Oregon Pronghorn Elk Deer (Buck)

Unit 36 (Maury)

Oregon Hunting Guide — Pronghorn, Elk, Deer (Buck)

The Maury Unit pronghorn hunt (436) is an Oregon controlled-hunt opportunity managed by ODFW. Tags are allocated through the ODFW controlled-hunt draw, and this entry summarizes what hunters can expect across access, pressure, and harvest context for the unit.

View Draw Odds Oregon Hunting Guide

Pronghorn Hunting in Unit 36

Where to Find Pronghorn in the Maury Unit

The Maury Unit sits in the sage-juniper mosaic south of Prineville, with pronghorn spread across low-elevation flats, reservoir rims, and ranch-country benches. Focus your glassing on open sage basins that hold water and on the edges where juniper thins into grassland.

A meaningful chunk of the Maury is public BLM and Forest Service ground, but access cuts through private in several places. Pull the ODFW WMU layer plus a BLM or onX-equivalent ownership layer so you can plan legal routes to huntable country.

How to Hunt the Maury Unit

Treat the Maury as classic spot-and-stalk country. Drive ridge roads at first light, glass every basin with good optics, and commit to a stalk only after you've watched the band long enough to see what they're doing. Use terrain rollers and juniper edges to cut the distance.

Shots will often stretch past 300 yards in the big open flats, so zero and data confirmation before the season is worth the trip to the range. Blind sits over water can be productive in archery season when the desert dries out in late summer.

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Pronghorn Success Rates

Use ODFW's big-game statistics page to pull the most recent harvest totals and hunter-day counts for this unit. Success rates on controlled hunts vary year to year with tag numbers and weather — treat trailing three-year averages as your baseline.

Pronghorn Draw Odds

Season	Tags	Applicants	Draw %	Pts Req
Rifle— Controlled	27	631	4.1%	19
Rifle— Controlled	22	46	45.7%	5

Data from 2025 draw results. Resident odds shown.

Open in Draw Odds Engine

Oregon runs a 75/25 controlled-hunt draw: 75% of tags go to the highest preference-point holders and 25% are drawn at random from all applicants. Review the ODFW controlled-hunt navigation page before applying, and check historical draw odds for this specific hunt number on the ProHunt draw-odds tool.

Elk Hunting in Unit 36

The Maury Unit (236) spans the isolated Maury Mountains and the high sagebrush-juniper country of Hampton Butte in Crook County, southeast of Prineville. It's a classic high-desert Rocky Mountain elk unit — smaller herds than the Blue Mountains, but stable and productive with a strong public-land footprint on Ochoco National Forest and BLM Prineville District. Tag numbers are generous relative to applicants (roughly 400 tags against 763 three-year applicants for about 52% draw odds), which makes Maury one of the more accessible controlled elk hunts in Oregon. Elk here concentrate in the juniper-ponderosa transition around the Maury Mountains proper and in the timbered pockets of Hampton Butte.

Where to Find Elk in the Maury - Hampton Butte Unit

Maury elk are distributed across two distinct habitat cores with a broad sagebrush-juniper bench connecting them. The herd is smaller than Blue Mountains units but the animals are predictable once you learn the pattern.

Maury Mountains Core

The Maury Mountains themselves, rising to 6,300 feet at Antelope Mountain, hold the densest summer and early-fall elk populations in the unit. Ponderosa pine and mixed conifer on the north slopes provide bedding cover, and the aspen pockets and meadow parks on the east side offer feed. Focus on the headwaters of Bear Creek and the country around Pine Mountain during archery season.

Hampton Butte

Hampton Butte, the isolated forested island 15 miles south of the Maurys, holds a second resident band. Elk here use the western ponderosa slopes and drift into the surrounding BLM juniper-sagebrush for feed. The butte is small enough to hunt systematically, and a single morning of glassing from the main ridge usually turns up animals.

Transition Benches

Between the Maury Mountains and Hampton Butte, the elk use wide sagebrush-juniper benches as travel corridors. Late-season rifle hunters often intercept animals on these benches as snow pushes elk down off the timbered cores.

How to Hunt Elk in the Maury - Hampton Butte Unit

Maury elk hunting rewards hunters who do their road homework and glass patiently. The country is drier and more open than the Blue Mountains, which makes for excellent optics-based hunting but also means elk can see you coming from a long way off.

