Unit 76 Silver Lake deer hunting: harvest, hunts and 2026 seasons
ODFW estimates hunters took 222 deer in the Silver Lake Unit (76) in 2025 (217 bucks and 5 antlerless) and counted 1,102 deer hunters there, across 4 general seasons and controlled hunts. ODFW's figures for 2021 to 2025 average 237 deer a year. The unit is 60.3% 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 wildlife refugeNational forestBLMODFW landUnit 76Neighboring unitsLake, reservoir or riverHighway
| ODFW zone | South Central |
|---|---|
| Size | 612,801 acres (958 square miles) |
| Public land | 60.3% (369,622 acres) |
| Deer harvested, 2025 | 222 (217 bucks) |
| Deer hunters, 2025 | 1,102, 6,636 days |
| Deer per 100 hunters, 2025 | 20 |
| General season | Controlled hunts only (by deer hunt area) |
| 2026 controlled hunts listed here | 4 |
| Towns in and near it | Silver Lake and Paisley |
How many deer are harvested in Unit 76?
ODFW's deer harvest for the Silver Lake Unit by year: 222 in 2025, 272 in 2024 and 249 in 2023. 20 deer were taken for every 100 hunters in 2025.
| Year | Hunters | Days hunted | Deer harvested | Bucks | Antlerless | Deer per 100 hunters |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,102 | 6,636 | 222 | 217 | 5 | 20 |
| 2024 | 1,112 | 6,453 | 272 | 267 | 4 | 24 |
| 2023 | 1,131 | 6,656 | 249 | 248 | 1 | 22 |
| 2022 | 1,260 | 7,427 | 202 | 199 | 3 | 16 |
| 2021 | 708 | 4,124 | 239 | 239 | 0 | 34 |
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 76 in 2025?
Controlled hunts: 4 rows in ODFW's table, 1,102 hunters, 222 deer. ODFW's own row for each, 2025:
| Hunt or season | Tag type | Hunters | Days | Harvested | ODFW success |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 176 Silver Lake Unit | Any legal weapon buck, controlled | 968 | 5,801 | 193 | 20% |
| 176R Silver Lake Unit Bow | Archery, controlled | 75 | 513 | 16 | 21% |
| 176M Silver Lake/E Ft. Rock Muzzleloader | Muzzleloader, controlled | 43 | 246 | 11 | 26% |
| 176T Silver Lake Unit Youth | Any legal weapon buck, controlled | 16 | 76 | 2 | 15% |
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 Silver Lake rows.
When is deer season in Unit 76 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DG104 | Devils Garden 04 | One buck with visible antler | Oct. 3 - Oct. 14 | 1,573 | 1,292 of 1,292 |
| DG104R | Devils Garden 04 Bow | One buck with visible antler | Aug. 29 - Sep. 27 | 154 | 10 of 10 |
| DG104M | Devils Garden 04 Muzzleloader | One buck with visible antler | Oct. 17 - Oct. 25 | 32 | 32 of 86 |
| DG104T | Devils Garden 04 Youth | One buck with visible antler | Sep. 28 - Oct. 14 | 28 | 28 of 29 |
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 76?
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, all of the Silver Lake Unit lies in hunt area DG-04 (Devils Garden herd range). The 2026 buck hunts in each:
| Hunt area | Herd range | Share of Unit 76 | 2026 buck hunts (tags) |
|---|---|---|---|
| DG-04 | Devils Garden | 100% | DG104 Devils Garden 04 (1,573); DG104R Devils Garden 04 Bow (154); DG104M Devils Garden 04 Muzzleloader (32); DG104T Devils Garden 04 Youth (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 76?
60.3% of the Silver Lake Unit is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 369,622 of 612,801 acres. The largest share is national forest, 322,687 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of unit |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 322,687 | 52.7% |
| BLM | 45,740 | 7.5% |
| National wildlife refuge | 782 | 0.1% |
| ODFW land | 413 | 0.1% |
ODFW wildlife area in the unit: Summer Lake (413 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 76?
Highways through the unit: OR 31 (about 17 miles inside it). Towns inside: Silver Lake.
Which units border Unit 76?
The Silver Lake 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 33 Sprague | 73.9% | 420 | 156 | 2025 |
| Unit 73 Wagontire | 84.6% | 129 | 49 | 2025 |
| Unit 75 Interstate | 55.7% | 959 | 610 | 2025 |
| Unit 77 Fort Rock | 68% | 1,445 | 294 | 2025 |
Also for Unit 76: elk hunting, pronghorn hunting.
Questions hunters ask
Can you hunt deer in Unit 76 without drawing a tag?
No. In 2026 every deer hunt in the Silver Lake 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 76 each year?
ODFW estimates 222 in 2025, 272 in 2024 and 249 in 2023, adding up its rows for the Silver Lake Unit across general and controlled deer tags.
What is the closest town to Unit 76?
Silver Lake is inside the unit. Just outside: Paisley (11 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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