Oregon mule deer hunt boundaries changing in 2026

[Jaden Bales]

Hey all. I got permission from the mods to drop this link in here. It covers more background on the changes than it probably gives answers for your specific area, but interested Oregon hunters might find it interesting:

Oregon's Massive Mule Deer Changes with Josh Smith

Podcast Episode · Hunt West Podcast · 04/12/2025 · 47m

podcasts.apple.com

 

[outheretryin]

Hey all. I got permission from the mods to drop this link in here. It covers more background on the changes than it probably gives answers for your specific area, but interested Oregon hunters might find it interesting:

Oregon's Massive Mule Deer Changes with Josh Smith

Podcast Episode · Hunt West Podcast · 04/12/2025 · 47m

podcasts.apple.com

Sweet episode man. thanks for trying to get more info out there.

 

[Jaden Bales]

Sweet episode man. thanks for trying to get more info out there.

You bet man. I hate the uncertainty but cool knowing the background!

 

[BRTreedogs]

So we’re going to have separate boundaries and names for mule deer units only?
Elk units will stay the same?

If so way to just add confusion.

 

[Tmac]

If you’re talking about Keating I think it’s going to go up significantly with the new structure. They cannot combine it with most of Catherine Creek and Pine Creek and add those tags or the majority with a tag will end up in Keating. The only way to keep that from happening is to essentially offer a similar amount of tag for all 3 units that the highest point unit has. This will mean 3 times the people applying for less tags and it will make units that are currently taking 5 years into 15yr units.

I hope I’m wrong because my wife and boys hunt some of those units but cannot see any other way to combine units without decimating the deer herds. They are going to have to significantly cut the total tags in those combined areas compared to current tags.

We won’t know until we see the final regs. But I would not be surprised to see smaller hunt areas carved out of these larger units. Much like Trout Creek is a separate hunt carved out of a larger unit today. If that does not happen it could be the Wild West for a time.

 

[Jaden Bales]

So we’re going to have separate boundaries and names for mule deer units only?
Elk units will stay the same?

If so way to just add confusion.

Exactly. Definitely check out the "why" behind the change though. It makes a lot of sense - the original boundaries were drawn without regard for which deer wintered where. As an example, you get counts of Idaho deer in Oregon in the winter, and ODFW could be (are likely) giving more tags for the resident deer than they should be because those Idaho deer have not moved in yet.

It's a pain in the ass in Wyoming to have different units for each species but it's what's right for the animals, IMO.

 

[Jaden Bales]

We won’t know until we see the final regs. But I would not be surprised to see smaller hunt areas carved out of these larger units. Much like Trout Creek is a separate hunt carved out of a larger unit today. If that does not happen it could be the Wild West for a time.

Not sure if they will do much more chopping up than is proposed.

The reason for the splits is based on migration data. In this specific example, if deer that summer up high in above Medical Springs in the old Keating unit but are wintering outside of Union (aka Catherine Creek unit) then the harvest on Keating will show up in the winter counts in Catherine Creek.

I did think it was cool they carved out and created a new smaller unit on the map (not just in the regs) for the Pueblos that's separate from Beatty's and Trout Creek. Those deer aren't doing well and they don't exactly know why, so I could see them reducing opportunity commensurate with a more localized buck ratio as a result. But to your point, they're still looking at the harvest and tag data to figure out how many tags go where exactly.

 

[Tmac]

Not sure if they will do much more chopping up than is proposed.

The reason for the splits is based on migration data. In this specific example, if deer that summer up high in above Medical Springs in the old Keating unit but are wintering outside of Union (aka Catherine Creek unit) then the harvest on Keating will show up in the winter counts in Catherine Creek.

I did think it was cool they carved out and created a new smaller unit on the map (not just in the regs) for the Pueblos that's separate from Beatty's and Trout Creek. Those deer aren't doing well and they don't exactly know why, so I could see them reducing opportunity commensurate with a more localized buck ratio as a result. But to your point, they're still looking at the harvest and tag data to figure out how many tags go where exactly.

