Oregon › Hunting seasons › Units › Catherine Creek Unit
Wildlife Management Unit 53
Catherine Creek Unit (53): tags, seasons and 2025 harvest
Everything ODFW prints for WMU 53: 26 drawn hunts, 4 general big game rows and how the 2025 seasons went across Union County and Baker County.
Photo: Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Catherine Creek Unit by county
ODFW's unit layer gives the Catherine Creek Unit 662 square miles (424,586 acres) on the Eastern Oregon side of the Cascade split, and 96% of it is in Union County. A hunter in the Catherine Creek Unit can be standing in any of 3 counties, with Union the largest at 635 square miles. Wallowa shows up with under 2% of the Catherine Creek Unit; check the ODFW unit map there.
| County | Square miles | Of the unit | Of the county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Union County | 635.3 | 96% | 31% |
| Baker County | 24.9 | 4% | 0.8% |
| Wallowa County | 1.8 | 0.3% | — |
2 ODFW wildlife districts reach into the Catherine Creek Unit; the phone numbers below are the district offices.
| Biologist district | Office | Phone | % here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Union | La Grande | 541-963-2138 | 99% |
| Baker City | Baker City | 541-523-5832 | 1% |
Area, side, county overlap and districts from the ODFW Wildlife Management Units layer and the ODFW wildlife district layer (overlay with Census county lines; GIS measures); closed places from the big game regulations and land manager sources; checked November 8, 2026.
Special areas and limits in the Catherine Creek Unit
- The general cougar tag works all year, but Zone E closes once 270 cougars are reported from its 20 units. 157 cougar hunters took 2 here in 2025.
- For deer, read the hunt area codes: Northeast (NE: NE01, NE02, NE03, NE04, NE05, NE06) and South Wallowas (SW: SW01, SW02) cover parts of the Catherine Creek Unit.
- During Eastern Buck Deer, Rocky Mtn Bull Elk 1st Season and Rocky Mtn Bull Elk 2nd Season, a centerfire rifle is legal in the Catherine Creek Unit only with a matching big game tag, used or unused.
- 2 cooperative road closure areas cover parts of the Catherine Creek Unit; check dates before driving in.
- A damage tag for cow elk is valid in the Grande Ronde Baker Keating Valleys area inside the Catherine Creek Unit.
- Waterfowl zones here are map-only (duck Zones 1 and 2 and the map-drawn goose zones).
- Game bird shooting hours come from ODFW's printed table: Zone D (Union, Baker, Wallowa).
- Chronic wasting disease has not been detected in Oregon; ODFW listed 3,682 deer and 1,607 elk results as not detected on October 15, 2026.
| Rifle-restricted season |
|---|
Eastern Buck Deer (Oct. 3 – Oct. 14) |
Rocky Mtn Bull Elk (controlled) 1st Season (Oct. 28 – Nov. 1) |
Rocky Mtn Bull Elk 2nd Season (Nov. 7 – Nov. 15) |
| TMA | Name | In effect |
|---|---|---|
| 53A | Bald/Angel | April 30 – Dec 1. |
| 53B | Little Catherine Cr | Permanent Closure |
| Herd range | Code | Deer Hunt Areas |
|---|---|---|
| Northeast | NE | NE01, NE02, NE03, NE04, NE05, NE06 |
| South Wallowas | SW | SW01, SW02 |
Cougar zones, Eastern Oregon Deer Hunt Areas, centerfire rifle restrictions, travel management areas, antlerless elk damage areas, goose zones, game bird hours and CWD testing from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife; checked November 8, 2026.
Controlled hunts in the Catherine Creek Unit
The Catherine Creek Unit sits inside 26 hunt areas: 10 buck deer, 8 elk, 2 antlerless deer, 2 premium deer and 1 pronghorn. Hunt 953A drew 1,032 first choices in 2025, the most of any hunt here; it has 2 tags for 2026. ODFW added 12 of these hunts for 2026, so they have no 2025 applicant count. The * on 9 hunts means a partial hunt area.
Each series takes one application with up to five choices; points and the random pool apply only to the first choice. These are 2026 tags and dates.
