Unit 40 (Maupin)

A plateau between rivers and highways

ODFW's boundary begins at Maupin and runs north on US 197 to Tygh Valley, northeast on Hwy 216 to Grass Valley, and south on US 97 to Shaniko. It goes southeast on Hwy 218 to Antelope, follows Antelope Creek Road to US 97, and reaches the Deschutes River at South Junction. Named elevations run from 708 ft to a high of 3599 ft, with Nachter Butte, Cross Hill, Sugarloaf and Devils Halfacre as named high points.

Little public land, no forecast

The hunt description says public land is a small share of this area, which also covers Units 40, 43, 44 and part of 48. What the boundary does tell you is that this is open, low country, which is where pronghorn tend to live. Shaniko, Maupin, Antelope and Tygh Valley are the nearest towns, and US 97, US 197 and OR 216 are named highways. Wasco and Sherman counties share the unit. The Prineville BLM map is the one ODFW lists, and it's worth having to find the few public parcels.

The ground ODFW draws for this hunt

The Maupin Unit, WMU 40, covers about 528 square miles measured on ODFW's polygon, and ODFW rates it 9% public land. Named features inside the line fall in Wasco County and Sherman County. Elevation runs from about 708 to 3,599 feet. The highest named points are Nachter Butte (3,375 ft), Cross Hill (2,786 ft) and Sugarloaf (2,127 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.

Permission is most of the hunt

With public land this limited, you'll need landowner permission to hunt much of the unit. Ask early, explain which tag you hold and offer to follow whatever rules the landowner sets. Open, rolling ground makes pronghorn easy to see and hard to approach, so don't push your luck on a landowner's patience. Respect gates and livestock.

Doe or buck, plan the stalk

The two hunts are for does or fawns and for bucks, so confirm which one you hold. Glass from a road or a rise, find a group and watch where it travels. Use draws and fence lines to cover your approach, and take only a shot you've practiced. Camps like Davidson Flats Camp, Blue Hole Campground and White River Campground are listed near the unit.

ODFW's 2026 pronghorn hunts on this ground

Seasons, bag limits and tags come from ODFW's 2026 regulations. Check the current book before you apply or go, because these change every year.

• 440A1 Columbia Plateau No. 1, Oct. 17 - Oct. 25: 55 tags, one doe or fawn pronghorn.
• 440A2 Columbia Plateau No. 2, Oct. 17 - Oct. 25: 26 tags, one buck pronghorn.

The 2025 harvest in ODFW's numbers

ODFW's 2025 statistics for this WMU, covering pronghorn hunters.

• Maupin: 1 hunters, 0 animals, 0% success over 1 hunter days.

Roads in and the nearest towns

The longest named roads through this ground are US 97, OR 216, US 197 and Deschutes River Access Road. The nearest towns are Shaniko (9 mi), Maupin (11 mi) and Antelope (15 mi), measured from the centre of the unit.