Oregon Elk Deer (Antlerless)

Unit 20 (Siuslaw)

Oregon Hunting Guide — Elk, Deer (Antlerless)

Siuslaw runs from I-5 north of Eugene to the Pacific between Winchester Bay and Siuslaw Bay. ODFW calls Mid-Coast elk stable, but says they're scattered and mostly on private farmland or commercial timberland.

View Draw Odds Oregon Hunting Guide

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259–2,387 ft

Sampled elevation

Build your own PDF hunt guide for Unit 20

Answer a few questions about your tag, your season and your rig, and the Field Intelligence Report builds a print-ready Oregon Unit 20 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 (Antlerless) guide

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Elk Hunting in Unit 20

Where to Find Elk in the Siuslaw Unit: private farmland and timberland

Scattered elk on private ground

ODFW's forecast says elk in the Siuslaw unit are highly scattered and difficult to find, and that most larger herds are on private farmland or commercial timberland. Mid-Coast populations are stable and fair to good in most areas, and calf ratios were higher this past year. It adds that bull ratios in Siuslaw were slightly lower, though still above objective. The boundary runs from Eugene through Drain and Elkton to the coast.

Rugged ground with low summits

The named summits are low: Roman Nose Mountain at 2843 ft, Baldy Mountain, Walker Point, Mount Grayback and Spencer Butte. ODFW says the topography is rugged in certain portions of the unit. Because public land is a minority of the ground, plan on spending as much time on the phone as in the field. Veneta, Elkton, Mapleton and Elmira are the nearest towns, and OR 36, OR 126, OR 38 and Smith River Road are named routes. Lane and Douglas counties share the unit. The Siuslaw National Forest and the Coos Bay, Eugene and Roseburg BLM maps cover it, so use them to find public parcels among the private ground.

The ground ODFW draws for this hunt

The Siuslaw Unit, WMU 20, covers about 1,513 square miles measured on ODFW's polygon, and ODFW rates it 40% public land. Named features inside the line fall in Lane County and Douglas County. Elevation runs from about 5 to 2,843 feet. The highest named points are Roman Nose Mountain (2,843 ft), Baldy Mountain (2,533 ft) and Walker Point (2,341 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 20 terrain and land status

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

The lay of it

259–2,387 ft on a terrain sample , averaging 834 ft ; peaks can run higher.
1,512.5 sq mi inside the boundary. Big enough that picking one drainage beats driving three.

Who owns the ground

National Forest — 60%
BLM — 15%
State Trust — 8%
Private / Other — 17%

Roughly 83% is public. Carry a land-status layer anyway — these are area percentages, not a map of where the boundaries fall.

Water on the ground

238 tanks
1,158 stream segments
53 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: Roman Nose Mountain (2,843 ft), Baldy Mountain (2,533 ft), Walker Point (2,341 ft), Mount Grayback (2,245 ft)

Holding ground: Windy Gap (1,170 ft), Farman Flat (476 ft), Devils Club Canyon (334 ft), North Fork Falls

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 Elk in the Siuslaw Unit: ask first, scout for sign

Ask landowners, then scout

ODFW recommends asking private landowners for access and scouting to find elk sign. Both matter. Start by finding the farms and timberland where herds have been seen, and then walk them looking for tracks, droppings and rubs. Elk in scattered groups leave small signs, so look carefully. When you find a herd, learn its routine before you plan a stalk.

Know the tag you hold

The second rifle bull season in this unit has a spike-bull limit, and ODFW says bull ratios have been highly variable year to year. The hunts listed for 2026 include a youth antlerless tag, so confirm which one you hold. Roads such as OR 36, OR 126 and Smith River Road give you access, and Whittaker Creek Recreation Site and Smith River Falls Recreation Site are listed as camping options. Plan to pack out of rugged ground.

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.

220T Siuslaw Unit Youth, Aug. 15 - Dec. 31: 15 tags, one antlerless elk.
220 Siuslaw 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 elk hunters.

Siuslaw: 2,212 hunters, 292 animals, 13% success over 8,131 hunter days.

Roads in and the nearest towns

The longest named roads through this ground are Smith River Road, OR 36, OR 126 and OR 38. The nearest towns are Veneta (17 mi), Elkton (17 mi) and Mapleton (17 mi), measured from the centre of the unit.

