Big game raffle tickets on sale until May 7: 2011 winner bagged trophy elk for under $50 in tickets

March 8, 2012

Chad Thompson of Elgin with the trophy elk he took on Wenaha Wildlife Area after winning the Northeast Oregon Elk raffle ticket. The elk green scored over 400. (click to enlarge)

SALEM, Ore. — Elgin resident Chad Thompson bought just 15 2011 elk raffle tags, spending under $50—but won a three-month long hunting season, a privilege some pay thousands for at auction. Thompson ended up bagging a trophy animal on public land (Wenaha Wildlife Area), an elk that green scored over 400”.

“It was the first time I had bought raffle tickets,” said Thompson. “I got the 15 ticket package, sent them off and forgot about them. I was pretty surprised when I won.”

Thompson hunted nearly every day after getting off work starting on Sept. 1, 2011 and took his bull just before dark on Sept. 24 on Eden Bench, near Troy, where he knew the animal frequented based on previous scouting trips. Eden Bench is within the Wenaha Wildlife Area, a 13,000-acre wildlife area managed by ODFW.

“It was a good deal,” said Thompson. “I’m pretty sure I’ll buy more tickets for this year.”

Raffle tickets for 2012 big game hunts (deer, elk, Rocky Mtn goat, pronghorn antelope, bighorn sheep) will be on sale until May 7. Raffle tickets can also be given as a gift for someone else.

Prices range from $4.50 for one deer hunt raffle ticket to $11.50 for one bighorn sheep, Rocky Mtn goat or pronghorn antelope hunt raffle ticket. Multiple ticket packages are available with a per-ticket price discount. See the mail order form at OregonRaffleHunts.com or page 22-23 of the 2012 Oregon Big Game Regulations for a full breakdown of prices and an order form.

Buy tickets online or by mail or fax order no later than May 7, 2012. Mail and fax orders must be received (not just postmarked or fax dated) by May 7. Completed tickets must be received by 5 p.m. Thursday, May 17 (mail to ODFW Raffles, PO Box 7760, Salem OR 97303 or hand-deliver to ODFW Headquarters, 3406 Cherry Ave NE).

Winning tickets will be drawn at the Oregon Hunters Association Convention at the Deschutes County Fairgrounds (Redmond) on Saturday, May 19. Raffle tickets can also be purchased from 5-7 p.m. at the event, and completed tickets hand-delivered from 5-7:30 pm. The drawing will be held at 7:45 p.m.

Track raffle ticket sales at the following website, which is updated weekly http://www.dfw.state.or.us/resources/hunting/auctions_raffles/current_raffle_counts.asp

Proceeds from deer and elk raffle tag sales go to ODFW’s Access and Habitat Program, which funds projects that provide hunter access and/or improve wildlife habitat on private land in Oregon. The proceeds from pronghorn, goat and sheep raffle tickets benefit research and management efforts on behalf of those species.

More information and an order form may be found on pages 20-23 of the 2012 Oregon Big Game Regulations booklet or online at www.OregonRaffleHunts.com.

###