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Western Oregon · WMU 23
Melrose Unit (23): tags, seasons and 2025 harvest
Everything ODFW prints for WMU 23: 21 drawn hunts, 9 general big game rows and how the 2025 seasons went across Douglas County and Lane County.
Photo: Bureau of Land Management Oregon and Washington (CC BY 2.0)
Melrose Unit by county
ODFW's unit layer gives the Melrose Unit 958 square miles (614,137 acres) on the Western Oregon side of the Cascade split, and 97% of it is in Douglas County. A hunter in the Melrose Unit can be standing in any of 2 counties, with Douglas the largest at 927 square miles.
| County | Square miles | Of the unit | Of the county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Douglas County | 927.4 | 97% | 18% |
| Lane County | 30.6 | 3% | 0.7% |
2 ODFW wildlife districts reach into the Melrose Unit; the phone numbers below are the district offices.
| Biologist district | Office | Phone | % here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Douglas | Roseburg | 541-440-3353 | 97% |
| Upper Willamette | Springfield | 541-726-3515 | 3% |
Plan around Cow Creek Reservation: no state-licensed hunting is allowed there.
| Area | Status |
|---|---|
| Cow Creek Reservation | Tribal land |
Area, side, county overlap and districts from the ODFW Wildlife Management Units layer and the ODFW wildlife district layer (overlay with Census county lines; GIS measures); closed places from the big game regulations and land manager sources; checked November 8, 2026.
Special areas and limits in the Melrose Unit
- The general cougar tag works all year, but Zone B closes once 200 cougars are reported from its 8 units. 218 cougar hunters took 3 here in 2025.
- The Melrose Unit is open to the Western Oregon general buck season (October 3 to November 6) with a youth extension on November 7 and 8.
- During Coast Bull Elk 1st Season and Coast Bull Elk 2nd Season, a centerfire rifle is legal in the Melrose Unit only with a matching big game tag, used or unused.
- ODFW lists no travel management area inside WMU 23.
- A damage tag for cow elk is valid in the Melrose area inside the Melrose Unit.
- The Melrose Unit touches Southwest Zone (Douglas), South Coast Zone (Douglas) and Northwest Permit Zone (Lane) for geese; the Zone 1 and Zone 2 duck line is drawn only on a map.
- Game bird shooting hours come from ODFW's printed table: Zone A (Douglas, Lane).
- Chronic wasting disease has not been detected in Oregon; ODFW listed 3,682 deer and 1,607 elk results as not detected on October 15, 2026.
| Rifle-restricted season |
|---|
Coast Bull Elk 1st Season (Nov. 14 – Nov. 17) |
Coast Bull Elk 2nd Season (Nov. 21 – Nov. 27) |
Cougar zones, Eastern Oregon Deer Hunt Areas, centerfire rifle restrictions, travel management areas, antlerless elk damage areas, goose zones, game bird hours and CWD testing from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife; checked November 8, 2026.
Controlled hunts in the Melrose Unit
The Melrose Unit sits inside 21 hunt areas: 10 antlerless deer, 6 buck deer, 2 elk, 1 spring bear and 1 premium deer. Hunt 722A drew 5,532 first choices in 2025, the most of any hunt here; it has 4,840 tags for 2026. The tightest hunt is 123B, about 71 applicants per tag. The * on 19 hunts means a partial hunt area.
Each series takes one application with up to five choices; points and the random pool apply only to the first choice. These are 2026 tags and dates.
