Oregon › Hunting seasons › Units › Grizzly Unit
Ochoco district · WMU 38
What you can hunt in the Grizzly Unit (38)
ODFW draws the Grizzly Unit at 1,079,445 acres in Jefferson County, Crook County, Wasco County and Wheeler County; 19 hunt numbers from the 2026 booklets reach inside its lines.
Photo: USDA Forest Service Pacific Northwest Region (Public Domain Mark 1.0)
Grizzly Unit by county
Jefferson County carries 953 of the 1,684 square miles inside WMU 38, which ODFW files with Eastern Oregon for deer and elk seasons. Pieces of Jefferson County, Crook County, Wasco County, Wheeler County and Deschutes County make up the Grizzly Unit. Less than 2% of the unit is mapped in Deschutes.
| County | Overlap sq mi | Part of unit | Part of county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jefferson County | 953.4 | 57% | 53% |
| Crook County | 476.6 | 28% | 16% |
| Wasco County | 144.5 | 9% | 6% |
| Wheeler County | 79.9 | 5% | 5% |
| Deschutes County | 29.4 | 2% | 1% |
Questions about access, closures or animal numbers in the Grizzly Unit go to the Ochoco district office in Prineville (541-447-5111), which manages 98% of the unit.
| Biologist district | Office | Phone | % here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ochoco | Prineville | 541-447-5111 | 98% |
| Deschutes | Bend | 541-388-6363 | 2% |
Closed places that sit inside the Grizzly Unit: Rimrock Springs Wildlife Area and Warm Springs Reservation. Leave them out of any plan made on a state tag.
| Not open | Reason |
|---|---|
| Rimrock Springs Wildlife Area | No hunting |
| Warm Springs 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.
Grizzly Unit cougar zone, rifle limits and roads
- Cougar: the Grizzly 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 6 cougars from 202 hunters.
- The 2026 deer reorganisation puts the Grizzly Unit inside Painted Hills (PH: PH01); buck tags name the hunt area, not the unit.
- ODFW lists the Grizzly Unit under the centerfire rifle restriction for Eastern Buck Deer, Rocky Mtn Bull Elk 1st Season and Rocky Mtn Bull Elk 2nd Season; coyote and other hunters need a valid big game tag to use one then.
- No travel management area names the Grizzly Unit.
- None of the counties in the Grizzly 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 (Jefferson, Crook, Wasco, Wheeler, Deschutes).
- ODFW tests deer and elk for CWD and has not found it in Oregon.
| Centerfire rifle limit |
|---|
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) |
| Herd range | Code | 2026 hunt areas |
|---|---|---|
| Painted Hills | PH | PH01 |
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.
Grizzly Unit draw list
19 hunt numbers from the 2026 booklets reach into the Grizzly Unit, carrying 3,773 big game tags between them; elk has the most (8). Busiest application in the unit: 543A1, 4,210 first choices for 8 tags. 2 of the hunts here are new this year. An asterisk marks 10 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 (2)
| Hunt | Name | Type | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | 1st choice 2025 | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PH101 new | Painted Hills 01 | Any legal weapon | Oct 3–14 | One buck with visible antler | 1,254 | — | 37, 38, 45 |
| PH101R new | Painted Hills 01 Bow | Archery | Aug 29–Sep 27 | One buck with visible antler | 330 | — | 37, 38, 45 |
Premium deer, L hunts (1)
| Hunt | Name | Type | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | 1st choice 2025 | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LPH01 | Painted Hills 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 | — | 38, 37, 45 |
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 |
| 238A * | Grizzly Grassland | Any legal weapon | Aug 15–Dec 31 | One antlerless elk | 440 | 359 | This unit only |
| 238B1 * | Grizzly Private No. 1 | Any legal weapon | Oct 28–Nov 1 | One elk | 110 | 82 | This unit only |
| 238B2 * | Grizzly Private No. 2 | Any legal weapon | Nov 7–15 | One elk | 138 | 126 | This unit only |
| 238T | Grizzly Unit Youth | Youth only | Aug 15–Dec 31 | One antlerless elk | 10 | 35 | This unit only |
