Unit 70

Key navigation features include the Pueblo Mountains and scattered buttes like Mahogany Mountain, Oregon End Table, and Lone Grave Butte—useful for orientation across the open basins. Warner Lakes and Fisher Lake provide visible water references. Prominent rims including Guano Rim, Shirk Rim, and Fish Fin Rim offer elevated vantage points for glassing the surrounding flats and valleys.

Benches and flats like Spanish Flat, Antelope Flat, and Raz Lewis Flat are natural gathering areas for pronghorn. Major basins—Van Horn, Mustang, Catlow Valley—define natural drainage systems and hunting zones. These landmarks help divide the vast unit into recognizable chunks for planning daily movement.

The unit spans from just above 4,100 feet to roughly 8,600 feet, but most hunting happens between 5,000 and 6,500 feet across open sagebrush flats and shallow basins. Forest cover is minimal—just over one percent—meaning the landscape is predominantly open country with scattered juniper and other shrubs. Vegetation transitions from lower sagebrush plains into slightly higher terrain where pronghorn and elk utilize different seasonal elevations.

The sparse timber distribution means shade and water become critical features; hunters should focus on draws, rimrock shadows, and drainage bottoms where wildlife concentrates. This is classic high-desert terrain where cover is limited and glassing distances are often long.

The unit benefits from a fair road network—roughly 1.3 miles of road per square mile—that makes access reasonable without creating crushing pressure in most areas. The vast size means that vehicle-based scouts can reach many locations, but the open terrain also means that finding truly undisturbed country requires moving away from main roads. Small communities at Fields and Plush provide supply points.

Most hunters concentrate along major drainages and around known water sources; the trick is recognizing that the open expanse allows pronghorn especially to see vehicles and hunters from great distance. Midweek or off-peak season visits offer better solitude in a unit this size.

Unit 70 occupies roughly 2,600 square miles of southeastern Oregon's high-desert plateau country. The terrain consists primarily of vast sagebrush plains interspersed with low mountain valleys and occasional rimrock escarpments. Roughly 83 percent of the unit is public land, giving hunters substantial access across most of the landscape.

The country sits at a transitional elevation zone—low enough to avoid heavy snow but high enough to support varied wildlife and perennial water sources. Small communities including Fields and Plush serve as reference points; the unit encompasses multiple drainage systems and basins that define hunting patterns.

Water is scattered but reliable across the unit through a mix of springs, creeks, and reservoirs. Named springs include Cattle Guard, Jenny, Chukar, Barry, Antelope, and Sage Hen—most supporting wildlife corridors. Creeks like Deep Creek, Honey Creek, Fish Creek, Warner Creek, and Coleman Creek provide perennial flow during hunting seasons.

Reservoirs including Hart Lake, Greaser Reservoir, Paiute Reservoir, and Piute Reservoir offer both water and hunting opportunities. The moderate water abundance means camps can access livestock waterholes and ranching infrastructure throughout the unit. Spring and early fall often feature reliable surface water; late-season hunting may require knowledge of established springs and seeps.

Unit 70 supports elk, pronghorn, deer, mountain sheep, and goat across its varied terrain. Pronghorn dominate the lower sagebrush flats and require long-range glassing and stalking in open country—early season offers the best light. Elk frequent the higher sagebrush basins and occasional rimrock breaks, especially around deeper drainages where water and cover concentrate.

Deer utilize transition zones between open basins and scattered juniper patches. Mountain sheep inhabit the scattered rimrock formations and cliffs; hunting them requires high-elevation glassing and patience. Goat terrain appears limited but possible in steeper canyon country.

The sparse forest and open basins mean success depends on glassing discipline, water knowledge, and understanding daily animal movement patterns across exposed terrain.