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Wildlife Management Unit 73
Oregon Wagontire Unit hunt guide, 2026-27
Wildlife Management Unit 73 spreads over 3,109 square miles of Lake County, Deschutes County and Harney County, with 21 controlled or premium hunts and 3 general season rows that work here.
Photo: Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Wagontire Unit by county
At 1,992,968 acres the Wagontire Unit is a Eastern Oregon unit; Lake County holds 82% of its ground by the GIS overlay used here. 3 counties share the Wagontire 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake County | 2,551.9 | 82% | 30% |
| Deschutes County | 311.2 | 10% | 10% |
| Harney County | 245.4 | 8% | 2% |
ODFW biologists in the Lake, Deschutes, Harney and Shared Deschutes-Harney-Lake districts look after the Wagontire Unit; the Lakeview and Summer Lake office covers 50% of it.
| Biologist district | Office | Phone | % here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake | Lakeview and Summer Lake | 541-947-2950 | 50% |
| Deschutes | Bend | 541-388-6363 | 35% |
| Harney | Hines | 541-573-6582 | 8% |
| Shared Deschutes-Harney-Lake | Shared Bend-Hines-Lakeview | multiple | 7% |
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 Wagontire Unit
- Southeast Oregon is the cougar zone here (letter F); its quota of 140 is shared by 11 units. Last year ODFW counted 0 cougars taken in the unit.
- Eastern Oregon deer is controlled only. Hunt areas reaching WMU 73 belong to Devils Garden (DG: DG01, DG02, DG03, DG04) and Poverty Basin (PB: PB01).
- Rifle rule for WMU 73: no centerfire rifle hunting during Eastern Buck Deer unless you hold a big game tag good for those dates and this area.
- WMU 73 has no cooperative access closure in the booklet.
- For waterfowl the Wagontire Unit relies on ODFW's zone map.
- Upland and waterfowl hunters here read the ODFW hours table for Zone B (Deschutes), Zone C (Lake) and Zone D (Harney).
- 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) |
| Herd | Code | Areas |
|---|---|---|
| Devils Garden | DG | DG01, DG02, DG03, DG04 |
| Poverty Basin | PB | PB01 |
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 Wagontire Unit
All 21 hunt numbers valid somewhere in the Wagontire Unit are below, with dates, bag, 2026 tags and 2025 first-choice applicants. Demand peaks at 575A2 (S Central No. 2): 675 first-choice applicants against 3 tags. Look for the "new" tag: 5 hunts did not exist in 2025. Check the boundary text for the 9 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 (4)
| Hunt | Name | Type | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | 1st choice 2025 | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DG101 new | Devils Garden 01 | Any legal weapon | Oct 3–14 | One buck with visible antler | 127 | — | This unit only |
| DG101R new | Devils Garden 01 Bow | Archery | Aug 29–Sep 27 | One buck with visible antler | 33 | — | This unit only |
| PB101 new | Poverty Basin 01 | Any legal weapon | Oct 3–14 | One buck with visible antler | 66 | — | 70, 71, 73 |
| PB101R new | Poverty Basin 01 Bow | Archery | Aug 29–Sep 27 | One buck with visible antler | 28 | — | 70, 71, 73 |
Premium deer, L hunts (2)
| Hunt | Name | Type | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | 1st choice 2025 | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LDG01 | Devils Garden 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 |
| LPB01 | Poverty Basin 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 | — | 71, 73, 70 |
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 |
| 271A1 * | Silvies – N Juniper No. 1 | Any legal weapon | Aug 15–Sep 30 | One antlerless elk | 138 | 107 | 71, 72, 73 |
| 271A2 * | Silvies – N Juniper No. 2 | Any legal weapon | Nov 1–30 | One antlerless elk | 110 | 108 | 71, 72, 73 |
| 278A1 * | High Desert No. 1 | Any legal weapon | Oct 28–Nov 3 | One elk | 440 | 629 | 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 73 |
