Oregon Elk 278M
High Desert Muzzleloader in Unit 78, muzzleloader only, Oct 17–25, 2026.
Your odds at 0 points · 2026 draw
138 tags (all residencies) for 7 nonresident first-choice applicants
67 first-choice applicants for 138 tags (all residencies) in 2026, but only 4 of the 7 nonresident first-choice applicants drew (nonresidents are capped at 5%).
Years to draw on points: now
- Tags
- 138
- Nonresident Applicants
- 7
- Success
- —
First-choice nonresidents; the tags are shared by every residency; nonresidents capped at 5%.
Points Needed to Draw, 2022–2026
The cut has fallen from 1 to 0 points since 2022. Applicants per tag: 1.2:1 in 2022, 0.5:1 in 2026.
Point creep: drew out at 1 → 0 → 0 → 0 → 0 points (2022–2026), no creep — drew at 0 points each year. Years to draw project that pace (the median of the last five draws, capped at 2 points/yr); the agency sets quotas and demand sets the cut.
What It Costs · 2026 NR Fees
Closes May 15 · 208 daysThe $10 controlled hunt application (per hunt series; also the Point Saver price) is not refunded. The $193 nonresident annual hunting license (required to apply) is not refunded. Drawing adds the $660 nonresident controlled elk tag (paid only if drawn; sale by June 20 to day before season).
- Opens
- Dec 1, 2026
- Closes
- May 15, 2027
- Results
- about Jun 12
Next application window: Open Dec 1, 2026 – May 15, 2027 (expected). Dates are last cycle's, rolled forward until Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife publishes 2027.
▸ Every Fee, With Sources
- Controlled hunt application (per hunt series; also the Point Saver price) · paid at application $10 ODFW 2026 OAR chapter 635 division 060
- Nonresident annual hunting license (required to apply) · paid at application $193 ODFW 2026 Recreational Fee Schedule
- Nonresident controlled elk tag (paid only if drawn; sale by June 20 to day before season) · paid if drawn $660 ODFW 2026 Recreational Fee Schedule
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife publishes no mapped boundary for Unit 78.
Unit 78 in full →Details
Odds by Point Level · 2026 Draw
| Points | Chance | Applied | Drew |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0–10 ← you | 100% same at every level | — | — |
Points pass + random pass, from published pools. A dash means Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife did not publish a count for that level. Oregon runs a second, random pass after the points pass. As a lower choice, 278M drew no one in 2026, so lower-choice odds are left out.
Draw results: ODFW 2026 Preference Point Draw Report, retrieved Aug 31, 2026.
▸ Year-by-Year Numbers 5 draws
The standard draw for nonresidents, one row per year. Oregon runs a second, random pass after the points pass; it is shown beside the year it belongs to.
| Year | Tags (All Res.) | Nonresident Applicants | Per Tag | Points Needed | Random Pass | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 138 | 7 | 0.5 | 0 | 111 tags | ODFW 2026 Preference Point Draw Report |
| 2025 | 138 | 6 | 0.6 | 0 | 107 tags | ODFW 2025 Preference Point Draw Report |
| 2024 | 138 | 10 | 0.8 | 0 | 99 tags | ODFW 2024 Preference Point Draw Report |
| 2023 | 138 | 7 | 0.9 | 0 | 85 tags | ODFW 2023 Preference Point Draw Report |
| 2022 | 138 | 16 | 1.2 | 1 | 76 tags | ODFW 2022 Preference Point Draw Report |
Other Licenses Valid in Unit 78
- 278A1 High Desert No. 1 Oct 28 – Nov 3 · 440 tags · cut 2 90%
- 278A2 High Desert No. 2 Nov 7–15 · 440 tags · cut 3 51%
- 278T High Desert YouthYouth only Aug 15 – Dec 31 · 11 tags · cut 3 25%
Odds at your points, nonresident. * fewer than 5 tags.
▸ Sources 7
- ODFW 2026 Preference Point Draw Report draw results, seasons, retrieved Aug 31, 2026
- ODFW 2025 Preference Point Draw Report earlier draws, retrieved Aug 31, 2026
- ODFW 2024 Preference Point Draw Report earlier draws, retrieved Aug 31, 2026
- ODFW 2023 Preference Point Draw Report earlier draws, retrieved Aug 31, 2026
- ODFW 2022 Preference Point Draw Report earlier draws, retrieved Aug 31, 2026
- ODFW 2026 OAR chapter 635 division 060 draw rules, fees, retrieved Aug 31, 2026
- ODFW 2026 Recreational Fee Schedule fees, retrieved Aug 31, 2026
About These Numbers
Odds are from the 2026 draw, the latest on file, computed from Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife's published results (points pass + random pass, from published pools). They are what happened in that draw, not a forecast. Under five tags a percentage carries a *, because one applicant either way swings it. A dash means the agency did not publish the number, and a date marked expected is last cycle's schedule rolled forward.
Report an error on this page
We don't take applications: check Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife's site and apply there.
Prior-draw odds from Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife's results, not a forecast · All Oregon elk hunts