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Wildlife Management Unit 37
Oregon Ochoco Unit hunt guide, 2026-27
Wildlife Management Unit 37 spreads over 1,605 square miles of Crook County, Wheeler County and Grant County, with 22 controlled or premium hunts and 2 general season rows that work here.
Photo: USDA Forest Service Pacific Northwest Region (Public Domain Mark 1.0)
Ochoco Unit at a glance
At 1,028,990 acres the Ochoco Unit is a Eastern Oregon unit; Crook County holds 64% of its ground by the GIS overlay used here. 3 counties share the Ochoco Unit; the table gives each piece in square miles and as a share of the unit and of the county.
| In county | Area, sq mi | % of unit | % of county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crook County | 1,020.4 | 64% | 34% |
| Wheeler County | 408.8 | 26% | 24% |
| Grant County | 176.0 | 11% | 4% |
ODFW biologists in the Ochoco district look after the Ochoco Unit; the Prineville office covers 100% of it.
| District | Office town | Phone | Part |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ochoco | Prineville | 541-447-5111 | 100% |
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.
Zones, quotas and closures in the Ochoco Unit
- Blue Mountains is the cougar zone here (letter E); its quota of 270 is shared by 20 units. Last year ODFW counted 9 cougars taken in the unit.
- Eastern Oregon deer is controlled only. Hunt areas reaching WMU 37 belong to Aldrich (AD: AD01), Crooked River (CR: CR01) and Painted Hills (PH: PH01).
- Rifle rule for WMU 37: no centerfire rifle hunting during Eastern Buck Deer, Rocky Mtn Bull Elk 1st Season and Rocky Mtn Bull Elk 2nd Season unless you hold a big game tag good for those dates and this area.
- Road closures: 2 cooperative travel management areas lie in the Ochoco Unit (37A Rager and 37B South Boundary).
- For waterfowl the Ochoco Unit relies on ODFW's zone map.
- Upland and waterfowl hunters here read the ODFW hours table for Zone B (Crook, Wheeler) and Zone D (Grant).
- Oregon has no detected CWD; the parts import ban still applies to animals killed out of state.
| 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) |
| No. | Closure | Effective |
|---|---|---|
| 37A | Rager | Aug. 20 – Nov. 20 |
| 37B | South Boundary | Permanent Closure |
| Herd | Code | Areas |
|---|---|---|
| Aldrich | AD | AD01 |
| Crooked River | CR | CR01 |
| 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.
Hunt numbers that include the Ochoco Unit
All 22 hunt numbers valid somewhere in the Ochoco Unit are below, with dates, bag, 2026 tags and 2025 first-choice applicants. Demand peaks at 237X (Ochoco Unit No. 1): 1,774 first-choice applicants against 138 tags. Expect to wait for 546A: around 465 applicants per tag. Look for the "new" tag: 7 hunts did not exist in 2025. Check the boundary text for the 5 hunts marked *.
Nonresidents can draw at most 5% of controlled deer, elk and bear tags and 3% of pronghorn tags. Every row is a 2026 hunt; the 2027 big game booklet is not out yet.
