Southeast Area
Table of Contents
Recreation Report
April 10, 2024
If there’s not a photo, it didn’t happen
Submit your hunting photo to ODFW and we might use it here or elsewhere on MyODFW.com.
Currently open
Cougar (Check current harvest numbers), coyote, controlled spring bear
Announcements, resources
Big game harvest statistics
You'll find links to population, harvest and point summary reports that can help you decide what hunts to apply for.
Shed hunt responsibly
Deer and elk shed their antlers at a time when they're not finding a lot of nutritious food and need to be conserving energy so they can migrate to summer ranges a bit later in the year. Follow these tips to help protect vulnerable animals.
Please report elk with hoof disease
If you see elk showing signs of elk hoof disease, including lame or limping elk or elk with damaged, injured, missing or deformed hooves, please report it using this online form.
Coyote and wolf ID
Coyote hunters need to take extra care to identify their target as wolves can look like coyotes, especially wolf pups in the mid-summer and fall. Test your ID skills.
Please report any wolf sightings or wolf sign to ODFW using the online reporting system.
District updates
HARNEY COUNTY (Silvies, Malheur River, Steens Mt, Juniper, portions of Beatys Butte, Wagontire, and Whitehorse)
Shed Hunting: Mule deer bucks and bull elk are losing their antlers. Mild winter conditions overall have made for less of a restriction to traditional winter ranges for our local ungulate populations. However, this time of year, deer and elk are in their most vulnerable period with lower fat reserves and less forage to replenish them. Energy expenditure is very costly for deer and elk during this time, and shed hunters can inadvertently push animals causing for excess energy expenditure and sometimes resulting in starvation or displacement.
Consider doing the deer and elk a favor by waiting to search for shed antlers until later in the spring. Shed hunters are reminded that once an antler detaches it legally becomes property of the landowner. Therefore, shed hunters need to get permission from private landowners to access their property and pick up sheds.
Learn more about responsible shed hunting.
Black bear: Season continues through May 31 Bears in the Harney district can be found in the Silvies and Malheur River units. To find bears, follow the receding snowline where spring green up is beginning to accumulate and provide forage for bears emerging from their winter dens.
Cougar: Hunting is open year around. Populations are healthy and distributed throughout the district in any area with a big game prey base. Fresh snow can provide hunters success following fresh cougar tracks. Utilize predator calls above kill sites for as another advantage.
Coyote: Populations are good throughout Harney County. Be aware that bobcats and cougars also may respond to predator calls, and there are separate licensing and season limitations for these species.
Bear: Bears in the Harney district can be found in the Silvies and Malheur River units. To find bears, follow the receding snowline where spring green up is beginning to accumulate and provide forage for bears emerging from their winter dens.
MALHEUR COUNTY (Whitehorse, Owyhee and Beulah)
Black bear: The controlled spring bear hunt began April 1. In the Malheur District, spring bear can be found along the northern portion of the Beulah unit in the national forest and juniper woodlands below.
Cougar: Populations are healthy and distributed throughout the district in any area with a big game prey base. Deer are currently moving out of valley bottoms and dispersing widely across mid-elevations as spring green up enters full swing. Snowpack is not hampering or delaying migration into these transitional areas which represent the most likely places to find cougar. As a reminder, all harvested cougars are required to be checked in at an ODFW field offices within 10 days of the kill.
Coyote: Hunting is available throughout the district. Reproduction this year appears to be good which should enhance calling opportunities. Be aware that bobcats and cougars may respond to predator calls, and separate licensing and season limitations exist for these species.