Unit 40

The White River runs through the unit and serves as the primary geographic anchor, with White Horse Rapids and White River Falls providing navigational references. Nachter Butte, Devils Halfacre, and Courthouse Rock rise as prominent landmarks for orientation and glassing vantage points. Major valley systems including Tygh Valley, Devil Canyon, and various drainages (Finnegan Creek, Deep Creek, Pole Creek) provide natural corridors for travel and wildlife movement.

Shaniko Flats offer open country reference points. Springs—particularly Boiling Spring, Larson Spring, and Jones Springs—mark reliable water locations critical for hunting strategy in this semi-arid environment.

Elevation ranges from around 680 feet in the river bottoms to 3,665 feet on the higher ridges, but the vast majority sits below 5,000 feet in open, non-forested terrain. Sagebrush and grassland dominate the landscape—over 81 percent is open plains country with minimal tree cover. Scattered juniper and ponderosa appear on some ridges and in canyon breaks, but this is fundamentally shrub-steppe country.

The sparse forest coverage means wide-open vistas and long sightlines, making it ideal for glassing but offering minimal concealment. Seasonal water in draws and creeks supports wildlife movement through otherwise arid terrain.

The unit is well-connected with over 1,000 miles of roads and a density of 2.0 miles per square mile, making it straightforward to navigate and highly accessible from towns like Maupin. However, ninety percent private ownership severely constrains legal hunting access. Hunters must either own/lease private land, have permission, or focus on the limited public parcels and BLM/state corridors.

Road accessibility means pressure concentrates along known public access points and river corridors. The ease of access paradoxically limits hunting opportunities—expect competition near obvious entry points and greater solitude requires advance permission work or knowledge of less-obvious public areas.

Unit 40 covers roughly 530 square miles of lower-elevation terrain in north-central Oregon, anchored by the White River drainage and the communities of Maupin and Bakeoven. The unit is defined by open sagebrush flats and rolling hills rather than significant mountain ranges. Ninety percent of the unit is privately owned, making it a checkerboard landscape where public access requires careful planning and landowner permission.

This is accessible country—well-roaded and relatively low in elevation—but the private land dominance means hunters must establish relationships or use public corridors strategically.

The White River is the major perennial water source, running through the unit and providing a consistent anchor point. Tributaries including Finnegan Creek, Deep Creek, Pole Creek, and Ward Creek flow seasonally and feed the White River system. Springs scattered throughout the unit (Boiling, Larson, Jones, Adams, Smith, and others) are critical water sources for wildlife, particularly during dry months.

Reservoirs like Buether and Wilson provide additional water. Water distribution is moderate but somewhat scattered—understanding spring locations and reliable creek flows is essential for planning hunting movements, as finding animals often means finding water in this semi-arid landscape.

Unit 40 supports elk, pronghorn, black bear, mountain goat, bighorn sheep, and mountain lion historically. Elk use the canyon systems and higher ridges as escape terrain but move through the open country seasonally. Pronghorn thrive in the open sagebrush flats and are visible from distance.

Black bear inhabit the canyon breaks and timbered draws. Mountain goat occupy the steeper canyon walls and cliff terrain, while bighorn sheep use similar country. Success requires identifying water sources (springs and creeks) as gathering points, then glassing open terrain or hunting the canyon breaks where animals congregate.

The private land reality means most hunters will either focus intensively on limited public access or need to pursue relationships with landowners well in advance.