Oregon › Hunting seasons › Units › Columbia Basin Unit
ODFW East Region · 2,857 sq mi
What you can hunt in the Columbia Basin Unit (44)
ODFW draws the Columbia Basin Unit at 1,833,200 acres in Umatilla County, Morrow County and Gilliam County; 20 hunt numbers from the 2026 booklets reach inside its lines.
Photo: Bureau of Land Management Oregon and Washington (CC BY 2.0)
Counties inside the Columbia Basin Unit
Umatilla County carries 1,280 of the 2,857 square miles inside WMU 44, which ODFW files with Eastern Oregon for deer and elk seasons. Pieces of Umatilla County, Morrow County and Gilliam County make up the Columbia Basin Unit.
| County | Overlap sq mi | Part of unit | Part of county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Umatilla County | 1,279.6 | 45% | 40% |
| Morrow County | 1,274.8 | 45% | 62% |
| Gilliam County | 302.5 | 11% | 25% |
Questions about access, closures or animal numbers in the Columbia Basin Unit go to the Heppner district office in Heppner (541-676-5230), which manages 54% of the unit.
| District | Office | Phone | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heppner | Heppner | 541-676-5230 | 54% |
| Umatilla | Pendleton | 541-276-2344 | 44% |
Closed places that sit inside the Columbia Basin Unit: Umatilla Off-Reservation Trust Land and Umatilla Reservation. Leave them out of any plan made on a state tag.
| Not open | Reason |
|---|---|
| Umatilla Off-Reservation Trust Land | Tribal land |
| Umatilla Reservation | Tribal land |
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.
Columbia Basin Unit cougar zone, rifle limits and roads
- Cougar: the Columbia Basin Unit belongs to Zone D (Columbia Basin), whose 2026 mortality quota is 100 cats across 5 units; the zone shuts when the quota is met. In 2025 the hunts in this unit reported 0 cougars from 30 hunters.
- The 2026 deer reorganisation puts the Columbia Basin Unit inside Helix (HX: HX01) and North Blues (NB: NB01, NB02); buck tags name the hunt area, not the unit.
- ODFW lists the Columbia Basin Unit under the centerfire rifle restriction for Eastern Buck Deer; coyote and other hunters need a valid big game tag to use one then.
- No travel management area names the Columbia Basin Unit.
- Elk damage hunting: Columbia Plateau covers part of the Columbia Basin Unit, open August 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027.
- None of the counties in the Columbia Basin Unit is in a goose zone defined by county; ODFW maps the rest, and duck Zones 1 and 2, only on its map.
- ODFW's game bird hours zone: Zone B (Gilliam) and Zone D (Umatilla, Morrow).
- ODFW tests deer and elk for CWD and has not found it in Oregon.
| Centerfire rifle limit |
|---|
Eastern Buck Deer (Oct. 3 – Oct. 14) |
| Herd range | Code | 2026 hunt areas |
|---|---|---|
| Helix | HX | HX01 |
| North Blues | NB | NB01, NB02 |
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.
Columbia Basin Unit draw list
20 hunt numbers from the 2026 booklets reach into the Columbia Basin Unit, carrying 6,002 big game tags between them; antlerless deer has the most (8). Busiest application in the unit: 244, 607 first choices for 1,100 tags. Hardest to draw by ratio is 440A2: about 17 first choices per tag. 12 of the hunts here are new this year. An asterisk marks 12 hunts open in only part of their area; read the hunt description first.
Party applications draw together or not at all, with preference points averaged. Dates are the 2026 hunts, since ODFW has not published 2027 big game rules.
