Unit 61 Imnaha deer hunting: harvest, hunts and 2026 seasons
ODFW estimates hunters took 239 deer in the Imnaha Unit (61) in 2025 (212 bucks and 25 antlerless) and counted 678 deer hunters there, across 4 general seasons and controlled hunts. ODFW's figures for 2021 to 2025 average 220 deer a year. The unit is 74.5% 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 wildlife refugeNational forestBLMOther public (city, county, parks, military)Unit 61Neighboring unitsLake, reservoir or riverHighway
| ODFW zone | Northeast |
|---|---|
| Size | 272,203 acres (425 square miles) |
| Public land | 74.5% (202,772 acres) |
| Deer harvested, 2025 | 239 (212 bucks) |
| Deer hunters, 2025 | 678, 3,833 days |
| Deer per 100 hunters, 2025 | 35 |
| General season | Controlled hunts only (by deer hunt area) |
| 2026 controlled hunts listed here | 7 |
| Towns in and near it | Joseph, Enterprise and Lostine |
How many deer are harvested in Unit 61?
ODFW's deer harvest for the Imnaha Unit by year: 239 in 2025, 227 in 2024 and 191 in 2023. 35 deer were taken for every 100 hunters in 2025.
| Year | Hunters | Days hunted | Deer harvested | Bucks | Antlerless | Deer per 100 hunters |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 678 | 3,833 | 239 | 212 | 25 | 35 |
| 2024 | 742 | 3,978 | 227 | 201 | 25 | 31 |
| 2023 | 772 | 4,497 | 191 | 158 | 33 | 25 |
| 2022 | 599 | 2,929 | 183 | 156 | 27 | 31 |
| 2021 | 715 | 4,058 | 258 | 236 | 22 | 36 |
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 61 in 2025?
Controlled hunts: 4 rows in ODFW's table, 678 hunters, 239 deer. ODFW's own row for each, 2025:
| Hunt or season | Tag type | Hunters | Days | Harvested | ODFW success |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 161 Imnaha Unit | Any legal weapon buck, controlled | 525 | 2,654 | 192 | 37% |
| 161R Imnaha Unit Bow | Archery, controlled | 105 | 1,019 | 13 | 13% |
| 660A Upper Wallowa Valley | Antlerless, controlled | 25 | 47 | 20 | 81% |
| 161M Imnaha Private Muzzleloader | Muzzleloader, controlled | 23 | 113 | 14 | 61% |
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 Imnaha rows.
When is deer season in Unit 61 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NE101 | Northeast 01 Mule Deer | One mule deer buck with visible antler | Oct. 3 - Oct. 14 | 1,100 | 1,045 of 1,792 |
| NE101-1 | Northeast 01 Whitetail | One white-tailed deer buck with visible antler | Oct. 3 - Oct. 14 | 660 | 310 of 310 |
| NE601 | Wallowa Valley | One antlerless white-tailed deer | Sep. 1 - Jan. 31, 2027 | 528 | 524 of 1,036 |
| NE101R | Northeast 01 Bow Mule Deer | One mule deer buck with visible antler | Aug. 29 - Sep. 27 | 330 | 120 of 120 |
| NE101R1 | Northeast 01 Bow Whitetail | One white-tailed deer | Aug. 29 - Sep. 27 | 319 | 42 of 42 |
| NE101M | Northeast 01 Muzzleloader Whitetail | One white-tailed deer CWD Sampling Required | Dec. 1 - Dec. 15 | 275 | 66 of 66 |
| NE101-2 | Late Wallowa Valley Whitetail | One white-tailed deer buck with visible antler | Nov. 16 - Nov. 25 | 55 | 53 of 148 |
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 61?
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 Imnaha Unit lies in hunt area NE-01 (Northeast herd range). The 2026 buck hunts in each:
| Hunt area | Herd range | Share of Unit 61 | 2026 buck hunts (tags) |
|---|---|---|---|
| NE-01 | Northeast | 100% | NE101 Northeast 01 Mule Deer (1,100); NE101-1 Northeast 01 Whitetail (660); NE101-2 Late Wallowa Valley Whitetail (55); NE101R Northeast 01 Bow Mule Deer (330); NE101R1 Northeast 01 Bow Whitetail (319); NE101M Northeast 01 Muzzleloader Whitetail (275) |
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 61?
74.5% of the Imnaha Unit is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 202,772 of 272,203 acres. The largest share is national forest, 202,350 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of unit |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 202,350 | 74.3% |
| BLM | 418 | 0.2% |
| Other public (city, county, parks, military) | 40 | under 0.1% |
| National wildlife refuge | 4 | under 0.1% |
Access and Habitat area, private land open to hunters: Divide Ridge (1,444 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. Wildlife refuges set their own hunting rules.
How do you get to Unit 61?
Highways through the unit: OR 350 (about 14 miles inside it), OR 82 (about 5 miles inside it) and OR 351 (about 5 miles inside it).
Which units border Unit 61?
The Imnaha 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 58 Chesnimnus | 49.2% | 492 | 207 | 2025 |
| Unit 59 Snake River | 93.8% | 261 | 115 | 2025 |
| Unit 60 Minam | 73.4% | 506 | 294 | 2025 |
| Unit 62 Pine Creek | 76% | 390 | 138 | 2025 |
Also for Unit 61: elk hunting.
Questions hunters ask
Can you hunt deer in Unit 61 without drawing a tag?
No. In 2026 every deer hunt in the Imnaha Unit is a controlled hunt drawn by ODFW, now set by deer hunt area rather than unit. ODFW lists 7 controlled hunts for it in the 2026 regulations.
How many deer are taken in Unit 61 each year?
ODFW estimates 239 in 2025, 227 in 2024 and 191 in 2023, adding up its rows for the Imnaha Unit across general and controlled deer tags.
What is the closest town to Unit 61?
No town is inside it. The nearest are Joseph (on the line), Enterprise (5 miles) and Lostine (13 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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