Unit 54 Mount Emily
One of Oregon's fabled 'Big 3' trophy elk units — big bulls, mature mule deer and valley whitetails above La Grande and Pendleton.
Blue Mountains — Umatilla Highlands · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
771
sq mi
Public land
44%
approx.
Elevation
1,600–5,800
feet
Motorized
moderate
access
Overview
The Mt. Emily Unit (~771 square miles) sits north and northwest of La Grande and southeast of Pendleton, spanning hills and mountains of the Umatilla and Wallowa-Whitman national forests along with the Umatilla Indian Reservation and private rangeland on the flats and canyons. Widely regarded — alongside Walla Walla and Wenaha — as one of Oregon's 'Big 3' once-in-a-lifetime elk units, it produces high-quality bulls, mature mule deer and a genuine whitetail deer population in the canyon and valley bottoms. At roughly 44 percent public land it carries more open ground than most Blue Mountains units, including the ~20,000-acre North Fork Umatilla Wilderness, with wide open ridge tops and timber-choked bottoms that make it prime glassing country.
Terrain
Rises from the Pendleton flats and Grande Ronde/Umatilla valley floors (~1,600 ft) into rough, steep Blue Mountain highlands, especially in the northern half around the North Fork Umatilla Wilderness, topping out near 5,800 ft. Open grassy ridge tops sit above deep timbered canyons — classic glass-and-stalk country.
Cover: Bunchgrass and shrub-steppe on the lower canyon slopes and reservation flats give way to ponderosa pine, Douglas-fir and grand fir on the highlands, with dense north-slope timber in the drainage bottoms and open, grassy south-facing tops.
Landmarks: Mount Emily · North Fork Umatilla Wilderness (~20,000 acres) · North Fork Umatilla River · Grande Ronde River · Umatilla Indian Reservation · I-84 / Blue Mountain summit corridor
Access
About 44 percent is public — better than most northeast units — concentrated in the Umatilla National Forest highlands and the North Fork Umatilla Wilderness. The Umatilla Indian Reservation is tribal land and is NOT open to non-tribal hunters; do not hunt or cross it without tribal authorization. Much of the lower flats and canyon rangeland is private and requires permission. Forest roads open the highlands but expect travel-management and seasonal closures.
Managers: USFS Umatilla National Forest, USFS Wallowa-Whitman National Forest, Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (tribal land), Private rangeland and ranches (flats and canyons)
Access points: I-84 over the Blue Mountains (Meacham/Emigrant Hill exits) · State Hwy 204 (Weston–Elgin) along the east side · North Fork Umatilla River road and trailheads · Umatilla NF forest-road network off the summit corridor · Wilderness trailheads for foot/stock access into roadless country
Species notes
Rocky Mountain Elk
abundant trophyMt. Emily is one of Oregon's premier trophy Rocky Mountain elk units — part of the 'Big 3' — producing genuinely large bulls. The best bull tags are highly sought once-in-a-lifetime limited-entry draws; this is not a general over-the-counter bull unit, and drawing a tag here is a career hunt.
- →Glass the open grassy ridge tops at first and last light and locate bulls before they drop into the timbered canyon bottoms to bed.
- →Hunt the timber/opening edges of the North Fork Umatilla highlands where bulls hold in dark north-slope cover.
- →Get into the wilderness and roadless breaks away from the summit-corridor pressure for mature bulls.
- →Scout hard — with a coveted tag, pre-season time locating specific herds is what fills it with a trophy.
Mule Deer
common qualityThe unit holds a good mule deer population with a real shot at mature bucks in the open highland and canyon country. Bucks work the ridge tops and bunchgrass/timber edges away from the reservation and private flats.
- →Glass the open south-facing ridges and bunchgrass benches at dawn for bucks feeding before they bed near timber.
- →Hunt the high open tops during the rut when mature bucks follow does into the grassy country.
- →Still-hunt timber pockets and canyon heads on public ground once pressure builds.
Whitetail Deer
common opportunityWhitetail deer occupy the canyon bottoms, riparian corridors and valley-edge farmland — an increasing Blue Mountains whitetail presence gives hunters a second deer species alongside mule deer.
- →Hunt the brushy creek bottoms, riparian corridors and ag/canyon edges where whitetails hold.
- →Watch field and cover edges at first and last light; whitetails stay tight to bottom cover.
- →Much of the best whitetail ground is private canyon and valley land — line up permission first.
Black Bear
common opportunityBlack bear are common through the timbered highlands and brushy drainages of the Umatilla forest ground.
- →Glass green spring slopes, meadows and old cuts for feeding bears.
- →In fall focus on berry and mast concentrations in the mid-elevation timber and canyon brush.
Cougar
common opportunityCougars are present throughout, following the strong deer and elk herds; available on a general tag.
- →Cut fresh tracks on fresh snow along forest roads and ridgelines.
- →Focus on winter deer/elk concentrations where cougars hunt.
Pro tips
- →This is a 'Big 3' trophy elk unit — a bull tag here is a once-in-a-lifetime draw; treat it as a career hunt and scout accordingly.
- →Its 44 percent public is high for the region — but the Umatilla Indian Reservation is off-limits to non-tribal hunters, so map ownership carefully.
- →Glass the open ridge tops against timbered bottoms — the wide-open/timber contrast is what makes this prime glassing country.
- →Hunt two deer species: mule deer up high on the ridges, whitetails down in the canyon and valley bottoms.
- →Get into the North Fork Umatilla Wilderness and roadless breaks to escape summit-corridor pressure.
Watch out for
- !Umatilla Indian Reservation is tribal land — hunting/crossing without authorization is trespass; know exactly where its boundary is.
- !Lower flats and canyon rangeland are largely private and need permission.
- !Coveted limited-entry elk tags mean high expectations and heavy scouting demand — not a walk-in bull unit.
- !Early snow and Blue Mountain storms close upper roads and make the I-84 summit hazardous.
- !Wilderness and roadless hunts require serious pack-out planning in steep timber.
Logistics
Pendleton and La Grande bracket the unit with full services, fuel, lodging and the ODFW La Grande office (541-963-2138). I-84 over the Blue Mountains provides fast all-weather access to the summit country; dispersed camping is standard on the Umatilla NF. High country and wilderness trailheads demand good clearance and can snow in early. Cell service is spotty off the interstate.
Nearest towns: La Grande, Pendleton, Weston, Elgin, Meacham
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Oregon sources:
Research sources: ODFW Mt. Emily Unit 54 · ODFW Northeast Area Big Game Hunting · GOHUNT Oregon Unit 54 — Mt Emily Profile
FAQ
- How big is Unit 54 in Oregon?
- Unit 54 (Mount Emily) covers about 771 square miles, ranging from roughly 1,600 to 5,800 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in Unit 54?
- Approximately 44% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: USFS Umatilla National Forest, USFS Wallowa-Whitman National Forest, Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (tribal land), Private rangeland and ranches (flats and canyons). Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for Unit 54?
- Rocky Mountain Elk, Mule Deer, Whitetail Deer, 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 54 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.