Oregon Elk Deer (Buck) Deer (Antlerless)

Unit 12 (Wilson)

Oregon Hunting Guide — Elk, Deer (Buck), Deer (Antlerless)

Wilson is a north-coast elk unit from Tillamook Bay to Nehalem Bay and the Wilson River, mostly public ground. ODFW says the herd is moderate and still increasing, and the 2026 hunts here are antlerless.

View Draw Odds Oregon Hunting Guide

⛰️

25–2,547 ft

Sampled elevation

Build your own PDF hunt guide for Unit 12

Answer a few questions about your tag, your season and your rig, and the Field Intelligence Report builds a print-ready Oregon Unit 12 guide around your hunt: three ranked spots with morning, afternoon and evening plays, a day-by-day plan, topo maps with every pin numbered, a camp and access plan, the legal and retrieval rules for this unit, shot discipline, a meat-care and pack-out plan, and a pre-trip checklist. Every coordinate sits on land recorded as public.

Elk guide Deer (Buck) guide Deer (Antlerless) guide

Free accounts get one report a year with the top spot unlocked. ProHunt Pro includes unlimited reports, all three spots, the full camp plan, and GPX/KML downloads for onX and Google Earth. Prefer to see one first? Open the builder and pick any unit.

Elk Hunting in Unit 12

Where to Find Elk in the Wilson Unit: lower Wilson River to the Nehalem

The ground between two bays

ODFW's boundary starts at the mouth of Tillamook Bay and follows the Pacific coastline north to Nehalem Bay. It runs northeast along the North Fork Nehalem River to Hwy 53, then to US 26, down to Glenwood and along Hwy 6 to the Wilson River at Mills Bridge. The named high points are modest: Rogers Peak at 3700 ft, Larch Mountain, Triangulation Point, Kings Mountain and Buck Mountain.

Named hunting areas from ODFW

ODFW's forecast says north-coast elk are at moderate levels but still increasing, with the highest numbers in the western parts of these units. It names the lower Wilson River, God's Valley, Cook Creek, the upper North Fork Nehalem River, Standard Grade, Buck Mountain and Camp Olson as popular areas. One hunt description notes that vehicle access to certain private lands may be limited to weekends only. The area is mostly public, but ODFW's hunt descriptions carve out private ground with access rules, and one notes that vehicles may be limited to weekends only on certain private lands. Wheeler, Nehalem, Manzanita and Rockaway Beach are the nearest towns, with OR 6, US 26 and US 101 as the main routes. Reeher Forest Park and Elk Creek Campground are listed camps.

The ground ODFW draws for this hunt

The Wilson Unit, WMU 12, covers about 576 square miles measured on ODFW's polygon, and ODFW rates it 65% public land. Named features inside the line fall in Tillamook County and Clatsop County. Elevation runs from about 24 to 3,700 feet. The highest named points are Rogers Peak (3,700 ft), Larch Mountain (3,452 ft) and Triangulation Point (3,258 ft). ODFW's line is the legal one, so check it against a current land-ownership map, and get permission before you cross private ground or a locked gate inside it.

Unit 12 terrain and land status

Measured from the unit boundary, not from the agency write-up

The lay of it

25–2,547 ft on a terrain sample , averaging 1,220 ft ; peaks can run higher.
575.4 sq mi inside the boundary.

Who owns the ground

Private / Other — 100%

Roughly 0% is public. Carry a land-status layer anyway — these are area percentages, not a map of where the boundaries fall.

Water on the ground

73 tanks
6 springs
980 stream segments
22 lakes

Counts from mapping data, so this is how many exist, not how many hold water in a dry year. Sitting water only pays where you find fresh tracks.

Named features inside the unit

Glass from: Triangulation Point (3,258 ft), Kings Mountain (3,220 ft), Buck Mountain (3,125 ft), Cedar Butte (2,869 ft)

Holding ground: Fossil Canyon (747 ft), Aiken Canyon (310 ft), Platt Canyon (281 ft)

Every one of these was tested against the unit polygon before it went on the map. They are starting points, not agency recommendations.

