Deer Hunt Area DG-03 (Devils Garden 03)

The Fort Rock herd range

Nearly all of this hunt area comes from the Fort Rock WMU. The boundary starts at Silver Lake, runs west on Hwy 31 and Bear Flat Road to US 97, then climbs to the Crater Lake National Park boundary and the Pacific Crest Trail. It returns along Hwy 58, Crescent and Fort Rock Road.

Mount Thielsen, Howlock Mountain, Cowhorn Mountain, Miller Mountain and Burn Butte are the named high points. The lowest ground sits above forty-two hundred feet.

Buck ratios and water

ODFW says buck ratios in Lake County are above management objective for this area, and that fawn ratios across the county were higher than in recent years. It expects average to slightly above average numbers of yearling bucks, with older bucks for those willing to be patient.

The forecast says deer concentrate within a few miles of water when it's dry, and will use dried-up seasonal creeks. Healthy understory and thinned areas next to cover are where to focus, especially in hot weather.

OR 31, County Road 5-10 and National Forest Development Roads 2308 and 9407 are access routes. Odell Creek and Contorta Point campgrounds sit at the western end.

The ground ODFW draws for this hunt

ODFW's Deer Hunt Area DG-03 covers about 1,783 square miles measured on ODFW's own polygon, and ODFW rates it 71% public land. It takes in parts of these WMUs: Fort Rock (about 99%). Named features inside the line fall in Klamath County, Lake County and Douglas County. Elevation runs from about 4,283 to 8,969 feet. The highest named points are Mount Thielsen (8,969 ft), Howlock Mountain (8,296 ft) and Cowhorn Mountain (7,558 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.

Hunt the water in a dry fall

ODFW says that without moisture before or during the hunt, deer turn nocturnal and hold within a few miles of water. Find the water first. Then work the cover and feed within reach of it.

Hot, dry weather means few deer on their feet at midday. Be in position before light and stay until it's too dark to see.

Check closures, then choose your season

The Lake County forecast calls fire danger extreme and says it's the hunter's job to confirm that an area is open. Campfire restrictions are likely to stay through much of early fall. Look up the Forest Service and BLM pages before every trip.

The area has a rifle hunt, a long archery season, a youth hunt and a muzzleloader hunt. The muzzleloader window comes later, so cooler weather may help, though you'll need to be closer for the shot.

Plan to be selective. Yearlings will be common, and older bucks take effort. Glass the open ground and sit above the water.

Deer taken far from the road need a plan. Quarter the animal, bag the meat and keep it shaded.

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.

• DG103 Devils Garden 03, Oct. 3 - Oct. 14: 1,870 tags, one buck with visible antler.
• DG103R Devils Garden 03 Bow, Aug. 29 - Sep. 27: 358 tags, one buck with visible antler.
• DG103T Devils Garden 03 Youth, Sep. 28 - Oct. 14: 28 tags, one buck with visible antler.
• DG103M Devils Garden 03 Muzzleloader, Nov. 2 - Nov. 10: 26 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.

• Fort rock (about 99% of this area): 1,210 hunters, 232 animals, 19% success over 7,569 hunter days.

Roads in and the nearest towns

The longest named roads through this ground are OR 31, CR 676, CR 5-10 and National Forest Development Road 9407. The nearest towns are Crescent (17 mi), La Pine (31 mi) and Sunriver (46 mi), measured from the centre of the unit.