Elk hunters may see tribal

deer hunters in the fields

Oregon State Police and the Oregon Dept. of Fish & Wildlife are reminding elk hunters that they may see tribal deer hunters in the field during the Cascade elk season, which began on Saturday, October 13th.

Throughout Oregon there are a variety of agreements and treaties with Native American tribes that allow tribal members to hunt on federal public lands (National Forests and BLM land) outside the normal state seasons.

“Although the number of tribal deer hunters is limited, we want to ensure that both hunters and recreationalists are aware that they may observe tribal deer hunters outside of the normal statewide deer season,” said Lt. David Anderson, Oregon State Police. (Most deer hunting is closed during elk seasons.)

Oregon’s first general elk season, the Cascade Elk Season, runs from October 13th to 19th. The Rocky Mountain elk seasons run from Oct. 24th to 28th and November 3rd to 11th. The general coast elk seasons goes from Nov. 10th to 13th and Nov. 17th to 23rd. Controlled (limited-entry) elk seasons occur from fall of 2012 through March of 2013. Tribal members may also be hunting elk on their ceded lands during Oregon’s elk seasons.