Hunt 253R2 Eagle Cap Traditional Bow (Traditional Bow Only): Oregon elk tags, draw and harvest
Oregon controlled hunt 253R2, Eagle Cap Traditional Bow (Traditional Bow Only), is one elk, Aug. 29 to Sep. 27, with 200 tags for 2026 (ODFW regulations, page 56). In ODFW's June 2026 draw, 25 of 25 residents who put it first drew a tag. ODFW estimates 84 hunters took 17 elk on this hunt in 2025, 20 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, 2022 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 (the hunt covers part of the unit), regulations pages 94 to 101.| Bag limit | One elk |
|---|---|
| 2026 season | Aug. 29 - Sep. 27 |
| Weapon | Archery |
| 2026 tags | 200 |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 draw | 25 residents, 18 nonresidents |
| Drawn, 2026 | 35 (10 nonresidents) |
| Harvested, 2025 | 17 by 84 hunters |
| Units | 53 Catherine Creek, 61 Imnaha, 63 Keating, 60 Minam, 62 Pine Creek |
How hard is it to draw hunt 253R2?
ODFW's 2026 report shows 25 residents and 18 nonresidents putting hunt 253R2 first for 200 tags; every resident drew, and 10 of 18 nonresidents, the most ODFW issues to nonresidents in a deer or elk hunt (5% of tags). In 2025: 16 resident first-choice applicants, 16 drew, for 200 tags.
| Points | First-choice applicants | Drew in the preference phase |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | 1 | 1 |
| 3 | 1 | 1 |
| 2 | 2 | 2 |
| 1 | 6 | 6 |
| 0 | 15 | 0 |
| Points | First-choice applicants | Drew in the preference phase |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | 2 | 2 |
| 1 | 9 | 8 |
| 0 | 7 | 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 253R2?
ODFW's estimates for hunt 253R2, year by year: 17 from 84 hunters in 2025, 6 from 71 hunters in 2024, 2 from 50 hunters in 2023 and 4 from 46 hunters in 2022.
| Year | Hunters | Days hunted | Elk harvested | Bulls | Antlerless | Per 100 hunters |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 84 | 808 | 17 | 16 | 0 | 20 |
| 2024 | 71 | 700 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 8 |
| 2023 | 50 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| 2022 | 46 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 9 |
Source: ODFW harvest statistics (2022 to 2025). Where a hunt covers several units ODFW prints a row for each; these are added up.
Which units does hunt 253R2 cover?
ODFW's 2025 rows put hunt 253R2 hunters in 5 units:
| Unit | Hunters, 2025 | Elk harvested, 2025 | Public land in the unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 53 Catherine Creek | 33 | 8 | 24.2% |
| Unit 61 Imnaha | 21 | 5 | 74.5% |
| Unit 63 Keating | 13 | 3 | 57.3% |
| Unit 60 Minam | 9 | 1 | 73.4% |
| Unit 62 Pine Creek | 8 | 0 | 76% |
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 253R2 have?
ODFW lists 200 tags for hunt 253R2 (Eagle Cap Traditional Bow (Traditional Bow Only)) in 2026, one elk, Aug. 29 - Sep. 27 (regulations page 56). ODFW's 2025 draw report lists 200 tags for 2025.
How many points do you need to draw hunt 253R2?
In ODFW's 2026 draw, the fewest points a resident drew hunt 253R2 with in the preference phase was 1 (6 of 6 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 253R2?
ODFW estimates 17 elk from 84 hunters on hunt 253R2 in 2025, 20 for every 100 hunters. In 2024: 6 from 71.
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Where these numbers come from
- Tags, season and bag limit: ODFW 2026 Oregon Big Game Hunting Regulations, page 56.
- 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.
Oregon hunting Northeast zone Unit 53 elk Unit 61 elk Unit 63 elk Unit 60 elk Unit 62 elk