| 238X | Grizzly Unit No. 1 | Any legal weapon | Oct 28–Nov 1 | One bull elk | 66 | 302 | This unit only |
| 238Y | Grizzly Unit No. 2 | Any legal weapon | Nov 7–15 | One bull elk | 66 | 230 | This unit only |
| 242 * | Hood Private | Any legal weapon | Aug 1–Dec 31 | One antlerless elk | 83 | 75 | This unit only |
Premium elk, M hunts (1)
| Hunt | Name | Type | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | 1st choice 2025 | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M38 | Grizzly | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 438 | Grizzly Unit | Any legal weapon | Aug 15–23 | One buck pronghorn | 7 | 213 | This unit only |
Premium pronghorn, N hunts (1)
| Hunt | Name | Type | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | 1st choice 2025 | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N38 | Grizzly | 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 |
California bighorn, 500 series (4)
| Hunt | Name | Type | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | 1st choice 2025 | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 543A1 * | John Day Rvr No. 1 | Any legal weapon | Oct 17–25 | — | 8 | 4,210 | 38, 43, 45 |
| 543A2 * | John Day Rvr No. 2 | Any legal weapon | Oct 31–Nov 8 | — | 9 | 1,496 | 38, 43, 45 |
| 543A3 * | John Day Rvr No. 3 | Any legal weapon | Nov 14–22 | — | 9 | 1,751 | 38, 43, 45 |
| 543D1 * | John Day Rvr Ewe | Any legal weapon | Sep 21–Oct 16 | — | 30 | 505 | 38, 43, 45 |
Spring bear, 2026 hunts (1)
| Hunt | Name | Type | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | 1st choice 2025 | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 746A * | S Blue Mtns | Any legal weapon | Apr 1–May 31 | — | 880 | 1,288 | 11 units |
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.
Grizzly Unit hunt calendar
Eastern Oregon buck deer is controlled only, so the general rows for the Grizzly Unit (3) cover elk, black bear and cougar. General elk in WMU 38 means Archery elk – Eastern Oregon.
General seasons (3)
| Species | Season | Tag | Area | Dates | Bag | Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.
Grizzly Unit success rates, 2025
Buck deer, any weapon led the 2025 results in the Grizzly Unit with 235 animals and 594 hunters afield.
For buck deer, any weapon the unit total is 235 of 594 hunters (40%). For elk, any weapon the unit total is 146 of 618 hunters (24%).
Success is the share of hunters who took an animal, as printed by ODFW.
| Report | Hunt | Hunters | Taken | Success |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buck deer, any weapon | 138 Grizzly Unit | 594 | 235 | 40% |
| Deer, archery | 138R Grizzly Unit Bow | 401 | 76 | 19% |
| Antlerless deer | 638A Lower Willow Cr Agri | 32 | 22 | 68% |
| Elk, any weapon | 238A Grizzly Grassland | 303 | 64 | 21% |
| Elk, any weapon | 238B1 Grizzly Private No. 1 | 72 | 20 | 27% |
| Elk, any weapon | 238B2 Grizzly Private No. 2 | 132 | 42 | 32% |
| Elk, any weapon | 238T Grizzly Unit Youth | 10 | 3 | 33% |
| Elk, any weapon | 238X Grizzly Unit No. 1 | 48 | 9 | 18% |
| Elk, any weapon | 238Y Grizzly Unit No. 2 | 53 | 8 | 15% |
| Elk, archery | 200R Oregon Youth Bow | 1 | 0 | 0% |
| Elk, archery | Eastern General Bow Elk w/ 216R2 | 1 | 0 | 0% |
| Elk, archery | Eastern General Bow Elk w/ 219R | 4 | 0 | 0% |
| Elk, archery | Eastern General Bow Elk w/ 221R | 1 | 1 | 100% |
| Elk, archery | Eastern Elk Archery | 691 | 64 | 9% |
| Pronghorn | 438 Grizzly Unit | 4 | 3 | 75% |
| Black bear | 746A S Blue Mtns | 7 | 1 | 20% |
| Black bear | Additional Fall Bear | 5 | 0 | 0% |
| Black bear | Fall Bear | 172 | 6 | 3.4% |
| Cougar | Cougar | 202 | 6 | 3% |
| Bighorn sheep | 543A1 John Day Rvr No. 1 | 8 tags | 8 | 100% |
| Bighorn sheep | 543A2 John Day Rvr No. 2 | 9 tags | 9 | 100% |
| Bighorn sheep | 543A3 John Day Rvr No. 3 | 9 tags | 9 | 100% |
| Bighorn sheep | 543D1 John Day Rvr Ewe | 30 tags | 20 | 67% |
ODFW 2025 harvest estimates: Buck deer, any weapon, Deer, archery, Antlerless deer, Elk, any weapon, Elk, archery, Pronghorn, Black bear, Cougar, Bighorn sheep; checked November 8, 2026.
