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Ladd Marsh Wildlife Area Hunting Guide
Wildlife area in Union County; Starkey and Catherine Creek units, 5,597 acres.
Photo: Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Getting to Ladd Marsh Wildlife Area
Parking, trailheads and gates near Ladd Marsh Wildlife Area
- Parking areaParking · 0.5 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.0 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.0 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.1 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.2 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 3.2 mi from the centreDirections
Parking, trailhead and gate locations come from OpenStreetMap contributors. Roads into public land can be gated or seasonal; check with the managing agency before you go.
What the regulations allow on Ladd Marsh Wildlife Area
Ladd Marsh Wildlife Area in the big game booklet
All land north and east of Foothill Road are open to big game hunting Wed., Sat., Sun. and Federal holidays August 1 through January 31. The use of centerfire rifles and handguns is prohibited. A free daily access permit is required. All safety zones and refuge areas are closed to all hunting. All lands west of Foothill Road are closed to all entry February 1 – March 31. ODFW parking permit is required .
Ladd Marsh Wildlife Area in the game bird booklet
Located five miles south of La Grande in Union Co, hunting is allowed according to specific regulations listed below. Phone: (541) 963-4954 . In addition to general state and federal laws, the following apply to Ladd Marsh WA: The area is closed between 10 pm and 4 a.m. An entry permit is required at all other times. Free daily entry permits are available at self-service check stations located at area parking lots. Hunters and other visitors must check in and out daily. Leaving decoys set out overnight is prohibited (10 p.m. – 4 a.m.). Motorized boats are prohibited. Camping is prohibited. No person shall possess or use any shot other than federally approved nontoxic shot at any time, except for big game hunters using buckshot or slugs. Discharging firearms is prohibited except when lawfully hunting during authorized game bird and big game hunting seasons.
OAR 635-008-0120 lists 11 numbered rules for Ladd Marsh Wildlife Area; the short label is ours, the text is the rule.
| Item | Kind | Key point | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Entry dates | Aug 1–Jan 31 | All wildlife area lands, except those west of Foothill Road, are closed to public entry except Wed., Sat., Sun. and Federal holidays August 1 through January 31 with the following exceptions: (a) The Nature Trail, adjacent to I-84, is open year-round; (b) The Foothill Road Viewpoint is open year-round; (c) The Peach Road Fishing Pond is open year-round; (d) During the Veterans and Active Military Personnel Waterfowl… |
| 2 | Other | Area rule | All wildlife arealands west of Foothill Road are closed to all entry February 1 through March 31. |
| 3 | Other | Area rule | A daily public access permit, is required, must be possessed at all times by users and must be completed and returned at the end of the day. |
| 4 | Entry dates | Seasonal closure | The wildlife area is closed to the public between 10 pm and 4 am. |
| 5 | Firearms and shot | Rifle limits | Discharging of firearms is prohibited except while hunting during authorized game bird and game mammal seasons. Discharge of all handgun and centerfire or rimfire rifles is prohibited east of Foothill Road. Discharge of air guns, BB guns, and paintball guns is prohibited at all times. |
| 6 | Camping | No camping | Camping is prohibited. |
| 7 | Firearms and shot | Discharge limits | No person shall possess or use any shot other than federally-approved nontoxic shot at any time, except for big game hunters using buckshot or slugs. |
| 8 | Horses | Horse limits | Horses are prohibited east of Foothill Road. |
| 9 | Vehicles | No motor vehicles | ATV and snowmobile use is prohibited on all area lands except for administrative use. |
| 10 | Other | Trapping rule | Trapping is prohibited. |
| 11 | Other | Parking rule | ODFW Wildlife Area Parking Permit required. |
Bring a Wildlife Area Parking Permit for Ladd Marsh Wildlife Area; ODFW sells it at $10.00 daily and $30.00 annually.
Sources: 2026 Big Game Regulations, state wildlife areas · 2026-27 Game Bird Regulations, state wildlife areas · OAR 635-008-0120 · license and permit fees; checked November 8, 2026.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around Ladd Marsh Wildlife Area
Land manager and acreage for Ladd Marsh Wildlife Area
Ladd Marsh Wildlife Area belongs to the ODFW wildlife area system, and OAR 635-008-0120 is the rule a game warden would read you on site. A GIS measure puts it at roughly 5,597 acres (ODFW GIS layer). Its ground spreads over Union County, all handled by the ODFW East Region. For questions about game on the ground, the ODFW district is Union (La Grande).
