Oregon Unit MURDERERS CREEK Elk Hunting Guide

Murderers Creek sits in the heart of Oregon's northeastern elk country, a 736,112-acre unit with 77% public land and elevations ranging from 2,351 to 9,042 feet. For elk hunters weighing whether to burn preference points or take a shot with low points, Murderers Creek deserves a hard look — not because it's an easy tag or a guaranteed trophy factory, but because it offers a realistic, well-documented opportunity on public ground in a state where elk hunting access can be hit or miss.

This unit has built a reputation among Oregon elk hunters as a place where the animals move constantly and don't concentrate in one predictable drainage. That's both a challenge and an opportunity: hunters willing to cover ground and adapt mid-hunt tend to do better than those anchored to a single spot based on last year's intel. With three consecutive years of harvest data showing consistent, if modest, success rates, and a meaningful chunk of public land to hunt, Murderers Creek is worth understanding in detail before deciding whether to apply.

HuntPilot Analysis: Is Murderers Creek Worth Applying For?

The honest answer is: it depends on what a hunter is after. Murderers Creek is not a unit that's going to produce dramatic headline bulls on a regular basis, and the herd data reflects a bull:cow ratio that is on the lower end for elk units in the region. But it is a unit that consistently produces harvest opportunity, with a large public land base and a straightforward, low-cost application process for both residents and nonresidents.

Looking at the last three years of harvest data pulled from HuntPilot, success rates have held in a narrow band — 17% in 2024, 15% in 2023, and 17% in 2022 — with hunter numbers fluctuating between roughly 1,950 and 2,200 per year. That's a stable pattern. It tells hunters this unit isn't boom-or-bust; it produces a similar number of harvested elk relative to hunter pressure year after year, which is valuable information when deciding whether to spend an application on it.

Where Murderers Creek falls short is bull:cow ratio. The five-year survey average sits at 16:100, which is low compared to many Oregon elk units and suggests bull numbers relative to cows are thin. This matters for hunters chasing mature bulls specifically — a low ratio generally means fewer bulls survive to older age classes, and competition among hunters for the bulls that are there can be significant. Combined with the moderate trophy history documented in the counties overlapping this unit, Murderers Creek reads as a unit best suited to hunters focused on the elk hunting experience and reasonable odds at a bull, rather than those holding out for an exceptional trophy.

The terrain and public access numbers work in the unit's favor. At 77% public land across nearly three-quarters of a million acres, DIY hunters have plenty of room to roam, and the elevation range — from just over 2,300 feet up to over 9,000 feet — means hunters can find elk in a variety of habitat types depending on season timing and weather. The 9% wilderness designation adds a modest pack-in element for hunters wanting to get away from road-accessible pressure, though the bulk of the unit sits outside formally designated wilderness.

Forum discussion consistently echoes what the data shows: elk in this unit move widely and don't stack up predictably in one drainage. Multiple longtime hunters note that there isn't a single "go-to" spot that produces every year — the animals shift with pressure, weather, and forage. That's useful context for scouting strategy: hunters should plan to cover multiple elevation bands and drainages rather than banking on one location.

Bottom line: Murderers Creek is worth applying for if a hunter values consistent harvest opportunity, a large public land base, and a low-cost application, and is realistic about trophy expectations. It's less attractive for hunters whose primary goal is a shot at an exceptional bull, given the low bull:cow ratio and moderate trophy history in the surrounding counties.

Harvest Success Rates

Recent harvest data for Murderers Creek shows a unit that performs consistently for hunters willing to put in the effort:

• 2024: 1,976 hunters, 339 elk harvested, 17% success
• 2023: 2,201 hunters, 323 elk harvested, 15% success
• 2022: 1,948 hunters, 338 elk harvested, 17% success

These are unit-wide totals across all hunt types, so individual hunt codes and weapon categories will vary from this blended number. Still, the consistency across three years — success rates within a two-point range and harvest totals staying in the 320-340 range annually — suggests a unit with a stable elk population responding predictably to hunting pressure. Hunter numbers dipped and rose slightly (2,201 in 2023 versus under 2,000 in the other two years) without dramatically shifting the success percentage, which is a reasonable indicator that the unit can absorb moderate swings in hunter density without collapsing harvest quality.

Herd Health & Population Trends

The wildlife survey data for Murderers Creek, based on five survey years between 2021 and 2025, shows an average bull:cow ratio of 16:100. This is a low ratio relative to healthy benchmark elk herds, and it signals that bulls make up a small share of the herd relative to cows. For hunters, this translates to increased competition for the bulls present in the unit and likely fewer opportunities to pass on younger bulls in hopes of encountering older age classes later in the season.

