Hunt Area PH-01 Painted Hills (PH-01)
Rimrock, sage, and juniper deer country around Mitchell and the Painted Hills — scattered mule deer on a mostly-private landscape ODFW rates at extreme concern.
ODFW Central/Northeast — Mitchell, Painted Hills, and John Day Fossil Beds country (Painted Hills herd range) · Last reviewed 2026-07-17
Area
2,430
sq mi
Public land
35%
approx.
Elevation
2,000–5,600
feet
Motorized
moderate
access
Overview
Painted Hills (PH-01) is one of the new 2026 ODFW Deer Hunt Areas that replaced the old Wildlife Management Unit hunts in eastern Oregon. It spans roughly 2,430 square miles of the Painted Hills mule deer herd range in central Oregon, running from Redmond and the Crooked/Deschutes River country north and east through Antelope, Fossil, and Mitchell — the John Day Fossil Beds and Painted Hills landscape. It is built mainly from the legacy Grizzly Unit (138), with slices of the old Ochoco (137) and Fossil (145) units, so hunters who used to draw '138 Grizzly' should think of PH-01 as its successor. Only about 35% of the area is public — Ochoco National Forest on the west/south edge plus scattered BLM (including the Sutton Mountain country) — which makes it the most private, access-limited of the John Day-area deer hunts. ODFW moved to herd-range management after collar work showed deer crossing old unit lines seasonally; the Painted Hills herd is below objective and managed at an 'extreme concern' level, with tags reduced for 2026 (about 1,150, down from roughly 1,254). It is a mule deer area; deer here run scattered and dry-country tough.
Terrain
Classic central-Oregon high desert breaking into low mountains: colorful claystone hills and rimrock, sage and juniper flats, and the John Day and Crooked River canyons, rising to ponderosa timber on the Ochoco NF edge and along Sutton Mountain. Deer are spread thin across big country, so it hunts as a glassing-and-covering-ground game.
Cover: Big sagebrush, bitterbrush, greasewood, and dense western juniper across the low and mid elevations, with rimrock breaks and bunchgrass, grading into ponderosa pine and pockets of Douglas-fir on the higher Ochoco fringe and cooler north slopes. Riparian brush lines Bridge Creek and the John Day River bottoms.
Landmarks: John Day Fossil Beds — Painted Hills Unit (closed to hunting) · Sutton Mountain (BLM WSA) · Bridge Creek / Mitchell · John Day River · Crooked River and Deschutes River (west/north boundary) · Ochoco National Forest (west/south edge) · US 26 (Ochoco Highway) · State Highway 19 (Fossil–Service Creek) · State Highway 218 (Antelope–Fossil) · State Highway 207 / Buck Point Road
Access
Access is the hard part of PH-01: only about a third of the area is public, and much of that is fragmented BLM and state ground scattered through a matrix of large private ranches. The public timber is concentrated on the Ochoco National Forest along the western/southern edge; north and east of Mitchell it becomes big-ranch country where hunting often means securing private permission, a lease, or working the BLM blocks (Sutton Mountain and the John Day breaks). The John Day Fossil Beds National Monument (Painted Hills Unit) is closed to hunting — know that boundary. Some Regulated Hunt Area / access-program boundaries in the broader Fossil/Wheeler country have shifted year to year, so verify current limits. Carry a current ownership map and don't assume open ground.
Managers: Private ranchland (dominant), Bureau of Land Management, Ochoco National Forest (USFS), State of Oregon parcels
Access points: US 26 (Ochoco Highway) between Prineville and Mitchell · State Highway 19 north from US 26 toward Service Creek and Fossil · State Highway 207 / Buck Point Road corridor · BLM roads into the Sutton Mountain and John Day River breaks · Ochoco National Forest roads on the western/southern edge
Species notes
Mule Deer
common opportunityThe Painted Hills herd is below ODFW's population objective and managed at an 'extreme concern' level, with 2026 tags cut to about 1,150. Recent dry springs and summers have meant poor forage and water and widely scattered deer, and 2024 wildfires further dispersed animals off traditional public-land pockets. There are bucks here, but this is a cover-lots-of-ground, dry-country hunt with a heavy access challenge — set expectations accordingly.
- →Cover ground and glass hard — deer are scattered across big sage-juniper-rimrock country, not bunched up.
