Unit 12 Wilson elk hunting: harvest, hunts and 2026 seasons
ODFW estimates hunters took 409 elk in the Wilson Unit (12) in 2025 (285 bulls and 122 antlerless) and counted 2,766 elk hunters there, across 18 general seasons and controlled hunts. ODFW's figures for 2021 to 2025 average 415 elk 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) |
| Elk harvested, 2025 | 409 (285 bulls) |
| Elk hunters, 2025 | 2,766, 12,284 days |
| Elk per 100 hunters, 2025 | 15 |
| General seasons, 2026 | General archery, General Western Oregon Coast 1st season and General Western Oregon Coast 2nd season |
| 2026 controlled hunts listed here | 10 |
| Towns in and near it | Rockaway Beach, Bay City, Garibaldi and Nehalem |
How many elk are harvested in Unit 12?
ODFW's elk harvest for the Wilson Unit by year: 409 in 2025, 388 in 2024 and 427 in 2023. 15 elk were taken for every 100 hunters in 2025.
| Year | Hunters | Days hunted | Elk harvested | Bulls | Antlerless | Elk per 100 hunters |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2,766 | 12,284 | 409 | 285 | 122 | 15 |
| 2024 | 2,886 | 13,169 | 388 | 257 | 128 | 13 |
| 2023 | 3,056 | 13,926 | 427 | 290 | 137 | 14 |
| 2022 | 3,059 | 13,908 | 405 | 278 | 127 | 13 |
| 2021 | 3,209 | 14,304 | 445 | 323 | 122 | 14 |
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, archery and muzzleloader summaries, general and controlled; damage tags are not in these totals. A hunter counted on two tag types is counted twice. Per 100 hunters is worked out from ODFW's two figures.
Which elk hunts were used in Unit 12 in 2025?
General season tags: 2,556 hunters, 282 elk. Controlled hunts: 15 rows in ODFW's table, 210 hunters, 127 elk. ODFW's own row for each, 2025:
| Hunt or season | Tag type | Hunters | Days | Harvested | ODFW success |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coast 1st season | Any legal weapon, general | 1,390 | 4,325 | 149 | 11% |
| Coast 2nd season | Any legal weapon, general | 713 | 2,459 | 72 | 10% |
| Western Elk Archery | Archery, general | 453 | 4,164 | 61 | 13% |
| 212T2 Wilson Unit No. 2 Youth | Any legal weapon, controlled | 37 | 110 | 30 | 82% |
| 212T3 Wilson Unit No. 3 Youth | Any legal weapon, controlled | 35 | 58 | 32 | 92% |
| 212A2 Miami-Nehalem No. 2 | Any legal weapon, controlled | 31 | 287 | 9 | 29% |
| 212 Wilson Unit | Any legal weapon, controlled | 28 | 224 | 15 | 53% |
| 212A1 Miami-Nehalem No. 1 | Any legal weapon, controlled | 26 | 183 | 18 | 71% |
| Western General Bow Elk w/ 218R | Archery, controlled | 18 | 225 | 3 | 19% |
| 212B Buick Canyon | Any legal weapon, controlled | 10 | 56 | 6 | 60% |
| 212T1 Wilson Unit No. 1 Youth | Any legal weapon, controlled | 10 | 67 | 6 | 57% |
| Western General Bow Elk w/ 217R | Archery, controlled | 9 | 97 | 4 | 43% |
| 200R Oregon Youth Bow | Archery, controlled | 4 | 24 | 4 | 100% |
| Western General Bow Elk w/ 216R2 | Archery, controlled | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0% |
| Western General Bow Elk w/ 219R | Archery, controlled | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0% |
| 210A2 W Saddle Mtn No. 2 | Any legal weapon, controlled | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Western General Bow Elk w/ 216R1 | Archery, controlled | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% |
| Western General Bow Elk w/ 221R | Archery, controlled | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% |
Source: ODFW's 2025 elk 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 elk season in Unit 12 in 2026?
General seasons that cover the Wilson Unit in 2026:
- General archery elk, Aug. 29 - Sept. 27: one bull elk, page 47.
- General Western Oregon Coast 1st season elk, Nov. 14 - Nov. 17: one bull elk, page 45.
- General Western Oregon Coast 2nd season elk, Nov. 21 - Nov. 27: one spike elk, page 45.
Controlled elk 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 200R | Oregon Youth Bow | One elk | Aug. 29 - Sep. 27 | 330 | 129 of 129 |
| 212T2 | Wilson Unit No. 2 Youth | One antlerless elk | Dec. 19 - Dec. 27 | 43 | 43 of 115 |
| 212T3 | Wilson Unit No. 3 Youth | One antlerless elk | Dec. 26 - Jan. 3, 2027 | 43 | 42 of 52 |
| 210A2 | W Saddle Mtn No. 2 | One antlerless elk | Jan. 1 - Jan. 31, 2027 | 42 | 40 of 253 |
| 210A1 | W Saddle Mtn No. 1 | One antlerless elk | Dec. 1 - Dec. 31 | 42 | 40 of 315 |
| 212A2 | Miami-Nehalem No. 2 | One antlerless elk | Feb. 1 - Mar. 31, 2027 | 39 | 39 of 71 |
| 212A1 | Miami-Nehalem No. 1 | One antlerless elk | Dec. 1 - Jan. 31, 2027 | 37 | 36 of 95 |
| 212T1 | Wilson Unit No. 1 Youth | One antlerless elk | Aug. 15 - Dec. 31 | 11 | 11 of 81 |
| 212 | Wilson Unit | One antlerless elk | Dec. 1 - Mar. 31, 2027 | 10 | 10 of 424 |
| 212B | Buick Canyon | One antlerless elk | Dec. 15 - Mar. 31, 2027 | 10 | 10 of 41 |
Source: ODFW 2026 Oregon Big Game Hunting Regulations, pages 45 to 58; 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 elk figures, for comparison:
| Unit | Public land | Elk hunters | Elk harvested | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 10 Saddle Mountain | 22.7% | 3,861 | 1,065 | 2025 |
| Unit 11 Scappoose | 8% | 2,564 | 639 | 2025 |
| Unit 14 Trask | 40.5% | 4,952 | 778 | 2025 |
Also for Unit 12: deer hunting.
Questions hunters ask
Can you hunt elk in Unit 12 without drawing a tag?
Yes. General archery elk (Aug. 29 - Sept. 27) is open in the Wilson Unit, bag limit one bull elk; General Western Oregon Coast 1st season elk (Nov. 14 - Nov. 17) is open in the Wilson Unit, bag limit one bull elk; General Western Oregon Coast 2nd season elk (Nov. 21 - Nov. 27) is open in the Wilson Unit, bag limit one spike elk, by ODFW's 2026 regulations.
How many elk are taken in Unit 12 each year?
ODFW estimates 409 in 2025, 388 in 2024 and 427 in 2023, adding up its rows for the Wilson Unit across general and controlled elk tags.
How hard is it to draw hunt 212T2?
In ODFW's 2026 draw for hunt 212T2 (Wilson Unit No. 2 Youth), 43 of 115 residents who put it first drew; the fewest points a resident drew with in the preference phase was 1. 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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