Buck deer, 100 series (6)
| Hunt | Name | Type | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | 1st choice 2025 | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 123A * | Umpqua | Any legal weapon | Oct 3–14 | One white-tailed or black-tailed buck with visible antler | 22 | 119 | 21, 22, 23, 24 |
| 123B * | Melrose – N Bank Habitat | Any legal weapon | Dec 26–Jan 1 2027 | One white-tailed buck with visible antler or one black-tailed deer | 3 | 213 | 21, 23 |
| 123M1 * | Melrose Unit Muzzleloader | Muzzleloader | Nov 14–27 | One deer | 132 | 65 | This unit only |
| 123M2 * | Melrose – N Bank Habitat Muzzleloader | Muzzleloader | Nov 28–Dec 4 | One white-tailed buck with visible antler or one black-tailed deer | 3 | 51 | 21, 23 |
| 123R1 * | Umpqua Bow | Archery | Aug 29–Sep 27 | One white-tailed buck with visible antler or one black-tailed deer (*see hunt description for details) | 55 | 28 | 21, 22, 23, 24 |
| 123R2 * | Melrose – N Bank Habitat Bow | Archery | Sep 12–27 | One white-tailed buck with visible antler or one black-tailed deer | 11 | 19 | 21, 23 |
Antlerless deer, 600 series (10)
| Hunt | Name | Type | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | 1st choice 2025 | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 621 * | W Indigo | Any legal weapon | Oct 3–Nov 6 | One antlerless deer | 142 | 701 | 21, 22, 23 |
| 622A * | W Dixon | Any legal weapon | Oct 3–Nov 6 | One antlerless deer | 55 | 473 | 22, 23 |
| 623 * | Melrose Unit | Any legal weapon | Oct 3–Nov 6 | One antlerless deer | 275 | 658 | This unit only |
| 623A * | Central Melrose | Any legal weapon | Oct 3–Nov 6 | One antlerless deer | 1,100 | 431 | This unit only |
| 623B1 * | N Bank Habitat No. 1 | Any legal weapon | Oct 17–23 | One antlerless deer | 28 | 73 | 21, 23 |
| 623B2 * | N Bank Habitat No. 2 | Any legal weapon | Nov 14–20 | One antlerless deer | 28 | 80 | 21, 23 |
| 623B3 * | N Bank Habitat No. 3 | Any legal weapon | Dec 12–18 | One antlerless deer | 28 | 90 | 21, 23 |
| 623T1 * | N Bank Habitat Area No. 1 Youth | Youth only | Oct 3–11 | One white-tailed buck with visible antler or one black-tailed deer | 22 | 71 | 21, 23 |
| 623T2 * | N Bank Habitat Area No. 2 Youth | Youth only | Oct 31–Nov 8 | One black-tailed deer | 33 | 79 | 21, 23 |
| 623T3 * | Melrose Youth | Youth only | Dec 15–Jan 5 2027 | One black-tailed deer | 44 | 72 | This unit only |
Premium deer, L hunts (1)
| Hunt | Name | Type | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | 1st choice 2025 | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| L23 * | Melrose | Premium (any legal weapon) | Aug 1–Nov 30 | One animal (either sex); premium deer tags are good for any species of deer hunted in that unit | 1 | — | This unit only |
Elk, 200 series (2)
| Hunt | Name | Type | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | 1st choice 2025 | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 200R * | Oregon Youth Bow | Youth only | Aug 29–Sep 27 | One elk | 330 | 124 | 62 units |
| 223A | Melrose Unit | Any legal weapon | Aug 1–Mar 31 2027 | One elk | 11 | 368 | This unit only |
Premium elk, M hunts (1)
| Hunt | Name | Type | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | 1st choice 2025 | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M23 | Melrose | Premium (any legal weapon) | Aug 1–Nov 30 | One animal (either sex); premium deer tags are good for any species of deer hunted in that unit | 1 | — | This unit only |
Spring bear, 2026 hunts (1)
| Hunt | Name | Type | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | 1st choice 2025 | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 722A * | SW Oregon | Any legal weapon | Apr 1–May 31 | — | 4,840 | 5,532 | 11 units |
Hunt numbers, dates, bags, 2026 tags and 2025 first-choice applicants from the 2026 Oregon Big Game Hunting Regulations and the 2026-27 game bird regulations (sage-grouse); hunt areas from ODFW’s 2026 hunt boundary layers; draw rules from the controlled hunt pages; checked November 8, 2026.
Melrose Unit hunts without a draw
Besides drawn tags, the Melrose Unit offers 9 general big game rows covering deer, elk, black bear and cougar. Elk seasons open to general tag holders in the Melrose Unit: Archery elk – Western Oregon, Western Oregon Coast bull elk – 1st season and Western Oregon Coast bull elk – 2nd season.
