Unit 62 Pine Creek
From the Eagle Mountains crest down to the Snake River — high-country elk and deer above, canyon breaks and pronghorn below
East Oregon — Wallowa Mountains / Hells Canyon (Northeast) · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
380
sq mi
Public land
75%
approx.
Elevation
1,700–9,000
feet
Motorized
moderate
access
Overview
Pine Creek (Unit 62) spans the southeastern Wallowa Mountains in Baker and Wallowa Counties, running from the Eagle Mountains and the old mining town of Cornucopia east and south to the Snake River, Brownlee Reservoir and the Powder River arm. It is a unit of extremes: alpine peaks and timbered basins on the west, Pine Valley farmland in the middle, and rough Hells Canyon breaks dropping to the Snake on the east. Roughly 75 percent public — Wallowa-Whitman National Forest in the high country and BLM Vale District along the lower breaks — with private ranch and farm ground in Pine Valley.
Terrain
Huge vertical relief from the Snake River and Brownlee Reservoir near 1,700 feet up to the Eagle Mountains crest approaching 9,000 feet. The west and north are steep timbered mountains and alpine basins; the center is the agricultural Pine Valley; the east is rough, grassy Hells Canyon breaks cut by side canyons dropping to the Snake.
Cover: Ponderosa pine, Douglas-fir, lodgepole and subalpine fir cloak the mountains, thinning to rocky alpine basins above timberline. The lower breaks and canyon country are open bunchgrass and scattered pine stringers on the ridges and draws, with brush and riparian cover along the creeks and the Snake River.
Landmarks: Eagle Mountains (western high country) · Cornucopia (old mining town, northwest corner) · Snake River / Hells Canyon (eastern border) · Brownlee Reservoir and the Powder River arm (southeast) · Pine Valley (Halfway/Richland farmland) · Pine Creek
Access
About three-quarters public, split between Wallowa-Whitman National Forest in the mountains and BLM Vale District ground on the lower Snake River breaks, giving good access at both ends of the elevation range. The Hells Canyon country on the east is steep and remote. Pine Valley in the center is private farm and ranch land requiring permission. Some controlled hunts (Hunt 462, Pine Creek-Keating) combine Units 62 and 63. Get a good ownership map to sort the public-private mosaic between the forest and the canyon.
Managers: USFS - Wallowa-Whitman National Forest (high country), USFS - Hells Canyon National Recreation Area (east breaks), BLM - Vale District (lower breaks and canyon), Private ranch / farm (Pine Valley bottoms)
Access points: Highway 86 through Pine Valley (Baker City - Halfway - Richland) · Forest roads from Halfway toward Cornucopia and the Eagle Mountains · BLM and forest roads into the Snake River breaks · Brownlee Reservoir / Powder River arm access on the southeast · Wallowa-Whitman forest trails into the high basins
Species notes
Rocky Mountain Elk
common qualityA strong draw across the unit's elevation range. Elk summer in the timbered Eagle Mountains high country and shift to the lower slopes and breaks as snow builds. The mix of forest and canyon holds good numbers, with better bulls in the roadless high basins and rough breaks.
- →Bugle and hunt the timbered high basins and meadow edges of the Eagle Mountains during the rut
- →As snow arrives up high, intercept elk migrating down toward the lower slopes and the Snake River breaks
- →Glass the open grass-and-timber seams of the canyon breaks at first and last light
- →Get away from roads into the steep timber and canyon pockets for less-pressured bulls
Mule Deer
common qualityMule deer range from the alpine basins down through the timber to the Snake River breaks. Baker County herds have been recovering with recent milder winters, and the rough canyon country holds mature bucks for hunters who work it.
- →Glass high alpine basins and timberline early season, then the canyon breaks as animals move down
- →Target the rough Snake River breaks and side canyons where mature bucks hold away from roads
- →Pre-rut and early snow push bigger bucks into the open along canyon and ridge edges
- →Plan long-range glassing and steep, committed stalks
Pronghorn
limited qualityPronghorn use the open grassy country and benches in and around the unit, hunted through a very limited controlled draw (400-series). Seasons fall mostly in August and September. Not a general opportunity.
