Unit 72 Silvies elk hunting: harvest, hunts and 2026 seasons
ODFW estimates hunters took 177 elk in the Silvies Unit (72) in 2025 (124 bulls and 51 antlerless) and counted 1,474 elk hunters there, across 8 general seasons and controlled hunts. ODFW's figures for 2021 to 2025 average 216 elk a year. The unit is 66.9% 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 72Neighboring unitsLake, reservoir or riverHighway
| ODFW zone | Southeast |
|---|---|
| Size | 1,146,803 acres (1,792 square miles) |
| Public land | 66.9% (766,851 acres) |
| Elk harvested, 2025 | 177 (124 bulls) |
| Elk hunters, 2025 | 1,474, 9,623 days |
| Elk per 100 hunters, 2025 | 12 |
| General season | Controlled hunts only |
| 2026 controlled hunts listed here | 8 |
| Towns in and near it | Burns, Hines and Seneca |
How many elk are harvested in Unit 72?
ODFW's elk harvest for the Silvies Unit by year: 177 in 2025, 192 in 2024 and 192 in 2023. 12 elk were taken for every 100 hunters in 2025.
| Year | Hunters | Days hunted | Elk harvested | Bulls | Antlerless | Elk per 100 hunters |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,474 | 9,623 | 177 | 124 | 51 | 12 |
| 2024 | 1,295 | 8,299 | 192 | 97 | 95 | 15 |
| 2023 | 1,884 | 12,614 | 192 | 107 | 85 | 10 |
| 2022 | 1,852 | 12,231 | 230 | 141 | 89 | 12 |
| 2021 | 2,060 | 13,739 | 290 | 175 | 115 | 14 |
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 72 in 2025?
Controlled hunts: 8 rows in ODFW's table, 1,474 hunters, 177 elk. ODFW's own row for each, 2025:
| Hunt or season | Tag type | Hunters | Days | Harvested | ODFW success |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 272R Silves Unit Bow | Archery, controlled | 532 | 4,410 | 53 | 10% |
| 272Y Silvies Unit No. 2 | Any legal weapon, controlled | 297 | 1,706 | 48 | 16% |
| 272X Silvies Unit No. 1 | Any legal weapon, controlled | 263 | 1,146 | 33 | 13% |
| 272A Silvies Unit | Any legal weapon, controlled | 241 | 1,339 | 15 | 6% |
| 271A1 Silvies - N Juniper No. 1 | Any legal weapon, controlled | 65 | 433 | 24 | 36% |
| 271A2 Silvies - N Juniper No. 2 | Any legal weapon, controlled | 64 | 468 | 3 | 4% |
| 272T Silvies Unit Youth | Any legal weapon, controlled | 10 | 108 | 1 | 11% |
| 200R Oregon Youth Bow | Archery, controlled | 2 | 13 | 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 Silvies rows.
When is elk season in Unit 72 in 2026?
Every elk hunt here is a controlled hunt in 2026.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 272R | Silvies Unit Bow | One elk | Aug. 29 - Sep. 27 | 755 | 194 of 194 |
| 272X | Silvies Unit No. 1 | One bull elk | Oct. 28 - Nov. 1 | 358 | 341 of 582 |
| 272Y | Silvies Unit No. 2 | One bull elk | Nov. 7 - Nov. 15 | 358 | 341 of 612 |
| 272A | Silvies Unit | One antlerless elk | Nov. 21 - Nov. 29 | 330 | 323 of 438 |
| 200R | Oregon Youth Bow | One elk | Aug. 29 - Sep. 27 | 330 | 129 of 129 |
| 271A1 | Silvies - N Juniper No. 1 | One antlerless elk | Aug. 15 - Sep. 30 | 138 | 69 of 69 |
| 271A2 | Silvies - N Juniper No. 2 | One antlerless elk | Nov. 1 - Nov. 30 | 110 | 101 of 101 |
| 272T | Silvies Unit Youth | One antlerless elk | Aug. 15 - Dec. 31 | 11 | 10 of 18 |
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 72?
66.9% of the Silvies Unit is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 766,851 of 1,146,803 acres. The largest share is national forest, 412,427 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of unit |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 412,427 | 36% |
| BLM | 323,439 | 28.2% |
| State forest and trust land | 30,985 | 2.7% |
| Other public (city, county, parks, military) | 45 | 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 72?
Highways through the unit: US 20 (about 23 miles inside it) and US 395 (about 11 miles inside it). Towns inside: Burns.
Which units border Unit 72?
The Silvies 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 36 Maury | 57% | 67 | 6 | 2025 |
| Unit 37 Ochoco | 54% | 1,038 | 253 | 2025 |
| Unit 46 Murderers Creek | 68.1% | 1,942 | 328 | 2025 |
| Unit 66 Malheur River | 67.7% | 1,598 | 266 | 2025 |
| Unit 71 Juniper | 88.7% | 99 | 6 | 2025 |
| Unit 73 Wagontire | 84.6% | 185 | 16 | 2025 |
Also for Unit 72: deer hunting, pronghorn hunting.
Questions hunters ask
Can you hunt elk in Unit 72 without drawing a tag?
No. In 2026 every elk hunt in the Silvies Unit is a controlled hunt drawn by ODFW. ODFW lists 8 controlled hunts for it in the 2026 regulations.
How many elk are taken in Unit 72 each year?
ODFW estimates 177 in 2025, 192 in 2024 and 192 in 2023, adding up its rows for the Silvies Unit across general and controlled elk tags.
How hard is it to draw hunt 272R?
In ODFW's 2026 draw for hunt 272R (Silvies Unit Bow), 194 of 194 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 72?
Burns is inside the unit. Just outside: Hines (on the line) and Seneca (4 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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