Unit 73 Wagontire deer hunting: harvest, hunts and 2026 seasons
ODFW estimates hunters took 49 deer in the Wagontire Unit (73) in 2025 (48 bucks and 0 antlerless) and counted 129 deer hunters there, across 2 general seasons and controlled hunts. ODFW's figures for 2021 to 2025 average 47 deer a year. The unit is 84.6% 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 refugeBLMODFW landState forest and trust landUnit 73Neighboring unitsLake, reservoir or riverHighway
| ODFW zone | Southeast |
|---|---|
| Size | 1,993,195 acres (3,114 square miles) |
| Public land | 84.6% (1,687,161 acres) |
| Deer harvested, 2025 | 49 (48 bucks) |
| Deer hunters, 2025 | 129, 763 days |
| Deer per 100 hunters, 2025 | 38 |
| General season | Controlled hunts only (by deer hunt area) |
| 2026 controlled hunts listed here | 4 |
| Towns in and near it | Paisley |
How many deer are harvested in Unit 73?
ODFW's deer harvest for the Wagontire Unit by year: 49 in 2025, 49 in 2024 and 34 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 | 129 | 763 | 49 | 48 | 0 | 38 |
| 2024 | 150 | 760 | 49 | 49 | 0 | 33 |
| 2023 | 153 | 873 | 34 | 34 | 0 | 22 |
| 2022 | 132 | 633 | 37 | 37 | 0 | 28 |
| 2021 | 155 | 750 | 64 | 63 | 1 | 41 |
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 73 in 2025?
Controlled hunts: 2 rows in ODFW's table, 129 hunters, 49 deer. ODFW's own row for each, 2025:
| Hunt or season | Tag type | Hunters | Days | Harvested | ODFW success |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 173 Wagontire Unit | Any legal weapon buck, controlled | 108 | 547 | 44 | 40% |
| 173R Wagontire Unit Bow | Archery, controlled | 21 | 216 | 5 | 25% |
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 Wagontire rows.
When is deer season in Unit 73 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DG101 | Devils Garden 01 | One buck with visible antler | Oct. 3 - Oct. 14 | 127 | 121 of 403 |
| PB101 | Poverty Basin 01 | One buck with visible antler | Oct. 3 - Oct. 14 | 66 | 63 of 201 |
| DG101R | Devils Garden 01 Bow | One buck with visible antler | Aug. 29 - Sep. 27 | 33 | 12 of 14 |
| PB101R | Poverty Basin 01 Bow | One buck with visible antler | Aug. 29 - Sep. 27 | 28 | 18 of 18 |
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 73?
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 Wagontire Unit is split between 2 hunt areas. The 2026 buck hunts in each:
| Hunt area | Herd range | Share of Unit 73 | 2026 buck hunts (tags) |
|---|---|---|---|
| DG-01 | Devils Garden | 50.3% | DG101 Devils Garden 01 (127); DG101R Devils Garden 01 Bow (33) |
| PB-01 | Poverty Basin | 49.7% | PB101 Poverty Basin 01 (66); PB101R Poverty Basin 01 Bow (28) |
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 73?
84.6% of the Wagontire Unit is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 1,687,161 of 1,993,195 acres. The largest share is BLM, 1,628,392 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of unit |
|---|---|---|
| BLM | 1,628,392 | 81.7% |
| State forest and trust land | 41,235 | 2.1% |
| ODFW land | 10,394 | 0.5% |
| National wildlife refuge | 7,140 | 0.4% |
ODFW wildlife area in the unit: Summer Lake (19,678 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 73?
Highways through the unit: US 20 (about 81 miles inside it), OR 31 (about 53 miles inside it) and US 395 (about 10 miles inside it).
Which units border Unit 73?
The Wagontire Unit touches 8 other units. Their public land and ODFW's latest deer figures, for comparison:
| Unit | Public land | Deer hunters | Deer harvested | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 35 Paulina | 76.5% | 918 | 238 | 2025 |
| Unit 36 Maury | 57% | 271 | 97 | 2025 |
| Unit 71 Juniper | 88.7% | 178 | 53 | 2025 |
| Unit 72 Silvies | 66.9% | 1,209 | 463 | 2025 |
| Unit 74 Warner | 69.7% | 204 | 104 | 2025 |
| Unit 75 Interstate | 55.7% | 959 | 610 | 2025 |
| Unit 76 Silver Lake | 60.3% | 1,102 | 222 | 2025 |
| Unit 77 Fort Rock | 68% | 1,445 | 294 | 2025 |
Also for Unit 73: elk hunting, pronghorn hunting.
Questions hunters ask
Can you hunt deer in Unit 73 without drawing a tag?
No. In 2026 every deer hunt in the Wagontire Unit is a controlled hunt drawn by ODFW, now set by deer hunt area rather than unit. ODFW lists 4 controlled hunts for it in the 2026 regulations.
How many deer are taken in Unit 73 each year?
ODFW estimates 49 in 2025, 49 in 2024 and 34 in 2023, adding up its rows for the Wagontire Unit across general and controlled deer tags.
What is the closest town to Unit 73?
No town is inside it. The nearest are Paisley (on the line).
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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