Buck deer, 100 series (10)
| Hunt | Name | Type | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | 1st choice 2025 | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NE101 new | Northeast 01 Mule Deer | Any legal weapon | Oct 3–14 | One mule deer buck with visible antler | 1,100 | — | 53, 59, 60, 61 |
| NE101-1 new | Northeast 01 Whitetail | Any legal weapon | Oct 3–14 | One white-tailed deer buck with visible antler | 660 | — | 53, 59, 60, 61 |
| NE101M new * | Northeast 01 Muzzleloader Whitetail | Muzzleloader | Dec 1–15 | One white-tailed deer CWD Sampling Required | 275 | — | 53, 59, 60, 61 |
| NE101R new | Northeast 01 Bow Mule Deer | Archery | Aug 29–Sep 27 | One mule deer buck with visible antler | 330 | — | 53, 59, 60, 61 |
| NE101R1 new | Northeast 01 Bow Whitetail | Archery | Aug 29–Sep 27 | One white-tailed deer | 319 | — | 53, 59, 60, 61 |
| SW102 new | South Wallowas 02 Mule Deer | Any legal weapon | Oct 3–14 | One mule deer buck with visible antler | 704 | — | 53, 62, 63 |
| SW102-1 new | South Wallowas 02 Whitetail | Any legal weapon | Oct 3–14 | One white-tailed deer buck with visible antler | 33 | — | 53, 62, 63 |
| SW102M new | South Wallowas 02 Muzzleloader | Muzzleloader | Nov 16–30 | One white-tailed deer | 77 | — | 53, 62, 63 |
| SW102R new | South Wallowas 02 Bow Mule Deer | Archery | Aug 29–Sep 27 | One mule deer buck with visible antler | 935 | — | 53, 62, 63 |
| SW102R1 new | South Wallowas 02 Bow Whitetail | Archery | Aug 29–Sep 27 | One white-tailed deer buck with visible antler | 28 | — | 53, 62, 63 |
Antlerless deer, 600 series (2)
| Hunt | Name | Type | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | 1st choice 2025 | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SW602T new * | South Wallowas 02 Youth | Youth only | Oct 24–Nov 1 | One antlerless deer | 11 | — | 53, 62, 63 |
| SW602T1 new * | South Wallowas 02 Youth Whitetail | Youth only | Oct 24–Nov 1 | One antlerless white-tailed deer | 22 | — | 53, 62, 63 |
Premium deer, L hunts (2)
| Hunt | Name | Type | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | 1st choice 2025 | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LNE01 | Northeast 01 | Premium (any legal weapon) | Aug 1–Nov 30 | One animal (either sex); premium deer tags are good for any species of deer hunted in that unit | 1 | — | 60, 59, 61, 53 |
| LSW02 | South Wallowas 02 | Premium (any legal weapon) | Aug 1–Nov 30 | One animal (either sex); premium deer tags are good for any species of deer hunted in that unit | 1 | — | 63, 53, 62 |
Elk, 200 series (8)
| Hunt | Name | Type | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | 1st choice 2025 | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 200R * | Oregon Youth Bow | Youth only | Aug 29–Sep 27 | One elk | 330 | 124 | 62 units |
| 253A | Catherine Cr Unit | Any legal weapon | Nov 21–29 | One antlerless elk | 110 | 75 | This unit only |
| 253B * | Mt Harris | Any legal weapon | Dec 12–31 | One antlerless elk | 110 | 72 | This unit only |
| 253M | Catherine Cr Unit Muzzleloader | Muzzleloader | Nov 1–Dec 31 | One antlerless elk | 275 | 58 | This unit only |
| 253R1 * | Eagle Cap Zone | Archery | Aug 29–Sep 27 | One bull elk | 1,795 | 1,016 | 53, 61, 62, 63 |
| 253R2 * | Eagle Cap Traditional Bow (Traditional Bow Only) | Archery | Aug 29–Sep 27 | One elk | 200 | 34 | 53, 61, 62, 63 |
| 253T | Catherine Cr Unit Youth | Youth only | Aug 15–Dec 31 | One antlerless elk | 30 | 64 | This unit only |
| 253X | Catherine Cr Unit | Any legal weapon | Oct 28–Nov 1 | One bull elk | 303 | 787 | This unit only |
Premium elk, M hunts (1)