Buck deer, 100 series (7)
| Hunt | Name | Type | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | 1st choice 2025 | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AD101 new | Aldrich 01 | Any legal weapon | Oct 3–14 | One buck with visible antler | 1,100 | — | 37, 46, 65, 72 |
| AD101R new | Aldrich 01 Bow | Archery | Aug 29–Sep 27 | One buck with visible antler | 624 | — | 37, 46, 65, 72 |
| AD101R1 new * | Late Aldrich 01 Bow Whitetail | Archery | Nov 14–28 | One white-tailed deer | 21 | — | 37, 46, 47, 48, 65, 72 |
| CR101 new | Crooked River 01 | Any legal weapon | Oct 3–14 | One buck with visible antler | 851 | — | 36, 37, 72 |
| CR101R new | Crooked River 01 Bow | Archery | Aug 29–Sep 27 | One buck with visible antler | 281 | — | 36, 37, 72 |
| 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 (3)
| Hunt | Name | Type | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | 1st choice 2025 | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LAD01 | Aldrich 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 | — | 46, 37, 72, 65 |
| LCR01 | Crooked River 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 | — | 36, 37, 72 |
| 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 (7)
| 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 |
| 237A * | Ochoco Private | Any legal weapon | Aug 13–Dec 29 | One antlerless elk | 330 | 169 | This unit only |
| 237R | Ochoco Unit Bow | Archery | Aug 29–Sep 27 | One elk | 495 | 1,098 | This unit only |
| 237T1 | Ochoco Unit No. 1 Youth | Youth only | Aug 15–Dec 31 | One antlerless elk | 10 | 123 | This unit only |
| 237T2 | Ochoco Unit No. 2 Youth | Youth only | Oct 17–25 | One antlerless elk | 100 | 63 | This unit only |
| 237X | Ochoco Unit No. 1 | Any legal weapon | Oct 28–Nov 1 | One bull elk | 138 | 1,774 | This unit only |
| 237Y | Ochoco Unit No. 2 | Any legal weapon | Nov 7–15 | One bull elk | 138 | 1,395 | This unit only |
Premium elk, M hunts (1)
| Hunt | Name | Type | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | 1st choice 2025 | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M37 | Ochoco | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 437 | Ochoco Unit | Any legal weapon | Aug 22–30 | One pronghorn either sex | 76 | 1,686 | This unit only |
Premium pronghorn, N hunts (1)
| Hunt | Name | Type | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | 1st choice 2025 | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N37 | Ochoco | 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 (1)
| Hunt | Name | Type | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | 1st choice 2025 | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 546A * | Aldrich | Any legal weapon | Aug 15–Oct 31 | — | 3 | 1,395 | 37, 46 |
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.
Ochoco Unit season dates, 2026-27
Without drawing, a hunter in the Ochoco Unit can still chase black bear and cougar on general tags. No general rifle or archery elk row includes the Ochoco Unit; elk here are controlled.
Over-the-counter big game (2)
| Species | Season | Tag | Area | Dates | Bag | Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
The second table lists the 21 game bird, small game and furbearer rows whose area includes the Ochoco Unit. Falconry and no-kill pursuit seasons (13 rows) are left out.
Other game (21)
| Species | Season | Tag | Area | Dates | Bag | Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wild Turkey | Fall wild turkey | General tag | WMUs 37 | Sep 1–Nov 30 Dec 1–Jan 31 2027 | One wild turkey of either sex | |
| Wild Turkey | Beardless wild turkey permit season | Permit | Private lands in WMUs 37 | Oct 1–Feb 28 2027 | 3 hen turkeys and/or turkeys without a visible beard per day; season limit 9 (3 permits) | |
| 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.
2025 results for the Ochoco Unit
The largest 2025 figure for WMU 37 is buck deer, any weapon: 318 taken by 1,473 hunters.
Buck deer, any weapon: 318 from 1,473 hunters, about 22% success. Elk, any weapon: 187 from 617 hunters, about 30% success.
Bighorn and goat rows are 2025 hunts matched to the 2026 hunt area for the same hunt number.
| Season report | Hunt | Hunters | Bagged | Success |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buck deer, any weapon | 137 Ochoco Unit | 1,473 | 318 | 22% |
| Deer, archery | 137R Ochoco Unit Bow | 191 | 32 | 17% |
| Elk, any weapon | 237A Ochoco Private | 200 | 53 | 26% |
| Elk, any weapon | 237T1 Ochoco Unit No. 1 Youth | 10 | 6 | 60% |
| Elk, any weapon | 237T2 Ochoco Unit No. 2 Youth | 97 | 30 | 31% |
| Elk, any weapon | 237X Ochoco Unit No. 1 | 143 | 45 | 32% |
| Elk, any weapon | 237Y Ochoco Unit No. 2 | 167 | 53 | 32% |
| Elk, archery | 200R Oregon Youth Bow | 21 | 2 | 12% |
| Elk, archery | 237R Ochoco Unit Bow | 400 | 64 | 16% |
| Pronghorn | 437 Ochoco Unit | 66 | 26 | 40% |
| Black bear | 746A S Blue Mtns | 28 | 3 | 10% |
| Black bear | Additional Fall Bear | 2 | 0 | 0% |
| Black bear | Fall Bear | 242 | 16 | 6.7% |
| Cougar | Additional Cougar | 2 | 0 | 0% |
| Cougar | Cougar | 280 | 9 | 3.3% |
| Bighorn sheep | 546A Aldrich | 3 tags | 4 | 133% |
ODFW 2025 harvest estimates: Buck deer, any weapon, Deer, archery, Elk, any weapon, Elk, archery, Pronghorn, Black bear, Cougar, Bighorn sheep; checked November 8, 2026.