General tags (9)
| Species | Season | Tag | Area | Dates | Bag | Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deer | General archery – Western Oregon deer | General tag | Unit 23 (Melrose) | Aug 29–Sep 27 Nov 14–Dec 6 | One deer | |
| Deer | General Western Oregon buck deer – Any legal weapon | General tag | Units 10-30 | Oct 3–Nov 6 | One buck with visible antler | |
| Deer | Youth extension – Western Oregon general buck deer | General tag | Units 10-30 | Nov 7–8 | One buck with visible antler | |
| Elk | General season antlerless elk damage | General tag | Biggs Unit; Columbia Plateau; Maupin Unit; Melrose; Evans Creek; Willamette Valley; Chetco | Aug 1–Mar 31 2027 | One antlerless elk | |
| Elk | General archery elk – Western Oregon | General tag | Units 15, 20, 23, 25 and 28 | Aug 29–Sep 27 | One elk | |
| Elk | General Western Oregon Coast bull elk – 1st season | General tag | Coast (Units 11, 12, 14, 15, 17, 18, 20, 23, 28) | Nov 14–17 | One bull elk | |
| Elk | General Western Oregon Coast bull elk – 2nd season | General tag | Coast (Units 11, 15, 17, 18, 23, 28) | Nov 21–27 | One bull elk | |
| Black bear | General fall black bear (statewide) | General tag | Statewide | Aug 1–Dec 31 | One bear per tag; unlawful to take cubs less than one year old or sows with cubs less than one year old | |
| Cougar | General cougar (statewide, zone quotas) | General tag | Statewide | Jan 1–Dec 31 | One cougar per tag; unlawful to take spotted kittens or females with spotted kittens |
20 bird and furbearer rows also apply here. Not shown: 13 falconry or pursuit rows.
Birds and small game (20)
| Species | Season | Tag | Area | Dates | Bag | Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wild Turkey | Fall wild turkey | General tag | WMUs 14-30 | Sep 1–Jan 31 2027 | Two wild turkeys of either sex | |
| Wild Turkey | Beardless wild turkey permit season | Permit | Private lands in WMUs 37 | Oct 1–Feb 28 2027 | 3 hen turkeys and/or turkeys without a visible beard per day; season limit 9 (3 permits) | |
| Wild Turkey | Spring 2027: youth spring wild turkey hunt | General tag | Statewide | Apr 10–11 Apr 15–May 31 | One male or bearded turkey per day | |
| Wild Turkey | Spring 2027: spring wild turkey | General tag | Statewide | Apr 15–May 31 | One male wild turkey or a wild turkey with a visible beard per day; season limit 3 | |
| Western Gray Squirrel | Western gray squirrel – remainder of state | License | Statewide | Sep 1–Nov 15 | 5 daily, 15 in possession | |
| Ruffed Grouse | Ruffed grouse | Validation | Statewide | Sep 1–Jan 31 2027 | 3 daily, 9 in possession | |
| Blue Grouse | Blue grouse (dusky and sooty) | Validation | Statewide | Sep 1–Jan 31 2027 | 3 daily, 9 in possession | |
| Chukar | Partridge (chukar and Hungarian combined) | Validation | Statewide | Oct 10–Jan 31 2027 | 8 daily, 24 in possession (combined) | |
| Hungarian Partridge | Partridge (chukar and Hungarian combined) | Validation | Statewide | Oct 10–Jan 31 2027 | 8 daily, 24 in possession (combined) | |
| Pheasant | Rooster pheasant | Validation | Statewide | Oct 10–Dec 31 | 2 daily, 8 in possession | |
| Ducks | Youth waterfowl hunt (ducks, mergansers, coots, geese) | Validation | Statewide | Sep 26–27 | Regular bag limits | |
| Ducks | Veterans and active military personnel waterfowl hunt | Validation | Statewide | Feb 6 | Regular bag limits | |
| Band-tailed Pigeon | Band-tailed pigeon | Permit | Statewide | Sep 15–23 | 2 daily, 6 in possession | |
| Crow | Crow | Validation | Statewide | Oct 1–Jan 31 2027 | No limit | |
| Brant | Brant | Permit | Statewide | Nov 28–Dec 13 | 2 daily, 6 in possession | |
| Gray Fox | Gray fox | Furtaker | Statewide | Oct 15–Feb 28 2027 | — | |
| Muskrat | Muskrat and mink | Furtaker | Statewide | Nov 15–Mar 31 2027 | — | |
| Mink | Muskrat and mink | Furtaker | Statewide | Nov 15–Mar 31 2027 | — | |
| Raccoon | Raccoon | Furtaker | Statewide | Nov 15–Mar 15 2027 | — | |
| River Otter | River otter | Furtaker | Statewide | Nov 15–Mar 15 2027 | — |
Season rows from the 2026 Oregon Big Game Hunting Regulations, the 2026-27 Oregon Game Bird Hunting Regulations and the furbearer regulations; general tag deadlines from the general season page; duck and dove zones on the ODFW waterfowl map; checked November 8, 2026.
