Unit 44 (Columbia Basin)
Oregon Hunting Guide — Elk
Columbia Basin is a huge, mostly private elk unit from Condon to Arlington, Pendleton and Heppner. Public land is a sliver of the whole, and the controlled hunt runs from fall into spring.
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Elk Hunting in Unit 44
Columbia Basin is a huge, mostly private elk unit from Condon to Arlington, Pendleton and Heppner. Public land is a sliver of the whole, and the controlled hunt runs from fall into spring.
Where to Find Elk in the Columbia Basin Unit: Arlington to Heppner, mostly private
A boundary of towns and highways
ODFW's boundary starts at Condon and runs north on Hwy 19 to the Oregon-Washington line at Arlington. It follows the state line northeast to Hwy 11, goes southwest to Pendleton, and then follows US 395 to Hwy 74. From there it runs southwest to Heppner, south on Hwy 207 to Hwy 206, and west back to Condon. The hunt takes in all of Units 44, 43 and 40.
Low buttes and a thin public share
This is low country. The named elevations run from 268 ft to Gleason Butte at 3221 ft, with Morris Butte, Swaggart Buttes, Jordan Butte and Utts Butte also named. Public land is only a sliver of the unit, so access is almost always a conversation with a landowner. ODFW's forecast excerpts for this area cover neighbouring units, so no herd claims are made here beyond what the hunt itself shows. Echo, Stanfield, Hermiston and Irrigon are the nearest towns, and OR 74, OR 206, OR 19, Rhea Creek Road and US 395 are the named roads. Morrow, Umatilla and Gilliam counties share the unit. It's a lot of ground to cover, so decide early which corner you'll work and talk to the landowners there.
The ground ODFW draws for this hunt
The Columbia Basin Unit, WMU 44, covers about 2,857 square miles measured on ODFW's polygon, and ODFW rates it 5% public land. Named features inside the line fall in Morrow County, Umatilla County and Gilliam County. Elevation runs from about 268 to 3,221 feet. The highest named points are Gleason Butte (3,221 ft), Morris Butte (2,918 ft) and Swaggart Buttes (2,740 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 44 terrain and land status
Measured from the unit boundary, not from the agency write-up
The lay of it
- 318–2,619 ft on a terrain sample , averaging 1,359 ft ; peaks can run higher.
- 2,823 sq mi inside the boundary. Big enough that picking one drainage beats driving three.
Who owns the ground
- State Trust — 8%
- Private / Other — 92%
Roughly 8% is public. Carry a land-status layer anyway — these are area percentages, not a map of where the boundaries fall.
Water on the ground
- 132 tanks
- 1 springs
- 535 stream segments
- 26 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: Hickland Butte (1,011 ft), Horn Butte (908 ft), Umatilla Butte (652 ft), Hermiston Butte (599 ft)
Holding ground: Cold Springs Canyon (603 ft), Sixmile Canyon (268 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 Columbia Basin Unit: permission first, long season
Elk Success Rates
Unit 44: 147 of 346 hunters, 42%. Figures are ODFW's own 2025 harvest statistics.
Elk Draw Odds
| Season | Tags | Applicants | Draw % | Pts Req |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rifle — Controlled bull/buck only (resident) | 1100 | 540 | 100.0% | 22 |
| Rifle — Controlled bull/buck only (nonresident) | 55 | 67 | 74.6% | 22 |
| Rifle — Controlled either sex (resident) | 50 | 114 | 43.0% | 5 |
| Rifle — Controlled either sex (nonresident) | 3 | 3 | 33.3% | 5 |
Data from 2025 draw results. Each row is one residency pool — read the label before the number.
Open in Draw Odds EngineODFW's 2026 regulations give no first-choice applicant figure we can tie to a single hunt here. See ODFW's point summary reports.
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?
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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: 2,857 square miles · accessed 2026-10-30
- Geographic Names Information System — named features inside the boundary — U.S. Geological Survey · supports: Gleason Butte 3,221 ft, Morris Butte 2,918 ft · accessed 2026-10-30