Deer Hunt Area JT-01 (Juntura 01)
Oregon Hunting Guide — Deer (Buck), Deer (Antlerless)
Juntura 01 covers the Beulah unit from Vale and the Snake River up past Unity, with Bullrun Rock at 7843 ft and Ironside Mountain at 7792 ft. Half the ground is public, and ODFW points to Castle Rock and BLM country to the east.
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Answer a few questions about your tag, your season and your rig, and the Field Intelligence Report builds a print-ready Oregon Unit JT-01 guide around your hunt: three ranked spots with morning, afternoon and evening plays, a day-by-day plan, topo maps with every pin numbered, a camp and access plan, the legal and retrieval rules for this unit, shot discipline, a meat-care and pack-out plan, and a pre-trip checklist. Every coordinate sits on land recorded as public.
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Deer (Buck) Hunting in Unit JT-01
Juntura 01 covers the Beulah unit from Vale and the Snake River up past Unity, with Bullrun Rock at 7843 ft and Ironside Mountain at 7792 ft. Half the ground is public, and ODFW points to Castle Rock and BLM country to the east.
Where to Find Bucks in the Juntura 01 Hunt Area: Castle Rock and the BLM ground east of it
From the Snake River to the Ironside country
ODFW's walk starts at Vale, follows US 20 to the North Fork Malheur River near Juntura, climbs the Little Malheur River and forest roads FR 1370, FR 2652 and FR 6005, then runs through Unity, along US 26 to Ironside and east on Willow Creek Road. It returns by I-84 and the Snake River to Nyssa. The named high points are Bullrun Rock, Table Rock, Ironside Mountain, Monument Rock and Bullrun Mountain.
Where ODFW points
The forecast is specific for JT-01 tag holders: look around Castle Rock and east on BLM ground. It also says buck ratios in the Juntura herd range sit slightly above management objective, and fawn ratios have been similar for three years. Harney County has been in moderate to severe drought, but ODFW calls most herd ranges stable and expects hunter success similar to last year. Look for burn scars, north slopes, edge habitat near desert and spots within a few miles of water. Harper, Unity, Juntura and Vale are the closest towns, and US 26, US 20, NF 16 and Willow Creek Road are the routes that tie the area together. About half the ground is public, so a land-ownership map is worth carrying.
The ground ODFW draws for this hunt
ODFW's Deer Hunt Area JT-01 covers about 2,097 square miles measured on ODFW's own polygon, and ODFW rates it 50% public land. It takes in parts of these WMUs: Beulah (about 100%). Named features inside the line fall in Malheur County and Baker County. Elevation runs from about 2,089 to 7,843 feet. The highest named points are Bullrun Rock (7,843 ft), Table Rock (7,806 ft) and Ironside Mountain (7,792 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 JT-01 terrain and land status
Measured from the unit boundary, not from the agency write-up
The lay of it
- 2,223–5,807 ft on a terrain sample , averaging 3,725 ft ; peaks can run higher.
- 2,096.7 sq mi inside the boundary. Big enough that picking one drainage beats driving three.
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
- 170 tanks
- 5 springs
- 240 stream segments
- 32 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: Bullrun Rock (7,843 ft), Table Rock (7,806 ft), Bullrun Mountain (7,380 ft), Lone Rock (6,908 ft)
Holding ground: Koski Basin (6,101 ft), Big Flat (5,278 ft), Whisky Gulch (5,147 ft), Skull Gulch Spring, Prospect 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 Bucks in the Juntura 01 Hunt Area: early light, water sits and fire-safe parking
Work the cool hours
ODFW says early mornings and late evenings are prime time while it's warm. Glass from a high point at first light, find where bucks are heading to bed, and plan a stalk before the sun gets high. In dry weather, springs and creeks hold the deer. Crane Creek Campground, Eldorado and Elk Creek Campground sit on the forest side, and an RV park serves the valley.
Drought and fire
The forecast warns that tall grass can combust under a hot exhaust, so park on bare ground or gravel and not in the weeds. Some small fire closures remain, so check ODF and BLM before you go. Four hunts cover this area: rifle, bow, youth and a late bow. The late bow season draws closer to the rut, which helps a hunter who's glassed a buck all summer. Harper, Unity, Juntura and Vale are the closest towns. On steep ground, quarter the buck and pack it out in two loads rather than dragging it.
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.
- JT101 Juntura 01, Oct. 3 - Oct. 14: 494 tags, one buck with visible antler.
- JT101R Juntura 01 Bow, Aug. 29 - Sep. 27: 149 tags, one buck with visible antler.
- JT101T Juntura 01 Youth, Sep. 28 - Oct. 14: 22 tags, one buck with visible antler.
- JT101R1 Late Juntura 01 Bow, Nov. 14 - Nov. 30: 17 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.
