Unit 48 (Heppner)
Oregon Hunting Guide — Elk
Heppner is a large Morrow County block around Heppner, with only a slice of public land mostly north and west of the North Fork John Day River. ODFW says elk are at objective, with a better calf ratio and plenty of older bulls.
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Elk Hunting in Unit 48
Heppner is a large Morrow County block around Heppner, with only a slice of public land mostly north and west of the North Fork John Day River. ODFW says elk are at objective, with a better calf ratio and plenty of older bulls.
Where to Find Elk in the Heppner Unit: public ground north of the North Fork John Day
Heppner, Monument and Kimberly
The boundary runs northeast from Heppner on Highway 74 to US 395 and south to the Long Creek-Monument road. It runs northwest to the North Fork John Day River at Monument and follows the river southwest to Kimberly. Highway 19 and Highway 207 close the loop back to Heppner. Black Mountain, at 5930 feet, and Arbuckle Mountain lead the high points. The lowest ground sits near 1786. The river splits the hunts. North and west of it is mixed public land, and south and east is mostly private.
Herd status from ODFW
ODFW's forecast says elk in the Heppner unit are at management objective and bull ratios haven't moved from last year. The calf ratio is a little better, so spike bulls should be somewhat easier to find. There are still good numbers of older bulls through the forest. Camp Rabbanah and Coalmine Hill are two campgrounds to work from. Morrow County OHV Park sits in the mix too, so expect motorized traffic on weekends. Ukiah and Monument sit close to the edges, and Long Creek isn't far off. US 395 and OR 207 are the main highways, and County Road 15 reaches into the middle.
The ground ODFW draws for this hunt
The Heppner Unit, WMU 48, covers about 1,438 square miles measured on ODFW's polygon, and ODFW rates it 34% public land. Named features inside the line fall in Morrow County, Grant County, Umatilla County and Wheeler County. Elevation runs from about 1,786 to 5,930 feet. The highest named points are Black Mountain (5,930 ft), Arbuckle Mountain (5,846 ft) and Bald Mountain (5,773 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 48 terrain and land status
Measured from the unit boundary, not from the agency write-up
The lay of it
- 2,765–4,711 ft on a terrain sample , averaging 3,762 ft ; peaks can run higher.
- 1,437.7 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
- 20 tanks
- 9 springs
- 489 stream segments
- 5 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: Black Mountain (5,930 ft), Arbuckle Mountain (5,846 ft), Bald Mountain (5,773 ft), Madison Butte (5,690 ft)
Holding ground: Kelly Prairie (5,062 ft), Kenny Prairie (5,053 ft), Thompson Flat (4,417 ft), Mud Spring, Hidden 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 Heppner Unit: private-ground hunts, spike tags and bull timing
Elk Success Rates
Unit 48: 403 of 2,595 hunters, 16%. Figures are ODFW's own 2025 harvest statistics.
Elk Draw Odds
| Season | Tags | Applicants | Draw % | Pts Req |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Archery — Controlled bull/buck only (resident) | 605 | 2,837 | 20.3% | 11 |
| Archery — Controlled bull/buck only (nonresident) | 30 | 149 | 14.8% | 11 |
| Archery — Controlled bull/buck only (resident) | 660 | 235 | 100.0% | 4 |
| Archery — Controlled bull/buck only (nonresident) | 33 | 22 | 100.0% | 4 |
| Any Legal Weapon — Controlled bull/buck only (resident) | 138 | 89 | 100.0% | 2 |
| Any Legal Weapon — Controlled bull/buck only (nonresident) | 7 | 14 | 28.6% | 2 |
| Any Legal Weapon — Controlled bull/buck only (resident) | 220 | 91 | 100.0% | 4 |
| Any Legal Weapon — Controlled bull/buck only (nonresident) | 11 | 15 | 53.3% | 4 |
| Rifle — Controlled bull/buck only (resident) | 99 | 59 | 100.0% | 9 |
| Rifle — Controlled bull/buck only (nonresident) | 5 | 10 | 40.0% | 9 |
| Rifle — Controlled bull/buck only (resident) | 33 | 304 | 10.5% | 9 |
| Rifle — Controlled bull/buck only (nonresident) | 2 | 7 | 14.3% | 9 |
| Rifle — Controlled bull/buck only (resident) | 22 | 5 | 100.0% | 2 |
| Rifle — Controlled bull/buck only (nonresident) | 1 | 1 | 100.0% | 4 |
| Rifle — Controlled bull/buck only (resident) | 121 | 463 | 24.8% | 14 |
| Rifle — Controlled bull/buck only (nonresident) | 6 | 27 | 14.8% | 14 |
| Rifle — Controlled bull/buck only (resident) | 1440 | 250 | 96.0% | 14 |
| Rifle — Controlled bull/buck only (nonresident) | 72 | 181 | 29.8% | 14 |
| Rifle — Controlled either sex (resident) | 50 | 175 | 27.4% | 7 |
| Rifle — Controlled either sex (nonresident) | 3 | 11 | 18.2% | 7 |
| Muzzleloader — Controlled bull/buck only (resident) | 27 | 209 | 12.4% | 18 |
| Muzzleloader — Controlled bull/buck only (nonresident) | 1 | 15 | 0.0% | 18 |
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.
- 248R2 Heppner Unit Bow No. 1: 1,430 tags for 2026; 490 first-choice applicants in 2025.
- 248A2 Heppner Unit No. 2: 660 tags for 2026; 2,986 first-choice applicants in 2025.
- 248A1 Heppner Unit No. 1: 605 tags for 2026; 906 first-choice applicants in 2025.
- 248B2 Ritter No. 2: 220 tags for 2026; 103 first-choice applicants in 2025.
- 247D2 Northside - Ritter Private No. 2: 165 tags for 2026; 286 first-choice applicants in 2025.
- 248B1 Ritter No. 1: 138 tags for 2026; 257 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?
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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: 1,438 square miles · accessed 2026-10-30
- Geographic Names Information System — named features inside the boundary — U.S. Geological Survey · supports: Black Mountain 5,930 ft, Arbuckle Mountain 5,846 ft · accessed 2026-10-30