Unit 35 Paulina elk hunting: harvest, hunts and 2026 seasons
ODFW estimates hunters took 52 elk in the Paulina Unit (35) in 2025 (27 bulls and 25 antlerless) and counted 511 elk hunters there, across 6 general seasons and controlled hunts. ODFW's figures for 2021 to 2025 average 75 elk 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) |
| Elk harvested, 2025 | 52 (27 bulls) |
| Elk hunters, 2025 | 511, 3,523 days |
| Elk per 100 hunters, 2025 | 10 |
| General seasons, 2026 | General archery |
| 2026 controlled hunts listed here | 6 |
| Towns in and near it | Prineville, La Pine, Pronghorn and Redmond |
How many elk are harvested in Unit 35?
ODFW's elk harvest for the Paulina Unit by year: 52 in 2025, 78 in 2024 and 76 in 2023. 10 elk were taken for every 100 hunters in 2025.
| Year | Hunters | Days hunted | Elk harvested | Bulls | Antlerless | Elk per 100 hunters |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 511 | 3,523 | 52 | 27 | 25 | 10 |
| 2024 | 505 | 3,473 | 78 | 40 | 38 | 15 |
| 2023 | 579 | 4,332 | 76 | 31 | 45 | 13 |
| 2022 | 537 | 3,683 | 71 | 33 | 38 | 13 |
| 2021 | 623 | 4,421 | 96 | 37 | 59 | 15 |
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, archery and muzzleloader summaries, general and controlled; damage tags are not in these totals. A hunter counted on two tag types is counted twice. Per 100 hunters is worked out from ODFW's two figures.
Which elk hunts were used in Unit 35 in 2025?
General season tags: 102 hunters, 16 elk. Controlled hunts: 5 rows in ODFW's table, 409 hunters, 36 elk. ODFW's own row for each, 2025:
| Hunt or season | Tag type | Hunters | Days | Harvested | ODFW success |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 235X Paulina - E Fort Rock No. 1 | Any legal weapon, controlled | 211 | 831 | 23 | 11% |
| 235Y Paulina - E Fort Rock No. 2 | Any legal weapon, controlled | 140 | 800 | 4 | 3% |
| Eastern Elk Archery | Archery, general | 102 | 1,132 | 16 | 16% |
| 277A North Lake | Any legal weapon, controlled | 26 | 315 | 3 | 13% |
| 235M Paulina - E Fort Rock Muzzleloader | Muzzleloader, controlled | 19 | 97 | 3 | 14% |
| 235T Paulina - E Fort Rock Youth | Any legal weapon, controlled | 13 | 348 | 3 | 22% |
Source: ODFW's 2025 elk 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 elk season in Unit 35 in 2026?
General seasons that cover the Paulina Unit in 2026:
- General archery elk, Aug. 29 - Sept. 27: one elk, page 47.
Controlled elk 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 235X | Paulina - E Fort Rock No. 1 | One bull elk | Oct. 28 - Nov. 1 | 495 | 474 of 478 |
| 235Y | Paulina - E Fort Rock No. 2 | One bull elk | Nov. 7 - Nov. 15 | 330 | 324 of 418 |
| 200R | Oregon Youth Bow | One elk | Aug. 29 - Sep. 27 | 330 | 129 of 129 |
| 277A | North Lake | One antlerless elk | Oct. 1 - Mar. 31, 2027 | 150 | 149 of 390 |
| 235M | Paulina - E Fort Rock Muzzleloader | One elk | Oct. 17 - Oct. 25 | 55 | 54 of 88 |
| 235T | Paulina - E Ft Rock Youth | One antlerless elk | Aug. 15 - Dec. 31 | 30 | 29 of 43 |
Source: ODFW 2026 Oregon Big Game Hunting Regulations, pages 45 to 58; draw: ODFW's 2026 Preference Point Draw Reports. Hunts are matched to the unit by ODFW's own harvest rows. Check ODFW before you go; seasons can change.
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 elk figures, for comparison:
| Unit | Public land | Elk hunters | Elk harvested | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 34 Upper Deschutes | 76% | 1,078 | 155 | 2025 |
| Unit 36 Maury | 57% | 67 | 6 | 2025 |
| Unit 37 Ochoco | 54% | 1,038 | 253 | 2025 |
| Unit 38 Grizzly | 27.1% | 1,316 | 211 | 2025 |
| Unit 39 Metolius | 66.3% | 422 | 71 | 2025 |
| Unit 73 Wagontire | 84.6% | 185 | 16 | 2025 |
| Unit 77 Fort Rock | 68% | 623 | 31 | 2025 |
Also for Unit 35: deer hunting, pronghorn hunting.
Questions hunters ask
Can you hunt elk in Unit 35 without drawing a tag?
Yes. General archery elk (Aug. 29 - Sept. 27) is open in the Paulina Unit, bag limit one elk, by ODFW's 2026 regulations.
How many elk are taken in Unit 35 each year?
ODFW estimates 52 in 2025, 78 in 2024 and 76 in 2023, adding up its rows for the Paulina Unit across general and controlled elk tags.
How hard is it to draw hunt 235X?
In ODFW's 2026 draw for hunt 235X (Paulina - E Fort Rock No. 1), 474 of 478 residents who put it first drew; the fewest points a resident drew with in the preference phase was 1. ODFW gives 75% of the tags to the most preference points and draws 25% at random among first-choice applicants.
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
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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.
Oregon hunting Central zone Unit 34 elk Unit 36 elk Unit 37 elk Unit 38 elk Unit 39 elk Unit 73 elk Unit 77 elk