Unit 12 Wilson deer hunting: harvest, hunts and 2026 seasons
ODFW estimates hunters took 711 deer in the Wilson Unit (12) in 2025 (594 bucks and 117 antlerless) and counted 2,643 deer hunters there, across 11 general seasons and controlled hunts. ODFW's figures for 2021 to 2025 average 641 deer a year. The unit is 66.2% public land, most of it state forest and trust land, by USGS PAD-US.
Data updated October 2026. Harvest: ODFW, 2021 to 2025. Seasons and tags: ODFW's 2026 regulations and 2026 draw. Land: USGS PAD-US 4.1.
BLMODFW landState forest and trust landOther public (city, county, parks, military)Unit 12Neighboring unitsLake, reservoir or riverHighway
| ODFW zone | Northwest |
|---|---|
| Size | 369,438 acres (577 square miles) |
| Public land | 66.2% (244,588 acres) |
| Deer harvested, 2025 | 711 (594 bucks) |
| Deer hunters, 2025 | 2,643, 18,392 days |
| Deer per 100 hunters, 2025 | 27 |
| General seasons, 2026 | General Western Oregon any legal weapon buck and General Western Oregon archery |
| 2026 controlled hunts listed here | 3 |
| Towns in and near it | Rockaway Beach, Bay City, Garibaldi and Nehalem |
How many deer are harvested in Unit 12?
ODFW's deer harvest for the Wilson Unit by year: 711 in 2025, 624 in 2024 and 740 in 2023. 27 deer were taken for every 100 hunters in 2025.
| Year | Hunters | Days hunted | Deer harvested | Bucks | Antlerless | Deer per 100 hunters |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2,643 | 18,392 | 711 | 594 | 117 | 27 |
| 2024 | 2,754 | 18,691 | 624 | 499 | 125 | 23 |
| 2023 | 2,723 | 18,440 | 740 | 589 | 151 | 27 |
| 2022 | 2,863 | 19,838 | 495 | 387 | 108 | 17 |
| 2021 | 2,847 | 19,533 | 634 | 536 | 98 | 22 |
Source: ODFW harvest statistics (2021 to 2025), from ODFW's mandatory harvest reporting. Each year adds up ODFW's rows for the unit across its any legal weapon buck, archery, muzzleloader and antlerless summaries, general and controlled. A hunter counted on two tag types is counted twice. Per 100 hunters is worked out from ODFW's two figures.
Which deer hunts were used in Unit 12 in 2025?
General season tags: 2,379 hunters, 596 deer. Controlled hunts: 8 rows in ODFW's table, 264 hunters, 115 deer. ODFW's own row for each, 2025:
| Hunt or season | Tag type | Hunters | Days | Harvested | ODFW success |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Western Deer | Any legal weapon buck, general | 2,235 | 15,422 | 592 | 26% |
| 612 Wilson Unit | Antlerless, controlled | 177 | 1,055 | 80 | 45% |
| Early Bow Deer | Archery, general | 130 | 1,261 | 4 | 3% |
| 612T Wilson Unit Youth | Antlerless, controlled | 50 | 269 | 23 | 45% |
| General Any Legal Weapon Western Oregon w/ 119A | Any legal weapon buck, controlled | 22 | 115 | 8 | 35% |
| 112 Wilson Unit | Any legal weapon buck, controlled | 15 | 149 | 4 | 29% |
| Late Bow Deer | Archery, general | 14 | 121 | 0 | 0% |
| Early Bow Deer w/ 123R1 | Archery, controlled | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% |
| Early Bow Deer w/ 123R2 N Bank Habitat Bow | Archery, controlled | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% |
| Late Bow Deer w/ 123R1 | Archery, controlled | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% |
| Late Bow Deer w/ 123R2 N Bank Habitat Bow | Archery, controlled | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% |
Source: ODFW's 2025 deer harvest summaries (ODFW harvest statistics (2025)). A hunt that spans several units is split by unit in ODFW's tables; these are the Wilson rows.
When is deer season in Unit 12 in 2026?
General seasons that cover the Wilson Unit in 2026:
- General Western Oregon any legal weapon buck deer, Oct. 3 - Nov. 6: one buck with visible antler, page 30.
- General Western Oregon archery deer, Aug. 29 - Sept. 27: one buck with visible antler, page 33.