I’ve followed this and prior MD plans, so I get their herd management rationale and like it. I hope some of those smaller ranges that are part of a larger herd get some protection. Will be fun to see the final regulations and make a plan to hunt. We’d planned to hunt N Warner or Trout Creek this year, but an Oct. Canadian Moose hunt got pushed back into 2025. So we are going to plan something for 2026 in OR, just not sure what now lol.

We’ve had great moisture and a mild winter in SE OR again, so in areas with struggling populations the answer could lie elsewhere. Winter kill and drought set aside, predation and habitat (cheat grass) start to make one wonder. I know cheatgrass east of the Pueblo's is bad where I kick around, suspect it is probably bad there too. I sure hope we can solve it soon.

 

[BRTreedogs]

Exactly. Definitely check out the "why" behind the change though. It makes a lot of sense - the original boundaries were drawn without regard for which deer wintered where. As an example, you get counts of Idaho deer in Oregon in the winter, and ODFW could be (are likely) giving more tags for the resident deer than they should be because those Idaho deer have not moved in yet.

It's a pain in the ass in Wyoming to have different units for each species but it's what's right for the animals, IMO.

I support using the science to improve mule deer.

I don’t support making the regs more confusing.
Move the elk boundaries as well.

Wyoming is just dumb. Aren’t the boundaries the same except they just have different numbers for different species?

Trying to apply and stay legal for multiple species and states is very cumbersome and they officers ain’t gonna give ya any slack, they shouldn’t be making it harder to keep track of what’s legal where.

One week you’re hunting deer and then next elk. It’s the same unit ish but not really, maybe it moved by a couple miles?

I will be excited if they break out white tail more.

 

[BRTreedogs]

So each herd is going to have multiple units and you will be restricted to one unit?

Or will you get to hunt the entire herd unit?

 

[Jaden Bales]

So each herd is going to have multiple units and you will be restricted to one unit?

Or will you get to hunt the entire herd unit?

Just depends on the herds/units. Check out this map here:

https://geo.maps.arcgis.com/apps/instant/basic/index.html?appid=af4642be8a634e4bb323b4cd8821459b

And you ought to check out how Wyoming does it. It's even more confusing than just different unit numbers - it's different boundaries entirely for elk, deer, antelope, sheep, moose, goats, black bears, bison - all species.

Like, there's no pronghorn herd in the center of the Bighorns because there's no huntable population of pronghorn up there. Instead of putting wildlife into human boundaries, they manage humans around the wildlife's boundaries. Granted, there are minor exceptions. But there is no perfect system.

Back to your point on Oregon - I'm sure it's going to bite people, but I've made a mistake on a boundary that was unclear in the regs before and turned myself in and gotten a warning. Pays to be honest about mistakes.

 

[IdahoBeav]

They should just list the sections, townships, and ranges that are open for each specific hunt. This way there is no confusion.

 

[IdahoBeav]

I just got an email from ODFW informing me of a 20% tag reduction for a deer hunt that I currently have on my CH application.

 

[Oregon]

I did think it was cool they carved out and created a new smaller unit on the map (not just in the regs) for the Pueblos that's separate from Beatty's and Trout Creek. Those deer aren't doing well and they don't exactly know why,

Understatement of the year. I spent 2 years as a spotter on sheep hunts in the Pueblos. Probably have 25 days of doing nothing but staring through binoculars and spotters there. Every nook and cranny. Unicorns almost as plentiful as deer. Water everywhere. Feed. Blew my mind. Some of the prettiest country I’ve been in.

 

[wapitibob]

So each herd is going to have multiple units and you will be restricted to one unit?

Or will you get to hunt the entire herd unit?

Old east side Deer units are gone, completely new units take their place. Zooming in, the old units shown in white are for reference only.
Separate hunt areas works fine in WY and they separate every species.

 

[Baddog]

I just got an email from ODFW informing me of a 20% tag reduction for a deer hunt that I currently have on my CH application.

What unit?