Unit 51 (Sumpter)
Oregon Hunting Guide — Elk, Pronghorn
Sumpter spreads from Baker City and Haines through the Elkhorn Mountains, Unity and the Burnt River canyon. Less than half of it is public, so its hunts split by area and some are limited to private land access.
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Elk Hunting in Unit 51
Sumpter spreads from Baker City and Haines through the Elkhorn Mountains, Unity and the Burnt River canyon. Less than half of it is public, so its hunts split by area and some are limited to private land access.
Where to Find Elk in the Sumpter Unit: the Elkhorns above Baker City and the Burnt River side
The Elkhorns carry the high ground
Rock Creek Butte tops the unit at 9,077 feet, with Elkhorn Peak, Red Mountain and Twin Mountain all near 8,900 feet. That's the range that frames Baker City to the west. The unit's low end drops to about 2,399 feet near the river. One ODFW hunt description for this unit warns that the area is mostly rugged terrain with few roads and that hunters should be prepared. Take that seriously.
Public land is a patchwork
Overall about half of the unit is private. ODFW's hunt descriptions split it along a line from I-84 at Burnt River Canyon Lane, west on Burnt River Canyon Road to Highway 245 and then Highway 26, with the north side holding more public land than the south. The boundary runs from Ironside up Highway 26, Highway 7 and the Blue Mountains summit, then down Anthony Lakes Road and Ellis Road to North Powder, along I-84 and back through Huntington. Deer Creek Campground and the town of Sumpter are good staging points. Sumpter, Unity and Haines are the named towns, and Baker City is the nearest big one. Deer Creek Campground and the RV parks near Baker City are the named places to stay.
The ground ODFW draws for this hunt
The Sumpter Unit, WMU 51, covers about 1,523 square miles measured on ODFW's polygon, and ODFW rates it 45% public land. Named features inside the line fall in Baker County, Malheur County and Grant County. Elevation runs from about 2,399 to 9,077 feet. The highest named points are Rock Creek Butte (9,077 ft), Elkhorn Peak (8,929 ft) and Elkhorn Mountains (8,903 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 51 terrain and land status
Measured from the unit boundary, not from the agency write-up
The lay of it
- 3,203–5,691 ft on a terrain sample , averaging 4,458 ft ; peaks can run higher.
- 1,523.4 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
- 56 tanks
- 8 springs
- 1,241 stream segments
- 16 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: Rock Creek Butte (9,077 ft), Elkhorn Peak (8,929 ft), Elkhorn Mountains (8,903 ft), Twin Mountain (8,887 ft)
Holding ground: Lost Lake Saddle (7,991 ft), Cougar Basin (7,808 ft), Angell Basin (7,745 ft), Derringer Spring, Starveout 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 Sumpter Unit: pick a side of the line and scout the access
Elk Success Rates
Unit 51: 254 of 1,318 hunters, 19%. Figures are ODFW's own 2025 harvest statistics.
Elk Draw Odds
| Season | Tags | Applicants | Draw % | Pts Req |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Archery — Controlled bull/buck only (resident) | 825 | 1,223 | 64.1% | 13 |
| Archery — Controlled bull/buck only (nonresident) | 41 | 77 | 53.2% | 13 |
| Any Legal Weapon — Controlled bull/buck only (resident) | 138 | 74 | 100.0% | 9 |
| Any Legal Weapon — Controlled bull/buck only (nonresident) | 7 | 19 | 31.6% | 9 |
| Any Legal Weapon — Controlled bull/buck only (resident) | 138 | 91 | 100.0% | 5 |
| Any Legal Weapon — Controlled bull/buck only (nonresident) | 7 | 13 | 46.2% | 5 |
| Any Legal Weapon — Controlled bull/buck only (resident) | 22 | 23 | 91.3% | 3 |
| Any Legal Weapon — Controlled bull/buck only (nonresident) | 1 | 2 | 50.0% | 3 |
| Any Legal Weapon — Controlled bull/buck only (resident) | 22 | 49 | 44.9% | 2 |
| Any Legal Weapon — Controlled bull/buck only (nonresident) | 1 | 1 | 100.0% | 4 |
| Rifle — Controlled bull/buck only (resident) | 193 | 105 | 100.0% | 7 |
| Rifle — Controlled bull/buck only (nonresident) | 10 | 8 | 100.0% | 7 |
| Rifle — Controlled bull/buck only (resident) | 55 | 18 | 100.0% | 1 |
| Rifle — Controlled bull/buck only (nonresident) | 3 | 1 | 100.0% | 1 |
| Rifle — Controlled bull/buck only (resident) | 55 | 5 | 100.0% | 1 |
| Rifle — Controlled bull/buck only (resident) | 530 | 269 | 98.9% | 13 |
| Rifle — Controlled bull/buck only (nonresident) | 27 | 60 | 43.3% | 13 |
| Rifle — Controlled either sex (resident) | 100 | 158 | 60.8% | 5 |
| Rifle — Controlled either sex (nonresident) | 5 | 7 | 57.1% | 5 |
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.
- 251A N Sumpter: 825 tags for 2026; 1,782 first-choice applicants in 2025.
- 251C S Sumpter: 193 tags for 2026; 104 first-choice applicants in 2025.
- 251B1 S Sumpter No. 1: 138 tags for 2026; 1,300 first-choice applicants in 2025.
- 251B2 S Sumpter No. 2: 138 tags for 2026; 93 first-choice applicants in 2025.
- 251M1 Elkhorn No. 1 Muzzleloader: 55 tags for 2026; 224 first-choice applicants in 2025.
- 251M2 Elkhorn No. 2 Muzzleloader: 55 tags for 2026; 19 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 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: 1,523 square miles · accessed 2026-10-30
- Geographic Names Information System — named features inside the boundary — U.S. Geological Survey · supports: Rock Creek Butte 9,077 ft, Elkhorn Peak 8,929 ft · accessed 2026-10-30