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Steens Mountain Cooperative Management and Protection Area Hunting Guide
BLM protection area in Harney County, Steens Mtn Unit (69), about 453,128 acres.
Photo: Bureau of Land Management Oregon and Washington (CC BY 2.0)
Getting to Steens Mountain Cooperative Management and Protection Area
Parking, trailheads and gates near Steens Mountain Cooperative Management and Protection Area
- Parking areaParking · 1.5 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.6 mi from the centreDirections
- Little Blitzen TrailheadParking · 1.6 mi from the centreDirections
- Big Indian TrailheadParking · 1.7 mi from the centreDirections
- Little Blitzen OverlookParking · 2.2 mi from the centreDirections
- Big Indian OverlookParking · 2.4 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.9 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.
Entry terms and site rules for the Steens Mountain CMPA
On the Steens Mountain CMPA the default is open: BLM land allows hunting under Oregon law unless a specific prohibition applies. Getting to the public parcels may mean crossing private land, which BLM says you may not do without the landowner's permission. Ask the BLM office about current closures and fire restrictions on the Steens Mountain CMPA before the trip.
On the BLM page: Management Background On October 30, 2000, the Steens Mountain Cooperative Management and Protection Act of 2000 , providing additional protection to approximately 900,000 acres of Federal land in southeastern Oregon, was signed into law.
Sources: BLM hunting and fishing · BLM office page; checked November 8, 2026.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around Steens Mountain Cooperative Management and Protection Area
How the Steens Mountain CMPA is run, and how big it is
For hunters, the Steens Mountain CMPA is BLM land protected by the Steens Mountain Act of 2000: open by default, checkerboarded with private land in places, governed by Oregon game rules. By the BLM GIS (Oregon part) it spans around 453,128 acres. You will find it in Harney County, which ODFW serves from its East Region. ODFW wildlife biologist district: Harney (Hines).
From the BLM office page: Others enjoy hunting for wild game and visiting special places, cross-country skiing, and snowshoeing. Sustainable grazing and recreational use, including fishing and hunting, continue where consistent with the purpose of the Act.
The Steens Mountain CMPA controlled and premium hunts
Drawn-tag game in the Steens Mountain CMPA country.
25 controlled or premium hunts whose 2026 hunt area overlaps the units of the Steens Mountain CMPA, with 3,939 tags in 2026. Use the list as a starting point: hunt areas and the Steens Mountain CMPA share ground, but rarely match edge for edge. Most series took applications through May 15, 2026, and spring bear through February 10; you may list five choices. In deer, elk, pronghorn and spring bear series, 75% of tags go to first choices with the most preference points and 25% are random; sheep, goat and premium hunts are fully random.
| Series | Hunts | 2026 tags | 2025 first choices |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buck deer (100) | 7 | 2,423 | – |
| Premium deer (L) | 2 | 2 | – |
| Elk (200) | 5 | 1,359 | 1,482 |
| Premium elk (M) | 1 | 1 | – |
| Pronghorn (400) | 3 | 141 | 3,121 |
| Premium pronghorn (N) | 1 | 1 | – |
| California bighorn (500) | 5 | 12 | – |
| Sage-grouse | 1 | – | 105 |
The hardest draw among them is hunt 469A (Steens Mtn): 2,680 first choices in 2025 for 75 tags in 2026. Better odds: 200R, Oregon Youth Bow, with 330 tags and 124 first choices. 7 of these hunt numbers are new this year: JT103, ST101, JT103R, ST101R, JT103M and JT103T.
| No. | Name | Weapon | When | Tags | Applicants |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JT103 | Juntura 03 | Any legal weapon | Oct 3–14, 2026 | 1,430 | – |
| JT103R | Juntura 03 Bow | Archery | Aug 29–Sep 27, 2026 | 473 | – |
| ST101 | Steens 01 | Any legal weapon | Oct 3–14, 2026 | 245 | – |
| ST101R | Steens 01 Bow | Archery | Aug 29–Sep 27, 2026 | 176 | – |
| LJT03 | Juntura 03 | Premium (any legal weapon) | Aug 1–Nov 30, 2026 | 1 | – |
| LST01 | Steens 01 | Premium (any legal weapon) | Aug 1–Nov 30, 2026 | 1 | – |
| 278A1 | High Desert No. 1 | Any legal weapon | Oct 28–Nov 3, 2026 | 440 | 629 |
| 278A2 | High Desert No. 2 | Any legal weapon | Nov 7–15, 2026 | 440 | 623 |
| 200R | Oregon Youth Bow | Youth only | Aug 29–Sep 27, 2026 | 330 | 124 |
| 278M | High Desert Muzzleloader | Muzzleloader | Oct 17–25, 2026 | 138 | 82 |
| M69 | Steens Mountain/B Butte | Premium (any legal weapon) | Aug 1–Nov 30, 2026 | 1 | – |
| 469A | Steens Mountain | Any legal weapon | Aug 15–23, 2026 | 75 | 2,680 |
| 466B | Harney Basin | Any legal weapon | Sep 5–20, 2026 | 33 | 164 |
| 469M | Steens Mountain Muzzleloader | Muzzleloader | Aug 26–Sep 3, 2026 | 33 | 277 |
| N69 | Steens Mountain | Premium (any legal weapon) | Aug 1–Nov 30, 2026 | 1 | – |
| 569A1 | Steens Mountain No. 1 | Any legal weapon | Aug 15–Sep 14, 2026 | 3 | – |
| 570B2 | E Beatys Butte/Alvord Peaks No. 2 | Any legal weapon | Sep 15–Oct 14, 2026 | 3 | – |
| 569A2 | Steens Mountain No. 2 | Any legal weapon | Sep 15–Oct 14, 2026 | 2 | – |
| 569B | N Catlow Rim | Any legal weapon | Aug 15–Sep 14, 2026 | 2 | – |
| J69 | Steens Mountain Unit | Controlled (permit) | Sep 12–20, 2026 | – | 105 |
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.
