Unit 57 Sled Springs elk hunting: harvest, hunts and 2026 seasons
ODFW estimates hunters took 311 elk in the Sled Springs Unit (57) in 2025 (228 bulls and 81 antlerless) and counted 1,235 elk hunters there, across 11 general seasons and controlled hunts. ODFW's figures for 2021 to 2025 average 349 elk 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) |
| Elk harvested, 2025 | 311 (228 bulls) |
| Elk hunters, 2025 | 1,235, 7,442 days |
| Elk per 100 hunters, 2025 | 25 |
| General season | Controlled hunts only |
| 2026 controlled hunts listed here | 10 |
| Towns in and near it | Wallowa, Lostine and Enterprise |
How many elk are harvested in Unit 57?
ODFW's elk harvest for the Sled Springs Unit by year: 311 in 2025, 380 in 2024 and 327 in 2023. 25 elk were taken for every 100 hunters in 2025.
| Year | Hunters | Days hunted | Elk harvested | Bulls | Antlerless | Elk per 100 hunters |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,235 | 7,442 | 311 | 228 | 81 | 25 |
| 2024 | 1,465 | 8,679 | 380 | 258 | 118 | 26 |
| 2023 | 1,426 | 8,835 | 327 | 202 | 125 | 23 |
| 2022 | 1,412 | 8,044 | 343 | 247 | 96 | 24 |
| 2021 | 1,338 | 8,145 | 385 | 269 | 116 | 29 |
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 57 in 2025?
Controlled hunts: 11 rows in ODFW's table, 1,235 hunters, 311 elk. ODFW's own row for each, 2025:
| Hunt or season | Tag type | Hunters | Days | Harvested | ODFW success |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 257X Sled Springs Unit No. 1 | Any legal weapon, controlled | 511 | 1,926 | 158 | 31% |
| 257R1 Sled Springs Unit Bow No. 1 | Archery, controlled | 243 | 2,379 | 58 | 24% |
| 257Y Sled Springs Unit No. 2 | Any legal weapon, controlled | 217 | 1,203 | 28 | 13% |
| 257R2 Sled Springs Unit Bow No. 2 | Archery, controlled | 103 | 731 | 12 | 11% |
| 257B Flora | Any legal weapon, controlled | 85 | 856 | 26 | 31% |
| 257C Sled Springs Unit | Any legal weapon, controlled | 45 | 169 | 21 | 47% |
| 257T Sled Springs Unit Youth | Any legal weapon, controlled | 9 | 97 | 4 | 44% |
| 258A2 Zumwalt No. 2 | Any legal weapon, controlled | 9 | 43 | 1 | 17% |
| 258A1 Zumwalt No. 1 | Any legal weapon, controlled | 7 | 21 | 1 | 20% |
| 258A3 Zumwalt No. 3 | Any legal weapon, controlled | 6 | 17 | 2 | 40% |
| 258A4 Zumwalt No. 4 | Any legal weapon, controlled | 0 | 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 Sled Springs rows.
When is elk season in Unit 57 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 257X | Sled Springs Unit No. 1 | One bull elk | Oct. 28 - Nov. 1 | 550 | 523 of 908 |
| 257Y | Sled Springs Unit No. 2 | One spike elk | Nov. 7 - Nov. 15 | 440 | 66 of 66 |
| 257R1 | Sled Springs Unit Bow No. 1 | One elk | Aug. 29 - Sep. 27 | 216 | 206 of 473 |
| 257R2 | Sled Springs Unit Bow No. 2 | One antlerless elk | Aug. 29 - Sep. 27 | 165 | 10 of 10 |
| 257B | Flora | One antlerless elk | Aug. 1 - Dec. 31 | 83 | 80 of 85 |
| 258A1 | Zumwalt No. 1 | One antlerless elk | Sep. 1 - Sep. 30 | 72 | 70 of 120 |
| 258A2 | Zumwalt No. 2 | One antlerless elk | Oct. 1 - Oct. 31 | 72 | 61 of 61 |
| 258A3 | Zumwalt No. 3 | One antlerless elk | Nov. 17 - Dec. 11 | 72 | 69 of 97 |
| 257C | Sled Springs Unit | One antlerless elk | Nov. 21 - Nov. 29 | 55 | 53 of 159 |
| 257T | Sled Springs Unit Youth | One antlerless elk | Aug. 15 - Dec. 31 | 11 | 10 of 18 |
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 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 elk figures, for comparison:
| Unit | Public land | Elk hunters | Elk harvested | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 53 Catherine Creek | 24.2% | 1,171 | 303 | 2025 |
| Unit 56 Wenaha | 73% | 362 | 103 | 2025 |
| Unit 58 Chesnimnus | 49.2% | 957 | 279 | 2025 |
| Unit 60 Minam | 73.4% | 663 | 106 | 2025 |
Also for Unit 57: deer hunting.
Questions hunters ask
Can you hunt elk in Unit 57 without drawing a tag?
No. In 2026 every elk hunt in the Sled Springs Unit is a controlled hunt drawn by ODFW. ODFW lists 10 controlled hunts for it in the 2026 regulations.
How many elk are taken in Unit 57 each year?
ODFW estimates 311 in 2025, 380 in 2024 and 327 in 2023, adding up its rows for the Sled Springs Unit across general and controlled elk tags.
How hard is it to draw hunt 257X?
In ODFW's 2026 draw for hunt 257X (Sled Springs Unit No. 1), 523 of 908 residents who put it first drew; the fewest points a resident drew with in the preference phase was 2. 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 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
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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