Unit 52 Starkey deer hunting: harvest, hunts and 2026 seasons
ODFW estimates hunters took 162 deer in the Starkey Unit (52) in 2025 (152 bucks and 10 antlerless) and counted 797 deer hunters there, across 3 general seasons and controlled hunts. ODFW's figures for 2021 to 2025 average 150 deer a year. The unit is 64.4% 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 52Neighboring unitsLake, reservoir or riverHighway
| ODFW zone | Northeast |
|---|---|
| Size | 517,204 acres (808 square miles) |
| Public land | 64.4% (333,226 acres) |
| Deer harvested, 2025 | 162 (152 bucks) |
| Deer hunters, 2025 | 797, 6,316 days |
| Deer per 100 hunters, 2025 | 20 |
| General season | Controlled hunts only (by deer hunt area) |
| 2026 controlled hunts listed here | 5 |
| Towns in and near it | La Grande, North Powder and Island City |
How many deer are harvested in Unit 52?
ODFW's deer harvest for the Starkey Unit by year: 162 in 2025, 191 in 2024 and 122 in 2023. 20 deer were taken for every 100 hunters in 2025.
| Year | Hunters | Days hunted | Deer harvested | Bucks | Antlerless | Deer per 100 hunters |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 797 | 6,316 | 162 | 152 | 10 | 20 |
| 2024 | 833 | 6,086 | 191 | 172 | 21 | 23 |
| 2023 | 755 | 5,752 | 122 | 110 | 12 | 16 |
| 2022 | 651 | 4,428 | 129 | 116 | 13 | 20 |
| 2021 | 653 | 4,739 | 145 | 134 | 11 | 22 |
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 52 in 2025?
Controlled hunts: 3 rows in ODFW's table, 797 hunters, 162 deer. ODFW's own row for each, 2025:
| Hunt or season | Tag type | Hunters | Days | Harvested | ODFW success |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 152R Starkey Bow | Archery, controlled | 390 | 4,157 | 40 | 10% |
| 152A Starkey | Any legal weapon buck, controlled | 280 | 1,426 | 88 | 31% |
| 152M Grande Ronde Muzzleloader | Muzzleloader, controlled | 127 | 733 | 34 | 27% |
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 Starkey rows.
When is deer season in Unit 52 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EH102R | Elkhorn 02 Bow Mule Deer | One mule deer buck with visible antler | Aug. 29 - Sep. 27 | 583 | 169 of 169 |
| EH102 | Elkhorn 02 Mule Deer | One mule deer buck with visible antler | Oct. 3 - Oct. 14 | 275 | 264 of 772 |
| EH102M | Elkhorn 02 Muzzleloader | One white-tailed deer | Nov. 16 - Nov. 30 | 154 | 139 of 139 |
| EH102R1 | Elkhorn 02 Bow Whitetail | One white-tailed deer | Aug. 29 - Sep. 27 | 110 | 34 of 34 |
| EH102-1 | Elkhorn 02 Whitetail | One white-tailed deer buck with visible antler | Oct. 3 - Oct. 14 | 88 | 73 of 73 |
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 52?
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 Starkey Unit lies in hunt area EH-02 (Elkhorn herd range). The 2026 buck hunts in each:
| Hunt area | Herd range | Share of Unit 52 | 2026 buck hunts (tags) |
|---|---|---|---|
| EH-02 | Elkhorn | 100% | EH102 Elkhorn 02 Mule Deer (275); EH102-1 Elkhorn 02 Whitetail (88); EH102R Elkhorn 02 Bow Mule Deer (583); EH102R1 Elkhorn 02 Bow Whitetail (110); EH102M Elkhorn 02 Muzzleloader (154) |
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 52?
64.4% of the Starkey Unit is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 333,226 of 517,204 acres. The largest share is national forest, 321,939 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of unit |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 321,939 | 62.2% |
| ODFW land | 6,231 | 1.2% |
| State forest and trust land | 2,881 | 0.6% |
| BLM | 2,175 | 0.4% |
| Other public (city, county, parks, military) | 1,672 | 0.3% |
ODFW wildlife areas in the unit: Elkhorn (4,441 acres here) and Ladd Marsh (1,795 acres here). Access and Habitat area, private land open to hunters: Glass Hill (2,186 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 52?
Highways through the unit: I-84 (about 72 miles inside it), OR 244 (about 43 miles inside it) and US 30 (about 36 miles inside it). Towns inside: La Grande.
Which units border Unit 52?
The Starkey Unit touches 5 other units. Their public land and ODFW's latest deer figures, for comparison:
| Unit | Public land | Deer hunters | Deer harvested | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 49 Ukiah | 34.7% | 1,231 | 267 | 2025 |
| Unit 50 Desolation | 86.4% | 841 | 249 | 2025 |
| Unit 51 Sumpter | 45.4% | 1,181 | 470 | 2025 |
| Unit 53 Catherine Creek | 24.2% | 623 | 201 | 2025 |
| Unit 54 Mt. Emily | 44.1% | 591 | 226 | 2025 |
Also for Unit 52: elk hunting.
Questions hunters ask
Can you hunt deer in Unit 52 without drawing a tag?
No. In 2026 every deer hunt in the Starkey Unit is a controlled hunt drawn by ODFW, now set by deer hunt area rather than unit. ODFW lists 5 controlled hunts for it in the 2026 regulations.
How many deer are taken in Unit 52 each year?
ODFW estimates 162 in 2025, 191 in 2024 and 122 in 2023, adding up its rows for the Starkey Unit across general and controlled deer tags.
What is the closest town to Unit 52?
La Grande is inside the unit. Just outside: North Powder (on the line), Island City (on the line) and Union (6 miles).
Get an Oregon hunt plan when they open
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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.
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