- Beulah (about 100% of this area): 1,322 hunters, 663 animals, 50% success over 6,202 hunter days.
Roads in and the nearest towns
The longest named roads through this ground are US 26, US 20, Beulah Road and NF 16. The nearest towns are Harper (17 mi), Vale (24 mi) and Huntington (27 mi), measured from the centre of the unit.
Getting in and staying out: unit JT-01
Named routes and what they need
- US 26 — 51.7 mi · Paved (all rigs)
- US 20 — 41.4 mi · Paved (all rigs)
- Beulah Road — 17.1 mi · Graded gravel (2WD / small trailer)
- NF 16 — 13.9 mi · Graded gravel (2WD / small trailer)
- Willow Creek Road — 13.9 mi · Graded gravel (2WD / small trailer)
- Pole Creek Road — 9.8 mi · Graded gravel (2WD / small trailer)
Ratings come from road data, not from a drive this season. Check current conditions with the managing office before you commit a trailer.
Nearest services
- Harper — 17.4 mi · fuel
- Vale — 24.1 mi · fuel
- Huntington — 26.9 mi · no services listed
- Juntura — 31.7 mi · lodging
- Unity — 33.7 mi · fuel, groceries, lodging
Developed camps
- RV Park
- Eldorado
- Elk Creek Campground
- Oasis on the Snake
- Horseshoe Bend · Free
Season weather and signal
- Jan38° / 21° · 1.2" precip
- Aug90° / 55° · 0.4" precip
- Sep81° / 46° · 0.3" precip
- Oct65° / 34° · 0.7" precip
- Nov48° / 26° · 1" precip
- Dec38° / 21° · 1.5" precip
Best signal is Verizon at about 26% of the unit. Plan on being out of contact and tell someone your route.
Oregon rules that decide your day
Summarised from ODFW regulations. They change — read the current regulations and your permit-tag before you hunt.
Legal shooting hours
Big game may be taken from half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset.
Motorized retrieval
Oregon has no general off-road retrieval allowance; several travel-management areas close roads during hunting season.
Tagging
Validate the tag and attach it to the carcass before leaving the kill site.
Leaving meat
Wasting edible meat is illegal.
Where you may not shoot
- Occupied structures — No shooting from or across a public road, and no shooting within range of an occupied dwelling without permission.
Deer (Buck): where to put the shot
Broadside or quartering away, on the back edge of the front leg about a third of the way up the body.
Shots to refuse
- Nothing behind or overlapping the animal you picked.
- Your maximum range is the farthest you have shot a three-shot group into a paper plate from the rest you are carrying.
- Pass the shot you are talking yourself into.
Plan the carry: roughly 40– 120 lb of boned-out meat, before head and hide — two large coolers. ProHunt planning estimate, not an agency figure.
Deer (Buck) Success Rates
Unit 65: 663 of 1,322 hunters, 50%. Figures are ODFW's own 2025 harvest statistics, by WMU, because the new hunt areas have no history yet.
Deer (Buck) Draw Odds
Draw odds data not available for this specific unit/species combination in our database.
Search Oregon Draw OddsODFW's eastern deer hunts carry new numbers from 2026, so the regulations list them as NEW, with no applicant history to quote. Treat any older WMU draw figures as a different hunt.
Unit Logistics & Expectations
Planning Notes
Camp Sites
Developed campgrounds: RV Park, Eldorado, Elk Creek Campground, Oasis on the Snake.
Road Conditions
US 26, US 20 and Beulah Road are the longest named roads.
Terrain Difficulty
Named features run from 2,089 to 7,843 ft. More than 4,000 feet of relief, so plan the pack-out before the shot.
Weather
Season normals: Sep 81/46°F, 0.3 in.; Oct 65/34°F, 0.7 in.; Nov 48/26°F, 1 in.; Dec 38/21°F, 1.5 in..
Nearest Town
Harper (17 mi), Vale (24 mi), Huntington (27 mi)
Permit Notes
Check ODFW's 2026 regulations for hunt boundaries, seasons and tag rules before you go.
Frequently Asked Questions
What ground does this Oregon buck deer page cover?
What's the biggest 2026 buck deer hunt here?
What was hunter success for buck deer here in 2025?
What ground does this Oregon antlerless deer page cover?
What's the biggest 2026 antlerless deer hunt here?
What was hunter success for antlerless deer 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
- Juntura Hunt Area JT-01 — Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife · supports: Boundary description, Public-land share · 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
- 2026 Eastern Oregon Deer Hunt Areas (ArcGIS) — Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife · supports: 2,097 square miles · accessed 2026-10-30
- Geographic Names Information System — named features inside the boundary — U.S. Geological Survey · supports: Bullrun Rock 7,843 ft, Table Rock 7,806 ft · accessed 2026-10-30