Glass the Meadow Edges at Dawn

Elk in the Maurys feed in the meadow parks and aspen edges at first and last light and bed in the thicker conifer during midday. Set up on a glassing point 45 minutes before shooting light and pick apart every meadow rim with a spotting scope. The Antelope Mountain area and the parks above Bear Creek are textbook glassing country.

Still-Hunt the Aspen Pockets

Mid-day, work slowly through the aspen stringers and transition cover. Elk bed tight in these pockets, especially during the mid-September archery rut. Bugling and cow-calling both work here — the terrain is intimate enough that animals will commit to a call before they visually clear you.

Late-Season Migration

Late October and early November rifle hunters should focus on the transition benches. When snow hits the tops of the Maurys and Hampton Butte, elk shift down onto the BLM sagebrush flats. Post up on an intercept point in the early morning and let animals come through to feeding areas.

Road Strategy

The Ochoco Forest road network here is dense but heavily used by casual hunters during any-weapon seasons. Get off the main roads and walk into the roadless pockets — a half-mile off the nearest Forest Service road will put you ahead of 90% of the competition.

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Elk Success Rates

The Maury Unit produces solid success rates for a high-desert elk hunt. Rifle bull-tag success historically runs 20 to 30%, with antlerless hunts averaging higher. The unit's bull-to-cow ratio sits in the mid-teens per 100 cows — not trophy-tier, but adequate for mature 5x5 and 6x6 bulls on the upper third of the harvest. Archery success is lower, typically 8 to 12%, but the September rut hunt offers excellent opportunity to pattern vocalizing bulls.

Elk Draw Odds

Season	Tags	Applicants	Draw %	Pts Req
Archery— Controlled	11	41	26.8%	5
Rifle— Controlled	55	10	100.0%	2
Rifle— Controlled	10	6	100.0%	4
Rifle— Controlled	22	74	28.4%	5
Rifle— Controlled	22	67	31.3%	6

Data from 2025 draw results. Resident odds shown.

Open in Draw Odds Engine

Oregon uses a 75/25 preference-point / random split — bonus points are NOT squared. Maury elk (Hunt 236) runs roughly 400 tags against 763 three-year applicants, for overall odds near 52% — one of the more generous draws in Oregon's controlled-elk portfolio. Most applicants with 1 to 3 preference points will draw in the preference share, and even zero-point applicants have a realistic chance in the 25% random pool. This is a reasonable first-choice hunt for hunters wanting to get out of the point-building cycle.

Deer (Buck) Hunting in Unit 36

The Maury WMU (WMU 36) supports a mule deer population across central Oregon's ponderosa pine, sage, and rimrock terrain. Controlled draw tags limit pressure and maintain buck quality in this productive high desert and transition zone landscape.

Where to Find Deer in the Maury Unit

Mule deer in the Maury unit use ponderosa pine, sage, and rimrock across central Oregon's varied terrain.

Ponderosa-Sage Edge

The transition between ponderosa pine forest and open sage is the most productive zone. Bucks feed in sage openings and bed in pine timber. Glass these edges from elevated points in early morning before deer move into cover.

Rimrock Benches

Central Oregon volcanic rimrock provides thermal cover and wide sightlines. Glass below rimrock edges in morning sunlight — bucks bed on ledges with clear views of the terrain below them.

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How to Hunt Deer in the Maury Unit

Central Oregon mule deer hunting in the Maury unit rewards systematic glassing and patient stalking.

Systematic Glassing

Spend significant time behind quality optics from elevated vantage points before attempting stalks. Identify bucks thoroughly before committing to an approach. In Oregon's controlled hunt areas, buck quality improves with hunter selectivity.

Spot-and-Stalk

Use terrain features to close distance. Approach from above when possible, keep the wind in your face, and move when the animal has its head down or is screened by terrain. Patience on the stalk pays better dividends than rushing.

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Deer (Buck) Success Rates

Controlled deer tags in the Maury unit see rifle success rates typically in the 18-28% range. Oregon's draw system limits hunter pressure and supports above-average buck quality compared to general season areas in similar habitat types.

Deer (Buck) Draw Odds

Season	Tags	Applicants	Draw %	Pts Req
Rifle— Controlled	275	610	43.6%	8
Rifle— Controlled	88	19	100.0%	1

Data from 2025 draw results. Resident odds shown.

Open in Draw Odds Engine

Oregon's 75/25 preference-point/random draw split means 75% of Maury unit deer tags go to highest-point applicants and 25% are allocated randomly each year. Hunt code 136 is accessible to newer applicants through the random pool. Check ODFW controlled hunt draw statistics at myodfw.com for current applicant counts and historical odds.

