Elk hunting season started late last month and with it came new changes for bow hunters in Oregon. These changes were proposed last year by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, but did not go into effect until the start of the archery elk season this year.

Before the change, bow hunters operated on a general system, meaning they could purchase tags anytime during the season and were guaranteed a chance to hunt. Now, archers wanting to hunt elk in the Northeast part of the state will be operating on a controlled hunt, where hunters apply for a number of hunting spots deemed sustainable depending on where they’d like to be. While some areas in Oregon were already under a controlled hunt system, these changes expanded some of those to neighboring regions. Jeremy Thompson is the Wildlife Biologist for the Mid-Columbia District at ODFW. Mike Slinkard is a Bow Hunter in John Day. They both join us to share what these changes mean for Oregon bow hunters.