Unit 20 Siuslaw
Siuslaw and Umpqua river country to the dunes — a coastal Roosevelt elk and blacktail unit on a heavy timber checkerboard.
West Oregon — South Coast Range · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
1,517
sq mi
Public land
40%
approx.
Elevation
0–2,400
feet
Motorized
moderate
access
Overview
The Siuslaw (Unit 20) is a South-Central Coast Range unit running from the I-5 edge north of Eugene southwest across the low Coast Range to the Pacific between Siuslaw Bay and Winchester Bay, taking in the lower Siuslaw and Umpqua river systems and the northern Oregon Dunes. It is low, wet, densely forested rainforest country with no true peaks — short brushy ridges, tight river canyons, and coastal terraces. This is a Columbian blacktail and Roosevelt elk unit backed by black bear and cougar; the Coast Range holds good coastal elk. At roughly 40% public — Siuslaw National Forest plus Coos Bay and Eugene/Roseburg BLM O&C parcels — the ground is a heavy private-industrial-timber checkerboard that has to be mapped carefully.
Terrain
Low, steep, wet Coast Range topography of short sharp ridges and tight drainages, rising from sea level and coastal dunes on the west up to modest 2,000-plus-foot summits inland. No alpine — this is relentlessly brushy, timbered close-cover country broken by the Siuslaw and Umpqua rivers and their tidewater bays.
Cover: Coastal Douglas-fir, western hemlock, western redcedar, and Sitka spruce rainforest with dense salmonberry, salal, sword fern, huckleberry, and blackberry understory. Industrial timberland means a shifting clearcut-and-reprod mosaic — fresh cuts explode with forbs, fireweed, and grass that concentrate deer, elk, and bear. Coastal fringe includes shore pine, dune, and estuary edge.
Landmarks: Siuslaw River and Siuslaw Bay (northwest) · Umpqua River and Winchester Bay (southwest) · Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area (coast) · Lake Creek / Triangle Lake (north boundary) · Elkton (Umpqua River, south boundary) · Drain (Hwy 38/99 south corridor) · Coast Range crest / interior ridges
Access
About 40% of the unit is public, split between Siuslaw National Forest near the coast/crest and BLM O&C parcels scattered through the interior private-timber checkerboard. The majority is private industrial timberland — some historically walk-in open on foot, much of it increasingly gated, permit-only, or fee, and subject to fire and active-logging closures; verify each company's current policy before hunting. A dense logging-road grid lets you drive close to most non-dune public ground. The Oregon Dunes NRA has its own access and use rules along the coast.
Managers: USFS - Siuslaw National Forest, BLM - Coos Bay District and Northwest Oregon/Eugene (O&C lands), Private industrial timber (Weyerhaeuser, Roseburg Resources and others), Private valley and river-bottom land
Access points: Hwy 126 / Siuslaw River corridor (Eugene to Florence) · Hwy 38 / Umpqua River corridor (Elkton-Reedsport) · Hwy 36 / Lake Creek (north boundary) · Hwy 99 / Drain (south) · BLM and FS road systems off the river corridors · US 101 coastal access near the bays and dunes
Species notes
Roosevelt Elk
common qualityA solid coastal Roosevelt elk unit with resident herds working the timber/clearcut mosaic across public and private ground, plus river-bottom and coastal-terrace herds near the Siuslaw and Umpqua. Access to the best private timber is the main limiter — where you can get in, the elk are there.
- →Glass fresh clearcuts and reprod units at first and last light — elk feed the openings and bed back in timber by mid-morning
- →Work benches, saddles, and north-facing draws linking feeding cuts to security cover
- →Hunt river-bottom and coastal-terrace edges near the Siuslaw/Umpqua where herds hold on private-adjacent ground
- →In archery rut, hunt timbered slopes near creeks, seeps, and wallows and call from the cover edges
- →Map private-timber access first — herds cross ownership constantly and the best odds sit behind gates
Blacktail Deer
common opportunityColumbian blacktail are widespread across the unit but live in heavy cover, so densities feel moderate and sightings are low. Mature bucks exist along the private-timber and river-bottom-farmland edges, but success is about hunting the cover, not glassing.