- →Glass open bunchgrass flats, benches and rolling grassland for feeding and bedded bucks
- →Use terrain and long-range optics to locate, then make a careful stalk across open ground
- →Scout water sources and open country before the season if you draw
Bighorn Sheep
limited trophyRocky Mountain bighorn occupy the Snake River / Hells Canyon breaks on the east side of the unit. This is an extremely limited, once-in-a-lifetime controlled draw (500-series), not a general opportunity, but the canyon grows genuine trophy rams.
- →Sheep hold on the steep rimrock, grassy benches and breaks above the Snake River
- →Glass from across drainages and be ready for technical canyon terrain
- →Treat any tag as the rare draw it is and scout the rimrock thoroughly beforehand
Black Bear
common opportunityBlack bears use the timbered mountains, brushy draws and berry country, with additional controlled spring opportunity in the region.
- →Glass open south-facing slopes and spring green-up for feeding bears
- →Watch berry and brush fields in late summer and fall
- →Cover ground glassing the grass-timber and canyon edges
Cougar
common opportunityCougars follow the deer and elk through the timber and canyon country and are usually taken incidentally or with hounds where allowed.
- →Hunt where deer and elk concentrate, especially winter range in the breaks
- →Fresh snow aids tracking travel routes in the canyons
- →Mostly an opportunistic add-on while hunting other species
Pro tips
- →Play the whole elevation range: hunt the Eagle Mountains basins early, then follow the snow-driven migration down to the breaks
- →The east-side BLM Snake River breaks add public canyon country most hunters overlook — mule deer and elk hold in the rough pockets there
- →Glass the open grass-and-timber seams of the canyon breaks at first and last light
- →Pine Valley in the center is private farm ground — line up permission or focus on the forest and BLM ends
- →Plan kills around steep canyon pack-outs on the east side, not just the shot
- →If you draw the very limited pronghorn or Hells Canyon bighorn tags, scout the open country and rimrock hard beforehand
Watch out for
- !Pine Valley (Halfway/Richland) center of the unit is private farm and ranch land — trespass risk without a good map
- !Public and private ground form a mosaic between the forest and the canyon; carry an ownership map
- !Extreme vertical relief in the Snake River / Hells Canyon breaks — pack-outs are demanding and self-recovery is on you
- !Early snow can close high forest roads and make canyon two-tracks impassable
- !Poor to no cell coverage in the canyons and high country — carry maps, GPS and a satellite communicator
- !Some hunts combine Units 62 and 63 (Pine Creek-Keating) — confirm the current sub-unit hunt boundaries
Logistics
Halfway and Richland are the local towns in Pine Valley with basic services; Baker City to the west is the largest hub for fuel, lodging, groceries and the ODFW Baker City district office (541-523-5832). Highway 86 is the main artery through the unit, with forest roads climbing toward Cornucopia and the Eagle Mountains and BLM/forest roads dropping into the Snake River breaks. Cell service is poor to nonexistent in the canyons and high country. Plan for big elevation swings and steep canyon pack-outs on the east side.
Nearest towns: Halfway, Richland, Baker City, Cornucopia
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Oregon sources:
Research sources: ODFW - Pine Creek Unit 62 · ODFW - Pronghorn hunting in Oregon · USFS Wallowa-Whitman - Hells Canyon National Recreation Area · Oregon Pronghorn Antelope Hunt Descriptions - eRegulations · GoHunt - Oregon Unit 62 Pine Creek profile
FAQ
- How big is Unit 62 in Oregon?
- Unit 62 (Pine Creek) covers about 380 square miles, ranging from roughly 1,700 to 9,000 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in Unit 62?
- Approximately 75% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: USFS - Wallowa-Whitman National Forest (high country), USFS - Hells Canyon National Recreation Area (east breaks), BLM - Vale District (lower breaks and canyon), Private ranch / farm (Pine Valley bottoms). Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for Unit 62?
- Rocky Mountain Elk, Mule Deer, Pronghorn, 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 62 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.