ODFW's guide to the area notes: Ladd Marsh Wildlife Area was established in 1949, with primary objectives of protecting and improving waterfowl habitat and providing a public hunting area.
Spring draw hunts near Ladd Marsh Wildlife Area
Game of the Ladd Marsh Wildlife Area units, by controlled tag.
There are 43 hunt numbers whose 2026 hunt area overlaps the units of Ladd Marsh Wildlife Area; together they carry 13,314 tags for 2026. Hunt boundaries follow units and roads, not the edge of Ladd Marsh Wildlife Area, so check the description for each hunt number. Each series allows one application with up to five hunt choices; the 2026 cutoff was May 15 except spring bear. ODFW splits most series 75/25 between point holders and a random pool, while sheep, goat and the L, M and N premium hunts are drawn at random.
| Kind of hunt | Hunts | Tags offered | First choices |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buck deer (100) | 15 | 5,671 | – |
| Premium deer (L) | 3 | 3 | – |
| Antlerless deer (600) | 2 | 33 | – |
| Elk (200) | 17 | 6,775 | 7,527 |
| Premium elk (M) | 2 | 2 | – |
| Pronghorn (400) | 1 | 3 | 200 |
| Mountain goat (900) | 1 | 2 | – |
| Spring bear (700) | 2 | 825 | 1,484 |
For long odds, look at 252T2 (Glass Hill Youth): 3 tags and 227 first choices last year. Among the easier draws is 252A2, Starkey Unit No. 2: 97 first choices for 990 tags. New for 2026: EH102, EH102-1, EH102R, EH102R1, EH102M and NE101.
| No. | Name | Weapon | When | Tags | Applicants |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NE101 | Northeast 01 Mule Deer | Any legal weapon | Oct 3–14, 2026 | 1,100 | – |
| SW102R | South Wallowas 02 Bow Mule Deer | Archery | Aug 29–Sep 27, 2026 | 935 | – |
| SW102 | South Wallowas 02 Mule Deer | Any legal weapon | Oct 3–14, 2026 | 704 | – |
| NE101-1 | Northeast 01 Whitetail | Any legal weapon | Oct 3–14, 2026 | 660 | – |
| LEH02 | Elkhorn 02 | Premium (any legal weapon) | Aug 1–Nov 30, 2026 | 1 | – |
| LNE01 | Northeast 01 | Premium (any legal weapon) | Aug 1–Nov 30, 2026 | 1 | – |
| LSW02 | South Wallowas 02 | Premium (any legal weapon) | Aug 1–Nov 30, 2026 | 1 | – |
| SW602T1 | South Wallowas 02 Youth Whitetail | Youth only | Oct 24–Nov 1, 2026 | 22 | – |
| SW602T | South Wallowas 02 Youth | Youth only | Oct 24–Nov 1, 2026 | 11 | – |
| 253R1 | Eagle Cap Zone | Archery | Aug 29–Sep 27, 2026 | 1,795 | 1,016 |
| 252R | Starkey Bow | Archery | Aug 29–Sep 27, 2026 | 1,300 | 1,074 |
| 252A2 | Starkey Unit No. 2 | Any legal weapon | Oct 28–Nov 1, 2026 | 990 | 97 |
| 252B1 | Starkey Private | Any legal weapon | Nov 2–Dec 13, 2026 | 440 | 94 |
| M52 | Starkey | Premium (any legal weapon) | Aug 1–Nov 30, 2026 | 1 | – |
| M53 | Catherine Creek | Premium (any legal weapon) | Aug 1–Nov 30, 2026 | 1 | – |
| 453T | Catherine Creek Unit Youth | Youth only | Aug 1–31, 2026 | 3 | 200 |
| 953A | S Wallowa Mountain | Any legal weapon | Aug 1–Oct 31, 2026 | 2 | – |
| 762A | Pine Creek – Keating – Catherine Creek | Any legal weapon | Apr 1–May 31, 2026 | 495 | 995 |
| 752A | Starkey – Ukiah | Any legal weapon | Apr 1–May 31, 2026 | 330 | 489 |
Hunt numbers, 2026 tags and 2025 first-choice applicants from the 2026 Oregon Big Game Hunting Regulations; hunt areas from ODFW’s 2026 controlled hunt boundary layers; draw rules from ODFW. Checked November 8, 2026.
