvest statistics (2020 to 2025).
- Public land: USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land by manager, 2025).
FilledTag is not part of Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. Every figure is ODFW's or measured from public maps.