Unit 15 Willamette deer hunting: harvest, hunts and 2026 seasons
ODFW estimates hunters took 1,699 deer in the Willamette Unit (15) in 2025 (1,619 bucks and 80 antlerless) and counted 5,700 deer hunters there, across 8 general seasons and controlled hunts. ODFW's figures for 2021 to 2025 average 2,003 deer a year. The unit is 1.5% public land, the largest share national wildlife refuge, 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.
National wildlife refugeNational forestBLMODFW landState forest and trust landBureau of ReclamationOther public (city, county, parks, military)Unit 15Neighboring unitsLake, reservoir or riverHighway
| ODFW zone | Northwest |
|---|---|
| Size | 1,856,009 acres (2,900 square miles) |
| Public land | 1.5% (28,236 acres) |
| Deer harvested, 2025 | 1,699 (1,619 bucks) |
| Deer hunters, 2025 | 5,700, 35,336 days |
| Deer per 100 hunters, 2025 | 30 |
| General seasons, 2026 | General Western Oregon any legal weapon buck and General Western Oregon archery |
| 2026 controlled hunts listed here | 1 |
| Towns in and near it | Portland, Salem, Hillsboro and Monroe |
How many deer are harvested in Unit 15?
ODFW's deer harvest for the Willamette Unit by year: 1,699 in 2025, 1,672 in 2024 and 2,513 in 2023. 30 deer were taken for every 100 hunters in 2025.
| Year | Hunters | Days hunted | Deer harvested | Bucks | Antlerless | Deer per 100 hunters |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 5,700 | 35,336 | 1,699 | 1,619 | 80 | 30 |
| 2024 | 5,788 | 34,768 | 1,672 | 1,601 | 70 | 29 |
| 2023 | 7,927 | 56,102 | 2,513 | 2,146 | 367 | 32 |
| 2022 | 7,665 | 53,569 | 1,974 | 1,628 | 346 | 26 |
| 2021 | 7,657 | 55,828 | 2,155 | 1,810 | 345 | 28 |
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 15 in 2025?
General season tags: 5,626 hunters, 1,669 deer. Controlled hunts: 5 rows in ODFW's table, 74 hunters, 30 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 | 4,817 | 29,480 | 1,547 | 32% |
| Late Bow Deer | Archery, general | 500 | 2,932 | 87 | 18% |
| Early Bow Deer | Archery, general | 309 | 2,435 | 35 | 11% |
| General Any Legal Weapon Western Oregon w/ 119A | Any legal weapon buck, controlled | 72 | 472 | 30 | 42% |
| Early Bow Deer w/ 123R1 | Archery, controlled | 2 | 17 | 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 Willamette rows.
When is deer season in Unit 15 in 2026?
General seasons that cover the Willamette 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 and Nov. 21 - Dec. 13: one deer, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 615 | Willamette Unit | One deer | Sep. 1 - Feb. 28, 2027 | 3,410 |
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 15?
1.5% of the Willamette Unit is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 28,236 of 1,856,009 acres. The largest share is national wildlife refuge, 13,289 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of unit |
|---|---|---|
| Other public (city, county, parks, military) | 51,619 | 2.8% |
| National wildlife refuge | 13,289 | 0.7% |
| ODFW land | 6,412 | 0.3% |
| BLM | 5,821 | 0.3% |
| State forest and trust land | 2,247 | 0.1% |
| National forest | 449 | under 0.1% |
| Bureau of Reclamation | 18 | under 0.1% |
ODFW wildlife areas in the unit: Fern Ridge (4,228 acres here) and E.E. Wilson (1,716 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. Wildlife refuges set their own hunting rules.
How do you get to Unit 15?
Highways through the unit: I-5 (about 204 miles inside it), OR 99 (about 114 miles inside it), OR 22 (about 80 miles inside it), US 26 (about 77 miles inside it) and OR 18 (about 64 miles inside it). Towns inside: Portland, Salem, Hillsboro, Gresham and Beaverton.
Which units border Unit 15?
The Willamette Unit touches 7 other units. Their public land and ODFW's latest deer figures, for comparison:
| Unit | Public land | Deer hunters | Deer harvested | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 11 Scappoose | 8% | 2,980 | 1,134 | 2025 |
| Unit 14 Trask | 40.5% | 6,430 | 2,031 | 2025 |
| Unit 16 Santiam | 62.6% | 10,316 | 3,097 | 2025 |
| Unit 17 Stott Mountain | 21.4% | 1,829 | 686 | 2025 |
| Unit 18 Alsea | 41.7% | 4,965 | 1,456 | 2025 |
| Unit 19 McKenzie | 60.3% | 7,745 | 2,817 | 2025 |
| Unit 20 Siuslaw | 40.3% | 3,103 | 1,081 | 2025 |
Also for Unit 15: elk hunting.
Questions hunters ask
Can you hunt deer in Unit 15 without drawing a tag?
Yes. General Western Oregon any legal weapon buck deer (Oct. 3 - Nov. 6) is open in the Willamette Unit, bag limit one buck with visible antler; General Western Oregon archery deer (Aug. 29 - Sept. 27 and Nov. 21 - Dec. 13) is open in the Willamette Unit, bag limit one deer, by ODFW's 2026 regulations.
How many deer are taken in Unit 15 each year?
ODFW estimates 1,699 in 2025, 1,672 in 2024 and 2,513 in 2023, adding up its rows for the Willamette Unit across general and controlled deer tags.
What is the closest town to Unit 15?
Portland, Salem and Hillsboro are inside the unit. Just outside: Monroe (on the line), Sublimity (on the line) and Philomath (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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