The Steens Mountain CMPA and its ODFW units
ODFW draws hunt boundaries by unit, and the Steens Mountain CMPA touches Steens Mtn Unit (69). Every unit here is east of ODFW's line, where mule deer tags come only through the draw.
| Unit | Number | Region side | Unit sq mi | Cougar zone | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steens Mtn Unit | 69 | East | 1,910 | F (140) | Harney (Hines) |
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.
General seasons in the Steens Mountain CMPA units
These general seasons need no application: black bear, cougar and elk in the units overlapping the Steens Mountain CMPA. Bear (August 1 through December 31) and cougar (all year, zone quotas) are general statewide seasons.
| General season | Game | Start | End | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General archery elk – Eastern Oregon | Elk | Aug 29, 2026 | Sep 27, 2026 | 69 |
| General fall black bear (statewide) | Black bear | Aug 1, 2026 | Dec 31, 2026 | 69 |
| General cougar (statewide, zone quotas) | Cougar | Jan 1, 2026 | Dec 31, 2026 | 69 |
General seasons and dates from the 2026 Oregon Big Game Hunting Regulations; tag sale deadlines on the general seasons page. Checked November 8, 2026.
The Steens Mountain CMPA and its related records
BLM Andrews Field Office is the larger unit that the Steens Mountain CMPA belongs to.
Quotas, hunt areas and road limits at the Steens Mountain CMPA
Cougar quotas apply by zone; the Steens Mountain CMPA sits in Zone F (Southeast Oregon, quota 140), and a zone closes once its quota is reached. The herd ranges behind the deer tags here: Juntura and Steens.
| Rule | Name | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Cougar quota zone | Zone F, Southeast Oregon | Quota 140 |
| Herd range | Juntura (JT) | JT01, JT02, JT03 |
| Herd range | Steens (ST) | ST01 |
| Rifle limit | Rocky Mountain Bull Elk (controlled) 1st Season (October 28 – November 1) | Units 31-77 |
| Rifle limit | 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.
The Steens Mountain CMPA on the map, with its neighbours
Fish Lake WA lies 6 miles northeast, the closest alternative to the Steens Mountain CMPA. Within reach: 4 A&H access areas, 1 wildlife area and 1 BLM district.
| Place | Type | Acres | County | Straight line | Which way |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fish Lake WA | Wildlife area | 636 | Harney | 6 miles | northeast |
| Otley Access Area | A&H access area | 15,417 | Harney | 10 miles | northeast |
| Alvord Ranch | A&H access area | 3,532 | Harney | 12 miles | east |
| BLM Burns District | BLM district | 3,360,000 | Harney | 12 miles | northwest |
| Kueny Ranch | A&H access area | 5,850 | Harney | 16 miles | south |
| Jenkins Access Area | A&H access area | 8,187 | Harney | 25 miles | northeast |
Point: BLM NLCS polygon intersected with OR_FRAMEWORK BLM land (Oregon part) (polygon centroid of the largest part). Straight-line distances. Statewide public land map.
Where not to hunt around the Steens Mountain CMPA
Around the Steens Mountain CMPA sit several closed areas, listed here so a stalk does not cross into them. Tribal rules, not the ODFW booklet, govern reservations; entering to hunt without tribal permission breaks federal law.
| Place | Closure | Counties | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burns Paiute trust land | Tribal land | Harney | 11,303 |
| Burns Paiute Indian Colony | Tribal land | Harney | 815 |
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.
Unit harvest near the Steens Mountain CMPA, 2025
The figures are unit-wide 2025 estimates from ODFW reports; the share taken on the Steens Mountain CMPA itself is not published. Top elk unit of the group: Steens Mtn Unit, about 4 elk in 2025. Buck harvest peaked in Steens Mtn Unit at about 163.
