Oregon › Hunting seasons › Units › Maupin Unit
ODFW East Region · 528 sq mi
Hunting the Maupin Unit (40) in Oregon
528 square miles of Eastern Oregon, 24 hunt numbers and 2 public land pages, managed from the The Dalles office.
Photo: Bureau of Land Management Oregon and Washington (CC BY 2.0)
Maupin Unit size and offices
Measured on the ODFW Wildlife Management Unit layer, unit 40 runs to 338,291 acres, mostly in Wasco County (79%), and it sits in Eastern Oregon. The Maupin Unit crosses into 3 counties. By area the split runs Wasco 79%, Sherman 21% and Jefferson under 0.1%. Treat the Jefferson overlap as a boundary sliver (below 2% of the unit).
| County | Sq mi in unit | Share of unit | Share of county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wasco County | 414.5 | 79% | 17% |
| Sherman County | 112.9 | 21% | 14% |
| Jefferson County | 0.1 | under 0.1% | — |
Call 541-296-4628 for the The Dalles biologists, who manage the largest part of the Maupin Unit (100%).
| Wildlife district | Town | Call | Of unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mid Columbia | The Dalles | 541-296-4628 | 100% |
1 closed place overlap the Maupin Unit, among them Warm Springs Reservation.
| Name | Closed because |
|---|---|
| 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.
Maupin Unit unit-level rules
- Zone D (Columbia Basin) takes in WMU 40 and 4 other units under a quota of 100. The 2025 cougar report credits the unit with 0 animals.
- Herd ranges overlapping WMU 40: Jackknife (JK: JK01) and Mid Columbia (MC: MC01, MC02). No general buck tag works in Eastern Oregon.
- The centerfire rifle restriction covers WMU 40 during Eastern Buck Deer.
- No cooperative travel management area is printed for the Maupin Unit.
- ODFW maps the Columbia Plateau and Maupin Unit antlerless elk damage area across WMU 40.
- Check the ODFW waterfowl map for the Maupin Unit: its counties fall in map-only goose and duck zones.
- Game bird hours table zone for this unit: Zone B (Wasco, Sherman, Jefferson).
- Testing continues statewide and no chronic wasting disease has been confirmed in Oregon.
| When rifles are limited |
|---|
Eastern Buck Deer (Oct. 3 – Oct. 14) |
| Mule deer range | Prefix | Areas |
|---|---|---|
| Jackknife | JK | JK01 |
| Mid Columbia | MC | MC01, MC02 |
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.
Maupin Unit hunt numbers
Apply for any of these 24 hunts to carry a drawn tag in the Maupin Unit. Tag counts total 5,174, though multi-unit hunts spread them wider. The most-requested hunt touching the unit is 543B1 E Deschutes Rvr No. 1, with 731 first-choice applicants in 2025 for 3 tags this year. New in 2026: JK101, JK101-1, MC101, MC101-2, JK101R and MC101R and more. Hunts with * (14) are limited to part of the area named.
Results came out by June 12. Sheep, goat and premium hunts are drawn fully at random, with no preference points. Read each row as 2026; 2027 hunts come with the next booklet.
