This coastal unit has steep, densely covered terrain that produces Columbia blacktail deer, Roosevelt elk and a few Columbia whitetail deer. Some blacktail tags and archery elk tags are sold over the counter. All other tags are issued to winners of a computer lottery.

This is a popular unit because hunters have good access to state and federal lands as well as certain private timber lands. Sportsmen are concerned about a trend by corporations to charge access to their timber lands.

The terrain in this unit tends to be steep and covered with dense evergreen forests with thick undergrowth. The steepest terrain and the heaviest cover is on public land. Visiting hunters are often amazed at how steep and dense this area can be. Most of the western half is no more than 1,000 feet above sea level, while the eastern half tends to be 1,000 to 2,200 feet in elevation. Private land is generally less steep than public tracts with rounded hills and ridges and a bit gentler slopes. Along the coast are some of the largest coastal sand dunes in America.

Most land is heavily forested with spruces, firs, hemlocks, cedars, maples and alders. The forest floor is often thick with ferns, brush and saplings. Many clear cuts have opened up the forest, allowing sunlight to foster the growth of brush and grass. Brush and trees grow fast in this area, however, so many formerly logged areas are now overgrown with vegetation to the point that seeing more than a few yards is impossible. Some canyon bottoms are so hard to get to that few humans ever climb down into them except for foresters and the odd hunter.

Hunters have good access to many thousands of acres of public land in this unit, including the 90,000-acre-plus Elliott State Forest and a lot of federal land. Much of the public property is arranged in a checkerboard pattern with private land, so make sure you can cross private property to reach public tracts. More than 10,000 contiguous acres of Coos County Forest, BLM land and state property are a few miles off Coos Bay. Some private timber companies traditionally have allowed limited public access to their lands, especially where checkerboard ownership exists.

The Weyerhaeuser timber company charges a fee for hunting on Millicoma Tree Farm and some other land, while some tracts remain open to free access. See the Weyerhaeuser website for updated details.

A campground is near Loon Lake on the Elliott State Forest. A few campgrounds are near the coast, such as Eel Creek Campground. Other lodging facilities include Myrtle Lane Motel in Coquille (phone: 541-396-2102), Myrtle Trees Motel in Myrtle and Red Lion Hotel in Coos Bay.

Some private lands are open to walk-in access only

Map showing land ownership will be helpful