Heppner, Oregon
Unit info
- Game species
- Mule Deer, Rocky Mountain Elk, Pronghorn, California Bighorn Sheep, Black Bear, Cougar
- Group
- Eastern Oregon
- Area
- 1,441 mi²
- Public land
- 34%
Elk — season & harvest
- Reported harvest
- 543
Draw odds for Elkaren't on file for this unit yet. Check your state wildlife agency website for current draw statistics.
Cougar — season & harvest
- Tag type
- General season (OTC) — year-round statewide general tag; subject to quota zone (Zone E, Blue Mountains). Dogs prohibited in Oregon.
- Archery season
- January 1 – December 31 (general tag, year-round; tag must be purchased by October 2)
- General season
- January 1 – December 31 (general tag, year-round)
- Muzzleloader season
- January 1 – December 31 (general tag, year-round)
Cougar populations in the Heppner district are reported as robust, with frequent hunter sightings. Dogs are prohibited for hunting or pursuing cougar in Oregon. Check current quota zone status at myodfw.com before hunting.
Draw odds for Cougararen't on file for this unit yet. Check your state wildlife agency website for current draw statistics.
Mule Deer — season & harvest38% success
- Tag type
- Controlled draw. Hunt 148 (Heppner Unit No. 1, rifle) is high-quota draw that operates near OTC in practice — 2,613 tags, 2,986 total applicants, 2,596 drawn in 2025. Hunt 148A (No. 2) is extremely limited (10 tags, 1,035 applicants, 9 drawn; requires ~7+ preference points). Hunt 148M (Ditch Creek Muzzleloader) is moderate draw (171 tags, 262 applicants, 169 drawn). Hunt 148R (Heppner Unit Bow) is effectively OTC — 1,210 tags, only 266 total applicants, all drawn. Starting 2026, eastern Oregon deer hunts are reorganized into new Deer Hunt Areas; hunt codes may change — consult myodfw.com/articles/eastern-oregon-deer-hunts.
- Tag quota
- 2,613
- Reported harvest
- 483
- Archery season
- Archery under Hunt 148R (Heppner Unit Bow, 1,210 tags in 2025); confirm 2026 Deer Hunt Area dates at myodfw.com
- General season
- Historically Oct–Nov under Hunt 148 rifle; confirm 2026 Deer Hunt Area dates at myodfw.com
- Muzzleloader season
- Hunt 148M (Ditch Creek Muzzleloader, 171 tags in 2025); confirm 2026 dates
Mule deer are scattered across a mosaic of private and public ground; 2025 forecast noted poor spring rain and dry summer conditions caused widely dispersed deer requiring hunters to cover more ground. Hunting pressure concentrates on the Umatilla National Forest central third. Mature bucks are historically associated with the unit. Carry landowner data layers (onX, MVUM) to navigate the private/public patchwork. Hunt 148R archery tags are effectively walk-up for applicants.
Draw odds for Mule Deeraren't on file for this unit yet. Check your state wildlife agency website for current draw statistics.
Pronghorn — season & harvest
- Tag type
- Controlled draw — Hunts 440A1 (doe/fawn, 55 tags) and 440A2 (buck, 26 tags), Columbia Plateau hunt covering the portion of Unit 48 north of Forest Roads 21 and 53, plus Units 40, 43, and 44. Only 7% public lands in the hunt area.
- Tag quota
- 81
- General season
- October 17 – October 25 (any legal weapon, 2026 season; 55 doe/fawn tags — Hunt 440A1; 26 buck tags — Hunt 440A2)
Pronghorn occupy the sagebrush-grassland fringe north of the National Forest boundary. Public land in the northern tier is limited (7% of the Columbia Plateau hunt area); land access confirmation is essential before applying. Buck tags (26 total across Units 40, 43, 44, and the northern portion of 48) are far more competitive than doe/fawn tags.
Draw odds for Pronghornaren't on file for this unit yet. Check your state wildlife agency website for current draw statistics.
Black Bear — season & harvest
- Tag type
- General season (OTC fall tag) — statewide general tag; controlled spring bear hunts also available
- Archery season
- August 1 – December 31 (general fall tag, any legal weapon including archery)
- General season
- August 1 – December 31 (general fall tag, any legal weapon)
- Muzzleloader season
- August 1 – December 31 (general fall tag, any legal weapon)
Bear density is low throughout the forested portion of the unit. Incidental encounters are more common than targeted bear hunting; carrying a general tag while pursuing deer or elk is the typical approach in this unit.
Draw odds for Black Beararen't on file for this unit yet. Check your state wildlife agency website for current draw statistics.
Rocky Mountain Elk — season & harvest41% success
- Tag type
- Controlled draw — multiple sub-hunts. Hunt 248A1 (any bull, rifle) is competitive draw: 605 tags, 2,986 total applicants, 597 drawn in 2025 (0-pt drew ~248 of 217 resident applicants). Hunt 248A2 (spike, rifle): 660 tags, only 257 total applicants, all 257 drawn — effectively OTC-level. Hunt 248R1 (archery No. 1): 121 tags, 490 applicants, 119 drawn — competitive. Hunt 248R2 (archery No. 2): 1,440 tags, 431 applicants, 294 drawn. Hunt 248D (antlerless, rifle): 33 tags, 311 applicants, 33 drawn — competitive. Hunt 248M (Pole Creek Muzzleloader): 27 tags, 224 applicants, 26 drawn — competitive.
