Unit 66 Malheur River deer hunting: harvest, hunts and 2026 seasons
ODFW estimates hunters took 490 deer in the Malheur River Unit (66) in 2025 (488 bucks and 4 antlerless) and counted 1,327 deer hunters there, across 4 general seasons and controlled hunts. ODFW's figures for 2021 to 2025 average 498 deer a year. The unit is 67.7% public land, most of it BLM, 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 landBureau of ReclamationOther public (city, county, parks, military)Unit 66Neighboring unitsLake, reservoir or riverHighway
| ODFW zone | Southeast |
|---|---|
| Size | 1,853,206 acres (2,896 square miles) |
| Public land | 67.7% (1,255,189 acres) |
| Deer harvested, 2025 | 490 (488 bucks) |
| Deer hunters, 2025 | 1,327, 8,055 days |
| Deer per 100 hunters, 2025 | 37 |
| General season | Controlled hunts only (by deer hunt area) |
| 2026 controlled hunts listed here | 7 |
| Towns in and near it | Crane, Seneca and Burns |
How many deer are harvested in Unit 66?
ODFW's deer harvest for the Malheur River Unit by year: 490 in 2025, 530 in 2024 and 431 in 2023. 37 deer were taken for every 100 hunters in 2025.
| Year | Hunters | Days hunted | Deer harvested | Bucks | Antlerless | Deer per 100 hunters |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,327 | 8,055 | 490 | 488 | 4 | 37 |
| 2024 | 1,342 | 7,512 | 530 | 526 | 5 | 39 |
| 2023 | 1,319 | 7,905 | 431 | 425 | 6 | 33 |
| 2022 | 1,164 | 6,100 | 523 | 519 | 4 | 45 |
| 2021 | 1,225 | 6,809 | 514 | 505 | 9 | 42 |
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 66 in 2025?
Controlled hunts: 4 rows in ODFW's table, 1,327 hunters, 490 deer. ODFW's own row for each, 2025:
| Hunt or season | Tag type | Hunters | Days | Harvested | ODFW success |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 166 Malheur Rvr Unit | Any legal weapon buck, controlled | 990 | 5,122 | 403 | 41% |
| 166R Malheur Rvr Unit Bow | Archery, controlled | 268 | 2,614 | 54 | 20% |
| 166M N Malheur Muzzleloader | Muzzleloader, controlled | 52 | 269 | 19 | 37% |
| 166T Malheur Rvr Unit Youth | Any legal weapon buck, controlled | 17 | 50 | 14 | 86% |
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 Malheur River rows.
When is deer season in Unit 66 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JT103 | Juntura 03 | One buck with visible antler | Oct. 3 - Oct. 14 | 1,430 | 1,378 of 1,904 |
| JT103R | Juntura 03 Bow | One buck with visible antler | Aug. 29 - Sep. 27 | 473 | 130 of 130 |
| JT102 | Juntura 02 | One buck with visible antler | Oct. 3 - Oct. 14 | 402 | 382 of 1,167 |
| JT102R | Juntura 02 Bow | One buck with visible antler | Aug. 29 - Sep. 27 | 116 | 27 of 27 |
| JT103M | Juntura 03 Muzzleloader | One buck with visible antler | Oct. 17 - Oct. 25 | 55 | 53 of 123 |
| JT102T | Juntura 02 Youth | One buck with visible antler | Sep. 28 - Oct. 14 | 22 | 21 of 40 |
| JT103T | Juntura 03 Youth | One buck with visible antler | Sep. 28 - Oct. 14 | 22 | 22 of 66 |
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 66?
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, the Malheur River Unit is split between 2 hunt areas. The 2026 buck hunts in each:
| Hunt area | Herd range | Share of Unit 66 | 2026 buck hunts (tags) |
|---|---|---|---|
| JT-02 | Juntura | 57.9% | JT102 Juntura 02 (402); JT102R Juntura 02 Bow (116); JT102T Juntura 02 Youth (22) |
| JT-03 | Juntura | 42.1% | JT103 Juntura 03 (1,430); JT103R Juntura 03 Bow (473); JT103M Juntura 03 Muzzleloader (55); JT103T Juntura 03 Youth (22) |
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 66?
67.7% of the Malheur River Unit is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 1,255,189 of 1,853,206 acres. The largest share is BLM, 852,442 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of unit |
|---|---|---|
| BLM | 852,442 | 46% |
| National forest | 293,401 | 15.8% |
| State forest and trust land | 102,838 | 5.5% |
| ODFW land | 3,960 | 0.2% |
| Bureau of Reclamation | 2,548 | 0.1% |
| Other public (city, county, parks, military) | 366 | under 0.1% |
ODFW wildlife area in the unit: Riverside (4,077 acres here). Access and Habitat areas, private land open to hunters: Pine Creek (11,995 acres here) and Bentz (4,146 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 66?
Highways through the unit: US 20 (about 120 miles inside it), OR 78 (about 48 miles inside it), OR 205 (about 41 miles inside it) and US 395 (about 34 miles inside it). Towns inside: Crane.
Which units border Unit 66?
The Malheur River Unit touches 7 other units. Their public land and ODFW's latest deer figures, for comparison:
| Unit | Public land | Deer hunters | Deer harvested | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 46 Murderers Creek | 68.1% | 994 | 414 | 2025 |
| Unit 65 Beulah | 56.5% | 1,675 | 795 | 2025 |
| Unit 67 Owyhee | 80.2% | 505 | 295 | 2025 |
| Unit 68 Whitehorse | 90.4% | 321 | 164 | 2025 |
| Unit 69 Steens Mountain | 63.7% | 385 | 189 | 2025 |
| Unit 71 Juniper | 88.7% | 178 | 53 | 2025 |
| Unit 72 Silvies | 66.9% | 1,209 | 463 | 2025 |
Also for Unit 66: elk hunting, pronghorn hunting.
Questions hunters ask
Can you hunt deer in Unit 66 without drawing a tag?
No. In 2026 every deer hunt in the Malheur River 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 66 each year?
ODFW estimates 490 in 2025, 530 in 2024 and 431 in 2023, adding up its rows for the Malheur River Unit across general and controlled deer tags.
What is the closest town to Unit 66?
Crane is inside the unit. Just outside: Seneca (on the line), Burns (on the line) and Hines (2 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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