Quick Tips
- Bring a shotgun to hunt chukars and quail
- Visit Newberry National Volcanic Monument
| species | general Size | trophy potential |
|---|---|---|
| Mule Deer | 140"-160" | 170"+ |
| Elk | 230"-260" | 270"+ |
| Antelope | 60"-65" | 70"+ |
On The Ground
This unit is a combination of high desert, farmland and low, timbered mountains, producing elk, mule deer and pronghorn antelope for persistent and lucky hunters.
Hunting is fair for elk and mule deer and excellent for pronghorn antelope. Elk are scattered and few, so hunters take very few 5x5 or bigger bulls.
Terrain
Most of this land is composed of high desert flats and rolling hills ranging from about 3,100 feet to 4,800 feet above sea level. The flats range from center-pivot irrigated farms and low brush rangeland to woodlands and large lava beds. In places bluffs rise above the flats and can be seen for miles. The most impressive of these is Fort Rock, which is a volcanic landmark called a tuff ring that rises about 200 feet above the desert. The low Paulina Mountains, most of them ranging from about 5,000 to 7,000 feet, cover most of the central part of the unit starting at the western edge south of Bend. Paulina Peak at 7,984 feet. Two lakes are in the Newberry Crater high in the unit at about 6,360 and 6,390 feet above sea level.
Roughly 2,178 square miles
79% public land
Elevations from 3,000-8,000 feet
Vegetation
The flat lands are mostly covered with low brush, such as sagebrush and rabbitbrush. Foothills feature mostly junipers, ponderosa pines, logged areas, sagebrush and grassy meadows. The Paulina Mountains are mostly forested with ponderosa and lodgepole pines, firs and junipers, but there are many clearcuts and meadows as well.
Access
Hunters may hunt most public lands in this unit, including most of the Newberry Volcanic National Monument. Unlike most National Monuments, it is not managed by the National Park Service but by the Forest Service. Hunting is not allowed inside the rim of the Newberry Crater. Most of the Paulina Mountains and many of the foothills and flatlands are inside the Deschutes National Forest. Some private timber lands are open to public hunting. Some are in the Fox Butte Travel Management Area, which is partly in this unit, and in the Timbers and Spring Butte travel management units, where travel restrictions are in effect year round. Hunters must stay on designated roads in Redmond-Bend and Mayfield Pond recreation areas in the northwest. The 342-square-mile Cabin Lake-Silver Lake Winter Range is closed to motor vehicles from Dec. 1 through March 31.
Deschutes National Forest vehicle use maps are available here
ATVs are helpful on some rough roads
Some roads are open only to street-legal vehicles
Camping and Lodging
Hunters may camp almost anywhere on Forest Service and BLM lands. Several campgrounds are in the unit, including nine on the shores of Paulina and East lakes in Newberry Volcanic National Monument. Examples are Paulina Lake Campground and East Lake Campground. There’s also a campground north of Fort Rock. Motel lodging is available in Prineville, Bend and Redmond, all in the northern end. Prineville has several lodging options, including Stafford Inn (phone: 541-447-7100), Best Western Prineville Inn and Crook County RV Park. East Lake Resort on the shores of East Lake and Paulina Lake Resort on the shores of Paulina Lake also offer lodging.
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