How big is Unit 67 in Oregon?

Unit 67 (Owyhee) covers about 3,025 square miles, ranging from roughly 2,300 to 6,100 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.

What species does the catalog list for Unit 67?

Bighorn Sheep, Pronghorn, Mule Deer, Rocky Mountain Elk, Cougar, Black Bear. For seasons, tags, and regulations, use the official Oregon agency resources linked on this page — this page carries no regulatory information.

Unit 67 Owyhee

Owyhee canyonlands high desert — trophy California bighorn, record-book pronghorn, vast BLM.

East Oregon — Owyhee high desert (Southeast) · Last reviewed 2026-06-03

Area

3,025

sq mi

Public land

89%

approx.

Elevation

2,300–6,100

feet

Motorized

moderate

access

Overview

Unit 67 sprawls across roughly 3,000 square miles of southeast Oregon's Owyhee high desert in Malheur County, framed by the Idaho line, the Snake River Valley, and Highways 95/78/20. It is overwhelmingly public BLM ground (about 89% per ODFW) and famous as the cradle of the nation's largest California bighorn herd, reintroduced at Leslie Gulch in 1965. The country is desolate, arid, and rugged — desert flats and sagebrush draws giving way to deep canyons cut by the Owyhee River and Owyhee Reservoir. Game densities are moderate and animals are widely scattered, so this is a glassing-and-hiking unit that rewards patience and remote-country self-sufficiency.

Terrain

Arid, open high-desert basin cut by deep, rugged canyons. Sagebrush and grass flats, rolling hills, rock outcrops and rimrock, with large lava fields in the south and the dramatic Owyhee River/Reservoir canyon system slicing through the middle. Much of the terrain is too rough for roads, demanding long hikes and high-vantage glassing.

Cover: Low desert grasses (typically cured brown by hunting season), big sagebrush and bitterbrush on flats and in draws, scattered western juniper and mountain mahogany, with a few scattered pines and firs on the highest ground. Irrigated alfalfa and crops on private valley bottoms along the Snake and Malheur rivers.

Landmarks: Owyhee River (Wild & Scenic) · Lake Owyhee / Owyhee Reservoir · Leslie Gulch · Succor Creek Natural Area · Upper and Lower Cow Lakes · Snake River Valley · Malheur River · Jordan Valley

Access

ODFW lists the unit as roughly 89% public land, nearly all of it BLM Vale District; the GoHunt profile estimates closer to 81%, with the difference being scattered private holdings concentrated in the Snake River and Malheur River bottoms and around settlements. Most of the open desert is freely accessible, but Leslie Gulch is a managed Area of Critical Environmental Concern and the Owyhee canyon is extremely rugged. Carry a current Vale BLM land-status map — private inholdings and ranch parcels are sprinkled through otherwise public country. Roads range from paved highways to rough dirt two-tracks; carry a full-size spare (or two) and recovery gear.

Managers: BLM (Vale District), Private ranch/ag land (Snake & Malheur River valleys)

Access points: Highway 95 corridor (Jordan Valley to the Idaho line) · Succor Creek Road / Leslie Gulch Road off OR-201 or US-95 · Owyhee Reservoir / Lake Owyhee State Park access · Highway 20/26 between Cairo Junction and Nyssa · Follyfarm-Harper Road and Highway 78 (western boundary)

Species notes

Bighorn Sheep

common trophy

The Owyhee/Leslie Gulch herd is California bighorn, reintroduced here in 1965 (17 sheep) and now the largest such herd in the country. A premier, very-hard-to-draw trophy sheep tag.

→Focus glassing on the Owyhee River canyon rims, Leslie Gulch, and Succor Creek breaks where rams hold near rimrock and escape terrain
→Spend dawn and dusk behind quality optics from high canyon vantage points — rams use rugged broken rock and ledges
→Treat this as a once-in-a-lifetime tag: scout the canyon systems hard and pattern individual rams before season

Pronghorn

common quality

The unit has a long reputation as a producer of record-book antelope. Densities are moderate but a few exceptional bucks come out most years.

→Glass the open sagebrush flats and rolling grass benches between canyons at first and last light
→Drive-and-glass the dirt-road network, then make spot-and-stalk approaches using terrain folds and draws for cover
→Look for bucks holding near water and green draws early season before they shift; range carefully across open country where distances are deceiving

Mule Deer

common opportunity

Decent but scattered mule deer populations across a huge area; record-book genetics exist and a few big bucks are taken yearly, but most hunters work hard for moderate animals.

