Oregon Bear Elk Deer (Antlerless)

Unit 17 (Stott Mountain)

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

The Alsea-Stott Mountain spring bear hunt (717) is an Oregon controlled-hunt opportunity managed by ODFW. Tags are allocated through the ODFW controlled-hunt draw, and this entry summarizes what hunters can expect across access, pressure, and harvest context for the unit.

View Draw Odds Oregon Hunting Guide

Bear Hunting in Unit 17

Where to Find Black Bear in the Alsea-Stott Mountain Combo

This coastal-slope hunt covers classic Oregon timber country — steep reprod units, alder bottoms, and bramble-covered skid roads hold bears as soon as spring greens the low country. Focus on fresh clearcuts one to five years old where new grass and forbs pull bears out of the timber.

Ownership is a mosaic of state, federal, and private timber. Check the ODFW WMU layer with an ownership overlay and confirm any timber-company access permit or gate schedule before you head out.

How to Hunt the Alsea-Stott Mountain Combo

Mornings and late evenings are prime. Drive mainlines slowly with good optics, glass every cut block you can see from the road, and park to still-hunt or sit when you find fresh sign or animals. Calling with a predator distress call can pull bears out of cover in the last hour of legal light.

Expect wet, brushy recovery. A compact game cart will not help here — plan for pack frame meat-haul, sharp knives, and plenty of game bags.

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Bear Success Rates

Use ODFW's big-game statistics page to pull the most recent harvest totals and hunter-day counts for this unit. Success rates on controlled hunts vary year to year with tag numbers and weather — treat trailing three-year averages as your baseline.

Bear Draw Odds

Season	Tags	Applicants	Draw %	Pts Req
Archery— Controlled	275	576	47.2%	7
Rifle— Controlled	55	30	100.0%	2

Data from 2025 draw results. Resident odds shown.

Open in Draw Odds Engine

Oregon runs a 75/25 controlled-hunt draw: 75% of tags go to the highest preference-point holders and 25% are drawn at random from all applicants. Review the ODFW controlled-hunt navigation page before applying, and check historical draw odds for this specific hunt number on the ProHunt draw-odds tool.

Elk Hunting in Unit 17

Controlled hunt 217 is the West Stott Mountain Roosevelt elk hunt in Oregon's Coast Range between Lincoln City and the Willamette Valley. With roughly 1,050 tags against 1,120 recent applicants, hunt 217 is one of the more drawable west-side elk options. The unit is dominated by Siuslaw National Forest ground, BLM timber, and extensive industrial private timber land, producing a classic wet-side Roosevelt mosaic of clearcuts and second-growth fir.

Where to Find Elk in the West Stott Mountain Unit

West Stott Mountain Roosevelt elk live in the low-elevation, rain-soaked Coast Range between 500 and 3,000 feet. The herd is largely non-migratory — animals stay within small home ranges year-round and rotate between regen units, mature timber, and creek bottoms.

Archery Season (Late August–September)

Early bulls hold in cool, north-aspect second-growth timber within easy reach of water and young clearcuts. Key drainages to check include the upper Salmon River, the Siletz River headwaters, and the creeks draining the Stott Mountain ridgeline toward the Van Duzer Corridor.

Rifle Season (October–November)

Steady fall rain brings elk down into the lower drainages and onto regeneration-age clearcuts on Siuslaw NF, BLM, and industrial timber ground. The stretches of BLM checkerboard east of Highway 18 and along the Salmon River road system consistently hold cow herds and satellite bulls.

Seasonal Patterns

Storm fronts dominate elk behavior here. Peak movement tends to come in the clear 12-24 hour break between systems. Elk often bed in dense timber during heavy rain and feed hard in cuts once the weather breaks.

How to Hunt the West Stott Mountain Unit for Elk

West Stott Mountain hunting looks a lot more like western Washington Roosevelt hunting than any east-side Oregon hunt. Short-range shots, dense cover, and a heavy industrial timber road grid define the experience.

Learn the Public-Private Mosaic

A serious percentage of the unit is industrial timber (Weyerhaeuser, Hancock, Stimson, and others). Access rules vary by company and year — some allow walk-in, some require paid permits, some are closed. Before the season, confirm which lands are currently open and focus your time on confirmed public Siuslaw NF and BLM parcels.

