Unit 66 Malheur River elk hunting: harvest, hunts and 2026 seasons
ODFW estimates hunters took 266 elk in the Malheur River Unit (66) in 2025 (165 bulls and 95 antlerless) and counted 1,598 elk hunters there, across 14 general seasons and controlled hunts. ODFW's figures for 2021 to 2025 average 336 elk 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) |
| Elk harvested, 2025 | 266 (165 bulls) |
| Elk hunters, 2025 | 1,598, 10,648 days |
| Elk per 100 hunters, 2025 | 17 |
| General seasons, 2026 | General archery |
| 2026 controlled hunts listed here | 13 |
| Towns in and near it | Crane, Seneca and Burns |
How many elk are harvested in Unit 66?
ODFW's elk harvest for the Malheur River Unit by year: 266 in 2025, 339 in 2024 and 254 in 2023. 17 elk were taken for every 100 hunters in 2025.
| Year | Hunters | Days hunted | Elk harvested | Bulls | Antlerless | Elk per 100 hunters |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,598 | 10,648 | 266 | 165 | 95 | 17 |
| 2024 | 1,694 | 10,882 | 339 | 186 | 151 | 20 |
| 2023 | 1,878 | 12,836 | 254 | 147 | 107 | 14 |
| 2022 | 1,901 | 11,926 | 368 | 205 | 163 | 19 |
| 2021 | 2,225 | 14,733 | 452 | 242 | 210 | 20 |
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 66 in 2025?
General season tags: 40 hunters, 9 elk. Controlled hunts: 13 rows in ODFW's table, 1,558 hunters, 257 elk. ODFW's own row for each, 2025:
| Hunt or season | Tag type | Hunters | Days | Harvested | ODFW success |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 266R N Malheur Rvr Bow | Archery, controlled | 352 | 3,319 | 74 | 21% |
| 266Y N Malheur Rvr No. 2 | Any legal weapon, controlled | 305 | 1,953 | 42 | 14% |
| 266X N Malheur Rvr No. 1 | Any legal weapon, controlled | 268 | 1,114 | 36 | 13% |
| 266B N Malheur Rvr | Any legal weapon, controlled | 223 | 1,274 | 50 | 22% |
| 278A1 High Desert No. 1 | Any legal weapon, controlled | 102 | 485 | 16 | 15% |
| 278A2 High Desert No. 2 | Any legal weapon, controlled | 97 | 531 | 10 | 10% |
| 266C S Malheur Rvr | Any legal weapon, controlled | 75 | 370 | 2 | 3% |
| 266A1 Drewsey Valley No. 1 | Any legal weapon, controlled | 70 | 612 | 17 | 25% |
| Eastern Elk Archery | Archery, general | 40 | 408 | 9 | 23% |
| 266A2 Drewsey Valley No. 2 | Any legal weapon, controlled | 33 | 256 | 4 | 12% |
| 278M High Desert Muzzleloader | Muzzleloader, controlled | 20 | 110 | 3 | 12% |
| 266T N Malheur Rvr Youth | Any legal weapon, controlled | 9 | 199 | 2 | 29% |
| 278T High Desert Youth | Any legal weapon, controlled | 3 | 5 | 1 | 50% |
| 200R Oregon Youth Bow | Archery, controlled | 1 | 12 | 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 Malheur River rows.
When is elk season in Unit 66 in 2026?
General seasons that cover the Malheur River Unit in 2026:
- General archery elk, Aug. 29 - Sept. 27: one elk (only in the southern portion of the unit (ODFW's S Malheur Rvr description, page 101)), page 47.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 278A1 | High Desert No. 1 | One elk | Oct. 28 - Nov. 3 | 440 | 412 of 413 |
| 278A2 | High Desert No. 2 | One elk | Nov. 7 - Nov. 15 | 440 | 418 of 507 |
| 266R | N Malheur Rvr Bow | One elk | Aug. 29 - Sep. 27 | 425 | 368 of 374 |
| 266X | N Malheur Rvr No. 1 | One bull elk | Oct. 28 - Nov. 1 | 358 | 341 of 692 |
| 266Y | N Malheur Rvr No. 2 | One bull elk | Nov. 7 - Nov. 15 | 358 | 341 of 572 |
| 200R | Oregon Youth Bow | One elk | Aug. 29 - Sep. 27 | 330 | 129 of 129 |
| 266B | N Malheur Rvr | One antlerless elk | Nov. 21 - Nov. 29 | 275 | 263 of 402 |
| 266C | S Malheur Rvr | One antlerless elk | Aug. 15 - Sep. 30 | 165 | 68 of 68 |
| 278M | High Desert Muzzleloader | One elk | Oct. 17 - Oct. 25 | 138 | 60 of 60 |
| 266A1 | Drewsey Valley No. 1 | One antlerless elk | Aug. 15 - Sep. 30 | 121 | 63 of 63 |
| 266A2 | Drewsey Valley No. 2 | One antlerless elk | Nov. 1 - Nov. 30 | 44 | 42 of 42 |
| 266T | N Malheur Rvr Youth | One antlerless elk | Aug. 15 - Dec. 31 | 11 | 10 of 37 |
| 278T | High Desert Youth | One antlerless elk | Aug. 15 - Dec. 31 | 11 | 10 of 16 |
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 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 elk figures, for comparison:
| Unit | Public land | Elk hunters | Elk harvested | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 46 Murderers Creek | 68.1% | 1,942 | 328 | 2025 |
| Unit 65 Beulah | 56.5% | 1,940 | 383 | 2025 |
| Unit 67 Owyhee | 80.2% | 277 | 90 | 2025 |
| Unit 68 Whitehorse | 90.4% | 96 | 19 | 2025 |
| Unit 69 Steens Mountain | 63.7% | 112 | 10 | 2025 |
| Unit 71 Juniper | 88.7% | 99 | 6 | 2025 |
| Unit 72 Silvies | 66.9% | 1,474 | 177 | 2025 |
Also for Unit 66: deer hunting, pronghorn hunting.
Questions hunters ask
Can you hunt elk in Unit 66 without drawing a tag?
Yes. General archery elk (Aug. 29 - Sept. 27) is open in the southern portion of the unit (ODFW's S Malheur Rvr description, page 101), bag limit one elk, by ODFW's 2026 regulations.
How many elk are taken in Unit 66 each year?
ODFW estimates 266 in 2025, 339 in 2024 and 254 in 2023, adding up its rows for the Malheur River Unit across general and controlled elk tags.
How hard is it to draw hunt 266R?
In ODFW's 2026 draw for hunt 266R (N Malheur Rvr Bow), 368 of 374 residents who put it first drew; the fewest points a resident drew with in the preference phase was 1. 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 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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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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