Unit 72 Silvies deer hunting: harvest, hunts and 2026 seasons
ODFW estimates hunters took 463 deer in the Silvies Unit (72) in 2025 (450 bucks and 11 antlerless) and counted 1,209 deer hunters there, across 6 general seasons and controlled hunts. ODFW's figures for 2021 to 2025 average 445 deer a year. The unit is 66.9% 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 forestBLMState forest and trust landOther public (city, county, parks, military)Unit 72Neighboring unitsLake, reservoir or riverHighway
| ODFW zone | Southeast |
|---|---|
| Size | 1,146,803 acres (1,792 square miles) |
| Public land | 66.9% (766,851 acres) |
| Deer harvested, 2025 | 463 (450 bucks) |
| Deer hunters, 2025 | 1,209, 7,632 days |
| Deer per 100 hunters, 2025 | 38 |
| General season | Controlled hunts only (by deer hunt area) |
| 2026 controlled hunts listed here | 9 |
| Towns in and near it | Burns, Hines and Seneca |
How many deer are harvested in Unit 72?
ODFW's deer harvest for the Silvies Unit by year: 463 in 2025, 443 in 2024 and 451 in 2023. 38 deer were taken for every 100 hunters in 2025.
| Year | Hunters | Days hunted | Deer harvested | Bucks | Antlerless | Deer per 100 hunters |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,209 | 7,632 | 463 | 450 | 11 | 38 |
| 2024 | 913 | 5,779 | 443 | 436 | 6 | 49 |
| 2023 | 1,294 | 8,644 | 451 | 444 | 7 | 35 |
| 2022 | 1,093 | 6,618 | 411 | 402 | 9 | 38 |
| 2021 | 1,132 | 7,236 | 458 | 448 | 10 | 40 |
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 72 in 2025?
Controlled hunts: 6 rows in ODFW's table, 1,209 hunters, 463 deer. ODFW's own row for each, 2025:
| Hunt or season | Tag type | Hunters | Days | Harvested | ODFW success |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 172 Silvies Unit | Any legal weapon buck, controlled | 717 | 3,441 | 336 | 47% |
| 172R Silvies Unit Bow | Archery, controlled | 413 | 3,809 | 85 | 21% |
| 172M Silvies Unit Muzzleloader | Muzzleloader, controlled | 51 | 289 | 25 | 50% |
| 172T Silvies Unit Youth | Any legal weapon buck, controlled | 22 | 81 | 15 | 67% |
| 679T Harney Basin Youth | Antlerless, controlled | 5 | 11 | 1 | 25% |
| 679A Harney Basin Agri | Antlerless, controlled | 1 | 1 | 1 | 100% |
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 Silvies rows.
When is deer season in Unit 72 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AD101 | Aldrich 01 | One buck with visible antler | Oct. 3 - Oct. 14 | 1,100 | 1,045 of 4,681 |
| CR101 | Crooked River 01 | One buck with visible antler | Oct. 3 - Oct. 14 | 851 | 828 of 1,918 |
| AD101R | Aldrich 01 Bow | One buck with visible antler | Aug. 29 - Sep. 27 | 624 | 327 of 328 |
| SH102 | Sage Hen 02 | One buck with visible antler | Oct. 3 - Oct. 14 | 358 | 343 of 1,609 |
| SH102R | Sage Hen 02 Bow | One buck with visible antler | Aug. 29 - Sep. 27 | 303 | 78 of 78 |
| CR101R | Crooked River 01 Bow | One buck with visible antler | Aug. 29 - Sep. 27 | 281 | 158 of 160 |
| SH102M | Sage Hen 02 Muzzleloader | One buck with visible antler | Oct. 17 - Oct. 25 | 55 | 53 of 138 |
| SH102T | Sage Hen 02 Youth | One buck with visible antler | Sep. 28 - Oct. 14 | 22 | 21 of 52 |
| AD101R1 | Late Aldrich 01 Bow Whitetail | One white-tailed deer | Nov. 14 - Nov. 28 | 21 | 20 of 33 |
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 72?
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 Silvies Unit is split between 3 hunt areas. The 2026 buck hunts in each:
| Hunt area | Herd range | Share of Unit 72 | 2026 buck hunts (tags) |
|---|---|---|---|
| SH-02 | Sage Hen | 46.9% | SH102 Sage Hen 02 (358); SH102R Sage Hen 02 Bow (303); SH102M Sage Hen 02 Muzzleloader (55); SH102T Sage Hen 02 Youth (22) |
| CR-01 | Crooked River | 29% | CR101 Crooked River 01 (851); CR101R Crooked River 01 Bow (281) |
| AD-01 | Aldrich | 24.1% | AD101 Aldrich 01 (1,100); AD101R Aldrich 01 Bow (624); AD101R1 Late Aldrich 01 Bow Whitetail (21) |
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 72?
66.9% of the Silvies Unit is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 766,851 of 1,146,803 acres. The largest share is national forest, 412,427 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of unit |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 412,427 | 36% |
| BLM | 323,439 | 28.2% |
| State forest and trust land | 30,985 | 2.7% |
| Other public (city, county, parks, military) | 45 | under 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 72?
Highways through the unit: US 20 (about 23 miles inside it) and US 395 (about 11 miles inside it). Towns inside: Burns.
Which units border Unit 72?
The Silvies Unit touches 6 other units. Their public land and ODFW's latest deer figures, for comparison:
| Unit | Public land | Deer hunters | Deer harvested | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 36 Maury | 57% | 271 | 97 | 2025 |
| Unit 37 Ochoco | 54% | 1,664 | 350 | 2025 |
| Unit 46 Murderers Creek | 68.1% | 994 | 414 | 2025 |
| Unit 66 Malheur River | 67.7% | 1,327 | 490 | 2025 |
| Unit 71 Juniper | 88.7% | 178 | 53 | 2025 |
| Unit 73 Wagontire | 84.6% | 129 | 49 | 2025 |
Also for Unit 72: elk hunting, pronghorn hunting.
Questions hunters ask
Can you hunt deer in Unit 72 without drawing a tag?
No. In 2026 every deer hunt in the Silvies Unit is a controlled hunt drawn by ODFW, now set by deer hunt area rather than unit. ODFW lists 9 controlled hunts for it in the 2026 regulations.
How many deer are taken in Unit 72 each year?
ODFW estimates 463 in 2025, 443 in 2024 and 451 in 2023, adding up its rows for the Silvies Unit across general and controlled deer tags.
What is the closest town to Unit 72?
Burns is inside the unit. Just outside: Hines (on the line) and Seneca (4 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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