Unit 11 Scappoose
Vernonia-to-Sauvie Island timber and river bottoms in Portland's backyard — a spike-or-better blacktail and Roosevelt elk unit that hunts hard under heavy pressure and locked gates.
ODFW Northwest — North Coast Range / Portland fringe · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
772
sq mi
Public land
9%
approx.
Elevation
0–2,200
feet
Motorized
limited
access
Overview
The Scappoose Unit is a ~772-square-mile northwest unit wrapping the northern Coast Range foothills and Columbia/Willamette bottoms just west and north of Portland, running from Vernonia and Clatskanie east to the Columbia and south to Multnomah Channel and Sauvie Island. It is overwhelmingly private — only about 9 percent public — a mix of industrial timberland and private farms, with some company timber open to walk-in hunting for blacktail deer and Roosevelt elk. Both deer and elk numbers run lower than ideal and both take heavy pressure given the Portland-metro proximity; elk are managed spike-or-better, and the general tags mean you should expect company in the woods.
Terrain
Low, worn northern Coast Range foothills and flattened ridges on the west and south, dropping to marshy Columbia and Willamette river bottoms, sloughs, and Sauvie Island wetlands on the north and east. Highest ground is on the interior Coast Range summits toward Vernonia; most of the unit is mid- to low-elevation working forest and farmland.
Cover: Douglas-fir and western hemlock industrial forest with red alder bottoms and agricultural land in the valleys. Clearcuts and replants carry salmonberry, salal, blackberry, and elderberry — blacktail browse and bear feed — while the river bottoms and Sauvie Island add marsh, pasture, and riparian edge.
Landmarks: Sauvie Island (Columbia/Willamette confluence) · Multnomah Channel · Vernonia and the upper Nehalem country · Scappoose Bay / Columbia River bottoms · Cornelius Pass · US Hwy 30 / US Hwy 26 corridors
Access
Only about 9 percent of the unit is public, and it is overwhelmingly private industrial timberland and private farms. Some timber-company ground is open to walk-in hunting for blacktail and Roosevelt elk, but access rules, permits, and open-gate status vary by company and year and tighten under industrial fire-danger. The Sauvie Island Wildlife Area on the east edge is a managed area with its own regulations. Farm and ranch bottoms are private and require landowner permission. Metro proximity means heavy hunter numbers on the limited open ground.
Managers: Private industrial timber (Weyerhaeuser, Stimson/Longview and others), Private farms/ranchland (Columbia & Willamette bottoms), ODFW Sauvie Island Wildlife Area, Limited ODF/state and county ground
Access points: State Hwy 47 corridor (Vernonia–Clatskanie) · US Hwy 30 along the Columbia toward Scappoose/St. Helens · US Hwy 26 (Sunset Highway) south edge · Cornelius Pass Road · Timber-company walk-in gates (verify current status) · Sauvie Island Wildlife Area (State Hwy 30 / Sauvie Island bridge)
Species notes
Blacktail Deer
common opportunityBlacktail are present throughout the timber and farm-edge country but numbers run lower than ideal and the deer take heavy hunting pressure from the nearby metro. It is an opportunity unit — expect mostly younger bucks and plan on working hard on limited open ground.
- →Hunt the edges and interiors of 3- to 10-year-old clearcuts and replants for the best deer densities.
- →Glass cut units at first and last light, then still-hunt the timber/clearcut edge as deer move to bed.
- →Key on the late-October to early-November rut, when bucks move most and drop their guard.
- →Get well off the road-hunted cuts and secure walk-in access others overlook to escape the crowds.
Roosevelt Elk
common opportunityThe unit sits in northern Coast Range Roosevelt elk range but populations are lower than ideal and the elk take heavy pressure. It is managed 'spike or better,' and general tags mean crowded woods; this is an opportunity elk unit where access and scouting decide the hunt.
- →Find elk in and around fresh clearcuts next to heavy timber and creek bottoms; bulls hold in dark timber by day.