How to Hunt Elk in the Wilson Unit: antlerless tags in wet, brushy country

Antlerless hunting favors the west

Because ODFW says elk are densest in the western part of the unit, start your scouting there. Look at the clearings and edges where herds feed, then walk the roads and landings that border them. Cow elk run in family groups, so find one and you'll usually find several. Take your time picking the animal. Let a group settle and look for a clean shot before anyone fires.

Plan for weather and weekend gates

This coast is wet in winter, so bring serious rain gear and a way to keep game bags clean. Check the access notes before you drive in, since weekend-only vehicle access on some private lands can change your plans. Roads like Hamlet Road and Northwest Timber Road give you routes into the interior. With several tags spread across winter, you don't have to hunt a storm. Wait a day and the elk will still be there.

ODFW's 2026 elk hunts on this ground

Seasons, bag limits and tags come from ODFW's 2026 regulations. ODFW runs 3 more on this ground; the regulations list them all. Check the current book before you apply or go, because these change every year.

212T2 Wilson Unit No. 2 Youth, Dec. 19 - Dec. 27: 43 tags, one antlerless elk.
212T3 Wilson Unit No. 3 Youth, Dec. 26 - Jan. 3, 2027: 43 tags, one antlerless elk.
210A1 W Saddle Mtn No. 1, Dec. 1 - Dec. 31: 42 tags, one antlerless elk.
212A1 Miami-Nehalem No. 2, Jan. 1 - Mar. 31, 2027: 39 tags, one antlerless elk.
212T1 Wilson Unit No. 1 Youth, Aug. 15 - Dec. 31: 11 tags, one antlerless elk.
210A2 W Saddle Mt No. 2: see ODFW's table in the 2026 regulations for the season and tag count.

The 2025 harvest in ODFW's numbers

ODFW's 2025 statistics for this WMU, covering elk hunters.

Wilson: 2,280 hunters, 337 animals, 15% success over 7,769 hunter days.

Roads in and the nearest towns

The longest named roads through this ground are OR 6, US 26, Hamlet Road and US 101. The nearest towns are Wheeler (11 mi), Nehalem (12 mi) and Manzanita (14 mi), measured from the centre of the unit.

Getting in and staying out: unit 12

Named routes and what they need

OR 6 — 14.5 mi · Paved (all rigs)
US 26 — 10.2 mi · Paved (all rigs)
Hamlet Road — 8.3 mi · Graded gravel (2WD / small trailer)
US 101 — 5.1 mi · Paved (all rigs)
Northwest Timber Road — 5 mi · Graded gravel (2WD / small trailer)
OR 53 — 3.4 mi · Paved (all rigs)

Ratings come from road data, not from a drive this season. Check current conditions with the managing office before you commit a trailer.

Nearest services

Wheeler — 11.1 mi · fuel, groceries, lodging
Nehalem — 12 mi · fuel, groceries, lodging
Manzanita — 13.9 mi · fuel, groceries, lodging
Rockaway Beach — 14.9 mi · lodging
Garibaldi — 15.2 mi · fuel, groceries, lodging

Developed camps

Reeher Forest Park
Elk Creek Campground
Unnamed camp site
Jetty Fishery RV Park
Brighton RV Park

Season weather and signal

Jan50° / 38° · 12.2" precip
Aug68° / 51° · 1.3" precip
Sep68° / 48° · 3.3" precip
Oct61° / 43° · 7.4" precip
Nov54° / 40° · 12.7" precip
Dec49° / 37° · 13.6" precip

Best signal is Verizon at about 26% of the unit. Plan on being out of contact and tell someone your route.

Oregon rules that decide your day

Summarised from ODFW regulations. They change — read the current regulations and your permit-tag before you hunt.

Legal shooting hours

Big game may be taken from half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset.

Motorized retrieval

Oregon has no general off-road retrieval allowance; several travel-management areas close roads during hunting season.

Tagging

Validate the tag and attach it to the carcass before leaving the kill site.

Leaving meat

Wasting edible meat is illegal.

Where you may not shoot

Occupied structures — No shooting from or across a public road, and no shooting within range of an occupied dwelling without permission.