| 278A2 * | High Desert No. 2 | Any legal weapon | Nov 7–15 | One elk | 440 | 623 | 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 73 |
| 278M * | High Desert Muzzleloader | Muzzleloader | Oct 17–25 | One elk | 138 | 82 | 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 73 |
| 278T * | High Desert Youth | Youth only | Aug 15–Dec 31 | One antlerless elk | 11 | 24 | 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 73 |
Premium elk, M hunts (1)
| Hunt | Name | Type | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | 1st choice 2025 | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M71 | Juniper/Wagontire | 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 | — | 71, 73 |
Pronghorn, 400 series (3)
| Hunt | Name | Type | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | 1st choice 2025 | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 473 new | Wagontire | Any legal weapon | Aug 15–23 | One buck pronghorn | 37 | — | This unit only |
| 473M | Wagontire Unit Muzzleloader | Muzzleloader | Aug 29–Sep 6 | One pronghorn either sex | 11 | 164 | This unit only |
| 473R | Wagontire Unit Bow | Archery | Aug 29–Sep 6 | One buck pronghorn | 5 | 63 | This unit only |
Premium pronghorn, N hunts (1)
| Hunt | Name | Type | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | 1st choice 2025 | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N73 | Wagontire | 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 (2)
| Hunt | Name | Type | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | 1st choice 2025 | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 575A1 * | S Central No. 1 | Any legal weapon | Aug 15–Sep 14 | — | 3 | 545 | 71, 73, 75 |
| 575A2 * | S Central No. 2 | Any legal weapon | Sep 15–Oct 14 | — | 3 | 675 | 71, 73, 75 |
Sage-grouse permits (1)
| Hunt | Name | Type | Dates | Bag | Permits 2025 | 1st choice 2025 | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| J73A | N. Wagontire c | Controlled (permit) | Sep 12–20 | — | 30 | 103 | 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.
Wagontire Unit season dates, 2026-27
Without drawing, a hunter in the Wagontire Unit can still chase elk, black bear and cougar on general tags. The elk rows that need no application are Archery elk – Eastern Oregon.
Over-the-counter big game (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 |
The second table lists the 18 game bird, small game and furbearer rows whose area includes the Wagontire Unit. Falconry and no-kill pursuit seasons (14 rows) are left out.
Other game (18)
| Species | Season | Tag | Area | Dates | Bag | Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 Wagontire Unit
The largest 2025 figure for WMU 73 is buck deer, any weapon: 44 taken by 108 hunters.
Buck deer, any weapon: 44 from 108 hunters, about 41% success. Elk, any weapon: 15 from 160 hunters, about 9% 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 | 173 Wagontire Unit | 108 | 44 | 40% |
| Deer, archery | 173R Wagontire Unit Bow | 21 | 5 | 25% |
| Elk, any weapon | 273A North Wagontire | 23 | 5 | 22% |
| Elk, any weapon | 278A1 High Desert No. 1 | 62 | 3 | 5% |
| Elk, any weapon | 278A2 High Desert No. 2 | 72 | 7 | 10% |
| Elk, any weapon | 278T High Desert Youth | 3 | 0 | 0% |
| Elk, archery | Eastern General Bow Elk w/ 216R1 | 2 | 0 | 0% |
| Elk, archery | Eastern Elk Archery | 9 | 0 | 0% |
| Elk, muzzleloader | 278M High Desert Muzzleloader | 14 | 1 | 9% |
| Pronghorn | 473A N Wagontire | 34 | 23 | 68% |
| Pronghorn | 473M Wagontire Unit Muzzleloader | 13 | 8 | 62% |
| Pronghorn | 473R Wagontire Unit Bow | 5 | 0 | 0% |
| Cougar | Cougar | 17 | 0 | 0% |
| Bighorn sheep | 575A1 S Central No. 1 | 2 tags | 2 | 100% |
| Bighorn sheep | 575A2 S Central No. 2 | 3 tags | 3 | 100% |
ODFW 2025 harvest estimates: Buck deer, any weapon, Deer, archery, Elk, any weapon, Elk, archery, Elk, muzzleloader, Pronghorn, Cougar, Bighorn sheep; checked November 8, 2026.