A low bull:cow ratio sustained across a five-year average — rather than a single anomalous survey — is a more reliable signal than a one-year data point would be. It reinforces the picture painted by the trophy history and harvest data: this is a unit that produces elk consistently, but the bull segment of the herd is under more pressure than in units with higher ratios. Hunters should factor this into their expectations rather than assuming average unit-wide success rates translate into abundant mature bull sightings.

Trophy Quality

Trophy records from the counties overlapping Murderers Creek show a moderate history of production. This isn't a unit with a deep, decades-long pedigree of exceptional bulls, but it isn't devoid of trophy-class history either. It's worth remembering that record-book entries are logged by county rather than by unit boundary, so the moderate history reflected in the data is shared with neighboring units that overlap the same counties — it doesn't mean every entry came from inside Murderers Creek specifically.

Combined with the low bull:cow ratio noted in the survey data, hunters should treat Murderers Creek as a unit where a genuinely exceptional bull is possible but not the norm. Forum accounts back this up — hunters mention finding good sheds and the occasional quality bull, but also describe the unit as "feast or famine," with elk numbers and quality shifting from year to year rather than following a predictable pattern. Hunters prioritizing trophy potential above all else may want to compare Murderers Creek against units with stronger, more consistent trophy histories before committing points.

Access & Terrain

Murderers Creek offers a substantial public land base: 77% of the unit's 736,112 acres is publicly accessible, giving DIY hunters real room to explore without needing to lock down private land permission. Elevation spans an enormous range, from 2,351 feet at the low end to 9,042 feet at the highest points, meaning the unit holds everything from low-elevation sagebrush and canyon country to high alpine terrain. This range gives hunters flexibility to hunt different elevation bands depending on weather, elk movement, and hunting pressure throughout the season.

Wilderness designation covers 9% of the unit, a relatively small slice compared to the whole, meaning the majority of Murderers Creek is accessible without pack-in-only wilderness travel requirements. That said, the wilderness portion offers an option for hunters wanting to escape road-based pressure and get into more remote pockets.

Forum commentary consistently emphasizes that elk in this unit are highly mobile and don't hold to one predictable area. Longtime hunters describe covering large amounts of ground across multiple trips, with sightings and success shifting from drainage to drainage year over year. This lines up with the terrain data — a large unit with wide elevation variance naturally supports elk moving seasonally between lower and higher terrain, making a single fixed strategy less effective than a flexible, scouting-heavy approach. Hunters serious about scouting Murderers Creek should use mapping tools — including HuntPilot's public land overlays — to identify multiple potential drainages and access points rather than committing to one location based on secondhand information.

How to Apply

For the 2026 season, Oregon's application system treats resident and nonresident elk hunters similarly in terms of process and timing, though tag costs diverge sharply.

Both resident and nonresident applicants must hold the qualifying license before applying — this is a separate cost from the application fee itself, and it's easy to overlook when budgeting for a Murderers Creek application.

For current application windows, hunt-specific details, and the most up-to-date odds for Murderers Creek, visit HuntPilot's Oregon state page at /states/or.

Application dates and fees change every draw cycle. For the current deadlines, fees, and draw odds, see HuntPilot's Oregon page at /states/or.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the terrain like in Murderers Creek? The unit spans a dramatic elevation range from 2,351 to 9,042 feet across 736,112 total acres, meaning hunters encounter everything from lower canyon and sagebrush country to high alpine terrain. With 77% public land, there's substantial room to explore multiple elevation bands and drainages, and a 9% wilderness component offers more remote, pack-in options for hunters wanting to get away from road access.

What is harvest success like in Murderers Creek? Recent unit-wide harvest success has held steady: 17% in 2024, 15% in 2023, and 17% in 2022, with harvest totals ranging from 323 to 339 elk annually across roughly 1,950 to 2,200 hunters each year. This consistency suggests a stable, predictable unit rather than one with wild year-to-year swings.

How big are the elk in Murderers Creek? Trophy records from the counties overlapping this unit show a moderate trophy history, shared with neighboring units in the same counties. Combined with a five-year average bull:cow ratio of just 16:100, hunters should expect solid opportunity at a bull but should temper expectations for an exceptional, record-class animal. Trophy-class bulls have come from the area historically, but they aren't the norm.

Is Murderers Creek worth applying for? For hunters prioritizing consistent harvest opportunity and a large public land base with a low-cost application process, yes — the data supports steady, repeatable success rates over multiple years. For hunters chasing a top-end trophy bull above all else, the low bull:cow ratio and moderate trophy history suggest other units with stronger bull ratios or deeper trophy pedigrees may be a better fit.

Do elk in Murderers Creek stay in the same areas every year? Based on hunter accounts and forum discussion, no — elk in this unit are known to move widely from year to year and don't consistently hold in one drainage or area. Hunters should plan flexible, multi-area scouting strategies rather than relying on a single "hot spot" from a previous season.