Elk: where to put the shot

Broadside or quartering away, on the back edge of the front leg about a third of the way up the body. That is lungs, and on a quartering-away angle it picks up the far shoulder.

Shots to refuse

No straight-on and no straight-away shots. An elk's chest is deep and the margin is small.
Nothing standing behind or overlapping the animal you picked. A pass-through kills the elk behind it too.
Your maximum range is the farthest you have put three shots in a paper plate off the sticks you are actually carrying. Not the farthest you have ever hit anything.
Scope on 3–4x. A herd fills a 12x field of view and you lose the animal you picked.

Identification:On an antlerless tag, legal means no antler of any kind through the skin. A spike looks exactly like a cow until it turns its head. If you can't see the head, don't shoot.

Plan the carry: roughly 150– 220 lb of boned-out meat, before head and hide — two to four large coolers, plus bagged ice from town. ProHunt planning estimate, not an agency figure.

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Elk Success Rates

Unit 12: 337 of 2,280 hunters, 15%. Figures are ODFW's own 2025 harvest statistics.

Elk Draw Odds

Season	Tags	Applicants	Draw %	Pts Req
Rifle — Controlled bull/buck only (resident)	10	476	2.1%	20
Rifle — Controlled bull/buck only (nonresident)	1	4	0.0%	20
Rifle — Controlled bull/buck only (resident)	11	49	22.4%	9
Rifle — Controlled bull/buck only (nonresident)	1	1	0.0%	9
Rifle — Controlled either sex (resident)	10	67	14.9%	7
Rifle — Controlled either sex (resident)	43	47	91.5%	4
Rifle — Controlled either sex (nonresident)	2	1	100.0%	6
Rifle — Controlled either sex (resident)	44	95	45.3%	3
Rifle — Controlled either sex (nonresident)	2	1	100.0%	3
Archery — Controlled bull/buck only (resident)	37	94	39.4%	8
Archery — Controlled bull/buck only (nonresident)	2	1	0.0%	8
Archery — Controlled bull/buck only (resident)	39	73	53.4%	8
Archery — Controlled bull/buck only (nonresident)	2	1	0.0%	4

Data from 2025 draw results. Each row is one residency pool — read the label before the number.

Open in Draw Odds Engine

From ODFW's 2026 regulations, residents and nonresidents together: 2026 tags against 2025 first-choice applicants.

212T2 Wilson Unit No. 2 Youth: 43 tags for 2026; 67 first-choice applicants in 2025.
212T3 Wilson Unit No. 3 Youth: 43 tags for 2026; 47 first-choice applicants in 2025.
210A1 W Saddle Mtn No. 1: 42 tags for 2026; 302 first-choice applicants in 2025.
212A1 Miami-Nehalem No. 2: 39 tags for 2026; 73 first-choice applicants in 2025.
212T1 Wilson Unit No. 1 Youth: 11 tags for 2026; 89 first-choice applicants in 2025.

ODFW sets a point cut-off per hunt each year; its point summary reports carry it.

Deer (Buck) Hunting in Unit 12

Wilson is a Tillamook and Clatsop County coast range unit running from Tillamook Bay and Nehalem Bay to Highway 26 and Glenwood. ODFW's forecast calls north coast buck prospects decent and points hunters to recent clearcuts on state forests.

Where to Find Buck Deer in the Wilson Unit: new clearcuts and the eastern end

Clearcuts on state forest land

ODFW's forecast says there have been a lot of recent clearcut timber harvests on state forestlands, and it tells hunters to look at ODF lands when scouting. It also says deer densities tend to be highest in the eastern portions of the units. In practice, that points you toward the cuts and young regrowth on the Highway 6 and US 26 side. The unit is mostly public land, which helps.

Boundary and landmarks

The boundary starts at the mouth of Tillamook Bay, runs north along the coast to Nehalem Bay, then follows the North Fork Nehalem River to Highway 53, US 26 and Timber-Glenwood Highway. It comes back on Highway 6 to the Wilson River at Mills Bridge. Rogers Peak is the high point at 3,700 feet, with Larch Mountain, Kings Mountain and Buck Mountain nearby. Hamlet Road and Northwest Timber Road are named roads. Wheeler, Nehalem, Manzanita and Rockaway Beach are the nearest towns. Mark each cut on a map, then walk the edges and look for trails, beds and fresh droppings. A cut that's a few years old, with brush at head height, holds more deer than a bare new one.

