Deer Hunt Area SW-02 (South Wallowa 02)
Oregon Hunting Guide — Deer (Buck), Deer (Antlerless)
South Wallowa 02 stretches from the Eagle Cap divide above Baker, Union and Wallowa counties down to the Snake, drawn from the Keating, Catherine Creek and Pine Creek WMUs. Whitetail and mule deer buck hunts run here.
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Deer (Buck) Hunting in Unit SW-02
South Wallowa 02 stretches from the Eagle Cap divide above Baker, Union and Wallowa counties down to the Snake, drawn from the Keating, Catherine Creek and Pine Creek WMUs. Whitetail and mule deer buck hunts run here.
Where to Find Deer in the South Wallowa 02 Hunt Area: Eagle Cap divide to the Powder River
Mountains in the north, breaks in the south
The boundary follows the divide between Catherine Creek and the Minam River past Meadow Mountain, Burger Butte and Granite Butte to Tombstone Butte, then east past Horton Pass and Eagle Cap to Hawkins Pass. It drops to the South Fork Imnaha, runs to Thirty-two Point Creek and the Snake, and comes back along the Powder River. Red Mountain, Granite Mountain, Krag Peak and Needle Point are the highest points.
Whitetail and mule deer tags
The hunt area runs a whitetail buck hunt and a mule deer buck hunt, plus muzzleloader and bow hunts. ODFW's Baker County forecast says deer numbers are below objective in all units, while buck ratios are meeting it. Keating is the largest WMU share, with Catherine Creek and Pine Creek close behind. Tamarack and Two Color are named campgrounds, and Cove, Union and Halfway are the nearest towns.
Treat this as three WMU shares rather than one big unit: Keating, Catherine Creek and Pine Creek. Each has its own drainages and roads, so pick one and learn it before the opener, rather than spreading your scouting thin over the whole hunt area.
The ground ODFW draws for this hunt
ODFW's Deer Hunt Area SW-02 covers about 1,417 square miles measured on ODFW's own polygon, and ODFW rates it 53% public land. It takes in parts of these WMUs: Keating (about 43%), Catherine Creek (about 31%) and Pine Creek (about 27%). Named features inside the line fall in Baker County, Union County and Wallowa County. Elevation runs from about 1,811 to 9,520 feet. The highest named points are Red Mountain (9,520 ft), Granite Mountain (9,080 ft) and Krag Peak (9,053 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 SW-02 terrain and land status
Measured from the unit boundary, not from the agency write-up
The lay of it
- 2,762–6,760 ft on a terrain sample , averaging 4,091 ft ; peaks can run higher.
- 1,417.1 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
- 110 tanks
- 14 springs
- 232 stream segments
- 31 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: Red Mountain (9,520 ft), Krag Peak (9,053 ft), Needle Point (9,001 ft), Granite Butte (8,672 ft)
Holding ground: Frazier Pass (7,492 ft), Stein Basin (7,079 ft), Deadhorse Flat (6,488 ft), Clay Spring, Rock 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 South Wallowa 02 Hunt Area: cool hours and north-slope beds
Hunt the transitions
ODFW says deer are most active early in the morning and late in the afternoon, and that hunters should work areas of good forage near north slopes with bedding cover. Start low at first light, then follow shade upslope as it warms. Moss Springs and roads such as NFD 62 and OR 86 give you a start.
Fawn survival was above average after a mild winter, so expect young deer with the does.
Choose a hunt that fits the ground
Whitetails tend to live nearer the valley and creek bottoms by Cove, Union and Halfway, so you'll often need landowner permission. Mule deer bucks use the steeper country toward the divide. Packing out is a real job on the steep ground, so quarter the animal and carry it in loads. Don't count on a quick drag, and carry a headlamp for the walk back out.
Check each hunt's rules before you go. The bow, muzzleloader and rifle hunts are separate, and each covers its own species and weapon.
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.
- SW102-1 South Wallowas 02 Whitetail, Oct. 3 - Oct. 14: 248 tags, one buck with visible antler.
- SW102 South Wallowas 02 Mule Deer, Oct. 3 - Oct. 14: 33 tags, one white-tailed deer buck with visible antler.
- SW102M South Wallowas 02 Muzzleloader: see ODFW's table in the 2026 regulations for the season and tag count.
- SW102R South Wallowas 02 Bow Mule Deer: see ODFW's table in the 2026 regulations for the season and tag count.
- SW102R1 South Wallowas 02 Bow 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.
- Keating (about 43% of this area): 294 hunters, 178 animals, 61% success over 1,537 hunter days.
- Catherine creek (about 31% of this area): 292 hunters, 129 animals, 44% success over 1,250 hunter days.
- Pine creek (about 27% of this area): 180 hunters, 83 animals, 46% success over 910 hunter days.
Roads in and the nearest towns
The longest named roads through this ground are OR 86, I 84;US 30, I 84 and NF 39. The nearest towns are Halfway (18 mi), Richland (21 mi) and North Powder (24 mi), measured from the centre of the unit.
Getting in and staying out: unit SW-02
Named routes and what they need
- OR 86 — 18.2 mi · Paved (all rigs)
- I 84;US 30 — 12.7 mi · Paved (all rigs)
- I 84 — 11.2 mi · Paved (all rigs)
- NF 39 — 7.5 mi · Graded gravel (2WD / small trailer)
- Brownlee-Oxbow Highway — 7 mi · Graded gravel (2WD / small trailer)
- OR 237 — 6.8 mi · Paved (all rigs)
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
- Halfway — 18.1 mi · lodging
- Richland — 21.1 mi · groceries
- North Powder — 24.2 mi · fuel, groceries, lodging
- Joseph — 25.1 mi · lodging, gear
- Union — 25.3 mi · groceries
Developed camps
- Fish Lake Campground
- Twin Lakes Campground
- Indian Crossing Campground
- Tamarack Campground
- Eagle Valley RV Park
Season weather and signal
- Jan35° / 21° · 2.1" precip
- Aug88° / 49° · 0.4" precip
- Sep78° / 41° · 0.6" precip
- Oct63° / 33° · 1.1" precip
- Nov47° / 27° · 1.8" precip
- Dec36° / 21° · 2.3" 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 63: 178 of 294 hunters, 61%; Unit 53: 129 of 292 hunters, 44%; Unit 62: 83 of 180 hunters, 46%. 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: Fish Lake Campground, Twin Lakes Campground, Indian Crossing Campground, Tamarack Campground.
Road Conditions
OR 86, I 84;US 30 and I 84 are the longest named roads.
Terrain Difficulty
Named features run from 1,811 to 9,520 ft. More than 4,000 feet of relief, so plan the pack-out before the shot.
Weather
Season normals: Sep 78/41°F, 0.6 in.; Oct 63/33°F, 1.1 in.; Nov 47/27°F, 1.8 in.; Dec 36/21°F, 2.3 in..
Nearest Town
Halfway (18 mi), Richland (21 mi), North Powder (24 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
- South Wallowa Hunt Area SW-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: 1,417 square miles · accessed 2026-10-30
- Geographic Names Information System — named features inside the boundary — U.S. Geological Survey · supports: Red Mountain 9,520 ft, Granite Mountain 9,080 ft · accessed 2026-10-30