Hunt 253X Catherine Cr Unit: Oregon elk tags, draw and harvest
Oregon controlled hunt 253X, Catherine Cr Unit, is one bull elk, Oct. 28 to Nov. 1, with 303 tags for 2026 (ODFW regulations, page 53). In ODFW's June 2026 draw, 288 of 585 residents who put it first drew a tag. ODFW estimates 324 hunters took 129 elk on this hunt in 2025, 40 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 bull elk |
|---|---|
| 2026 season | Oct. 28 - Nov. 1 |
| Weapon | Any legal weapon |
| 2026 tags | 303 |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 draw | 585 residents, 53 nonresidents |
| Drawn, 2026 | 302 (14 nonresidents) |
| Harvested, 2025 | 129 by 324 hunters |
| Units | 53 Catherine Creek |
How hard is it to draw hunt 253X?
ODFW's 2026 report shows 585 residents and 53 nonresidents putting hunt 253X first for 303 tags; 288 residents drew, and 14 of 53 nonresidents. In the preference phase, which fills 75% of the tags, the residents who drew had 2 points or more. In 2025: 725 resident first-choice applicants, 288 drew, for 303 tags.
| Points | First-choice applicants | Drew in the preference phase |
|---|---|---|
| 12 | 1 | 1 |
| 10 | 1 | 1 |
| 9 | 3 | 3 |
| 8 | 1 | 1 |
| 6 | 12 | 12 |
| 5 | 4 | 4 |
| 4 | 15 | 15 |
| 3 | 63 | 63 |
| 2 | 159 | 113 |
| 1 | 151 | 0 |
| 0 | 175 | 0 |
| Points | First-choice applicants | Drew in the preference phase |
|---|---|---|
| 14 | 1 | 1 |
| 7 | 1 | 1 |
| 6 | 1 | 1 |
| 5 | 4 | 4 |
| 4 | 7 | 7 |
| 3 | 10 | 0 |
| 2 | 8 | 0 |
| 1 | 11 | 0 |
| 0 | 10 | 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 253X?
ODFW's estimates for hunt 253X, year by year: 129 from 324 hunters in 2025, 118 from 323 hunters in 2024, 93 from 305 hunters in 2023 and 92 from 292 hunters in 2022.
| Year | Hunters | Days hunted | Elk harvested | Bulls | Antlerless | Per 100 hunters |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 324 | 1,196 | 129 | 124 | 4 | 40 |
| 2024 | 323 | 1,156 | 118 | 116 | 1 | 37 |
| 2023 | 305 | 1,132 | 93 | 93 | 0 | 30 |
| 2022 | 292 | 1,095 | 92 | 92 | 0 | 32 |
| 2021 | 265 | 962 | 101 | 97 | 4 | 38 |
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 253X cover?
ODFW's 2025 rows put hunt 253X hunters in 1 unit:
| Unit | Hunters, 2025 | Elk harvested, 2025 | Public land in the unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 53 Catherine Creek | 324 | 129 | 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 253X have?
ODFW lists 303 tags for hunt 253X (Catherine Cr Unit) in 2026, one bull elk, Oct. 28 - Nov. 1 (regulations page 53). ODFW's 2025 draw report lists 303 tags for 2025.
How many points do you need to draw hunt 253X?
In ODFW's 2026 draw, the fewest points a resident drew hunt 253X with in the preference phase was 2 (113 of 159 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 253X?
ODFW estimates 129 elk from 324 hunters on hunt 253X in 2025, 40 for every 100 hunters. In 2024: 118 from 323.
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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.