Unit 47 Northside deer hunting: harvest, hunts and 2026 seasons
ODFW estimates hunters took 297 deer in the Northside Unit (47) in 2025 (275 bucks and 20 antlerless) and counted 1,055 deer hunters there, across 4 general seasons and controlled hunts. ODFW's figures for 2021 to 2025 average 277 deer a year. The unit is 40.3% 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 park land (no hunting)National forestBLMState forest and trust landOther public (city, county, parks, military)Unit 47Neighboring unitsLake, reservoir or riverHighway
| ODFW zone | Northeast |
|---|---|
| Size | 714,178 acres (1,116 square miles) |
| Public land | 40.3% (287,640 acres) |
| Deer harvested, 2025 | 297 (275 bucks) |
| Deer hunters, 2025 | 1,055, 6,939 days |
| Deer per 100 hunters, 2025 | 28 |
| General season | Controlled hunts only (by deer hunt area) |
| 2026 controlled hunts listed here | 2 |
| Towns in and near it | John Day, Dayville and Long Creek |
How many deer are harvested in Unit 47?
ODFW's deer harvest for the Northside Unit by year: 297 in 2025, 326 in 2024 and 259 in 2023. 28 deer were taken for every 100 hunters in 2025.
| Year | Hunters | Days hunted | Deer harvested | Bucks | Antlerless | Deer per 100 hunters |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,055 | 6,939 | 297 | 275 | 20 | 28 |
| 2024 | 1,118 | 7,148 | 326 | 307 | 18 | 29 |
| 2023 | 1,105 | 7,215 | 259 | 248 | 11 | 23 |
| 2022 | 1,035 | 6,644 | 205 | 193 | 12 | 20 |
| 2021 | 1,046 | 6,429 | 297 | 280 | 17 | 28 |
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 47 in 2025?
Controlled hunts: 4 rows in ODFW's table, 1,055 hunters, 297 deer. ODFW's own row for each, 2025:
| Hunt or season | Tag type | Hunters | Days | Harvested | ODFW success |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 147 Northside Unit | Any legal weapon buck, controlled | 658 | 3,497 | 221 | 34% |
| 147R Northside Unit Bow | Archery, controlled | 359 | 3,303 | 55 | 15% |
| 647B Middle Fork John Day | Antlerless, controlled | 23 | 61 | 17 | 75% |
| 146R2 Grant Co Whitetail Bow | Archery, controlled | 15 | 78 | 4 | 23% |
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 Northside rows.
When is deer season in Unit 47 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FX102 | Fox 02 | One buck with visible antler | Oct. 3 - Oct. 14 | 1,210 | 1,153 of 1,857 |
| FX102R | Fox 02 Bow | One buck with visible antler | Aug. 29 - Sep. 27 | 770 | 203 of 203 |
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 47?
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 Northside Unit lies in hunt area FX-02 (Fox herd range). The 2026 buck hunts in each:
| Hunt area | Herd range | Share of Unit 47 | 2026 buck hunts (tags) |
|---|---|---|---|
| FX-02 | Fox | 100% | FX102 Fox 02 (1,210); FX102R Fox 02 Bow (770) |
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 47?
40.3% of the Northside Unit is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 287,640 of 714,178 acres. The largest share is national forest, 236,745 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of unit |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 236,745 | 33.1% |
| BLM | 48,749 | 6.8% |
| National park land (no hunting) | 2,543 | 0.4% |
| State forest and trust land | 2,146 | 0.3% |
| Other public (city, county, parks, military) | 136 | 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.
How do you get to Unit 47?
Highways through the unit: US 395 (about 67 miles inside it), US 26 (about 39 miles inside it), OR 402 (about 21 miles inside it) and OR 19 (about 11 miles inside it). Towns inside: John Day and Dayville.
Which units border Unit 47?
The Northside 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 37 Ochoco | 54% | 1,664 | 350 | 2025 |
| Unit 45 Fossil | 15.3% | 1,300 | 414 | 2025 |
| Unit 46 Murderers Creek | 68.1% | 994 | 414 | 2025 |
| Unit 48 Heppner | 34.1% | 2,326 | 526 | 2025 |
| Unit 50 Desolation | 86.4% | 841 | 249 | 2025 |
| Unit 51 Sumpter | 45.4% | 1,181 | 470 | 2025 |
| Unit 65 Beulah | 56.5% | 1,675 | 795 | 2025 |
Also for Unit 47: elk hunting.
Questions hunters ask
Can you hunt deer in Unit 47 without drawing a tag?
No. In 2026 every deer hunt in the Northside 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 47 each year?
ODFW estimates 297 in 2025, 326 in 2024 and 259 in 2023, adding up its rows for the Northside Unit across general and controlled deer tags.
What is the closest town to Unit 47?
John Day and Dayville are inside the unit. Just outside: Long Creek (on the line), Mount Vernon (on the line) and Prairie City (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.
Oregon hunting Northeast zone Unit 37 deer Unit 45 deer Unit 46 deer Unit 48 deer Unit 50 deer Unit 51 deer Unit 65 deer