Unit 28 Applegate
The Applegate high country south of Grants Pass and Medford — trophy blacktail and a legendary hard-to-draw muzzleloader hunt.
ODFW Southwest — Siskiyou/Applegate · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
1,327
sq mi
Public land
57%
approx.
Elevation
900–7,000
feet
Motorized
moderate
access
Overview
Unit 28 (Applegate) sits in the Siskiyou Mountains along the California border, a triangle bounded by I-5 and Hwy 199 south of Grants Pass and Medford and drained by the Applegate River. Roughly 57% public — a mix of Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest and Medford BLM among substantial private ranch, timber, and rural valley land — it is one of Oregon's premier trophy blacktail units. Its muzzleloader buck hunt is among the best in the state and famously hard to draw, taking well over a decade of preference points. The unit blends low oak-woodland valleys with genuinely high, rugged Siskiyou crest country toward the Red Buttes and Grayback.
Terrain
From the Rogue and Applegate valley floors near 900-1,500 ft the ground rises steeply into the Siskiyou Mountains along the California line, topping 7,000 ft near Grayback Mountain and the Red Buttes. Terrain grades from gentle oak foothills to steep, timbered high country with a roadless wilderness core.
Cover: Oak woodland, madrone, and grassy savanna on the lower foothills and valley fringe give way upslope to mixed conifer — Douglas fir, pine, and white fir — with brushfields, manzanita, and buckbrush. Timber-harvest units and old burns create forage edges through the mid-elevations.
Landmarks: Applegate River and Applegate Lake (reservoir) · Red Buttes Wilderness (Siskiyou crest) · Grayback Mountain · Siskiyou Crest / Pacific Crest Trail along the California line · Jacksonville and the Ruch/Applegate Valley · US Hwy 199 (west boundary) and I-5 (east boundary)
Access
About 57% public, concentrated in the higher Siskiyou country toward the crest, with private ranch, vineyard, and rural land filling the productive lower Applegate and Rogue valleys where many deer live. Federal ground is USFS and Medford BLM, subject to travel management and seasonal/fire closures. The best low-elevation deer habitat is heavily private — securing valley-edge permission or hunting the public foothill fringe is the access challenge.
Managers: USFS Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest, Bureau of Land Management (Medford district), Private ranch and rural valley land (Applegate Valley), Private industrial timber
Access points: Applegate Road / Upper Applegate Road (Ruch to Applegate Lake) · US Hwy 199 (western boundary via Cave Junction area) · I-5 corridor (eastern boundary, Grants Pass to Medford) · Jacksonville and the Sterling Creek/Little Applegate roads · USFS road network toward the Red Buttes and Grayback · BLM foothill roads south of Grants Pass
Species notes
Blacktail Deer
common trophyColumbian blacktail are the reason to draw Applegate — it is one of Oregon's top trophy blacktail units, with an early archery season and a muzzleloader buck hunt that takes 14-plus preference points to draw. Mature bucks survive in the oak-brush foothills and higher timber.
- →Glass oak-woodland and brush-field edges on the foothills at first and last light, then still-hunt cover through midday
- →Hunt the public/private boundary fringe where valley deer step onto huntable ground
- →For the coveted muzzleloader/archery hunts, focus scouting on mature-buck sign in the brushy transition zone
- →Work the rut later in the season when big bucks abandon nocturnal patterns
- →In the high country, hunt timber pockets and old burns near the Siskiyou crest for pressured mature deer
Roosevelt Elk
limited opportunityElk are present in scattered herds through the Siskiyou timber but at modest densities compared with the coast — the Applegate is a deer unit first. Controlled elk tags exist but numbers and bull quality are limited.
- →Locate scattered herds in the higher conifer country and drainage heads before the season
- →Hunt timbered north slopes and benches with better forage and water
- →During the rut, listen for bugles along the crest drainages away from roads
- →Treat elk as a scouting-heavy opportunity hunt secondary to blacktail
Black Bear
common opportunityBlack bear are abundant across the Applegate's oak, brush, and conifer country, with strong berry and mast forage. Both spring and fall offer good opportunity.
- →Spring: glass green south-facing slopes, road prisms, and meadows for bears on new grass
- →Fall: key on berry and acorn/madrone mast in the oak-woodland transition
- →Spot-and-stalk from foothill road and ridge vantages early and late in the day
- →Hunt the same brushy edges you work for blacktail
Cougar
common opportunitySouthwest Oregon carries high cougar densities and the Applegate's strong deer numbers support a healthy population. Most are taken incidentally by deer and bear hunters.
- →Use predator calls near deer concentrations in the oak-brush foothills
- →Cut and follow fresh tracks on muddy roads after rain
- →Hunt incidentally while pursuing blacktail and stay ready for an encounter
- →Focus on foothill deer wintering areas where cougars concentrate
Pro tips
- →Applegate is a bucket-list trophy blacktail draw — bank preference points early if the muzzleloader or archery buck hunt is the goal
- →The best deer habitat is low and private; line up valley-edge permission or work the public foothill fringe where deer cross onto huntable ground
- →Glass oak-woodland and brush edges at first/last light, then still-hunt the thick stuff midday
- →Late-season rut is your window on mature bucks — hunt weather fronts hard
- →Check fire closures; the dry lower valleys shut down roads readily in early fall
- →For solitude and pressured mature deer, climb into the high Siskiyou timber toward the Red Buttes
Watch out for
- !Much of the prime low-elevation deer ground is private ranch, vineyard, and rural land requiring permission
- !Hot, dry early-fall conditions bring high fire danger and closures in the lower valleys
- !Steep high-country access toward the Siskiyou crest is limited and can snow in early
- !Heavy demand — the muzzleloader buck hunt takes well over a decade of points to draw
- !Checkerboard public/private boundaries in the foothills demand careful map work to stay legal
- !Cell coverage drops off quickly away from the I-5 and valley corridors
Logistics
Grants Pass and Medford anchor the unit on the I-5 corridor with full services; Jacksonville, Ruch, and Applegate serve the interior valley, and Cave Junction covers the Hwy 199 side. The ODFW contact is the Central Point district office (541-826-8774). Upper Applegate Road up to Applegate Lake is the main interior artery into the higher country, with the USFS road network climbing toward the Red Buttes and Grayback. Carry a current Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest map and check fire-danger and road closures. Developed and dispersed camping is available around Applegate Lake and on the national forest.
Nearest towns: Grants Pass, Medford, Jacksonville, Ruch, Applegate, Cave Junction
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Oregon sources:
Research sources: ODFW — Applegate Unit 28 · GoHunt — Oregon Unit Profiles (Applegate) · ODFW — Southwest Oregon Big Game Hunting Areas · Northwest Sportsman — Oregon Deer and Elk Hunting Prospects (SW units)
FAQ
- How big is Unit 28 in Oregon?
- Unit 28 (Applegate) covers about 1,327 square miles, ranging from roughly 900 to 7,000 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in Unit 28?
- Approximately 57% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: USFS Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest, Bureau of Land Management (Medford district), Private ranch and rural valley land (Applegate Valley), Private industrial timber. Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for Unit 28?
- 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 28 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.