Beulah, Oregon

Elevation ranges from approximately 2,300 feet in the Snake River and Malheur River valleys to about 7,800 feet in the Blue Mountains in the unit's northwestern corner. The landscape transitions from flat river bottoms and irrigated valley floors through moderate to steep BLM canyon country in the central portion, to high ridges, timbered mountains, and the roadless Monument Rock Wilderness (~8,000 acres) in the west. The eastern half is lower-elevation rolling hills and benchlands above the Snake River.

Primary road access is via US Highway 20 (Vale–Juntura corridor along the Malheur River), US Highway 26 (northern boundary, Ironside area), US Highway 201 (eastern boundary, Nyssa to Cairo Junction), and Interstate 84 (northeastern edge, Farewell Bend). The northwestern BLM/National Forest ground is reached from Drewsey via the Drewsey-Prairie City Road and Forest Road 1663 to FR 14 (near Antelope Mountain) and FR 16 (to Summit Prairie and US 26 east of Unity, Grant County). BLM Malheur Field Office (Vale, OR; 541-473-3144) manages the central and eastern BLM portions; the unit's western fringe overlaps with the Malheur National Forest (John Day office, 541-575-1167) and a small portion of the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest. The Monument Rock Wilderness in the western portion has no motorized access. The Wallowa-Whitman has implemented seasonal road closures on many Forest Service roads during fall hunting season; hunters should confirm which roads are open prior to the season. Most BLM land in the central and eastern portions is accessible by full-size vehicle or ATV to within one mile of virtually any point. East Beulah sub-unit (265B series) is managed through ODFW Ontario (541-889-6975); West Beulah (265A series) through the John Day office (541-575-1167).

The dominant cover type is arid sagebrush-steppe with scattered bitterbrush, western juniper, big sagebrush, and native grasses on the lower two-thirds of the unit. Bunchgrass benches and seasonal creek drainages break up the mid-elevation BLM ground. At higher elevations in the Blue Mountains fringe, ponderosa pine and western juniper give way to stands of aspen, Douglas-fir, and subalpine fir. Valley floors along the Malheur River and its tributaries support irrigated hay, grain, and onion crops — a significant winter feed source for elk and mule deer. The Bully Creek drainage in the eastern unit represents a distinct sub-zone of shrub-steppe canyon habitat.

Rocky Mountain elk are abundant throughout but unevenly distributed: West Beulah (FR 16 corridor, National Forest fringe) holds a quality bull population on 80% public land. East Beulah functions as an elk de-emphasis zone — large herds migrate down from higher elevations in late fall to winter on private agricultural lands in the Malheur River valley and Bully Creek drainage, causing crop damage; liberal antlerless seasons are maintained specifically to manage herd size rather than provide trophy opportunity. Mule deer are widespread across the sagebrush-steppe and canyon country; drought, wildfires, and predation have suppressed the herd in recent years relative to historical levels. Pronghorn antelope occupy the open flats and sagebrush benches, particularly in the eastern and southern portions. Black bear are present in the forested mountain zones of the western unit. Cougar are present throughout. No confirmed huntable bighorn sheep population or hunt series was identified for Unit 65.