If you want to hunt mule deer or whitetails in eastern Oregon, you need a controlled hunt tag. There is no general buck season east of the Cascades, for rifle or for bow. Western Oregon also has a handful of controlled blacktail hunts, including the popular High Cascade hunt. Here’s how to apply, and what changed in 2026.

Key dates

Step	2026 date
Application deadline	May 15
Results available	By June 12
Leftover controlled tags on sale	July 1, 10 a.m. PT, online only
Point saver available	July 1 – Nov 30 and Dec 1 – May 15
Deadline to buy a drawn tag	The day before the hunt begins

The 2027 dates will be in next year’s regulations. May 15 has been the deadline for many years.

The big 2026 change: deer hunt areas

Starting with the 2026 season, eastern Oregon deer hunts are built around deer hunt areas instead of wildlife management units. ODFW drew 22 areas based on mule deer herd ranges, following its 2024 Mule Deer Management Plan.

What that means when you apply:

• New hunt codes. Hunts now carry area-based codes. For example, Northeast 01 Whitetail is NE101-1, and Early Mid-Columbia 01 is MC101-1. The old 100 series buck and 600 series antlerless hunts got new names and boundaries.
• Bigger areas. Some new areas are much larger than the old units, which gives you more room to move if fire or hunting pressure hits one spot.
• Fewer tags. ODFW cut eastern Oregon deer tags by about 9% for 2026.
• Separate species hunts. In parts of northeast Oregon, there are now separate mule deer-only and whitetail-only hunts.
• Points carried over. Preference points weren’t changed, but past draw results don’t map neatly onto the new hunts, so odds are harder to predict for a few years.

ODFW’s online tools include an interactive map and a transition guide where you type in an old hunt number to find the new one.

Step 1: Buy an annual hunting license

Item (2026)	Resident	Nonresident
Annual hunting license	$39	$193
Controlled hunt application	$10	$10
Deer tag, if drawn	$33	$500

ODFW’s 2026 fee schedule lists a single $10 controlled hunt application fee, not split by residency.

Step 2: Choose up to five hunts

You can submit one deer application per hunt series with up to five choices.

• 1st choice: The only choice that uses your preference points. Put your top hunt here.
• 2nd to 5th choices: Drawn at random without points. Use them for hunts that tend to have tags left.
• Point saver: Build a point without applying for a hunt in that series. Available July 1 – Nov 30 and Dec 1 – May 15. You can still hunt a western Oregon general season.

Step 3: Understand preference points

• You earn a point each year you don’t draw your first choice.
• About 75% of each hunt’s tags go to first-choice applicants with the most points. The other 25% go at random to first-choice applicants, regardless of points.
• Drawing your first choice resets your points to zero, even if you don’t buy the tag. ODFW rules don’t take points away for skipping years.

Nonresidents can receive up to 5% of the tags in each controlled deer hunt.

Step 4: Party applications

Parties are allowed for most deer hunts. Points are averaged across the party, and the leader’s choices apply to everyone. Premium hunts don’t allow parties.

Popular controlled deer hunt types

Hunt type	2026 dates (examples)
Eastern Oregon rifle buck (most areas)	October 3–14
Eastern Oregon archery buck (most areas)	August 29 – September 27
Northeast whitetail-only rifle hunts	October 3–14
Late whitetail muzzleloader hunts	November 16–30
W. High Cascade (119A), western Oregon	September 12–20 (3,300 tags)
Eastern youth-only hunts	September 28 – October 14 (most)

Point rules at a glance

• System: Modified preference points: 75% of each controlled hunt’s tags go to first-choice applicants by points and 25% are drawn at random among first-choice applicants. Points only count for your first choice.
• Nonresident share: No more than 5% of the tags in each controlled deer hunt, though one nonresident tag can be issued when a hunt has fewer than 35 tags.
• You lose your points if: you draw your first choice (even if you don’t buy the tag), or your hunting license is suspended or revoked. Skipping a year never costs you points.
• Waiting period: None.
• Parties: Points are averaged; .51 and above rounds up. Premium hunts don’t allow parties.
• Point only: Point Saver for the 100 (buck deer) series, December 1 – May 15 and July 1 – November 30.

Full breakdown: how the draw works, with examples · check last year’s odds for every hunt

Didn’t draw? You still have options

• Leftover tags. Undrawn tags go on sale July 1 at 10 a.m. online.
• Western Oregon general season. Blacktail rifle and archery tags are over the counter. See general season deer tags.
• Outfitter and landowner tags. Some eastern Oregon outfitters offer private-land hunts with tags for nonresidents.
• Build a point. Buy a point saver.

Let an outfitter help

Outfitters who hunt eastern Oregon can help you sort through the new hunt areas and tell you which ones match their ground. Call them before May 15.

Related: How Oregon draw points work · Draw odds by unit · Oregon Deer Hunting Guide · Season dates · General season deer tags · Cost of an Oregon deer hunt

Fees and dates are from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife for 2026. Always confirm hunt codes and dates in the current Oregon Big Game Regulations before you apply.