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steens Mtn Unit | 302 | 163 | 65 | 4 | 99 | 71 | 10 | 0 | 36 | 5 |
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.
Waterfowl and upland zones, the Steens Mountain CMPA
For grouse, quail, pheasant, ducks and geese, use the ODFW hours table for Zone D (Eastern Oregon; part of Malheur County is on Mountain Time). For ducks, coots, snipe and doves the zone comes from the ODFW map, not from a county list.
| County | Bird hours | Goose zone |
|---|---|---|
| Harney 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.
Fuel, meat processing and supplies near the Steens Mountain CMPA
Measured as the crow flies, Crane lies 52 miles from the Steens Mountain CMPA. For hardware, sporting goods and a wider choice of stores, Burns has 2,689 people (2024). The shortest trip to an ODFW counter is Hines, 64 miles.
| Town | County | People (2024) | Distance | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crane | Harney | – | 52 miles | north |
| Plush | Lake | – | 62 miles | west |
| Hines | Harney | 1,621 | 63 miles | north |
| Burns | Harney | 2,689 | 65 miles | north |
| Juntura | Malheur | – | 81 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.
Shooting light table for the Steens Mountain CMPA
Spring turkey hunters near the Steens Mountain CMPA start half an hour before sunrise but must stop at sunset, earlier than deer and elk hunters on the same evening.
| Day | Note | Sunup | Sundown | Big game | Game birds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 29, 2026 | Archery opener | 6:16 a.m. | 7:37 p.m. | 5:46 a.m. to 8:07 p.m. | Not in table |
| Oct 3, 2026 | Eastern buck rifle | 6:53 a.m. | 6:35 p.m. | 6:23 a.m. to 7:05 p.m. | 6:27 a.m. to 6:24 p.m. |
| Oct 10, 2026 | Duck opener and upland opener | 7:01 a.m. | 6:23 p.m. | 6:31 a.m. to 6:53 p.m. | 6:35 a.m. to 6:12 p.m. |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | 7:22 a.m. | 4:24 p.m. | 6:52 a.m. to 4:54 p.m. | 6:55 a.m. to 4:18 p.m. |
| Apr 15, 2027 | Spring turkey | 6:15 a.m. | 7:35 p.m. | 5:45 a.m. to 8:05 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.
Paper and steel on the road to Steens Mountain Cooperative Management and Protection Area
Three ranges nearest Steens Mountain Cooperative Management and Protection Area, starting with Burns Butte Sportsmen at 64 miles. The closest range listing rifles is Snake River Sportsmen, 116 miles away.
From ODFW’s E.E. Wilson visitors guide, the BLM qualified range list, club sites and directory listings, checked November 8, 2026.
Your the Steens Mountain CMPA questions answered
Who should I call about conditions on the Steens Mountain CMPA?
The Bureau of Land Management, with ODFW regulating the hunting.
How do I report harvest from the Steens Mountain CMPA?
Report each big game and turkey tag online or at a license agent by January 31, 2027 (hunts ending April 1 to December 31) or April 15, 2027 (hunts ending January to March). Late deer and elk reports cost $25.
Are hunters welcome on the Steens Mountain CMPA?
Yes. BLM land is open to hunting unless specifically prohibited, under Oregon licenses and seasons.
What WMU is the Steens Mountain CMPA?
Units: Steens Mtn Unit (69).
Which hunt numbers apply around the Steens Mountain CMPA?
The 2026 draw includes 25 hunts whose areas reach it (3,939 tags).
What no-draw hunting is there at the Steens Mountain CMPA?
General tags: black bear, cougar and elk.
What license does a hunt on the Steens Mountain CMPA require?
You need a license ($39.00 or $193.00) and the tag for the species, as on any Oregon land.
When do legal hours begin and end at the Steens Mountain CMPA?
For November 8, 2026 the game mammal window is about 6:07 a.m. to 5:11 p.m., worked out with the NOAA solar formula. Game birds follow ODFW’s table: 6:11 a.m. to 4:31 p.m.
What are Oregon's orange rules for the Steens Mountain CMPA?
It is required only for hunters younger than 18 using firearms for game mammals or upland birds, turkey excepted.
Does ODFW test for CWD near the Steens Mountain CMPA?
No detections yet; ODFW tests deer and elk and limits cervid parts imported from other states.
What size does the agency give for the Steens Mountain CMPA?
Roughly 453,128 acres, going by the BLM GIS (Oregon part).
How far is the Steens Mountain CMPA from the nearest town and ODFW office?
Closest by straight line: Crane (52 miles) and the ODFW Hines District Office (64 miles).
What to confirm the week of a the Steens Mountain CMPA hunt
Recheck your hunt number, unit boundaries and season dates for the Steens Mountain CMPA before packing up.
Sources: source 1 · source 2 · source 3 · source 4; 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: Bureau of Land Management (CC BY 2.0); Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (CC BY-SA 2.0).