Melrose Unit harvest in 2025
The 2025 table for the Melrose Unit lists 30 hunt rows; buck deer, any weapon tops it at 1,826.
Unit total, buck deer, any weapon: 1,826 animals, 3,396 hunters. Unit total, elk, any weapon: 123 animals, 486 hunters.
Rows with no hunters and no harvest are left out of the table.
| Kind | Hunt | Hunters | Taken | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buck deer, any weapon | 123A Umpqua | 31 | 26 | 83% |
| Buck deer, any weapon | 123B N Bank Habitat | 3 | 2 | 67% |
| Buck deer, any weapon | General Any Legal Weapon Western Oregon w/ 119A | 56 | 33 | 58% |
| Buck deer, any weapon | General Western Deer | 3,306 | 1,765 | 53% |
| Deer, archery | 123R1 Umpqua Bow | 14 | 8 | 58% |
| Deer, archery | 123R2 N Bank Habitat Bow | 1 | 0 | 0% |
| Deer, archery | Early Bow Deer w/ 123R1 | 4 | 4 | 100% |
| Deer, archery | Late Bow Deer w/ 123R1 | 8 | 4 | 43% |
| Deer, archery | Early Bow Deer | 114 | 21 | 19% |
| Deer, archery | Late Bow Deer | 193 | 51 | 26% |
| Deer, muzzleloader | 123M1 Melrose Unit Muzzleloader | 81 | 19 | 23% |
| Antlerless deer | 623 Melrose Unit | 161 | 67 | 42% |
| Antlerless deer | 623A Central Melrose | 491 | 187 | 38% |
| Antlerless deer | 623B1 N Bank Habitat No. 1 | 15 | 8 | 57% |
| Antlerless deer | 623B2 N Bank Habitat No. 2 | 22 | 10 | 47% |
| Antlerless deer | 623B3 N Bank Habitat No. 3 | 17 | 5 | 31% |
| Antlerless deer | 623T1 N Bank Habitat Area No. 1 Youth | 19 | 9 | 50% |
| Antlerless deer | 623T2 N Bank Habitat Area No. 2 Youth | 25 | 18 | 73% |
| Elk, any weapon | 223A Melrose Unit | 124 | 73 | 59% |
| Elk, any weapon | Coast 1st season | 116 | 14 | 12% |
| Elk, any weapon | Coast 2nd season | 246 | 36 | 15% |
| Elk, archery | 200R Oregon Youth Bow | 2 | 1 | 50% |
| Elk, archery | Western General Bow Elk w/ 219R | 1 | 1 | 100% |
| Elk, archery | Western Elk Archery | 124 | 39 | 32% |
| Elk damage tags | General Season Antlerless Elk Damage | 323 | 130 | 40% |
| Black bear | 722A SW Oregon | 98 | 33 | 34% |
| Black bear | Additional Fall Bear | 12 | 2 | 12.5% |
| Black bear | Fall Bear | 403 | 45 | 11.1% |
| Cougar | Additional Cougar | 2 | 0 | 0% |
| Cougar | Cougar | 216 | 3 | 1.4% |
ODFW 2025 harvest estimates: Buck deer, any weapon, Deer, archery, Deer, muzzleloader, Antlerless deer, Elk, any weapon, Elk, archery, Elk damage tags, Black bear, Cougar; checked November 8, 2026.
Melrose Unit wildlife areas and forests
7 land records cross into WMU 23, including 0 Access and Habitat or Open Fields areas. Statewide programs that also reach it: Bureau of Land Management Oregon public lands.
