Deer Area 3071 Whitcomb
Permit-only refuge island hunt: mule deer working crop circles and river-bottom thickets on Umatilla NWR's Whitcomb Unit.
Region 3 (South Central) — District 4, Benton County; Whitcomb Island reach of the Columbia River (Lake Umatilla) near Paterson · Last reviewed 2026-07-17
Area
5
sq mi
Public land
100%
approx.
Elevation
265–300
feet
Motorized
limited
access
Overview
Deer Area 3071 "Whitcomb" is a tiny (about 4.6 square miles) special-permit deer area carved out of GMU 373 Horse Heaven: by legal description it is simply the Whitcomb Unit of the Umatilla National Wildlife Refuge — Whitcomb Island and the adjoining Washington shoreline of Lake Umatilla, downstream of the Paterson townsite in southern Benton County. The land is federal, managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as part of the Mid-Columbia River NWR Complex (the refuge was established in 1969 as mitigation for habitat flooded by John Day Dam); WDFW issues the limited deer permits through the state special-permit draw, and per the refuge's hunting regulations the Whitcomb deer hunt also includes Crow Butte Island just downstream. This is not a trophy factory — it is a rare chance to hunt essentially unpressured refuge ground where mule deer feed in cooperatively farmed crop fields and bed in dense river-bottom cover. Hunts are archery and muzzleloader only, and the handful of permit holders largely have the deer ground to themselves outside the waterfowl-hunt days.
Terrain
Flat river-bottom hunting at reservoir pool level: a big Columbia River island plus mainland shoreline on Lake Umatilla, laced with backwater sloughs and ringed by open water. Visibility alternates between wide-open irrigated field edges and thickets you can barely push through — the whole area hunts like a farm-country river bottom, not eastern Washington ridge country.
Cover: Cooperatively farmed irrigated crop fields (the refuge's circle fields are obvious on the hunt map) grown as wildlife forage, edged by willow and cottonwood riparian, dense Russian-olive thickets, cattail-bulrush marsh around the backwaters, and dry cheatgrass/shrub-steppe fringe. Cover is thin in extent but extremely thick where it exists.
Landmarks: Whitcomb Island · Columbia River / Lake Umatilla (John Day pool) · Crow Butte Island and Crow Butte Park (downstream) · SR 14 (north edge of the refuge corridor) · Glade Creek (enters the Columbia at the east end) · Paterson townsite (upstream) · Umatilla NWR sanctuary waters (closed) mid-river
Access
The entire deer area is the refuge unit, so land access is public — but hunting deer here requires drawing the WDFW special permit, and refuge rules govern everything else. Access is off SR 14 west of Paterson: refuge roads lead onto the Whitcomb Unit with designated parking areas and a boat launch on the unit itself. Vehicles (including bikes) are restricted to designated routes and parking areas. The refuge is open to hunters from 1.5 hours before to 1.5 hours after legal hunting time; no overnight parking, camping, or fires on the refuge. Bird hunting on the Whitcomb Unit is limited to Wednesdays, weekends, and federal holidays, but that day-of-week restriction does not apply to deer permit holders — midweek non-bird days are the quietest. Mid-river islands and waters inside the refuge's sanctuary closure area are closed to all entry; boats may only be used in designated areas of the Columbia and its backwaters, so study the refuge hunt map before launching.
Managers: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Umatilla National Wildlife Refuge, Whitcomb Unit)
Access points: SR 14 west of Paterson — refuge access roads and designated parking on the Whitcomb Unit · Whitcomb Unit boat launch (Columbia River backwaters) · Crow Butte Park entrance off SR 14 (adjacent, for the downstream end)
Species notes
Mule Deer
common opportunityDistrict 4 is overwhelmingly mule deer country (white-tailed deer are under one percent of deer on district surveys), and the refuge's crop fields and riparian thickets concentrate deer on this small unit. Expect a low-pressure, close-quarters hunt for a modest number of deer rather than big numbers or giant bucks — the draw is the setting and the odds of undisturbed animals, not trophy pedigree.
- →Glass the irrigated crop-field edges at first and last light — refuge farming is the forage magnet on the island, and deer stage in the olive and willow edges before stepping out.
- →Still-hunt or stand the Russian-olive and willow thickets between the fields and the shoreline at midday; on a unit this small, bedded deer are in the thick stuff, not the open cheatgrass.
