Unit 53 Catherine Creek elk hunting: harvest, hunts and 2026 seasons
ODFW estimates hunters took 303 elk in the Catherine Creek Unit (53) in 2025 (221 bulls and 76 antlerless) and counted 1,171 elk hunters there, across 9 general seasons and controlled hunts. ODFW's figures for 2021 to 2025 average 286 elk a year. The unit is 24.2% 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 landBureau of ReclamationOther public (city, county, parks, military)Unit 53Neighboring unitsLake, reservoir or riverHighway
| ODFW zone | Northeast |
|---|---|
| Size | 424,656 acres (664 square miles) |
| Public land | 24.2% (102,974 acres) |
| Elk harvested, 2025 | 303 (221 bulls) |
| Elk hunters, 2025 | 1,171, 8,471 days |
| Elk per 100 hunters, 2025 | 26 |
| General seasons, 2026 | General Eastern Oregon Rocky Mountain 2nd season |
| 2026 controlled hunts listed here | 8 |
| Towns in and near it | Union, Island City, Cove and Imbler |
How many elk are harvested in Unit 53?
ODFW's elk harvest for the Catherine Creek Unit by year: 303 in 2025, 321 in 2024 and 246 in 2023. 26 elk were taken for every 100 hunters in 2025.
| Year | Hunters | Days hunted | Elk harvested | Bulls | Antlerless | Elk per 100 hunters |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,171 | 8,471 | 303 | 221 | 76 | 26 |
| 2024 | 1,227 | 8,157 | 321 | 215 | 99 | 26 |
| 2023 | 1,125 | 3,218 | 246 | 205 | 41 | 22 |
| 2022 | 960 | 2,731 | 267 | 200 | 67 | 28 |
| 2021 | 1,240 | 9,228 | 292 | 213 | 79 | 24 |
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 53 in 2025?
General season tags: 189 hunters, 26 elk. Controlled hunts: 8 rows in ODFW's table, 982 hunters, 277 elk. ODFW's own row for each, 2025:
| Hunt or season | Tag type | Hunters | Days | Harvested | ODFW success |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 253R1 Eagle Cap Zone | Archery, controlled | 361 | 3,672 | 68 | 19% |
| 253X Catherine Cr Unit | Any legal weapon, controlled | 324 | 1,196 | 129 | 40% |
| Rocky Mtn 2nd season | Any legal weapon, general | 189 | 1,427 | 26 | 14% |
| 253M Catherine Creek Unit Muzzleloader | Muzzleloader, controlled | 103 | 848 | 16 | 16% |
| 253B Mt Harris | Any legal weapon, controlled | 88 | 474 | 41 | 46% |
| 253A S Catherine Cr | Any legal weapon, controlled | 40 | 201 | 6 | 16% |
| 253R2 Eagle Cap Traditional Bow | Archery, controlled | 33 | 325 | 8 | 23% |
| 253T Catherine Cr Unit Youth | Any legal weapon, controlled | 29 | 312 | 9 | 32% |
| 200R Oregon Youth Bow | Archery, controlled | 4 | 16 | 0 | 0% |
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 Catherine Creek rows.
When is elk season in Unit 53 in 2026?
General seasons that cover the Catherine Creek 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 253R1 | Eagle Cap Zone | One bull elk | Aug. 29 - Sep. 27 | 1,795 | 832 of 844 |
| 200R | Oregon Youth Bow | One elk | Aug. 29 - Sep. 27 | 330 | 129 of 129 |
| 253X | Catherine Cr Unit | One bull elk | Oct. 28 - Nov. 1 | 303 | 288 of 585 |
| 253M | Catherine Cr Unit Muzzleloader | One antlerless elk | Nov. 1 - Dec. 31 | 275 | 31 of 31 |
| 253R2 | Eagle Cap Traditional Bow (Traditional Bow Only) | One elk | Aug. 29 - Sep. 27 | 200 | 25 of 25 |
| 253A | Catherine Cr Unit | One antlerless elk | Nov. 21 - Nov. 29 | 110 | 110 of 148 |
| 253B | Mt Harris | One antlerless elk | Dec. 12 - Dec. 31 | 110 | 51 of 51 |
| 253T | Catherine Cr Unit Youth | One antlerless elk | Aug. 15 - Dec. 31 | 30 | 29 of 35 |
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 53?
24.2% of the Catherine Creek Unit is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 102,974 of 424,656 acres. The largest share is national forest, 93,655 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of unit |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 93,655 | 22.1% |
| BLM | 5,678 | 1.3% |
| ODFW land | 2,547 | 0.6% |
| State forest and trust land | 890 | 0.2% |
| Bureau of Reclamation | 204 | under 0.1% |
| Other public (city, county, parks, military) | 185 | under 0.1% |
ODFW wildlife areas in the unit: Ladd Marsh (3,815 acres here) and Minam (1,411 acres here). Access and Habitat area, private land open to hunters: Glass Hill (22 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 53?
Highways through the unit: OR 82 (about 74 miles inside it), OR 237 (about 63 miles inside it), OR 203 (about 42 miles inside it), I-84 (about 42 miles inside it) and US 30 (about 18 miles inside it). Towns inside: Union, Island City, Cove and North Powder.
Which units border Unit 53?
The Catherine Creek Unit touches 7 other units. Their public land and ODFW's latest elk figures, for comparison:
| Unit | Public land | Elk hunters | Elk harvested | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 51 Sumpter | 45.4% | 1,847 | 367 | 2025 |
| Unit 52 Starkey | 64.4% | 3,348 | 694 | 2025 |
| Unit 54 Mt. Emily | 44.1% | 525 | 173 | 2025 |
| Unit 56 Wenaha | 73% | 362 | 103 | 2025 |
| Unit 57 Sled Springs | 20.9% | 1,235 | 311 | 2025 |
| Unit 60 Minam | 73.4% | 663 | 106 | 2025 |
| Unit 63 Keating | 57.3% | 686 | 133 | 2025 |
Also for Unit 53: deer hunting.
Questions hunters ask
Can you hunt elk in Unit 53 without drawing a tag?
Yes. General Eastern Oregon Rocky Mountain 2nd season elk (Nov. 7 - Nov. 15) is open in the Catherine Creek Unit, bag limit one spike elk, by ODFW's 2026 regulations.
How many elk are taken in Unit 53 each year?
ODFW estimates 303 in 2025, 321 in 2024 and 246 in 2023, adding up its rows for the Catherine Creek Unit across general and controlled elk tags.
How hard is it to draw hunt 253R1?
In ODFW's 2026 draw for hunt 253R1 (Eagle Cap Zone), 832 of 844 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 53?
Union, Island City and Cove are inside the unit. Just outside: Imbler (on the line), Elgin (on the line) and La Grande (on the line).
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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