| Hunt | Name | Type | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | 1st choice 2025 | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M53 | Catherine Cr | Premium (any legal weapon) | Aug 1–Nov 30 | One animal (either sex); premium deer tags are good for any species of deer hunted in that unit | 1 | — | This unit only |
Pronghorn, 400 series (1)
| Hunt | Name | Type | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | 1st choice 2025 | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 453T | Catherine Cr Unit Youth | Youth only | Aug 1–31 | One buck pronghorn | 3 | 200 | This unit only |
Mountain goat, 900 series (1)
| Hunt | Name | Type | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | 1st choice 2025 | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 953A * | S Wallowa Mtn | Any legal weapon | Aug 1–Oct 31 | — | 2 | 1,032 | 53, 60, 62, 63 |
Spring bear, 2026 hunts (1)
| Hunt | Name | Type | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | 1st choice 2025 | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 762A * | Pine Cr – Keating – Catherine Cr | Any legal weapon | Apr 1–May 31 | — | 495 | 995 | 53, 62, 63 |
Hunt numbers, dates, bags, 2026 tags and 2025 first-choice applicants from the 2026 Oregon Big Game Hunting Regulations and the 2026-27 game bird regulations (sage-grouse); hunt areas from ODFW’s 2026 hunt boundary layers; draw rules from the controlled hunt pages; checked November 8, 2026.
Catherine Creek Unit hunts without a draw
Over-the-counter big game in the Catherine Creek Unit means elk, black bear and cougar; mule deer hunting needs a controlled tag. Elk seasons open to general tag holders in the Catherine Creek Unit: Eastern Oregon Rocky Mountain elk – 2nd season.
General tags (4)
| Species | Season | Tag | Area | Dates | Bag | Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elk | General season antlerless elk damage | General tag | Halfway Valley; Richland Valley; Ukiah and Heppner; Walla Walla; Wallowa Valley; John Day Valley ; Grande Ronde Baker Keating Valleys | Aug 1–Nov 30 | One antlerless elk | |
| Elk | General Eastern Oregon Rocky Mountain elk – 2nd season | General tag | Units 49, 50, 52, 53, 61, 62, 63; Unit 48 north and west of the N Fork John Day River; Unit 51 north of Hwy 245 and Burnt River Canyon Rd between Unity and Durkee | Nov 7–15 | One spike elk | |
| Black bear | General fall black bear (statewide) | General tag | Statewide | Aug 1–Dec 31 | One bear per tag; unlawful to take cubs less than one year old or sows with cubs less than one year old | |
| Cougar | General cougar (statewide, zone quotas) | General tag | Statewide | Jan 1–Dec 31 | One cougar per tag; unlawful to take spotted kittens or females with spotted kittens |
19 bird and furbearer rows also apply here. Not shown: 13 falconry or pursuit rows.
Birds and small game (19)
| Species | Season | Tag | Area | Dates | Bag | Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wild Turkey | Fall wild turkey | General tag | WMUs 36, 37 | Oct 10–Nov 30 Dec 1–Jan 31 2027 | One wild turkey of either sex | |
| Wild Turkey | Spring 2027: youth spring wild turkey hunt | General tag | Statewide | Apr 10–11 Apr 15–May 31 | One male or bearded turkey per day | |
| Wild Turkey | Spring 2027: spring wild turkey | General tag | Statewide | Apr 15–May 31 | One male wild turkey or a wild turkey with a visible beard per day; season limit 3 | |
| Western Gray Squirrel | Western gray squirrel – remainder of state | License | Statewide | Sep 1–Nov 15 | 5 daily, 15 in possession | |
| Ruffed Grouse | Ruffed grouse | Validation | Statewide | Sep 1–Jan 31 2027 | 3 daily, 9 in possession | |
