Unit 54 Mt. Emily deer hunting: harvest, hunts and 2026 seasons
ODFW estimates hunters took 226 deer in the Mt. Emily Unit (54) in 2025 (212 bucks and 12 antlerless) and counted 591 deer hunters there, across 8 general seasons and controlled hunts. ODFW's figures for 2021 to 2025 average 197 deer a year. The unit is 44.1% 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 forestBLMState forest and trust landOther public (city, county, parks, military)Unit 54Neighboring unitsLake, reservoir or riverHighway
| ODFW zone | Northeast |
|---|---|
| Size | 492,576 acres (770 square miles) |
| Public land | 44.1% (217,045 acres) |
| Deer harvested, 2025 | 226 (212 bucks) |
| Deer hunters, 2025 | 591, 3,303 days |
| Deer per 100 hunters, 2025 | 38 |
| General season | Controlled hunts only (by deer hunt area) |
| 2026 controlled hunts listed here | 4 |
| Towns in and near it | Elgin, Weston, Summerville and Adams |
How many deer are harvested in Unit 54?
ODFW's deer harvest for the Mt. Emily Unit by year: 226 in 2025, 209 in 2024 and 224 in 2023. 38 deer were taken for every 100 hunters in 2025.
| Year | Hunters | Days hunted | Deer harvested | Bucks | Antlerless | Deer per 100 hunters |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 591 | 3,303 | 226 | 212 | 12 | 38 |
| 2024 | 668 | 3,584 | 209 | 196 | 11 | 31 |
| 2023 | 664 | 3,546 | 224 | 215 | 9 | 34 |
| 2022 | 600 | 3,225 | 161 | 158 | 3 | 27 |
| 2021 | 602 | 3,358 | 166 | 155 | 11 | 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 54 in 2025?
Controlled hunts: 8 rows in ODFW's table, 591 hunters, 226 deer. ODFW's own row for each, 2025:
| Hunt or season | Tag type | Hunters | Days | Harvested | ODFW success |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 154B W Mt Emily | Any legal weapon buck, controlled | 257 | 1,196 | 95 | 37% |
| 154R N Blue Mtns Bow | Archery, controlled | 129 | 1,208 | 41 | 32% |
| 154A E Mt Emily | Any legal weapon buck, controlled | 110 | 489 | 45 | 41% |
| 649B W Blue Mtns | Antlerless, controlled | 34 | 137 | 16 | 48% |
| 152M Grande Ronde Muzzleloader | Muzzleloader, controlled | 33 | 159 | 11 | 33% |
| 154T Mt Emily Unit Youth | Any legal weapon buck, controlled | 14 | 56 | 9 | 62% |
| 154C Mt Emily Unit | Any legal weapon buck, controlled | 12 | 56 | 7 | 58% |
| 644T2 Umatilla Co Private Youth | Antlerless, controlled | 2 | 2 | 2 | 100% |
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 Mt. Emily rows.
When is deer season in Unit 54 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NE106 | Northeast 06 | One buck with visible antler | Oct. 3 - Oct. 14 | 495 | 480 of 991 |
| NE106R | Northeast 06 Bow | One buck with visible antler | Aug. 29 - Sep. 27 | 182 | 86 of 86 |
| NE106T | Northeast 06 Youth | One buck with visible antler | Sep. 28 - Oct. 14 | 22 | 21 of 85 |
| NE106-1 | Late Northeast 06 | One buck with visible antler | Nov. 1 - Nov. 29 | 11 | 10 of 1,720 |
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 54?
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 Mt. Emily Unit lies in hunt area NE-06 (Northeast herd range). The 2026 buck hunts in each:
| Hunt area | Herd range | Share of Unit 54 | 2026 buck hunts (tags) |
|---|---|---|---|
| NE-06 | Northeast | 100% | NE106 Northeast 06 (495); NE106-1 Late Northeast 06 (11); NE106R Northeast 06 Bow (182); NE106T Northeast 06 Youth (22) |
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 54?
44.1% of the Mt. Emily Unit is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 217,045 of 492,576 acres. The largest share is national forest, 215,279 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of unit |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 215,279 | 43.7% |
| BLM | 1,446 | 0.3% |
| Other public (city, county, parks, military) | 846 | 0.2% |
| State forest and trust land | 320 | 0.1% |
Access and Habitat area, private land open to hunters: Owsley Canyon (432 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 54?
Highways through the unit: I-84 (about 66 miles inside it), OR 204 (about 42 miles inside it), US 30 (about 33 miles inside it), OR 11 (about 17 miles inside it) and OR 331 (about 5 miles inside it). Towns inside: Elgin, Weston, Summerville, Imbler and Mission.
Which units border Unit 54?
The Mt. Emily Unit touches 6 other units. Their public land and ODFW's latest deer figures, for comparison:
| Unit | Public land | Deer hunters | Deer harvested | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 44 Columbia Basin | 1.3% | 1,525 | 932 | 2025 |
| Unit 49 Ukiah | 34.7% | 1,231 | 267 | 2025 |
| Unit 52 Starkey | 64.4% | 797 | 162 | 2025 |
| Unit 53 Catherine Creek | 24.2% | 623 | 201 | 2025 |
| Unit 55 Walla Walla | 32.8% | 250 | 126 | 2025 |
| Unit 56 Wenaha | 73% | 451 | 188 | 2025 |
Also for Unit 54: elk hunting.
Questions hunters ask
Can you hunt deer in Unit 54 without drawing a tag?
No. In 2026 every deer hunt in the Mt. Emily Unit is a controlled hunt drawn by ODFW, now set by deer hunt area rather than unit. ODFW lists 4 controlled hunts for it in the 2026 regulations.
How many deer are taken in Unit 54 each year?
ODFW estimates 226 in 2025, 209 in 2024 and 224 in 2023, adding up its rows for the Mt. Emily Unit across general and controlled deer tags.
What is the closest town to Unit 54?
Elgin, Weston and Summerville are inside the unit. Just outside: Adams (on the line), Island City (on the line) and Athena (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.
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