Unit 35 (Paulina)
Oregon Hunting Guide — Elk, Pronghorn
Paulina covers the volcanic country around Newberry, from Redmond and Prineville south through Paulina Peak at 7,972 feet to the lakes near La Pine. ODFW names the Timbers and Spring Butte TMAs as places that hold elk year-round.
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Elk Hunting in Unit 35
Paulina covers the volcanic country around Newberry, from Redmond and Prineville south through Paulina Peak at 7,972 feet to the lakes near La Pine. ODFW names the Timbers and Spring Butte TMAs as places that hold elk year-round.
Where to Find Elk in the Paulina Unit: the Timbers and Spring Butte travel management areas
Closed roads hold the elk
ODFW's forecast says the Timbers and Spring Butte TMAs hold good numbers of elk year-round because of the motor vehicle restrictions there. It suggests walking on closed roads and finding openings within the forest. That's a plain answer to where to start. The named high points in the wider unit are Paulina Peak, North Paulina Peak, Galo Butte, Kawak Butte and The Dome.
Drought pushes elk toward water
The Cascade forecast says elk numbers are stable to increasing, with populations at or near objective. Drought is making elk patchy, so they follow quality feed, often around streams, lakes and places that hold water. Lower, drier ground continues to hold fewer elk, and ODFW says that's reflected in fewer animals in Paulina and North Wagontire than in the Upper Deschutes and Metolius. Chief Paulina Horse Camp, East Lake, Cinder Hill and Little Crater campgrounds put you near the higher timber and the lakes. Sunriver, La Pine and Bend are the named towns, with Redmond and Prineville on the north side of the boundary. The hunt descriptions combine this unit with part of Unit 77 east of US 97, and a smaller area south of Lake County Road 5-12B. Read your hunt's piece before you scout.
The ground ODFW draws for this hunt
The Paulina Unit, WMU 35, covers about 2,173 square miles measured on ODFW's polygon, and ODFW rates it 76% public land. Named features inside the line fall in Deschutes County, Lake County, Crook County and Klamath County. Elevation runs from about 2,967 to 7,972 feet. The highest named points are Paulina Peak (7,972 ft), North Paulina Peak (7,684 ft) and Galo Butte (7,454 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 35 terrain and land status
Measured from the unit boundary, not from the agency write-up
The lay of it
- 3,307–5,900 ft on a terrain sample , averaging 4,542 ft ; peaks can run higher.
- 2,173.6 sq mi inside the boundary. Big enough that picking one drainage beats driving three.
Who owns the ground
- National Forest — 60%
- BLM — 15%
- State Trust — 8%
- Private / Other — 17%
Roughly 83% is public. Carry a land-status layer anyway — these are area percentages, not a map of where the boundaries fall.
Water on the ground
- 206 tanks
- 5 springs
- 81 stream segments
- 15 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: Paulina Peak (7,972 ft), North Paulina Peak (7,684 ft), Kawak Butte (7,363 ft), The Dome (7,181 ft)
Holding ground: North Canyon (6,748 ft), Coyote Flat (5,312 ft), Porcupine Flat (5,236 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 Paulina Unit: walk the closed roads and look for openings
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Archery — Controlled bull/buck only (resident) | 44 | 128 | 34.4% | 6 |
| Archery — Controlled bull/buck only (nonresident) | 2 | 2 | 0.0% | 6 |
| Muzzleloader — Controlled bull/buck only (resident) | 55 | 105 | 50.5% | 5 |
| Muzzleloader — Controlled bull/buck only (nonresident) | 3 | 6 | 33.3% | 5 |
| Rifle — Controlled either sex (resident) | 30 | 53 | 54.7% | 3 |
| Rifle — Controlled either sex (nonresident) | 2 | 3 | 33.3% | 3 |
| Rifle — Controlled bull/buck only (resident) | 495 | 557 | 86.2% | 7 |
| Rifle — Controlled bull/buck only (nonresident) | 25 | 16 | 93.8% | 7 |
| Rifle — Controlled bull/buck only (resident) | 330 | 505 | 63.2% | 8 |
| Rifle — Controlled bull/buck only (nonresident) | 17 | 15 | 73.3% | 8 |
Data from 2023 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.
- 235X Paulina - E Fort Rock No. 1: 495 tags for 2026; 1,300 first-choice applicants in 2025.
- 235Y Paulina - E Fort Rock No. 2: 330 tags for 2026; 573 first-choice applicants in 2025.
- 235M Paulina - E Fort Rock Muzzleloader: 55 tags for 2026; 462 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?
What ground does this Oregon pronghorn page cover?
What's the biggest 2026 pronghorn hunt here?
What was hunter success for pronghorn here in 2025?
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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: 2,173 square miles · accessed 2026-10-30
- Geographic Names Information System — named features inside the boundary — U.S. Geological Survey · supports: Paulina Peak 7,972 ft, North Paulina Peak 7,684 ft · accessed 2026-10-30
- Big game hunting harvest statistics, 2025 — Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife · supports: Hunters, harvest and success · accessed 2026-10-30