Ladd Marsh Wildlife Area by Wildlife Management Unit
Unit lines put Ladd Marsh Wildlife Area in Starkey Unit (52) and Catherine Creek Unit (53). All of it lies in Eastern Oregon units (31-77), where buck deer is controlled only and run by Deer Hunt Areas from 2026.
| Unit | # | West/East | Size (sq mi) | Cougar | Biologist district |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starkey Unit | 52 | East | 806 | E (270) | Union (La Grande) |
| Catherine Creek Unit | 53 | East | 662 | E (270) | Union (La Grande) |
Units from the ODFW Wildlife Management Units layer overlaid on the land record; cougar quotas from the 2026 cougar zone table; checked November 8, 2026.
Ladd Marsh Wildlife Area general tag seasons
Over-the-counter tags cover black bear, cougar and elk somewhere around Ladd Marsh Wildlife Area; no draw is needed for these rows. Two seasons cover every unit: fall bear (August 1 to December 31) and cougar (all of 2026, by zone quota).
| Season name | Species | Begins | Ends | Here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Eastern Oregon Rocky Mountain elk – 2nd season | Elk | Nov 7, 2026 | Nov 15, 2026 | All |
| General season antlerless elk damage | Elk | Aug 1, 2026 | Nov 30, 2026 | All |
| General fall black bear (statewide) | Black bear | Aug 1, 2026 | Dec 31, 2026 | All |
| General cougar (statewide, zone quotas) | Cougar | Jan 1, 2026 | Dec 31, 2026 | All |
General seasons and dates from the 2026 Oregon Big Game Hunting Regulations; tag sale deadlines on the general seasons page. Checked November 8, 2026.
Unit-level rules that reach Ladd Marsh Wildlife Area
Cougar hunters at Ladd Marsh Wildlife Area fall under Zone E, with quotas of 270. Eastern deer tags here belong to the Elkhorn, Northeast and South Wallowas herd ranges, organised from 2026 into Deer Hunt Areas. Vehicles and e-bikes face seasonal limits here under 7 cooperative travel management areas. Elk damage tags (antlerless, general season) can be used in the listed damage areas, August 1 through March 31.
| Item | Name | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Cougar | Zone E, Blue Mountains | Quota 270 |
| Herd range | Elkhorn (EH) | EH01, EH02 |
| Herd range | Northeast (NE) | NE01, NE02, NE03, NE04, NE05, NE06 |
| Herd range | South Wallowas (SW) | SW01, SW02 |
| Elk damage area | Grande Ronde Baker Keating Valleys | Aug. 1 – Nov. 30 |
| Closure area | 52A Clear Creek | 3 days prior to the opening of deer and elk archery season through the close of Rocky… |
| Closure area | 52B Trail Creek | 3 days prior to the opening of Rocky Mountain bull elk first season through the close of… |
| Closure area | 52C Indian Creek-Gorham Butte | 3 days prior to the opening of deer and elk archery season through the close of Rocky… |
| Closure area | 52D Starkey Exp Forest Enclosure | Permanent Closure |
| Closure area | 52E Dry Beaver-Ladd Canyon | Permanent Closure |
| Closure area | 53A Bald/Angel | April 30 – Dec 1. |
| Closure area | 53B Little Catherine Creek | Permanent Closure |
| Rifle rule | Rocky Mountain Bull Elk (controlled) 1st Season (October 28 – November 1) | Units 31-77 |
| Rifle rule | Rocky Mountain Bull Elk 2nd Season (November 7 – November 15) | Units 32-77 |
From the 2026 Oregon Big Game Hunting Regulations: cougar zones, Deer Hunt Areas, travel management areas, elk damage areas, rifle restrictions. Checked November 8, 2026.
