Unit 21 Indigo deer hunting: harvest, hunts and 2026 seasons
ODFW estimates hunters took 1,663 deer in the Indigo Unit (21) in 2025 (1,515 bucks and 147 antlerless) and counted 4,058 deer hunters there, across 14 general seasons and controlled hunts. ODFW's figures for 2021 to 2025 average 1,466 deer a year. The unit is 68.1% 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 forestBLMState forest and trust landOther public (city, county, parks, military)Unit 21Neighboring unitsLake, reservoir or riverHighway
| ODFW zone | Southwest |
|---|---|
| Size | 1,243,183 acres (1,942 square miles) |
| Public land | 68.1% (847,017 acres) |
| Deer harvested, 2025 | 1,663 (1,515 bucks) |
| Deer hunters, 2025 | 4,058, 27,056 days |
| Deer per 100 hunters, 2025 | 41 |
| General seasons, 2026 | General Western Oregon any legal weapon buck and General Western Oregon archery |
| 2026 controlled hunts listed here | 6 |
| Towns in and near it | Dexter, Oakridge and Creswell |
How many deer are harvested in Unit 21?
ODFW's deer harvest for the Indigo Unit by year: 1,663 in 2025, 1,550 in 2024 and 1,688 in 2023. 41 deer were taken for every 100 hunters in 2025.
| Year | Hunters | Days hunted | Deer harvested | Bucks | Antlerless | Deer per 100 hunters |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 4,058 | 27,056 | 1,663 | 1,515 | 147 | 41 |
| 2024 | 3,804 | 24,626 | 1,550 | 1,422 | 129 | 41 |
| 2023 | 4,079 | 27,394 | 1,688 | 1,536 | 152 | 41 |
| 2022 | 3,576 | 23,572 | 1,126 | 982 | 144 | 31 |
| 2021 | 3,879 | 26,244 | 1,305 | 1,162 | 143 | 34 |
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 21 in 2025?
General season tags: 3,563 hunters, 1,445 deer. Controlled hunts: 11 rows in ODFW's table, 495 hunters, 218 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 | 3,173 | 21,627 | 1,347 | 42% |
| Late Bow Deer | Archery, general | 237 | 1,674 | 67 | 28% |
| Early Bow Deer | Archery, general | 153 | 1,234 | 31 | 21% |
| 121M Indigo Unit Muzzleloader | Muzzleloader, controlled | 137 | 647 | 70 | 51% |
| General Any Legal Weapon Western Oregon w/ 119A | Any legal weapon buck, controlled | 107 | 731 | 50 | 46% |
| 621 W Indigo | Antlerless, controlled | 98 | 550 | 54 | 55% |
| 119A W High Cascade | Any legal weapon buck, controlled | 85 | 333 | 3 | 3% |
| 621T N Indigo Youth | Antlerless, controlled | 64 | 245 | 40 | 63% |
| Early Bow Deer w/ 123R1 | Archery, controlled | 2 | 11 | 0 | 0% |
| 123A Umpqua | Any legal weapon buck, controlled | 1 | 3 | 1 | 100% |
| Late Bow Deer w/ 123R1 | Archery, controlled | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0% |
| 123R1 Umpqua Bow | 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 Indigo rows.
When is deer season in Unit 21 in 2026?
General seasons that cover the Indigo 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: one deer (only in South Indigo, the south part of the unit as ODFW draws it on page 33), page 33.
- General Western Oregon archery deer, Aug. 29 - Sept. 27 and Nov. 21 - Dec. 13: one deer (only in the north part of the unit, outside South Indigo), 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 |
| 121M | Indigo Unit Muzzleloader | One deer | Nov. 14 - Nov. 25 | 165 | 157 of 405 |
| 621 | W Indigo | One antlerless deer | Oct. 3 - Nov. 6 | 142 | 142 of 707 |
| 621T | N Indigo Youth | One deer | Nov. 14 - Nov. 25 | 80 | 80 of 151 |
| 123R1 | Umpqua Bow | One white-tailed buck with visible antler or one black-tailed deer (see hunt description for details) | Aug. 29 - Sept. 27 | 55 | 15 of 15 |
| 123A | Umpqua | One white-tailed or black-tailed buck with visible antler | Oct. 3 - Oct. 14 | 22 | 21 of 54 |
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 21?
68.1% of the Indigo Unit is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 847,017 of 1,243,183 acres. The largest share is national forest, 702,801 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of unit |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 702,801 | 56.5% |
| BLM | 144,139 | 11.6% |
| Other public (city, county, parks, military) | 788 | 0.1% |
| State forest and trust land | 77 | 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.
How do you get to Unit 21?
Highways through the unit: OR 58 (about 68 miles inside it), OR 138 (about 47 miles inside it), I-5 (about 31 miles inside it) and OR 222 (about 3 miles inside it). Towns inside: Dexter.
Which units border Unit 21?
The Indigo 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 19 McKenzie | 60.3% | 7,745 | 2,817 | 2025 |
| Unit 20 Siuslaw | 40.3% | 3,103 | 1,081 | 2025 |
| Unit 22 Dixon | 74.6% | 4,218 | 1,927 | 2025 |
| Unit 23 Melrose | 15.4% | 4,561 | 2,237 | 2025 |
| Unit 30 Rogue | 56.6% | 7,481 | 1,987 | 2025 |
| Unit 34 Upper Deschutes | 76% | 1,507 | 336 | 2025 |
| Unit 77 Fort Rock | 68% | 1,445 | 294 | 2025 |
Also for Unit 21: elk hunting.
Questions hunters ask
Can you hunt deer in Unit 21 without drawing a tag?
Yes. General Western Oregon any legal weapon buck deer (Oct. 3 - Nov. 6) is open in the Indigo Unit, bag limit one buck with visible antler; General Western Oregon archery deer (Aug. 29 - Sept. 27) is open in South Indigo, the south part of the unit as ODFW draws it on page 33, bag limit one deer; General Western Oregon archery deer (Aug. 29 - Sept. 27 and Nov. 21 - Dec. 13) is open in the north part of the unit, outside South Indigo, bag limit one deer, by ODFW's 2026 regulations.
How many deer are taken in Unit 21 each year?
ODFW estimates 1,663 in 2025, 1,550 in 2024 and 1,688 in 2023, adding up its rows for the Indigo Unit across general and controlled deer tags.
How hard is it to draw hunt 121M?
In ODFW's 2026 draw for hunt 121M (Indigo Unit Muzzleloader), 157 of 405 residents who put it first drew; the fewest points a resident drew with in the preference phase was 2. 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 21?
Dexter is inside the unit. Just outside: Oakridge (on the line), Creswell (on the line) and Cottage Grove (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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