→Glass canyon rims, juniper pockets, and mahogany stringers where bucks bed during the day
→Hunt the rough breaks of the Owyhee canyon and lava-rim country that vehicles can't reach — pressure pushes deer into the gnarly stuff
→Be willing to hike well off roads; early season, check higher mahogany/juniper benches, and watch draws and brushy gulches in heat

Rocky Mountain Elk

limited opportunity

Elk are present but in low numbers and patchily distributed across this desert unit; not a primary elk destination.

→Concentrate on the higher, more vegetated benches and canyon stringers with juniper and scattered timber
→Glass at the edges of dawn and dusk near water and the few green pockets
→Expect to cover a lot of ground — herds are widely scattered and unpredictable here

Cougar

limited opportunity

Cougars range throughout the canyon and rimrock country following deer and bighorn, but are taken incidentally and at low density.

→Hunt the rugged Owyhee canyon and rimrock where deer concentrate and cats follow
→Cut tracks on dirt roads and in canyon bottoms after fresh snow
→Glass for cats sunning on rimrock ledges in cold weather

Black Bear

transient low

Black bears are scarce in this arid desert unit; any spring opportunity is marginal compared to forested western units.

→Focus on the few greener canyon riparian corridors and higher brushy pockets
→Glass green-up draws in spring along the Owyhee and Malheur drainages
→Treat as an opportunistic add-on, not a primary target

Pro tips

→Buy the most current Vale BLM land-status map and run an offline GPS app — private inholdings are scattered through otherwise-public desert and boundaries are unmarked on the ground.
→Hunt the country vehicles can't reach: most pressure stays near roads, so a willingness to hike into the Owyhee canyon breaks and lava rims puts you on less-disturbed game.
→Optics over boots — set up on high canyon vantage points at first and last light and grid the flats, rims, and draws rather than still-hunting blind.
→Carry far more water and at least one full-size spare than you think you need; rough volcanic rock shreds tires and there is no help for many miles.
→If you drew a bighorn tag, treat Leslie Gulch and the Owyhee/Succor Creek canyon rims as your core and scout individual rams well in advance.

Watch out for

!Extremely remote with no cell service off the highways — a breakdown or injury can become serious fast; tell someone your plan and carry a satellite communicator.
!Sharp volcanic and lava rock and rough two-tracks routinely cause flats; a single spare is not enough.
!Clay desert roads and canyon grades turn to impassable gumbo when wet — getting stranded miles in is a real risk after rain or snow.
!Scattered private and ag parcels (Snake/Malheur valleys) are easy to trespass on without a verified land-status map.
!Leslie Gulch is a protected Area of Critical Environmental Concern with rare endemic plants — respect access and travel restrictions.
!Water is scarce and the open desert offers little shade; heat and dehydration are early-season hazards.

Logistics

This is remote, self-supported country. Stage out of Ontario or Nyssa on the north end (fuel, groceries, lodging) or tiny Jordan Valley on the south end (Basque Station Motel, limited services). Most hunters camp on BLM ground along dirt and gravel roads, with developed options at Lake Owyhee State Park, Slocum Creek Campground (long dirt-road access near Leslie Gulch), and Succor Creek primitive sites. Cell coverage is essentially nonexistent off the highways — bring paper/offline maps, plenty of water, extra fuel, full-size spare tires, and recovery gear. The ODFW Ontario field office (541-889-6975) and BLM Vale District are the local contacts.

Nearest towns: Nyssa, Jordan Valley, Ontario, Adrian, Harper

Nearby units

Hunt Area SE-02 · Southeast (SE-02) Hunt Area JT-02 · Juntura (JT-02) Hunt Area JT-01 · Juntura (JT-01) Hunt Area SE-01 · Southeast (SE-01)

Seasons & regulations

This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Oregon sources:

Research sources: ODFW — Owyhee Unit 67 · GoHunt — Oregon Unit 67 Owyhee Profile · BLM — Leslie Gulch Area of Critical Environmental Concern · ODFW — Southeast Oregon Big Game Hunting Areas

FAQ

How big is Unit 67 in Oregon?: Unit 67 (Owyhee) covers about 3,025 square miles, ranging from roughly 2,300 to 6,100 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
How much public land is in Unit 67?: Approximately 89% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: BLM (Vale District), Private ranch/ag land (Snake & Malheur River valleys). Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
What species does the catalog list for Unit 67?: Bighorn Sheep, Pronghorn, Mule Deer, Rocky Mountain Elk, Cougar, Black Bear. For seasons, tags, and regulations, use the official Oregon agency resources linked on this page — this page carries no regulatory information.

Put Unit 67 on your map.

Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.

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