Unit 54 Mt. Emily elk hunting: harvest, hunts and 2026 seasons
ODFW estimates hunters took 173 elk in the Mt. Emily Unit (54) in 2025 (163 bulls and 10 antlerless) and counted 525 elk hunters there, across 6 general seasons and controlled hunts. ODFW's figures for 2021 to 2025 average 172 elk 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) |
| Elk harvested, 2025 | 173 (163 bulls) |
| Elk hunters, 2025 | 525, 3,296 days |
| Elk per 100 hunters, 2025 | 33 |
| General season | Controlled hunts only |
| 2026 controlled hunts listed here | 5 |
| Towns in and near it | Elgin, Weston, Summerville and Adams |
How many elk are harvested in Unit 54?
ODFW's elk harvest for the Mt. Emily Unit by year: 173 in 2025, 198 in 2024 and 172 in 2023. 33 elk were taken for every 100 hunters in 2025.
| Year | Hunters | Days hunted | Elk harvested | Bulls | Antlerless | Elk per 100 hunters |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 525 | 3,296 | 173 | 163 | 10 | 33 |
| 2024 | 714 | 4,207 | 198 | 189 | 9 | 28 |
| 2023 | 731 | 4,477 | 172 | 158 | 14 | 24 |
| 2022 | 736 | 4,637 | 143 | 135 | 8 | 19 |
| 2021 | 712 | 3,996 | 174 | 155 | 19 | 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 54 in 2025?
Controlled hunts: 6 rows in ODFW's table, 525 hunters, 173 elk. ODFW's own row for each, 2025:
| Hunt or season | Tag type | Hunters | Days | Harvested | ODFW success |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 254X Mt Emily Unit No. 1 | Any legal weapon, controlled | 175 | 658 | 43 | 25% |
| 254Y2 Mt Emily Unit No. 3 | Any legal weapon, controlled | 149 | 747 | 39 | 26% |
| 254R2 Mt Emily Unit Bow No. 2 | Archery, controlled | 76 | 530 | 10 | 13% |
| 254Y1 Mt Emily Unit No. 2 | Any legal weapon, controlled | 59 | 462 | 43 | 74% |
| 254R1 Mt Emily Unit Bow No. 1 | Archery, controlled | 56 | 846 | 33 | 58% |
| 244T Umatilla Youth | Any legal weapon, controlled | 10 | 53 | 5 | 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 Mt. Emily rows.
When is elk season in Unit 54 in 2026?
Every elk hunt here is a controlled hunt in 2026.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 254X | Mt Emily Unit No. 1 | One spike elk | Oct. 28 - Nov. 1 | 528 | 502 of 674 |
| 254Y2 | Mt Emily Unit No. 3 | One spike elk | Nov. 7 - Nov. 15 | 231 | 220 of 245 |
| 254R2 | Mt Emily Unit Bow No. 2 | One spike elk | Aug. 29 - Sep. 27 | 143 | 91 of 92 |
| 254Y1 | Mt Emily Unit No. 2 | One bull elk | Oct. 28 - Nov. 15 | 58 | 56 of 8,251 |
| 254R1 | Mt Emily Unit Bow No. 1 | One bull elk | Aug. 29 - Sep. 27 | 57 | 55 of 2,979 |
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 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 elk figures, for comparison:
| Unit | Public land | Elk hunters | Elk harvested | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 44 Columbia Basin | 1.3% | 377 | 162 | 2025 |
| Unit 49 Ukiah | 34.7% | 3,397 | 559 | 2025 |
| Unit 52 Starkey | 64.4% | 3,348 | 694 | 2025 |
| Unit 53 Catherine Creek | 24.2% | 1,171 | 303 | 2025 |
| Unit 55 Walla Walla | 32.8% | 300 | 109 | 2025 |
| Unit 56 Wenaha | 73% | 362 | 103 | 2025 |
Also for Unit 54: deer hunting.
Questions hunters ask
Can you hunt elk in Unit 54 without drawing a tag?
No. In 2026 every elk hunt in the Mt. Emily Unit is a controlled hunt drawn by ODFW. ODFW lists 5 controlled hunts for it in the 2026 regulations.
How many elk are taken in Unit 54 each year?
ODFW estimates 173 in 2025, 198 in 2024 and 172 in 2023, adding up its rows for the Mt. Emily Unit across general and controlled elk tags.
How hard is it to draw hunt 254X?
In ODFW's 2026 draw for hunt 254X (Mt Emily Unit No. 1), 502 of 674 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 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
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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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