Quick Tips
- Bring a rod for trout, steelhead and salmon fishing
- Dusky and blue grouse live in the forests
| species | general Size | trophy potential |
|---|---|---|
| Mule Deer | 130"-150" | 160"+ |
| Elk | 270"-300" | 310"+ |
On The Ground
Elk, mountain goats and mule deer are hunted in this unit, which features the Elkhorn Mountains and most of the North Fork John Day Wilderness.
Rifle and bowhunters take a good number of bull elk every year, most of them 5x5 and 6x6 bulls, but terrain is difficult and mostly timbered with limited roads in places, keeping hunter success down.
Terrain
This unit is mostly timbered, mountainous country between 4,000 and 7,000 feet in elevation, the bulk of it inside the Umatilla and Wallowa-Whitman National Forests. The highest country is in the Greenhorn and Elkhorn Mountains—part of the larger Blue Mountains—and is inside the North Fork John Day Wilderness. Many peaks and ridges are rugged and rocky. There’s a lot of ideal mountain goat habitat. The high country drops off gradually to the west to flattened ridges above the North Fork John Day River and along U.S. Highway 395. Part of the river is a federally designated wild and scenic river.
Roughly 671 square miles
86% public land
Elevations from 3,500-8,100 feet
Vegetation
Forested land features aspen, Douglas fir, larch, white fir, ponderosa pines and other conifers with junipers growing at lower elevations. The high points of the Elkhorn Mountains and many ridges that run off the main spine of the range are either treeless or sparsely timbered. Many lakes are in alpine basins, which have grassy meadows, forbs and wildflowers as well as stands of trees. Below the forests are wide, flattened ridges that are mostly covered with grasses and low shrubs, while the creeks running between them are in timbered draws.
Access
There is good road access in much of the Umatilla and Wallowa-Whitman National Forests. The Forest Service publishes online road use maps. No vehicles are allowed in the North Fork John Day Wilderness. Most private land is in three areas: next to the North Fork John Day River, along Desolation Creek and its tributaries just south of there, and along the Middle Fork John Day River on the western edge of the unit.
Camping and Lodging
Many hunters camp along dirt roads, while hunters who use the wilderness typically stay in backpack tents or sometimes in wall tents if they horses. The Forest Service provides a few campgrounds where trailers and RVs can be parked, including Tollbridge, Driftwood and Gold Dredge. Some campgrounds have tent sites only, including Oriental Creek Campground.
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