Sled Springs, Oregon
Unit info
- Game species
- Rocky Mountain Elk, Mule Deer, White-tailed Deer, Black Bear, Cougar
- Group
- Eastern Oregon
- Area
- 884 mi²
- Public land
- 21%
Elk — season & harvest
- Reported harvest
- 498
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 tag (statewide Jan 1-Dec 31); unit falls in Cougar Zone E (Blue Mountains), zone quota 270; additional tag available after purchase of general season tag
- Archery season
- Jan. 1 – Dec. 31 (statewide general season)
- General season
- Jan. 1 – Dec. 31 (statewide general season; hunting with dogs prohibited)
- Muzzleloader season
- Jan. 1 – Dec. 31 (statewide general season)
Cougar hunting is statewide general season; the unit is in Zone E with an annual mortality quota of 270; zone status is updated at myodfw.com/cougar-quota-zone; mandatory check-in required within 10 days of kill.
Draw odds for Cougararen't on file for this unit yet. Check your state wildlife agency website for current draw statistics.
Mule Deer — season & harvest42% success
- Tag type
- Controlled draw; Hunt 157 (any legal weapon, Oct 4-Oct 15) effectively a zero-point draw — all 1,376 applicants drew in 2024 from 1,650 available tags. Hunt 157R (archery, Aug 29-Sep 27) also over-subscribed tags — all 71 applicants drew from 193 tags.
- Tag quota
- 1,650
- Reported harvest
- 347
- Archery season
- Aug. 29 – Sep. 27 (Hunt 157R, 193 tags)
- General season
- Oct. 4 – Oct. 15 (Hunt 157, 1,650 tags, one buck with visible antler)
- Muzzleloader season
- None for mule deer (Hunt 157M is whitetail-specific)
Effectively a zero-point draw in recent years — all applicants have drawn. The 42% success rate reflects the challenge of hunting primarily private-land habitat; access permission or fee arrangements with landowners significantly improve outcomes. Public land hunting is limited to Wallowa-Whitman NF parcels not covered by the permanent TMA closures. Starting in fall 2026, ODFW may reorganize eastern Oregon deer hunts — confirm current hunt designations with ODFW before applying.
Draw odds for Mule Deeraren't on file for this unit yet. Check your state wildlife agency website for current draw statistics.
Black Bear — season & harvest
- Tag type
- Spring controlled draw (Hunt 757A Sled Springs-Chesnimnus, Units 57 and 58 combined, Apr 1-May 31, 303 tags, 817 applicants); Fall general season OTC tag (statewide, Aug 1-Dec 31)
- Tag quota
- 303
- Archery season
- Aug. 1 – Dec. 31 (fall general season, any legal weapon including archery)
- General season
- Aug. 1 – Dec. 31 (fall general OTC season statewide); Apr. 1 – May 31 (spring controlled hunt 757A)
- Muzzleloader season
- Aug. 1 – Dec. 31 (fall general season)
Bears are distributed throughout the forested portions of the unit; spring bear is a competitive controlled draw (303 tags, 817 applicants in 2024); fall general-season tags are available OTC but must be purchased by the Oct. 3 sale deadline.
Draw odds for Black Beararen't on file for this unit yet. Check your state wildlife agency website for current draw statistics.
White-tailed Deer — season & harvest
- Tag type
- Controlled draw; Hunt 157A (Lower Wallowa Valley whitetail, Nov 17-Nov 26) is competitive with 55 tags and 145 applicants (~38% draw rate). Hunt 157M (Sled Springs Unit Muzzleloader whitetail, Dec 1-Dec 14) has 242 tags and only 212 applicants — all applicants drew in 2024.
- Tag quota
- 297
- Archery season
- None (separate whitetail archery hunt not listed for unit 57)
- General season
- Nov. 17 – Nov. 26 (Hunt 157A, 55 tags, Lower Wallowa Valley)
- Muzzleloader season
- Dec. 1 – Dec. 14 (Hunt 157M, 242 tags)
Whitetail are concentrated in the riparian valleys and lower farmland of the northern unit near Flora and the Lower Wallowa Valley; the 157A hunt is competitive (~38% draw odds) and focuses on a sub-area with essentially no public land, making private land access essential. The 157M muzzleloader tag is a very easy draw — all applicants drew in 2024.
Draw odds for White-tailed Deeraren't on file for this unit yet. Check your state wildlife agency website for current draw statistics.
Rocky Mountain Elk — season & harvest28% success
- Tag type
- Controlled draw (all elk hunts are limited-entry draw). Hunt 257X (spike bull, Oct 28-Nov 1, 550 tags) draws at ~15% with 0 points and reaches 100% at 3 points. Hunt 257Y (spike, Nov 7-Nov 15, 440 tags) draws at 100% with 0 points. Hunt 257R1 (archery any elk, Aug 29-Sep 27, 216 tags) is highly competitive — ~9% at 0 points, requires approximately 9 preference points for near-certain draw. Hunt 257R2 (archery antlerless, 165 tags) draws at 100% with 0 points. Antlerless rifles 257C (55 tags, Nov 21-29) and 257T youth (11 tags, Aug 15-Dec 31) also controlled draw.
