Unit 58 (Chesnimnus)
Oregon Hunting Guide — Elk
Chesnimnus is the plateau and canyon country north of Joseph, running from Crow Creek and Chesnimnus Creek down to the Snake and Imnaha rivers. Public ground covers under half of it, and the Zumwalt hunts lean heavily on private land.
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Elk Hunting in Unit 58
Chesnimnus is the plateau and canyon country north of Joseph, running from Crow Creek and Chesnimnus Creek down to the Snake and Imnaha rivers. Public ground covers under half of it, and the Zumwalt hunts lean heavily on private land.
Where to Find Elk in the Chesnimnus Unit: the canyon rims above Joseph Creek and the Snake
A boundary drawn by water
ODFW's line follows the highway north from Joseph to Crow Creek Road, then Chesnimnus Creek to Joseph Creek, the Oregon-Washington state line, the Snake River, and the Imnaha River back toward Imnaha. Crow Creek Road, Lewis Road and Dug Bar Road (FSR 4260) are the working roads. The named high points are Findley Buttes, Harsin Butte, Poison Point and Fairchild Point, all a little over 5,000 feet, and the low end drops past 1,100 feet at the river.
Public pockets, private plateau
Under half of this unit is public. The Zumwalt antlerless hunts are described by ODFW as only a small share public, because they cover part of Unit 57 as well. That's mostly ranch country, so permission matters. ODFW's forecast for the Wallowa units says elk numbers are stable and hunters should have good opportunities, though calf recruitment has been low after two dry years. Upper Cache Creek and Coon Hollow campsites put you on the forest side of the unit, where the public land is easier to find. Chesnimnus Creek and Joseph Creek cut the northern edge, so look first at where those drainages break from plateau into canyon. Elk feed on the benches and rest in the draws, and the canyon sides give you a long view before you commit.
The ground ODFW draws for this hunt
The Chesnimnus Unit, WMU 58, covers about 656 square miles measured on ODFW's polygon, and ODFW rates it 48% public land. Named features inside the line fall in Wallowa County. Elevation runs from about 1,109 to 5,513 feet. The highest named points are Findley Buttes (5,513 ft), Harsin Butte (5,510 ft) and Méex̣sem Héepey Butte (5,485 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 58 terrain and land status
Measured from the unit boundary, not from the agency write-up
The lay of it
- 2,312–4,905 ft on a terrain sample , averaging 4,222 ft ; peaks can run higher.
- 655.8 sq mi inside the boundary.
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
- 6 tanks
- 3 springs
- 139 stream segments
- 3 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: Cold Spring Ridge (5,486 ft), Deadhorse Ridge (5,416 ft), Poison Point (5,380 ft), Wildhorse Ridge (5,336 ft)
Holding ground: Bear Flat (5,301 ft), Billy Meadows (4,847 ft), Downey Saddle (4,630 ft), Milk Spring, Long Ridge 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 Chesnimnus Unit: water, wallows and a call to the landowner
Elk Success Rates
Unit 58: 214 of 690 hunters, 31%. Figures are ODFW's own 2025 harvest statistics.
Elk Draw Odds
| Season | Tags | Applicants | Draw % | Pts Req |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Archery — Controlled bull/buck only (resident) | 72 | 137 | 50.4% | 7 |
| Archery — Controlled bull/buck only (nonresident) | 4 | 11 | 27.3% | 7 |
| Archery — Controlled bull/buck only (resident) | 72 | 76 | 90.8% | 4 |
| Archery — Controlled bull/buck only (nonresident) | 4 | 7 | 42.9% | 4 |
| Archery — Controlled bull/buck only (resident) | 72 | 110 | 62.7% | 3 |
| Archery — Controlled bull/buck only (nonresident) | 4 | 9 | 33.3% | 3 |
| Rifle — Controlled bull/buck only (resident) | 72 | 121 | 57.0% | 6 |
| Rifle — Controlled bull/buck only (nonresident) | 4 | 5 | 60.0% | 6 |
| Rifle — Controlled bull/buck only (resident) | 72 | 39 | 100.0% | 2 |
| Rifle — Controlled bull/buck only (nonresident) | 4 | 2 | 100.0% | 2 |
| Rifle — Controlled bull/buck only (resident) | 330 | 452 | 69.5% | 8 |
| Rifle — Controlled bull/buck only (nonresident) | 17 | 35 | 45.7% | 8 |
| Rifle — Controlled either sex (resident) | 10 | 49 | 20.4% | 9 |
| Rifle — Controlled either sex (nonresident) | 1 | 1 | 0.0% | 9 |
| Rifle — Controlled bull/buck only (resident) | 385 | 525 | 69.7% | 8 |
| Rifle — Controlled bull/buck only (nonresident) | 19 | 32 | 59.4% | 8 |
| Rifle — Controlled bull/buck only (resident) | 385 | 577 | 63.4% | 6 |
| Rifle — Controlled bull/buck only (nonresident) | 19 | 36 | 52.8% | 6 |
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.
- 258A2 Zumwalt No. 2: 550 tags for 2026; 148 first-choice applicants in 2025.
- 258X Chesnimnus Unit No. 1: 440 tags for 2026; 119 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: 656 square miles · accessed 2026-10-30
- Geographic Names Information System — named features inside the boundary — U.S. Geological Survey · supports: Findley Buttes 5,513 ft, Harsin Butte 5,510 ft · accessed 2026-10-30