Unit 35 Paulina deer hunting: harvest, hunts and 2026 seasons
ODFW estimates hunters took 238 deer in the Paulina Unit (35) in 2025 (232 bucks and 5 antlerless) and counted 918 deer hunters there, across 2 general seasons and controlled hunts. ODFW's figures for 2021 to 2025 average 205 deer a year. The unit is 76.5% public land, most of it national forest, by USGS PAD-US.
Data updated October 2026. Harvest: ODFW, 2021 to 2025. Seasons and tags: ODFW's 2026 regulations and 2026 draw. Land: USGS PAD-US 4.1.
National forestBLMState forest and trust landBureau of ReclamationOther public (city, county, parks, military)Unit 35Neighboring unitsLake, reservoir or riverHighway
| ODFW zone | Central |
|---|---|
| Size | 1,393,265 acres (2,177 square miles) |
| Public land | 76.5% (1,065,926 acres) |
| Deer harvested, 2025 | 238 (232 bucks) |
| Deer hunters, 2025 | 918, 5,623 days |
| Deer per 100 hunters, 2025 | 26 |
| General season | Controlled hunts only (by deer hunt area) |
| 2026 controlled hunts listed here | 3 |
| Towns in and near it | Prineville, La Pine, Pronghorn and Redmond |
How many deer are harvested in Unit 35?
ODFW's deer harvest for the Paulina Unit by year: 238 in 2025, 216 in 2024 and 217 in 2023. 26 deer were taken for every 100 hunters in 2025.
| Year | Hunters | Days hunted | Deer harvested | Bucks | Antlerless | Deer per 100 hunters |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 918 | 5,623 | 238 | 232 | 5 | 26 |
| 2024 | 948 | 5,635 | 216 | 216 | 1 | 23 |
| 2023 | 1,056 | 6,923 | 217 | 216 | 1 | 21 |
| 2022 | 926 | 5,669 | 114 | 114 | 0 | 12 |
| 2021 | 1,073 | 6,643 | 241 | 241 | 0 | 22 |
Source: ODFW harvest statistics (2021 to 2025), from ODFW's mandatory harvest reporting. Each year adds up ODFW's rows for the unit across its any legal weapon buck, archery, muzzleloader and antlerless summaries, general and controlled. A hunter counted on two tag types is counted twice. Per 100 hunters is worked out from ODFW's two figures.
Which deer hunts were used in Unit 35 in 2025?
Controlled hunts: 2 rows in ODFW's table, 918 hunters, 238 deer. ODFW's own row for each, 2025:
| Hunt or season | Tag type | Hunters | Days | Harvested | ODFW success |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 135 Paulina Unit | Any legal weapon buck, controlled | 696 | 3,761 | 183 | 26% |
| 135R Paulina Unit Bow | Archery, controlled | 222 | 1,862 | 55 | 25% |
Source: ODFW's 2025 deer harvest summaries (ODFW harvest statistics (2025)). A hunt that spans several units is split by unit in ODFW's tables; these are the Paulina rows.
When is deer season in Unit 35 in 2026?
Starting in 2026, ODFW structures eastern Oregon deer hunts by deer hunt area, not by wildlife management unit, and every eastern buck deer hunt is a controlled hunt (pages 30-43).
Controlled deer hunts in ODFW's 2026 tables that include the unit, with ODFW's 2026 tags and its June 2026 draw (residents who drew, of residents who put the hunt first):
| Hunt | Name | Bag limit | 2026 season | 2026 tags | 2026 draw, residents |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DG102 | Devils Garden 02 | One buck with visible antler | Oct. 3 - Oct. 14 | 1,430 | 1,403 of 2,321 |
| DG102R | Devils Garden 02 Bow | One buck with visible antler | Aug. 29 - Sep. 27 | 385 | 193 of 193 |
| DG102T | Devils Garden 02 Youth | One buck with visible antler | Sep. 28 - Oct. 14 | 28 | 27 of 89 |
Source: ODFW 2026 Oregon Big Game Hunting Regulations, pages 30 to 45; draw: ODFW's 2026 Preference Point Draw Reports. Hunts are matched to the unit by ODFW's own harvest rows and the 2026 deer hunt areas. Check ODFW before you go; seasons can change.