Map: Ladd Marsh Wildlife Area and the closest public land
The nearest other public land on this site is Elkhorn Wildlife Area, 17 miles to the south. The six closest pins include 3 wildlife areas, 2 ranger districts and 1 national forest.
| Place | Type | Acres | County | Straight line | Which way |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elkhorn Wildlife Area | Wildlife area | 8,289 | Baker | 17 miles | south |
| Wallowa-Whitman National Forest | National forest | 2,260,830 | Wallowa | 23 miles | northeast |
| Minam River WA | Wildlife area | 17,087 | Wallowa | 26 miles | northeast |
| La Grande RD | Ranger district | 441,452 | Union | 26 miles | west |
| Eagle Cap RD | Ranger district | 389,089 | Wallowa | 30 miles | east |
| Lostine Wildlife Area | Wildlife area | 1,010 | Wallowa | 32 miles | east |
Point: ODFW Wildlife Areas layer (Compass dataset) (point inside polygon (centroid falls outside)). Straight-line distances. Statewide public land map.
Ladd Marsh Wildlife Area: neighbouring closures
Not everything near Ladd Marsh Wildlife Area is open: the land below is closed to state-licensed hunting. Tribal land has no state seasons; tribes set their own rules, and ORS 498.120 treats posted reservation boundaries as enclosed land. The 2026-27 game bird booklet closes tribal and allotted lands inside the Umatilla Reservation to fall turkey hunting.
| Closed area | Status | Counties | Size (ac) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Umatilla Reservation | Tribal land | Umatilla, Union | 172,932 |
Closed places from lands.json: tribal land (Census TIGERweb; 18 U.S.C. 1165; ODFW), NPS units (36 CFR 2.2), refuges not in 50 CFR 32.56 and ODFW regulation closures. Checked November 8, 2026.
Last season's take around Ladd Marsh Wildlife Area
Harvest here means the 2025 unit totals from ODFW's mandatory reporting estimates, not animals taken on Ladd Marsh Wildlife Area. For elk, Starkey Unit led with roughly 486 taken in 2025. For deer, Catherine Creek Unit leads with about 129 bucks in 2025.
| Unit | Buck deer hunters | Buck deer harvest | Elk hunters | Elk harvest | Pronghorn hunters | Pronghorn harvest | Black bear hunters | Black bear harvest | Cougar hunters | Cougar harvest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starkey Unit | 280 | 88 | 2,301 | 486 | – | – | 520 | 32 | 368 | 8 |
| Catherine Creek Unit | 292 | 129 | 670 | 211 | 3 | 3 | 295 | 33 | 157 | 2 |
ODFW 2025 harvest summaries (2025 buck deer, any legal weapon summary · 2025 elk, any legal weapon summary · 2025 pronghorn summary · 2025 black bear summary · 2025 cougar summary); unit totals summed from the report rows; checked November 8, 2026.
Bird zones for Ladd Marsh Wildlife Area
ODFW prints legal bird hours by zone; Ladd Marsh Wildlife Area is in Zone D (Eastern Oregon; part of Malheur County is on Mountain Time). ODFW defines duck Zones 1 and 2 by map alone; confirm which one covers this ground.
| County | Shooting-hours zone | Goose zone |
|---|---|---|
| Union County | D (Eastern Oregon; part of Malheur County is on Mountain Time) | Map only |
From the 2026-27 Oregon Game Bird Hunting Regulations: goose zones, shooting-hours zones, duck zone map. Checked November 8, 2026. Waterfowl and goose zones.
Where to resupply near Ladd Marsh Wildlife Area
The map puts La Grande 5 miles from Ladd Marsh Wildlife Area, the shortest hop to town. Town pages that show Ladd Marsh Wildlife Area nearby: Island City and La Grande. For ODFW help, La Grande is nearest at 1 mile.
| Community | County | Residents | Straight line | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| La Grande | Union | 13,058 | 5 miles | northwest |
| Island City | Union | 1,131 | 5 miles | north |
| Elgin | Union | 1,694 | 22 miles | north |
| Haines | Baker | 375 | 25 miles | south |
| Wallowa | Wallowa | 815 | 32 miles | northeast |
Towns from places.json (Census 2024 estimates); ODFW offices from the ODFW contact page; businesses from services.json listings; straight-line miles. Checked November 8, 2026.
