Unit 60 (Minam)
Oregon Hunting Guide — Bear, Elk
Minam is a spring bear hunt shared with Unit 61, mostly public, running from Minam to Wallowa Lake and up the Eagle Mountains. The named summits top nine thousand feet, with Matterhorn at 9809 ft.
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Bear Hunting in Unit 60
Minam is a spring bear hunt shared with Unit 61, mostly public, running from Minam to Wallowa Lake and up the Eagle Mountains. The named summits top nine thousand feet, with Matterhorn at 9809 ft.
Where to Find Black Bear in the Minam Unit: Minam River to Hawkins Pass
A boundary that climbs to the divide
ODFW's walk starts at Minam and runs southeast on Hwy 82 to the head of Wallowa Lake, then southwest on the West Fork Trail to Hawkins Pass. It follows the Eagle Mountains summit to Granite Butte, then the divide between Big Minam and Catherine Creek past Burger Butte and Meadow Mountain. Cartwheel Ridge Trail and Lodgepole Trail lead to Moss Springs, and Point Prominence Road and the forest boundary return it to the Minam River.
Big relief, honest forecast
Named elevations run from 2588 ft to Matterhorn at 9809 ft, followed by Sacajawea Peak, Point Joseph, Chief Joseph Mountain and Twin Peaks. ODFW's forecast says bear numbers are strong in all units and appear to be increasing slightly. That's regional, not a Minam-specific statement. The hunt covers this unit together with Unit 61, so check the boundary of both. Lostine, Enterprise, Joseph and Wallowa are the nearest towns, and OR 82, OR 351 and Lostine River Road are named routes. Most of the unit is public land, and the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest and Vale BLM maps show where it sits. Start with the lower drainages on your map and work up from there.
The ground ODFW draws for this hunt
The Minam Unit, WMU 60, covers about 574 square miles measured on ODFW's polygon, and ODFW rates it 74% public land. Named features inside the line fall in Wallowa County and Union County. Elevation runs from about 2,588 to 9,809 feet. The highest named points are Matterhorn (9,809 ft), Sacajawea Peak (9,807 ft) and Point Joseph (9,614 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 60 terrain and land status
Measured from the unit boundary, not from the agency write-up
The lay of it
- 3,155–8,459 ft on a terrain sample , averaging 5,852 ft ; peaks can run higher. That spread means you can hunt two seasons in one day — plan clothing for both ends.
- 574.3 sq mi inside the boundary.
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
- 97 tanks
- 14 springs
- 400 stream segments
- 40 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: Matterhorn (9,809 ft), Hurwal Divide (9,765 ft), Point Joseph (9,614 ft), Twin Peaks (9,609 ft)
Holding ground: Glacier Pass (8,464 ft), Sand Pass (8,008 ft), Granite Meadow (7,890 ft), Summit 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 Black Bear in the Minam Unit: low drainages first, then climb
Bear Success Rates
Unit 60: 59 of 387 hunters, 15%. Figures are ODFW's own 2025 harvest statistics.
Bear Draw Odds
| Season | Tags | Applicants | Draw % | Pts Req |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Archery — Controlled either sex (resident) | 275 | 475 | 55.2% | 6 |
| Archery — Controlled either sex (nonresident) | 14 | 44 | 29.5% | 6 |
| Rifle — Controlled either sex (resident) | 55 | 50 | 100.0% | 2 |
| Rifle — Controlled either sex (nonresident) | 3 | 3 | 66.7% | 2 |
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.
- 760A Minam - Imnaha: 275 tags for 2026; 519 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 black bear page cover?
What's the biggest 2026 black bear hunt here?
What was hunter success for black bear here in 2025?
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: 574 square miles · accessed 2026-10-30
- Geographic Names Information System — named features inside the boundary — U.S. Geological Survey · supports: Matterhorn 9,809 ft, Sacajawea Peak 9,807 ft · accessed 2026-10-30