The ground ODFW draws for this hunt

Unit 12 terrain and land status

Measured from the unit boundary, not from the agency write-up

The lay of it

25–2,547 ft on a terrain sample , averaging 1,220 ft ; peaks can run higher.
575.4 sq mi inside the boundary.

Who owns the ground

Private / Other — 100%

Roughly 0% is public. Carry a land-status layer anyway — these are area percentages, not a map of where the boundaries fall.

Water on the ground

73 tanks
6 springs
980 stream segments
22 lakes

Counts from mapping data, so this is how many exist, not how many hold water in a dry year. Sitting water only pays where you find fresh tracks.

Named features inside the unit

Glass from: Triangulation Point (3,258 ft), Kings Mountain (3,220 ft), Buck Mountain (3,125 ft), Cedar Butte (2,869 ft)

Holding ground: Fossil Canyon (747 ft), Aiken Canyon (310 ft), Platt Canyon (281 ft)

Every one of these was tested against the unit polygon before it went on the map. They are starting points, not agency recommendations.

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How to Hunt Buck Deer in the Wilson Unit: brush edges, access rules and the late rut

Time the hunt to the rut

ODFW's forecast says hunters can expect bucks to be rutting the last few weeks of the western Oregon general season. That's your window. Early in the hunt, bucks hole up in thick cover and are hard to see. Later, they move, and an edge of a clearcut at dawn is a good place to sit. Glass the brush lines and the young plantations, and don't walk through the middle of a cut.

Check access before you go

Most industrial forestland is open to at least non-motorized access once fire season is over, except for Weyerhaeuser lands, most of which stay in a fee access program. That affects where you can park and where you can walk. Call or check the landowner's page before you drive in. ODFW rates last year's buck escapement above benchmark, about 20 bucks per 100 does, for the Saddle Mountain, Wilson and Trask units. Wet ground and heavy brush make a long drag, so keep your shots to places you can reach.

ODFW's 2026 buck deer hunts on this ground

Seasons, bag limits and tags come from ODFW's 2026 regulations. Check the current book before you apply or go, because these change every year.

112 Wilson Unit: see ODFW's table in the 2026 regulations for the season and tag count.

The 2025 harvest in ODFW's numbers

ODFW's 2025 statistics for this WMU, covering all deer hunters, every season and tag type.

Wilson: 2,272 hunters, 604 animals, 27% success over 15,686 hunter days.

Roads in and the nearest towns

Getting in and staying out: unit 12

Named routes and what they need

OR 6 — 14.5 mi · Paved (all rigs)
US 26 — 10.2 mi · Paved (all rigs)
Hamlet Road — 8.3 mi · Graded gravel (2WD / small trailer)
US 101 — 5.1 mi · Paved (all rigs)
Northwest Timber Road — 5 mi · Graded gravel (2WD / small trailer)
OR 53 — 3.4 mi · Paved (all rigs)

Ratings come from road data, not from a drive this season. Check current conditions with the managing office before you commit a trailer.

Nearest services

Wheeler — 11.1 mi · fuel, groceries, lodging
Nehalem — 12 mi · fuel, groceries, lodging
Manzanita — 13.9 mi · fuel, groceries, lodging
Rockaway Beach — 14.9 mi · lodging
Garibaldi — 15.2 mi · fuel, groceries, lodging

Developed camps

Reeher Forest Park
Elk Creek Campground
Unnamed camp site
Jetty Fishery RV Park
Brighton RV Park

Season weather and signal

Jan50° / 38° · 12.2" precip
Aug68° / 51° · 1.3" precip
Sep68° / 48° · 3.3" precip
Oct61° / 43° · 7.4" precip
Nov54° / 40° · 12.7" precip
Dec49° / 37° · 13.6" precip

Best signal is Verizon at about 26% of the unit. Plan on being out of contact and tell someone your route.

