Deer Hunt Area DG-01 (Devils Garden 01)

The Wagontire ground

This hunt area is entirely the former Wagontire WMU. It begins at Riley and runs along US 20 and US 395, then south through Christmas Valley Highway and the Millican roads and back by Fox Butte Road. Wagontire Mountain tops it at over sixty-five hundred feet, with Glass Butte and Round Top Butte close behind.

Most of the ground is public. The unit sits above forty-three hundred feet at its lowest, in Lake, Deschutes and Harney counties.

Desert deer and where they hold

ODFW describes this as primarily desert winter range with low densities of resident deer. It tells hunters to look for juniper buttes and ridges near water sources that give deer thermal cover from heat, and says scouting is a must.

Frederick's Butte and Glass Butte are its suggested starting points.

The same forecast notes that surveys in this part of the district showed a good number of mature bucks with strong horn growth, and the highest fawn ratio recorded in North Wagontire since 1962. That's encouraging, though the herd is still thin across a big area.

Gap Ranch-Wagontire Road and County Road 2-06 are two routes in. Distances are long.

The ground ODFW draws for this hunt

ODFW's Deer Hunt Area DG-01 covers about 1,564 square miles measured on ODFW's own polygon, and ODFW rates it 83% public land. It takes in parts of these WMUs: Wagontire (about 100%). Named features inside the line fall in Lake County, Deschutes County and Harney County. Elevation runs from about 4,300 to 6,507 feet. The highest named points are Wagontire Mountain (6,507 ft), Glass Butte (6,361 ft) and Glass Buttes (6,361 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.

Scout first, then sit

With low deer density, you won't find bucks by driving. Spend your days before the season checking water, walking juniper edges and looking for tracks, droppings and beds. Then pick a spot and plan to sit on it.

Buttes give you an elevated view. Glass the slopes in the first and last hour, and look at where juniper meets sagebrush and rock.

Pick the right buck

The forecast advises taking your time and looking at several bucks. That's good advice in a place with strong horn growth. The area offers a rifle hunt and a long archery season, and the longer bow window gives you time to be selective.

Heat is the problem. On hot days, deer lie in shade and move at night. Be in position before light and stay until dark.

Services are far apart, so carry water, a full-size spare and a way to call for help. Gate and road conditions can change.

A buck down on open desert is easier to retrieve than one in timber, but the heat can spoil meat quickly. Quarter it, bag it and get it on ice as soon as you can.

ODFW's 2026 buck deer hunts on this ground

Seasons, bag limits and tags come from ODFW's 2026 regulations. Check the current book before you apply or go, because these change every year.

• DG101 Devils Garden 01, Oct. 3 - Oct. 14: 127 tags, one buck with visible antler.
• DG101R Devils Garden 01 Bow, Aug. 29 - Sep. 27: 33 tags, one buck with visible antler.

The 2025 harvest in ODFW's numbers

ODFW has no harvest figures on the new hunt areas yet. Its 2025 statistics are by WMU, for all deer hunters, every season and tag type, so these are the units this area was drawn from, and each covers more or less ground than the area does.

• Wagontire (about 100% of this area): 108 hunters, 44 animals, 41% success over 547 hunter days.

Roads in and the nearest towns

The longest named roads through this ground are CR 5-14, US 395, Fredrick Butte Road and US 20. The nearest towns are Paisley (56 mi), Hines (58 mi) and Burns (60 mi), measured from the centre of the unit.