Unit 45 Fossil elk hunting: harvest, hunts and 2026 seasons
ODFW estimates hunters took 351 elk in the Fossil Unit (45) in 2025 (181 bulls and 168 antlerless) and counted 1,227 elk hunters there, across 12 general seasons and controlled hunts. ODFW's figures for 2021 to 2025 average 414 elk a year. The unit is 15.3% 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 park land (no hunting)National forestBLMState forest and trust landOther public (city, county, parks, military)Unit 45Neighboring unitsLake, reservoir or riverHighway
| ODFW zone | Northeast |
|---|---|
| Size | 902,553 acres (1,410 square miles) |
| Public land | 15.3% (137,858 acres) |
| Elk harvested, 2025 | 351 (181 bulls) |
| Elk hunters, 2025 | 1,227, 7,475 days |
| Elk per 100 hunters, 2025 | 29 |
| General seasons, 2026 | General archery |
| 2026 controlled hunts listed here | 10 |
| Towns in and near it | Mitchell, Lonerock, Fossil and Condon |
How many elk are harvested in Unit 45?
ODFW's elk harvest for the Fossil Unit by year: 351 in 2025, 390 in 2024 and 389 in 2023. 29 elk were taken for every 100 hunters in 2025.
| Year | Hunters | Days hunted | Elk harvested | Bulls | Antlerless | Elk per 100 hunters |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,227 | 7,475 | 351 | 181 | 168 | 29 |
| 2024 | 1,223 | 6,759 | 390 | 207 | 182 | 32 |
| 2023 | 1,478 | 8,941 | 389 | 194 | 195 | 26 |
| 2022 | 1,554 | 9,224 | 510 | 258 | 252 | 33 |
| 2021 | 1,485 | 9,143 | 431 | 210 | 221 | 29 |
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 45 in 2025?
General season tags: 257 hunters, 80 elk. Controlled hunts: 11 rows in ODFW's table, 970 hunters, 271 elk. ODFW's own row for each, 2025:
| Hunt or season | Tag type | Hunters | Days | Harvested | ODFW success |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 245D Fossil Unit Private | Any legal weapon, controlled | 348 | 2,616 | 134 | 39% |
| Eastern Elk Archery | Archery, general | 257 | 2,008 | 80 | 31% |
| 245Y Fossil Unit No. 2 | Any legal weapon, controlled | 172 | 859 | 18 | 11% |
| 245X Fossil Unit No. 1 | Any legal weapon, controlled | 130 | 539 | 22 | 17% |
| 245A2 N Fossil Private No. 2 | Any legal weapon, controlled | 96 | 450 | 30 | 31% |
| 245B2 S Fossil Private No. 2 | Any legal weapon, controlled | 80 | 312 | 27 | 33% |
| 245A1 N Fossil Private No. 1 | Any legal weapon, controlled | 44 | 179 | 18 | 41% |
| 245B1 S Fossil Private No. 1 | Any legal weapon, controlled | 36 | 144 | 13 | 37% |
| 245C Fossil Unit | Any legal weapon, controlled | 33 | 157 | 2 | 7% |
| 245T Fossil Unit Youth | Any legal weapon, controlled | 28 | 192 | 6 | 21% |
| Eastern General Bow Elk w/ 217R | Archery, controlled | 2 | 9 | 1 | 50% |
| Eastern General Bow Elk w/ 218R | Archery, controlled | 1 | 10 | 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 Fossil rows.
When is elk season in Unit 45 in 2026?
General seasons that cover the Fossil 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 245D | Fossil Private | One antlerless elk | Aug. 1 - Mar. 31, 2027 | 688 | 296 of 296 |
| 200R | Oregon Youth Bow | One elk | Aug. 29 - Sep. 27 | 330 | 129 of 129 |
| 245X | Fossil Unit No. 1 | One bull elk | Oct. 28 - Nov. 1 | 275 | 92 of 94 |
| 245Y | Fossil Unit No. 2 | One bull elk | Nov. 7 - Nov. 15 | 275 | 119 of 119 |
| 245B2 | S. Fossil Private No. 2 | One elk | Nov. 7 - Nov. 15 | 253 | 54 of 54 |
| 245A2 | N Fossil Private No. 2 | One elk | Nov. 7 - Nov. 15 | 204 | 65 of 65 |
| 245A1 | N Fossil Private No. 1 | One bull elk | Oct. 28 - Nov. 1 | 154 | 34 of 34 |
| 245B1 | S. Fossil Private No. 1 | One bull elk | Oct. 28 - Nov. 1 | 121 | 13 of 13 |
| 245C | Fossil Unit | One antlerless elk | Nov. 21 - Nov. 29 | 55 | 50 of 50 |
| 245T | Fossil Unit Youth | One antlerless elk | Aug. 15 - Dec. 31 | 50 | 17 of 17 |
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 45?
15.3% of the Fossil Unit is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 137,858 of 902,553 acres. The largest share is BLM, 103,873 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of unit |
|---|---|---|
| BLM | 103,873 | 11.5% |
| National forest | 30,174 | 3.3% |
| State forest and trust land | 3,811 | 0.4% |
| National park land (no hunting) | 566 | 0.1% |
| Other public (city, county, parks, military) | 37 | 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 45?
Highways through the unit: US 26 (about 106 miles inside it), OR 19 (about 80 miles inside it), OR 207 (about 56 miles inside it), OR 206 (about 35 miles inside it) and OR 218 (about 12 miles inside it). Towns inside: Mitchell, Lonerock, Fossil and Spray.
Which units border Unit 45?
The Fossil 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 37 Ochoco | 54% | 1,038 | 253 | 2025 |
| Unit 38 Grizzly | 27.1% | 1,316 | 211 | 2025 |
| Unit 43 Biggs | 12.3% | 275 | 131 | 2025 |
| Unit 44 Columbia Basin | 1.3% | 377 | 162 | 2025 |
| Unit 47 Northside | 40.3% | 2,374 | 466 | 2025 |
| Unit 48 Heppner | 34.1% | 3,939 | 708 | 2025 |
Also for Unit 45: deer hunting, pronghorn hunting.
Questions hunters ask
Can you hunt elk in Unit 45 without drawing a tag?
Yes. General archery elk (Aug. 29 - Sept. 27) is open in the Fossil Unit, bag limit one elk, by ODFW's 2026 regulations.
How many elk are taken in Unit 45 each year?
ODFW estimates 351 in 2025, 390 in 2024 and 389 in 2023, adding up its rows for the Fossil Unit across general and controlled elk tags.
How hard is it to draw hunt 245D?
In ODFW's 2026 draw for hunt 245D (Fossil Private), every first-choice applicant drew (296 residents, 25 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 45?
Mitchell, Lonerock and Fossil are inside the unit. Just outside: Condon (on the line), Dayville (7 miles) and Heppner (9 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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