Quick Tips
- Waterfowl, pheasant and quail hunting at Summer Lake
- Harney County prepares useful hunting area maps
- Rocky rims hold chukar partridge
- Carry a GPS with private land data
| species | general Size | trophy potential |
|---|---|---|
| Mule Deer | 130"-150" | 160"+ |
| Elk | 250"-280" | 290"+ |
| Antelope | 70"-75" | 80"+ |
| California Bighorn Sheep | 150"-160" | 170"+ |
On The Ground
Antelope, California bighorn sheep, mule deer and elk live in this unit, which is mostly flat to rolling high desert terrain south of the center of the state. Sheep and antelope seasons and all deer and elk gun seasons are restricted to hunters who draw tags in the annual permit lottery. Deer and elk bowhunters may but tags over the counter.
This is a tough unit to hunt for mule deer and elk with limited numbers of animals scattered over thousands of square miles of mostly desolate desert terrain.
Terrain
This unit is mostly flat to rolling desert land, stretching from Summer Lake and Lake Abert in the south to the range land east of Pine Mountain in the north. Most land doesn’t vary much in elevation with almost all of it between 4,300 and 4,800 feet above sea level. There are a few knolls and low mountains. There isn’t a lot of private land, but most of it is farm ground with water.
Roughly 3,114 square miles
84% public land
Elevations from 4,100-5,300 feet
Vegetation
The chief plants are sagebrush, wild grasses and rabbitbrush with junipers and pines growing in places such as some of the knolls and in some draws. Marshy places are full of bulrushes, cattails and other water-based plants. Deer browse, including bitterbrush and various broad-leaved shrubs, grow in cuts, on ridges and buttes and near rock outcroppings and rimrock. Some farmland is irrigated and planted in alfalfa and other crops, which attract elk, deer and antelope.
Access
Most land is BLM-managed federal property and is open to hunting with good road access except in a few places where private land inhibits public travel. Large private areas are in Peters Creek Sink, Sucker Flat, Imperial Valley, upper Chewaucan Valley and Christmas Lake Valley and on the southern of the two Wagontire Mountains. The north Wagontire Mountain is mostly National Forest land and is managed as the Northern Great Basin Experimental Range. Large pieces of state land are in Imperial Valley, on Coleman Hills and on and near Locust Butte. Parts of Summer Lake State Wildlife Area are open to hunting although some areas are closed to big game hunting during pheasant, quail or waterfowl seasons. Hunters on the state wildlife area must get a daily hunting permit and must check out. A parking permit also is required. Headquarters is about a mile south of the town of Summer Lake. Some areas are closed seven days before waterfowl season. Fox Butte Travel Management Area is partly in this unit. Travel rules begin three days before controlled buck deer seasons and continue through them. On Timbers and Spring Butte travel management areas, road restrictions are year round. Some private lands in Harney County are open through the Access and Habitat Program.
Camping and Lodging
Some towns along the edge of the unit have lodging options, including Summer Lake Hot Springs retreat near Paisley and Christmas Valley Desert Inn Motel at Christmas Valley. Most hunters camp along roads on BLM land. The BLM maintains Chickahominy Reservoir Campground near Riley in the northeast corner.
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