Buck deer, 100 series (7)
| Hunt | Name | Type | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | 1st choice 2025 | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JK101 new | Jackknife 01 | Any legal weapon | Oct 3–14 | One buck with visible antler | 1,650 | — | 40, 43 |
| JK101-1 new | Late Jackknife 01 | Any legal weapon | Nov 21–29 | One buck with visible antler | 10 | — | 40, 43 |
| JK101R new | Jackknife 01 Bow | Archery | Aug 29–Sep 27 | One buck with visible antler | 220 | — | 40, 43 |
| MC101 new | Mid-Columbia 01 | Any legal weapon | Oct 3–14 | One buck with visible antler | 1,265 | — | 40, 41, 43 |
| MC101-2 new | Late Mid-Columbia 01 | Any legal weapon | Nov 15–29 | One buck with visible antler | 10 | — | 40, 41, 43 |
| MC101M new | Mid-Columbia 01 Muzzleloader | Muzzleloader | Oct 17–25 | One buck with visible antler | 22 | — | 40, 41, 43 |
| MC101R new | Mid-Columbia 01 Bow | Archery | Aug 29–Sep 27 | One buck with visible antler | 385 | — | 40, 41, 43 |
Antlerless deer, 600 series (3)
| Hunt | Name | Type | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | 1st choice 2025 | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JK601 new * | Jackknife 01 Private | Any legal weapon | Oct 17–25 | One antlerless deer | 22 | — | 40, 43 |
| JK601T new * | Jackknife 01 Youth | Youth only | Nov 21–Jan 2 2027 | One antlerless deer | 33 | — | 40, 43 |
| MC601T new * | Mid Columbia 01 Youth | Youth only | Nov 21–Jan 2 2027 | One antlerless deer | 11 | — | 40, 41, 43 |
Premium deer, L hunts (2)
| Hunt | Name | Type | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | 1st choice 2025 | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LJK01 | Jackknife 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 | — | 43, 40 |
| LMC01 | Mid-Columbia 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 | — | 41, 43, 40 |
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 (2)
| Hunt | Name | Type | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | 1st choice 2025 | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M40 | Maupin | 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 |
| M69 * | Steens Mtn/B Butte | 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 | — | 69, 40, 70 |
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 (2)
| Hunt | Name | Type | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | 1st choice 2025 | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N40 * | Maupin/Biggs | 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 | — | 40, 43 |
| N69 * | Steens Mtn | 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 | — | 69, 40 |
California bighorn, 500 series (4)
| Hunt | Name | Type | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | 1st choice 2025 | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 543B1 * | E Deschutes Rvr No. 1 | Any legal weapon | Sep 12–20 | — | 3 | 731 | 40, 43 |
| 543B2 * | E Deschutes Rvr No. 2 | Any legal weapon | Oct 17–25 | — | 3 | 437 | 40, 43 |
| 543B3 * | E Deschutes Rvr No. 3 | Any legal weapon | Oct 31–Nov 8 | — | 3 | 407 | 40, 43 |
| 543D2 * | Deschutes Rvr Ewe | Any legal weapon | Sep 21–Oct 16 | — | 20 | 282 | 40, 43 |
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.
Seasons open in the Maupin Unit
The Maupin Unit has 4 general big game rows, none of them for buck deer, which is drawn by hunt area east of the Cascades. General elk options here: Archery elk – Eastern Oregon.
General big game (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 |
Non-big-game hunting in the Maupin Unit runs to 19 season rows, from grouse and turkey to raccoon and otter. The table skips 13 falconry and pursuit seasons.
Game birds and 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.
Last season in the Maupin Unit
292 hunters took 123 buck deer, any weapon in the Maupin Unit in 2025, the top line in the table.
292 buck deer, any weapon hunters took 123. 89 elk, any weapon hunters took 38.
Figures are ODFW estimates from mandatory hunter reports, by hunt within the unit.
| ODFW report | Hunt | Hunters | Animals | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buck deer, any weapon | 140 Maupin Unit | 292 | 123 | 42% |
| Deer, archery | 144R Columbia Plateau Bow | 6 | 1 | 25% |
| Elk, any weapon | 244 Columbia Plateau | 89 | 38 | 43% |
| Elk, archery | Eastern Elk Archery | 4 | 2 | 50% |
| Elk damage tags | General Season Antlerless Elk Damage | 103 | 24 | 23% |
| Pronghorn | 440A2 Columbia Plateau No. 2 | 1 | 0 | 0% |
| Black bear | Fall Bear | 13 | 1 | 11.1% |
| Cougar | Cougar | 17 | 0 | 0% |
| Bighorn sheep | 543B1 E Deschutes Rvr No. 1 | 3 tags | 3 | 100% |
| Bighorn sheep | 543B2 E Deschutes Rvr No. 2 | 3 tags | 2 | 67% |
| Bighorn sheep | 543B3 E Deschutes Rvr No. 3 | 3 tags | 3 | 100% |
| Bighorn sheep | 543D2 Deschutes Rvr Ewe | 20 tags | 15 | 75% |
ODFW 2025 harvest estimates: Buck deer, any weapon, Deer, archery, Elk, any weapon, Elk, archery, Elk damage tags, Pronghorn, Black bear, Cougar, Bighorn sheep; checked November 8, 2026.