Ladd Marsh Wildlife Area sunrise, sunset and legal light
Fee pheasant hunts, youth upland hunts and the Northwest Permit goose season keep their own hours, which are not in this Ladd Marsh Wildlife Area table.
| Date | Opener | Rise | Set | Mammal hours | Bird table |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 3, 2026 | Eastern buck rifle | 6:51 a.m. | 6:31 p.m. | 6:21 a.m. to 7:01 p.m. | 6:27 a.m. to 6:24 p.m. |
| Oct 10, 2026 | Duck opener and upland opener | 7:00 a.m. | 6:18 p.m. | 6:30 a.m. to 6:48 p.m. | 6:35 a.m. to 6:12 p.m. |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | 7:28 a.m. | 4:12 p.m. | 6:58 a.m. to 4:42 p.m. | 6:55 a.m. to 4:18 p.m. |
| Apr 15, 2027 | Spring turkey | 6:09 a.m. | 7:36 p.m. | 5:39 a.m. to 8:06 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.
Ranges and clubs nearest Ladd Marsh Wildlife Area
The listed range closest to Ladd Marsh Wildlife Area is LA Grande Gun Club, about 2 miles in a straight line. None of the three lists a rifle line; Powder River Sportsmen's Club, 35 miles away, does.
From ODFW’s E.E. Wilson visitors guide, the BLM qualified range list, club sites and directory listings, checked November 8, 2026.
Dates held on or beside Ladd Marsh Wildlife Area
Close by: RMEF big game banquet, 1 date ahead in all.
| When | Title | How far | Location | Tickets or sign-up | Page |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 1, 2027 | RMEF Union County Chapter Banquet RMEF big game banquet, as listed | 5 | Tickets | Source |
Quick answers for a Ladd Marsh Wildlife Area trip
Who can answer questions about Ladd Marsh Wildlife Area?
The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, with ODFW regulating the hunting.
Are there weekday limits at Ladd Marsh Wildlife Area?
Oregon does not restrict Sunday hunting; some areas set hunt days of their own.
Which animals does Ladd Marsh Wildlife Area list?
Waterfowl, according to ODFW visitors’ guide hunting text.
When is the harvest report due after hunting Ladd Marsh Wildlife Area?
All big game and turkey tags must be reported by the ODFW deadline (January 31 or April 15, 2027), whether or not you filled them.
Which units does Ladd Marsh Wildlife Area fall in?
It overlaps Starkey Unit (52) and Catherine Creek Unit (53).
May a licensed hunter use Ladd Marsh Wildlife Area?
Yes. ODFW lists Ladd Marsh Wildlife Area in its 2026 wildlife area regulations; the area rule OAR 635-008-0120 adds site limits.
Are there over-the-counter tags for Ladd Marsh Wildlife Area?
Over-the-counter tags apply for black bear, cougar and elk.
How many draw tags cover Ladd Marsh Wildlife Area?
There are 43 hunt numbers in its units for 2026, 13,314 tags, drawn in the spring.
What are the shooting hours at Ladd Marsh Wildlife Area this week?
Mammals: 6:10 a.m. to 5:02 p.m. on November 8, 2026, computed with the NOAA solar formula. Game birds follow ODFW’s table: 6:11 a.m. to 4:31 p.m.
What licence and tags do I need for Ladd Marsh Wildlife Area?
A hunting license ($39.00 for residents, $193.00 for nonresidents) and the right tag, validation or permit. A parking permit applies too.
Do deer and elk from Ladd Marsh Wildlife Area need a CWD test?
Not in Oregon so far: ODFW reports no detections, with 3,682 deer and 1,607 elk tested. Testing is voluntary unless a hunt requires it.
Does Oregon require blaze orange at Ladd Marsh Wildlife Area?
No adult requirement. Hunters under 18 with a firearm, after game mammals or upland birds except turkey, must wear orange.
Final checks for a Ladd Marsh Wildlife Area trip
Plan with this page, then reread the agency source for Ladd Marsh Wildlife Area in the week before you go.
Sources: source 1 · source 2 · source 3 · source 4 · source 5 · source 6; seasons from the 2026 Oregon Big Game Hunting Regulations and the 2026-27 Oregon Game Bird Hunting Regulations. Checked November 8, 2026.
Other photos on this page: Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (CC BY-SA 2.0); Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (CC BY-SA 2.0).