- →Hunt clearcut and timber-harvest edges at dawn and dusk — blackberry and forb regrowth are blacktail magnets
- →Still-hunt into the wind through dense fir/hemlock/spruce benches and creek bottoms midday
- →Key river-bottom farmland edges and BLM parcels for heavier-bodied bucks
- →Late season, watch for coastal deer concentrating in lower cover as fall storms move animals
- →Use skid roads and old grades to move quietly and cut tracks after rain
Black Bear
common opportunityBlack bear are common throughout the coastal rainforest — the mild, wet South Coast holds good numbers, concentrated in the same regenerating clearcuts, berry fields, and creek bottoms that feed deer and elk.
- →Glass green clearcuts, reprod units, and roadside grass flushes at dawn and dusk in spring
- →In fall, key berry patches, skunk-cabbage bottoms, and mast pockets
- →Cover ground on the logging-road grid, glassing open cuts across drainages
- →Move slowly through creek-bottom brush where bears feed and travel
Cougar
common opportunityCougars are present wherever the deer and elk are — the dense coastal timber holds a healthy lion population. Most are taken incidentally by deer and elk hunters.
- →Carry a tag while deer/elk hunting and watch muddy roads and cutbanks for fresh tracks
- →Use a predator call near fresh kills or in steep timbered canyon country
- →Hunt the same cover edges and rim breaks that hold deer
- →After rain, cut roads and ridgelines to locate and follow tracks
Pro tips
- →Treat fresh clearcuts and reprod units as your feed map — they out-produce old-growth for elk, blacktail, and bear
- →Sort the ownership checkerboard before opening day; private-timber access rules and gates vary by company and season
- →For elk, hunt the feeding-cut-to-bedding-timber transition and the river-bottom edges
- →Slow down — this is a still-hunting unit; hunters who ease through the cover kill the deer
- →Time a wet, windy day for still-hunting; rain-quiet ground and moving animals are your best window
Watch out for
- !Roughly 60% of the unit is private industrial timber and river-bottom land — access is increasingly gated, permit, or fee and can close for fire or logging; confirm before you go
- !Oregon Dunes NRA has its own access and use rules along the coast
- !Steep, brush-choked, slick rainforest terrain is physically demanding and easy to get turned around in; carry navigation
- !Blacktails are dense-cover ghosts — expect low sighting rates
- !Fire-season closures and industrial-forest fire restrictions can shut access with little notice in early season
Logistics
Eugene is the major service and airport hub on the east edge, with Florence and Reedsport on the coast and small stops like Mapleton, Elkton, Drain, and Veneta along the river corridors. Hwy 126 (Siuslaw) and Hwy 38 (Umpqua) are the main east-west arteries, with US 101 along the coast. Lodging runs from coastal and valley-town motels to Siuslaw National Forest and Oregon Dunes campgrounds and dispersed camping. Cell coverage drops fast off the corridors. A high-clearance rig plus current ownership and motor-vehicle-use maps (or onX) are essential to work the heavy private-timber checkerboard.
Nearest towns: Florence, Reedsport, Elkton, Drain, Eugene, Veneta, Mapleton
Nearby units
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Oregon sources:
Research sources: ODFW - Siuslaw Unit 20 (official unit page: boundary, 40% public, Siuslaw NF/BLM) · USFS - Siuslaw National Forest · ODFW - Big Game Hunting Seasons & Regulations
FAQ
- How big is Unit 20 in Oregon?
- Unit 20 (Siuslaw) covers about 1,517 square miles, ranging from roughly 0 to 2,400 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in Unit 20?
- Approximately 40% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: USFS - Siuslaw National Forest, BLM - Coos Bay District and Northwest Oregon/Eugene (O&C lands), Private industrial timber (Weyerhaeuser, Roseburg Resources and others), Private valley and river-bottom land. Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for Unit 20?
- Roosevelt Elk, Blacktail Deer, 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 20 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.