Unit 47 Northside
A big, roaded Blue Mountains unit north of John Day where public timber meets private valley ranchland.
Blue Mountains — North Fork John Day / Malheur (North) · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
1,116
sq mi
Public land
41%
approx.
Elevation
1,900–7,500
feet
Motorized
extensive
access
Overview
Northside (Unit 47) covers roughly 1,116 square miles of the northern Malheur National Forest and John Day River country, bounded by the mainstem John Day on the south, the North Fork John Day River on the north, and Highway 19 on the west. Terrain climbs from sub-2,000-foot crop fields and desert basins along the rivers up through juniper foothills into forested mountains in the 4,000-7,500-foot range. About 41 percent of the unit is public: the eastern half is largely Malheur National Forest reached by an extensive road network, while the western half is a checkerboard of BLM, state, National Forest and private land. Deer and elk are the core draw, with limited controlled hunts for pronghorn, California bighorn, and Rocky Mountain goat.
Terrain
A strong low-to-high gradient. River-bottom crop fields and desert flats along the John Day and North Fork John Day sit below 2,000 feet; from there the country rises through sagebrush-juniper basins and foothills into forested mountains mostly between 4,000 and 7,500 feet. Steep, broken canyon ground lines the John Day River corridors and parts of the higher mountains; the eastern edge climbs toward the Greenhorn/Vinegar Hill high country along the Highway 7 boundary.
Cover: Bottomlands and lower basins carry irrigated crops, grass, sagebrush and bitterbrush browse. Foothills are western juniper and mountain mahogany transitioning upslope into ponderosa pine, Douglas fir, larch and mixed conifer on the Malheur National Forest. Riparian stringers along Long Creek and the John Day forks hold willow, brush and forbs.
Landmarks: North Fork John Day River (north boundary) · mainstem John Day River (south boundary) · Long Creek · Fox Valley · Greenhorn / Vinegar Hill high country (eastern edge) · Malheur National Forest (eastern half) · Kimberly and Monument river corridors
Access
ODFW lists the unit at roughly 41 percent public. The eastern half is mostly Malheur National Forest with a dense grid of forest roads, and most public ground is reachable on public roads open to all vehicles. The western half is a genuine checkerboard of BLM, state, National Forest and private parcels — verify boundaries carefully before hunting, as public and private ground interlace tightly. Productive valley bottoms and winter range near the John Day rivers are largely private ranchland; secure permission or stay on the National Forest and BLM.
Managers: Malheur National Forest (USFS), Bureau of Land Management (Prineville District), State of Oregon lands, private ranches and farms (river valleys/foothills)
Access points: John Day (SE corner, US 26 / US 395 hub) · Mount Vernon and Dayville (south, US 26 along the John Day River) · Long Creek (north-central, US 395) · Monument and Kimberly (NW, Highway 19 / North Fork John Day River) · Fox (central, Malheur NF road network)
Species notes
Mule Deer
common opportunityThe unit's bread-and-butter deer species across foothills and forested mountains. Bucks are heavily pressured on both public and many private tracts, so this hunts more as an opportunity unit than a trophy draw, though mature bucks hold in the roughest and least-accessible country.
- →Glass sage/bitterbrush foothills and juniper benches at the timber edge (4,000-5,500 ft) at first and last light where bucks feed in the open and bed just above.
- →Push into steep, broken canyon ground along the John Day corridors and the least-roaded pockets of the Malheur to escape the heavy road pressure.
- →Cover ground with quality optics from high vantage points — classic eastern-Oregon spot-and-stalk country.
- →Late in the season, watch for snow pushing deer downhill toward lower foothill winter range.
Rocky Mountain Elk
common qualityA solid elk unit; hunters take mostly five- and six-point bulls, occasionally bigger. The eastern Malheur National Forest timber holds the bulk of the animals.
- →Hunt the timbered high country of the eastern Malheur National Forest — bulls hold in dark north-slope timber and steep drainage heads.
- →Get as far from open roads as possible for mature bulls; this is a well-roaded unit and pressure pushes elk into security cover.
- →Work meadow and timber edges at dawn and dusk, then still-hunt bedding timber mid-day.
- →During the rut window, locate bugling bulls in the least-pressured drainage heads.