Buck deer, 100 series (4)
| Hunt | Name | Type | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | 1st choice 2025 | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HX101 new | Helix 01 | Any legal weapon | Oct 3–14 | One buck with visible antler | 1,210 | — | This unit only |
| HX101R new | Helix 01 Bow | Archery | Aug 29–Sep 27 | One buck with visible antler | 220 | — | This unit only |
| NB102 new | North Blues 02 | Any legal weapon | Oct 3–14 | One buck with visible antler | 2,420 | — | 44, 45, 48 |
| NB102R new | North Blues 02 Bow | Archery | Aug 29–Sep 27 | One buck with visible antler | 440 | — | 44, 45, 48 |
Antlerless deer, 600 series (8)
| Hunt | Name | Type | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | 1st choice 2025 | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HX601 new * | Helix 01 Private | Any legal weapon | Oct 17–25 | One antlerless deer | 22 | — | This unit only |
| HX601-1 new * | Umatilla NWR No. 1 | Any legal weapon | Sep 12–16 | One antlerless deer | 9 | — | This unit only |
| HX601-2 new * | Umatilla NWR No. 2 | Any legal weapon | Oct 3–7 | One deer | 2 | — | This unit only |
| HX601T new * | Helix 01Youth | Youth only | Nov 21–Dec 6 | One antlerless deer | 39 | — | This unit only |
| HX601T1 new * | Umatilla NWR Youth | Youth only | Aug 22–26 | One antlerless deer | 9 | — | This unit only |
| NB601 new * | North Blues 01 | Any legal weapon | Nov 16–29 | One white-tailed deer | 44 | — | 44, 45, 48, 49 |
| NB602 new * | North Blues 02 Private | Any legal weapon | Oct 17–25 | One antlerless deer | 22 | — | 44, 45, 48 |
| NB602T new * | North Blues 02 Youth | Youth only | Nov 21–Dec 6 | One antlerless deer | 50 | — | 44, 45, 48 |
Premium deer, L hunts (2)
| Hunt | Name | Type | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | 1st choice 2025 | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LHX01 | Helix 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 | — | This unit only |
| LNB02 | North Blues 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 | — | 44, 48, 45 |
Elk, 200 series (2)
| 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 |
| 244 * | Columbia Plateau | Any legal weapon | Oct 28–Mar 31 2027 | One elk Oct. 28 – Nov. 30, One antlerless elk Dec. 1 – Mar. 31, 2027 | 1,100 | 607 | 40, 43, 44 |
Premium elk, M hunts (1)
| Hunt | Name | Type | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | 1st choice 2025 | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M44 | Columbia Basin | 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 (2)
| Hunt | Name | Type | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | 1st choice 2025 | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 440A1 * | Columbia Plateau No. 1 | Any legal weapon | Oct 17–25 | One doe or fawn pronghorn | 55 | 181 | 40, 43, 44, 48 |
| 440A2 * | Columbia Plateau No. 2 | Any legal weapon | Oct 17–25 | One buck pronghorn | 26 | 437 | 40, 43, 44, 48 |
Premium pronghorn, N hunts (1)
| Hunt | Name | Type | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | 1st choice 2025 | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N44 | Columbia Basin | 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 |
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.
Columbia Basin Unit hunt calendar
Eastern Oregon buck deer is controlled only, so the general rows for the Columbia Basin Unit (4) cover elk, black bear and cougar. General elk in WMU 44 means Archery elk – Eastern Oregon.
General seasons (4)
| Species | Season | Tag | Area | Dates | Bag | Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elk | General season antlerless elk damage | General tag | Biggs Unit; Columbia Plateau; Maupin Unit; Melrose; Evans Creek; Willamette Valley; Chetco | Aug 1–Mar 31 2027 | One antlerless elk | |
| Elk | General archery elk – Eastern Oregon | General tag | Units 35, 38, 40-45, southern Unit 51 | Aug 29–Sep 27 | One 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 |
Game birds, furbearers and small game add 19 more rows; most need a hunting license plus a validation or a furtaker's license. 13 falconry and pursuit rows are not shown.
Birds, small game, furbearers (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.
Columbia Basin Unit success rates, 2025
Buck deer, any weapon led the 2025 results in the Columbia Basin Unit with 817 animals and 1,339 hunters afield.
For buck deer, any weapon the unit total is 817 of 1,339 hunters (61%). For elk, any weapon the unit total is 147 of 346 hunters (42%).
Success is the share of hunters who took an animal, as printed by ODFW.
| Report | Hunt | Hunters | Taken | Success |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buck deer, any weapon | 144 Columbia Basin Unit | 1,339 | 817 | 61% |
| Deer, archery | 144R Columbia Plateau Bow | 51 | 25 | 50% |
| Antlerless deer | 644 Columbia Basin Unit | 79 | 58 | 73% |
| Antlerless deer | 644A2 Umatilla NWR No. | 2 | 0 | 0% |
| Antlerless deer | 644A3 Umatilla NWR No. | 1 | 0 | 0% |
| Antlerless deer | 644T1 Umatilla NWR Youth | 4 | 1 | 25% |
| Antlerless deer | 644T2 Umatilla Co Private Youth | 27 | 19 | 71% |
| Antlerless deer | 648T Morrow – Gilliam Co Youth | 12 | 10 | 80% |
| Antlerless deer | 649B W Blue Mtns | 10 | 2 | 25% |
| Elk, any weapon | 244 Columbia Plateau | 346 | 147 | 43% |
| Elk, archery | Eastern Elk Archery | 31 | 15 | 47% |
| Elk damage tags | General Season Antlerless Elk Damage | 228 | 99 | 44% |
| Pronghorn | 440A1 Columbia Plateau No. 1 | 21 | 10 | 47% |
| Pronghorn | 440A2 Columbia Plateau No. 2 | 10 | 8 | 75% |
| Black bear | Fall Bear | 19 | 1 | 7.7% |
| Cougar | Cougar | 30 | 0 | 0% |
ODFW 2025 harvest estimates: Buck deer, any weapon, Deer, archery, Antlerless deer, Elk, any weapon, Elk, archery, Elk damage tags, Pronghorn, Black bear, Cougar; checked November 8, 2026.
