Heads Up On Potential Changes To Eastern Oregon Mule Deer Hunts Starting In 2026

By Andy Walgamott April 10, 2025 HEADLINES 0 Comments

THE FOLLOWING STORY WAS PROVIDED BY THE OREGON DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE

New hunt names, changes to historic hunt boundaries, larger hunt areas and (slightly) fewer mule deer tags could be on tap for the 2026 deer hunting season in Eastern Oregon.

IN SEPTEMBER, THE OREGON FISH AND WILDLIFE COMMISSION WILL BE ASKED TO ADOPT NEW DEER HUNT AREA UNITS AS REPLACEMENTS FOR THE LONG-STANDING WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT UNITS FOR MULE DEER IN EASTERN OREGON, AS WELL AS TAG ALLOCATIONS. IF ADOPTED, THE CHANGES WILL GO INTO EFFECT FOR THE ***2026*** SEASON. (ANDY WALGAMOTT)

Though the change won’t come till 2026, hunters should be aware as they apply for 2025 controlled hunts.

The changes are due to ODFW’s new Mule Deer Plan and efforts to improve data collection and management for this species. The Wildlife Management Units currently used to structure hunts were originally created in the 1950s and don’t accurately reflect mule deer movements and behavior. Extensive research with GPS-collared mule deer has shown that mule deer are often counted in one unit and harvested in another.

ODFW has already made the switch to collecting more accurate population estimates and other information based on new deer “herd ranges”—the entire area a herd uses in a year, including summer ranges, winter ranges, and the migration corridors between them.

THE NEW DEER HUNT AREA UNITS ALIGN BETTER TO ACTUAL EASTERN OREGON MULE DEER HERDS THAN THE CURRENT WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT UNITS, WHICH, ACCORDING TO ODFW, WERE SET IN THE 1950S “BASED ON CONVENTIONAL WISDOM ABOUT ANIMAL DISTRIBUTIONS AND MOVEMENTS AT THAT TIME.” (ODFW)

In order to effectively model populations, harvest data also needs to be collected based on deer herd ranges. The switch will better align hunting effort and associated harvest with Oregon’s mule deer populations and management goals, improve monitoring of population trends, and allow for quicker management responses/accurate evaluation of management actions.

It’s important to know that 2026 changes won’t close any areas currently open to deer hunting. It also won’t change the preference point system.

But as with all new hunts, ODFW anticipates a period of uncertainty regarding how hunters in 2026 decide to select hunts and apply their points. The number of preference points needed to draw a tag for a given hunt area will be undetermined initially. It will likely take a few years before accurate predictions can be made.

AN ODFW MAP SHOWS THE NEW PROPOSED DEER HUNT AREA UNITS AND THEIR ALPHANUMERIC DESIGNATIONS. THE INITIALS REFER TO THE HERD NAME, THE NUMBERS TO SUBUNITS WITHIN THAT RANGE. (ODFW)

Proposed 2026 tag numbers will be available online in July 2025 and the Commission will be asked to adopt 2026 regulations, including tag numbers, in September 2025. Again, hunters can expect a slight reduction in overall mule deer tags in 2026 to deal with the period of uncertainty around the new hunts.

ODFW has developed a webpage with more information about the proposed changes. The page includes a map showing how new hunt areas overlap with WMUs so hunters can start exploring the new hunt structure. In general, new hunt areas will be larger, giving hunters more flexibility to respond to wildfire or hunting pressure.

Go to MyODFW.com and search “Eastern Oregon deer hunts” for more, or use this link: https://myodfw.com/articles/eastern-oregon-deer-hunts

About Author

Andy Walgamott