Unit 35 Paulina
Wide-open Fort Rock country east of Bend — fair for deer and elk, excellent for pronghorn.
Central Oregon — High Desert (Paulina) · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
2,176
sq mi
Public land
73%
approx.
Elevation
3,100–6,500
feet
Motorized
extensive
access
Overview
Unit 35 (Paulina) sprawls across roughly 2,175 sq mi of central Oregon high desert east and southeast of Bend and Prineville, running down toward the Fort Rock basin and Lake County line. It's about 73% public land — a mix of Deschutes National Forest, Prineville and Lakeview BLM, and private irrigated farmland — and blends high-desert flats, rolling juniper-sage rangeland, low timbered mountains, and large lava beds. ODFW describes it as fair for elk and mule deer and excellent for pronghorn antelope, rewarding persistent hunters who work the big, sometimes hard-to-access country. All big-game tags are controlled draw, and the Oregon Badlands Wilderness sits within the unit east of Bend.
Terrain
Mostly high-desert flats and rolling hills from about 3,100 to 4,800 ft, rising to low timbered mountains and buttes near 6,500 ft (Pine Mountain). The flats mix center-pivot irrigated farmland, low brush rangeland, juniper woodland, and large lava beds. Fort Rock — a tuff ring rising roughly 200 ft above the desert — is the signature landmark; thick juniper and sagebrush make some country tough to navigate.
Cover: Western juniper, big sagebrush, bitterbrush, and desert grasses across the flats and rolling range; ponderosa and lodgepole pine on the higher buttes and mountains; irrigated crop fields on the valley floors; and barren lava fields breaking up the sage.
Landmarks: Fort Rock (tuff ring) · Oregon Badlands Wilderness · Pine Mountain (and observatory) · Millican / US Hwy 20 corridor · China Hat / East Fort Rock OHV area · Deschutes National Forest (western edge)
Access
About 73% public — extensive BLM high desert plus Deschutes National Forest on the west and higher buttes, giving open public access across much of the unit. Private irrigated farms and ranches occupy the valley floors and can block or landlock parcels, so verify boundaries. A dense network of BLM and forest two-tracks reaches most of the country, but thick juniper and sagebrush make some blocks slow and disorienting to navigate. The Oregon Badlands Wilderness is closed to motorized travel — foot or horse only.
Managers: Bureau of Land Management (Prineville & Lakeview Districts), U.S. Forest Service (Deschutes National Forest), Private ranch / irrigated farmland
Access points: US Hwy 20 (Bend-Millican-Hampton) across the north of the unit · US Hwy 97 corridor on the west (Bend-La Pine) · State Hwy 31 toward Fort Rock / La Pine on the southwest · Pine Mountain / China Hat road network south of Hwy 20 · BLM and Deschutes NF two-track grid off the highway corridors
Species notes
Pronghorn
common qualityThe unit's standout — ODFW rates it excellent for pronghorn antelope. Antelope occupy the open high-desert flats, sage-grass rangeland, and farmland margins. Tags are controlled draw and worth the wait for a strong high-desert buck hunt. The Paulina-East Fort Rock hunt area combines Unit 35 with the part of Unit 77 east of Hwy 97.
- →Glass the wide-open sage-grass flats and low benches from high points, then plan a terrain-screened stalk
- →Use folds, draws, lava rims, and brush lines to close distance on sharp-eyed animals in open country
- →Watch water sources, greener feed, and farmland edges during warm early-season conditions
- →Bring quality optics and cover ground — antelope range widely across the open desert
- →Locate bands at first light before the heat pushes them to shade and bedding
Mule Deer
common opportunityFair mule deer hunting on controlled tags. Deer use the juniper-sage rangeland, timbered buttes, and the ecotone between the flats and the higher pine country, and hold well in the thick juniper and lava-broken cover.