Oregon rules that decide your day

Summarised from ODFW regulations. They change — read the current regulations and your permit-tag before you hunt.

Legal shooting hours

Big game may be taken from half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset.

Motorized retrieval

Oregon has no general off-road retrieval allowance; several travel-management areas close roads during hunting season.

Tagging

Validate the tag and attach it to the carcass before leaving the kill site.

Leaving meat

Wasting edible meat is illegal.

Where you may not shoot

Occupied structures — No shooting from or across a public road, and no shooting within range of an occupied dwelling without permission.

Deer (Buck): where to put the shot

Broadside or quartering away, on the back edge of the front leg about a third of the way up the body.

Shots to refuse

Nothing behind or overlapping the animal you picked.
Your maximum range is the farthest you have shot a three-shot group into a paper plate from the rest you are carrying.
Pass the shot you are talking yourself into.

Plan the carry: roughly 40– 120 lb of boned-out meat, before head and hide — two large coolers. ProHunt planning estimate, not an agency figure.

Pro Members Only

Unlock hunting tactics for the Wilson unit

Upgrade to Pro — $49/yr

Deer (Buck) Success Rates

Unit 12: 604 of 2,272 hunters, 27%. Figures are ODFW's own 2025 harvest statistics.

Deer (Buck) Draw Odds

Season	Tags	Applicants	Draw %	Pts Req
Rifle — Controlled buck only (resident)	17	483	3.3%	16
Rifle — Controlled buck only (nonresident)	1	12	8.3%	16

Data from 2025 draw results. Each row is one residency pool — read the label before the number.

Open in Draw Odds Engine

ODFW's 2026 regulations give no first-choice applicant figure we can tie to a single hunt here. See ODFW's point summary reports.

Deer (Antlerless) Hunting in Unit 12

Wilson is a Tillamook and Clatsop County coast range unit with a general antlerless hunt and a youth hunt. ODFW says the north coast herd came through winter well and tells hunters to look at recent state forest clearcuts.

Where to Find Antlerless Deer in the Wilson Unit: the eastern end and the state forest regrowth

What ODFW says about the herd

ODFW's forecast says black-tailed deer on the north coast endured winter well, with only average post-winter mortality. Deer densities overall are moderate, and the Wilson unit should offer decent hunting. It adds that densities tend to be highest in the eastern portions of the units. For a doe hunt, that's the side to scout first, near Highway 6 and Glenwood.

Cuts, creeks and access

A lot of recent clearcuts on state forestlands means plenty of fresh forage, so look at ODF lands when you scout. Most industrial forestlands will be open to non-motorized access once fire season ends, except for Weyerhaeuser lands, which mostly remain in a fee program. Rogers Peak is the high point at 3,700 feet, with Larch Mountain, Kings Mountain and Buck Mountain nearby. Tillamook Bay and Nehalem Bay frame the unit, and Wheeler and Nehalem are the closest towns. Reeher Forest Park and Elk Creek Campground are named camps. Mark the cuts on your map, then walk the edges before the hunt. Look for trails, beds and fresh droppings, and pick two spots rather than five. Stay flexible if a spot goes quiet.

The ground ODFW draws for this hunt

Unit 12 terrain and land status

Measured from the unit boundary, not from the agency write-up

The lay of it

25–2,547 ft on a terrain sample , averaging 1,220 ft ; peaks can run higher.
575.4 sq mi inside the boundary.

Who owns the ground

Private / Other — 100%

Roughly 0% is public. Carry a land-status layer anyway — these are area percentages, not a map of where the boundaries fall.

Water on the ground

73 tanks
6 springs
980 stream segments
22 lakes

Counts from mapping data, so this is how many exist, not how many hold water in a dry year. Sitting water only pays where you find fresh tracks.

Named features inside the unit

Glass from: Triangulation Point (3,258 ft), Kings Mountain (3,220 ft), Buck Mountain (3,125 ft), Cedar Butte (2,869 ft)

Holding ground: Fossil Canyon (747 ft), Aiken Canyon (310 ft), Platt Canyon (281 ft)

Every one of these was tested against the unit polygon before it went on the map. They are starting points, not agency recommendations.

