Unit 37 (Ochoco)
Oregon Hunting Guide — Elk, Pronghorn
Ochoco runs from Prineville past Mitchell to Dayville and south to Paulina, with Spanish Peak at 6874 feet. ODFW says bull ratios in the district are below objective and the herd is declining slowly, but the harvest was about average.
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Elk Hunting in Unit 37
Ochoco runs from Prineville past Mitchell to Dayville and south to Paulina, with Spanish Peak at 6874 feet. ODFW says bull ratios in the district are below objective and the herd is declining slowly, but the harvest was about average.
Where to Find Elk in the Ochoco Unit: Spanish Peak, Round Mountain and the forest between
Prineville to Paulina by road
The boundary follows US 26 from Prineville northeast to Dayville, then the South Fork John Day River south to Pine Creek Road. It runs west to Suplee and Paulina and follows Beaver Creek, the Crooked River and Prineville Reservoir to Highway 27, closing at Prineville. Spanish Peak at 6874 feet, Mount Pisgah, Windy Point and Round Mountain are the named highs, and the low ground sits around 2392 feet. Little Summit Campground and Mitchell Park are the two bases listed.
Private ground and the district picture
One hunt, the Ochoco Private antlerless hunt, is on private land only. The forecast covers the whole district, noting that bull ratios in all three units are below management objective and that the elk population is decreasing slowly. Harvest last fall was about average. ODFW also says small streams flowed late into the summer, so animals stayed up high early in the season. In a wet year, that means the high ground comes first and the low ground later. Mitchell is the closest town, with Dayville and Prineville on the edges. Scott Road, OR 27 and County Road 63 are among the named roads if you want to see the unit before you commit to a camp.
The ground ODFW draws for this hunt
The Ochoco Unit, WMU 37, covers about 1,605 square miles measured on ODFW's polygon, and ODFW rates it 54% public land. Named features inside the line fall in Crook County, Wheeler County and Grant County. Elevation runs from about 2,392 to 6,929 feet. The highest named points are Spanish Peak (6,874 ft), Mount Pisgah (6,817 ft) and Windy Point (6,766 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 37 terrain and land status
Measured from the unit boundary, not from the agency write-up
The lay of it
- 3,461–6,017 ft on a terrain sample , averaging 4,560 ft ; peaks can run higher.
- 1,605.8 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
- 75 tanks
- 53 springs
- 798 stream segments
- 19 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: Lookout Mountain (6,929 ft), Spanish Peak (6,874 ft), Mount Pisgah (6,817 ft), Windy Point (6,766 ft)
Holding ground: Humphreys Pasture (6,344 ft), Indian Prairie (6,078 ft), McClanahan Meadow (5,928 ft), Hobble Spring, Keeton Spring
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 Ochoco Unit: leave the road, glass the head of every draw
Elk Success Rates
Unit 37: 187 of 617 hunters, 30%. Figures are ODFW's own 2025 harvest statistics.
Elk Draw Odds
| Season | Tags | Applicants | Draw % | Pts Req |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Archery — Controlled bull/buck only (resident) | 330 | 152 | 100.0% | 7 |
| Archery — Controlled bull/buck only (nonresident) | 17 | 17 | 70.6% | 7 |
| Rifle — Controlled bull/buck only (resident) | 495 | 1,028 | 45.8% | 22 |
| Rifle — Controlled bull/buck only (nonresident) | 25 | 70 | 24.3% | 22 |
| Rifle — Controlled either sex (resident) | 10 | 120 | 8.3% | 8 |
| Rifle — Controlled either sex (nonresident) | 1 | 3 | 0.0% | 8 |
| Rifle — Controlled either sex (resident) | 100 | 61 | 100.0% | 5 |
| Rifle — Controlled either sex (nonresident) | 5 | 2 | 100.0% | 5 |
| Rifle — Controlled bull/buck only (resident) | 138 | 1,700 | 7.8% | 18 |
| Rifle — Controlled bull/buck only (nonresident) | 7 | 74 | 5.4% | 18 |
| Rifle — Controlled bull/buck only (resident) | 137 | 1,318 | 9.9% | 19 |
| Rifle — Controlled bull/buck only (nonresident) | 7 | 77 | 5.2% | 19 |
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.
- 237A Ochoco Private: 330 tags for 2026; 76 first-choice applicants in 2025.
- 237X Ochoco Unit No. 1: 138 tags for 2026; 169 first-choice applicants in 2025.
- 237Y Ochoco Unit No. 2: 138 tags for 2026; 1,774 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 was hunter success for elk here in 2025?
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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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
- Big game hunting harvest statistics, 2025 — Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife · supports: Hunters, harvest and success · accessed 2026-10-30
- Wildlife Management Units (ArcGIS) — Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife · supports: 1,605 square miles · accessed 2026-10-30
- Geographic Names Information System — named features inside the boundary — U.S. Geological Survey · supports: Spanish Peak 6,874 ft, Mount Pisgah 6,817 ft · accessed 2026-10-30