- →Hunt the transition between open sage flats and the juniper/pine buttes where bucks feed the brush and bed in cover
- →Glass rimrock, lava-rim edges, and bitterbrush benches at first and last light
- →Still-hunt the thick juniper draws and around the timbered buttes like Pine Mountain during the day
- →Work water sources and greener pockets in dry early conditions
- →Get off the two-track grid into the roughest juniper-and-lava country where pressured bucks hide
Rocky Mountain Elk
limited opportunityElk are present in fair numbers, tied mostly to the timbered buttes, higher pine country, and irrigated-farmland fringes. Controlled-draw tags. Numbers are lower and more scattered than in the Blue Mountain units, so elk take work to locate.
- →Focus the higher timbered buttes and the pine-to-farmland transition where elk feed and shade
- →Cover ground to cut sign, then hunt quietly into the timber pockets holding animals
- →Glass agricultural edges early and late where elk move to feed on irrigated ground
- →Locate rutting bulls in the timbered high ground, then close through cover
- →Hunt away from roads and OHV areas that keep the scattered elk moving
Black Bear
limited opportunityBlack bear are uncommon in this dry high-desert unit, largely restricted to the forested western buttes and pine country. Not a destination bear unit; opportunity is incidental.
- →Focus the forested western edge and higher timbered buttes rather than the open desert
- →Glass green-up slopes and meadow edges in spring, and berry/forb pockets in fall
- →Treat bear as an incidental opportunity while hunting deer or elk in the timber
Cougar
common opportunityCougar range across the unit following deer and antelope through the juniper, rimrock, and lava country. Available on a general statewide tag.
- →Hunt where deer and antelope concentrate — cats key on the prey base along rimrock and juniper draws
- →After fresh snow, cut two-tracks and rims for tracks, then follow into cover
- →Use predator calls in the broken juniper, lava rim, and rock country
Pro tips
- →This unit's calling card is pronghorn — ODFW rates it excellent for antelope, so it's a premier high-desert speed-goat draw
- →Thick juniper and sagebrush make big blocks slow and disorienting — carry good maps/GPS and plan navigation, not just a general direction
- →The Oregon Badlands Wilderness (east of Bend) is non-motorized — foot or horse access only inside its boundary
- →Water is scarce and game keys on it early season — scouting tanks, springs, and irrigated edges pays off for deer and antelope alike
- →Verify private irrigated-farm and ranch boundaries on the valley floors; they can landlock otherwise-open public parcels
Watch out for
- !Fine desert soils turn to impassable mud after rain — a storm can strand you far from help; carry recovery gear and extra supplies
- !Water is scarce across much of the unit — carry your own and don't count on finding it
- !Private irrigated farmland and ranches on the valley floors can block or landlock public access; confirm boundaries
- !Oregon Badlands Wilderness is closed to motorized travel — foot or horse only
- !Big, remote, disorienting juniper-and-lava country — navigation and self-sufficiency are essential; cell coverage is spotty
Logistics
Bend is the practical basecamp — full services, lodging, outfitters, the ODFW High Desert Region office (541-388-6363), and the Redmond (RDM) commercial airport. La Pine, Prineville, and tiny Fort Rock ring the unit for fuel and last-minute supplies, but services thin out fast in the interior desert. Dispersed camping is wide open across the BLM and Deschutes NF ground. Carry plenty of water, extra fuel, and recovery gear — this is big, dry, remote country with long distances between services and few reliable water sources.
Nearest towns: Bend, La Pine, Prineville, Fort Rock, Millican
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Oregon sources:
Research sources: ODFW Paulina Unit 35 · GoHunt — Oregon Unit 35 Paulina Profile · Oregon Pronghorn Antelope Seasons (eRegulations) · BLM Prineville District (Oregon)
FAQ
- How big is Unit 35 in Oregon?
- Unit 35 (Paulina) covers about 2,176 square miles, ranging from roughly 3,100 to 6,500 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in Unit 35?
- Approximately 73% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: Bureau of Land Management (Prineville & Lakeview Districts), U.S. Forest Service (Deschutes National Forest), Private ranch / irrigated farmland. Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for Unit 35?
- Pronghorn, Mule Deer, Rocky Mountain Elk, Black Bear, Cougar. For seasons, tags, and regulations, use the official Oregon agency resources linked on this page — this page carries no regulatory information.
Put Unit 35 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.