Unit 23 Melrose
Low-elevation Umpqua Valley unit around Roseburg — mostly private industrial timber and oak country, with a famous BLM elk refuge at North Bank.
West Oregon — Interior Umpqua Valley (Coast Range foothills) · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
968
sq mi
Public land
16%
approx.
Elevation
300–3,000
feet
Motorized
limited
access
Overview
Unit 23 (Melrose) is a lower, warmer interior-valley and Coast Range foothill unit of roughly 968 sq mi wrapped around Roseburg, running between Canyonville to the south and Elkton to the north, with I-5 on the west and Hwy 99 on the east. It is only about 16% public — dominated by private industrial timber (Roseburg Resources and others) and a checkerboard of Roseburg BLM O&C lands — so access, not animals, is the defining challenge. The unit carries good Columbian blacktail, a growing Roosevelt elk presence, black bear, and cougar, anchored by the 6,500-acre BLM North Bank Habitat Management Area northeast of Roseburg.
Terrain
Low interior-valley bottoms and oak-savanna foothills along the Umpqua River and its tributaries rise into rolling, timbered Coast Range foothills. Relief is modest — roughly 300 ft on the valley floor to around 3,000 ft on the higher foothill ridges like the Tyee country — but the terrain is a tight patchwork of pasture, oak, brush, and timber cut by many roads.
Cover: Interior-valley oak savanna and grassland on the lower and south-facing ground — Oregon white oak, madrone, manzanita, poison oak, and grass — grading into Douglas-fir timber and clearcut mosaic on the foothills. Warmer and drier than the Cascade units, with cured grass and brush dominating fall.
Landmarks: Umpqua River and the Roseburg/I-5 corridor · North Bank Habitat Management Area (BLM, ~6,500 ac, ~8 mi NE of Roseburg) · Tyee mountain / Tyee area (BLM and Roseburg timber, northwest) · Canyonville and Days Creek (southern boundary) · Elkton and the lower Umpqua (northern boundary)
Access
Only about 16% public, so this is a private-land and BLM-access unit — permission or knowledge of open BLM and industrial-timber ground is everything. The Tyee area is a mix of BLM and Roseburg timber; the BLM O&C parcels checkerboard with private, so boundaries matter. The BLM North Bank Habitat Management Area (~6,500 ac) is walk-in, non-motorized (no vehicles beyond the gates) and managed heavily for Columbian white-tailed deer and elk. Many industrial-timber blocks require walk-in access and honor gate/travel-management rules; some operate fee or permit programs.
Managers: Private industrial timber (Roseburg Resources and others), Bureau of Land Management (Roseburg District, O&C checkerboard), BLM North Bank Habitat Management Area, Private ranch and farm land in the Umpqua Valley
Access points: Interstate 5 through Roseburg, Sutherlin, and Canyonville (western spine) · State Hwy 138 west (Umpqua River / Elkton corridor) · State Hwy 42 and Hwy 99 (southern/eastern access) · North Bank Rd to the BLM North Bank Habitat Management Area gates (walk-in) · Tyee area BLM/timber roads northwest of Roseburg
Species notes
Blacktail Deer
common opportunityColumbian blacktail are widespread and productive in Melrose's oak-and-timber mosaic, with the warm interior valley growing good deer where hunters can reach them. Access — not deer numbers — limits most hunters; the private and BLM checkerboard holds mature bucks in lightly hunted pockets.
- →Glass oak-savanna edges and clearcut margins at first and last light
- →Hunt the transition where open oak/grass meets brushy timber — blacktail bed in cover and feed the edges
- →Secure private-timber permission or learn open BLM parcels well before the season
- →Late season, hunt the rut and wet fronts when bucks move in daylight
- →Still-hunt slow and quiet through oak, madrone, and poison-oak brush where bucks hold
Roosevelt Elk
common opportunityRoosevelt elk use the timbered foothills and valley-edge cover, with the North Bank area a notable local stronghold. Herds concentrate on private timber and the BLM units; getting on them is largely an access problem.
- →Focus on the North Bank Habitat Management Area and adjacent BLM/timber ground where elk concentrate
- →Hunt the walk-in North Bank on foot — non-motorized access thins the crowd
- →Work clearcut and pasture edges bordering timber at dawn and dusk
- →During the rut, listen for bugles along timbered draws between feeding openings
- →Lock down private-timber access early; herds hold on ground you can't reach otherwise
Black Bear
common opportunityBlack bear are established in the foothill timber and berry brush, with the milder interior climate supporting good numbers. Spring green-up and fall berries offer spot-and-stalk chances on accessible timber ground.
- →Glass green clearcuts and grassy openings in spring for feeding bears
- →In late summer/fall key on blackberry and other berry brush
- →Spot-and-stalk from timber-road vantage points early and late
- →Hunt the same accessible BLM and permitted timber ground as deer and elk
Cougar
common opportunityCougars are common through the foothill timber and follow the deer and elk. Most are taken incidentally by big-game hunters or by working fresh sign.
- →Hunt where deer and elk concentrate, especially around North Bank and Tyee
- →Cut roads and ridgelines for tracks
- →Glass oak and clearcut edges at first light
- →Try predator calling near dense cover or recent kills
Pro tips
- →Solve access first — this is a 16%-public unit where permission and BLM knowledge decide success
- →The North Bank Habitat Management Area is a walk-in, non-motorized public gem for elk and deer — hunt it on foot
- →Hunt oak-savanna/timber transitions at dawn and dusk; blacktail and elk work those edges
- →Learn the BLM O&C checkerboard precisely — public and private alternate section by section
- →Beat the heat and fire risk by hunting first and last light and staying flexible on closures
Watch out for
- !Very low public land (~16%) — most ground is private industrial timber and checkerboard BLM
- !North Bank Habitat Management Area is non-motorized walk-in only — no vehicles past the gates
- !Fire-season closures on industrial timber can shut out large blocks in early fall
- !Poison oak is pervasive in the oak/brush country
- !Confirm BLM-vs-private section boundaries before hunting near lines
Logistics
Roseburg sits in the heart of the unit right on I-5 with full services — fuel, lodging, groceries, and the ODFW Roseburg office (541-440-3353). Sutherlin, Winston, Myrtle Creek, and Elkton offer closer basics around the edges. Because public ground is scarce and scattered, plan access before you arrive: scout open BLM parcels, the North Bank walk-in, and any private-timber permission. Camping is limited on the small public parcels; most hunters day-hunt from town.
Nearest towns: Roseburg, Sutherlin, Winston, Myrtle Creek, Elkton
Nearby units
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Oregon sources:
Research sources: ODFW Melrose Unit 23 · ODFW Western Oregon Big Game Unit Map · ODFW Central Melrose Controlled Hunt Map (North Bank HMA)
FAQ
- How big is Unit 23 in Oregon?
- Unit 23 (Melrose) covers about 968 square miles, ranging from roughly 300 to 3,000 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in Unit 23?
- Approximately 16% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: Private industrial timber (Roseburg Resources and others), Bureau of Land Management (Roseburg District, O&C checkerboard), BLM North Bank Habitat Management Area, Private ranch and farm land in the Umpqua Valley. Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for Unit 23?
- 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 23 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.