Fall may be months away but it’s time to start planning your big game hunt. Don’t forget to apply for a controlled hunt by Tuesday, May 15, at 11:59 p.m. PT.
Apply online, at a license sales agent or an Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife office that sells licenses. The cost is $8 per application and hunters need a 2018 annual hunting license to apply.
Many hunters wait till the last minute to apply, which can cause long lines at license sales stores and ODFW offices. Last year, more than half of the 459,958 applications were submitted in the last week before the deadline, including nearly 79,860 on deadline day.
“Get your application in early to avoid the long lines and if you do wait until the last minute, be sure to check store hours where you plan to apply,” recommends Linda Lytle, ODFW license sales manager.
Lytle also urged hunters to avoid common mistakes on applications. “Double check your hunt number against the 2018 Oregon Big Game Regulations, and make sure your party leader number is correct,” she said. “And before you walk out of the store or ODFW office, check your application to be sure it’s correct.”
ODFW limits the number of tags for some hunts (all rifle deer and most rifle elk hunting in Eastern Oregon, plus all pronghorn, Rocky Mountain goat and bighorn sheep hunting) to fairly distribute tags and control hunting pressure. Hunters who apply for controlled deer, elk or pronghorn hunts and don’t draw their first choice receive a preference point for that hunt series, which increases their chances the following year.