- Tag quota
- 1,437
- Reported harvest
- 170
- Archery season
- Aug. 29 – Sep. 27 (Hunt 257R1: 216 tags any elk; Hunt 257R2 antlerless: 165 tags)
- General season
- Oct. 28 – Nov. 1 (Hunt 257X spike, 550 tags); Nov. 7 – Nov. 15 (Hunt 257Y spike, 440 tags); Nov. 21 – Nov. 29 (Hunt 257C antlerless, 55 tags)
- Muzzleloader season
- None (no separate muzzleloader elk controlled hunt listed for unit 57 in 2026 regulations)
The unit holds quality bulls but most prime habitat is on private land; public access is restricted by three permanent TMA road closures on National Forest land. All rifle elk hunts target spike bulls or antlerless elk — there is no bull elk rifle draw in unit 57. The spike hunt 257Y draws easily at 100% odds with zero points. Hunt 257X for spike requires building to roughly 3 preference points for a near-certain draw. The archery bull/any-elk hunt 257R1 is the most competitive draw in the unit, requiring approximately 9 points; the antlerless archery tag 257R2 draws easily at 0 points.
Draw odds for Rocky Mountain Elkaren't on file for this unit yet. Check your state wildlife agency website for current draw statistics.
About this unit
AI-compiled · sourcedSled Springs WMU #57 occupies the rugged Blue Mountains foothill country of Wallowa and Union counties in northeastern Oregon, bounded by the Grande Ronde River on the west and the Joseph Creek/Chesnimnus Creek drainages on the east, with nearest towns of Wallowa and Elgin. The unit is dominated by Wallowa-Whitman National Forest on higher ground, surrounded by a large expanse of private farmland, ranch land, and Manulife-owned timber ground that constitutes roughly 79 percent of the unit's 884 square miles.
Rugged, mostly timbered ridges and canyons within the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest give way to open, grassy foothills and flat agricultural land at lower elevations. Elevation ranges from approximately 1,700 feet in the canyon bottoms and valley floors to around 4,600 feet on the forested ridgelines. Deep canyon drainages — including Joseph Creek and Chesnimnus Creek — cut sharply from the upland forests down into the surrounding plains. Most slopes are moderate, but canyon walls can be steep. The Grande Ronde River canyon marks the western edge of the unit.
Public land makes up only 21 percent of the unit (18% Wallowa-Whitman National Forest, approximately 2% Vale BLM district, approximately 1% Oregon Department of Forestry). Manulife-owned timber property accounts for roughly 33 percent of the unit and has historically restricted camping during archery season due to fire concerns. Three permanent Travel Management Area road closures exist on Wallowa-Whitman NF lands: TMA 57A Noregaard (175 sq mi in the western one-third of the unit), TMA 57B Shamrock (20 sq mi, Township 4N Range 44E), and TMA 57C Whiskey Creek (45 sq mi, Townships 2-3N, Ranges 43-45E) — all permanently closed to motorized vehicles. Primary highway access is via State Highway 82 along the southern boundary between Wallowa and Elgin; the Grande Ronde River corridor and Crow Creek Road provide additional access on the western and eastern margins respectively. Forest roads within the Wallowa-Whitman NF provide seasonal access to public land, primarily accessible spring through fall. Most high-quality game habitat lies on private land requiring landowner permission or fee access. The ODFW La Grande office (541-963-2138) is the contact for this unit.
The forested uplands support a mixed conifer type dominated by western larch, Engelmann spruce, grand fir, and ponderosa pine, with many open meadows and logged clearings providing grass, forbs, and brushy regrowth. Canyon draws and creek bottoms support riparian shrubs, alders, and birches. The lower foothills and valley floors transition to native bunchgrass range and cultivated farmland. This mosaic of dense forest, open parks, canyon shrubs, and grassland provides year-round forage and cover for elk, deer, and bear.
Rocky Mountain elk are the signature big-game species and the unit historically produced large 5- and 6-point bulls; wolf pack establishment in recent years has influenced elk behavior and distribution. Mule deer inhabit the forested ridges and openings throughout the unit. White-tailed deer are present primarily in the Lower Wallowa Valley and Flora area along the northern portion of the unit. Black bear are present across the timbered portions of the unit, and a spring controlled bear season (Sled Springs-Chesnimnus) is offered. Mountain lion (cougar) are present throughout the unit within ODFW Cougar Zone E (Blue Mountains, zone quota 270). Elk and deer typically summer on higher National Forest ground and move to lower private land foothills and canyon rims in fall and winter.
- Sled Springs Unit 57 | Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife
- 2026 Oregon Big Game Hunting Regulations (tracked changes, filed 7-24-25)
- 2024 Estimated Any Legal Weapon Elk Harvest Summary (PDF)
- 2024 Estimated Archery Elk Harvest Summary (PDF)
- 2024 Preference Point Draw Report Buck Deer (PDF)
- Oregon Elk Seasons 2026 | eRegulations
- 200 Series by Point Level (Resident) | OregonTags
- Oregon Unit 57 Sled Springs Unit Profile | GoHunt
- All Hunting in Oregon Sled Springs | HuntScore
- Wallowa-Whitman National Forest | Wikipedia
Questions, tips & discussion
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Boundaries: ODFW official Wildlife Management Units. Community info last updated 36d ago.