- Tag quota
- 605
- Reported harvest
- 154
- Archery season
- August 29 – September 27 (Hunts 248R1 and 248R2, 2026 season)
- General season
- October 28 – November 1 (Hunt 248A1 any bull; Hunt 248A2 spike, 2026 season); antlerless November 21 – November 29 (Hunt 248D)
- Muzzleloader season
- October 17 – October 25 (Hunt 248M Pole Creek, 27 tags, 2026 season)
Elk populations are at management objective with improving calf ratios per 2025 ODFW forecast. Hunt 248A2 spike tags (660 tags, 257 applicants in 2025) are effectively OTC-level and the most accessible entry point. Any-bull 248A1 is competitive. The Umatilla National Forest is noted as supporting one of the largest Rocky Mountain elk herds on any national forest nationally. Elk summer in the forested central third and shift to lower private/BLM ground in late fall. The 5-day November rifle window concentrates hunting effort.
Draw odds for Rocky Mountain Elkaren't on file for this unit yet. Check your state wildlife agency website for current draw statistics.
California Bighorn Sheep — season & harvest
- Tag type
- Controlled draw, once-in-a-lifetime — approximately 100 California bighorn tags issued statewide annually by ODFW. Specific hunt code for the Potamus Canyon/Ditch Creek area within Unit 48 not confirmed from fetched sources; consult current ODFW bighorn sheep regulations.
California bighorn sheep inhabit the steep, rugged terrain of Potamus Canyon and the Ditch Creek drainage in the southwestern unit. These are premium once-in-a-lifetime tags; consult current ODFW bighorn sheep regulations for the applicable hunt code and application requirements.
Draw odds for California Bighorn Sheeparen't on file for this unit yet. Check your state wildlife agency website for current draw statistics.
About this unit
AI-compiled · sourcedOregon WMU 48 (Heppner) is a unit in the Blue Mountains of north-central Oregon, bounded by State Hwy 74 (northeast), US Hwy 395 (east), Long Creek-Monument Road, the North Fork John Day River, State Hwy 19 at Kimberly, and State Hwy 207 back to Heppner. The unit spans Morrow, Wheeler, and portions of Umatilla and Grant counties, with the town of Heppner as the nearest service hub. Approximately 34% of the unit is public land. The central third falls within the Umatilla National Forest (Heppner Ranger District), while the northern and southern thirds are dominated by private range and farmground, with BLM acreage along the North Fork John Day River corridor east of Kimberly.
Terrain ranges from dry, rolling sagebrush foothills (1,900–4,000 ft) in the north and south to moderately steep, heavily logged Blue Mountain ridges in the forested core (4,000–5,500 ft), with reported elevation spans reaching approximately 5,900 ft on upper ridges. The Potamus Canyon and Ditch Creek drainage in the southwest are notably steep and rugged, supporting California bighorn sheep. Wide, flattened ridgetops are characteristic of the mid-elevation forest zone. The North Fork John Day River and its tributaries cut canyon corridors through the eastern and southern portions of the unit.
Primary highway access is via US Hwy 395 (north-south spine), State Hwy 207 (Heppner-Monument corridor), State Hwy 74 (northeast toward Ione/Hwy 395), and State Hwy 19 (Kimberly, along the N Fork John Day River). The Umatilla National Forest Heppner Ranger District (office at 117 S Main Street, Heppner, OR 97836; 541-676-9187) provides the majority of public land access in the unit's central third. A Motor Vehicle Use Map (MVUM) governs open roads within the district. Developed Forest Service sites include Bull Prairie Lake Campground and Coalmine Hill Campground. BLM acreage lies along the John Day River and North Fork John Day River east of Kimberly, administered by the Prineville BLM District. The northern and southern thirds are predominantly private; hunters must confirm land status with onX or MVUM before accessing.
The forested central third is logged Blue Mountain mixed conifer—primarily ponderosa pine and Douglas-fir in various regrowth stages—with brushy creek bottoms lined by cottonwood and alder along drainages. North-facing slopes hold heavier timber; south-facing aspects and lower elevations transition to bunchgrass, sagebrush, and scattered western juniper. The northern and southern thirds of the unit are open grassland and sagebrush-steppe with limited tree cover, supporting pronghorn on the Columbia Plateau fringe north of Forest Roads 21 and 53. Post-fire shrub habitat from recent wildfires in portions of the unit may influence deer distribution.
The unit supports mule deer, Rocky Mountain elk, pronghorn antelope (northern fringe north of Forest Roads 21 and 53), California bighorn sheep (Potamus Canyon and Ditch Creek drainage, southwestern unit), black bear, and cougar. Elk populations are at or near management objective as of 2025, with improving calf ratios. Mule deer are distributed across a mosaic of private and public land; post-fire habitat influences seasonal distribution. Elk summer in the Umatilla National Forest core and move to lower private and BLM ground in late fall. Pronghorn occupy the sagebrush-grassland fringe as part of the Columbia Plateau herd. Cougar are reported at robust levels throughout the forested core.
- Heppner Unit 48 | Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife
- Oregon Elk Seasons | eRegulations (2026)
- Oregon Elk Hunt Descriptions | eRegulations
- Oregon Pronghorn Antelope Hunt Descriptions | eRegulations
- Oregon Pronghorn Antelope Seasons | eRegulations
- Oregon Black Bear Seasons | eRegulations
- Oregon Cougar Seasons | eRegulations
- 2025 Buck Deer Public vs Private Harvest Summary (PDF) | ODFW
- 2025 Elk Public vs Private Harvest Summary (PDF) | ODFW
- 2025 Buck Deer Preference Point Draw Report (PDF) | ODFW
- 2025 Elk Preference Point Draw Report (PDF) | ODFW
- 2025 Big Game Hunting Forecast | Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife
- Eastern Oregon Deer Hunts | Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife
- California Bighorn Sheep | Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife
Questions, tips & discussion
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Boundaries: ODFW official Wildlife Management Units. Community info last updated 36d ago.