Land records in the Maupin Unit
These 2 lands share ground with the Maupin Unit; open each for camping, vehicle and parking rules. Bureau of Land Management Oregon public lands ground lies in the Maupin Unit too.
BLM Prineville District
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.
Legal hours around the Maupin Unit
Spring turkey hunters near the Maupin Unit start half an hour before sunrise but must stop at sunset, earlier than deer and elk hunters on the same evening.
| Day | Why it matters | Sun up | Sun down | Deer and elk | Upland and ducks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 29, 2026 | Archery opener | 6:21 a.m. | 7:50 p.m. | 5:51 a.m. to 8:20 p.m. | Not in table |
| Sep 12, 2026 | Eastern buck rifle | 6:38 a.m. | 7:24 p.m. | 6:08 a.m. to 7:54 p.m. | 6:12 a.m. to 7:14 p.m. |
| Oct 3, 2026 | General buck opener | 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 | 7:12 a.m. | 6:30 p.m. | 6:42 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. | 6:46 a.m. to 6:22 p.m. |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | 7:40 a.m. | 4:24 p.m. | 7:10 a.m. to 4:54 p.m. | 7:15 a.m. to 4:37 p.m. |
| Apr 15, 2027 | Spring turkey | 6:21 a.m. | 7:48 p.m. | 5:51 a.m. to 8:18 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 Maupin Unit
0 towns on our list sit inside the Maupin Unit, and 1 more lie within 10 miles.
- MoroSherman County
Units that share a county with the Maupin Unit, closest first:
| Unit | Counties shared | Size, sq mi | Hunts |
|---|---|---|---|
| White River Unit | Wasco | 938 | 19 |
| Biggs Unit | Sherman, Wasco | 1,970 | 29 |
| Grizzly Unit | Jefferson, Wasco | 1,684 | 19 |
| Metolius Unit | Jefferson | 666 | 12 |
| Santiam Unit | Jefferson, Wasco | 3,327 | 14 |
| Fossil Unit | Wasco | 1,407 | 34 |
Towns and their units from Census places and the ODFW unit layer; checked November 8, 2026.
Maupin Unit FAQ
Is there a general buck deer season in the Maupin Unit?
No. Eastern Oregon buck deer is controlled only.
How many controlled hunts include the Maupin Unit?
24: 7 buck deer, 4 California bighorn, 3 antlerless deer, 2 elk, 2 pronghorn, 2 premium deer, 2 premium pronghorn and 2 premium elk.
Are centerfire rifles restricted in the Maupin Unit?
Yes, during Eastern Buck Deer, unless you carry a valid big game tag.
When is cougar season in WMU 40?
January 1 to December 31 on a general tag, until Zone D hits 100.
Where can I get fuel and food near the Maupin Unit?
Moro.
Is any national forest inside the Maupin Unit?
Not on our records.
Which ODFW district handles WMU 40?
Mid Columbia.
How many animals came out of WMU 40 in 2025?
123 buck deer, any weapon from 292 hunters.
How big is WMU 40, and where is it?
528 square miles over 3 counties, mostly Wasco.
What deer hunt codes cover the Maupin Unit?
JK and MC.
Answers drawn from the ODFW sources cited on this page; checked November 8, 2026.
Other photos on this page: USDA Forest Service Pacific Northwest Region (Public Domain Mark 1.0).