| Blue Grouse | Blue grouse (dusky and sooty) | Validation | Statewide | Sep 1–Jan 31 2027 | 3 daily, 9 in possession | |
| Chukar | Partridge (chukar and Hungarian combined) | Validation | Statewide | Oct 10–Jan 31 2027 | 8 daily, 24 in possession (combined) | |
| Hungarian Partridge | Partridge (chukar and Hungarian combined) | Validation | Statewide | Oct 10–Jan 31 2027 | 8 daily, 24 in possession (combined) | |
| Pheasant | Rooster pheasant | Validation | Statewide | Oct 10–Dec 31 | 2 daily, 8 in possession | |
| Ducks | Youth waterfowl hunt (ducks, mergansers, coots, geese) | Validation | Statewide | Sep 26–27 | Regular bag limits | |
| Ducks | Veterans and active military personnel waterfowl hunt | Validation | Statewide | Feb 6 | Regular bag limits | |
| Band-tailed Pigeon | Band-tailed pigeon | Permit | Statewide | Sep 15–23 | 2 daily, 6 in possession | |
| Crow | Crow | Validation | Statewide | Oct 1–Jan 31 2027 | No limit | |
| Brant | Brant | Permit | Statewide | Nov 28–Dec 13 | 2 daily, 6 in possession | |
| Gray Fox | Gray fox | Furtaker | Statewide | Oct 15–Feb 28 2027 | — | |
| Muskrat | Muskrat and mink | Furtaker | Statewide | Nov 15–Mar 31 2027 | — | |
| Mink | Muskrat and mink | Furtaker | Statewide | Nov 15–Mar 31 2027 | — | |
| Raccoon | Raccoon | Furtaker | Statewide | Nov 15–Mar 15 2027 | — | |
| River Otter | River otter | Furtaker | Statewide | Nov 15–Mar 15 2027 | — |
Season rows from the 2026 Oregon Big Game Hunting Regulations, the 2026-27 Oregon Game Bird Hunting Regulations and the furbearer regulations; general tag deadlines from the general season page; duck and dove zones on the ODFW waterfowl map; checked November 8, 2026.
Catherine Creek Unit harvest in 2025
The 2025 table for the Catherine Creek Unit lists 20 hunt rows; elk, any weapon tops it at 211.
Unit total, buck deer, any weapon: 129 animals, 292 hunters. Unit total, elk, any weapon: 211 animals, 670 hunters.
Rows with no hunters and no harvest are left out of the table.
| Kind | Hunt | Hunters | Taken | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buck deer, any weapon | 153 Catherine Cr Unit | 292 | 129 | 44% |
| Deer, archery | 153R Catherine Cr Unit Bow | 273 | 58 | 21% |
| Deer, muzzleloader | 152M Grande Ronde Muzzleloader | 58 | 14 | 25% |
| Elk, any weapon | 253A S Catherine Cr | 40 | 6 | 16% |
| Elk, any weapon | 253B Mt Harris | 88 | 41 | 46% |
| Elk, any weapon | 253T Catherine Cr Unit Youth | 29 | 9 | 32% |
| Elk, any weapon | 253X Catherine Cr Unit | 324 | 129 | 40% |
| Elk, any weapon | Rocky Mtn 2nd season | 189 | 26 | 14% |
| Elk, archery | 200R Oregon Youth Bow | 4 | 0 | 0% |
| Elk, archery | 253R1 Eagle Cap Zone | 361 | 68 | 19% |
| Elk, archery | 253R2 Eagle Cap Traditional Bow | 33 | 8 | 23% |
| Elk, muzzleloader | 253M Catherine Creek Unit Muzzleloader | 103 | 16 | 16% |
| Elk damage tags | General Season Antlerless Elk Damage | 315 | 151 | 48% |
| Pronghorn | 453T Catherine Cr Unit Youth | 3 | 3 | 100% |
| Black bear | 762A Pine Cr – Keating – Catherine Cr | 52 | 6 | 12% |
| Black bear | Additional Fall Bear | 8 | 2 | 20% |
| Black bear | Fall Bear | 235 | 25 | 10.8% |
| Cougar | Additional Cougar | 2 | 0 | 0% |
| Cougar | Cougar | 155 | 2 | 1% |
| Mountain goat | 953A S Wallowa Mtn | 2 tags | 2 | 100% |
ODFW 2025 harvest estimates: Buck deer, any weapon, Deer, archery, Deer, muzzleloader, Elk, any weapon, Elk, archery, Elk, muzzleloader, Elk damage tags, Pronghorn, Black bear, Cougar, Mountain goat; checked November 8, 2026.
Catherine Creek Unit wildlife areas and forests
7 land records cross into WMU 53, including 0 Access and Habitat or Open Fields areas. Statewide programs that also reach it: Bureau of Land Management Oregon public lands.