Clearcut Sitting

Identify 3- to 12-year-old regeneration units with mature timber buffers and be in position 45 minutes before light. Stay silent, stay through mid-morning, and avoid the temptation to move at 8 a.m. — Roosevelts often feed late on dark, rainy mornings.

Timber Still-Hunting

Wet duff and heavy moss make mid-day still-hunting effective. Work contour lines through mature second-growth with the wind in your face and expect shots inside 60 yards when they come.

Calling Restraint

Roosevelt bulls in low-pressure cuts will come to a single location bugle, but aggressive calling often pushes them the other way. Start conservative, let cow calls do the work in the rut tail-end, and resist the urge to bugle every rip.

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Elk Success Rates

West Stott Mountain Roosevelt elk hunts under hunt 217 have produced rifle success rates near 20-28% in recent seasons with archery success in the 9-13% range. The unit carries a strong cow base and reasonable bull recruitment, though mature bull representation is lower than the Coast Range's southern Roosevelt strongholds. Hunters who confirm their public-access options before the season and hunt hard on weather breaks see the best results.

Elk Draw Odds

Season	Tags	Applicants	Draw %	Pts Req
Archery— Controlled	39	236	16.5%	16
Rifle— Controlled	11	51	21.6%	7
Rifle— Controlled	275	39	100.0%	2
Rifle— Controlled	15	36	41.7%	4

Data from 2025 draw results. Resident odds shown.

Open in Draw Odds Engine

Hunt 217 draws under Oregon's 75/25 preference-point / random system. Recent draw odds have pulled through at 1-3 preference points in the preference pool, with the 25% random pool giving first-year applicants a meaningful shot. Treat hunt 217 as one of the more realistic Coast Range Roosevelt options — it is not a point-burn trophy hunt, but it is a legitimate annual controlled-hunt opportunity.

Deer (Antlerless) Hunting in Unit 17

Hunt code 617 (Stott Mtn) is an antlerless deer tag within WMU 17. Antlerless tags allow harvest of does to help manage deer populations in balance with available habitat and landowner tolerance. Oregon's draw system controls harvest through limited tag availability.

Where to Find Deer in the Stott Mtn Hunt Area

Stott Mtn antlerless deer (WMU 17) are distributed throughout the unit's habitat. Doe and fawn groups are less wary than mature bucks and use a wider range of habitat types.

Feeding Areas and Field Edges

Clearcut edges, meadows, and agricultural fields concentrate deer in predictable locations. Scout feeding areas before season.

Water and Travel Corridors

Streams and water sources concentrate deer movement. Travel corridors between bedding and feeding areas are consistent locations for antlerless deer throughout the season.

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How to Hunt the Stott Mtn Antlerless Hunt

Antlerless deer hunting in the Stott Mtn area offers flexible tactics — doe groups are less wary and more predictable than mature bucks.

Stand Hunting

Set a stand or blind overlooking a known feeding area or water source. Antlerless deer often move in groups. Hunt low-light periods for the most consistent activity.

Shot Placement and Legal Animals

Read your tag and current ODFW regulations carefully before hunting. Antlerless tags have specific restrictions on legal animals — confirm compliance before shooting.

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Deer (Antlerless) Success Rates

Antlerless deer tags in Oregon typically see high success rates — 30-50% or higher — because does and fawn groups are more abundant and predictable than mature bucks. The antlerless tag system allows efficient population management while providing quality hunting opportunities.

Deer (Antlerless) Draw Odds

Season	Tags	Applicants	Draw %	Pts Req
Rifle— Controlled	109	614	17.8%	12
Rifle— Controlled	55	52	100.0%	4

Data from 2025 draw results. Resident odds shown.

Open in Draw Odds Engine

Hunt code 617 is a controlled antlerless tag under Oregon's 75/25 preference-point/random draw system. Antlerless tag demand varies by unit and year — check ODFW draw statistics for current applicant counts. Apply at myodfw.com.

Unit Logistics & Expectations

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Frequently Asked Questions

How do I apply for this Oregon controlled hunt?

Apply through ODFW's controlled-hunt system by the May deadline. You'll need a current Oregon hunting license and the correct application for the species and hunt number.

Are preference points used for this hunt?

Yes. Oregon uses a 75/25 split — 75% of tags go to the highest preference-point holders for the hunt and 25% are drawn at random from the remaining applicants.

How many preference points do I need for Oregon hunt 217 West Stott Mountain elk?

