Deer Hunt Area MC-02 (Mid Columbia 02)
Oregon Hunting Guide — Deer (Buck), Deer (Antlerless)
Mid Columbia 02 is the Hood unit, from the Columbia Gorge up to Mount Hood at 11232 ft. ODFW says buck ratios are well above objective, but thick cover limits success and the best hunting is on private timberland.
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Deer (Buck) Hunting in Unit MC-02
Mid Columbia 02 is the Hood unit, from the Columbia Gorge up to Mount Hood at 11232 ft. ODFW says buck ratios are well above objective, but thick cover limits success and the best hunting is on private timberland.
Where to Find Bucks in the Mid Columbia 02 Hunt Area: clearcuts, burns and the Hood River County Forest
The Hood unit
This area is the whole Hood unit. ODFW runs the line from Hood River southwest on Highway 35 to Barlow Pass, along the Pacific Crest Trail to Lolo Pass, then along the Hood River-Multnomah County line to the Columbia near Bonneville. Mount Hood, Lamberson Butte, Elk Mountain, Mount Defiance and Red Hill are the named points. Cascade Locks, Stevenson, Carson and North Bonneville are the closest towns.
What ODFW says
Trail-camera work suggests a buck ratio well above objective and a stable herd. ODFW also says difficult terrain, thick vegetation and deer behavior limit hunter success in the Hood unit. The best hunting is on private timberland, mostly through Green Diamond property, and ODFW also names Hood River County Forest at dusk and dawn. It says to target clearcuts logged in the last five years and the large recent burns on the north side of Mount Hood and along the Gorge. The area is compact but steep, with big elevation changes from the Columbia up to Mount Hood. Roughly two thirds is public, and most of that is national forest. OR 35, forest road NF 2030 and I-84 are the named routes.
The ground ODFW draws for this hunt
ODFW's Deer Hunt Area MC-02 covers about 376 square miles measured on ODFW's own polygon, and ODFW rates it 65% public land. It takes in parts of these WMUs: Hood (about 100%). Named features inside the line fall in Hood River County, Clackamas County and Multnomah County. Elevation runs from about 570 to 11,232 feet. The highest named points are Mount Hood (11,232 ft), Lamberson Butte (6,626 ft) and Elk Mountain (5,616 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 MC-02 terrain and land status
Measured from the unit boundary, not from the agency write-up
The lay of it
- 808–7,914 ft on a terrain sample , averaging 3,420 ft ; peaks can run higher. That spread means you can hunt two seasons in one day — plan clothing for both ends.
- 375.5 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
- 81 tanks
- 55 springs
- 878 stream segments
- 10 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: Mount Hood (11,232 ft), Mississippi Head (7,137 ft), Lamberson Butte (6,626 ft), Stranahan Ridge (6,435 ft)
Holding ground: Devils Kitchen (10,284 ft), Wy'east Basin (5,683 ft), Elk Meadows (5,081 ft)
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 Mid Columbia 02 Hunt Area: fresh cuts, new burns and early-morning edges
Forage is the plan
In thick cover, you hunt the places where food and visibility overlap. Fresh clearcuts and young burns have new woody browse, and deer step into them in low light. Sit above an edge before dawn and glass until the sun reaches the opening. Don't push into the brush after dark.
Access and timing
Check Green Diamond's current open-land map before you drive in. Also check Mt Hood National Forest closure pages, because ODFW's regional note warns that large wildfires have closed public land in the area. Tilly Jane, Sherwood, Lost Lake and Wahtum Lake campgrounds are the listed camps, and OR 35 and NF 2030 are the named roads. The area offers early, rifle, bow, late and muzzleloader hunts for a buck with visible antler. Use the early hunt to find patterns, and the late hunt for rut movement. On steep, wet ground, quarter the deer and carry it out in more than one load.
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.
- MC102 Mid-Columbia 02, Oct. 3 - Oct. 14: 550 tags, one buck with visible antler.
- MC102R Mid-Columbia 02 Bow, Aug. 29 - Sep. 27: 121 tags, one buck with visible antler.
- MC102-1 Early Mid-Columbia 02, Sep. 12 - Sep. 20: 22 tags, one buck with visible antler.
- MC102-2 Late Mid-Columbia 02, Nov. 15 - Nov. 29: 11 tags, one buck with visible antler.
- MC102M Mid-Columbia 02 Muzzleloader: see ODFW's table in the 2026 regulations for the season and tag count.
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.
- Hood (about 100% of this area): 291 hunters, 81 animals, 28% success over 1,369 hunter days.
Roads in and the nearest towns
The longest named roads through this ground are OR 35, NF 2030, I 84;US 30 and 3500-134. The nearest towns are Cascade Locks (13 mi), Stevenson (14 mi) and Carson (14 mi), measured from the centre of the unit.
Getting in and staying out: unit MC-02
Named routes and what they need
- OR 35 — 21 mi · Paved (all rigs)
- NF 2030 — 3.3 mi · Graded gravel (2WD / small trailer)
- I 84;US 30 — 2.4 mi · Paved (all rigs)
- 3500-134 — 1.8 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
- Cascade Locks — 12.8 mi · fuel, lodging
- Stevenson — 13.8 mi · fuel, lodging
- Carson — 14.1 mi · groceries, lodging
- North Bonneville — 14.6 mi · no services listed
- Hood River — 15 mi · fuel, groceries, lodging, gear
Developed camps
- Tilly Jane Campground · Fee · reservable
- Sherwood Campground · reservable
- Lost Lake Campground
- Wahtum Lake Camground
- Elk Cove Camp · Free
Season weather and signal
- Jan40° / 29° · 6.3" precip
- Aug80° / 50° · 0.4" precip
- Sep74° / 45° · 1.2" precip
- Oct61° / 38° · 3.6" precip
- Nov47° / 33° · 6.7" precip
- Dec39° / 29° · 7.6" 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 42: 81 of 291 hunters, 28%. 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: Tilly Jane Campground, Sherwood Campground, Lost Lake Campground, Wahtum Lake Camground.
Road Conditions
OR 35, NF 2030 and I 84;US 30 are the longest named roads.
Terrain Difficulty
Named features run from 570 to 11,232 ft. More than 4,000 feet of relief, so plan the pack-out before the shot.
Weather
Season normals: Sep 74/45°F, 1.2 in.; Oct 61/38°F, 3.6 in.; Nov 47/33°F, 6.7 in.; Dec 39/29°F, 7.6 in..
Nearest Town
Cascade Locks (13 mi), Stevenson (14 mi), Carson (14 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
- Mid Columbia Hunt Area MC-02 — 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: 376 square miles · accessed 2026-10-30
- Geographic Names Information System — named features inside the boundary — U.S. Geological Survey · supports: Mount Hood 11,232 ft, Lamberson Butte 6,626 ft · accessed 2026-10-30