Unit 41 White River deer hunting: harvest, hunts and 2026 seasons
ODFW estimates hunters took 527 deer in the White River Unit (41) in 2025 (485 bucks and 38 antlerless) and counted 1,160 deer hunters there, across 9 general seasons and controlled hunts. ODFW's figures for 2021 to 2025 average 496 deer a year. The unit is 43.4% 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 forestBLMODFW landState forest and trust landOther public (city, county, parks, military)Unit 41Neighboring unitsLake, reservoir or riverHighway
| ODFW zone | Columbia |
|---|---|
| Size | 601,330 acres (940 square miles) |
| Public land | 43.4% (261,193 acres) |
| Deer harvested, 2025 | 527 (485 bucks) |
| Deer hunters, 2025 | 1,160, 6,019 days |
| Deer per 100 hunters, 2025 | 45 |
| General season | Controlled hunts only (by deer hunt area) |
| 2026 controlled hunts listed here | 8 |
| Towns in and near it | The Dalles, Maupin, Dufur and Hood River |
How many deer are harvested in Unit 41?
ODFW's deer harvest for the White River Unit by year: 527 in 2025, 409 in 2024 and 510 in 2023. 45 deer were taken for every 100 hunters in 2025.
| Year | Hunters | Days hunted | Deer harvested | Bucks | Antlerless | Deer per 100 hunters |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,160 | 6,019 | 527 | 485 | 38 | 45 |
| 2024 | 1,262 | 6,853 | 409 | 381 | 26 | 32 |
| 2023 | 1,439 | 7,292 | 510 | 463 | 47 | 35 |
| 2022 | 1,439 | 7,329 | 469 | 431 | 37 | 33 |
| 2021 | 1,445 | 7,370 | 563 | 515 | 48 | 39 |
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 41 in 2025?
Controlled hunts: 9 rows in ODFW's table, 1,160 hunters, 527 deer. ODFW's own row for each, 2025:
| Hunt or season | Tag type | Hunters | Days | Harvested | ODFW success |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 141B White River Unit No. 1 | Any legal weapon buck, controlled | 788 | 3,489 | 376 | 48% |
| 141R Hood - White Rvr Bow | Archery, controlled | 276 | 2,208 | 80 | 29% |
| 141A Hood-White River | Any legal weapon buck, controlled | 28 | 108 | 11 | 38% |
| 641A The Dalles Orchard | Antlerless, controlled | 23 | 51 | 21 | 90% |
| 141C White River Unit No. 2 | Any legal weapon buck, controlled | 15 | 81 | 13 | 86% |
| 141M Hood- N White Rvr Muzzleloader | Muzzleloader, controlled | 15 | 57 | 13 | 85% |
| 640T Mid-Columbia Private Youth | Antlerless, controlled | 7 | 10 | 7 | 100% |
| 141T The Dalles Watershed Youth | Any legal weapon buck, controlled | 5 | 11 | 5 | 100% |
| 641B Wamic Bench | Antlerless, controlled | 3 | 4 | 1 | 50% |
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 White River rows.
When is deer season in Unit 41 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MC101 | Mid-Columbia 01 | One buck with visible antler | Oct. 3 - Oct. 14 | 1,265 | 1,241 of 2,048 |
| MC101R | Mid-Columbia 01 Bow | One buck with visible antler | Aug. 29 - Sep. 27 | 385 | 131 of 131 |
| MC101-1 | Early Mid-Columbia 01 | One buck with visible antler | Sep. 12 - Sep. 20 | 55 | 54 of 227 |
| MC101M | Mid-Columbia 01 Muzzleloader | One buck with visible antler | Oct. 17 - Oct. 25 | 22 | 21 of 71 |
| MC601 | The Dalles Orchard | One antlerless deer | Aug. 29 - Sep. 6 | 22 | 22 of 219 |
| MC601T | Mid Columbia 01 Youth | One antlerless deer | Nov. 21 - Jan. 2, 2027 | 11 | 10 of 60 |
| MC101-2 | Late Mid-Columbia 01 | One buck with visible antler | Nov. 15 - Nov. 29 | 10 | 9 of 1,318 |
| MC101T | Mid-Columbia 01 Youth | One buck with visible antler | Nov. 14 - Nov. 25 | 7 | 6 of 285 |
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 41?
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 White River Unit lies in hunt area MC-01 (Mid-Columbia herd range). The 2026 buck hunts in each:
| Hunt area | Herd range | Share of Unit 41 | 2026 buck hunts (tags) |
|---|---|---|---|
| MC-01 | Mid-Columbia | 100% | MC101 Mid-Columbia 01 (1,265); MC101-1 Early Mid-Columbia 01 (55); MC101-2 Late Mid-Columbia 01 (10); MC101R Mid-Columbia 01 Bow (385); MC101M Mid-Columbia 01 Muzzleloader (22); MC101T Mid-Columbia 01 Youth (7) |
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 41?
43.4% of the White River Unit is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 261,193 of 601,330 acres. The largest share is national forest, 221,783 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of unit |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 221,783 | 36.9% |
| ODFW land | 29,366 | 4.9% |
| BLM | 8,968 | 1.5% |
| Other public (city, county, parks, military) | 5,749 | 1% |
| State forest and trust land | 1,076 | 0.2% |
ODFW wildlife area in the unit: White River (29,803 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 41?
Highways through the unit: I-84 (about 45 miles inside it), US 26 (about 32 miles inside it), US 30 (about 31 miles inside it), OR 35 (about 27 miles inside it) and OR 216 (about 24 miles inside it). Towns inside: The Dalles, Maupin, Dufur, Mosier and Pine Grove.
Which units border Unit 41?
The White River Unit touches 4 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 40 Maupin | 9.3% | 298 | 124 | 2025 |
| Unit 42 Hood | 63.8% | 367 | 104 | 2025 |
| Unit 43 Biggs | 12.3% | 1,205 | 679 | 2025 |
Also for Unit 41: elk hunting.
Questions hunters ask
Can you hunt deer in Unit 41 without drawing a tag?
No. In 2026 every deer hunt in the White River Unit is a controlled hunt drawn by ODFW, now set by deer hunt area rather than unit. ODFW lists 8 controlled hunts for it in the 2026 regulations.
How many deer are taken in Unit 41 each year?
ODFW estimates 527 in 2025, 409 in 2024 and 510 in 2023, adding up its rows for the White River Unit across general and controlled deer tags.
What is the closest town to Unit 41?
The Dalles, Maupin and Dufur are inside the unit. Just outside: Hood River (on the line), Shaniko (15 miles) and Cascade Locks (16 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 Columbia zone Unit 16 deer Unit 40 deer Unit 42 deer Unit 43 deer