Unit 44 Columbia Basin deer hunting: harvest, hunts and 2026 seasons
ODFW estimates hunters took 932 deer in the Columbia Basin Unit (44) in 2025 (822 bucks and 110 antlerless) and counted 1,525 deer hunters there, across 9 general seasons and controlled hunts. ODFW's figures for 2021 to 2025 average 827 deer a year. The unit is 1.3% 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 wildlife refugeNational forestBLMODFW landState forest and trust landOther public (city, county, parks, military)Unit 44Neighboring unitsLake, reservoir or riverHighway
| ODFW zone | Northeast |
|---|---|
| Size | 1,832,954 acres (2,864 square miles) |
| Public land | 1.3% (23,241 acres) |
| Deer harvested, 2025 | 932 (822 bucks) |
| Deer hunters, 2025 | 1,525, 5,131 days |
| Deer per 100 hunters, 2025 | 61 |
| General season | Controlled hunts only (by deer hunt area) |
| 2026 controlled hunts listed here | 11 |
| Towns in and near it | Pendleton, Hermiston, Umatilla and Condon |
How many deer are harvested in Unit 44?
ODFW's deer harvest for the Columbia Basin Unit by year: 932 in 2025, 811 in 2024 and 834 in 2023. 61 deer were taken for every 100 hunters in 2025.
| Year | Hunters | Days hunted | Deer harvested | Bucks | Antlerless | Deer per 100 hunters |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,525 | 5,131 | 932 | 822 | 110 | 61 |
| 2024 | 1,609 | 5,559 | 811 | 715 | 96 | 50 |
| 2023 | 1,541 | 5,376 | 834 | 742 | 92 | 54 |
| 2022 | 1,658 | 5,844 | 713 | 615 | 98 | 43 |
| 2021 | 1,606 | 5,564 | 846 | 750 | 96 | 53 |
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 44 in 2025?
Controlled hunts: 9 rows in ODFW's table, 1,525 hunters, 932 deer. ODFW's own row for each, 2025:
| Hunt or season | Tag type | Hunters | Days | Harvested | ODFW success |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 144 Columbia Basin Unit | Any legal weapon buck, controlled | 1,339 | 4,466 | 817 | 61% |
| 644 Columbia Basin Unit | Antlerless, controlled | 79 | 142 | 58 | 73% |
| 144R Columbia Plateau Bow | Archery, controlled | 51 | 370 | 25 | 50% |
| 644T2 Umatilla Co Private Youth | Antlerless, controlled | 27 | 60 | 19 | 71% |
| 648T Morrow - Gilliam Co Youth | Antlerless, controlled | 12 | 24 | 10 | 80% |
| 649B W Blue Mtns | Antlerless, controlled | 10 | 50 | 2 | 25% |
| 644T1 Umatilla NWR Youth | Antlerless, controlled | 4 | 12 | 1 | 25% |
| 644A2 Umatilla NWR No. 2 | Antlerless, controlled | 2 | 6 | 0 | 0% |
| 644A3 Umatilla NWR No. 3 | Antlerless, controlled | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0% |
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 Columbia Basin rows.
When is deer season in Unit 44 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NB102 | North Blues 02 | One buck with visible antler | Oct. 3 - Oct. 14 | 2,420 | 1,224 of 1,224 |
| HX101 | Helix 01 | One buck with visible antler | Oct. 3 - Oct. 14 | 1,210 | 509 of 509 |
| NB102R | North Blues 02 Bow | One buck with visible antler | Aug. 29 - Sep. 27 | 440 | 43 of 43 |
| HX101R | Helix 01 Bow | One buck with visible antler | Aug. 29 - Sep. 27 | 220 | 20 of 20 |
| NB602T | North Blues 02 Youth | One antlerless deer | Nov. 21 - Dec. 6 | 50 | 50 of 59 |
| HX601T | Helix 01Youth | One antlerless deer | Nov. 21 - Dec. 6 | 39 | 25 of 25 |
| HX601 | Helix 01 Private | One antlerless deer | Oct. 17 - Oct. 25 | 22 | 22 of 212 |
| NB602 | North Blues 02 Private | One antlerless deer | Oct. 17 - Oct. 25 | 22 | 22 of 316 |
| HX601-1 | Umatilla NWR No. 1 | One antlerless deer | Sep. 12 - Sep. 16 | 9 | 8 of 175 |
| HX601T1 | Umatilla NWR Youth | One antlerless deer | Aug. 22 - Aug. 26 | 9 | 9 of 23 |
| HX601-2 | Umatilla NWR No. 2 | One deer | Oct. 3 - Oct. 7 | 2 | 2 of 1,687 |
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 44?
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, the Columbia Basin Unit is split between 2 hunt areas. The 2026 buck hunts in each:
| Hunt area | Herd range | Share of Unit 44 | 2026 buck hunts (tags) |
|---|---|---|---|
| HX-01 | Helix | 57.8% | HX101 Helix 01 (1,210); HX101R Helix 01 Bow (220) |
| NB-02 | North Blues | 42.2% | NB102 North Blues 02 (2,420); NB102R North Blues 02 Bow (440) |
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 44?
1.3% of the Columbia Basin Unit is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 23,241 of 1,832,954 acres. The largest share is BLM, 14,965 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of unit |
|---|---|---|
| Other public (city, county, parks, military) | 71,854 | 3.9% |
| BLM | 14,965 | 0.8% |
| National wildlife refuge | 3,534 | 0.2% |
| State forest and trust land | 3,157 | 0.2% |
| ODFW land | 1,581 | 0.1% |
| National forest | 4 | under 0.1% |
ODFW wildlife area in the unit: Willow Creek (781 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 44?
Highways through the unit: I-84 (about 227 miles inside it), US 30 (about 144 miles inside it), OR 207 (about 113 miles inside it), OR 74 (about 64 miles inside it) and OR 19 (about 62 miles inside it). Towns inside: Pendleton, Hermiston, Umatilla, Boardman and Arlington.
Which units border Unit 44?
The Columbia Basin Unit touches 6 other units. Their public land and ODFW's latest deer figures, for comparison:
| Unit | Public land | Deer hunters | Deer harvested | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 43 Biggs | 12.3% | 1,205 | 679 | 2025 |
| Unit 45 Fossil | 15.3% | 1,300 | 414 | 2025 |
| Unit 48 Heppner | 34.1% | 2,326 | 526 | 2025 |
| Unit 49 Ukiah | 34.7% | 1,231 | 267 | 2025 |
| Unit 54 Mt. Emily | 44.1% | 591 | 226 | 2025 |
| Unit 55 Walla Walla | 32.8% | 250 | 126 | 2025 |
Also for Unit 44: elk hunting, pronghorn hunting.
Questions hunters ask
Can you hunt deer in Unit 44 without drawing a tag?
No. In 2026 every deer hunt in the Columbia Basin Unit is a controlled hunt drawn by ODFW, now set by deer hunt area rather than unit. ODFW lists 11 controlled hunts for it in the 2026 regulations.
How many deer are taken in Unit 44 each year?
ODFW estimates 932 in 2025, 811 in 2024 and 834 in 2023, adding up its rows for the Columbia Basin Unit across general and controlled deer tags.
What is the closest town to Unit 44?
Pendleton, Hermiston and Umatilla are inside the unit. Just outside: Condon (on the line), Weston (on the line) and Lonerock (11 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 Northeast zone Unit 43 deer Unit 45 deer Unit 48 deer Unit 49 deer Unit 54 deer Unit 55 deer