Unit 23 Melrose elk hunting: harvest, hunts and 2026 seasons
ODFW estimates hunters took 164 elk in the Melrose Unit (23) in 2025 (153 bulls and 10 antlerless) and counted 613 elk hunters there, across 11 general seasons and controlled hunts. ODFW's figures for 2021 to 2025 average 131 elk a year. The unit is 15.4% public land, most of it BLM, 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 23Neighboring unitsLake, reservoir or riverHighway
| ODFW zone | Southwest |
|---|---|
| Size | 614,255 acres (960 square miles) |
| Public land | 15.4% (94,359 acres) |
| Elk harvested, 2025 | 164 (153 bulls) |
| Elk hunters, 2025 | 613, 3,112 days |
| Elk per 100 hunters, 2025 | 27 |
| 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 | Roseburg, Sutherlin, Winston and Elkton |
How many elk are harvested in Unit 23?
ODFW's elk harvest for the Melrose Unit by year: 164 in 2025, 142 in 2024 and 121 in 2023. 27 elk were taken for every 100 hunters in 2025.
| Year | Hunters | Days hunted | Elk harvested | Bulls | Antlerless | Elk per 100 hunters |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 613 | 3,112 | 164 | 153 | 10 | 27 |
| 2024 | 635 | 3,330 | 142 | 127 | 14 | 22 |
| 2023 | 680 | 4,645 | 121 | 105 | 16 | 18 |
| 2022 | 682 | 4,169 | 129 | 112 | 17 | 19 |
| 2021 | 674 | 3,267 | 100 | 84 | 16 | 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 23 in 2025?
General season tags: 486 hunters, 89 elk. Controlled hunts: 8 rows in ODFW's table, 127 hunters, 75 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 | 246 | 809 | 36 | 15% |
| 223A Melrose Unit | Any legal weapon, controlled | 124 | 1,007 | 73 | 59% |
| Western Elk Archery | Archery, general | 124 | 926 | 39 | 32% |
| Coast 1st season | Any legal weapon, general | 116 | 326 | 14 | 12% |
| 200R Oregon Youth Bow | Archery, controlled | 2 | 37 | 1 | 50% |
| Western General Bow Elk w/ 219R | Archery, controlled | 1 | 7 | 1 | 100% |
| Western General Bow Elk w/ 216R1 | Archery, controlled | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% |
| Western General Bow Elk w/ 216R2 | Archery, controlled | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% |
| Western General Bow Elk w/ 217R | Archery, controlled | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% |
| Western General Bow Elk w/ 218R | 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 Melrose rows.
When is elk season in Unit 23 in 2026?
General seasons that cover the Melrose 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 |
| 223A | Melrose Unit | One elk | Aug. 1 - Mar. 31, 2027 | 11 | 10 of 285 |
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 23?
15.4% of the Melrose Unit is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 94,359 of 614,255 acres. The largest share is BLM, 94,101 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of unit |
|---|---|---|
| BLM | 94,101 | 15.3% |
| Other public (city, county, parks, military) | 619 | 0.1% |
| State forest and trust land | 254 | under 0.1% |
| National forest | 4 | 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 23?
Highways through the unit: I-5 (about 146 miles inside it), OR 99 (about 126 miles inside it), OR 138 (about 56 miles inside it), OR 42 (about 32 miles inside it) and OR 38 (about 17 miles inside it). Towns inside: Roseburg, Sutherlin, Winston, Myrtle Creek and Canyonville.
Which units border Unit 23?
The Melrose Unit touches 6 other units. Their public land and ODFW's latest elk figures, for comparison:
| Unit | Public land | Elk hunters | Elk harvested | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 20 Siuslaw | 40.3% | 1,772 | 283 | 2025 |
| Unit 21 Indigo | 68.1% | 1,124 | 110 | 2025 |
| Unit 22 Dixon | 74.6% | 961 | 108 | 2025 |
| Unit 24 Tioga | 34.2% | 2,742 | 641 | 2025 |
| Unit 26 Powers | 48.3% | 461 | 130 | 2025 |
| Unit 29 Evans Creek | 42.7% | 366 | 34 | 2025 |
Also for Unit 23: deer hunting.
Questions hunters ask
Can you hunt elk in Unit 23 without drawing a tag?
Yes. General archery elk (Aug. 29 - Sept. 27) is open in the Melrose Unit, bag limit one elk; General Western Oregon Coast 1st season elk (Nov. 14 - Nov. 17) is open in the Melrose Unit, bag limit one bull elk; General Western Oregon Coast 2nd season elk (Nov. 21 - Nov. 27) is open in the Melrose 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 Melrose Unit, bag limit one antlerless elk, by ODFW's 2026 regulations.
How many elk are taken in Unit 23 each year?
ODFW estimates 164 in 2025, 142 in 2024 and 121 in 2023, adding up its rows for the Melrose Unit across general and controlled elk tags.
How hard is it to draw hunt 223A?
In ODFW's 2026 draw for hunt 223A (Melrose Unit), 10 of 285 residents who put it first drew; the fewest points a resident drew with in the preference phase was 13. 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 23?
Roseburg, Sutherlin and Winston are inside the unit. Just outside: Elkton (on the line), Cottage Grove (2 miles) and Creswell (11 miles).
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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