Unit 17 (Stott Mountain)

Antlerless hunts and the late bow

The hunts on this unit are antlerless tags in the west and east halves, a youth tag and a late archery hunt. Most run in the winter months, after rifle bull seasons are over. Know which side of the unit your tag covers, because the hunt descriptions use road lines near Hwy 18 and Hwy 22 that split the ground by ownership.

Walk past the gate

Hunters willing to leave the truck have a real edge in the TMA blocks, since the closures keep traffic out. Obtain a TMA map and know where the yellow signs are. In second-growth timber and young clearcuts, glass openings at first and last light and sit where animals cross between cover and forage. Elk in dense coastal cover can be hard to see, so move slowly and use the wind. A cow elk shot in a steep drainage will have to be quartered and carried out, so carry packs, a saw or good knives and a headlamp for the return trip. Calf ratios were higher this past year, ODFW says.

ODFW's 2026 elk 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.

• 217A W Stott Mtn, Dec. 1 - Mar. 31, 2027: 22 tags, one antlerless elk.
• 217T Stott Mtn Unit Youth, Aug. 15 - Dec. 31: 16 tags, one antlerless elk.
• 217B E Stott Mtn, Jan. 1 - Mar. 31, 2027: 11 tags, one antlerless elk.
• 217R Stott Mt Unit Late Bow: 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.

• Stott mtn: 85 hunters, 51 animals, 60% success over 996 hunter days.

Roads in and the nearest towns

The longest named roads through this ground are Valsetz Road, OR 18, OR 229 and OR 22. The nearest towns are Grand Ronde (10 mi), Falls City (13 mi) and Willamina (14 mi), measured from the centre of the unit.

Walk-in TMA ground

ODFW's forecast says the Stott Mtn/North Alsea Weyerhaeuser and Manulife Access and Habitat open lands and TMAs provide some quality walk-in hunting. Yellow TMA road closed signs mean no motor vehicles, and closures and hunting access are year-round. It also says deer numbers and buck ratios in western Stott Mountain appear stable and fair to good, with higher densities on private land than on public land. The unit's public share is small, so the TMA matters.

Boundary and named ground

The boundary starts at Dallas, runs south on Highway 223, then northwest to Falls City and along Valsetz Road to the South Fork of the Siletz River. It follows the Siletz to the ocean, goes north to the Salmon River and returns on Highway 18 and Highway 22. Laurel Mountain reaches 3,549 feet, with Sugarloaf Mountain, Saddle Bag Mountain, Fanno Peak and Riley Peak nearby. Grand Ronde, Falls City, Willamina and Lincoln City are the towns. Download the TMA map and mark the gates. Then pick a walk-in block and scout it on foot, looking for trails and feeding sign on the cut edges. Keep your pack light on the walk in.

The ground ODFW draws for this hunt

The Stott Mtn Unit, WMU 17, covers about 497 square miles measured on ODFW's polygon, and ODFW rates it 22% public land. Named features inside the line fall in Lincoln County and Polk County. Elevation runs from about 8 to 3,549 feet. The highest named points are Laurel Mountain (3,549 ft), Sugarloaf Mountain (3,453 ft) and Saddle Bag Mountain (3,387 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.

Know the closures

Get a TMA map online before you go. The forecast says the TMA is closed to vehicle access at Industrial Fire Protection Level 3 and closed completely at Level 4, so check the Oregon Department of Forestry's website for current fire information. Weyerhaeuser lease and permit areas have their own rules, so visit their recreation website. A walk-in hunt rewards a hunter who's prepared to carry a pack and cover ground quietly.

Weapons and the pack-out

ODFW's hunt description notes specific weapon restrictions in the Cascade Head and Lincoln City area of the unit, so check the regulations if you hunt near the coast. A walk-in hunt means every deer is a carry, so bring game bags and a frame pack. Sit on a cut edge at first and last light, take a clear shot at a lone doe and check for fawns. The forecast also advises carrying a cougar tag, since most cougars are taken by deer and elk hunters.

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.

• 617 Stott Mtn Unit, Oct. 3 - Nov. 6: 109 tags, one antlerless deer.
• 617T Stott Mtn Unit Youth, Oct. 3 - Nov. 8: 55 tags, one antlerless deer.

Roads in and the nearest towns

The longest named roads through this ground are Valsetz Road, OR 18, OR 229 and OR 22. The nearest towns are Grand Ronde (10 mi), Falls City (13 mi) and Willamina (14 mi), measured from the centre of the unit.