Which 2026 deer hunt areas cover Unit 35?
Starting in 2026, ODFW structures eastern Oregon deer hunts by deer hunt area, not by wildlife management unit, and every eastern buck deer hunt is a controlled hunt (pages 30-43). By ODFW's hunt area map, all of the Paulina Unit lies in hunt area DG-02 (Devils Garden herd range). The 2026 buck hunts in each:
| Hunt area | Herd range | Share of Unit 35 | 2026 buck hunts (tags) |
|---|---|---|---|
| DG-02 | Devils Garden | 100% | DG102 Devils Garden 02 (1,430); DG102R Devils Garden 02 Bow (385); DG102T Devils Garden 02 Youth (28) |
Hunt area shares measured by FilledTag from ODFW eastern Oregon mule deer hunt areas (2026); hunts and tags from ODFW 2026 Oregon Big Game Hunting Regulations, pages 34 to 43. Harvest by hunt area starts with ODFW's 2026 report; the harvest above is by unit, 2021 to 2025.
How much public land is in Unit 35?
76.5% of the Paulina Unit is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 1,065,926 of 1,393,265 acres. The largest share is national forest, 568,074 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of unit |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 568,074 | 40.8% |
| BLM | 483,897 | 34.7% |
| State forest and trust land | 13,940 | 1% |
| Other public (city, county, parks, military) | 1,513 | 0.1% |
| Bureau of Reclamation | 15 | under 0.1% |
ODFW wildlife area in the unit: Prineville Reservoir (275 acres here).
Measured by FilledTag inside ODFW's unit boundary from USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land by manager, 2025). Tribal and private land are not counted as public.
How do you get to Unit 35?
Highways through the unit: US 97 (about 117 miles inside it), US 20 (about 64 miles inside it), OR 31 (about 47 miles inside it), OR 27 (about 24 miles inside it) and US 26 (about 5 miles inside it). Towns inside: Prineville, La Pine and Pronghorn.
Which units border Unit 35?
The Paulina Unit touches 7 other units. Their public land and ODFW's latest deer figures, for comparison:
| Unit | Public land | Deer hunters | Deer harvested | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 34 Upper Deschutes | 76% | 1,507 | 336 | 2025 |
| Unit 36 Maury | 57% | 271 | 97 | 2025 |
| Unit 37 Ochoco | 54% | 1,664 | 350 | 2025 |
| Unit 38 Grizzly | 27.1% | 1,027 | 333 | 2025 |
| Unit 39 Metolius | 66.3% | 380 | 158 | 2025 |
| Unit 73 Wagontire | 84.6% | 129 | 49 | 2025 |
| Unit 77 Fort Rock | 68% | 1,445 | 294 | 2025 |
Also for Unit 35: elk hunting, pronghorn hunting.
Questions hunters ask
Can you hunt deer in Unit 35 without drawing a tag?
No. In 2026 every deer hunt in the Paulina Unit is a controlled hunt drawn by ODFW, now set by deer hunt area rather than unit. ODFW lists 3 controlled hunts for it in the 2026 regulations.
How many deer are taken in Unit 35 each year?
ODFW estimates 238 in 2025, 216 in 2024 and 217 in 2023, adding up its rows for the Paulina Unit across general and controlled deer tags.
What is the closest town to Unit 35?
Prineville, La Pine and Pronghorn are inside the unit. Just outside: Redmond (on the line), Bend (on the line) and Sisters (17 miles).
Get an Oregon hunt plan when they open
Hunt plans for Oregon are coming. Join the list and you'll hear first. The first 50 hunters in each new state get their plan free.
Until then, the free FilledTag app for iPhone has a map that works in every state, Oregon included.
Where these numbers come from
- Harvest, hunters and days: ODFW harvest statistics (2021 to 2025).
- Seasons, hunts, tags and bag limits: ODFW 2026 Oregon Big Game Hunting Regulations. Draw: ODFW 2026 Preference Point Draw Reports.
- Public land: USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land by manager, 2025). Unit boundary: ODFW Wildlife Management Units (Compass dataset).
- Highways, water and towns: U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line 2024 and the 2024 Gazetteer.
FilledTag is not part of Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. Numbers are copied from ODFW and USGS, or measured from their maps; nothing on this page is estimated by FilledTag.
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