Unit 65 Beulah
A sprawling unit from the Snake River sage flats to the Malheur National Forest, on a major mule deer migration corridor
Blue Mountains / High Desert — Malheur County (Southeast Oregon) · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
2,743
sq mi
Public land
57%
approx.
Elevation
2,100–6,500
feet
Motorized
extensive
access
Overview
Beulah (Unit 65) is a large, diverse unit stretching from the Snake River near the Idaho line at Nyssa west to the Malheur and Wallowa-Whitman National Forests near Prairie City and Ironside. It covers over 2,700 square miles, ranging from flat valleys and river bottoms up through sage foothills, ridges and steep canyons to timbered mountains in the northwest corner. About 57 percent is public — Vale and Burns BLM plus National Forest — with substantial private ranch and farmland in the valleys along the Snake and Malheur rivers. It holds mule deer, elk, pronghorn and some whitetail, and sits astride the documented Beulah-Malheur mule deer migration corridor.
Terrain
Enormous range of country. Flat valleys, farmland and river bottoms along the Snake and Malheur rivers give way to moderate-to-steep BLM sage foothills, ridges and canyons, then to the mountainous, timbered northwestern corner in the Malheur and Wallowa-Whitman National Forests. Open desert flats sit at 4,500 feet or less; the mountains run 5,000 to 6,250 feet.
Cover: Mostly arid terrain covered by grasses and sagebrush with scattered bitterbrush, wild rose, juniper and mountain mahogany. Riparian bottoms and irrigated farmland line the rivers and creeks. The northwestern mountains carry ponderosa and mixed conifer forest in the Malheur NF.
Landmarks: Malheur River and Beulah (Agency Valley) Reservoir · Snake River (eastern boundary near Nyssa) · Malheur National Forest (northwest corner) · Summit Prairie · Ironside Mountain area · Drewsey
Access
A little over half public, dominated by BLM sage country with National Forest in the northwestern mountains. Private ranch and irrigated farmland fill the valleys along the Snake and Malheur rivers and the creek bottoms, so a good ownership map matters when hunting low. National Forest ground in the northwest is well-roaded — hunters can generally get a full-size vehicle or ATV within a mile of most spots. Two ODFW offices split coverage: Ontario for the eastern areas, John Day for the western sections.
Managers: BLM - Vale District and Burns District, USFS - Malheur National Forest, USFS - Wallowa-Whitman National Forest, Private ranch / farmland (river and creek valleys)
Access points: US Highway 20 near Vale (eastern gateway) · US Highway 26 near Ironside (northern access) · Interstate 84 (northeast corner) · Drewsey and Malheur Reservoir Road corridors · Malheur NF forest roads toward Summit Prairie
Species notes
Mule Deer
common qualityMule deer are the headline species, ranging from the sage foothills and canyons up into the forest edge. The unit sits on the documented Beulah-Malheur migration corridor, and deer shift seasonally between summer range and lower winter range. Some good bucks are taken; numbers track winter severity.
- →Glass open sage-and-grass foothills, ridges and canyon breaks at dawn and dusk
- →Work brushy draws and bitterbrush pockets where bucks hold security cover
- →Understand the seasonal migration — deer move to lower winter range as high country snows in
- →Pre-rut and rut bring bigger bucks into the open along foothill benches
Rocky Mountain Elk
common qualityRocky Mountain elk concentrate in the timbered northwestern mountains (Malheur NF) and use the forest-to-sage transition and canyon country. Moderate numbers with some good bulls.
- →Focus on the forested northwest corner and the timber-to-sage seams
- →Glass at first and last light where forest meets open foothills
- →Push into rougher canyon and roadless pockets to find undisturbed bulls
- →Later seasons: intercept elk sliding downhill toward winter range with snow
Pronghorn
common qualityPronghorn thrive on the wide-open sage flats and rolling rangeland across the drier eastern and central parts of the unit. A controlled-draw (400-series) opportunity that can produce solid bucks.
- →Glass the open sage flats and rolling grasslands from high vantage points
- →Use terrain folds and long optics to plan stalks across big open country
- →Water sources and green field edges concentrate antelope in dry, hot conditions
Whitetail Deer
limited opportunityWhitetails are present in limited numbers in the brushy river and creek bottoms, living in the riparian valleys separate from the mule deer country.
- →Hunt brushy bottoms and riparian thickets along the Malheur and Snake rivers
- →Watch field-and-brush edges at first and last light
- →Much of the best bottom cover is private farmland — secure permission
Black Bear
limited opportunityBlack bears are concentrated in the timbered northwestern mountains and brushier draws; the arid eastern flats hold few. A limited controlled opportunity in the area.
- →Focus on the forested northwest and higher moist draws
- →Glass green south slopes during spring green-up
- →Watch berry and mahogany pockets in late summer and fall
Cougar
common opportunityCougars follow the deer and elk across the unit and are typically taken incidentally or with hounds where allowed.
- →Hunt where deer and elk concentrate, especially winter range
- →Fresh snow aids tracking travel routes
- →Mostly an opportunistic add-on while hunting other species
Pro tips
- →It's a huge unit with two very different halves — arid BLM sage in the east and center, timbered Malheur NF mountains in the northwest; pick your terrain to your species
- →Elk live in the forested northwest corner; pronghorn own the open eastern flats; mule deer bridge the foothills between them
- →Learn the Beulah-Malheur migration timing — early vs late season can put you on entirely different deer concentrations
- →National Forest is well-roaded, so hike past the roads to reach lower-pressure pockets
- →Two ODFW offices cover this unit — call Ontario for the east side and John Day for the west depending on where you'll hunt
Watch out for
- !Substantial private ranch and irrigated farmland fill the river and creek valleys — carry a good ownership map before hunting low
- !Long distances and sparse services — fuel up and carry water; the sage country is remote
- !Poor to no cell coverage across the flats and mountains — bring GPS, maps and a satellite communicator
- !Fire and drought can drive late-summer closures in the high desert and Malheur NF; verify conditions
- !Roads turn to greasy, impassable mud with rain or early snow in the BLM sage country
Logistics
Ontario and Vale on the eastern side are the main supply hubs (fuel, lodging, groceries) with the ODFW Ontario office (541-889-6975); the John Day office (541-575-1167) covers the western sections. This is a big unit — US 20, US 26 and I-84 frame it, with extensive BLM and well-roaded Malheur NF roads reaching the interior. Distances are long, so fuel up and plan for a lot of driving. Cell service is poor across the sage and mountains. National Forest ground lets you get a vehicle or ATV within about a mile of most spots.
Nearest towns: Vale, Ontario, Nyssa, Drewsey, Ironside, Prairie City
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Oregon sources:
Research sources: ODFW - Beulah Unit 65 · GoHunt - Oregon Unit 65 Beulah profile · USGS - Oregon Mule Deer Beulah-Malheur Stopovers / migration corridor · USFS - Malheur National Forest
FAQ
- How big is Unit 65 in Oregon?
- Unit 65 (Beulah) covers about 2,743 square miles, ranging from roughly 2,100 to 6,500 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in Unit 65?
- Approximately 57% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: BLM - Vale District and Burns District, USFS - Malheur National Forest, USFS - Wallowa-Whitman National Forest, Private ranch / farmland (river and creek valleys). Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for Unit 65?
- Mule Deer, Rocky Mountain Elk, Pronghorn, 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 65 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.