Getting in and staying out: unit 20

Named routes and what they need

Smith River Road — 21.6 mi · Graded gravel (2WD / small trailer)
OR 36 — 18.2 mi · Paved (all rigs)
OR 126 — 9.9 mi · Paved (all rigs)
OR 38 — 9.2 mi · Paved (all rigs)
I 5;OR 99 — 8 mi · Paved (all rigs)
OR 99 — 7.6 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

Veneta — 16.5 mi · no services listed
Elkton — 16.8 mi · fuel
Mapleton — 17.1 mi · no services listed
Elmira — 17.3 mi · no services listed
Drain — 20.3 mi · groceries

Developed camps

Whittaker Creek Recreation Site · Fee · reservable
Smith River Falls Recreation Site
Darling's RV Resort
Honeyman State Park Campground — 365 sites · Fee
Lakeshore RV Park · Fee

Season weather and signal

Jan49° / 36° · 8.9" precip
Aug82° / 52° · 0.4" precip
Sep78° / 48° · 1.6" precip
Oct66° / 43° · 4.2" precip
Nov54° / 39° · 8.5" precip
Dec48° / 36° · 10.8" 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 20: 292 of 2,212 hunters, 13%. Figures are ODFW's own 2025 harvest statistics.

Elk Draw Odds

Season	Tags	Applicants	Draw %	Pts Req
Rifle — Controlled bull/buck only (resident)	132	462	27.7%	9
Rifle — Controlled bull/buck only (nonresident)	7	6	66.7%	9
Rifle — Controlled either sex (resident)	15	40	37.5%	3
Rifle — Controlled either sex (nonresident)	1	1	100.0%	5

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.

220T Siuslaw Unit Youth: 15 tags for 2026; 55 first-choice applicants in 2025.

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

Deer (Antlerless) Hunting in Unit 20

The Siuslaw Unit stretches from I-5 near Eugene to the Pacific, through coastal timber country cut by the Umpqua and Siuslaw rivers. Antlerless hunts here include a private-land block near Curtin and an eastern hunt on its own boundary.

Where to Find Antlerless Deer in the Siuslaw Unit: private clearcuts and the eastern end

Deer follow the private ground

ODFW's forecast for the mid-coast says deer numbers and buck ratios look stable, fair to good in most areas, and deer densities stay higher on private land than public. That fits this unit, where the Siuslaw National Forest is only part of the map and timber companies hold a lot of the rest.

The forecast also says recent clearcut harvests on state forestland are worth a look, and that deer tend to be thickest toward the eastern side of these coastal units. For this ground, east of the coast range crest toward I-5 is a sensible place to start.

Hunts that follow smaller lines

Two hunt descriptions carve this unit up. One covers the part east of Territorial Highway, the Camas Swale ground. Another is a private-lands-only youth block two miles west of Curtin, on Giustina Resources and Seneca Jones Timber land. Youth hunters and their adults register with the landowner first.

Elevation here tops out under three thousand feet at Roman Nose Mountain, so think second-growth, brushy cuts and river bottoms, not steep rock. Smith River Road, OR 36 and OR 126 are the main ways in.

The ground ODFW draws for this hunt

Unit 20 terrain and land status

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

The lay of it

259–2,387 ft on a terrain sample , averaging 834 ft ; peaks can run higher.
1,512.5 sq mi inside the boundary. Big enough that picking one drainage beats driving three.

Who owns the ground

National Forest — 60%
BLM — 15%
State Trust — 8%
Private / Other — 17%

Roughly 83% is public. Carry a land-status layer anyway — these are area percentages, not a map of where the boundaries fall.

Water on the ground

238 tanks
1,158 stream segments
53 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: Roman Nose Mountain (2,843 ft), Baldy Mountain (2,533 ft), Walker Point (2,341 ft), Mount Grayback (2,245 ft)

Holding ground: Windy Gap (1,170 ft), Farman Flat (476 ft), Devils Club Canyon (334 ft), North Fork Falls

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 Antlerless Deer in the Siuslaw Unit: permission, fee access and wet-weather tactics

Sort out access before you load the truck

ODFW says most industrial forestland will be open to at least non-motorized access once fire season ends. The exception is Weyerhaeuser, where most ground stays in a fee access program this fall. Don't assume a gate means open.

On private ground with no program, knock on the door. A polite request in August beats a locked gate in October. Keep a list of who owns what, because parcels change hands in this country and the map in your phone may be old.

Hunt the cuts at first and last light

Black-tailed deer on the coast feed along the edges of young cuts and slip back into the brush for the day. Sit a corner where cover meets feed and glass it. In a wet coastal fall, deer move more in light drizzle than in a hard downpour.