Controlled deer hunts in ODFW's 2026 tables that include the unit, with ODFW's 2026 tags and its June 2026 draw (residents who drew, of residents who put the hunt first):
| Hunt | Name | Bag limit | 2026 season | 2026 tags | 2026 draw, residents |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 612 | Wilson Unit | One antlerless deer | Oct. 3 - Nov. 6 | 217 | 214 of 864 |
| 612T | Wilson Unit Youth | One antlerless deer | Oct. 3 - Nov. 8 | 66 | 66 of 91 |
| 112 | Wilson Unit | One buck with visible antler | Nov. 1 - Nov. 30 | 17 | 17 of 561 |
Source: ODFW 2026 Oregon Big Game Hunting Regulations, pages 30 to 45; draw: ODFW's 2026 Preference Point Draw Reports. Hunts are matched to the unit by ODFW's own harvest rows. Check ODFW before you go; seasons can change.
How much public land is in Unit 12?
66.2% of the Wilson Unit is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 244,588 of 369,438 acres. The largest share is state forest and trust land, 238,242 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of unit |
|---|---|---|
| State forest and trust land | 238,242 | 64.5% |
| BLM | 6,190 | 1.7% |
| Other public (city, county, parks, military) | 685 | 0.2% |
| ODFW land | 156 | under 0.1% |
ODFW wildlife area in the unit: Jewell Meadows (156 acres here).
Measured by FilledTag inside ODFW's unit boundary from USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land by manager, 2025). Tribal and private land are not counted as public.
How do you get to Unit 12?
Highways through the unit: US 101 (about 72 miles inside it), US 26 (about 39 miles inside it), OR 6 (about 24 miles inside it) and OR 53 (about 14 miles inside it). Towns inside: Rockaway Beach, Bay City, Garibaldi, Wheeler and Barnesdale.
Which units border Unit 12?
The Wilson Unit touches 3 other units. Their public land and ODFW's latest deer figures, for comparison:
| Unit | Public land | Deer hunters | Deer harvested | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 10 Saddle Mountain | 22.7% | 4,285 | 1,267 | 2025 |
| Unit 11 Scappoose | 8% | 2,980 | 1,134 | 2025 |
| Unit 14 Trask | 40.5% | 6,430 | 2,031 | 2025 |
Also for Unit 12: elk hunting.
Questions hunters ask
Can you hunt deer in Unit 12 without drawing a tag?
Yes. General Western Oregon any legal weapon buck deer (Oct. 3 - Nov. 6) is open in the Wilson Unit, bag limit one buck with visible antler; General Western Oregon archery deer (Aug. 29 - Sept. 27) is open in the Wilson Unit, bag limit one buck with visible antler, by ODFW's 2026 regulations.
How many deer are taken in Unit 12 each year?
ODFW estimates 711 in 2025, 624 in 2024 and 740 in 2023, adding up its rows for the Wilson Unit across general and controlled deer tags.
How hard is it to draw hunt 612?
In ODFW's 2026 draw for hunt 612 (Wilson Unit), 214 of 864 residents who put it first drew; the fewest points a resident drew with in the preference phase was 3. ODFW gives 75% of the tags to the most preference points and draws 25% at random among first-choice applicants.
What is the closest town to Unit 12?
Rockaway Beach, Bay City and Garibaldi are inside the unit. Just outside: Nehalem (on the line), Manzanita (on the line) and Tillamook (on the line).
Get an Oregon hunt plan when they open
Hunt plans for Oregon are coming. Join the list and you'll hear first. The first 50 hunters in each new state get their plan free.
Until then, the free FilledTag app for iPhone has a map that works in every state, Oregon included.
Where these numbers come from
- Harvest, hunters and days: ODFW harvest statistics (2021 to 2025).
- Seasons, hunts, tags and bag limits: ODFW 2026 Oregon Big Game Hunting Regulations. Draw: ODFW 2026 Preference Point Draw Reports.
- Public land: USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land by manager, 2025). Unit boundary: ODFW Wildlife Management Units (Compass dataset).
- Highways, water and towns: U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line 2024 and the 2024 Gazetteer.
FilledTag is not part of Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. Numbers are copied from ODFW and USGS, or measured from their maps; nothing on this page is estimated by FilledTag.
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