Unit 52 Starkey elk hunting: harvest, hunts and 2026 seasons
ODFW estimates hunters took 694 elk in the Starkey Unit (52) in 2025 (451 bulls and 232 antlerless) and counted 3,348 elk hunters there, across 11 general seasons and controlled hunts. ODFW's figures for 2021 to 2025 average 599 elk 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) |
| Elk harvested, 2025 | 694 (451 bulls) |
| Elk hunters, 2025 | 3,348, 20,415 days |
| Elk per 100 hunters, 2025 | 21 |
| General seasons, 2026 | General Eastern Oregon Rocky Mountain 2nd season |
| 2026 controlled hunts listed here | 10 |
| Towns in and near it | La Grande, North Powder and Island City |
How many elk are harvested in Unit 52?
ODFW's elk harvest for the Starkey Unit by year: 694 in 2025, 638 in 2024 and 544 in 2023. 21 elk were taken for every 100 hunters in 2025.
| Year | Hunters | Days hunted | Elk harvested | Bulls | Antlerless | Elk per 100 hunters |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 3,348 | 20,415 | 694 | 451 | 232 | 21 |
| 2024 | 3,280 | 20,710 | 638 | 495 | 144 | 19 |
| 2023 | 3,351 | 21,853 | 544 | 399 | 145 | 16 |
| 2022 | 3,065 | 19,730 | 553 | 481 | 72 | 18 |
| 2021 | 3,810 | 26,563 | 567 | 488 | 79 | 15 |
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 52 in 2025?
General season tags: 808 hunters, 76 elk. Controlled hunts: 10 rows in ODFW's table, 2,540 hunters, 618 elk. ODFW's own row for each, 2025:
| Hunt or season | Tag type | Hunters | Days | Harvested | ODFW success |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 252R Starkey Unit Bow | Archery, controlled | 1,027 | 9,206 | 203 | 20% |
| Rocky Mtn 2nd season | Any legal weapon, general | 808 | 4,368 | 76 | 9% |
| 252A2 Starkey No. 2 | Any legal weapon, controlled | 497 | 1,995 | 56 | 11% |
| 252A1 Starkey No. 1 | Any legal weapon, controlled | 341 | 1,258 | 114 | 33% |
| 252B2 Starkey | Any legal weapon, controlled | 327 | 1,620 | 97 | 30% |
| 252B1 Starkey Private | Any legal weapon, controlled | 265 | 1,505 | 112 | 42% |
| 252T1 Starkey Youth | Any legal weapon, controlled | 26 | 112 | 18 | 70% |
| 200R Oregon Youth Bow | Archery, controlled | 20 | 155 | 5 | 25% |
| 252C1 Starkey Experimental Forest No. 1 | Any legal weapon, controlled | 16 | 80 | 1 | 8% |
| 252C2 Starkey Experimental Forest No. 2 | Any legal weapon, controlled | 15 | 89 | 9 | 58% |
| 252T2 Glass Hill Youth | Any legal weapon, controlled | 6 | 27 | 3 | 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 Starkey rows.
When is elk season in Unit 52 in 2026?
General seasons that cover the Starkey 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 252R | Starkey Bow | One bull elk | Aug. 29 - Sep. 27 | 1,300 | 986 of 1,003 |
| 252A2 | Starkey Unit No. 2 | One spike elk | Oct. 28 - Nov. 1 | 990 | 117 of 117 |
| 252B1 | Starkey Private | One antlerless elk | Nov. 2 - Dec. 13 | 440 | 88 of 88 |
| 252B2 | Starkey | One antlerless elk | Nov. 21 - Nov. 29 | 440 | 431 of 660 |
| 252A1 | Starkey Unit No. 1 | One bull elk | Oct. 28 - Nov. 1 | 385 | 366 of 2,171 |
| 200R | Oregon Youth Bow | One elk | Aug. 29 - Sep. 27 | 330 | 129 of 129 |
| 252T1 | Starkey Youth | One antlerless elk | Aug. 15 - Dec. 31 | 30 | 29 of 97 |
| 252C1 | Starkey Experimental Forest No. 1 | One antlerless elk | Oct. 31 - Nov. 8 | 17 | 16 of 78 |
| 252C2 | Starkey Experimental Forest No. 2 | One elk | Sep. 19 - Sep. 27 | 17 | 16 of 464 |
| 252T2 | Glass Hill Youth | One elk | Nov. 21 - Dec. 31 | 3 | 2 of 206 |
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 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 elk figures, for comparison:
| Unit | Public land | Elk hunters | Elk harvested | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 49 Ukiah | 34.7% | 3,397 | 559 | 2025 |
| Unit 50 Desolation | 86.4% | 2,128 | 283 | 2025 |
| Unit 51 Sumpter | 45.4% | 1,847 | 367 | 2025 |
| Unit 53 Catherine Creek | 24.2% | 1,171 | 303 | 2025 |
| Unit 54 Mt. Emily | 44.1% | 525 | 173 | 2025 |
Also for Unit 52: deer hunting.
Questions hunters ask
Can you hunt elk in Unit 52 without drawing a tag?
Yes. General Eastern Oregon Rocky Mountain 2nd season elk (Nov. 7 - Nov. 15) is open in the Starkey Unit, bag limit one spike elk, by ODFW's 2026 regulations.
How many elk are taken in Unit 52 each year?
ODFW estimates 694 in 2025, 638 in 2024 and 544 in 2023, adding up its rows for the Starkey Unit across general and controlled elk tags.
How hard is it to draw hunt 252R?
In ODFW's 2026 draw for hunt 252R (Starkey Bow), 986 of 1,003 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 52?
La Grande is inside the unit. Just outside: North Powder (on the line), Island City (on the line) and Union (6 miles).
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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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