Unit 39 Metolius elk hunting: harvest, hunts and 2026 seasons
ODFW estimates hunters took 71 elk in the Metolius Unit (39) in 2025 (53 bulls and 18 antlerless) and counted 422 elk hunters there, across 7 general seasons and controlled hunts. ODFW's figures for 2021 to 2025 average 60 elk a year. The unit is 66.3% 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 39Neighboring unitsLake, reservoir or riverHighway
| ODFW zone | Central |
|---|---|
| Size | 427,158 acres (667 square miles) |
| Public land | 66.3% (283,025 acres) |
| Elk harvested, 2025 | 71 (53 bulls) |
| Elk hunters, 2025 | 422, 2,579 days |
| Elk per 100 hunters, 2025 | 17 |
| General seasons, 2026 | General archery |
| 2026 controlled hunts listed here | 6 |
| Towns in and near it | Sisters, Crooked River Ranch, Black Butte Ranch and Redmond |
How many elk are harvested in Unit 39?
ODFW's elk harvest for the Metolius Unit by year: 71 in 2025, 55 in 2024 and 65 in 2023. 17 elk were taken for every 100 hunters in 2025.
| Year | Hunters | Days hunted | Elk harvested | Bulls | Antlerless | Elk per 100 hunters |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 422 | 2,579 | 71 | 53 | 18 | 17 |
| 2024 | 424 | 2,584 | 55 | 50 | 5 | 13 |
| 2023 | 416 | 2,691 | 65 | 52 | 13 | 16 |
| 2022 | 418 | 2,696 | 58 | 30 | 28 | 14 |
| 2021 | 403 | 1,998 | 49 | 29 | 20 | 12 |
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 39 in 2025?
General season tags: 109 hunters, 11 elk. Controlled hunts: 6 rows in ODFW's table, 313 hunters, 60 elk. ODFW's own row for each, 2025:
| Hunt or season | Tag type | Hunters | Days | Harvested | ODFW success |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 234X E Central Cascades | Any legal weapon, controlled | 206 | 849 | 37 | 18% |
| Eastern Elk Archery | Archery, general | 109 | 880 | 11 | 10% |
| 239R Metolius Unit Bow | Archery, controlled | 60 | 480 | 4 | 6% |
| 234M E Cascade Muzzleloader | Muzzleloader, controlled | 20 | 101 | 7 | 38% |
| 234B Tumalo | Any legal weapon, controlled | 15 | 148 | 5 | 33% |
| 234T E Cascade Youth | Any legal weapon, controlled | 10 | 87 | 7 | 75% |
| 200R Oregon Youth Bow | Archery, controlled | 2 | 34 | 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 Metolius rows.
When is elk season in Unit 39 in 2026?
General seasons that cover the Metolius 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 234X | E Central Cascades | One bull elk | Oct. 28 - Nov. 1 | 1,320 | 1,183 of 1,183 |
| 200R | Oregon Youth Bow | One elk | Aug. 29 - Sep. 27 | 330 | 129 of 129 |
| 234M | E Cascade Muzzleloader | One elk | Nov. 7 - Nov. 15 | 198 | 191 of 399 |
| 239R | Metolius Unit Bow | One elk | Aug. 29 - Sep. 27 | 121 | 76 of 76 |
| 234T | E Central Cascades Youth | One antlerless elk | Aug. 15 - Dec. 31 | 55 | 53 of 142 |
| 234B | Tumalo | One antlerless elk | Nov. 20 - Dec. 31 | 22 | 21 of 134 |
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 39?
66.3% of the Metolius Unit is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 283,025 of 427,158 acres. The largest share is national forest, 254,288 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of unit |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 254,288 | 59.5% |
| BLM | 28,300 | 6.6% |
| State forest and trust land | 437 | 0.1% |
| Other public (city, county, parks, military) | 392 | 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 39?
Highways through the unit: US 20 (about 40 miles inside it), OR 126 (about 31 miles inside it), OR 242 (about 10 miles inside it) and US 97 (about 5 miles inside it). Towns inside: Sisters, Crooked River Ranch, Black Butte Ranch, Camp Sherman and Terrebonne.
Which units border Unit 39?
The Metolius Unit touches 5 other units. Their public land and ODFW's latest elk figures, for comparison:
| Unit | Public land | Elk hunters | Elk harvested | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 16 Santiam | 62.6% | 2,766 | 303 | 2025 |
| Unit 19 McKenzie | 60.3% | 1,696 | 197 | 2025 |
| Unit 34 Upper Deschutes | 76% | 1,078 | 155 | 2025 |
| Unit 35 Paulina | 76.5% | 511 | 52 | 2025 |
| Unit 38 Grizzly | 27.1% | 1,316 | 211 | 2025 |
Also for Unit 39: deer hunting.
Questions hunters ask
Can you hunt elk in Unit 39 without drawing a tag?
Yes. General archery elk (Aug. 29 - Sept. 27) is open in the Metolius Unit, bag limit one bull elk, by ODFW's 2026 regulations.
How many elk are taken in Unit 39 each year?
ODFW estimates 71 in 2025, 55 in 2024 and 65 in 2023, adding up its rows for the Metolius Unit across general and controlled elk tags.
How hard is it to draw hunt 234X?
In ODFW's 2026 draw for hunt 234X (E Central Cascades), every first-choice applicant drew (1,183 residents, 23 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 39?
Sisters, Crooked River Ranch and Black Butte Ranch are inside the unit. Just outside: Redmond (on the line), Culver (3 miles) and Metolius (4 miles).
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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 Central zone Unit 16 elk Unit 19 elk Unit 34 elk Unit 35 elk Unit 38 elk