Deer Hunt Area EH-02 (Elkhorn 02)

The Starkey ground

This area is the whole Starkey unit. ODFW's boundary starts at La Grande, runs along I-84 to North Powder, then loops west on the Anthony Lakes Highway, NFD 73 and the Granite-Ukiah Road, passes Tower Mountain and Frazier Forest Camp, and returns by Highway 244 and Kamela. Bear Butte, Black Butte, Badger Butte, Chicken Hill and Tower Mountain are the named high points. About two thirds of the ground is public.

Fire and drought

ODFW's forecast warns that some medium to large wildfires could affect access in the Starkey and Mt Emily units. A dry spring and summer killed vegetation earlier than usual, so deer and elk are packing into the places that still hold forage and water. ODFW says to look in north-facing drainages, which hold green feed longer than south slopes. For the herd, the Union district counted 51 fawns and 24 bucks per 100 does across the Elkhorn, South Wallowas and Northeast ranges, still under management objective. Four Corners Forest Camp and Frazier Forest Camp mark corners of the boundary, which makes them handy landmarks when you're reading a Forest Service map. La Grande, Island City, North Powder and Union sit close enough to the edge to serve as your base.

The ground ODFW draws for this hunt

ODFW's Deer Hunt Area EH-02 covers about 806 square miles measured on ODFW's own polygon, and ODFW rates it 64% public land. It takes in parts of these WMUs: Starkey (about 100%). Named features inside the line fall in Union County, Baker County, Umatilla County and Grant County. Elevation runs from about 2,766 to 7,517 feet. The highest named points are Bear Butte (7,517 ft), Black Butte (7,053 ft) and Badger Butte (6,983 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.

Hunting the cool side of the hill

Plan around water. In a dry year, springs and seeps pull bucks closer than they'd normally sit, so mark every wet spot on the map and work the north faces that lead to them. Early in the bow season, deer bed tight in shade and feed at dusk. By the rifle hunt, expect them to be more spread out. Glass the openings at first light, and don't push through cover you can't see into.

Check access before you drive

Because of the fire concerns, check Forest Service closure maps before you head out. Forest roads like NF 5226, NF 21, NF 52 and NF 73 are the main routes in. Mud Lake Campground, Spring Creek Campground and Hilgard Junction State Park are the listed camps. The late muzzleloader hunt is a whitetail tag, so look to lower, brushier ground for those deer. Mule deer hunters should stay on the benches and drainages above it. Pack a spare day of food and water in case a closure shuffles your plan.

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.

• EH102R Elkhorn 02 Bow Mule Deer, Aug. 29 - Sep. 27: 583 tags, one mule deer buck with visible antler.
• EH102 Elkhorn 02 Mule Deer, Oct. 3 - Oct. 14: 275 tags, one mule deer buck with visible antler.
• EH102M Elkhorn 02 Muzzleloader, Dec. 1 - Dec. 15: 110 tags, one white-tailed deer.
• EH102R1 Elkhorn 02 Bow Whitetail, Aug. 29 - Sep. 27: 110 tags, one mule deer buck with visible antler.
• EH102-1 Elkhorn 02 Whitetail, Oct. 3 - Oct. 14: 88 tags, one white-tailed deer 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.

• Starkey (about 100% of this area): 280 hunters, 88 animals, 31% success over 1,426 hunter days.

Roads in and the nearest towns

The longest named roads through this ground are NF 73, I 84;US 30, NF 52 and NF 5226. The nearest towns are La Grande (15 mi), Island City (18 mi) and North Powder (21 mi), measured from the centre of the unit.