- →Key on water and the best remaining forage in dry years: green draws, north slopes, spring seeps, and creek bottoms like Bridge Creek and the John Day breaks.
- →Work the rimrock and juniper edges at first and last light, then find bedded deer in the shade and pockets of cover through midday.
- →Lock up private-land or BLM access early; the best deer ground is often behind a ranch gate, so a lease or permission can make the hunt.
- →Check post-2024 burn areas — regrowth draws deer, but the fires also pushed animals into new areas, so don't count on the traditional Wheeler-country pockets.
- →Later cold and snow move deer toward the John Day River and lower winter range — hunt the descent.
Pro tips
- →Think of PH-01 as the successor to the old '138 Grizzly' hunt, plus parts of Ochoco and Fossil — same country, new boundary.
- →Solve access first: with only ~35% public land, lining up private permission, a lease, or scouting the scattered BLM blocks is the difference-maker.
- →The John Day Fossil Beds (Painted Hills Unit) is closed to hunting — know exactly where that monument boundary sits.
- →In dry years, hunt water and green: seeps, north slopes, and creek bottoms hold the scattered deer.
- →Verify current Regulated Hunt Area / access-program boundaries in the Fossil/Wheeler country — they've moved year to year.
- →This herd is at 'extreme concern' with reduced tags and dry-scattered deer — bring patience and be ready to cover miles.
Watch out for
- !Only about 35% public — much of the area is large private ranches; don't assume open ground, and carry a current ownership map.
- !The John Day Fossil Beds National Monument (Painted Hills Unit) is closed to hunting; respect the boundary.
- !The Painted Hills herd is below objective (extreme concern) with cut tags, and recent dry years have left deer scattered and forage/water poor.
- !2024 wildfires dispersed deer off traditional public-land pockets — old honey holes may not produce.
- !Fire danger can close roads and areas well into fall.
- !Water and services are scarce in the back country; cell coverage drops off fast off the highways.
Logistics
Mitchell is the small in-area hub on US 26 with limited lodging and services; Fossil and Antelope are tiny north-end towns. For full motels, fuel, and groceries, base out of Prineville to the southwest or Madras/Redmond to the west — and fuel up before heading into the ranch country, where services are sparse. Public camping is mostly on the Ochoco National Forest edge and scattered BLM; developed options in-area are limited, so plan dispersed. Cell coverage is patchy off the highways and gone in the canyons — carry offline maps.
Nearest towns: Mitchell, Fossil, Antelope, Prineville, Madras, Redmond
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Oregon sources:
Research sources: ODFW — Painted Hills Hunt Area PH-01 (35% public; boundary from Redmond north via US 97/Crooked & Deschutes Rivers, Hwy 218 through Antelope and Fossil, Hwy 19/207/US 26 back to Redmond) · ODFW — Wildlife Management Units to Deer Hunt Areas Transition Guide (PH101 overlaps WMUs 137 Ochoco 17%, 138 Grizzly 69%, 145 Fossil 14%) · ODFW — 2025 Big Game Hunting Forecast (Fossil/Grizzly deer scattered, poor forage/water in dry years, 2024 wildfires dispersed deer; Wheeler Burn access note) · NPS — John Day Fossil Beds / Painted Hills Unit and Wheeler County terrain (elevations ~2,000–4,500 ft; Ochoco Mountains to south, Blue Mountains east; sagebrush-juniper-rimrock to ponderosa; Bridge Creek/Mitchell) · ODFW / Bend Bulletin — Painted Hills 01 (PH101) 2026 tags ~1,150 vs ~1,254; 14 herds extreme concern, 5 very high; ~9% tag reduction
FAQ
- How big is Hunt Area PH-01 in Oregon?
- Hunt Area PH-01 (Painted Hills (PH-01)) covers about 2,430 square miles, ranging from roughly 2,000 to 5,600 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in Hunt Area PH-01?
- Approximately 35% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: Private ranchland (dominant), Bureau of Land Management, Ochoco National Forest (USFS), State of Oregon parcels. Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for Hunt Area PH-01?
- Mule Deer. For seasons, tags, and regulations, use the official Oregon agency resources linked on this page — this page carries no regulatory information.
Put Hunt Area PH-01 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.