Public land across the Grizzly Unit
The Grizzly Unit overlaps 6 mapped lands, from wildlife areas (0) to forest units (2) and BLM ground (3). Statewide programs that also reach it: Bureau of Land Management Oregon public lands.
Ochoco National Forest
Lookout Mountain Ranger District (Ochoco National Forest)
Crooked River National Grassland
BLM Prineville District
BLM Central Oregon Field Office
BLM Deschutes 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.
Sun and shooting hours for the Grizzly Unit
ODFW lets game mammals be taken from half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset; around the Grizzly 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 | 6:22 a.m. | 7:49 p.m. | 5:52 a.m. to 8:19 p.m. | Not in table |
| Oct 3, 2026 | Eastern buck rifle | 7:03 a.m. | 6:43 p.m. | 6:33 a.m. to 7:13 p.m. | 6:38 a.m. to 6:34 p.m. |
| Oct 10, 2026 | Duck opener and upland opener | 7:11 a.m. | 6:31 p.m. | 6:41 a.m. to 7:01 p.m. | 6:46 a.m. to 6:22 p.m. |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | 7:37 a.m. | 4:27 p.m. | 7:07 a.m. to 4:57 p.m. | 7:15 a.m. to 4:37 p.m. |
| Apr 15, 2027 | Spring turkey | 6:22 a.m. | 7:47 p.m. | 5:52 a.m. to 8:17 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.
Grizzly Unit neighbours and towns
For fuel, food and a room near the Grizzly Unit, look at Madras, Redmond and Prineville.
- MadrasJefferson County
- RedmondDeschutes County
- PrinevilleCrook County
- Prineville Lake AcresCrook County
If tags in the Grizzly Unit run short, these units share its counties:
| Nearby unit | Shared counties | Sq mi | Hunts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metolius Unit | Deschutes, Jefferson | 666 | 12 |
| Upper Deschutes Unit | Deschutes | 1,400 | 16 |
| Maury Unit | Crook, Deschutes | 1,100 | 13 |
| Maupin Unit | Jefferson, Wasco | 528 | 24 |
| Paulina Unit | Crook, Deschutes | 2,173 | 15 |
| Ochoco Unit | Crook, Wheeler | 1,605 | 22 |
| White River Unit | Wasco | 938 | 19 |
| Biggs Unit | Wasco, Wheeler | 1,970 | 29 |
Towns and their units from Census places and the ODFW unit layer; checked November 8, 2026.
Grizzly Unit in brief
Is the Grizzly Unit in Western or Eastern Oregon?
Eastern Oregon; unit 38 is filed with the ODFW East Region.
Which herd range is the Grizzly Unit in?
Painted Hills.
Can I hunt the Grizzly Unit without drawing a tag?
Yes, for elk, black bear and cougar on general tags.
Do I need preference points to hunt the Grizzly 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 Grizzly Unit?
None.
Can I use dogs for cougar in the Grizzly Unit?
No. Dogs are not allowed; Zone D is a general tag hunt.
Where can I get fuel and food near the Grizzly Unit?
Madras, Redmond and Prineville.
How many land pages on this site touch the Grizzly Unit?
6.
Which ODFW office covers the Grizzly Unit?
Prineville, for 98% of the unit.
Does ODFW publish harvest for the Grizzly Unit?
Yes, by hunt within each unit in its 2025 reports.
Answers drawn from the ODFW sources cited on this page; checked November 8, 2026.
Other photos on this page: Miltos Gikas (CC BY 2.0).