Hunt 217 has recently pulled at 1-3 preference points in the preference pool, with the 25% random pool giving applicants a real chance regardless of point balance. It is one of the more drawable Coast Range controlled elk hunts.

How much public land is in the West Stott Mountain unit?

The unit is a mosaic of Siuslaw National Forest, BLM checkerboard, and industrial timber-company ground. Tag holders should verify which timber-company parcels allow hunter access before relying on them in the hunt plan.

Is the West Stott Mountain unit hunted primarily with rifle or archery?

Both are offered as controlled hunts. Rifle success runs higher on raw numbers, but archery hunters who are comfortable in dense timber do well because pressure is noticeably lower.

What animals can I harvest on the Stott Mtn antlerless tag?

Antlerless tags allow harvest of deer without visible antlers or with antlers below a specified length. Read your tag and current ODFW regulations carefully for exact legal animal definitions for hunt code 617.

How do I apply for the Stott Mtn antlerless deer tag?

Apply through ODFW's controlled hunt system at myodfw.com using hunt code 617. Oregon's 75/25 draw split means 25% of tags go to random applicants every year regardless of preference points.

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Sources & Verification

Every fact on this page is tied to a primary source below. Last fact-checked 2026-04-18.

Oregon Big Game Regs (eRegulations) — Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife · supports: WMU boundaries and controlled-hunt numbers, Season dates per weapon/species, Tag quotas per hunt number · accessed 2026-04-17
ODFW Big Game Hub — Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife · supports: Species season structures, WMU-level special regulations, Public-access overviews · accessed 2026-04-17
ODFW Big Game Statistics — Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife · supports: Per-WMU harvest totals, Hunter success rates, Population estimates per management unit · accessed 2026-04-17
ODFW Controlled Hunt Navigation — Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife · supports: 75/25 preference-point / random draw structure, Historical draw odds per hunt number, Application deadlines · accessed 2026-04-17
Siuslaw National Forest — USDA Forest Service · supports: Coast Range public-land access, Motor vehicle use maps · accessed 2026-04-17
BLM Northwest Oregon District — Bureau of Land Management · supports: BLM checkerboard access in the Coast Range, Road closures and seasonal restrictions · accessed 2026-04-17

Unit 17 (Stott Mountain)

Bear Hunting in Unit 17

Where to Find Black Bear in the Alsea-Stott Mountain Combo

How to Hunt the Alsea-Stott Mountain Combo

Bear Success Rates

Bear Draw Odds

Elk Hunting in Unit 17

Where to Find Elk in the West Stott Mountain Unit

Archery Season (Late August–September)

Rifle Season (October–November)

Seasonal Patterns

How to Hunt the West Stott Mountain Unit for Elk

Learn the Public-Private Mosaic

Clearcut Sitting

Timber Still-Hunting

Calling Restraint

Elk Success Rates

Elk Draw Odds

Deer (Antlerless) Hunting in Unit 17

Where to Find Deer in the Stott Mtn Hunt Area

Feeding Areas and Field Edges

Water and Travel Corridors

How to Hunt the Stott Mtn Antlerless Hunt

Stand Hunting

Shot Placement and Legal Animals

Deer (Antlerless) Success Rates

Deer (Antlerless) Draw Odds

Unit Logistics & Expectations

Planning Notes

Road Conditions

Cell Service

Nearest Town

Frequently Asked Questions

Plan Your Hunt with ProHunt Pro+AI

Sources & Verification

Unit 17 (Stott Mountain)

Bear Hunting in Unit 17

Where to Find Black Bear in the Alsea-Stott Mountain Combo

How to Hunt the Alsea-Stott Mountain Combo

Bear Success Rates

Bear Draw Odds

Elk Hunting in Unit 17

Where to Find Elk in the West Stott Mountain Unit

Archery Season (Late August–September)

Rifle Season (October–November)

Seasonal Patterns

How to Hunt the West Stott Mountain Unit for Elk

Elk Success Rates

Elk Draw Odds

Deer (Antlerless) Hunting in Unit 17

Where to Find Deer in the Stott Mtn Hunt Area

How to Hunt the Stott Mtn Antlerless Hunt

Deer (Antlerless) Success Rates

Deer (Antlerless) Draw Odds

Unit Logistics & Expectations

Explore Related Units

Frequently Asked Questions

Plan Your Hunt with ProHunt Pro+AI

Sources & Verification