Oregon uses a modified preference point system for controlled deer and elk hunts. In each hunt, 75% of the tags go to first-choice applicants in order of points, most points first. The other 25% are drawn at random among all first-choice applicants, whatever their points. For you, that means points are a place in line for most tags, plus a small lottery that gives a 0-point hunter a real, if slim, chance. Two rules shape every Oregon plan: points only work on your first choice, and nonresidents can get no more than 5% of the tags in any controlled deer or elk hunt.

How you get points

• Apply and don’t draw your first choice. You earn one point in that hunt series. Buck deer is the 100 series and elk is the 200 series. You can earn only one point per series per year.
• Draw a lower choice and you still get a point. If you miss your first choice but draw your second through fifth, your points still go up by one.
• Point Saver. If you don’t want to hunt a controlled hunt in that series, buy a Point Saver instead. You get a point and keep your existing points. ODFW sells it from December 1 to May 15 and again from July 1 to November 30, online or from license agents. You can’t list other hunt choices in that series the same year.
• License first. You must buy an Oregon annual hunting license before you apply or buy a Point Saver: $39 for residents and $193 for nonresidents in 2026.
• Age. Youth can build points starting at age 9. A youth who buys a Point Saver can’t apply for a First Time Youth tag in that series the same year.
• Missed the deadline? If you didn’t apply in the May drawing, you can still buy a point for that series from July 1 through November 30.

A Point Saver doesn’t stop you from hunting general seasons. A general-season tag is a separate purchase that doesn’t affect your controlled hunt points.

How points are used in the draw

1. First choices with points. For each hunt, 75% of the tags go to first-choice applicants, highest points first.
2. First choices at random. The remaining 25% are drawn at random among all first-choice applicants who didn’t draw in step 1. Points don’t help here.
3. Second through fifth choices. Any tags still left go to later choices by random draw, ignoring points.

You can list up to five choices per series on one application. The 2026 application deadline was May 15, with online changes allowed through May 25 and results by June 12.

Nonresident cap. Nonresidents can receive up to 5% of the tags in each controlled deer and elk hunt. In a 40-tag hunt, that’s two tags at most. In hunts with fewer than 35 tags, the rule allows one nonresident tag. Nothing in ODFW’s 2027 proposals changes the cap.

Party applications. Deer and elk parties have no size limit. Everyone’s points are totaled and averaged. An average of .51 or higher rounds up, and .50 or lower rounds down. The leader’s choices apply to everyone, and the party draws together or not at all.

Premium hunts are separate. They’re drawn purely at random with no points, and parties aren’t allowed.

Residents vs. nonresidents

2026	Resident	Nonresident
Annual hunting license (required first)	$39	$193
Controlled hunt application	$10 ($8 + $2 agent fee)	$10 ($8 + $2 agent fee)
Point Saver	Confirm price at checkout	Confirm price at checkout
Deer tag, if drawn	$33	$500
Elk tag, if drawn	$56	$660
Share of tags per hunt	95% or more	Up to 5%
How points work	Same 75/25 system	Same 75/25 system, within the 5% cap

Oregon’s rule sets the application fee at $8 plus a $2 license agent fee for 2026–27. It goes up to $9 plus $2 in 2028–29.

Keeping and losing points

• Drawing your first choice resets you to zero, even if you never buy the tag. Pioneer license holders and resident disabled veterans 65 and older reset to one point.
• Skipping years doesn’t cost you. Oregon rules say you don’t forfeit points for not applying. Points stay in the system until you draw your first choice.
• License suspension does. If your license is suspended or revoked, you forfeit all your points.
• No waiting periods for deer or elk after you draw.
• Separate series. Buck deer (100), elk (200), pronghorn (400), antlerless deer (600) and spring bear (700) points are all separate. Points belong to the series, not a hunt number, so you can switch hunts each year.

2026 deer change: Eastern Oregon buck hunts moved to new deer hunt areas with new hunt codes. Your 100 series points carried over unchanged.

Point creep and “points to draw”

“Points to draw” is the lowest point level where the 75% pool ran out last year. In ODFW’s 2026 draw reports, a deer and an elk example show how far apart hunts can be:

Elk: Heppner No. 1 (248A1) took about 5 points for residents to be near-certain and about 6 for nonresidents. Ochoco No. 1 (237X) took 9 to 11 resident points, and nonresidents drew only here and there in the teens and 20s. Some big-tag hunts took 0 points.

Deer: Deschutes 01 Bow and Fox 01 Bow drew everyone who applied, residents and nonresidents. Crooked River 01 rifle drew nearly every resident with 2 or more points. Trout Creek 01 needed around 20 resident points, and only 2 of 443 nonresidents drew.

Point creep happens when more people sit at the top point levels than there are 75%-pool tags. The cutoff then rises a little each year. For nonresidents, the 5% cap makes it worse, since a small hunt may have just one nonresident tag.

Strategy

• Put your dream hunt first only if you’re building points for it. Otherwise, use your first choice on a hunt you can draw now, and save points for later.
• Use choices two to five on hunts that had leftover tags. They don’t cost points.
• Buy a Point Saver in years you can’t hunt. Drawing a first choice you won’t use wipes out your points.
• Hunt general seasons while you wait. Western Oregon blacktail and many archery elk hunts are over the counter. See general season elk tags and general season deer tags.
• Nonresidents: With a 5% cap, private-land hunts through outfitters are often the realistic route for eastern Oregon bulls and mule deer. See hunting leases and discount guided hunts.

Key numbers for 2026

Item	Number
Application deadline	May 15, 2026
Results	By June 12, 2026
Preference / random split (first choice)	75% / 25%
Nonresident cap, deer and elk	5% of tags per hunt
Hunt choices per series	Up to 5
Point Saver windows	Dec 1 – May 15 and July 1 – Nov 30
Application fee	$10 ($8 + $2 agent fee)
Party rounding	.51 rounds up
Points lost for skipping years	Never

FAQ

Do I earn a point if I draw my second choice? Yes. Only drawing your first choice resets your points.

Can I lose points by not applying? No. Oregon only takes points when you draw your first choice or your license is suspended.

Are deer and elk points shared? No. Each series keeps its own points.

Did the new 2026 deer hunt areas reset points? No. Points carried over, but old draw results don’t map neatly onto the new hunts.

Related: Oregon Elk Hunting Guide · Oregon Deer Hunting Guide · How to apply for Oregon elk controlled hunts · How to apply for Oregon deer controlled hunts · Preference points by state

Rules and fees are from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife for the 2026 draw. Confirm in the current regulations before you apply.