BAKER CITY — With the fall rifle hunting seasons set to start soon, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife has issued its forecast for Northeastern Oregon units.

In general, deer and elk herds did well during the past winter, and benefited from a relatively damp spring in many areas that led to a good crop of forage.

Summer was generally hot and dry, with the exception of areas, particularly in Baker County, where the remnants of a hurricane brought record-setting rain on Aug. 21.

Hunters may see a few more yearling bucks in the mix thanks to a mild winter and good over-winter survival.

Baker County (

Sumpter, Keating, Pine Creek, Lookout Mountain, Beulah units) Deer

Overwinter survival was good in Baker County. Animals will be the most active early in the morning and late in the afternoon when temperatures cool off. Hunters should concentrate their efforts in areas of good forage near north slopes that provide good bedding cover.

Elk

Elk herds in Baker County came out of the winter in good shape. Bull ratios are at or near management objective and calf ratios were good in all units. With controlled archery elk hunting taking place hunters are reminded to check the regulations for the area they intend to hunt. Elk populations in the Keating, Pine Creek and Lookout Mountain units continue to grow and offer good opportunity for hunters.

For the best chance at tagging an elk, get as far away from roads as possible, perhaps by hunting in one of the cooperative Travel Management Areas. Dry conditions can make hunting difficult. Animals will be the most active early in the morning and late in the afternoon when temperatures cool off. Hunters should concentrate their efforts in areas of good forage near north slopes that provide good bedding cover.

Bear and cougar

Bear and cougar hunting should be good this year. Hunt for bears in high elevation open areas with the most berries. Fall bear hunters have best success in higher elevation areas of the Keating and Pine Creek units on the Wallowa Whitman National Forest.

Murderers Creek, Northside, Desolation, and West Beulah units

The area experienced a moderate winter, and deer and elk fared OK through the winter. Both deer and elk had lower fawn/calf ratios in the spring than the previous year due to last summer’s drought conditions.

Deer

Deer populations remain below management objectives in all units. Buck ratios were at management objective in Northside and Desolation and above management objective in Murderers Creek. Spring fawn ratios were lower than desired. Last year, archery and rifle hunters had below average success for Northside and Desolation but above average for Murderers Creek. Similar or slight better results are expected this year.

Deer hunters should look for areas where fire has occurred in past 5 to 15 years as deer tend to favor vegetation that occurs following fires. The Shake Table Fire on Aldrich Mountain, Canyon Creek Complex, and the Monument Rock burns are showing signs of increasing deer and may be a good place to find a buck.

Elk

Hunting prospects are average for the district. Elk populations are steady in most of the district and above management objective in Murderers Creek and Northside but below in Desolation and West Beulah. There are slightly lower calf ratios and good bull ratios in most of the district.

Elk hunters should focus on areas with no open roads as elk tend to move away from traveled roads during hunting seasons.

Bear and cougar

Bear populations appear to be increasing slightly and hunting should be similar to past years. The fruit crop appears to be good despite having very low spring and summer precipitation.

Cougar populations appear to be increasing and hunters are encouraged to have a tag while out hunting other big game, as that is when most cougar and bear harvest occurs. If using calls, remember cougars respond slower than coyotes so be prepared to spend more time.

Heppner, Fossil, East Biggs,

southern Columbia Basin units Deer

Mule deer numbers should be similar to last year even though the weather conditions for most of the year were fairly mild. Normal spring rain and a relatively normal summer have created decent amounts of forage and decent water conditions. Deer are highly scattered and hunters will need to cover some ground to find deer.

Public lands hunters in the Fossil unit have historically had better success in the Wheeler burn, but deer numbers and success rates in that area have decreased the last few years. Fossil Unit hunters might look to other areas for better deer hunting this fall. Public land hunters can also hunt the Heppner Regulated Hunt Area in the Heppner unit. The Heppner Regulated Hunt area was reduced in size last year so hunters will want to make sure of the current boundaries before heading to the field.

The Columbia Basin is mostly all private land so hunters will need to secure access or hunt on some of the limited private land where ODFW has access agreements with the private landowners to allow public hunting access, such as the Open Fields access areas in the Columbia Basin unit.

Elk

The elk populations in the Heppner and Fossil units are at management objective. Bull ratios have remained constant from last year for both units. The elk calf ratio for both units is a little better this year so hunters should find it a little easier to find spike bulls. There are still good numbers of older age class bulls throughout the forest.

Bear and cougar

Hunters are still seeing plenty of cougars in the Heppner district so there is opportunity for hunters to harvest an animal. The District has low densities of bears throughout the entire forested portion of the District, but you might see one when deer and elk hunting, so carry a tag.

Starkey, Catherine Creek and East Mt. Emily unitsThe region experienced a wet spring that created great forage conditions for big game, but there was little summer moisture. Animals should be distributed widely around their range.

The Starkey Unit Travel Management Areas are a great place to start for big game hunters new to the area; maps are available online or at the La Grande office. General spike season provides plenty of opportunity to elk hunt in the Starkey unit without the crowds of first season. Look for elk in the steep terrain of the Starkey and Catherine Creek units. The Access and Habitat program continues to provide genuine hunting opportunities within Union County and should not be overlooked.

Early season hunting can be tricky, and summer scouting can pay off while animals are on their summer patterns before hunters start pressuring them. Soft cold calling for elk is a good way to draw elk in before the rut is going on. Glassing early mornings and late evenings while it is hot is a very effective way to locate deer.

