Unit 57 Sled Springs deer hunting: harvest, hunts and 2026 seasons
ODFW estimates hunters took 709 deer in the Sled Springs Unit (57) in 2025 (594 bucks and 115 antlerless) and counted 1,552 deer hunters there, across 7 general seasons and controlled hunts. ODFW's figures for 2021 to 2025 average 668 deer a year. The unit is 20.9% 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 57Neighboring unitsLake, reservoir or riverHighway
| ODFW zone | Northeast |
|---|---|
| Size | 566,001 acres (884 square miles) |
| Public land | 20.9% (118,243 acres) |
| Deer harvested, 2025 | 709 (594 bucks) |
| Deer hunters, 2025 | 1,552, 7,229 days |
| Deer per 100 hunters, 2025 | 46 |
| General season | Controlled hunts only (by deer hunt area) |
| 2026 controlled hunts listed here | 6 |
| Towns in and near it | Wallowa, Lostine and Enterprise |
How many deer are harvested in Unit 57?
ODFW's deer harvest for the Sled Springs Unit by year: 709 in 2025, 802 in 2024 and 613 in 2023. 46 deer were taken for every 100 hunters in 2025.
| Year | Hunters | Days hunted | Deer harvested | Bucks | Antlerless | Deer per 100 hunters |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,552 | 7,229 | 709 | 594 | 115 | 46 |
| 2024 | 1,731 | 7,711 | 802 | 648 | 153 | 46 |
| 2023 | 1,649 | 7,726 | 613 | 484 | 129 | 37 |
| 2022 | 1,646 | 7,528 | 605 | 471 | 134 | 37 |
| 2021 | 1,633 | 7,628 | 610 | 502 | 108 | 37 |
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 57 in 2025?
Controlled hunts: 7 rows in ODFW's table, 1,552 hunters, 709 deer. ODFW's own row for each, 2025:
| Hunt or season | Tag type | Hunters | Days | Harvested | ODFW success |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 157 Sled Springs Unit | Any legal weapon buck, controlled | 1,083 | 4,827 | 483 | 45% |
| 157M Sled Springs Unit Muzzleloader | Muzzleloader, controlled | 186 | 812 | 92 | 49% |
| 157R Sled Springs Unit Bow | Archery, controlled | 117 | 1,079 | 26 | 23% |
| 157A Lower Wallowa Valley | Any legal weapon buck, controlled | 58 | 195 | 43 | 74% |
| 657B Lower Wallowa Valley | Antlerless, controlled | 53 | 146 | 30 | 56% |
| 657A Flora | Antlerless, controlled | 42 | 148 | 26 | 62% |
| 660A Upper Wallowa Valley | Antlerless, controlled | 13 | 22 | 9 | 73% |
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 Sled Springs rows.
When is deer season in Unit 57 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NE103 | Northeast 03 Mule Deer | One mule deer buck with visible antler | Oct. 3 - Oct. 14 | 842 | 668 of 668 |
| NE103-1 | Northeast 03 Whitetail | One white-tailed deer buck with visible antler | Oct. 3 - Oct. 14 | 770 | 316 of 316 |
| NE103M | Northeast 03 Muzzleloader | One white-tailed deer | Nov. 16 - Nov. 30 | 242 | 172 of 172 |
| NE103R | Northeast 03 Bow Mule Deer | One mule deer buck with visible antler | Aug. 29 - Sep. 27 | 121 | 20 of 20 |
| NE103R1 | Northeast 03 Bow Whitetail | One white-tailed deer | Aug. 29 - Sep. 27 | 66 | 20 of 20 |
| NE603 | Lower Grande Ronde | One antlerless white-tailed deer | Oct. 17 - Oct. 25 | 55 | 55 of 95 |
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 57?
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 Sled Springs Unit lies in hunt area NE-03 (Northeast herd range). The 2026 buck hunts in each:
| Hunt area | Herd range | Share of Unit 57 | 2026 buck hunts (tags) |
|---|---|---|---|
| NE-03 | Northeast | 100% | NE103 Northeast 03 Mule Deer (842); NE103-1 Northeast 03 Whitetail (770); NE103R Northeast 03 Bow Mule Deer (121); NE103R1 Northeast 03 Bow Whitetail (66); NE103M Northeast 03 Muzzleloader (242) |
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 57?
20.9% of the Sled Springs Unit is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 118,243 of 566,001 acres. The largest share is national forest, 104,483 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of unit |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 104,483 | 18.5% |
| BLM | 12,430 | 2.2% |
| State forest and trust land | 1,328 | 0.2% |
| Other public (city, county, parks, military) | 843 | 0.1% |
| ODFW land | 2 | under 0.1% |
ODFW wildlife areas in the unit: Minam (75 acres here) and Wenaha (59 acres here). Access and Habitat area, private land open to hunters: Carman Ranch (2,760 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 57?
Highways through the unit: OR 82 (about 53 miles inside it) and OR 3 (about 43 miles inside it). Towns inside: Wallowa and Lostine.
Which units border Unit 57?
The Sled Springs Unit touches 4 other units. Their public land and ODFW's latest deer figures, for comparison:
| Unit | Public land | Deer hunters | Deer harvested | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 53 Catherine Creek | 24.2% | 623 | 201 | 2025 |
| Unit 56 Wenaha | 73% | 451 | 188 | 2025 |
| Unit 58 Chesnimnus | 49.2% | 492 | 207 | 2025 |
| Unit 60 Minam | 73.4% | 506 | 294 | 2025 |
Also for Unit 57: elk hunting.
Questions hunters ask
Can you hunt deer in Unit 57 without drawing a tag?
No. In 2026 every deer hunt in the Sled Springs Unit is a controlled hunt drawn by ODFW, now set by deer hunt area rather than unit. ODFW lists 6 controlled hunts for it in the 2026 regulations.
How many deer are taken in Unit 57 each year?
ODFW estimates 709 in 2025, 802 in 2024 and 613 in 2023, adding up its rows for the Sled Springs Unit across general and controlled deer tags.
What is the closest town to Unit 57?
Wallowa and Lostine are inside the unit. Just outside: Enterprise (on the line), Elgin (on the line) and Joseph (3 miles).
Get an Oregon hunt plan when they open
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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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