Unit 34 (Upper Deschutes)
Oregon Hunting Guide — Elk
Upper Deschutes runs from Bend and Sisters to Crescent and the Pacific Crest Trail, with the Three Sisters and Broken Top on its west edge. ODFW reports a record spring elk count here.
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Elk Hunting in Unit 34
Upper Deschutes runs from Bend and Sisters to Crescent and the Pacific Crest Trail, with the Three Sisters and Broken Top on its west edge. ODFW reports a record spring elk count here.
Where to Find Elk in the Upper Deschutes Unit: the jack pine flats and buttes east of the Cascade crest
Jack pines and the lakes
ODFW's forecast says the thick jack pines around Crane Prairie, Wickiup and Davis Lake hold strong numbers of elk. It also notes that many of the buttes and remote areas in this country can be a good place to look. The unit runs from Bend southwest on US 97 to Crescent, then west to the Pacific Crest Trail and north to Highway 242 and Sisters. Public land is about three-quarters of it, with a mix of private around Tumalo and the east edge near Redmond.
A record count with a catch
The forecast calls out a record elk count this spring in the Upper Deschutes and Metolius units. Numbers are stable to increasing and near objective. The catch is low calf recruitment and low bull ratios, which ODFW calls a staple of the Cascade herd. Mild winter conditions also mean more spikes and yearling cows than usual. Drought is making elk distribution patchy, so they follow quality feed around streams, rivers, lakes and places that hold water. Lower, drier ground has fewer elk. Sunriver, La Pine and Bend are all close, so supplies are never far. The Three Sisters, Broken Top and Mount Bachelor mark the west edge, which gives you rugged skyline to look at while you glass the flats below it.
The ground ODFW draws for this hunt
The Upper Deschutes Unit, WMU 34, covers about 1,400 square miles measured on ODFW's polygon, and ODFW rates it 75% public land. Named features inside the line fall in Deschutes County, Lane County and Klamath County. Elevation runs from about 2,911 to 10,321 feet. The highest named points are South Sister (10,321 ft), Middle Sister (10,032 ft) and North Sister (9,950 ft). ODFW's line is the legal one, so check it against a current land-ownership map, and get permission before you cross private ground or a locked gate inside it.
Unit 34 terrain and land status
Measured from the unit boundary, not from the agency write-up
The lay of it
- 3,262–6,937 ft on a terrain sample , averaging 4,678 ft ; peaks can run higher.
- 1,400.7 sq mi inside the boundary. Big enough that picking one drainage beats driving three.
Who owns the ground
- National Forest — 60%
- State Trust — 8%
- Private / Other — 32%
Roughly 68% is public. Carry a land-status layer anyway — these are area percentages, not a map of where the boundaries fall.
Water on the ground
- 559 tanks
- 63 springs
- 439 stream segments
- 126 lakes
Counts from mapping data, so this is how many exist, not how many hold water in a dry year. Sitting water only pays where you find fresh tracks.
Named features inside the unit
Glass from: Three Sisters (10,321 ft), Middle Sister (10,032 ft), Broken Top (9,112 ft), Mount Bachelor (9,066 ft)
Holding ground: Frazier Upland (7,615 ft), Opie Dilldock Pass (6,912 ft), Dutchman Flat (6,278 ft)
Every one of these was tested against the unit polygon before it went on the map. They are starting points, not agency recommendations.
How to Hunt Elk in the Upper Deschutes Unit: go where the roads aren't
Elk Success Rates
ODFW published no 2025 harvest figure we can tie to this ground for elk.
Elk Draw Odds
| Season | Tags | Applicants | Draw % | Pts Req |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rifle — Controlled bull/buck only (resident) | 66 | 132 | 47.7% | 7 |
| Rifle — Controlled bull/buck only (nonresident) | 3 | 8 | 37.5% | 7 |
| Rifle — Controlled bull/buck only (resident) | 94 | 179 | 52.0% | 6 |
| Rifle — Controlled bull/buck only (nonresident) | 5 | 5 | 20.0% | 6 |
| Rifle — Controlled either sex (resident) | 50 | 129 | 37.2% | 6 |
| Rifle — Controlled either sex (nonresident) | 3 | 6 | 33.3% | 6 |
| Rifle — Controlled bull/buck only (resident) | 1320 | 1,284 | 100.0% | 7 |
| Rifle — Controlled bull/buck only (nonresident) | 66 | 16 | 100.0% | 7 |
| Muzzleloader — Controlled bull/buck only (resident) | 198 | 448 | 43.3% | 4 |
| Muzzleloader — Controlled bull/buck only (nonresident) | 10 | 14 | 28.6% | 4 |
Data from 2025 draw results. Each row is one residency pool — read the label before the number.
Open in Draw Odds EngineFrom ODFW's 2026 regulations, residents and nonresidents together: 2026 tags against 2025 first-choice applicants.
- 234X E Central Cascades: 1,320 tags for 2026; 140 first-choice applicants in 2025.
- 234M E Cascade Muzzleloader: 198 tags for 2026; 59 first-choice applicants in 2025.
- 234B Tumalo: 22 tags for 2026; 113 first-choice applicants in 2025.
ODFW sets a point cut-off per hunt each year; its point summary reports carry it.
Unit Logistics & Expectations
Frequently Asked Questions
What ground does this Oregon elk page cover?
What's the biggest 2026 elk hunt here?
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Upgrade to Pro — $49/yrSources & Verification
Every fact on this page is tied to a primary source below. Last fact-checked 2026-10-30.
- 2026 Oregon Big Game Hunting Regulations — Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife · supports: Hunt areas and boundary descriptions, Seasons, bag limits and 2026 tags · accessed 2026-10-30
- Big Game hunting forecast, 2026/27 — Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife · supports: Field reports by hunt area and WMU · accessed 2026-10-30
- Wildlife Management Units (ArcGIS) — Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife · supports: 1,400 square miles · accessed 2026-10-30
- Geographic Names Information System — named features inside the boundary — U.S. Geological Survey · supports: South Sister 10,321 ft, Middle Sister 10,032 ft · accessed 2026-10-30