Unit 39 Metolius deer hunting: harvest, hunts and 2026 seasons
ODFW estimates hunters took 158 deer in the Metolius Unit (39) in 2025 (152 bucks and 5 antlerless) and counted 380 deer hunters there, across 4 general seasons and controlled hunts. ODFW's figures for 2021 to 2025 average 136 deer a year. The unit is 66.3% 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 landOther public (city, county, parks, military)Unit 39Neighboring unitsLake, reservoir or riverHighway
| ODFW zone | Central |
|---|---|
| Size | 427,158 acres (667 square miles) |
| Public land | 66.3% (283,025 acres) |
| Deer harvested, 2025 | 158 (152 bucks) |
| Deer hunters, 2025 | 380, 2,443 days |
| Deer per 100 hunters, 2025 | 42 |
| General season | Controlled hunts only (by deer hunt area) |
| 2026 controlled hunts listed here | 4 |
| Towns in and near it | Sisters, Crooked River Ranch, Black Butte Ranch and Redmond |
How many deer are harvested in Unit 39?
ODFW's deer harvest for the Metolius Unit by year: 158 in 2025, 113 in 2024 and 144 in 2023. 42 deer were taken for every 100 hunters in 2025.
| Year | Hunters | Days hunted | Deer harvested | Bucks | Antlerless | Deer per 100 hunters |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 380 | 2,443 | 158 | 152 | 5 | 42 |
| 2024 | 411 | 2,673 | 113 | 113 | 2 | 27 |
| 2023 | 382 | 2,444 | 144 | 140 | 4 | 38 |
| 2022 | 328 | 1,853 | 127 | 125 | 2 | 39 |
| 2021 | 374 | 2,065 | 139 | 136 | 3 | 37 |
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 39 in 2025?
Controlled hunts: 4 rows in ODFW's table, 380 hunters, 158 deer. ODFW's own row for each, 2025:
| Hunt or season | Tag type | Hunters | Days | Harvested | ODFW success |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 139 Metolius Unit | Any legal weapon buck, controlled | 182 | 879 | 85 | 46% |
| 139R1 Metolius Unit Bow | Archery, controlled | 158 | 1,289 | 48 | 30% |
| 139R2 Metolius Unit Late Bow | Archery, controlled | 20 | 160 | 12 | 60% |
| 139M Metolius Unit Muzzleloader | Muzzleloader, controlled | 20 | 115 | 13 | 62% |
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 Metolius rows.
When is deer season in Unit 39 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DE101 | Deschutes 01 | One buck with visible antler | Oct. 3 - Oct. 14 | 990 | 969 of 2,818 |
| DE101R | Deschutes 01 Bow | One buck with visible antler | Aug. 29 - Sep. 27 | 523 | 390 of 390 |
| DE101M | Deschutes 01 Muzzleloader | One buck with visible antler | Oct. 17 - Oct. 25 | 77 | 74 of 205 |
| DE101R1 | Late Deschutes 01 Bow | One buck with visible antler | Nov. 1 - Nov. 30 | 22 | 21 of 1,281 |
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 39?
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 Metolius Unit lies in hunt area DE-01 (Deschutes herd range). The 2026 buck hunts in each:
| Hunt area | Herd range | Share of Unit 39 | 2026 buck hunts (tags) |
|---|---|---|---|
| DE-01 | Deschutes | 100% | DE101 Deschutes 01 (990); DE101R Deschutes 01 Bow (523); DE101R1 Late Deschutes 01 Bow (22); DE101M Deschutes 01 Muzzleloader (77) |
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 39?
66.3% of the Metolius Unit is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 283,025 of 427,158 acres. The largest share is national forest, 254,288 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of unit |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 254,288 | 59.5% |
| BLM | 28,300 | 6.6% |
| State forest and trust land | 437 | 0.1% |
| Other public (city, county, parks, military) | 392 | 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.
How do you get to Unit 39?
Highways through the unit: US 20 (about 40 miles inside it), OR 126 (about 31 miles inside it), OR 242 (about 10 miles inside it) and US 97 (about 5 miles inside it). Towns inside: Sisters, Crooked River Ranch, Black Butte Ranch, Camp Sherman and Terrebonne.
Which units border Unit 39?
The Metolius Unit touches 5 other units. Their public land and ODFW's latest deer figures, for comparison:
| Unit | Public land | Deer hunters | Deer harvested | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 16 Santiam | 62.6% | 10,316 | 3,097 | 2025 |
| Unit 19 McKenzie | 60.3% | 7,745 | 2,817 | 2025 |
| Unit 34 Upper Deschutes | 76% | 1,507 | 336 | 2025 |
| Unit 35 Paulina | 76.5% | 918 | 238 | 2025 |
| Unit 38 Grizzly | 27.1% | 1,027 | 333 | 2025 |
Also for Unit 39: elk hunting.
Questions hunters ask
Can you hunt deer in Unit 39 without drawing a tag?
No. In 2026 every deer hunt in the Metolius Unit is a controlled hunt drawn by ODFW, now set by deer hunt area rather than unit. ODFW lists 4 controlled hunts for it in the 2026 regulations.
How many deer are taken in Unit 39 each year?
ODFW estimates 158 in 2025, 113 in 2024 and 144 in 2023, adding up its rows for the Metolius Unit across general and controlled deer tags.
What is the closest town to Unit 39?
Sisters, Crooked River Ranch and Black Butte Ranch are inside the unit. Just outside: Redmond (on the line), Culver (3 miles) and Metolius (4 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.
Oregon hunting Central zone Unit 16 deer Unit 19 deer Unit 34 deer Unit 35 deer Unit 38 deer