Unit 50 Desolation elk hunting: harvest, hunts and 2026 seasons
ODFW estimates hunters took 283 elk in the Desolation Unit (50) in 2025 (268 bulls and 10 antlerless) and counted 2,128 elk hunters there, across 6 general seasons and controlled hunts. ODFW's figures for 2021 to 2025 average 268 elk a year. The unit is 86.4% 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 forestBLMUnit 50Neighboring unitsLake, reservoir or riverHighway
| ODFW zone | Northeast |
|---|---|
| Size | 429,776 acres (672 square miles) |
| Public land | 86.4% (371,292 acres) |
| Elk harvested, 2025 | 283 (268 bulls) |
| Elk hunters, 2025 | 2,128, 13,272 days |
| Elk per 100 hunters, 2025 | 13 |
| General seasons, 2026 | General Eastern Oregon Rocky Mountain 2nd season |
| 2026 controlled hunts listed here | 5 |
| Towns in and near it | Granite, Greenhorn and Sumpter |
How many elk are harvested in Unit 50?
ODFW's elk harvest for the Desolation Unit by year: 283 in 2025, 303 in 2024 and 239 in 2023. 13 elk were taken for every 100 hunters in 2025.
| Year | Hunters | Days hunted | Elk harvested | Bulls | Antlerless | Elk per 100 hunters |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2,128 | 13,272 | 283 | 268 | 10 | 13 |
| 2024 | 2,195 | 14,406 | 303 | 285 | 16 | 14 |
| 2023 | 2,244 | 14,438 | 239 | 228 | 11 | 11 |
| 2022 | 2,224 | 14,431 | 260 | 248 | 12 | 12 |
| 2021 | 3,057 | 21,545 | 254 | 239 | 15 | 8 |
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 50 in 2025?
General season tags: 482 hunters, 32 elk. Controlled hunts: 5 rows in ODFW's table, 1,646 hunters, 251 elk. ODFW's own row for each, 2025:
| Hunt or season | Tag type | Hunters | Days | Harvested | ODFW success |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 250R1 Desolation Unit Bow | Archery, controlled | 805 | 6,761 | 108 | 13% |
| 250X Desolation Unit | Any legal weapon, controlled | 767 | 3,173 | 127 | 17% |
| Rocky Mtn 2nd season | Any legal weapon, general | 482 | 2,633 | 32 | 7% |
| 250R2 N Fork Traditional Bow | Archery, controlled | 40 | 463 | 4 | 9% |
| 200R Oregon Youth Bow | Archery, controlled | 18 | 177 | 4 | 20% |
| 250T Desolation Unit Youth | Any legal weapon, controlled | 16 | 65 | 8 | 50% |
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 Desolation rows.
When is elk season in Unit 50 in 2026?
General seasons that cover the Desolation Unit in 2026:
- General Eastern Oregon Rocky Mountain 2nd season elk, Nov. 7 - Nov. 15: one spike elk, page 45.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 250X | Desolation Unit | One bull elk | Oct. 28 - Nov. 1 | 1,100 | 1,045 of 1,650 |
| 250R1 | Desolation Unit Bow | One bull elk | Aug. 29 - Sep. 27 | 1,085 | 483 of 493 |
| 200R | Oregon Youth Bow | One elk | Aug. 29 - Sep. 27 | 330 | 129 of 129 |
| 250R2 | N Fork Traditional Bow (Traditional Bow Only) | One elk | Aug. 29 - Oct. 2 | 110 | 31 of 31 |
| 250T | Desolation Unit Youth | One antlerless elk | Aug. 15 - Dec. 31 | 21 | 20 of 63 |
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 50?
86.4% of the Desolation Unit is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 371,292 of 429,776 acres. The largest share is national forest, 371,062 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of unit |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 371,062 | 86.3% |
| BLM | 230 | 0.1% |
ODFW wildlife area in the unit: Bridge Creek (88 acres here). Access and Habitat area, private land open to hunters: Desolation Creek (13,486 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 50?
Highways through the unit: US 395 (about 15 miles inside it) and OR 7 (about 3 miles inside it). Towns inside: Granite.
Which units border Unit 50?
The Desolation 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 47 Northside | 40.3% | 2,374 | 466 | 2025 |
| Unit 48 Heppner | 34.1% | 3,939 | 708 | 2025 |
| Unit 49 Ukiah | 34.7% | 3,397 | 559 | 2025 |
| Unit 51 Sumpter | 45.4% | 1,847 | 367 | 2025 |
| Unit 52 Starkey | 64.4% | 3,348 | 694 | 2025 |
Also for Unit 50: deer hunting.
Questions hunters ask
Can you hunt elk in Unit 50 without drawing a tag?
Yes. General Eastern Oregon Rocky Mountain 2nd season elk (Nov. 7 - Nov. 15) is open in the Desolation Unit, bag limit one spike elk, by ODFW's 2026 regulations.
How many elk are taken in Unit 50 each year?
ODFW estimates 283 in 2025, 303 in 2024 and 239 in 2023, adding up its rows for the Desolation Unit across general and controlled elk tags.
How hard is it to draw hunt 250R1?
In ODFW's 2026 draw for hunt 250R1 (Desolation Unit Bow), 483 of 493 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 50?
Granite is inside the unit. Just outside: Greenhorn (on the line), Sumpter (4 miles) and Long Creek (9 miles).
Get an Oregon hunt plan when they open
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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 47 elk Unit 48 elk Unit 49 elk Unit 51 elk Unit 52 elk