- Be prepared for hunting in dense timber
- Take time to enjoy sightseeing during slow hunting times
- Some of the best seafood in America is served in small restaurants
Species | General Size | Trophy Potential |
---|
Columbian Blacktail Deer | 90"-110" | 120"+ |
Roosevelt Elk | 240"-260" | 290"+ |
This heavily forested coastal unit, which is between Tillamook Bay and Nehalem Bay, stretches about 31 miles inland and is home to blacktail deer and Roosevelt elk. Bowhunters and rifle hunters may buy general deer and elk tags over the counter.
Terrain varies from coastal flats, farmland, pastures and clearcuts to forested mountains, hills and urbanized areas. Hunting pressure is heavy, but a few bull elk and buck deer manage to live long enough to grow impressive racks.
Some of the most scenic parts of the Oregon coast stretch between Nehalem and Tillamook Bays, and sometimes blacktail deer and elk are found right against the ocean. Most of the interior land is part of the Tillamook and Clatsop State Forests, featuring spruces, cedars, hemlocks, alders and numerous other trees and bushes, as well as wildflowers, large ferns, various berry plants and a myriad of other rainforest plants. Most elevations are below 1,500 feet in elevation. Some mountains, including 3,283-foot Saddle Mountain have sheer rock and steep, grassy slopes.
Many farm fields are found along the northern border and on the northwestern edge of the unit, and there is also some farm land near interior towns. Otherwise, this area is almost entirely composed of hills and mountains covered by timber and clearcuts. Common trees are Sitka spruce, Douglas fir, western red cedar, western hemlock, alders and maples. In clearcuts, along roads and along waterways grow many species of brush, including berry plants such as huckleberry and salmonberry. Large ferns are common as are wildflowers.
Hunters enjoy good access to a great deal of public land, most of it part of the Clatsop and Tillamook State Forests. A few hundred acres of BLM land is east of Tillamook Bay. Some land is included in the North Coast Access Area, where roads are closed from three days before archery season through the end of bull elk rifle seasons. Hunters may not use ATVs on private timber lands that are open to public hunting or on designated state lands. Road access may be curtailed in other parts of the Wilson Unit when fire danger is high. Two wildlife areas have additional restrictions: Jewell Meadows and Gods Valley.
Roughly 577 square miles
66% public land
Elevations from 0-3,700 feet
Jewell Meadows has areas posted as “refuge,” which are closed to hunting
Hunters may not shoot bows or firearms from or across open fields at Jewell Meadows
Vehicles in the Gods Valley Wildlife Area are restricted to county roads
Dispersed camping is allowed on most public land. Backpackers may camp almost anywhere except where posted. Several campgrounds are on state forest land, including one that is designed to accommodate horseback hunters: Reehers Camp. Motels in the area include: