Unit 28 Applegate deer hunting: harvest, hunts and 2026 seasons
ODFW estimates hunters took 1,746 deer in the Applegate Unit (28) in 2025 (1,671 bucks and 74 antlerless) and counted 4,255 deer hunters there, across 11 general seasons and controlled hunts. ODFW's figures for 2021 to 2025 average 1,505 deer a year. The unit is 57% 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 park land (no hunting)National forestBLMODFW landState forest and trust landBureau of ReclamationOther public (city, county, parks, military)Unit 28Neighboring unitsLake, reservoir or riverHighway
| ODFW zone | Southwest |
|---|---|
| Size | 847,666 acres (1,324 square miles) |
| Public land | 57% (483,217 acres) |
| Deer harvested, 2025 | 1,746 (1,671 bucks) |
| Deer hunters, 2025 | 4,255, 27,882 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 | 4 |
| Towns in and near it | Ashland, Central Point, Jacksonville and Cave Junction |
How many deer are harvested in Unit 28?
ODFW's deer harvest for the Applegate Unit by year: 1,746 in 2025, 1,525 in 2024 and 1,667 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 | 4,255 | 27,882 | 1,746 | 1,671 | 74 | 41 |
| 2024 | 4,111 | 26,368 | 1,525 | 1,459 | 64 | 37 |
| 2023 | 4,119 | 25,448 | 1,667 | 1,593 | 74 | 40 |
| 2022 | 3,893 | 23,292 | 1,165 | 1,117 | 48 | 30 |
| 2021 | 3,903 | 24,946 | 1,424 | 1,367 | 57 | 36 |
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 28 in 2025?
General season tags: 3,874 hunters, 1,556 deer. Controlled hunts: 8 rows in ODFW's table, 381 hunters, 190 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 | 3,706 | 24,392 | 1,510 | 41% |
| 128M Applegate Unit Muzzleloader | Muzzleloader, controlled | 296 | 1,892 | 135 | 46% |
| Early Bow Deer | Archery, general | 140 | 969 | 42 | 30% |
| General Any Legal Weapon Western Oregon w/ 119A | Any legal weapon buck, controlled | 34 | 233 | 13 | 38% |
| 628 Applegate Unit | Antlerless, controlled | 33 | 149 | 29 | 86% |
| Late Bow Deer | Archery, general | 28 | 147 | 4 | 15% |
| 130R Rogue-Siskiyou Early Bow | Archery, controlled | 18 | 100 | 13 | 70% |
| Early Bow Deer w/ 123R1 | 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/ 123R1 | 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 Applegate rows.
When is deer season in Unit 28 in 2026?
General seasons that cover the Applegate 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 buck with visible antler, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 128M | Applegate Unit Muzzleloader | One deer | Nov. 14 - Dec. 6 | 330 | 314 of 880 |
| 130R | Rogue-Siskiyou Early Bow | One buck with visible antler | Aug. 1 - Aug. 15 | 55 | 51 of 51 |
| 628 | Applegate Unit | One antlerless deer | Oct. 3 - Nov. 6 | 48 | 47 of 896 |
| 628T | Applegate Unit Youth | One deer | Dec. 15 - Jan. 5, 2027 | 39 | 38 of 138 |
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 28?
57% of the Applegate Unit is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 483,217 of 847,666 acres. The largest share is national forest, 250,998 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of unit |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 250,998 | 29.6% |
| BLM | 229,076 | 27% |
| National park land (no hunting) | 4,531 | 0.5% |
| State forest and trust land | 3,119 | 0.4% |
| Other public (city, county, parks, military) | 2,814 | 0.3% |
| ODFW land | 23 | under 0.1% |
| Bureau of Reclamation | 1 | 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 28?
Highways through the unit: I-5 (about 82 miles inside it), OR 99 (about 63 miles inside it), US 199 (about 42 miles inside it), OR 238 (about 39 miles inside it) and OR 46 (about 20 miles inside it). Towns inside: Ashland, Central Point, Jacksonville, Phoenix and Talent.
Which units border Unit 28?
The Applegate Unit touches 3 other units. Their public land and ODFW's latest deer figures, for comparison:
| Unit | Public land | Deer hunters | Deer harvested | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 27 Chetco | 81.9% | 2,161 | 1,021 | 2025 |
| Unit 29 Evans Creek | 42.7% | 3,169 | 1,499 | 2025 |
| Unit 30 Rogue | 56.6% | 7,481 | 1,987 | 2025 |
Also for Unit 28: elk hunting.
Questions hunters ask
Can you hunt deer in Unit 28 without drawing a tag?
Yes. General Western Oregon any legal weapon buck deer (Oct. 3 - Nov. 6) is open in the Applegate Unit, bag limit one buck with visible antler; General Western Oregon archery deer (Aug. 29 - Sept. 27) is open in the Applegate Unit, bag limit one buck with visible antler, by ODFW's 2026 regulations.
How many deer are taken in Unit 28 each year?
ODFW estimates 1,746 in 2025, 1,525 in 2024 and 1,667 in 2023, adding up its rows for the Applegate Unit across general and controlled deer tags.
How hard is it to draw hunt 128M?
In ODFW's 2026 draw for hunt 128M (Applegate Unit Muzzleloader), 314 of 880 residents who put it first drew; the fewest points a resident drew with in the preference phase was 3. 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 28?
Ashland, Central Point and Jacksonville are inside the unit. Just outside: Cave Junction (on the line), Rogue River (on the line) and Gold Hill (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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