Ochoco Unit public ground
Our land records place 8 places in WMU 37, the biggest first: Ochoco National Forest, Paulina Ranger District (Ochoco National Forest) and Lookout Mountain Ranger District (Ochoco National Forest). Also present: Bureau of Land Management Oregon public lands and Bureau of Reclamation lands in Oregon.
Ochoco National Forest
Paulina Ranger District (Ochoco National Forest)
Only in WMU 37
Lookout Mountain Ranger District (Ochoco National Forest)
Phillip W. Schneider Wildlife Area
Prineville Reservoir Wildlife Area
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.
the Ochoco Unit hours on key season dates
Fee pheasant hunts, youth upland hunts and the Northwest Permit goose season keep their own hours, which are not in this the Ochoco Unit table.
| Date | Season point | Sunrise | Sunset | Mammals | Birds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 29, 2026 | Archery opener | 6:19 a.m. | 7:45 p.m. | 5:49 a.m. to 8:15 p.m. | Not in table |
| Oct 3, 2026 | Eastern buck rifle | 6:59 a.m. | 6:40 p.m. | 6:29 a.m. to 7:10 p.m. | 6:38 a.m. to 6:34 p.m. |
| Oct 10, 2026 | Duck opener and upland opener | 7:07 a.m. | 6:27 p.m. | 6:37 a.m. to 6:57 p.m. | 6:46 a.m. to 6:22 p.m. |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | 7:33 a.m. | 4:24 p.m. | 7:03 a.m. to 4:54 p.m. | 7:15 a.m. to 4:37 p.m. |
| Apr 15, 2027 | Spring turkey | 6:18 a.m. | 7:43 p.m. | 5:48 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.
Bases and nearby units for the Ochoco Unit
Towns tied to the Ochoco Unit: Prineville Lake Acres, Prineville and Dayville.
- Prineville Lake AcresCrook County
- PrinevilleCrook County
- DayvilleGrant County
Units that share a county with the Ochoco Unit, closest first:
| Unit | Counties in common | Square miles | Hunt numbers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maury Unit | Crook | 1,100 | 13 |
| Murderers Creek Unit | Grant | 1,148 | 20 |
| Northside Unit | Grant | 1,114 | 20 |
| Paulina Unit | Crook | 2,173 | 15 |
| Fossil Unit | Grant, Wheeler | 1,407 | 34 |
| Grizzly Unit | Crook, Wheeler | 1,684 | 19 |
| Desolation Unit | Grant | 670 | 19 |
| Silvies Unit | Crook, Grant | 1,788 | 27 |
Towns and their units from Census places and the ODFW unit layer; checked November 8, 2026.
Ochoco Unit answered
What is the ODFW phone number for WMU 37?
541-447-5111 (Prineville).
Is buck deer in WMU 37 drawn by unit or by hunt area?
By Deer Hunt Area since 2026.
What share of the Ochoco Unit lies in Crook County?
64%, about 1,020 square miles.
What can I draw for the Ochoco Unit?
7 buck deer, 7 elk, 3 premium deer, 1 pronghorn, 1 California bighorn, 1 spring bear, 1 premium pronghorn and 1 premium elk hunts.
Does the Western Oregon general deer tag cover WMU 37?
No; it is an Eastern Oregon unit.
Can cougar season in the Ochoco Unit close early?
Yes, once Zone E reaches its quota of 270.
Are centerfire rifles restricted in the Ochoco Unit?
Yes, during Eastern Buck Deer, Rocky Mtn Bull Elk 1st Season and Rocky Mtn Bull Elk 2nd Season, unless you carry a valid big game tag.
How many land pages on this site touch the Ochoco Unit?
8.
What towns lie within the Ochoco Unit?
Prineville Lake Acres.
How did hunters do in the Ochoco Unit last season?
1,473 hunters took 318 buck deer, any weapon.
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).