La Grande Ranger District (Wallowa-Whitman National Forest)
Eagle Cap Ranger District (Wallowa-Whitman National Forest)
Minam River Wildlife Area
Ladd Marsh Wildlife Area
BLM Vale District
Wallowa-Whitman National Forest
BLM Baker Field Office
Land records and unit overlaps from ODFW, USFS, BLM, USFWS and ODF layers (see each land page); A&H and Open Fields access rules on the ODFW access program pages; checked November 8, 2026.
the Catherine Creek Unit sunrise and shooting times
Oregon clocks fall back on November 1, 2026 and spring forward on March 14, 2027, so the the Catherine Creek Unit times below jump an hour across those dates.
| Date | Opener | Rise | Set | Mammal hours | Bird table |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 3, 2026 | Eastern buck rifle | 6:51 a.m. | 6:31 p.m. | 6:21 a.m. to 7:01 p.m. | 6:27 a.m. to 6:24 p.m. |
| Oct 10, 2026 | Duck opener and upland opener | 7:00 a.m. | 6:18 p.m. | 6:30 a.m. to 6:48 p.m. | 6:35 a.m. to 6:12 p.m. |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | 7:28 a.m. | 4:12 p.m. | 6:58 a.m. to 4:42 p.m. | 6:55 a.m. to 4:18 p.m. |
| Apr 15, 2027 | Spring turkey | 6:09 a.m. | 7:36 p.m. | 5:39 a.m. to 8:06 p.m. | Not in table |
Hours rules from the ODFW general hunting regulations; game bird times from the 2026-27 game bird shooting hours table; mammal sunrise and sunset worked out for this location with the NOAA solar formula (Pacific Time); checked November 8, 2026. Legal hours for every county.
Catherine Creek Unit towns and neighbours
For fuel, food and a room near the Catherine Creek Unit, look at Island City, La Grande and Elgin.
- Island CityUnion County
- La GrandeUnion County
- ElginUnion County
- WallowaWallowa County
- HainesBaker County
If tags in the Catherine Creek Unit run short, these units share its counties:
| Neighbour | Same counties | Sq mi | Hunt numbers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starkey Unit | Baker, Union | 806 | 18 |
| Mount Emily Unit | Union | 768 | 15 |
| Minam Unit | Union, Wallowa | 574 | 21 |
| Pine Creek Unit | Baker, Union, Wallowa | 378 | 18 |
| Walla Walla Unit | Union, Wallowa | 305 | 14 |
| Sled Springs Unit | Union, Wallowa | 882 | 22 |
| Wenaha Unit | Union, Wallowa | 412 | 16 |
| Ukiah Unit | Union | 874 | 20 |
Towns and their units from Census places and the ODFW unit layer; checked November 8, 2026.
Catherine Creek Unit in brief
Are any roads closed in the Catherine Creek Unit during hunting season?
Yes, 2 cooperative travel management areas.
Is any national forest inside the Catherine Creek Unit?
Yes, 3 forest or ranger district records.
What towns lie within the Catherine Creek Unit?
Island City.
Does ODFW publish harvest for the Catherine Creek Unit?
Yes, by hunt within each unit in its 2025 reports.
Where is the nearest ODFW office to the Catherine Creek Unit?
La Grande hosts the main district office.
Can I buy a general buck tag for WMU 53?
No; Eastern Oregon buck deer is controlled only.
Which counties does the Catherine Creek Unit cross?
Union, Baker and Wallowa; Union County holds 96% of its 662 square miles.
Which drawn hunts are valid in WMU 53?
26 hunt numbers (10 buck deer, 8 elk, 2 antlerless deer, 2 premium deer, 1 pronghorn, 1 mountain goat, 1 spring bear and 1 premium elk); the table lists each one.
Is elk hunting in the Catherine Creek Unit general or controlled?
Both. General tags cover Eastern Oregon Rocky Mountain elk – 2nd season, and 9 controlled or premium elk hunts reach it.
Which cougar zone takes in the Catherine Creek Unit?
Zone E, Blue Mountains.
Answers drawn from the ODFW sources cited on this page; checked November 8, 2026.
Other photos on this page: Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (CC BY-SA 2.0).