Unit 38 Grizzly deer hunting: harvest, hunts and 2026 seasons
ODFW estimates hunters took 333 deer in the Grizzly Unit (38) in 2025 (305 bucks and 29 antlerless) and counted 1,027 deer hunters there, across 3 general seasons and controlled hunts. ODFW's figures for 2021 to 2025 average 350 deer a year. The unit is 27.1% 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 forestBLMState forest and trust landOther public (city, county, parks, military)Unit 38Neighboring unitsLake, reservoir or riverHighway
| ODFW zone | Central |
|---|---|
| Size | 1,079,911 acres (1,687 square miles) |
| Public land | 27.1% (292,971 acres) |
| Deer harvested, 2025 | 333 (305 bucks) |
| Deer hunters, 2025 | 1,027, 6,123 days |
| Deer per 100 hunters, 2025 | 32 |
| General season | Controlled hunts only (by deer hunt area) |
| 2026 controlled hunts listed here | 2 |
| Towns in and near it | Madras, Culver, Metolius and Prineville |
How many deer are harvested in Unit 38?
ODFW's deer harvest for the Grizzly Unit by year: 333 in 2025, 311 in 2024 and 327 in 2023. 32 deer were taken for every 100 hunters in 2025.
| Year | Hunters | Days hunted | Deer harvested | Bucks | Antlerless | Deer per 100 hunters |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,027 | 6,123 | 333 | 305 | 29 | 32 |
| 2024 | 1,141 | 7,073 | 311 | 287 | 23 | 27 |
| 2023 | 1,253 | 8,171 | 327 | 301 | 26 | 26 |
| 2022 | 1,052 | 5,914 | 322 | 292 | 30 | 31 |
| 2021 | 1,455 | 9,002 | 456 | 428 | 28 | 31 |
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 38 in 2025?
Controlled hunts: 3 rows in ODFW's table, 1,027 hunters, 333 deer. ODFW's own row for each, 2025:
| Hunt or season | Tag type | Hunters | Days | Harvested | ODFW success |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 138 Grizzly Unit | Any legal weapon buck, controlled | 594 | 2,831 | 235 | 40% |
| 138R Grizzly Unit Bow | Archery, controlled | 401 | 3,175 | 76 | 19% |
| 638A Lower Willow Cr Agri | Antlerless, controlled | 32 | 117 | 22 | 68% |
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 Grizzly rows.
When is deer season in Unit 38 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 |
| PH101R | Painted Hills 01 Bow | One buck with visible antler | Aug. 29 - Sep. 27 | 330 | 258 of 258 |
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 38?
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 Grizzly Unit lies in hunt area PH-01 (Painted Hills herd range). The 2026 buck hunts in each:
| Hunt area | Herd range | Share of Unit 38 | 2026 buck hunts (tags) |
|---|---|---|---|
| PH-01 | Painted Hills | 100% | 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 38?
27.1% of the Grizzly Unit is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 292,971 of 1,079,911 acres. The largest share is national forest, 206,492 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of unit |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 206,492 | 19.1% |
| BLM | 85,055 | 7.9% |
| National park land (no hunting) | 2,831 | 0.3% |
| State forest and trust land | 1,386 | 0.1% |
| Other public (city, county, parks, military) | 1,018 | 0.1% |
| National wildlife refuge | 38 | under 0.1% |
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 38?
Highways through the unit: US 97 (about 92 miles inside it), US 26 (about 82 miles inside it), OR 370 (about 18 miles inside it), OR 293 (about 12 miles inside it) and OR 218 (about 12 miles inside it). Towns inside: Madras, Culver, Metolius and Ochoco West.
Which units border Unit 38?
The Grizzly 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 35 Paulina | 76.5% | 918 | 238 | 2025 |
| Unit 37 Ochoco | 54% | 1,664 | 350 | 2025 |
| Unit 39 Metolius | 66.3% | 380 | 158 | 2025 |
| Unit 40 Maupin | 9.3% | 298 | 124 | 2025 |
| Unit 43 Biggs | 12.3% | 1,205 | 679 | 2025 |
| Unit 45 Fossil | 15.3% | 1,300 | 414 | 2025 |
Also for Unit 38: elk hunting.
Questions hunters ask
Can you hunt deer in Unit 38 without drawing a tag?
No. In 2026 every deer hunt in the Grizzly Unit is a controlled hunt drawn by ODFW, now set by deer hunt area rather than unit. ODFW lists 2 controlled hunts for it in the 2026 regulations.
How many deer are taken in Unit 38 each year?
ODFW estimates 333 in 2025, 311 in 2024 and 327 in 2023, adding up its rows for the Grizzly Unit across general and controlled deer tags.
What is the closest town to Unit 38?
Madras, Culver and Metolius are inside the unit. Just outside: Prineville (on the line), Antelope (on the line) and Redmond (on the line).
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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