BLM Swiftwater Field Office
BLM South River Field Office
BLM Upper Willamette Field Office
BLM Northwest Oregon District
BLM Roseburg District
Other ODF state forestlands (West Oregon, Western Lane, Coos and Southwest districts)
Land records and unit overlaps from ODFW, USFS, BLM, USFWS and ODF layers (see each land page); A&H and Open Fields access rules on the ODFW access program pages; checked November 8, 2026.
the Melrose Unit sunrise and shooting times
Oregon clocks fall back on November 1, 2026 and spring forward on March 14, 2027, so the the Melrose Unit times below jump an hour across those dates.
| Date | Opener | Rise | Set | Mammal hours | Bird table |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 29, 2026 | Archery opener | 6:33 a.m. | 7:56 p.m. | 6:03 a.m. to 8:26 p.m. | Not in table |
| Sep 12, 2026 | Eastern buck rifle | 6:48 a.m. | 7:31 p.m. | 6:18 a.m. to 8:01 p.m. | 6:22 a.m. to 7:22 p.m. |
| Oct 3, 2026 | General buck opener | 7:11 a.m. | 6:53 p.m. | 6:41 a.m. to 7:23 p.m. | 6:46 a.m. to 6:44 p.m. |
| Oct 10, 2026 | Duck opener and upland opener | 7:19 a.m. | 6:40 p.m. | 6:49 a.m. to 7:10 p.m. | 6:55 a.m. to 6:31 p.m. |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | 7:42 a.m. | 4:40 p.m. | 7:12 a.m. to 5:10 p.m. | 7:15 a.m. to 4:37 p.m. |
| Apr 15, 2027 | Spring turkey | 6:32 a.m. | 7:54 p.m. | 6:02 a.m. to 8:24 p.m. | Not in table |
Hours rules from the ODFW general hunting regulations; game bird times from the 2026-27 game bird shooting hours table; mammal sunrise and sunset worked out for this location with the NOAA solar formula (Pacific Time); checked November 8, 2026. Legal hours for every county.
Melrose Unit towns and neighbours
Roseburg lies in the unit. Cottage Grove and Glide are close by.
- RoseburgDouglas County
- Cottage GroveLane County
- GlideDouglas County
If tags in the Melrose Unit run short, these units share its counties:
| Neighbour | Same counties | Sq mi | Hunt numbers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dixon Unit | Douglas | 1,553 | 17 |
| Powers Unit | Douglas | 825 | 10 |
| Tioga Unit | Douglas | 1,545 | 13 |
| Indigo Unit | Douglas, Lane | 1,939 | 25 |
| Evans Creek Unit | Douglas | 1,040 | 10 |
| Siuslaw Unit | Douglas, Lane | 1,513 | 10 |
| Rogue Unit | Douglas | 1,460 | 12 |
| McKenzie Unit | Lane | 2,642 | 12 |
Towns and their units from Census places and the ODFW unit layer; checked November 8, 2026.
Melrose Unit in brief
Are any roads closed in the Melrose Unit during hunting season?
None are listed.
Are there ODFW wildlife areas in the Melrose Unit?
None on our records.
Which towns make a good base for the Melrose Unit?
Roseburg, Cottage Grove and Glide.
Does ODFW publish harvest for the Melrose Unit?
Yes, by hunt within each unit in its 2025 reports.
Where is the nearest ODFW office to the Melrose Unit?
Roseburg hosts the main district office.
Is there a deadline for the elk damage tag?
No.
Which counties does the Melrose Unit cross?
Douglas and Lane; Douglas County holds 97% of its 958 square miles.
Which drawn hunts are valid in WMU 23?
21 hunt numbers (10 antlerless deer, 6 buck deer, 2 elk, 1 spring bear, 1 premium deer and 1 premium elk); the table lists each one.
Is elk hunting in the Melrose Unit general or controlled?
Both. General tags cover Archery elk – Western Oregon, Western Oregon Coast bull elk – 1st season and Western Oregon Coast bull elk – 2nd season, and 3 controlled or premium elk hunts reach it.
Which cougar zone takes in the Melrose Unit?
Zone B, Southwest Cascades.
Answers drawn from the ODFW sources cited on this page; checked November 8, 2026.
Other photos on this page: Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (CC BY-SA 2.0).