Unit 59 (Snake River)
Oregon Hunting Guide — Elk, Bear
Snake River is the Hells Canyon rim and breaks of Wallowa County from Hat Point at 6,978 feet down to the river near 948 feet. It's almost all public land, and the main hunt is for spike elk.
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Elk Hunting in Unit 59
Snake River is the Hells Canyon rim and breaks of Wallowa County from Hat Point at 6,978 feet down to the river near 948 feet. It's almost all public land, and the main hunt is for spike elk.
Where to Find Elk in the Snake River Unit: north-facing draws between Hat Point and the Snake
Rim to river
The boundary starts where the Imnaha meets the Snake and runs southeast on the Snake River to Thirty-two Point Creek. It then goes southwest on the creek to Summit Road, follows Summit Road to North Fork Dry Creek, and takes Dry Creek northwest to the Imnaha River and back north to the Snake. Hat Point, Bear Mountain, Black Mountain, Lookout Mountain and Grassy Knoll top out between about 6,500 and 7,000 feet, and the low end sits near 948 feet at the river.
Water and shade
ODFW's district forecast says elk numbers are stable and hunters should have good opportunities, though recruitment has been low after two dry years. It adds that hot, dry weather sends elk looking for northern exposures to find forage and water in the early archery season. That fits this canyon ground well. Ollokot, Sacajawea, China Bar and Dug Creek are the named campsites. Nearly all of the unit is public land, so you'll rarely need a landowner's permission. Joseph, Enterprise, Grangeville and Cottonwood are the named towns. No named roads cross the unit, so expect rough forest tracks and a long approach. Check road conditions before you leave town.
The ground ODFW draws for this hunt
The Snake Rvr Unit, WMU 59, covers about 459 square miles measured on ODFW's polygon, and ODFW rates it 92% public land. Named features inside the line fall in Wallowa County. Elevation runs from about 948 to 6,978 feet. The highest named points are Hat Point (6,978 ft), Bear Mountain (6,877 ft) and Black Mountain (6,847 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 59 terrain and land status
Measured from the unit boundary, not from the agency write-up
The lay of it
- 1,961–6,101 ft on a terrain sample , averaging 4,666 ft ; peaks can run higher. That spread means you can hunt two seasons in one day — plan clothing for both ends.
- 459.1 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
- 1 tanks
- 1 springs
- 96 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: Hat Point (6,978 ft), Bear Mountain (6,877 ft), Lookout Mountain (6,794 ft), Grassy Knoll (6,523 ft)
Holding ground: Squirrel Prairie (6,748 ft), Sluice Creek Saddle (6,478 ft), Sour Apple Flat (6,367 ft), Sacajawea 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 Snake River Unit: a spike hunt on steep ground, and a fire check
Elk Success Rates
Unit 59: 136 of 230 hunters, 59%. Figures are ODFW's own 2025 harvest statistics.
Elk Draw Odds
| Season | Tags | Applicants | Draw % | Pts Req |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rifle — Controlled bull/buck only (resident) | 270 | 23 | 100.0% | 6 |
| Rifle — Controlled bull/buck only (nonresident) | 14 | 17 | 64.7% | 6 |
| Rifle — Controlled either sex (resident) | 10 | 27 | 33.3% | 4 |
| Rifle — Controlled either sex (nonresident) | 1 | 3 | 0.0% | 4 |
| Rifle — Controlled bull/buck only (resident) | 154 | 82 | 100.0% | 4 |
| Rifle — Controlled bull/buck only (nonresident) | 8 | 14 | 42.9% | 4 |
| Rifle — Controlled bull/buck only (resident) | 165 | 805 | 19.5% | 16 |
| Rifle — Controlled bull/buck only (nonresident) | 8 | 121 | 5.0% | 16 |
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.
- 259X Snake Rvr Unit No. 1: 72 tags for 2026; 613 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 black bear page cover?
What's the biggest 2026 black bear hunt here?
What was hunter success for black bear 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: 459 square miles · accessed 2026-10-30
- Geographic Names Information System — named features inside the boundary — U.S. Geological Survey · supports: Hat Point 6,978 ft, Bear Mountain 6,877 ft · accessed 2026-10-30