Unit 49 Ukiah elk hunting: harvest, hunts and 2026 seasons
ODFW estimates hunters took 559 elk in the Ukiah Unit (49) in 2025 (447 bulls and 107 antlerless) and counted 3,397 elk hunters there, across 12 general seasons and controlled hunts. ODFW's figures for 2021 to 2025 average 568 elk a year. The unit is 34.7% 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 forestBLMODFW landState forest and trust landOther public (city, county, parks, military)Unit 49Neighboring unitsLake, reservoir or riverHighway
| ODFW zone | Northeast |
|---|---|
| Size | 560,992 acres (877 square miles) |
| Public land | 34.7% (194,723 acres) |
| Elk harvested, 2025 | 559 (447 bulls) |
| Elk hunters, 2025 | 3,397, 20,541 days |
| Elk per 100 hunters, 2025 | 16 |
| General seasons, 2026 | General Eastern Oregon Rocky Mountain 2nd season |
| 2026 controlled hunts listed here | 11 |
| Towns in and near it | Ukiah, McKay, Tutuilla and Pilot Rock |
How many elk are harvested in Unit 49?
ODFW's elk harvest for the Ukiah Unit by year: 559 in 2025, 679 in 2024 and 412 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 | 3,397 | 20,541 | 559 | 447 | 107 | 16 |
| 2024 | 3,473 | 22,152 | 679 | 548 | 123 | 20 |
| 2023 | 3,452 | 22,476 | 412 | 331 | 81 | 12 |
| 2022 | 3,423 | 21,750 | 573 | 492 | 81 | 17 |
| 2021 | 3,914 | 26,022 | 619 | 497 | 122 | 16 |
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 49 in 2025?
General season tags: 1,078 hunters, 64 elk. Controlled hunts: 11 rows in ODFW's table, 2,319 hunters, 495 elk. ODFW's own row for each, 2025:
| Hunt or season | Tag type | Hunters | Days | Harvested | ODFW success |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rocky Mtn 2nd season | Any legal weapon, general | 1,078 | 5,761 | 64 | 6% |
| 249R2 Ukiah Unit Bow No. 2 | Archery, controlled | 979 | 8,040 | 182 | 19% |
| 249A1 Ukiah Unit No. 1 | Any legal weapon, controlled | 447 | 1,668 | 159 | 36% |
| 249A2 Ukiah Unit No. 2 | Any legal weapon, controlled | 418 | 1,750 | 39 | 9% |
| 249R1 Ukiah Unit Bow No. 1 | Archery, controlled | 186 | 1,597 | 30 | 16% |
| 249C South Ukiah | Any legal weapon, controlled | 78 | 406 | 22 | 28% |
| 249B Central Ukiah | Any legal weapon, controlled | 62 | 313 | 16 | 25% |
| 249E Ukiah Valley Private | Any legal weapon, controlled | 44 | 248 | 21 | 47% |
| 249D North Ukiah | Any legal weapon, controlled | 40 | 284 | 15 | 36% |
| 244T Umatilla Youth | Any legal weapon, controlled | 31 | 180 | 11 | 36% |
| 200R Oregon Youth Bow | Archery, controlled | 17 | 143 | 0 | 0% |
| 250R2 N Fork Traditional Bow | Archery, controlled | 17 | 151 | 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 Ukiah rows.
When is elk season in Unit 49 in 2026?
General seasons that cover the Ukiah Unit in 2026:
- General Eastern Oregon Rocky Mountain 2nd season elk, Nov. 7 - Nov. 15: one spike elk, page 45.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 249R2 | Ukiah Unit Bow No. 2 | One bull elk | Aug. 29 - Sep. 27 | 1,300 | 228 of 228 |
| 249A2 | Ukiah Unit No. 2 | One spike elk | Oct. 28 - Nov. 1 | 990 | 126 of 126 |
| 249A1 | Ukiah Unit No. 1 | One bull elk | Oct. 28 - Nov. 1 | 468 | 445 of 2,225 |
| 200R | Oregon Youth Bow | One elk | Aug. 29 - Sep. 27 | 330 | 129 of 129 |
| 249R1 | Ukiah Unit Bow No. 1 | One elk | Aug. 29 - Sep. 27 | 220 | 209 of 401 |
| 250R2 | N Fork Traditional Bow (Traditional Bow Only) | One elk | Aug. 29 - Oct. 2 | 110 | 31 of 31 |
| 249E | Ukiah Valley Private | One antlerless elk | Aug. 1 - Nov. 30 | 110 | 21 of 21 |
| 249B | Central Ukiah | One antlerless elk | Nov. 21 - Nov. 29 | 83 | 79 of 170 |
| 249C | S Ukiah | One antlerless elk | Nov. 21 - Nov. 29 | 83 | 79 of 249 |
| 249D | North Ukiah | One antlerless elk | Nov. 21 - Dec. 13 | 83 | 73 of 73 |
| 249T | Ukiah Unit Youth | One antlerless elk | Aug. 15 - Dec. 31 | 44 | 42 of 162 |
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 49?
34.7% of the Ukiah Unit is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 194,723 of 560,992 acres. The largest share is national forest, 179,395 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of unit |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 179,395 | 32% |
| ODFW land | 12,371 | 2.2% |
| Other public (city, county, parks, military) | 2,660 | 0.5% |
| BLM | 2,316 | 0.4% |
| State forest and trust land | 637 | 0.1% |
| National wildlife refuge | 4 | under 0.1% |
ODFW wildlife area in the unit: Bridge Creek (14,689 acres here).
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 49?
Highways through the unit: I-84 (about 124 miles inside it), US 395 (about 81 miles inside it), US 30 (about 55 miles inside it) and OR 244 (about 19 miles inside it). Towns inside: Ukiah, McKay, Tutuilla and Green Meadows.
Which units border Unit 49?
The Ukiah 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 44 Columbia Basin | 1.3% | 377 | 162 | 2025 |
| Unit 48 Heppner | 34.1% | 3,939 | 708 | 2025 |
| Unit 50 Desolation | 86.4% | 2,128 | 283 | 2025 |
| Unit 52 Starkey | 64.4% | 3,348 | 694 | 2025 |
| Unit 54 Mt. Emily | 44.1% | 525 | 173 | 2025 |
Also for Unit 49: deer hunting.
Questions hunters ask
Can you hunt elk in Unit 49 without drawing a tag?
Yes. General Eastern Oregon Rocky Mountain 2nd season elk (Nov. 7 - Nov. 15) is open in the Ukiah Unit, bag limit one spike elk, by ODFW's 2026 regulations.
How many elk are taken in Unit 49 each year?
ODFW estimates 559 in 2025, 679 in 2024 and 412 in 2023, adding up its rows for the Ukiah Unit across general and controlled elk tags.
How hard is it to draw hunt 249R2?
In ODFW's 2026 draw for hunt 249R2 (Ukiah Unit Bow No. 2), 228 of 228 residents who put it first drew; the fewest points a resident drew with in the preference phase was 1. 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 49?
Ukiah, McKay and Tutuilla are inside the unit. Just outside: Pilot Rock (on the line), Pendleton (on the line) and Adams (10 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.
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