Deer Hunt Area NE-05 (Northeast 05)

From Weston up to the forest edge

The boundary runs north from Weston on Hwy 11 to the state line, east to FR 64, southwest to Tollgate and back along Hwy 204. Yellow Jacket Point, Bald Mountain, Blalock Mountain and Lincton Mountain are the named high ground, and Government Mountain is the low end of the list. NF 64 and NF 65 give access to the national forest side.

The lower end of the area sits near Milton-Freewater, Weston and Walla Walla, so the farm country is close by.

What ODFW says about the herd

ODFW's northeast forecast puts mule deer well below objective, with moderate recruitment, while whitetail numbers are good in all units. This hunt takes any buck with visible antler, so you may see both species. Public land is limited, and the forest side is where you'd expect most of it, so check the maps before you commit. Mottet Campground and Trails West are the named places to stay.

Think in two zones. The lower, private foothill ground near Weston and Hwy 11 tends to suit whitetails, and the forest side toward Tollgate and FR 64 is where most public hunting happens. Pick one zone and learn it.

The ground ODFW draws for this hunt

ODFW's Deer Hunt Area NE-05 covers about 305 square miles measured on ODFW's own polygon, and ODFW rates it 33% public land. It takes in parts of these WMUs: Walla Walla (about 100%). Named features inside the line fall in Umatilla County. Elevation runs from about 969 to 5,817 feet. The highest named points are Yellow Jacket Point (5,715 ft), Bald Mountain (5,241 ft) and Blalock Mountain (4,545 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.

Find the green in a dry year

ODFW expects dry conditions at the start of the season. Vegetation died off early, so deer will gather where feed and water remain. Check north-facing drainages first. Glass early and late, and keep your eye on the places that stay green.

A campground such as Mottet makes a handy base from which to hunt, and NF 64 runs close by.

Telling the two deer apart

Your tag covers either species of buck, so know the difference before you raise a rifle. Whitetail bucks are nocturnal, ODFW says, and patient hunters do best sitting between bedding and feeding areas. Mule deer tend to use the more open slopes, and you can often stalk them with the wind in your face. Whichever you chase, ask permission before you cross private ground, and carry your meat out in quarters if the draw is steep. The bow hunt gives you more time to learn the ground.

Keep a note of where you saw each deer and its direction of travel. After two or three outings you'll start to see a pattern.

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.

• NE105 Northeast 05, Oct. 3 - Oct. 14: 248 tags, one buck with visible antler.
• NE105R Northeast 05 Bow: 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.

• Walla walla (about 100% of this area): 179 hunters, 97 animals, 54% success over 848 hunter days.

Roads in and the nearest towns

The longest named roads through this ground are OR 204, NF 64, NF 6403 and NF 65. The nearest towns are Milton-Freewater (11 mi), Weston (13 mi) and Walla Walla (14 mi), measured from the centre of the unit.