Deer Hunt Area NE-02 (Northeast 02)
Oregon Hunting Guide — Deer (Buck)
Northeast 02 sits on the Chesnimnus WMU, a canyon-and-butte block between Joseph, the Imnaha River and the Snake River. Mule deer and whitetail buck hunts both run here, and a lot of the ground is private.
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Deer (Buck) Hunting in Unit NE-02
Northeast 02 sits on the Chesnimnus WMU, a canyon-and-butte block between Joseph, the Imnaha River and the Snake River. Mule deer and whitetail buck hunts both run here, and a lot of the ground is private.
Where to Find Deer in the Northeast 02 Hunt Area: Chesnimnus country down to the Snake
Buttes and canyons above the Snake
The boundary runs north from Joseph on Hwy 82 to Crow Creek Road, then along Chesnimnus Creek and Joseph Creek to the state line. It follows the Snake River southeast to the mouth of the Imnaha and returns by way of Imnaha and Sheep Creek Road. Findley Buttes, Harsin Butte and Poison Point are the high marks. Dug Bar Road and Lewis Road lead toward the lower ground.
The range runs from river canyons up to rounded buttes, and deer use both. The map notes Wallowa-Whitman National Forest and Vale BLM land inside the lines.
Mule deer and whitetails share the ground
ODFW's northeast forecast says mule deer remain well below objective, with moderate recruitment, and whitetail numbers are good in all units. Part of this hunt area is private land only, so expect to knock on doors for the best whitetail bottoms. Upper Cache Creek, Coon Hollow and Lower Jim Creek are the named camps nearby.
Between Enterprise, Lostine, Wallowa and Joseph the roads are good, but the drive to the Imnaha and Snake side is long. Look at Crow Creek Road and OR 350 on the map, and plan your day around how far you'll walk from the truck.
The ground ODFW draws for this hunt
ODFW's Deer Hunt Area NE-02 covers about 656 square miles measured on ODFW's own polygon, and ODFW rates it 49% public land. It takes in parts of these WMUs: Chesnimnus (about 100%). Named features inside the line fall in Wallowa County. Elevation runs from about 1,109 to 5,513 feet. The highest named points are Findley Buttes (5,513 ft), Harsin Butte (5,510 ft) and Méex̣sem Héepey Butte (5,485 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-02 terrain and land status
Measured from the unit boundary, not from the agency write-up
The lay of it
- 2,336–4,842 ft on a terrain sample , averaging 4,212 ft ; peaks can run higher.
- 655.9 sq mi inside the boundary.
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
- 6 tanks
- 3 springs
- 133 stream segments
- 3 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: Cold Spring Ridge (5,486 ft), Deadhorse Ridge (5,416 ft), Poison Point (5,380 ft), Wildhorse Ridge (5,336 ft)
Holding ground: Bear Flat (5,301 ft), Billy Meadows (4,847 ft), Downey Saddle (4,630 ft), Milk Spring, Long Ridge 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 02 Hunt Area: breaks, shade and a long pack
Glass the shaded drainages
ODFW expects a dry start to the season and says deer will be localized to better forage and water. Its tip is to look in north-facing drainages, where feed holds longer. In canyon country that means picking a bench across from the shade and glassing at dawn, then again before dark.
Don't push a buck downhill into a canyon you can't climb out of with meat on your back. Gravity helps you going down and fights you coming back.
Whitetails on stand
ODFW describes whitetail bucks as nocturnal. Patient hunters do well sitting between bedding cover and feeding areas, according to its forecast. Bowhunters have a separate hunt for whitetails and one for mule deer, and a muzzleloader whitetail hunt runs here too. Carry the landowner's name and phone number if you've been given permission, and stay off anyone's ground you haven't cleared. Quarter the animal and make two trips if the climb is bad.
Check the wind before every stalk. Canyon air swirls, and a mule deer buck will catch a shifting breeze long before you see him.
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.
- NE102 Northeast 02 Mule Deer, Oct. 3 - Oct. 14: 281 tags, one mule deer buck with visible antler.
- NE102R Northeast 02 Bow Mule Deer One mule deer buck with visible antler, Aug. 29 - Sep. 27: 154 tags.
- NE102-1 Northeast 02 Whitetail, Oct. 3 - Oct. 14: 121 tags, one white-tailed deer buck with visible antler.
- NE102R1 Northeast 02 Bow Whitetail, Aug. 29 - Sep. 27: 28 tags, one white-tailed deer.
- NE102M Northeast 02 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.
- Chesnimnus (about 100% of this area): 316 hunters, 153 animals, 48% success over 1,416 hunter days.
Roads in and the nearest towns
The longest named roads through this ground are OR 350, Crow Creek Road, CR 697 and OR 82. The nearest towns are Enterprise (24 mi), Lostine (26 mi) and Wallowa (27 mi), measured from the centre of the unit.
Getting in and staying out: unit NE-02
Named routes and what they need
- OR 350 — 19.5 mi · Paved (all rigs)
- Crow Creek Road — 19.2 mi · Graded gravel (2WD / small trailer)
- CR 697 — 9.4 mi · Graded gravel (2WD / small trailer)
- OR 82 — 2 mi · Paved (all rigs)
- Walker Lane — 1.8 mi · Graded gravel (2WD / small trailer)
- Liberty Road — 1.7 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
- Enterprise — 23.5 mi · fuel, groceries
- Lostine — 25.5 mi · no services listed
- Wallowa — 26.9 mi · groceries
- Joseph — 26.9 mi · lodging, gear
- Cottonwood — 39.4 mi · fuel
Developed camps
- Unnamed camp site
- Unnamed camp site
- Upper Cache Creek Campsite
- Coon Hollow Campsite
- Across The Meat Campsite
Season weather and signal
- Jan38° / 18° · 1.6" precip
- Aug88° / 44° · 0.7" precip
- Sep79° / 37° · 0.9" precip
- Oct62° / 30° · 1.4" precip
- Nov46° / 24° · 2.2" precip
- Dec36° / 18° · 2.2" 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 58: 153 of 316 hunters, 48%. 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: Upper Cache Creek Campsite, Coon Hollow Campsite, Across The Meat Campsite, Lower Jim Creek Campsite.
Road Conditions
OR 350, Crow Creek Road and CR 697 are the longest named roads.
Terrain Difficulty
Named features run from 1,109 to 5,513 ft. More than 4,000 feet of relief, so plan the pack-out before the shot.
Weather
Season normals: Sep 79/37°F, 0.9 in.; Oct 62/30°F, 1.4 in.; Nov 46/24°F, 2.2 in.; Dec 36/18°F, 2.2 in..
Nearest Town
Enterprise (24 mi), Lostine (26 mi), Wallowa (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?
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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-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: 656 square miles · accessed 2026-10-30
- Geographic Names Information System — named features inside the boundary — U.S. Geological Survey · supports: Findley Buttes 5,513 ft, Harsin Butte 5,510 ft · accessed 2026-10-30