Deer Hunt Area TC-02 (Trout Creek 02)
Oregon Hunting Guide — Deer (Buck)
Trout Creek 02 is the Beatys Butte WMU, a nearly all-public block between Catlow Valley, the Fields-Denio Road and Hwy 140, with Pueblo Mountain at its top. It runs a rifle hunt and a bow hunt.
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Deer (Buck) Hunting in Unit TC-02
Trout Creek 02 is the Beatys Butte WMU, a nearly all-public block between Catlow Valley, the Fields-Denio Road and Hwy 140, with Pueblo Mountain at its top. It runs a rifle hunt and a bow hunt.
Where to Find Deer in the Trout Creek 02 Hunt Area: Pueblo Mountain to the Nevada line
A tight box along the Nevada line
The boundary starts at Catlow Valley Road and Funnel Canyon Road, follows Catlow Valley Road to the Fields-Denio Road, runs south to the state line and west to Hwy 140. It then returns along East Beaty Butte Road and Hawk Valley Road. Pueblo Mountain, Hawks Mountain, Acty Mountain, Lone Mountain and Lone Juniper are the named high ground. Roads include Fields Basin-Rincon Road and Rincon Road.
What the forecast covers
ODFW's Harney County forecast says fawn ratios are stable and buck ratios exceed objective in all its deer hunt areas, though populations are below objective. It names no spots inside Trout Creek 02, so use the map and the mountain names as your guide. Fires in the northern part of the district are producing forage, and ODFW lists burn scars, desert edges, north-facing slopes and water as places to look.
Nearly all of it is public, and none of it is close to a town. Plan for a self-contained camp, and glass from one high point before you decide where to walk.
The ground ODFW draws for this hunt
ODFW's Deer Hunt Area TC-02 covers about 548 square miles measured on ODFW's own polygon, and ODFW rates it 97% public land. It takes in parts of these WMUs: Beatys Butte (about 100%). Named features inside the line fall in Harney County. Elevation runs from about 4,239 to 8,615 feet. The highest named points are Pueblo Mountain (8,615 ft), Hawks Mountain (7,229 ft) and Acty Mountain (7,017 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 TC-02 terrain and land status
Measured from the unit boundary, not from the agency write-up
The lay of it
- 4,697–6,506 ft on a terrain sample , averaging 5,510 ft ; peaks can run higher.
- 547.7 sq mi inside the boundary.
Who owns the ground
- BLM — 15%
- State Trust — 8%
- Private / Other — 77%
Roughly 23% is public. Carry a land-status layer anyway — these are area percentages, not a map of where the boundaries fall.
Water on the ground
- 40 tanks
- 114 springs
- 196 stream segments
- 2 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: Pueblo Mountain (8,615 ft), Hawks Mountain (7,229 ft), Lone Mountain (6,896 ft), Lone Juniper (6,556 ft)
Holding ground: Ten Cent Meadows (6,958 ft), Oleachea Pass (6,746 ft), Propeller Meadows (6,501 ft)
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 Trout Creek 02 Hunt Area: north slopes, water and cool hours
Use ODFW's general rules for the district
ODFW says burn scars, edge habitat near the desert, higher ground, north-facing slopes and areas within a few miles of water offer the best odds. It adds that early mornings and late evenings are prime. Pick a ridge off Fields Basin-Rincon Road, glass the north faces and watch the water.
Camp Hart Mountain and Post Meadows Campground are named camps for a base.
Dry-year care
Harney County is in moderate to severe drought, per ODFW. Park on bare ground, since tall grass can ignite under a hot exhaust. Some small closures remain after this summer's fires, so check Oregon Department of Forestry and BLM. On steep ground, carry the meat out in loads. A bow hunt runs here as well. Valley Falls and Lakeview are far, so top off fuel and water before you commit to the road in. This is big, quiet country, and a good spotting scope matters more than a long walk.
Take plenty of spare water for the truck, as well as for yourself.
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.
- TC102 Trout Creek 02: see ODFW's table in the 2026 regulations for the season and tag count.
- TC102R Trout Creek 02 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.
- Beatys butte (about 100% of this area): 110 hunters, 57 animals, 52% success over 494 hunter days.
Roads in and the nearest towns
The longest named roads through this ground are Fields-Denio Road, Ackley Camp Road, Arizona Creek Road and Catlow Valley Road. The nearest towns are McDermitt (60 mi), Orovada (68 mi) and Lakeview (75 mi), measured from the centre of the unit.
Getting in and staying out: unit TC-02
Named routes and what they need
- Fields-Denio Road — 13.9 mi · Graded gravel (2WD / small trailer)
- Ackley Camp Road — 5.7 mi · Graded gravel (2WD / small trailer)
- Arizona Creek Road — 2.8 mi · Graded gravel (2WD / small trailer)
- Catlow Valley Road — 2.8 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
- McDermitt — 60.2 mi · no services listed
- Orovada — 68.3 mi · no services listed
- Lakeview — 75.2 mi · fuel, groceries, lodging
- Valley Falls — 75.8 mi · fuel
- Cedarville — 78.5 mi · fuel, groceries
Season weather and signal
- Jan43° / 21° · 0.9" precip
- Aug92° / 52° · 0.3" precip
- Sep82° / 43° · 0.3" precip
- Oct68° / 34° · 0.7" precip
- Nov52° / 26° · 0.7" precip
- Dec42° / 21° · 1.2" 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 70: 57 of 110 hunters, 52%. 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
Road Conditions
Fields-Denio Road, Ackley Camp Road and Arizona Creek Road are the longest named roads.
Terrain Difficulty
Named features run from 4,239 to 8,615 ft. More than 4,000 feet of relief, so plan the pack-out before the shot.
Weather
Season normals: Sep 82/43°F, 0.3 in.; Oct 68/34°F, 0.7 in.; Nov 52/26°F, 0.7 in.; Dec 42/21°F, 1.2 in..
Nearest Town
McDermitt (60 mi), Orovada (68 mi), Lakeview (75 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 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
- Trout Creek Hunt Area TC-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: 548 square miles · accessed 2026-10-30
- Geographic Names Information System — named features inside the boundary — U.S. Geological Survey · supports: Pueblo Mountain 8,615 ft, Hawks Mountain 7,229 ft · accessed 2026-10-30