Unit 15 Willamette elk hunting: harvest, hunts and 2026 seasons
ODFW estimates hunters took 137 elk in the Willamette Unit (15) in 2025 (119 bulls and 20 antlerless) and counted 572 elk hunters there, across 10 general seasons and controlled hunts. ODFW's figures for 2021 to 2025 average 115 elk 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) |
| Elk harvested, 2025 | 137 (119 bulls) |
| Elk hunters, 2025 | 572, 3,370 days |
| Elk per 100 hunters, 2025 | 24 |
| General seasons, 2026 | General archery, General Western Oregon Coast 1st season, General Western Oregon Coast 2nd season and General season antlerless elk damage tag |
| 2026 controlled hunts listed here | 2 |
| Towns in and near it | Portland, Salem, Hillsboro and Monroe |
How many elk are harvested in Unit 15?
ODFW's elk harvest for the Willamette Unit by year: 137 in 2025, 145 in 2024 and 80 in 2023. 24 elk were taken for every 100 hunters in 2025.
| Year | Hunters | Days hunted | Elk harvested | Bulls | Antlerless | Elk per 100 hunters |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 572 | 3,370 | 137 | 119 | 20 | 24 |
| 2024 | 597 | 3,810 | 145 | 130 | 12 | 24 |
| 2023 | 559 | 3,500 | 80 | 72 | 8 | 14 |
| 2022 | 624 | 3,704 | 107 | 93 | 14 | 17 |
| 2021 | 578 | 3,610 | 107 | 92 | 15 | 19 |
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 15 in 2025?
General season tags: 407 hunters, 36 elk. Controlled hunts: 7 rows in ODFW's table, 165 hunters, 101 elk. ODFW's own row for each, 2025:
| Hunt or season | Tag type | Hunters | Days | Harvested | ODFW success |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Western Elk Archery | Archery, general | 171 | 1,244 | 17 | 10% |
| 215A Willamette Plus | Any legal weapon, controlled | 161 | 1,384 | 99 | 62% |
| Coast 2nd season | Any legal weapon, general | 131 | 465 | 9 | 7% |
| Coast 1st season | Any legal weapon, general | 105 | 260 | 10 | 9% |
| Western General Bow Elk w/ 216R2 | Archery, controlled | 2 | 7 | 1 | 50% |
| Western General Bow Elk w/ 218R | Archery, controlled | 2 | 10 | 1 | 50% |
| Western General Bow Elk w/ 216R1 | Archery, controlled | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% |
| Western General Bow Elk w/ 217R | Archery, controlled | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% |
| Western General Bow Elk w/ 219R | 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 Willamette rows.
When is elk season in Unit 15 in 2026?
General seasons that cover the Willamette Unit in 2026:
- General archery elk, Aug. 29 - Sept. 27: one 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 bull elk, page 45.
- General season antlerless elk damage tag, Aug. 1 - Mar. 31, 2027 (some areas Aug. 1 - Nov. 30): one antlerless elk, page 46. All of units 15, 23, 40, 43 and 44, and the damage areas ODFW maps in parts of other units (boundaries on pages 96-97).
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 |
| 215A | Willamette Plus | One elk (Spike or antlerless elk from Aug. 29 - Oct. 31 in Monroe Subunit) See William L. Finley NWR pg. 90 | Aug. 1 - Mar. 31, 2027 | 83 | 82 of 358 |
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 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 elk figures, for comparison:
| Unit | Public land | Elk hunters | Elk harvested | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 11 Scappoose | 8% | 2,564 | 639 | 2025 |
| Unit 14 Trask | 40.5% | 4,952 | 778 | 2025 |
| Unit 16 Santiam | 62.6% | 2,766 | 303 | 2025 |
| Unit 17 Stott Mountain | 21.4% | 1,149 | 174 | 2025 |
| Unit 18 Alsea | 41.7% | 4,132 | 706 | 2025 |
| Unit 19 McKenzie | 60.3% | 1,696 | 197 | 2025 |
| Unit 20 Siuslaw | 40.3% | 1,772 | 283 | 2025 |
Also for Unit 15: deer hunting.
Questions hunters ask
Can you hunt elk in Unit 15 without drawing a tag?
Yes. General archery elk (Aug. 29 - Sept. 27) is open in the Willamette Unit, bag limit one elk; General Western Oregon Coast 1st season elk (Nov. 14 - Nov. 17) is open in the Willamette Unit, bag limit one bull elk; General Western Oregon Coast 2nd season elk (Nov. 21 - Nov. 27) is open in the Willamette Unit, bag limit one bull elk; General season antlerless elk damage tag (Aug. 1 - Mar. 31, 2027 (some areas Aug. 1 - Nov. 30)) is open in the Willamette Unit, bag limit one antlerless elk, by ODFW's 2026 regulations.
How many elk are taken in Unit 15 each year?
ODFW estimates 137 in 2025, 145 in 2024 and 80 in 2023, adding up its rows for the Willamette Unit across general and controlled elk tags.
How hard is it to draw hunt 215A?
In ODFW's 2026 draw for hunt 215A (Willamette Plus), 82 of 358 residents who put it first drew; the fewest points a resident drew with in the preference phase was 4. 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 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
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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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