Unit 16 Santiam deer hunting: harvest, hunts and 2026 seasons
ODFW estimates hunters took 3,097 deer in the Santiam Unit (16) in 2025 (2,809 bucks and 286 antlerless) and counted 10,316 deer hunters there, across 13 general seasons and controlled hunts. ODFW's figures for 2021 to 2025 average 2,465 deer a year. The unit is 62.6% public land, most of it national forest, 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 forestBLMState forest and trust landOther public (city, county, parks, military)Unit 16Neighboring unitsLake, reservoir or riverHighway
| ODFW zone | Northwest |
|---|---|
| Size | 2,134,023 acres (3,334 square miles) |
| Public land | 62.6% (1,334,897 acres) |
| Deer harvested, 2025 | 3,097 (2,809 bucks) |
| Deer hunters, 2025 | 10,316, 70,582 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 | 5 |
| Towns in and near it | Sweet Home, Silverton, Estacada and Lebanon |
How many deer are harvested in Unit 16?
ODFW's deer harvest for the Santiam Unit by year: 3,097 in 2025, 2,520 in 2024 and 2,891 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 | 10,316 | 70,582 | 3,097 | 2,809 | 286 | 30 |
| 2024 | 10,580 | 70,527 | 2,520 | 2,251 | 266 | 24 |
| 2023 | 10,188 | 68,035 | 2,891 | 2,615 | 276 | 28 |
| 2022 | 8,899 | 56,430 | 1,756 | 1,553 | 203 | 20 |
| 2021 | 8,751 | 58,524 | 2,063 | 1,827 | 236 | 24 |
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 16 in 2025?
General season tags: 9,310 hunters, 2,783 deer. Controlled hunts: 10 rows in ODFW's table, 1,006 hunters, 314 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 | 7,733 | 53,431 | 2,529 | 33% |
| Late Bow Deer | Archery, general | 926 | 6,184 | 174 | 19% |
| Early Bow Deer | Archery, general | 651 | 5,817 | 80 | 12% |
| 119A W High Cascade | Any legal weapon buck, controlled | 400 | 1,436 | 42 | 10% |
| General Any Legal Weapon Western Oregon w/ 119A | Any legal weapon buck, controlled | 387 | 2,682 | 136 | 35% |
| 616A1 NW Santiam | Antlerless, controlled | 74 | 426 | 43 | 58% |
| 616T1 SW Santiam Youth | Antlerless, controlled | 64 | 253 | 40 | 61% |
| 616A2 SW Santiam | Antlerless, controlled | 53 | 256 | 32 | 61% |
| 616T2 NW Santiam Youth | Antlerless, controlled | 26 | 62 | 21 | 80% |
| Late Bow Deer w/ 123R1 | Archery, controlled | 2 | 35 | 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/ 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 Santiam rows.
When is deer season in Unit 16 in 2026?
General seasons that cover the Santiam 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 119A | W High Cascade | One buck with visible antler | Sep. 12 - Sep. 20 | 3,300 | 1,391 of 1,391 |
| 616A2 | SW Santiam | One antlerless deer | Oct. 3 - Nov. 6 | 55 | 55 of 757 |
| 616T1 | SW Santiam Youth | One deer | Nov. 14 - Nov. 25 | 53 | 53 of 131 |
| 616A1 | NW Santiam | One antlerless deer | Oct. 3 - Nov. 6 | 50 | 50 of 1,209 |
| 616T2 | NW Santiam Youth | One deer | Nov. 14 - Nov. 25 | 33 | 33 of 173 |
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 16?
62.6% of the Santiam Unit is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 1,334,897 of 2,134,023 acres. The largest share is national forest, 1,118,714 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of unit |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 1,118,714 | 52.4% |
| BLM | 167,797 | 7.9% |
| State forest and trust land | 47,680 | 2.2% |
| Other public (city, county, parks, military) | 19,173 | 0.9% |
| National wildlife refuge | 706 | under 0.1% |
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 16?
Highways through the unit: OR 22 (about 130 miles inside it), US 26 (about 72 miles inside it), US 20 (about 53 miles inside it), I-84 (about 49 miles inside it) and US 30 (about 49 miles inside it). Towns inside: Sweet Home, Silverton, Estacada, Sublimity and Mill City.
Which units border Unit 16?
The Santiam Unit touches 5 other units. Their public land and ODFW's latest deer figures, for comparison:
| Unit | Public land | Deer hunters | Deer harvested | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 15 Willamette | 1.5% | 5,700 | 1,699 | 2025 |
| Unit 19 McKenzie | 60.3% | 7,745 | 2,817 | 2025 |
| Unit 39 Metolius | 66.3% | 380 | 158 | 2025 |
| Unit 41 White River | 43.4% | 1,160 | 527 | 2025 |
| Unit 42 Hood | 63.8% | 367 | 104 | 2025 |
Also for Unit 16: elk hunting.
Questions hunters ask
Can you hunt deer in Unit 16 without drawing a tag?
Yes. General Western Oregon any legal weapon buck deer (Oct. 3 - Nov. 6) is open in the Santiam 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 Santiam Unit, bag limit one deer, by ODFW's 2026 regulations.
How many deer are taken in Unit 16 each year?
ODFW estimates 3,097 in 2025, 2,520 in 2024 and 2,891 in 2023, adding up its rows for the Santiam Unit across general and controlled deer tags.
How hard is it to draw hunt 119A?
In ODFW's 2026 draw for hunt 119A (W High Cascade), every first-choice applicant drew (1,391 residents, 29 nonresidents). 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 16?
Sweet Home, Silverton and Estacada are inside the unit. Just outside: Lebanon (on the line), Molalla (on the line) and Sandy (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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