- →Use the boat launch: slipping along shoreline backwaters lets you reach and hunt pockets quietly without walking scent through the whole unit — but stay inside the waters designated as open on the refuge map.
- →Play the river wind: thermals and the prevailing west wind run the Columbia corridor, so plan approaches along the shoreline with the wind off the water.
- →October archery hunters should treat it like an early-season farm hunt (bed-to-feed patterns); the late-fall muzzleloader window catches deer moving in the rut period, when bucks cross between the island, shoreline, and Crow Butte Island.
Pro tips
- →Hunt the midweek non-bird days (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday) — bird hunting on the Whitcomb Unit runs only Wednesdays, weekends, and holidays, so those quiet days are effectively a private refuge hunt.
- →Scout from the water before the hunt: a slow lap of the open backwaters shows you where deer are feeding, bedding, and crossing without putting a track on the unit.
- →Print the USFWS Umatilla NWR hunt map and mark the sanctuary closure and designated boat waters — the open/closed mosaic on this reach is not intuitive from the bank.
- →Remember Crow Butte Island is part of the Whitcomb deer hunt per the refuge regulations — it adds a second, often-overlooked piece of ground downstream.
- →In the muzzleloader window, dress for wind and wet — an exposed island on a mile-wide reservoir in late fall is a different climate than the forecast for Prosser suggests.
Watch out for
- !This is a special-permit deer area, not general-season ground — without the WDFW permit for this hunt you cannot hunt deer here at all.
- !Refuge sanctuary islands and waters are closed to ALL access year-round; entering them (even by boat, even to retrieve) is a federal violation.
- !No camping, no fires, no overnight parking, no alcohol while hunting on the refuge, and vehicles must stay on designated routes — refuge officers enforce these.
- !The refuge closes 1.5 hours after legal hunting time; do not let a long tracking job strand you (or your boat) inside after hours without contacting refuge staff.
- !Waterfowl hunters share the unit on Wednesdays, weekends, and holidays in late fall — plan deer sits away from the slough blinds those mornings.
- !Reservoir levels and wind on Lake Umatilla can make small-boat crossings genuinely hazardous — this is a big, exposed pool, not a pond.
- !Elk, coyotes, turkeys, and other non-listed wildlife are protected on the refuge — deer (and permitted birds) only.
Logistics
Paterson itself is a wide spot on SR 14 with essentially no services — plan on Prosser (up SR 221, roughly 30 minutes) or the Tri-Cities for motels, fuel, and groceries, or Boardman/Umatilla, Oregon across the river via the I-82 bridge. There is no camping, fires, or overnight parking on the refuge; Crow Butte Park immediately downstream has a seasonal campground (verify it is still open for late-fall hunts before counting on it). The drive is easy — paved SR 14 to the refuge access — and cell coverage along the Columbia/SR 14 corridor is generally serviceable. Bring waders or a small boat if you intend to work the backwaters, and haul out everything you bring in.
Nearest towns: Paterson (unincorporated, minimal services), Prosser (via SR 221), Boardman, OR (across the river via I-82/I-84), Umatilla / Hermiston, OR, Kennewick (Tri-Cities)
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Washington sources:
Research sources: WDFW Deer Area 3071 — Whitcomb hunt map (Umatilla NWR Whitcomb Unit, GMU 373) · USFWS Umatilla NWR Hunting Regulations — Boardman, Paterson, Ridge and Whitcomb Units (Aug 2024 brochure: deer permit rules, access, sanctuary closures, hunt map) · WDFW 2025 District 4 Hunting Prospects — Benton and Franklin counties (Deer Areas 3071/3072 special permits; district deer species mix; habitat and access) · Umatilla National Wildlife Refuge — official refuge page (establishment, habitat, mule deer, island closures) · Washington Deer Areas — WAC legal descriptions (Deer Area 3071 Whitcomb: 'That part of GMU 373 made up by the Whitcomb Unit of the Umatilla National Wildlife Refuge')
FAQ
- How big is Deer Area 3071 in Washington?
- Deer Area 3071 (Whitcomb) covers about 5 square miles, ranging from roughly 265 to 300 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in Deer Area 3071?
- Approximately 100% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Umatilla National Wildlife Refuge, Whitcomb Unit). Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for Deer Area 3071?
- Mule Deer. For seasons, tags, and regulations, use the official Washington agency resources linked on this page — this page carries no regulatory information.
Put Deer Area 3071 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.