Unit 18 Alsea elk hunting: harvest, hunts and 2026 seasons
ODFW estimates hunters took 706 elk in the Alsea Unit (18) in 2025 (464 bulls and 243 antlerless) and counted 4,132 elk hunters there, across 16 general seasons and controlled hunts. ODFW's figures for 2021 to 2025 average 665 elk a year. The unit is 41.7% 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 forestBLMODFW landState forest and trust landOther public (city, county, parks, military)Unit 18Neighboring unitsLake, reservoir or riverHighway
| ODFW zone | Northwest |
|---|---|
| Size | 1,254,057 acres (1,959 square miles) |
| Public land | 41.7% (522,330 acres) |
| Elk harvested, 2025 | 706 (464 bulls) |
| Elk hunters, 2025 | 4,132, 21,878 days |
| Elk per 100 hunters, 2025 | 17 |
| General seasons, 2026 | General archery, General Western Oregon Coast 1st season and General Western Oregon Coast 2nd season |
| 2026 controlled hunts listed here | 7 |
| Towns in and near it | Corvallis, Newport, Florence and Falls City |
How many elk are harvested in Unit 18?
ODFW's elk harvest for the Alsea Unit by year: 706 in 2025, 724 in 2024 and 634 in 2023. 17 elk were taken for every 100 hunters in 2025.
| Year | Hunters | Days hunted | Elk harvested | Bulls | Antlerless | Elk per 100 hunters |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 4,132 | 21,878 | 706 | 464 | 243 | 17 |
| 2024 | 4,155 | 20,880 | 724 | 495 | 225 | 17 |
| 2023 | 4,051 | 21,175 | 634 | 454 | 180 | 16 |
| 2022 | 4,233 | 22,003 | 588 | 413 | 175 | 14 |
| 2021 | 4,467 | 22,007 | 671 | 472 | 199 | 15 |
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 18 in 2025?
General season tags: 3,488 hunters, 428 elk. Controlled hunts: 13 rows in ODFW's table, 644 hunters, 278 elk. ODFW's own row for each, 2025:
| Hunt or season | Tag type | Hunters | Days | Harvested | ODFW success |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coast 2nd season | Any legal weapon, general | 1,562 | 6,538 | 145 | 9% |
| Coast 1st season | Any legal weapon, general | 1,208 | 3,520 | 166 | 14% |
| Western Elk Archery | Archery, general | 718 | 7,162 | 117 | 16% |
| 218R Alsea Unit Late Bow | Archery, controlled | 184 | 14 | 16 | 9% |
| Western General Bow Elk w/ 218R | Archery, controlled | 135 | 1,428 | 35 | 26% |
| 218A N Alsea | Any legal weapon, controlled | 110 | 1,161 | 76 | 69% |
| 218B S Alsea | Any legal weapon, controlled | 91 | 1,000 | 70 | 77% |
| 218C Central Alsea | Any legal weapon, controlled | 85 | 714 | 65 | 77% |
| 218T Alsea Unit Youth | Any legal weapon, controlled | 13 | 83 | 7 | 55% |
| Western General Bow Elk w/ 219R | Archery, controlled | 7 | 35 | 0 | 0% |
| 215A Willamette Plus | Any legal weapon, controlled | 5 | 92 | 5 | 100% |
| 200R Oregon Youth Bow | Archery, controlled | 5 | 27 | 1 | 25% |
| Western General Bow Elk w/ 216R1 | Archery, controlled | 5 | 52 | 3 | 67% |
| Western General Bow Elk w/ 217R | Archery, controlled | 4 | 52 | 0 | 0% |
| Western General Bow Elk w/ 216R2 | 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 Alsea rows.
When is elk season in Unit 18 in 2026?
General seasons that cover the Alsea 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 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 218R | Alsea Unit Late Bow | One antlerless elk | Nov. 28 - Dec. 13 | 550 | 116 of 116 |
| 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 |
| 218C | Central Alsea | One antlerless elk | Jan. 1 - Mar. 31, 2027 | 44 | 44 of 297 |
| 218A | N Alsea | One antlerless elk | Jan. 1 - Mar. 31, 2027 | 38 | 37 of 308 |
| 218B | S Alsea | One antlerless elk | Jan. 1 - Mar. 31, 2027 | 38 | 38 of 335 |
| 218T | Alsea Unit Youth | One antlerless elk | Aug. 15 - Dec. 31 | 16 | 16 of 85 |
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 18?
41.7% of the Alsea Unit is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 522,330 of 1,254,057 acres. The largest share is national forest, 342,383 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of unit |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 342,383 | 27.3% |
| BLM | 123,302 | 9.8% |
| State forest and trust land | 56,134 | 4.5% |
| Other public (city, county, parks, military) | 6,248 | 0.5% |
| National wildlife refuge | 426 | under 0.1% |
| ODFW land | 85 | under 0.1% |
ODFW wildlife area in the unit: E.E. Wilson (51 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 18?
Highways through the unit: US 101 (about 121 miles inside it), OR 34 (about 93 miles inside it), US 20 (about 73 miles inside it), OR 36 (about 30 miles inside it) and OR 223 (about 20 miles inside it). Towns inside: Corvallis, Newport, Florence, Waldport and Toledo.
Which units border Unit 18?
The Alsea 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 15 Willamette | 1.5% | 572 | 137 | 2025 |
| Unit 17 Stott Mountain | 21.4% | 1,149 | 174 | 2025 |
| Unit 20 Siuslaw | 40.3% | 1,772 | 283 | 2025 |
Also for Unit 18: deer hunting.
Questions hunters ask
Can you hunt elk in Unit 18 without drawing a tag?
Yes. General archery elk (Aug. 29 - Sept. 27) is open in the Alsea Unit, bag limit one bull elk; General Western Oregon Coast 1st season elk (Nov. 14 - Nov. 17) is open in the Alsea Unit, bag limit one bull elk; General Western Oregon Coast 2nd season elk (Nov. 21 - Nov. 27) is open in the Alsea Unit, bag limit one bull elk, by ODFW's 2026 regulations.
How many elk are taken in Unit 18 each year?
ODFW estimates 706 in 2025, 724 in 2024 and 634 in 2023, adding up its rows for the Alsea Unit across general and controlled elk tags.
How hard is it to draw hunt 218R?
In ODFW's 2026 draw for hunt 218R (Alsea Unit Late Bow), every first-choice applicant drew (116 residents). 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 18?
Corvallis, Newport and Florence are inside the unit. Just outside: Falls City (on the line), Siletz (on the line) and Adair Village (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.
Oregon hunting Northwest zone Unit 15 elk Unit 17 elk Unit 20 elk