Wagontire Unit public ground
Our land records place 8 places in WMU 73, the biggest first: Summer Lake Wildlife Area, BLM Lakeview District and BLM Burns District. Statewide programs that also reach it: Bureau of Land Management Oregon public lands.
Summer Lake Wildlife Area
BLM Lakeview District
BLM Burns District
BLM Lakeview Field Office
BLM Three Rivers Field Office
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 Wagontire 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 Wagontire Unit table.
| Date | Season point | Sunrise | Sunset | Mammals | Birds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 29, 2026 | Archery opener | 6:22 a.m. | 7:45 p.m. | 5:52 a.m. to 8:15 p.m. | Not in table |
| Oct 3, 2026 | Eastern buck rifle | 7:00 a.m. | 6:42 p.m. | 6:30 a.m. to 7:12 p.m. | 6:37 a.m. to 6:36 p.m. |
| Oct 10, 2026 | Duck opener and upland opener | 7:08 a.m. | 6:30 p.m. | 6:38 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. | 6:45 a.m. to 6:24 p.m. |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | 7:30 a.m. | 4:30 p.m. | 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. | 7:02 a.m. to 4:33 p.m. |
| Apr 15, 2027 | Spring turkey | 6:22 a.m. | 7:43 p.m. | 5:52 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 Wagontire Unit
Towns tied to the Wagontire Unit: Paisley and Silver Lake.
- PaisleyLake County
- Silver LakeLake County
Units that share a county with the Wagontire Unit, closest first:
| Unit | Counties in common | Square miles | Hunt numbers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Silver Lake Unit | Lake | 956 | 14 |
| Warner Unit | Lake | 921 | 15 |
| Interstate Unit | Lake | 2,192 | 19 |
| Beatys Butte Unit | Harney, Lake | 2,626 | 31 |
| Fort Rock Unit | Lake | 1,762 | 21 |
| Paulina Unit | Deschutes, Lake | 2,173 | 15 |
| Juniper Unit | Harney, Lake | 2,920 | 28 |
| Silvies Unit | Deschutes, Harney, Lake | 1,788 | 27 |
Towns and their units from Census places and the ODFW unit layer; checked November 8, 2026.
Wagontire Unit in brief
Can a coyote hunter use a centerfire rifle in the Wagontire Unit in the fall?
Not during Eastern Buck Deer without a deer, elk, pronghorn, sheep or goat tag valid there.
How many land pages on this site touch the Wagontire Unit?
8.
Which towns make a good base for the Wagontire Unit?
Paisley and Silver Lake.
Does ODFW publish harvest for the Wagontire Unit?
Yes, by hunt within each unit in its 2025 reports.
What is the ODFW phone number for WMU 73?
541-947-2950 (Lakeview and Summer Lake).
How did the 2026 deer change affect the Wagontire Unit?
Buck hunts now follow Deer Hunt Areas inside herd ranges instead of units.
What share of the Wagontire Unit lies in Lake County?
82%, about 2,552 square miles.
What can I draw for the Wagontire Unit?
7 elk, 4 buck deer, 3 pronghorn, 2 California bighorn, 2 premium deer, 1 premium pronghorn, 1 premium elk and 1 sage-grouse hunts.
Does the Western Oregon general deer tag cover WMU 73?
No; it is an Eastern Oregon unit.
Can cougar season in the Wagontire Unit close early?
Yes, once Zone F reaches its quota of 140.
Answers drawn from the ODFW sources cited on this page; checked November 8, 2026.
Other photos on this page: Birds of Gilgit-Baltistan (CC BY-SA 2.0).