Maury, Oregon

The Maury Mountains rise from surrounding high-desert flats (approximately 3,500 ft) to a maximum elevation of 6,263 ft. Terrain in the mountains is mostly gentle in slope with some steep sections; surrounding lowlands consist of alkali flats, brushy desert grasslands, and low rolling hills. Four-wheel-drive is recommended for many internal roads. Much of the range falls within the Ochoco National Forest.

Primary highway access: US Highway 20 (Brothers to Glass Buttes on the south boundary); State Highway 27 (Prineville Dam south to Paulina on the northwest boundary); Paulina Highway connects Prineville to the town of Paulina through the heart of the unit. Internal access uses Grindstone Creek Road, Twelvemile Creek Road, and Camp Creek-Glass Buttes Road — all county/BLM roads. Ochoco National Forest (Paulina Ranger District) manages the forested Maury Mountains core; the Motor Vehicle Use Map (MVUM) designates open system roads and must be consulted — off-road motorized travel outside designated routes is prohibited per the Travel Management Rule. BLM Prineville District (3050 NE 3rd St, Prineville, 541-416-6700) manages extensive lower-elevation BLM lands. The Prineville Reservoir Wildlife Area (along Prineville Reservoir / Crooked River) is open to big game hunting but vehicles must stay on designated roads; motorized access is gated seasonally to protect wintering wildlife. Winter range closures on Ochoco National Forest are in effect December 1 through May 1. Wilderness Study Areas providing roadless backcountry hunting include Hampton Butte, Gerry Mountain, South Fork Crooked River, and Sand Hollow Well. Public land totals approximately 57% of the unit.

Lower elevations feature sagebrush-steppe, desert grasslands, and juniper scrub. Transition zones carry chaparral and bitterbrush. The Maury Mountains proper are forested with ponderosa pine dominant on south and west aspects; mixed-conifer stands occupy cooler north and east aspects at higher elevations. Mountain meadows and small stream riparian corridors occur throughout the forested zone. Recent prescribed fire and wildfire burn scars (including Crazy Creek and Rail Ridge fires) are present in portions of the mountains and offer productive edge habitat.

Rocky Mountain elk are present but the Maury herd has experienced a steep decline; bull ratios are historically the lowest among central Oregon units (Maury, Ochoco, Grizzly) and well below management objective. The herd has shifted its seasonal distribution — only small numbers are available during the fall hunting season, though last fall's harvest success was approximately 25%. Mule deer inhabit the unit year-round with buck ratios near management objectives (approximately 20 bucks per 100 does district-wide); populations remain below long-term goals due to drought effects, predation, habitat fragmentation, and other mortality. Pronghorn antelope occupy the sagebrush-steppe lowlands and are present in sufficient numbers for limited controlled hunts. American black bear and cougar are present throughout the forested portions of the Maury Mountains. Deer and elk use the Maury Mountains for summer and early-fall range, shifting to lower sagebrush-steppe winter range as seasons progress.

1. Deer: The 250-tag rifle quota and 2025 season dates (hunt 136/136R) are sourced from secondary reporting; the unit transitioned to the Crooked River Deer Hunt Area (CR series) for 2026 — 2026-specific codes and quotas were not publicly accessible and must be verified with ODFW. 2. Elk tag quota of 99 = 55 archery (236R) + 22 rifle first season (236X) + 22 rifle second season (236Y); 236A (11 antlerless, Hampton Butte sub-unit) and 236T (10 youth) are listed separately in season_general text. 3. Pronghorn 48 tags = 26 rifle (436) + 22 archery (436R), 2026 data confirmed via eRegulations. Demand extremely high for rifle tags (648 applicants for 26 tags). 4. Elk hunter success ~25% sourced from ODFW 2025 Big Game Forecast. 5. County attribution: Wikipedia confirms Crook County; the draft claim of Crook, Deschutes, and Lake counties was not confirmed by authoritative sources and the 'Blue Mountains physiographic province' claim was removed as unverified. 6. No bighorn sheep or Rocky Mountain goat hunts occur in WMU 36.