Walking slowly and stopping often works better than covering ground. The forecast says buck rut action builds late in the general season, and does move with them. Plan your drag out to the nearest road, because a hauled deer on a wet slope is real work.

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.

620A Camas Swale, Oct. 3 - Nov. 6: 198 tags, one antlerless deer.
620 Siuslaw Unit, Oct. 3 - Nov. 6: 88 tags, one antlerless deer.
620T1 Siuslaw Unit Youth, Oct. 3 - Nov. 8: 55 tags, one antlerless deer.
620T2 Territorial Youth: 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.

Siuslaw: 4,058 hunters, 1,513 animals, 37% success over 27,982 hunter days.

Roads in and the nearest towns

Getting in and staying out: unit 20

Named routes and what they need

Smith River Road — 21.6 mi · Graded gravel (2WD / small trailer)
OR 36 — 18.2 mi · Paved (all rigs)
OR 126 — 9.9 mi · Paved (all rigs)
OR 38 — 9.2 mi · Paved (all rigs)
I 5;OR 99 — 8 mi · Paved (all rigs)
OR 99 — 7.6 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

Veneta — 16.5 mi · no services listed
Elkton — 16.8 mi · fuel
Mapleton — 17.1 mi · no services listed
Elmira — 17.3 mi · no services listed
Drain — 20.3 mi · groceries

Developed camps

Whittaker Creek Recreation Site · Fee · reservable
Smith River Falls Recreation Site
Darling's RV Resort
Honeyman State Park Campground — 365 sites · Fee
Lakeshore RV Park · Fee

Season weather and signal

Jan49° / 36° · 8.9" precip
Aug82° / 52° · 0.4" precip
Sep78° / 48° · 1.6" precip
Oct66° / 43° · 4.2" precip
Nov54° / 39° · 8.5" precip
Dec48° / 36° · 10.8" 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.

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Deer (Antlerless) Success Rates

Unit 20: 1,513 of 4,058 hunters, 37%. Figures are ODFW's own 2025 harvest statistics.

Deer (Antlerless) Draw Odds

Season	Tags	Applicants	Draw %	Pts Req
Rifle — Controlled antlerless (resident)	88	703	12.5%	8
Rifle — Controlled antlerless (nonresident)	4	2	0.0%	8
Rifle — Controlled antlerless (resident)	55	39	100.0%	2
Rifle — Controlled antlerless (resident)	10	77	13.0%	8
Archery — Controlled antlerless (resident)	275	199	100.0%	6
Archery — Controlled antlerless (nonresident)	16	1	100.0%	6

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.

620A Camas Swale: 198 tags for 2026; 705 first-choice applicants in 2025.
620 Siuslaw Unit: 88 tags for 2026; 2,069 first-choice applicants in 2025.
620T1 Siuslaw Unit Youth: 55 tags for 2026; 460 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

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Camp Sites

Developed campgrounds: Whittaker Creek Recreation Site, Smith River Falls Recreation Site, Darling's RV Resort, Honeyman State Park Campground.

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Road Conditions

Smith River Road, OR 36 and OR 126 are the longest named roads.

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Terrain Difficulty

Named features run from 5 to 2,843 ft.

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Weather

Season normals: Sep 78/48°F, 1.6 in.; Oct 66/43°F, 4.2 in.; Nov 54/39°F, 8.5 in.; Dec 48/36°F, 10.8 in..

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Nearest Town

Veneta (17 mi), Elkton (17 mi), Mapleton (17 mi)

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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 Siuslaw Unit, WMU 20, covers about 1,513 square miles measured on ODFW's polygon, and ODFW rates it 40% public land.

What's the biggest 2026 elk hunt here?

Hunt 220T Siuslaw Unit Youth: Aug. 15 - Dec. 31, 15 tags, one antlerless elk, per ODFW's 2026 regulations.

What was hunter success for elk here in 2025?

ODFW's 2025 statistics for Unit 20: 2,212 hunters took 292 animals, 13% success.

What ground does this Oregon antlerless deer page cover?

The Siuslaw Unit, WMU 20, covers about 1,513 square miles measured on ODFW's polygon, and ODFW rates it 40% public land.

What's the biggest 2026 antlerless deer hunt here?

Hunt 620A Camas Swale: Oct. 3 - Nov. 6, 198 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 20: 4,058 hunters took 1,513 animals, 37% success.

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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: 1,513 square miles · accessed 2026-10-30
Geographic Names Information System — named features inside the boundary — U.S. Geological Survey · supports: Roman Nose Mountain 2,843 ft, Baldy Mountain 2,533 ft · accessed 2026-10-30