- →Glass big cut units at dawn and dusk, then intercept between feed and bedding.
- →Scout the drainages holding cows well before the opener — herds shift with logging and pressure.
- →Lock down your walk-in access early; the open timber ground is limited and heavily hunted.
Black Bear
common opportunityBlack bear occur across the wet timber of the northern Coast Range portion of the unit and are taken mostly incidentally in the berry-rich cuts. Bears are common in cover but rarely seen, so glassing and patience carry the hunt.
- →Glass open clearcuts full of berry shrubs at dawn and dusk.
- →Hunt open ground to spot a bear before it winds you.
- →Find fresh sign on a berry-loaded cut and sit long watches.
- →Key on ripe berry feed in early fall before big-game pressure scatters the bears.
Cougar
common opportunityCougars occur throughout the unit following the deer and elk; most are taken opportunistically. Predator calling is the most productive dedicated approach.
- →Carry the tag as an add-on while glassing cuts for deer, elk, and bear.
- →Use a prey-distress predator call; hunt with a partner watching cover.
- →Focus where prey concentrates — regen stands and river bottoms.
- →Cut roads and landings for tracks after a rare low-elevation snow.
Pro tips
- →Manage expectations — this is a lower-density, heavily pressured metro-fringe unit; success comes from access and effort, not big numbers.
- →Secure walk-in timber access and any private-farm permission early; the 9 percent public is small and crowded.
- →Elk are spike-or-better managed — know the antler rule before you pull a trigger.
- →Focus on 3- to 10-year-old clearcuts for the best concentrations of deer, elk sign, and bear feed.
- →Get deep off the road-hunted cuts to escape the metro crowd.
- →Carry a real ownership/access map; the timber/farm/public checkerboard is easy to misjudge.
Watch out for
- !Only ~9 percent public land — the unit is overwhelmingly private timber and farms; don't assume open ground.
- !Heavy hunting pressure from the Portland metro on the limited open ground.
- !Elk are managed 'spike or better' — an antler-restriction unit.
- !Timber-company walk-in status and permits change by year and close under fire danger; verify before you go.
- !Sauvie Island Wildlife Area has its own regulations and boundaries.
- !Trespass on posted timber or farm ground can bring citation and a landowner ban.
Logistics
The unit sits in Portland's backyard, so lodging, fuel, and supplies are easy — Scappoose, St. Helens, Hillsboro, and Vernonia ring the unit and Portland is minutes away. That same proximity means little public camping inside the unit and heavy day-use hunting pressure; most hunters base at home or in town and day-hunt. Nail down timber-company walk-in access and any farm-landowner permission before the season, and carry a current ownership map because the private timber/farm/public mix is a tight checkerboard.
Nearest towns: Scappoose, St. Helens, Vernonia, Banks, Hillsboro
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Oregon sources:
Research sources: ODFW Scappoose Unit 11 — boundary, 9% public land, private timber & farms, spike-or-better elk, lower-than-ideal deer/elk numbers and heavy pressure · GOHUNT Oregon Unit 11 Scappoose profile — land ownership, terrain (marshy river bottoms, low hills), public/private split · ODFW Northwest Big Game Hunting Report — Willamette/north-coast district cougar and general hunting context
FAQ
- How big is Unit 11 in Oregon?
- Unit 11 (Scappoose) covers about 772 square miles, ranging from roughly 0 to 2,200 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in Unit 11?
- Approximately 9% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: Private industrial timber (Weyerhaeuser, Stimson/Longview and others), Private farms/ranchland (Columbia & Willamette bottoms), ODFW Sauvie Island Wildlife Area, Limited ODF/state and county ground. Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for Unit 11?
- Blacktail Deer, Roosevelt Elk, Black Bear, Cougar. For seasons, tags, and regulations, use the official Oregon agency resources linked on this page — this page carries no regulatory information.
Put Unit 11 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.