Unit 38 Grizzly elk hunting: harvest, hunts and 2026 seasons
ODFW estimates hunters took 211 elk in the Grizzly Unit (38) in 2025 (130 bulls and 76 antlerless) and counted 1,316 elk hunters there, across 11 general seasons and controlled hunts. ODFW's figures for 2021 to 2025 average 213 elk a year. The unit is 27.1% 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 park land (no hunting)National wildlife refugeNational forestBLMState forest and trust landOther public (city, county, parks, military)Unit 38Neighboring unitsLake, reservoir or riverHighway
| ODFW zone | Central |
|---|---|
| Size | 1,079,911 acres (1,687 square miles) |
| Public land | 27.1% (292,971 acres) |
| Elk harvested, 2025 | 211 (130 bulls) |
| Elk hunters, 2025 | 1,316, 11,086 days |
| Elk per 100 hunters, 2025 | 16 |
| General seasons, 2026 | General archery |
| 2026 controlled hunts listed here | 7 |
| Towns in and near it | Madras, Culver, Metolius and Prineville |
How many elk are harvested in Unit 38?
ODFW's elk harvest for the Grizzly Unit by year: 211 in 2025, 220 in 2024 and 193 in 2023. 16 elk were taken for every 100 hunters in 2025.
| Year | Hunters | Days hunted | Elk harvested | Bulls | Antlerless | Elk per 100 hunters |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,316 | 11,086 | 211 | 130 | 76 | 16 |
| 2024 | 1,364 | 11,384 | 220 | 118 | 99 | 16 |
| 2023 | 1,376 | 11,348 | 193 | 115 | 78 | 14 |
| 2022 | 1,451 | 12,392 | 235 | 136 | 99 | 16 |
| 2021 | 1,413 | 12,233 | 206 | 127 | 79 | 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 38 in 2025?
General season tags: 691 hunters, 64 elk. Controlled hunts: 10 rows in ODFW's table, 625 hunters, 147 elk. ODFW's own row for each, 2025:
| Hunt or season | Tag type | Hunters | Days | Harvested | ODFW success |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Elk Archery | Archery, general | 691 | 6,164 | 64 | 9% |
| 238A Grizzly Grassland | Any legal weapon, controlled | 303 | 3,469 | 64 | 21% |
| 238B2 Grizzly Private No. 2 | Any legal weapon, controlled | 132 | 611 | 42 | 32% |
| 238B1 Grizzly Private No. 1 | Any legal weapon, controlled | 72 | 236 | 20 | 27% |
| 238Y Grizzly Unit No. 2 | Any legal weapon, controlled | 53 | 278 | 8 | 15% |
| 238X Grizzly Unit No. 1 | Any legal weapon, controlled | 48 | 193 | 9 | 18% |
| 238T Grizzly Unit Youth | Any legal weapon, controlled | 10 | 85 | 3 | 33% |
| Eastern General Bow Elk w/ 219R | Archery, controlled | 4 | 38 | 0 | 0% |
| 200R Oregon Youth Bow | Archery, controlled | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0% |
| Eastern General Bow Elk w/ 216R2 | Archery, controlled | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0% |
| Eastern General Bow Elk w/ 221R | Archery, controlled | 1 | 3 | 1 | 100% |
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 Grizzly rows.
When is elk season in Unit 38 in 2026?
General seasons that cover the Grizzly Unit in 2026:
- General archery elk, Aug. 29 - Sept. 27: one 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 238A | Grizzly Grassland | One antlerless elk | Aug. 15 - Dec. 31 | 440 | 301 of 301 |
| 200R | Oregon Youth Bow | One elk | Aug. 29 - Sep. 27 | 330 | 129 of 129 |
| 238B2 | Grizzly Private No. 2 | One elk | Nov. 7 - Nov. 15 | 138 | 103 of 104 |
| 238B1 | Grizzly Private No. 1 | One elk | Oct. 28 - Nov. 1 | 110 | 65 of 65 |
| 238X | Grizzly Unit No. 1 | One bull elk | Oct. 28 - Nov. 1 | 66 | 65 of 305 |
| 238Y | Grizzly Unit No. 2 | One bull elk | Nov. 7 - Nov. 15 | 66 | 63 of 212 |
| 238T | Grizzly Unit Youth | One antlerless elk | Aug. 15 - Dec. 31 | 10 | 10 of 36 |
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 38?
27.1% of the Grizzly Unit is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 292,971 of 1,079,911 acres. The largest share is national forest, 206,492 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of unit |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 206,492 | 19.1% |
| BLM | 85,055 | 7.9% |
| National park land (no hunting) | 2,831 | 0.3% |
| State forest and trust land | 1,386 | 0.1% |
| Other public (city, county, parks, military) | 1,018 | 0.1% |
| National wildlife refuge | 38 | 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 38?
Highways through the unit: US 97 (about 92 miles inside it), US 26 (about 82 miles inside it), OR 370 (about 18 miles inside it), OR 293 (about 12 miles inside it) and OR 218 (about 12 miles inside it). Towns inside: Madras, Culver, Metolius and Ochoco West.
Which units border Unit 38?
The Grizzly Unit touches 7 other units. Their public land and ODFW's latest elk figures, for comparison:
| Unit | Public land | Elk hunters | Elk harvested | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 34 Upper Deschutes | 76% | 1,078 | 155 | 2025 |
| Unit 35 Paulina | 76.5% | 511 | 52 | 2025 |
| Unit 37 Ochoco | 54% | 1,038 | 253 | 2025 |
| Unit 39 Metolius | 66.3% | 422 | 71 | 2025 |
| Unit 40 Maupin | 9.3% | 93 | 40 | 2025 |
| Unit 43 Biggs | 12.3% | 275 | 131 | 2025 |
| Unit 45 Fossil | 15.3% | 1,227 | 351 | 2025 |
Also for Unit 38: deer hunting.
Questions hunters ask
Can you hunt elk in Unit 38 without drawing a tag?
Yes. General archery elk (Aug. 29 - Sept. 27) is open in the Grizzly Unit, bag limit one elk, by ODFW's 2026 regulations.
How many elk are taken in Unit 38 each year?
ODFW estimates 211 in 2025, 220 in 2024 and 193 in 2023, adding up its rows for the Grizzly Unit across general and controlled elk tags.
How hard is it to draw hunt 238A?
In ODFW's 2026 draw for hunt 238A (Grizzly Grassland), every first-choice applicant drew (301 residents, 17 nonresidents). 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 38?
Madras, Culver and Metolius are inside the unit. Just outside: Prineville (on the line), Antelope (on the line) and Redmond (on the line).
Get an Oregon hunt plan when they open
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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.
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