Unit 16 Santiam elk hunting: harvest, hunts and 2026 seasons
ODFW estimates hunters took 303 elk in the Santiam Unit (16) in 2025 (226 bulls and 76 antlerless) and counted 2,766 elk hunters there, across 15 general seasons and controlled hunts. ODFW's figures for 2021 to 2025 average 263 elk 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) |
| Elk harvested, 2025 | 303 (226 bulls) |
| Elk hunters, 2025 | 2,766, 16,934 days |
| Elk per 100 hunters, 2025 | 11 |
| General seasons, 2026 | General archery and General West Cascade |
| 2026 controlled hunts listed here | 6 |
| Towns in and near it | Sweet Home, Silverton, Estacada and Lebanon |
How many elk are harvested in Unit 16?
ODFW's elk harvest for the Santiam Unit by year: 303 in 2025, 256 in 2024 and 251 in 2023. 11 elk were taken for every 100 hunters in 2025.
| Year | Hunters | Days hunted | Elk harvested | Bulls | Antlerless | Elk per 100 hunters |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2,766 | 16,934 | 303 | 226 | 76 | 11 |
| 2024 | 2,907 | 17,199 | 256 | 183 | 72 | 9 |
| 2023 | 2,778 | 17,069 | 251 | 195 | 56 | 9 |
| 2022 | 2,710 | 15,689 | 260 | 179 | 81 | 10 |
| 2021 | 2,805 | 15,937 | 247 | 182 | 65 | 9 |
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 16 in 2025?
General season tags: 2,436 hunters, 229 elk. Controlled hunts: 13 rows in ODFW's table, 330 hunters, 74 elk. ODFW's own row for each, 2025:
| Hunt or season | Tag type | Hunters | Days | Harvested | ODFW success |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Cascade | Any legal weapon, general | 1,598 | 6,112 | 132 | 8% |
| Western Elk Archery | Archery, general | 838 | 7,691 | 97 | 12% |
| 200M Cascade Muzzleloader | Muzzleloader, controlled | 73 | 256 | 6 | 8% |
| 216D NW Santiam | Any legal weapon, controlled | 72 | 1,579 | 29 | 40% |
| Western General Bow Elk w/ 216R2 | Archery, controlled | 58 | 650 | 10 | 18% |
| 216R2 Santiam Unit Late Bow | Archery, controlled | 55 | 2 | 1 | 2% |
| 216B SW Santiam | Any legal weapon, controlled | 23 | 317 | 17 | 73% |
| 216T Santiam Unit Youth | Any legal weapon, controlled | 13 | 84 | 8 | 64% |
| 216R1 Santiam Unit Traditional Bow | Archery, controlled | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0% |
| Western General Bow Elk w/ 216R1 | Archery, controlled | 10 | 102 | 2 | 17% |
| 200R Oregon Youth Bow | Archery, controlled | 7 | 54 | 1 | 17% |
| Western General Bow Elk w/ 218R | Archery, controlled | 5 | 25 | 0 | 0% |
| Western General Bow Elk w/ 217R | Archery, controlled | 2 | 42 | 0 | 0% |
| Western General Bow Elk w/ 219R | Archery, controlled | 2 | 20 | 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 Santiam rows.
When is elk season in Unit 16 in 2026?
General seasons that cover the Santiam Unit in 2026:
- General archery elk, Aug. 29 - Sept. 27: one bull elk, except one elk outside of USFS lands, page 47.
- General West Cascade elk, Nov. 7 - Nov. 13: one bull 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 200M | Cascade Muzzleloader | One elk outside all USFS lands; one bull elk inside all USFS lands | Nov. 21 - Nov. 27 | 990 | 267 of 267 |
| 200R | Oregon Youth Bow | One elk | Aug. 29 - Sep. 27 | 330 | 129 of 129 |
| 216R1 | Santiam Unit Traditional Bow (Traditional Bow Only) | One elk outside all USFS lands; one bull elk inside all USFS lands | Sep. 28 - Oct. 2 | 55 | 4 of 4 |
| 216D | NW Santiam | One antlerless elk | Dec. 1 - Mar. 31, 2027 | 22 | 22 of 185 |
| 216T | Santiam Unit Youth | One antlerless elk | Aug. 15 - Dec. 31 | 22 | 22 of 73 |
| 216B | SW Santiam | One antlerless elk | Dec. 1 - Mar. 31, 2027 | 11 | 10 of 165 |
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 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 elk figures, for comparison:
| Unit | Public land | Elk hunters | Elk harvested | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 15 Willamette | 1.5% | 572 | 137 | 2025 |
| Unit 19 McKenzie | 60.3% | 1,696 | 197 | 2025 |
| Unit 39 Metolius | 66.3% | 422 | 71 | 2025 |
| Unit 41 White River | 43.4% | 1,522 | 199 | 2025 |
| Unit 42 Hood | 63.8% | 339 | 72 | 2025 |
Also for Unit 16: deer hunting.
Questions hunters ask
Can you hunt elk in Unit 16 without drawing a tag?
Yes. General archery elk (Aug. 29 - Sept. 27) is open in the Santiam Unit, bag limit one bull elk, except one elk outside of USFS lands; General West Cascade elk (Nov. 7 - Nov. 13) is open in the Santiam Unit, bag limit one bull elk, by ODFW's 2026 regulations.
How many elk are taken in Unit 16 each year?
ODFW estimates 303 in 2025, 256 in 2024 and 251 in 2023, adding up its rows for the Santiam Unit across general and controlled elk tags.
How hard is it to draw hunt 200M?
In ODFW's 2026 draw for hunt 200M (Cascade Muzzleloader), every first-choice applicant drew (267 residents, 4 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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