Deer Hunt Area ST-01 (Steens 01)

The mountain and its slopes

The boundary follows Hwy 205 and Sodhouse Lane east to Lava Bed Road and Hwy 78, then takes East Steens Road through Andrews to Catlow Valley Road. Devine Rock, Steens Mountain, Alvord Peak, The Peaks and Moon Hill are the high points. Frenchglen has a small BLM shooting closure, and hunting on the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge is by special refuge permit only. Mann Lake, Pike Creek and The Narrows are named places to stay.

What ODFW reports

ODFW says the Steens deer population is under objective, buck ratios are above it, and the population seems to be slightly declining. The Bald Mountain fire burned the northeast part, with the hottest effects on higher slopes. It has no public restrictions, and deer are still active in and around the scar. Other fires this year touched hunt areas both on and off the refuge boundary.

The unit is long and varied, from Catlow Valley Road on one side to East Steens Road on the other. Treat each side as its own hunt. Scouting two or three vantage points on one side beats a rushed look at the whole mountain.

The ground ODFW draws for this hunt

ODFW's Deer Hunt Area ST-01 covers about 1,601 square miles measured on ODFW's own polygon, and ODFW rates it 70% public land. It takes in parts of these WMUs: Steens Mountain (about 100%). Named features inside the line fall in Harney County. Elevation runs from about 4,104 to 8,112 feet. The highest named points are Devine Rock (7,746 ft), Steens Mountain (7,705 ft) and Alvord Peak (7,091 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.

Scouting is the hunt

ODFW says deer densities on the Steens are low, and that pre-season scouting is a great way to improve the season. Drive East Steens Road and Catlow Valley Road, glass from vantage points and note where deer are feeding. Come back before the opener to check they're still there.

Keep notes on water, because the district is dry.

Fire, drought and pack-out

Check the Oregon Department of Forestry and BLM for closures, since the district is in drought. Early mornings and late evenings are best, when ODFW says deer are moving in the cooler air. Steens slopes are steep and big, so plan your pack-out and carry water. Park on bare ground, since ODFW warns that tall grass can ignite under a hot exhaust. A youth hunt and a bow hunt run here too. With low deer density, expect long days of glassing for a single buck, and treat any buck you see as a gift.

Take notes on every buck you see, including where and when. A pattern from scouting will make opening morning shorter.

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.

• ST101 Steens 01, Oct. 3 - Oct. 14: 66 tags, one buck with visible antler.
• ST101T Steens 01 Youth, Sep. 28 - Oct. 14: 22 tags, one buck with visible antler.
• ST101R Steens 01 Bow: see ODFW's table in the 2026 regulations for the season and tag count.
• ST101R Steens 01 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.

• Steens mtn (about 100% of this area): 302 hunters, 163 animals, 54% success over 1,582 hunter days.

Roads in and the nearest towns

The longest named roads through this ground are CR 201, OR 205, Catlow Valley Road and Lava Bed Road. The nearest towns are Hines (53 mi), Burns (54 mi) and Juntura (68 mi), measured from the centre of the unit.