Unit 40 Maupin
A low-public, private-wheat-and-juniper mule deer unit wrapped around the Deschutes River canyon.
North-Central Oregon — Deschutes Canyon / Columbia Plateau · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
531
sq mi
Public land
8%
approx.
Elevation
1,000–3,600
feet
Motorized
moderate
access
Overview
Unit 40 (Maupin) covers roughly 530 sq mi of the dry Columbia Plateau east of the Cascades in Wasco County, bounded by the Deschutes River on the west and the wheat-and-juniper country running out toward Grass Valley, Shaniko, and Antelope. It is overwhelmingly private — ODFW lists only about 8% public land — so this is a landowner-permission and river-corridor unit, not a roam-the-national-forest unit. Mule deer are the primary big game, with limited Rocky Mountain elk, spring black bear, cougar, and a very localized California bighorn sheep presence in the lower Deschutes canyon. Nearly all tags run through the controlled draw.
Terrain
Open, rolling plateau and dryland-wheat benches cut by the deep basalt canyon of the lower Deschutes River on the west edge. Relief is gentle across the tablelands but abrupt and steep where side canyons and the Deschutes gorge drop several hundred to a thousand-plus feet to the river. Tygh Valley and the Deschutes canyon form the main topographic breaks.
Cover: Dryland wheat and grassland on the plateau, western juniper and big sagebrush on untilled ground and canyon rims, with bunchgrass, bitterbrush, and scattered brush on the Deschutes canyon slopes. Little to no closed-canopy timber — this is high-desert steppe, not forest.
Landmarks: Lower Deschutes River canyon · Tygh Valley · Sherars Falls / Sherars Bridge · Shaniko · Antelope · Grass Valley · Bakeoven country
Access
At roughly 8% public land, access is the defining challenge. The great majority of the unit is private wheat and ranch ground that requires advance landowner permission; knock on doors early and expect leased or posted ground. The main public thread is the lower Deschutes River corridor — a mix of BLM and state-managed land along the Wild & Scenic river — reachable from the Maupin and Sherars Falls access roads. US Hwy 197 and State Hwy 216 frame the road network.
Managers: Private ranch and dryland-wheat operations, Bureau of Land Management (Prineville District — lower Deschutes canyon), Oregon Parks (Deschutes River corridor / Lower Deschutes Wild & Scenic)
Access points: US Hwy 197 through Maupin and Tygh Valley (main corridor) · Deschutes River Access Rd / BLM lands along the lower Deschutes (Maupin to Sherars Falls) · State Hwy 216 east from Tygh Valley toward Grass Valley · Bakeoven Rd and county roads across the plateau (mostly private frontage)
Species notes
Mule Deer
common opportunityMule deer are the marquee species and the reason most hunters draw Maupin. Deer use the juniper-sage breaks, canyon rims, and dryland-wheat edges, but with the unit almost entirely private, quality opportunity hinges on securing access to good ground rather than on the public land base.
- →Lock up landowner permission well before the season — the best deer ground is private wheat-and-juniper country
- →Glass the juniper-and-sage canyon rims and draws at first and last light where deer move between feed and bedding
- →Work the Deschutes canyon breaks and side draws on the public river corridor when private access falls through
- →Hunt the transition edges between harvested wheat and brushy draws where bucks feed at dawn
Rocky Mountain Elk
limited opportunityElk are present but scattered and low-density in this plateau/canyon country; the unit is far better known for deer. Numbers concentrate on private ground and in canyon pockets, and tags are controlled.
- →Focus canyon heads, brushy draws, and private ground where small bands hold
- →Glass early and late from canyon rims for elk moving to and from feed
- →Treat elk as a bonus opportunity rather than the trip's centerpiece
Bighorn Sheep
limited trophyCalifornia bighorn sheep occupy the rugged basalt rimrock of the lower Deschutes River canyon along the unit's west edge. Any sheep hunt here is a once-in-a-lifetime controlled tag with extremely long draw odds, and animals are tied strictly to the canyon rims — not the open plateau.
- →Concentrate entirely on the Deschutes canyon rimrock and rocky breaks
- →Glass long from canyon vantage points; plan for steep, technical basalt terrain
- →Treat it as a once-in-a-lifetime tag and scout the canyon hard if drawn
Black Bear
limited opportunityBlack bear occur at low density in the canyon and brushy pockets; this dry plateau unit is marginal bear country compared with the timbered Cascade units to the west. Spring opportunity exists through the controlled framework.
- →Glass green-up slopes and brushy draws in the Deschutes canyon in spring
- →Focus the wetter, brushier canyon pockets rather than the open wheat plateau
Cougar
common opportunityCougar follow the deer through the canyon and rim country and are available on the general statewide tag. Cats concentrate where deer winter and travel along the Deschutes breaks.
- →Hunt the canyon and rim country where deer concentrate
- →Cut roads and rims for tracks after fresh snow, then work into cover
- →Use predator calls in the broken canyon terrain
Pro tips
- →This is an ~8% public unit — success is almost entirely about securing private landowner permission BEFORE you draw or hunt
- →The lower Deschutes River corridor (BLM/state) is the main public fallback — learn exactly where public ground begins and ends along the river
- →Glass juniper-and-sage canyon rims and draws at first and last light; deer bed in shade through the warm midday
- →Bighorn are a once-in-a-lifetime Deschutes-canyon tag — ignore the plateau entirely if you draw
- →Fuel and water up before leaving Maupin; the plateau has almost no services
Watch out for
- !Roughly 92% of the unit is private — expect posted, leased, and permission-only ground across the wheat and ranch country
- !Public land is a thin ribbon along the Deschutes; verify boundaries with a mapping app before hunting off the river
- !Water is scarce on the plateau — pack in your own
- !Dirt ranch and canyon roads become impassably slick after rain; the Deschutes canyon terrain is steep and unforgiving
- !Nearly all big game here is controlled-draw — plan your point strategy
Logistics
Maupin is the practical hub — a small Deschutes River town with fuel, lodging, and the river outfitter economy, and the gateway to the public river corridor. The Dalles (north on US Hwy 197) offers full services and the ODFW district office (541-296-4628), a good stop for access and regulation questions. Services thin fast on the plateau; fuel up in Maupin or The Dalles. Camping is available along the BLM/state Deschutes River corridor.
Nearest towns: Maupin, Tygh Valley, The Dalles, Madras, Grass Valley
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Oregon sources:
Research sources: ODFW Maupin Unit 40 · ODFW Big Game Hunting Report — Central Area · BLM Prineville District Office (Lower Deschutes Wild & Scenic River)
FAQ
- How big is Unit 40 in Oregon?
- Unit 40 (Maupin) covers about 531 square miles, ranging from roughly 1,000 to 3,600 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in Unit 40?
- Approximately 8% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: Private ranch and dryland-wheat operations, Bureau of Land Management (Prineville District — lower Deschutes canyon), Oregon Parks (Deschutes River corridor / Lower Deschutes Wild & Scenic). Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for Unit 40?
- Mule Deer, Rocky Mountain Elk, Bighorn Sheep, 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 40 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.