Unit 63 Keating deer hunting: harvest, hunts and 2026 seasons
ODFW estimates hunters took 234 deer in the Keating Unit (63) in 2025 (218 bucks and 15 antlerless) and counted 486 deer hunters there, across 5 general seasons and controlled hunts. ODFW's figures for 2021 to 2025 average 232 deer a year. The unit is 57.3% 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 forestBLMBureau of ReclamationUnit 63Neighboring unitsLake, reservoir or riverHighway
| ODFW zone | Northeast |
|---|---|
| Size | 389,248 acres (608 square miles) |
| Public land | 57.3% (222,943 acres) |
| Deer harvested, 2025 | 234 (218 bucks) |
| Deer hunters, 2025 | 486, 3,004 days |
| Deer per 100 hunters, 2025 | 48 |
| General season | Controlled hunts only (by deer hunt area) |
| 2026 controlled hunts listed here | 7 |
| Towns in and near it | Halfway, Richland and North Powder |
How many deer are harvested in Unit 63?
ODFW's deer harvest for the Keating Unit by year: 234 in 2025, 265 in 2024 and 234 in 2023. 48 deer were taken for every 100 hunters in 2025.
| Year | Hunters | Days hunted | Deer harvested | Bucks | Antlerless | Deer per 100 hunters |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 486 | 3,004 | 234 | 218 | 15 | 48 |
| 2024 | 497 | 2,733 | 265 | 255 | 10 | 53 |
| 2023 | 499 | 2,853 | 234 | 225 | 9 | 47 |
| 2022 | 460 | 2,327 | 225 | 219 | 6 | 49 |
| 2021 | 467 | 2,764 | 200 | 194 | 6 | 43 |
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 63 in 2025?
Controlled hunts: 5 rows in ODFW's table, 486 hunters, 234 deer. ODFW's own row for each, 2025:
| Hunt or season | Tag type | Hunters | Days | Harvested | ODFW success |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 163 Keating Unit | Any legal weapon buck, controlled | 294 | 1,537 | 178 | 60% |
| 163R Keating Unit Bow | Archery, controlled | 172 | 1,421 | 44 | 26% |
| 651T1 Baker No. 1 Youth | Antlerless, controlled | 8 | 14 | 8 | 100% |
| 651T2 Baker No. 2 Youth | Antlerless, controlled | 8 | 14 | 2 | 20% |
| 151M Baker Muzzleloader | Muzzleloader, controlled | 4 | 18 | 2 | 67% |
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 Keating rows.
When is deer season in Unit 63 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SW102R | South Wallowas 02 Bow Mule Deer | One mule deer buck with visible antler | Aug. 29 - Sep. 27 | 935 | 177 of 177 |
| SW102 | South Wallowas 02 Mule Deer | One mule deer buck with visible antler | Oct. 3 - Oct. 14 | 704 | 669 of 2,439 |
| SW102M | South Wallowas 02 Muzzleloader | One white-tailed deer | Nov. 16 - Nov. 30 | 77 | 63 of 66 |
| SW102-1 | South Wallowas 02 Whitetail | One white-tailed deer buck with visible antler | Oct. 3 - Oct. 14 | 33 | 33 of 44 |
| SW102R1 | South Wallowas 02 Bow Whitetail | One white-tailed deer buck with visible antler | Aug. 29 - Sep. 27 | 28 | 13 of 13 |
| SW602T1 | South Wallowas 02 Youth Whitetail | One antlerless white-tailed deer | Oct. 24 - Nov. 1 | 22 | 21 of 23 |
| SW602T | South Wallowas 02 Youth | One antlerless deer | Oct. 24 - Nov. 1 | 11 | 11 of 45 |
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 63?
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 Keating Unit lies in hunt area SW-02 (South Wallowas herd range). The 2026 buck hunts in each:
| Hunt area | Herd range | Share of Unit 63 | 2026 buck hunts (tags) |
|---|---|---|---|
| SW-02 | South Wallowas | 100% | SW102 South Wallowas 02 Mule Deer (704); SW102-1 South Wallowas 02 Whitetail (33); SW102R South Wallowas 02 Bow Mule Deer (935); SW102R1 South Wallowas 02 Bow Whitetail (28); SW102M South Wallowas 02 Muzzleloader (77) |
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 63?
57.3% of the Keating Unit is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 222,943 of 389,248 acres. The largest share is national forest, 161,719 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of unit |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 161,719 | 41.5% |
| BLM | 61,024 | 15.7% |
| Bureau of Reclamation | 200 | 0.1% |
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 63?
Highways through the unit: OR 86 (about 40 miles inside it), I-84 (about 31 miles inside it) and OR 203 (about 25 miles inside it). Towns inside: Halfway and Richland.
Which units border Unit 63?
The Keating Unit touches 5 other units. Their public land and ODFW's latest deer figures, for comparison:
| Unit | Public land | Deer hunters | Deer harvested | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 51 Sumpter | 45.4% | 1,181 | 470 | 2025 |
| Unit 53 Catherine Creek | 24.2% | 623 | 201 | 2025 |
| Unit 60 Minam | 73.4% | 506 | 294 | 2025 |
| Unit 62 Pine Creek | 76% | 390 | 138 | 2025 |
| Unit 64 Lookout Mountain | 37.8% | 298 | 142 | 2025 |
Also for Unit 63: elk hunting.
Questions hunters ask
Can you hunt deer in Unit 63 without drawing a tag?
No. In 2026 every deer hunt in the Keating 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 63 each year?
ODFW estimates 234 in 2025, 265 in 2024 and 234 in 2023, adding up its rows for the Keating Unit across general and controlled deer tags.
What is the closest town to Unit 63?
Halfway and Richland are inside the unit. Just outside: North Powder (on the line), Baker City (2 miles) and Haines (5 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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