Unit 27 Chetco elk hunting: harvest, hunts and 2026 seasons
ODFW estimates hunters took 86 elk in the Chetco Unit (27) in 2025 (73 bulls and 12 antlerless) and counted 330 elk hunters there, across 12 general seasons and controlled hunts. ODFW's figures for 2021 to 2025 average 94 elk a year. The unit is 81.9% 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 27Neighboring unitsLake, reservoir or riverHighway
| ODFW zone | Southwest |
|---|---|
| Size | 1,082,097 acres (1,691 square miles) |
| Public land | 81.9% (886,602 acres) |
| Elk harvested, 2025 | 86 (73 bulls) |
| Elk hunters, 2025 | 330, 2,373 days |
| Elk per 100 hunters, 2025 | 26 |
| General seasons, 2026 | General archery |
| 2026 controlled hunts listed here | 5 |
| Towns in and near it | Brookings, Gold Beach, Cave Junction and Grants Pass |
How many elk are harvested in Unit 27?
ODFW's elk harvest for the Chetco Unit by year: 86 in 2025, 104 in 2024 and 92 in 2023. 26 elk were taken for every 100 hunters in 2025.
| Year | Hunters | Days hunted | Elk harvested | Bulls | Antlerless | Elk per 100 hunters |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 330 | 2,373 | 86 | 73 | 12 | 26 |
| 2024 | 360 | 2,225 | 104 | 87 | 15 | 29 |
| 2023 | 312 | 1,939 | 92 | 72 | 20 | 29 |
| 2022 | 333 | 2,320 | 94 | 76 | 18 | 28 |
| 2021 | 341 | 2,333 | 94 | 72 | 22 | 28 |
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 27 in 2025?
General season tags: 183 hunters, 42 elk. Controlled hunts: 11 rows in ODFW's table, 147 hunters, 44 elk. ODFW's own row for each, 2025:
| Hunt or season | Tag type | Hunters | Days | Harvested | ODFW success |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Western Elk Archery | Archery, general | 183 | 1,614 | 42 | 23% |
| 227X Chetco Unit No. 1 | Any legal weapon, controlled | 65 | 252 | 13 | 20% |
| 227Y Chetco Unit No. 2 | Any legal weapon, controlled | 60 | 286 | 19 | 31% |
| 225B Curry Private | Any legal weapon, controlled | 13 | 80 | 9 | 75% |
| 227T Chetco Unit Youth | Any legal weapon, controlled | 7 | 123 | 3 | 50% |
| 200R Oregon Youth Bow | Archery, controlled | 2 | 18 | 0 | 0% |
| 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/ 219R | 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 Chetco rows.
When is elk season in Unit 27 in 2026?
General seasons that cover the Chetco Unit in 2026:
- General archery elk, Aug. 29 - Sept. 27: one bull elk, page 47.
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 |
| 227X | Chetco Unit No. 1 | One bull elk | Nov. 14 - Nov. 18 | 77 | 74 of 219 |
| 227Y | Chetco Unit No. 2 | One bull elk | Nov. 21 - Nov. 29 | 77 | 74 of 126 |
| 225B | Curry Private | One antlerless elk | Dec. 1 - Feb. 28, 2027 | 22 | 22 of 76 |
| 227T | Chetco Unit Youth | One antlerless elk | Aug. 15 - Dec. 31 | 11 | 10 of 33 |
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 27?
81.9% of the Chetco Unit is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 886,602 of 1,082,097 acres. The largest share is national forest, 777,875 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of unit |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 777,875 | 71.9% |
| BLM | 105,570 | 9.8% |
| State forest and trust land | 3,005 | 0.3% |
| Other public (city, county, parks, military) | 1,575 | 0.1% |
| National wildlife refuge | 152 | 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 27?
Highways through the unit: US 101 (about 71 miles inside it), US 199 (about 41 miles inside it) and OR 260 (about 9 miles inside it). Towns inside: Brookings, Gold Beach, Cave Junction, O'Brien and Redwood.
Which units border Unit 27?
The Chetco Unit touches 4 other units. Their public land and ODFW's latest elk figures, for comparison:
| Unit | Public land | Elk hunters | Elk harvested | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 25 Sixes | 28.6% | 709 | 304 | 2025 |
| Unit 26 Powers | 48.3% | 461 | 130 | 2025 |
| Unit 28 Applegate | 57% | 397 | 37 | 2025 |
| Unit 29 Evans Creek | 42.7% | 366 | 34 | 2025 |
Also for Unit 27: deer hunting.
Questions hunters ask
Can you hunt elk in Unit 27 without drawing a tag?
Yes. General archery elk (Aug. 29 - Sept. 27) is open in the Chetco Unit, bag limit one bull elk, by ODFW's 2026 regulations.
How many elk are taken in Unit 27 each year?
ODFW estimates 86 in 2025, 104 in 2024 and 92 in 2023, adding up its rows for the Chetco Unit across general and controlled elk tags.
How hard is it to draw hunt 227X?
In ODFW's 2026 draw for hunt 227X (Chetco Unit No. 1), 74 of 219 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 27?
Brookings, Gold Beach and Cave Junction are inside the unit. Just outside: Grants Pass (on the line), Rogue River (8 miles) and Glendale (10 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.
Oregon hunting Southwest zone Unit 25 elk Unit 26 elk Unit 28 elk Unit 29 elk