Pronghorn
limited opportunityControlled pronghorn tags are issued for the unit. Antelope hold on the open sage-steppe flats and lower foothills rather than the timbered high country, so opportunity is geographically concentrated.
- →Focus on open sagebrush flats and grassland benches in the lower basins.
- →Glass long distances from high points at dawn and use terrain-screened stalks.
- →Pattern bucks near reliable water in dry late-summer conditions.
Bighorn Sheep
limited trophyCalifornia bighorn occupy the rough breaks and rimrock along the John Day River canyons; this is a rare, essentially once-in-a-lifetime controlled tag.
- →Glass steep rimrock and canyon breaks above the John Day and North Fork John Day rivers where sheep key on escape terrain.
- →Spend days behind quality glass locating rams from canyon-rim vantage points before committing to a stalk.
Mountain Goat
transient opportunityA very limited Rocky Mountain goat controlled hunt exists for the unit's highest, steepest country. Numbers are small and the tag is rare.
- →Hunt the highest rock, talus and cliff bands in the roughest mountain terrain.
- →Glass steep escape terrain from a distance and plan a foot-based, physically demanding stalk.
Black Bear
common opportunityBlack bears are well distributed through the forested Malheur National Forest portions; both spring and fall opportunity exists.
- →In spring, glass green-up slopes, old cuts and creek bottoms where bears feed on fresh grass and forbs.
- →In fall, key on berry patches, riparian draws and mahogany mast.
- →This is glassing country, not bait country — cover open slopes with optics at dawn and dusk.
Cougar
common opportunityCougars follow the deer and elk herds throughout the unit; harvest is typically incidental or opportunistic.
- →Hunt where deer and elk concentrate — the foothill/canyon transition and winter range breaks.
- →After fresh snow, cut and follow tracks in drainages and along game trails.
- →Be ready to take a cougar opportunistically while pursuing deer or elk.
Pro tips
- →This is a well-roaded unit — success on mature animals comes from getting away from the open-road grid into steep or least-accessible pockets.
- →The public/private split is roughly east-west: the eastern half is public Malheur National Forest, the western half a checkerboard. Map your boundaries before hunting the west side.
- →Bring serious glass; nearly every species here is hunted by glassing and stalking across open foothills and canyon country.
- →River-bottom valleys hold the best feed and winter range but are largely private — plan to hunt public timber and foothills, or secure permission early.
Watch out for
- !The western half is a tight BLM/state/USFS/private checkerboard — trespass risk is real; verify boundaries with a mapping app.
- !Productive valley bottoms and winter range along the John Day rivers are mostly private ranchland.
- !Heavy road access means heavy hunter pressure on both public and private tracts.
- !Early-season heat makes water sources and timing critical; high-country snow can arrive early.
- !Steep, broken canyon ground along the John Day rivers demands physical preparation and careful navigation; cell coverage is limited.
Logistics
John Day (US 26 / US 395 junction) is the main supply hub with fuel, groceries, lodging and the ODFW John Day district office (541-575-1167). Mount Vernon and Dayville anchor the south along US 26 and the John Day River; Long Creek sits on US 395 to the north and Monument/Kimberly on Highway 19 in the northwest. The unit is reached primarily off US 26, US 395, Highway 19 and the Malheur National Forest road network. Dispersed camping is allowed across most of the Malheur National Forest.
Nearest towns: John Day, Mount Vernon, Long Creek, Monument, Dayville
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Oregon sources:
Research sources: ODFW — Northside Unit 47 · GoHunt — Oregon Unit 47 Northside Profile · Malheur National Forest (USFS)
FAQ
- How big is Unit 47 in Oregon?
- Unit 47 (Northside) covers about 1,116 square miles, ranging from roughly 1,900 to 7,500 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in Unit 47?
- Approximately 41% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: Malheur National Forest (USFS), Bureau of Land Management (Prineville District), State of Oregon lands, private ranches and farms (river valleys/foothills). Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for Unit 47?
- Mule Deer, Rocky Mountain Elk, Pronghorn, Bighorn Sheep, Mountain Goat, Black Bear, Cougar. For seasons, tags, and regulations, use the official Oregon agency resources linked on this page — this page carries no regulatory information.
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Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.