Pro Members Only

Unlock deer locations for the Wilson hunt area

Upgrade to Pro — $49/yr

How to Hunt Antlerless Deer in the Wilson Unit: patient doe hunting and a youth option

Plan for a quiet sit

An antlerless hunt rewards patience. Pick a clearcut edge or brushy bench and sit before first light with the wind in your face. Does and fawns feed at dawn and dusk, and they'll come out of cover if nothing's moving. Let a lone doe come into range and make sure no fawn is behind her. Black-tailed deer in thick coast brush don't give a long look, so keep your shots close and clean.

Youth hunt and pack-out

The Wilson Unit youth hunt is the best way to bring a young hunter in, because chances come regularly and the range can be short. Pick a spot near a road, keep the day short and let them shoot only when it's a sure thing. Wet coast conditions mean slick roads and heavy dragging, so bring a game cart if the ground allows. Cool the meat quickly, and check the landowner's access rules before you drive in.

ODFW's 2026 antlerless deer hunts on this ground

Seasons, bag limits and tags come from ODFW's 2026 regulations. Check the current book before you apply or go, because these change every year.

612 Wilson Unit, Oct. 3 - Nov. 6: 217 tags, one antlerless deer.
612T Wilson Unit Youth, Oct. 3 - Nov. 8: 66 tags, one antlerless deer.

The 2025 harvest in ODFW's numbers

ODFW's 2025 statistics for this WMU, covering all deer hunters, every season and tag type.

Wilson: 2,272 hunters, 604 animals, 27% success over 15,686 hunter days.

Roads in and the nearest towns

Getting in and staying out: unit 12

Named routes and what they need

OR 6 — 14.5 mi · Paved (all rigs)
US 26 — 10.2 mi · Paved (all rigs)
Hamlet Road — 8.3 mi · Graded gravel (2WD / small trailer)
US 101 — 5.1 mi · Paved (all rigs)
Northwest Timber Road — 5 mi · Graded gravel (2WD / small trailer)
OR 53 — 3.4 mi · Paved (all rigs)

Ratings come from road data, not from a drive this season. Check current conditions with the managing office before you commit a trailer.

Nearest services

Wheeler — 11.1 mi · fuel, groceries, lodging
Nehalem — 12 mi · fuel, groceries, lodging
Manzanita — 13.9 mi · fuel, groceries, lodging
Rockaway Beach — 14.9 mi · lodging
Garibaldi — 15.2 mi · fuel, groceries, lodging

Developed camps

Reeher Forest Park
Elk Creek Campground
Unnamed camp site
Jetty Fishery RV Park
Brighton RV Park

Season weather and signal

Jan50° / 38° · 12.2" precip
Aug68° / 51° · 1.3" precip
Sep68° / 48° · 3.3" precip
Oct61° / 43° · 7.4" precip
Nov54° / 40° · 12.7" precip
Dec49° / 37° · 13.6" precip

Best signal is Verizon at about 26% of the unit. Plan on being out of contact and tell someone your route.

Oregon rules that decide your day

Summarised from ODFW regulations. They change — read the current regulations and your permit-tag before you hunt.

Legal shooting hours

Big game may be taken from half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset.

Motorized retrieval

Oregon has no general off-road retrieval allowance; several travel-management areas close roads during hunting season.

Tagging

Validate the tag and attach it to the carcass before leaving the kill site.

Leaving meat

Wasting edible meat is illegal.

Where you may not shoot

Occupied structures — No shooting from or across a public road, and no shooting within range of an occupied dwelling without permission.

Deer (Antlerless): where to put the shot

Broadside or quartering away, on the back edge of the front leg about a third of the way up the body.

Shots to refuse

Nothing behind or overlapping the animal you picked.
Your maximum range is the farthest you have shot a three-shot group into a paper plate from the rest you are carrying.
Pass the shot you are talking yourself into.

Plan the carry: roughly 40– 120 lb of boned-out meat, before head and hide — two large coolers. ProHunt planning estimate, not an agency figure.

