Deer Hunt Area NE-01 (Northeast 01)
Oregon Hunting Guide — Deer (Buck), Deer (Antlerless)
Northeast 01 covers the Wallowa Mountains divide, the Imnaha canyons and the Snake River breaks. It draws from the Minam, Snake River, Imnaha and Catherine Creek WMUs and runs separate mule deer and whitetail buck hunts.
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Deer (Buck) Hunting in Unit NE-01
Northeast 01 covers the Wallowa Mountains divide, the Imnaha canyons and the Snake River breaks. It draws from the Minam, Snake River, Imnaha and Catherine Creek WMUs and runs separate mule deer and whitetail buck hunts.
Where to Find Deer in the Northeast 01 Hunt Area: from the Wallowa divide down to the Snake
Granite divide to the Imnaha breaks
The boundary climbs from the Imnaha River and its South Fork to Hawkins Pass, then follows the ridgeline past Eagle Cap, Horton Pass, Needle Point and Arrow Lake. Matterhorn and Sacajawea Peak top the unit. Everything below drains toward the Minam, the Imnaha and the Snake, and Minam is the largest WMU share. From the Snake River mouth of the Imnaha, the ground climbs a long way.
ODFW calls mule deer numbers well below objective, though recruitment is moderate. In the Union district's part of the herd ranges its crews counted 24 bucks per 100 does, with harvest stable.
Whitetails along the valley road
The Wallowa Valley side, along OR 82 toward Enterprise, Joseph and Lostine, is whitetail ground. ODFW's forecast says whitetail numbers are good in all units. The late Wallowa Valley whitetail hunt has its own map, and ODFW lists part of this hunt area as private land only. Hurricane Creek, Shady, Two Pan and Williamson are the named campgrounds if you'd rather sleep close to the mountain.
Treat the hunt area as three hunts in one: a mountain deer hunt, a canyon deer hunt and a valley whitetail hunt.
The ground ODFW draws for this hunt
ODFW's Deer Hunt Area NE-01 covers about 1,687 square miles measured on ODFW's own polygon, and ODFW rates it 72% public land. It takes in parts of these WMUs: Minam (about 34%), Snake River (about 27%), Imnaha (about 25%) and Catherine Creek (about 14%). Named features inside the line fall in Wallowa County and Union County. Elevation runs from about 948 to 9,809 feet. The highest named points are Matterhorn (9,809 ft), Sacajawea Peak (9,807 ft) and Aneroid Mountain (9,691 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 NE-01 terrain and land status
Measured from the unit boundary, not from the agency write-up
The lay of it
- 2,197–8,236 ft on a terrain sample , averaging 5,027 ft ; peaks can run higher. That spread means you can hunt two seasons in one day — plan clothing for both ends.
- 1,686.8 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
- 129 tanks
- 22 springs
- 692 stream segments
- 53 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: Matterhorn (9,809 ft), Hurwal Divide (9,765 ft), Aneroid Mountain (9,691 ft), Petes Point (9,654 ft)
Holding ground: Tenderfoot Pass (8,585 ft), Glacier Pass (8,464 ft), Sand Pass (8,008 ft), Lucky Spring, Sacajawea 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 Deer in the Northeast 01 Hunt Area: dry-year water and north slopes
Hunt the green edges in a dry fall
ODFW expects dry conditions at the start of the season, with vegetation dying off early after a hot July. Deer will bunch up where forage and water last. Its advice is to check north-facing drainages, which hold feed longer than south slopes. Glass them at first and last light, then make your move once a buck beds.
Roads like Upper Imnaha Road, NF 3960 and OR 350 get you to the breaks. From there it's steep walking, so plan the pack-out before you shoot, and quarter the animal where it falls.
Stand hunting a nocturnal whitetail
ODFW says whitetail bucks are nocturnal, but patient hunters often score by sitting between bedding and feeding areas. Pick a trail junction, get in well before light and stay put. Ask permission before you set up on private ground. A separate bow hunt for mule deer and another for whitetails run ahead of the rifle hunt, and they suit hunters who'd rather be close.
Bring a good pack frame, because a deer on this ground is a long haul.
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.
- NE101 Northeast 01 Mule Deer, Oct. 3 - Oct. 14: 1,100 tags, one mule deer buck with visible antler.
- NE101-1 Northeast 01 Whitetail, Oct. 3 - Oct. 14: 660 tags, one white-tailed deer buck with visible antler.
- NE101R Northeast 01 Bow Mule Deer One mule deer buck with visible antler, Aug. 29 - Sep. 27: 330 tags.
- NE101-2 Late Wallowa Valley Whitetail, Nov. 16 - Nov. 25: 55 tags, one white-tailed deer buck with visible antler.
- NE101R1 Northeast 01 Bow Whitetail, Aug. 29 - Sep. 27: 55 tags, one white-tailed deer.
- NE101M Northeast 01 Muzzleloader Whitetail: 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.
- Minam (about 34% of this area): 733 hunters, 340 animals, 46% success over 3,064 hunter days.
- Snake river (about 27% of this area): 215 hunters, 108 animals, 50% success over 921 hunter days.
- Imnaha (about 25% of this area): 525 hunters, 192 animals, 37% success over 2,654 hunter days.
Roads in and the nearest towns
The longest named roads through this ground are OR 82, FS 6220, OR 350 and OR 237. The nearest towns are Joseph (4 mi), Enterprise (5 mi) and Lostine (13 mi), measured from the centre of the unit.
Getting in and staying out: unit NE-01
Named routes and what they need
- OR 82 — 24.3 mi · Paved (all rigs)
- FS 6220 — 15.3 mi · High-clearance
- OR 350 — 9.1 mi · Paved (all rigs)
- OR 237 — 6.3 mi · Paved (all rigs)
- NF 3960 — 5 mi · Graded gravel (2WD / small trailer)
- Lower Cove Road — 4.4 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
- Joseph — 3.5 mi · lodging, gear
- Enterprise — 4.6 mi · fuel, groceries
- Lostine — 13.1 mi · no services listed
- Wallowa — 20.2 mi · groceries
- Cove — 30.6 mi · no services listed
Developed camps
- Coverdale Campground · Fee
- Hidden Campground · Fee
- Hurricane Creek Campground
- Shady Campground
- Two Pan Campground · Fee
Season weather and signal
- Jan35° / 19° · 1.3" precip
- Aug80° / 49° · 0.7" precip
- Sep71° / 43° · 1.1" precip
- Oct56° / 34° · 1.4" precip
- Nov43° / 25° · 1.4" precip
- Dec35° / 18° · 1.3" precip
Best signal is Verizon at about 21% 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 60: 340 of 733 hunters, 46%; Unit 59: 108 of 215 hunters, 50%; Unit 61: 192 of 525 hunters, 37%. 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: Coverdale Campground, Hidden Campground, Hurricane Creek Campground, Shady Campground.
Road Conditions
OR 82, FS 6220 and OR 350 are the longest named roads.
Terrain Difficulty
Named features run from 948 to 9,809 ft. More than 4,000 feet of relief, so plan the pack-out before the shot.
Weather
Season normals: Sep 71/43°F, 1.1 in.; Oct 56/34°F, 1.4 in.; Nov 43/25°F, 1.4 in.; Dec 35/18°F, 1.3 in..
Nearest Town
Joseph (4 mi), Enterprise (5 mi), Lostine (13 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
- Northeast Hunt Area NE-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: 1,687 square miles · accessed 2026-10-30
- Geographic Names Information System — named features inside the boundary — U.S. Geological Survey · supports: Matterhorn 9,809 ft, Sacajawea Peak 9,807 ft · accessed 2026-10-30