Unit 37 Ochoco elk hunting: harvest, hunts and 2026 seasons
ODFW estimates hunters took 253 elk in the Ochoco Unit (37) in 2025 (157 bulls and 94 antlerless) and counted 1,038 elk hunters there, across 7 general seasons and controlled hunts. ODFW's figures for 2021 to 2025 average 259 elk 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) |
| Elk harvested, 2025 | 253 (157 bulls) |
| Elk hunters, 2025 | 1,038, 7,126 days |
| Elk per 100 hunters, 2025 | 24 |
| General season | Controlled hunts only |
| 2026 controlled hunts listed here | 7 |
| Towns in and near it | Juniper Canyon, Prineville Lake Acres and Dayville |
How many elk are harvested in Unit 37?
ODFW's elk harvest for the Ochoco Unit by year: 253 in 2025, 227 in 2024 and 246 in 2023. 24 elk were taken for every 100 hunters in 2025.
| Year | Hunters | Days hunted | Elk harvested | Bulls | Antlerless | Elk per 100 hunters |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,038 | 7,126 | 253 | 157 | 94 | 24 |
| 2024 | 871 | 6,219 | 227 | 127 | 97 | 26 |
| 2023 | 1,258 | 9,680 | 246 | 141 | 105 | 20 |
| 2022 | 1,287 | 9,204 | 283 | 191 | 92 | 22 |
| 2021 | 1,281 | 9,108 | 286 | 187 | 99 | 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, 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 37 in 2025?
Controlled hunts: 7 rows in ODFW's table, 1,038 hunters, 253 elk. ODFW's own row for each, 2025:
| Hunt or season | Tag type | Hunters | Days | Harvested | ODFW success |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 237R Ochoco Unit Bow | Archery, controlled | 400 | 3,403 | 64 | 16% |
| 237A Ochoco Private | Any legal weapon, controlled | 200 | 1,679 | 53 | 26% |
| 237Y Ochoco Unit No. 2 | Any legal weapon, controlled | 167 | 918 | 53 | 32% |
| 237X Ochoco Unit No. 1 | Any legal weapon, controlled | 143 | 550 | 45 | 32% |
| 237T2 Ochoco Unit No. 2 Youth | Any legal weapon, controlled | 97 | 399 | 30 | 31% |
| 200R Oregon Youth Bow | Archery, controlled | 21 | 131 | 2 | 12% |
| 237T1 Ochoco Unit No. 1 Youth | Any legal weapon, controlled | 10 | 46 | 6 | 60% |
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 Ochoco rows.
When is elk season in Unit 37 in 2026?
Every elk hunt here is a controlled hunt in 2026.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 237R | Ochoco Unit Bow | One elk | Aug. 29 - Sep. 27 | 495 | 471 of 1,025 |
| 237A | Ochoco Private | One antlerless elk | Aug. 13 - Dec. 29 | 330 | 122 of 122 |
| 200R | Oregon Youth Bow | One elk | Aug. 29 - Sep. 27 | 330 | 129 of 129 |
| 237X | Ochoco Unit No. 1 | One bull elk | Oct. 28 - Nov. 1 | 138 | 132 of 1,536 |
| 237Y | Ochoco Unit No. 2 | One bull elk | Nov. 7 - Nov. 15 | 138 | 132 of 1,290 |
| 237T2 | Ochoco Unit No. 2 Youth | One antlerless elk | Oct. 17 - Oct. 25 | 100 | 66 of 66 |
| 237T1 | Ochoco Unit No. 1 Youth | One antlerless elk | Aug. 15 - Dec. 31 | 10 | 10 of 109 |
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 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 elk figures, for comparison:
| Unit | Public land | Elk hunters | Elk harvested | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 35 Paulina | 76.5% | 511 | 52 | 2025 |
| Unit 36 Maury | 57% | 67 | 6 | 2025 |
| Unit 38 Grizzly | 27.1% | 1,316 | 211 | 2025 |
| Unit 45 Fossil | 15.3% | 1,227 | 351 | 2025 |
| Unit 46 Murderers Creek | 68.1% | 1,942 | 328 | 2025 |
| Unit 47 Northside | 40.3% | 2,374 | 466 | 2025 |
| Unit 72 Silvies | 66.9% | 1,474 | 177 | 2025 |
Also for Unit 37: deer hunting, pronghorn hunting.
Questions hunters ask
Can you hunt elk in Unit 37 without drawing a tag?
No. In 2026 every elk hunt in the Ochoco Unit is a controlled hunt drawn by ODFW. ODFW lists 7 controlled hunts for it in the 2026 regulations.
How many elk are taken in Unit 37 each year?
ODFW estimates 253 in 2025, 227 in 2024 and 246 in 2023, adding up its rows for the Ochoco Unit across general and controlled elk tags.
How hard is it to draw hunt 237R?
In ODFW's 2026 draw for hunt 237R (Ochoco Unit Bow), 471 of 1,025 residents who put it first drew; the fewest points a resident drew with in the preference phase was 2. 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 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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