Public land across the Columbia Basin Unit
The Columbia Basin Unit overlaps 16 mapped lands, from wildlife areas (4) to forest units (0) and BLM ground (4). Bureau of Land Management Oregon public lands, Bureau of Reclamation lands in Oregon and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers lands in Oregon ground lies in the Columbia Basin Unit too.
Columbia River Regulated Hunt Area
Only in WMU 44
Umatilla National Wildlife Refuge
Only in WMU 44
Social Ridge Open Fields Access Area
Only in WMU 44
Cold Springs National Wildlife Refuge
Only in WMU 44
McKay Creek National Wildlife Refuge
Four Mile Open Fields Access Area
Only in WMU 44
Bunker Hill Open Fields Access Area
Only in WMU 44
Irrigon Wildlife Area
Only in WMU 44
Willow Creek Wildlife Area
Only in WMU 44
Port of Morrow Regulated Hunt Area
Only in WMU 44
Coyote Springs Wildlife Area
Only in WMU 44
Power City Wildlife Area
Only in WMU 44
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.
Sun and shooting hours for the Columbia Basin Unit
ODFW lets game mammals be taken from half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset; around the Columbia Basin Unit that window is worked out here with the NOAA solar formula for this spot.
| Day | Note | Sunup | Sundown | Big game | Game birds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 29, 2026 | Archery opener | 6:14 a.m. | 7:44 p.m. | 5:44 a.m. to 8:14 p.m. | Not in table |
| Oct 3, 2026 | Eastern buck rifle | 6:57 a.m. | 6:37 p.m. | 6:27 a.m. to 7:07 p.m. | 6:27 a.m. to 6:24 p.m. |
| Oct 10, 2026 | Duck opener and upland opener | 7:06 a.m. | 6:23 p.m. | 6:36 a.m. to 6:53 p.m. | 6:35 a.m. to 6:12 p.m. |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | 7:35 a.m. | 4:16 p.m. | 7:05 a.m. to 4:46 p.m. | 6:55 a.m. to 4:18 p.m. |
| Apr 15, 2027 | Spring turkey | 6:14 a.m. | 7:43 p.m. | 5:44 a.m. to 8:13 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.
Towns and units near the Columbia Basin Unit
6 towns on our list sit inside the Columbia Basin Unit (Hermiston, Pendleton, Boardman and Stanfield), and 2 mores lie within 10 miles.
- HermistonUmatilla County
- PendletonUmatilla County
- BoardmanMorrow County
- StanfieldUmatilla County
- IrrigonMorrow County
- HeppnerMorrow County
- WestonUmatilla County
- CondonGilliam County
If tags in the Columbia Basin Unit run short, these units share its counties:
| Nearby unit | Shared counties | Sq mi | Hunts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ukiah Unit | Umatilla | 874 | 20 |
| Heppner Unit | Morrow, Umatilla | 1,438 | 39 |
| Walla Walla Unit | Umatilla | 305 | 14 |
| Fossil Unit | Gilliam, Morrow | 1,407 | 34 |
| Mount Emily Unit | Umatilla | 768 | 15 |
| Biggs Unit | Gilliam | 1,970 | 29 |
| Starkey Unit | Umatilla | 806 | 18 |
| Desolation Unit | Umatilla | 670 | 19 |
Towns and their units from Census places and the ODFW unit layer; checked November 8, 2026.
Columbia Basin Unit questions
Which towns make a good base for the Columbia Basin Unit?
Hermiston, Pendleton, Boardman and Stanfield.
Is any national forest inside the Columbia Basin Unit?
Not on our records.
Which ODFW office covers the Columbia Basin Unit?
Heppner, for 54% of the unit.
What did 2025 hunts in the Columbia Basin Unit take?
817 in buck deer, any weapon, the largest report.
Is the Columbia Basin Unit in Western or Eastern Oregon?
Eastern Oregon; unit 44 is filed with the ODFW East Region.
Which herd range is the Columbia Basin Unit in?
Helix and North Blues.
Can I hunt the Columbia Basin Unit without drawing a tag?
Yes, for elk, black bear and cougar on general tags.
Do I need preference points to hunt the Columbia Basin Unit?
For deer, elk, pronghorn and spring bear, points decide 75% of first-choice tags; general tags here need none.
How many road closure areas are in the Columbia Basin Unit?
None.
Can I use dogs for cougar in the Columbia Basin Unit?
No. Dogs are not allowed; Zone D is a general tag hunt.
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).