Unit 37 Ochoco deer hunting: harvest, hunts and 2026 seasons
ODFW estimates hunters took 350 deer in the Ochoco Unit (37) in 2025 (341 bucks and 9 antlerless) and counted 1,664 deer hunters there, across 2 general seasons and controlled hunts. ODFW's figures for 2021 to 2025 average 363 deer a year. The unit is 54% 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 park land (no hunting)National wildlife refugeNational forestBLMODFW landState forest and trust landBureau of ReclamationOther public (city, county, parks, military)Unit 37Neighboring unitsLake, reservoir or riverHighway
| ODFW zone | Central |
|---|---|
| Size | 1,029,473 acres (1,609 square miles) |
| Public land | 54% (555,594 acres) |
| Deer harvested, 2025 | 350 (341 bucks) |
| Deer hunters, 2025 | 1,664, 9,687 days |
| Deer per 100 hunters, 2025 | 21 |
| General season | Controlled hunts only (by deer hunt area) |
| 2026 controlled hunts listed here | 7 |
| Towns in and near it | Juniper Canyon, Prineville Lake Acres and Dayville |
How many deer are harvested in Unit 37?
ODFW's deer harvest for the Ochoco Unit by year: 350 in 2025, 274 in 2024 and 342 in 2023. 21 deer were taken for every 100 hunters in 2025.
| Year | Hunters | Days hunted | Deer harvested | Bucks | Antlerless | Deer per 100 hunters |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,664 | 9,687 | 350 | 341 | 9 | 21 |
| 2024 | 1,325 | 7,632 | 274 | 270 | 5 | 21 |
| 2023 | 2,063 | 12,206 | 342 | 335 | 7 | 17 |
| 2022 | 1,987 | 11,054 | 346 | 341 | 5 | 17 |
| 2021 | 2,047 | 11,809 | 504 | 502 | 2 | 25 |
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 37 in 2025?
Controlled hunts: 2 rows in ODFW's table, 1,664 hunters, 350 deer. ODFW's own row for each, 2025:
| Hunt or season | Tag type | Hunters | Days | Harvested | ODFW success |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 137 Ochoco Unit | Any legal weapon buck, controlled | 1,473 | 7,857 | 318 | 22% |
| 137R Ochoco Unit Bow | Archery, controlled | 191 | 1,830 | 32 | 17% |
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 Ochoco rows.
When is deer season in Unit 37 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PH101 | Painted Hills 01 | One buck with visible antler | Oct. 3 - Oct. 14 | 1,254 | 1,214 of 3,020 |
| AD101 | Aldrich 01 | One buck with visible antler | Oct. 3 - Oct. 14 | 1,100 | 1,045 of 4,681 |
| CR101 | Crooked River 01 | One buck with visible antler | Oct. 3 - Oct. 14 | 851 | 828 of 1,918 |
| AD101R | Aldrich 01 Bow | One buck with visible antler | Aug. 29 - Sep. 27 | 624 | 327 of 328 |
| PH101R | Painted Hills 01 Bow | One buck with visible antler | Aug. 29 - Sep. 27 | 330 | 258 of 258 |
| CR101R | Crooked River 01 Bow | One buck with visible antler | Aug. 29 - Sep. 27 | 281 | 158 of 160 |
| AD101R1 | Late Aldrich 01 Bow Whitetail | One white-tailed deer | Nov. 14 - Nov. 28 | 21 | 20 of 33 |
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 37?
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, the Ochoco Unit is split between 3 hunt areas. The 2026 buck hunts in each:
| Hunt area | Herd range | Share of Unit 37 | 2026 buck hunts (tags) |
|---|---|---|---|
| CR-01 | Crooked River | 42.3% | CR101 Crooked River 01 (851); CR101R Crooked River 01 Bow (281) |
| AD-01 | Aldrich | 32.1% | AD101 Aldrich 01 (1,100); AD101R Aldrich 01 Bow (624); AD101R1 Late Aldrich 01 Bow Whitetail (21) |
| PH-01 | Painted Hills | 25.5% | PH101 Painted Hills 01 (1,254); PH101R Painted Hills 01 Bow (330) |
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 37?
54% of the Ochoco Unit is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 555,594 of 1,029,473 acres. The largest share is national forest, 430,957 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of unit |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 430,957 | 41.9% |
| BLM | 117,365 | 11.4% |
| State forest and trust land | 2,981 | 0.3% |
| ODFW land | 2,227 | 0.2% |
| Bureau of Reclamation | 2,063 | 0.2% |
| Other public (city, county, parks, military) | 604 | 0.1% |
| National park land (no hunting) | 85 | under 0.1% |
| National wildlife refuge | 1 | under 0.1% |
ODFW wildlife areas in the unit: Phillip W. Schneider (4,458 acres here) and Prineville Reservoir (3,767 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. Wildlife refuges set their own hunting rules.
How do you get to Unit 37?
Highways through the unit: US 26 (about 104 miles inside it), OR 380 (about 42 miles inside it) and OR 27 (about 7 miles inside it). Towns inside: Juniper Canyon and Prineville Lake Acres.
Which units border Unit 37?
The Ochoco 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 35 Paulina | 76.5% | 918 | 238 | 2025 |
| Unit 36 Maury | 57% | 271 | 97 | 2025 |
| Unit 38 Grizzly | 27.1% | 1,027 | 333 | 2025 |
| Unit 45 Fossil | 15.3% | 1,300 | 414 | 2025 |
| Unit 46 Murderers Creek | 68.1% | 994 | 414 | 2025 |
| Unit 47 Northside | 40.3% | 1,055 | 297 | 2025 |
| Unit 72 Silvies | 66.9% | 1,209 | 463 | 2025 |
Also for Unit 37: elk hunting, pronghorn hunting.
Questions hunters ask
Can you hunt deer in Unit 37 without drawing a tag?
No. In 2026 every deer hunt in the Ochoco Unit is a controlled hunt drawn by ODFW, now set by deer hunt area rather than unit. ODFW lists 7 controlled hunts for it in the 2026 regulations.
How many deer are taken in Unit 37 each year?
ODFW estimates 350 in 2025, 274 in 2024 and 342 in 2023, adding up its rows for the Ochoco Unit across general and controlled deer tags.
What is the closest town to Unit 37?
Juniper Canyon and Prineville Lake Acres are inside the unit. Just outside: Dayville (on the line), Mitchell (on the line) and Prineville (on the line).
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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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