Unit 43 Biggs elk hunting: harvest, hunts and 2026 seasons
ODFW estimates hunters took 131 elk in the Biggs Unit (43) in 2025 (99 bulls and 34 antlerless) and counted 275 elk hunters there, across 2 general seasons and controlled hunts. ODFW's figures for 2021 to 2025 average 107 elk a year. The unit is 12.3% public land, most of it BLM, 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)BLMODFW landState forest and trust landOther public (city, county, parks, military)Unit 43Neighboring unitsLake, reservoir or riverHighway
| ODFW zone | Columbia |
|---|---|
| Size | 1,263,612 acres (1,974 square miles) |
| Public land | 12.3% (155,949 acres) |
| Elk harvested, 2025 | 131 (99 bulls) |
| Elk hunters, 2025 | 275, 2,041 days |
| Elk per 100 hunters, 2025 | 48 |
| General seasons, 2026 | General archery and General season antlerless elk damage tag |
| 2026 controlled hunts listed here | 2 |
| Towns in and near it | Rufus, Wasco, Condon and Fossil |
How many elk are harvested in Unit 43?
ODFW's elk harvest for the Biggs Unit by year: 131 in 2025, 118 in 2024 and 102 in 2023. 48 elk were taken for every 100 hunters in 2025.
| Year | Hunters | Days hunted | Elk harvested | Bulls | Antlerless | Elk per 100 hunters |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 275 | 2,041 | 131 | 99 | 34 | 48 |
| 2024 | 246 | 1,638 | 118 | 96 | 20 | 48 |
| 2023 | 246 | 2,030 | 102 | 77 | 25 | 41 |
| 2022 | 248 | 1,861 | 113 | 91 | 22 | 46 |
| 2021 | 189 | 1,461 | 70 | 57 | 13 | 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, 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 43 in 2025?
General season tags: 27 hunters, 18 elk. Controlled hunts: 1 row in ODFW's table, 248 hunters, 113 elk. ODFW's own row for each, 2025:
| Hunt or season | Tag type | Hunters | Days | Harvested | ODFW success |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 244 Columbia Plateau | Any legal weapon, controlled | 248 | 1,811 | 113 | 46% |
| Eastern Elk Archery | Archery, general | 27 | 230 | 18 | 67% |
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 Biggs rows.
When is elk season in Unit 43 in 2026?
General seasons that cover the Biggs Unit in 2026:
- General archery elk, Aug. 29 - Sept. 27: one elk, page 47.
- General season antlerless elk damage tag, Aug. 1 - Mar. 31, 2027 (some areas Aug. 1 - Nov. 30): one antlerless elk, page 46. All of units 15, 23, 40, 43 and 44, and the damage areas ODFW maps in parts of other units (boundaries on pages 96-97).
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 244 | Columbia Plateau | One elk Oct. 28 - Nov. 30, One antlerless elk Dec. 1 - Mar. 31, 2027 | Oct. 28 - Mar. 31, 2027 | 1,100 | 601 of 601 |
| 200R | Oregon Youth Bow | One elk | Aug. 29 - Sep. 27 | 330 | 129 of 129 |
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 43?
12.3% of the Biggs Unit is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 155,949 of 1,263,612 acres. The largest share is BLM, 146,020 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of unit |
|---|---|---|
| BLM | 146,020 | 11.6% |
| ODFW land | 8,377 | 0.7% |
| Other public (city, county, parks, military) | 2,547 | 0.2% |
| State forest and trust land | 1,552 | 0.1% |
| National park land (no hunting) | 1,007 | 0.1% |
ODFW wildlife area in the unit: Lower Deschutes (18,696 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 43?
Highways through the unit: US 30 (about 100 miles inside it), I-84 (about 100 miles inside it), OR 206 (about 97 miles inside it), US 97 (about 73 miles inside it) and US 197 (about 20 miles inside it). Towns inside: Rufus, Wasco, Condon, Grass Valley and Shaniko.
Which units border Unit 43?
The Biggs Unit touches 5 other units. Their public land and ODFW's latest elk figures, for comparison:
| Unit | Public land | Elk hunters | Elk harvested | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 38 Grizzly | 27.1% | 1,316 | 211 | 2025 |
| Unit 40 Maupin | 9.3% | 93 | 40 | 2025 |
| Unit 41 White River | 43.4% | 1,522 | 199 | 2025 |
| Unit 44 Columbia Basin | 1.3% | 377 | 162 | 2025 |
| Unit 45 Fossil | 15.3% | 1,227 | 351 | 2025 |
Also for Unit 43: deer hunting, pronghorn hunting.
Questions hunters ask
Can you hunt elk in Unit 43 without drawing a tag?
Yes. General archery elk (Aug. 29 - Sept. 27) is open in the Biggs Unit, bag limit one elk; General season antlerless elk damage tag (Aug. 1 - Mar. 31, 2027 (some areas Aug. 1 - Nov. 30)) is open in the Biggs Unit, bag limit one antlerless elk, by ODFW's 2026 regulations.
How many elk are taken in Unit 43 each year?
ODFW estimates 131 in 2025, 118 in 2024 and 102 in 2023, adding up its rows for the Biggs Unit across general and controlled elk tags.
How hard is it to draw hunt 244?
In ODFW's 2026 draw for hunt 244 (Columbia Plateau), 601 of 601 residents who put it first drew; the fewest points a resident drew with in the preference phase was 1. 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 43?
Rufus, Wasco and Condon are inside the unit. Just outside: Fossil (on the line), Arlington (on the line) and Dufur (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.
Oregon hunting Columbia zone Unit 38 elk Unit 40 elk Unit 41 elk Unit 44 elk Unit 45 elk