A starkly arid and open unit cut by several canyons and bordered by large rivers in places, this unit offers mule deer, California bighorn sheep, antelope and elk.

Trophy hunters know this unit as a producer of record-book antelope, California bighorn sheep and mule deer. There aren’t many exceptional animals but a few are taken every year by hunters.

Most of this land consists of desolate and mostly barren desert flats, hills, canyons and ridges. Rock outcrops are common. Some large lava fields cover thousands of acres in the southern part of the unit. Water is at a premium, but there are several reservoirs, several rivers and a few creeks that usually have water. Lake Owyhee is in the rugged Owyhee Canyon and is 53 miles long. Upper and Lower Cow Lakes are playa bodies of water.

Most of the land is open and desolate, covered by low grasses that usually turn brown before hunting seasons with mahoganies and scattered junipers in places and sagebrush on some flats and in draws and canyons. Bitterbrush and other browse plants grow on some slopes. Farms planted in crops such as alfalfa draw deer to some private acres in valleys along rivers or creeks. Some higher terrain has a few pines and firs.

This vast unit is mostly public land and is served by paved, gravel and dirt roads, but much of it is too rugged for roads, so plan to do a lot of hiking. Much of the area is remote, and many roads are rough and rugged, so carry a spare tires. There’s a lot of private land in places, such as the Snake River Valley and along the Malheur River and near some of the few towns in this unit. Some of the best hunting is on or near private agricultural land. Islands in the Snake River are closed to rifle hunting. The BLM Vale District manages most of the land and provides a lot of information on its website. Permits are required to float along the Owyhee Wild and Scenic River. Click here for details. Rogers Wildlife Area near Nyssa offers public hunting. Mackenzie Access Area is composed of at least 13 separate parcels that offer public hunting on private land and access to public land.

Many hunters camp along dirt and gravel roads on BLM land, which is in the Vale district. Campsites are open at Lake Owyhee State Park until Oct. 31. Floaters have some campsites to choose from along the Owyhee Wild & Scenic River. Lodging is available in the northeast in Nyssa and in the southeast in Jordan Valley. Basque Station Motel is in Jordan Valley. A highly rated option in Nyssa is Hotel Indigo. Slocum Creek Campground in the Leslie Gulch area east of Lake Owyhee has 12 RV or tent campsites. The 25 miles of dirt road to it preclude the use of large RVs. Succor Creek Natural Area, also between Lake Owyhee and Idaho, has 23 primitive campgrounds.