Unit Logistics & Expectations

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Frequently Asked Questions

How do I apply for this Oregon controlled hunt?

Apply through ODFW's controlled-hunt system by the May deadline. You'll need a current Oregon hunting license and the correct application for the species and hunt number.

Are preference points used for this hunt?

Yes. Oregon uses a 75/25 split — 75% of tags go to the highest preference-point holders for the hunt and 25% are drawn at random from the remaining applicants.

How hard is it to draw a Maury elk tag?

Not hard by Oregon standards. With roughly 400 tags against 763 three-year applicants, overall draw odds run near 52%. Applicants with 1 to 3 preference points typically draw in the preference share, and zero-point applicants have a realistic shot in the 25% random pool.

What's the success rate for Maury elk hunts?

Rifle bull-tag success historically runs 20 to 30%, with antlerless hunts higher. Archery rut hunts run 8 to 12%. These are solid numbers for a high-desert Oregon elk unit.

Where should I focus my scouting in Unit 236?

Start with the Maury Mountains core around Antelope Mountain and Bear Creek, then check Hampton Butte and the transition benches between the two. Glass meadow edges at first light and plan to work off the main Ochoco NF roads to escape pressure.

How do I apply for the Maury unit deer tag?

Apply through ODFW's controlled hunt system at myodfw.com using hunt code 136. Oregon uses a 75/25 preference-point/random draw split. Purchase preference points annually to improve preference-pool odds, or rely on the 25% random allocation each year.

What is the best season for Maury unit deer hunting?

Season timing depends on your specific hunt code and weapon type. October rifle seasons typically coincide with the rut in Oregon deer units, which improves buck movement and encounter rates. Check current ODFW regulations for exact season dates.

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Sources & Verification

Every fact on this page is tied to a primary source below. Last fact-checked 2026-04-18.

Oregon Big Game Regs (eRegulations) — Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife · supports: WMU boundaries and controlled-hunt numbers, Season dates per weapon/species, Tag quotas per hunt number · accessed 2026-04-17
ODFW Big Game Hub — Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife · supports: Species season structures, WMU-level special regulations, Public-access overviews · accessed 2026-04-17
ODFW Big Game Statistics — Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife · supports: Per-WMU harvest totals, Hunter success rates, Population estimates per management unit · accessed 2026-04-17
ODFW Controlled Hunt Navigation — Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife · supports: 75/25 preference-point / random draw structure, Historical draw odds per hunt number, Application deadlines · accessed 2026-04-17
ODFW Elk Hunting — Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife · supports: Rocky Mountain elk range and seasons, WMU-level herd objectives, Controlled-hunt structure for the Maury Unit · accessed 2026-04-17
ODFW Controlled Hunt Statistics — Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife · supports: Hunt 236 tag allocations and applicant totals, Historical success rates for Maury elk, Preference-point draw trends · accessed 2026-04-17
Ochoco National Forest — USDA Forest Service · supports: Maury Mountains and Hampton Butte forest boundaries, Motor Vehicle Use Map (MVUM) and road access, Dispersed camping and designated sites · accessed 2026-04-17
BLM Prineville District — Bureau of Land Management · supports: BLM parcels surrounding Hampton Butte, Public land checkerboard in the South Fork Crooked River drainage, Travel management rules for the Maury Unit · accessed 2026-04-17

Unit 36 (Maury)

Pronghorn Hunting in Unit 36

Where to Find Pronghorn in the Maury Unit

How to Hunt the Maury Unit

Pronghorn Success Rates

Pronghorn Draw Odds

Elk Hunting in Unit 36

Where to Find Elk in the Maury - Hampton Butte Unit

Maury Mountains Core

Hampton Butte

Transition Benches

How to Hunt Elk in the Maury - Hampton Butte Unit

Glass the Meadow Edges at Dawn

Still-Hunt the Aspen Pockets

Late-Season Migration

Road Strategy

Elk Success Rates

Elk Draw Odds

Deer (Buck) Hunting in Unit 36

Where to Find Deer in the Maury Unit

Ponderosa-Sage Edge

Rimrock Benches

How to Hunt Deer in the Maury Unit

Systematic Glassing

Spot-and-Stalk

Deer (Buck) Success Rates

Deer (Buck) Draw Odds

Unit Logistics & Expectations

Planning Notes

Road Conditions

Cell Service

Nearest Town

Frequently Asked Questions

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Sources & Verification