Unit 28 (Applegate)

Migratory deer and the winter range

ODFW's forecast says deer in the Applegate and nearby Jackson County units are mostly migratory, with most of the winter migration around mid-October. It suggests hunting above 4,000 feet early in the season and below 4,000 feet after the deer have moved. The unit's named elevations run from 937 feet up to Mount Ashland at 7,491, so you have both ends of that range in one unit.

Named peaks and boundary

Dutchman Peak, Observation Peak, Wagner Butte and McDonald Peak are the other big points. The boundary starts at Grants Pass, runs east and southeast on I-5 to the California line, west along the state line to US 199, and northeast back to Grants Pass. Jacksonville, Rogue River, Gold Hill and Medford are all close. Lake Selmac and the Chinook Winds RV park are the named places to stay. National forest and BLM ground make up much of the unit. Study the map for the line between summer and winter range, because the best hunting often sits right there. Pick a slope that faces south and scout it on foot. Walk it before the hunt if you can.

The ground ODFW draws for this hunt

The Applegate Unit, WMU 28, covers about 1,325 square miles measured on ODFW's polygon, and ODFW rates it 57% public land. Named features inside the line fall in Jackson County and Josephine County. Elevation runs from about 937 to 7,491 feet. The highest named points are Mount Ashland (7,491 ft), Dutchman Peak (7,385 ft) and Observation Peak (7,335 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.

Rut on the winter range

ODFW's forecast says the concentration of migratory deer on winter range during the rut provides especially good opportunity for muzzleloader hunters with a tag for the Applegate. That's the plan: wait for the migration, then hunt the lower country where bucks are moving to find does. Glass south-facing slopes and brushy draws, and sit near trails and saddles. Muzzleloader range is short, so stalk into a steady rest.

Fire and private timber

Check local restrictions on campfires and on hunting private timber company land during fire season. Confirm which roads are open before you go. Brush is thick, and a wounded buck can disappear into it, so mark your spot and wait before tracking. If your hunt falls in a wet spell, expect slick forest roads and plan your pack-out accordingly. A frame pack and game bags make the carry from a steep slope far easier.

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.

• 128M Applegate Unit Muzzleloader, Oct. 17 - Oct. 25: 242 tags, one buck with visible antler.

The 2025 harvest in ODFW's numbers

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

• Applegate: 3,740 hunters, 1,523 animals, 41% success over 24,625 hunter days.

Roads in and the nearest towns

The longest named roads through this ground are I 5, US 199, NF 1035 and FR 4803-000. The nearest towns are Jacksonville (14 mi), Rogue River (17 mi) and Gold Hill (18 mi), measured from the centre of the unit.

Summer on the peaks, winter on the flats

The Applegate is a tall unit. Mount Ashland tops it at over seven thousand feet, with Dutchman Peak, Observation Peak and Wagner Butte close behind. Lower country runs down toward Grants Pass and Medford.

ODFW's southwest forecast says Jackson County's Rogue, Dixon, Evans Creek and Applegate units hold mostly migratory deer. Most of the move to winter range happens around mid-October.

Above and below four thousand feet

The forecast's advice is to hunt above four thousand feet in the first half of the season and below it after the deer have moved. For an antlerless hunt that runs through the migration, follow that rule.

It also says winter-range deer concentrate during the rut, which sets up good hunting on lower ground. Look at the unit's national forest on Siskiyou and Rogue River maps, and at BLM parcels for public ground near Medford and Jacksonville. FR 41S15, FR 4803-000 and NF 1035 are some of the back roads. Lake Selmac and the river campgrounds near Grants Pass give you lower-elevation bases, while Jacksonville, Rogue River and Gold Hill sit within an easy drive for supplies after a long day on the slopes.

The ground ODFW draws for this hunt

The Applegate Unit, WMU 28, covers about 1,325 square miles measured on ODFW's polygon, and ODFW rates it 57% public land. Named features inside the line fall in Jackson County and Josephine County. Elevation runs from about 937 to 7,491 feet. The highest named points are Mount Ashland (7,491 ft), Dutchman Peak (7,385 ft) and Observation Peak (7,335 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.

Hunt the migration, not the map

Early in the hunt, climb. Glass open slopes and meadow edges from a high vantage, then plan a stalk. Deer on summer range are spread out, so you may cover plenty of country before you find one.

Later, drop down. Deer coming off the high ground bunch up in lower draws and on south-facing slopes. The same hunter with the same tag will see different country in the third week than the first.

Fire rules and private ground

ODFW says to check local fire and campfire restrictions, and the rules for hunting private timber company land. Don't skip that in southern Oregon, where closures arrive fast in dry years.

Lower ground near Grants Pass and Gold Hill is mixed ownership. Ask before crossing a fence, and carry a plat map or an app with ownership layers.

Steep slopes above the Applegate are hard on packers. Quarter the deer, bone it where it fell if the haul is long and move the meat out before afternoon heat. Use cool streams only for rinsing, never for storage.

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.

• 628 Applegate Unit, Oct. 3 - Nov. 6: 48 tags, one antlerless deer.
• 628T Applegate Unit Youth, Dec. 15 - Jan. 5, 2027: 39 tags, one deer.

The 2025 harvest in ODFW's numbers

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

• Applegate: 3,740 hunters, 1,523 animals, 41% success over 24,625 hunter days.

Roads in and the nearest towns

The longest named roads through this ground are I 5, US 199, NF 1035 and FR 4803-000. The nearest towns are Jacksonville (14 mi), Rogue River (17 mi) and Gold Hill (18 mi), measured from the centre of the unit.