Deer

Deer populations remain below management objectives. Catherine Creek buck ratios have been holding steady and above management objective for years and hunters continue to have good success. However, due to low fawn survival last winter there likely won’t be as many yearlings in the harvest this year. Starkey unit buck ratios are at management objective; fawn survival over winter was lower than average, so there likely won’t be very much yearling harvest. East Mount Emily buck numbers are stable and above management objectives.

White-tailed deer in the district experienced a hemorrhagic disease outbreak in the fall of 2021, but overall population numbers remain stable and buck ratios are high. The Grande Ronde muzzleloader hunt is a good opportunity for hunters to harvest an animal.

Elk

Elk numbers are strong throughout. Elk populations are above MO in Catherine Creek and Starkey, with bull ratios over/near MO. The calf crop was average this year, and overall the elk herd came out of the long winter in relatively good condition. Mt. Emily still offers a trophy quality elk hunt.

Bear and cougar

Bear and cougar numbers are strong in all units. Look for cougar sign on ridge tops in areas of high elk use. Calling or glassing for long periods of time can be effective when looking for mountain lions.

Bear harvest has been consistent over the past several years. Look for bears in the creek bottoms and valleys, feeding on hawthorn berries and other fruits. Road closure areas within the Catherine Creek and Starkey units will provide good walk-in access to bear habitat.

Hunters should be reminded to check private forest access restrictions before going hunting. Manulife can be reached at 541-962-2184 for up-to-date information.

Wenaha, Sled Springs, Chesnimnus, Snake River, Minam, Imnaha units Deer and elk

White-tailed deer numbers are good in all units. White-tailed bucks are nocturnal, but patient hunters often have success stand hunting between bedding and feeding areas.

Mule deer numbers are still well below management objective, though recruitment continues to be moderate, with good overwinter survival of fawns in most units.

Elk numbers are stable in all units and hunters should have good opportunities, though recruitment has been low due to drought conditions.

With continued high temperatures and lack of rain through August, early season hunters may choose to utilize remnant deep forest forage, as well as springs and wallows. When cooler temperatures and snow hit at higher elevations, watch for deer and elk to move down to lower elevations.

Travel management areas (TMA) and/or road closures are in effect in the Sled Springs (Noregaard and Shamrock/Whisky Creek), Chesnimnus, and Imnaha (Grouse-Lick/Canal Creek) units. Hunters can obtain maps of each TMA by visiting the following link. Be sure to call the Manulife Investment Lands (formerly Hancock Forest Management) information line before your hunt at 541-962-2184 for current information and/or restrictions.

Hunters interested in accessing the new Minam River Wildlife Area should note that access is by foot and non-motorized bikes only. Camping is not allowed at this time.

Bear and cougar

Late spring and early summer rains produced good berry crops. Hunters can look for bears at lower elevations in drainages, orchards, and meadows near edge habitat.

Cougar populations are moderate throughout Wallowa County. Most are taken incidental to other hunting. However, calling with fawn bleat, or locating a cougar kill and waiting for a cat to return are often successful techniques. Please remember to check in your harvest at your local district office to help with population estimates.

Walla Walla, Mt. Emily, Ukiah, eastern portion of Heppner, northern Columbia Basin units

Deer and elk

Mule deer survival rates should have been average considering the mild winter we experienced on the winter range in Umatilla County. However, mule deer numbers are below management objectives (MOs) in all units, but the buck:doe ratios are all at or above MO. Harvest success rates have remained relatively stable in Mt. Emily and Walla Walla units over the last four years. The success rate in Ukiah crashed in the 2022 season but hopefully the later hunt start date for 2023 will result in more favorable hunting conditions (cooler weather).

In the fall of 2019, Umatilla County experienced an Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD) outbreak in white-tailed deer at low elevation areas. The population has struggled to recover due to smaller EHD outbreaks limiting population growth.

Hunters will find very similar elk numbers to previous years. Calf ratios were lower than normal throughout the district which will likely result in lower than average spike harvest success rates. Bull ratios remain above management objective in Mt. Emily, Walla Walla and Ukiah. Later hunt start dates for all hunts in the 2023 season may result in more favorable elk hunting conditions but also have potential to make hunting in Mt. Emily and Walla challenging if snow is too deep.

Due to extremely hot and dry conditions the past few months, forage and water conditions for both deer and elk are poor at best, resulting in animals not being widely dispersed. Expect daily movements will be restricted to a few hours in the morning and early evening. However, hunters should continue to focus on north-facing slopes where good feeding and bedding areas are more prevalent.

Cougar and bear

Bears are high up early in the season and will pull down slowly. Look in hawthorn and elderberry concentrations to find them; early on they will be on edges of clearings near berry crops in high country. The best bear hunting is north of I-84 in Mt Emily and Walla Walla units.

Cougar populations are healthy; carry a tag while hunting deer or elk as you may get the chance to take a cougar while you’re at it. The best cougar hunting will be north of I-84 in the Mt. Emily and Walla Walla Units. The Ukiah Unit has a lower density of cougars than the two northern units, but has been increasing in density for the last few years. Still, hunters will have good chance of encountering a cougar there as well.

Deer

The main Eastern Oregon controlled deer season runs from Oct. 7-18. Controlled archery hunts continue through Oct. 1.

Elk

There are multiple elk seasons, but the two largest run from Nov. 1-5, and from Nov. 11-19.

Black bear

The statewide season continues through Dec. 31.

Cougar

The statewide season is open year-round.