Unit 76 Silver Lake elk hunting: harvest, hunts and 2026 seasons
ODFW estimates hunters took 13 elk in the Silver Lake Unit (76) in 2025 (10 bulls and 3 antlerless) and counted 381 elk hunters there, across 5 general seasons and controlled hunts. ODFW's figures for 2021 to 2025 average 13 elk a year. The unit is 60.3% 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 wildlife refugeNational forestBLMODFW landUnit 76Neighboring unitsLake, reservoir or riverHighway
| ODFW zone | South Central |
|---|---|
| Size | 612,801 acres (958 square miles) |
| Public land | 60.3% (369,622 acres) |
| Elk harvested, 2025 | 13 (10 bulls) |
| Elk hunters, 2025 | 381, 2,006 days |
| Elk per 100 hunters, 2025 | 3 |
| General seasons, 2026 | General archery |
| 2026 controlled hunts listed here | 5 |
| Towns in and near it | Silver Lake and Paisley |
How many elk are harvested in Unit 76?
ODFW's elk harvest for the Silver Lake Unit by year: 13 in 2025, 13 in 2024 and 11 in 2023. 3 elk were taken for every 100 hunters in 2025.
| Year | Hunters | Days hunted | Elk harvested | Bulls | Antlerless | Elk per 100 hunters |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 381 | 2,006 | 13 | 10 | 3 | 3 |
| 2024 | 398 | 2,130 | 13 | 8 | 3 | 3 |
| 2023 | 310 | 1,849 | 11 | 9 | 2 | 4 |
| 2022 | 403 | 2,122 | 14 | 10 | 4 | 3 |
| 2021 | 288 | 1,678 | 15 | 13 | 2 | 5 |
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 76 in 2025?
General season tags: 42 hunters, 4 elk. Controlled hunts: 4 rows in ODFW's table, 339 hunters, 9 elk. ODFW's own row for each, 2025:
| Hunt or season | Tag type | Hunters | Days | Harvested | ODFW success |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 276X Silver Lake Unit No. 1 | Any legal weapon, controlled | 181 | 680 | 6 | 4% |
| 276Y Silver Lake Unit No. 2 | Any legal weapon, controlled | 117 | 699 | 0 | 0% |
| Eastern Elk Archery | Archery, general | 42 | 370 | 4 | 9% |
| 277A North Lake | Any legal weapon, controlled | 35 | 222 | 3 | 10% |
| 275T Interstate - Silver Lake Unit Youth | Any legal weapon, controlled | 6 | 35 | 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 Silver Lake rows.
When is elk season in Unit 76 in 2026?
General seasons that cover the Silver Lake 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 276X | Silver Lake Unit No. 1 | One bull elk | Oct. 28 - Nov. 1 | 385 | 58 of 58 |
| 200R | Oregon Youth Bow | One elk | Aug. 29 - Sep. 27 | 330 | 129 of 129 |
| 276Y | Silver Lake Unit No. 2 | One bull elk | Nov. 7 - Nov. 15 | 220 | 79 of 79 |
| 277A | North Lake | One antlerless elk | Oct. 1 - Mar. 31, 2027 | 150 | 149 of 390 |
| 275T | Interstate - Silver Lake Unit Youth | One antlerless elk | Aug. 15 - Dec. 31 | 21 | 20 of 47 |
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 76?
60.3% of the Silver Lake Unit is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 369,622 of 612,801 acres. The largest share is national forest, 322,687 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of unit |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 322,687 | 52.7% |
| BLM | 45,740 | 7.5% |
| National wildlife refuge | 782 | 0.1% |
| ODFW land | 413 | 0.1% |
ODFW wildlife area in the unit: Summer Lake (413 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 76?
Highways through the unit: OR 31 (about 17 miles inside it). Towns inside: Silver Lake.
Which units border Unit 76?
The Silver Lake Unit touches 4 other units. Their public land and ODFW's latest elk figures, for comparison:
| Unit | Public land | Elk hunters | Elk harvested | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 33 Sprague | 73.9% | 219 | 5 | 2025 |
| Unit 73 Wagontire | 84.6% | 185 | 16 | 2025 |
| Unit 75 Interstate | 55.7% | 347 | 46 | 2025 |
| Unit 77 Fort Rock | 68% | 623 | 31 | 2025 |
Also for Unit 76: deer hunting, pronghorn hunting.
Questions hunters ask
Can you hunt elk in Unit 76 without drawing a tag?
Yes. General archery elk (Aug. 29 - Sept. 27) is open in the Silver Lake Unit, bag limit one bull elk, by ODFW's 2026 regulations.
How many elk are taken in Unit 76 each year?
ODFW estimates 13 in 2025, 13 in 2024 and 11 in 2023, adding up its rows for the Silver Lake Unit across general and controlled elk tags.
How hard is it to draw hunt 276X?
In ODFW's 2026 draw for hunt 276X (Silver Lake Unit No. 1), every first-choice applicant drew (58 residents). 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 76?
Silver Lake is inside the unit. Just outside: Paisley (11 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 South Central zone Unit 33 elk Unit 73 elk Unit 75 elk Unit 77 elk