Unit 69 Steens Mountain deer hunting: harvest, hunts and 2026 seasons
ODFW estimates hunters took 189 deer in the Steens Mountain Unit (69) in 2025 (182 bucks and 6 antlerless) and counted 385 deer hunters there, across 4 general seasons and controlled hunts. ODFW's figures for 2021 to 2025 average 166 deer a year. The unit is 63.7% 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 wildlife refugeBLMState forest and trust landOther public (city, county, parks, military)Unit 69Neighboring unitsLake, reservoir or riverHighway
| ODFW zone | Southeast |
|---|---|
| Size | 1,224,481 acres (1,913 square miles) |
| Public land | 63.7% (779,778 acres) |
| Deer harvested, 2025 | 189 (182 bucks) |
| Deer hunters, 2025 | 385, 2,032 days |
| Deer per 100 hunters, 2025 | 49 |
| General season | Controlled hunts only (by deer hunt area) |
| 2026 controlled hunts listed here | 7 |
| Towns in and near it | Burns and Hines |
How many deer are harvested in Unit 69?
ODFW's deer harvest for the Steens Mountain Unit by year: 189 in 2025, 178 in 2024 and 135 in 2023. 49 deer were taken for every 100 hunters in 2025.
| Year | Hunters | Days hunted | Deer harvested | Bucks | Antlerless | Deer per 100 hunters |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 385 | 2,032 | 189 | 182 | 6 | 49 |
| 2024 | 373 | 1,954 | 178 | 170 | 7 | 48 |
| 2023 | 376 | 2,042 | 135 | 130 | 5 | 36 |
| 2022 | 338 | 1,818 | 156 | 150 | 6 | 46 |
| 2021 | 336 | 1,790 | 173 | 167 | 6 | 51 |
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 69 in 2025?
Controlled hunts: 4 rows in ODFW's table, 385 hunters, 189 deer. ODFW's own row for each, 2025:
| Hunt or season | Tag type | Hunters | Days | Harvested | ODFW success |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 169A Steens Mtn | Any legal weapon buck, controlled | 281 | 1,506 | 149 | 53% |
| 169R Steens Mtn Bow | Archery, controlled | 76 | 432 | 23 | 30% |
| 169T Steens Mtn Unit Youth | Any legal weapon buck, controlled | 21 | 76 | 14 | 67% |
| 679T Harney Basin Youth | Antlerless, controlled | 7 | 18 | 3 | 40% |
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 Steens Mountain rows.
When is deer season in Unit 69 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 |
| ST101 | Steens 01 | One buck with visible antler | Oct. 3 - Oct. 14 | 245 | 233 of 1,446 |
| ST101R | Steens 01 Bow | One buck with visible antler | Aug. 29 - Sep. 27 | 176 | 49 of 49 |
| JT103M | Juntura 03 Muzzleloader | One buck with visible antler | Oct. 17 - Oct. 25 | 55 | 53 of 123 |
| JT103T | Juntura 03 Youth | One buck with visible antler | Sep. 28 - Oct. 14 | 22 | 22 of 66 |
| ST101T | Steens 01 Youth | One buck with visible antler | Sep. 28 - Oct. 14 | 22 | 21 of 138 |
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 69?
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 Steens Mountain Unit is split between 2 hunt areas. The 2026 buck hunts in each:
| Hunt area | Herd range | Share of Unit 69 | 2026 buck hunts (tags) |
|---|---|---|---|
| ST-01 | Steens | 83.8% | ST101 Steens 01 (245); ST101R Steens 01 Bow (176); ST101T Steens 01 Youth (22) |
| JT-03 | Juntura | 16.2% | 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 69?
63.7% of the Steens Mountain Unit is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 779,778 of 1,224,481 acres. The largest share is BLM, 599,864 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of unit |
|---|---|---|
| BLM | 599,864 | 49% |
| National wildlife refuge | 120,995 | 9.9% |
| State forest and trust land | 58,919 | 4.8% |
| Other public (city, county, parks, military) | 2 | under 0.1% |
Access and Habitat areas, private land open to hunters: Otley (15,338 acres here), Alvord (7,849 acres here), Kueny (6,383 acres here) and Lawen (4,225 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 69?
Highways through the unit: OR 205 (about 128 miles inside it) and OR 78 (about 23 miles inside it).
Which units border Unit 69?
The Steens Mountain 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 66 Malheur River | 67.7% | 1,327 | 490 | 2025 |
| Unit 68 Whitehorse | 90.4% | 321 | 164 | 2025 |
| Unit 70 Beatys Butte | 82.5% | 125 | 63 | 2025 |
| Unit 71 Juniper | 88.7% | 178 | 53 | 2025 |
Also for Unit 69: elk hunting, pronghorn hunting.
Questions hunters ask
Can you hunt deer in Unit 69 without drawing a tag?
No. In 2026 every deer hunt in the Steens Mountain 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 69 each year?
ODFW estimates 189 in 2025, 178 in 2024 and 135 in 2023, adding up its rows for the Steens Mountain Unit across general and controlled deer tags.
What is the closest town to Unit 69?
No town is inside it. The nearest are Burns (2 miles) and Hines (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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