Pro Members Only

Unlock tactics for the Wilson antlerless hunt

Upgrade to Pro — $49/yr

Deer (Antlerless) Success Rates

Unit 12: 604 of 2,272 hunters, 27%. Figures are ODFW's own 2025 harvest statistics.

Deer (Antlerless) Draw Odds

Season	Tags	Applicants	Draw %	Pts Req
Rifle — Controlled antlerless (resident)	239	928	25.6%	15
Rifle — Controlled antlerless (nonresident)	12	7	14.3%	15
Rifle — Controlled antlerless (resident)	66	84	78.6%	5
Rifle — Controlled antlerless (nonresident)	4	1	100.0%	3

Data from 2025 draw results. Each row is one residency pool — read the label before the number.

Open in Draw Odds Engine

From ODFW's 2026 regulations, residents and nonresidents together: 2026 tags against 2025 first-choice applicants.

612 Wilson Unit: 217 tags for 2026; 706 first-choice applicants in 2025.
612T Wilson Unit Youth: 66 tags for 2026; 114 first-choice applicants in 2025.

ODFW sets a point cut-off per hunt each year; its point summary reports carry it.

Unit Logistics & Expectations

Planning Notes

⛺

Camp Sites

Developed campgrounds: Reeher Forest Park, Elk Creek Campground, Jetty Fishery RV Park, Brighton RV Park.

🛣️

Road Conditions

OR 6, US 26 and Hamlet Road are the longest named roads.

🥾

Terrain Difficulty

Named features run from 24 to 3,700 ft.

🌦️

Weather

Season normals: Sep 68/48°F, 3.3 in.; Oct 61/43°F, 7.4 in.; Nov 54/40°F, 12.7 in.; Dec 49/37°F, 13.6 in..

🏘️

Nearest Town

Wheeler (11 mi), Nehalem (12 mi), Manzanita (14 mi)

📋

Permit Notes

Check ODFW's 2026 regulations for hunt boundaries, seasons and tag rules before you go.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What ground does this Oregon elk page cover?

The Wilson Unit, WMU 12, covers about 576 square miles measured on ODFW's polygon, and ODFW rates it 65% public land.

What's the biggest 2026 elk hunt here?

Hunt 212T2 Wilson Unit No. 2 Youth: Dec. 19 - Dec. 27, 43 tags, one antlerless elk, per ODFW's 2026 regulations.

What was hunter success for elk here in 2025?

ODFW's 2025 statistics for Unit 12: 2,280 hunters took 337 animals, 15% success.

What ground does this Oregon buck deer page cover?

The Wilson Unit, WMU 12, covers about 576 square miles measured on ODFW's polygon, and ODFW rates it 65% public land.

What was hunter success for buck deer here in 2025?

ODFW's 2025 statistics for Unit 12: 2,272 hunters took 604 animals, 27% success.

What ground does this Oregon antlerless deer page cover?

The Wilson Unit, WMU 12, covers about 576 square miles measured on ODFW's polygon, and ODFW rates it 65% public land.

What's the biggest 2026 antlerless deer hunt here?

Hunt 612 Wilson Unit: Oct. 3 - Nov. 6, 217 tags, one antlerless deer, per ODFW's 2026 regulations.

What was hunter success for antlerless deer here in 2025?

ODFW's 2025 statistics for Unit 12: 2,272 hunters took 604 animals, 27% success.

Free Hunt Planning Tools

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Sources & Verification

Every fact on this page is tied to a primary source below. Last fact-checked 2026-10-30.

2026 Oregon Big Game Hunting Regulations — Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife · supports: Hunt areas and boundary descriptions, Seasons, bag limits and 2026 tags · accessed 2026-10-30
Big Game hunting forecast, 2026/27 — Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife · supports: Field reports by hunt area and WMU · accessed 2026-10-30
Big game hunting harvest statistics, 2025 — Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife · supports: Hunters, harvest and success · accessed 2026-10-30
Wildlife Management Units (ArcGIS) — Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife · supports: 576 square miles · accessed 2026-10-30
Geographic Names Information System — named features inside the boundary — U.S. Geological Survey · supports: Rogers Peak 3,700 ft, Larch Mountain 3,452 ft · accessed 2026-10-30