Oregon Unit MURDERERS CREEK Pronghorn Antelope Hunting Guide

Oregon Unit Murderers Creek offers nonresident and resident hunters a pronghorn antelope opportunity in a large, mostly public block of eastern Oregon country spanning 736,112 acres. With 77% of the unit in public ownership and elevations ranging from 2,351 to 9,042 feet, Murderers Creek presents a mix of open sage-and-grass basins and higher-elevation terrain typical of the region's pronghorn range. For hunters researching Oregon Unit Murderers Creek pronghorn antelope hunting, this guide breaks down what the available harvest, application, and trophy data actually show — and where the gaps are.

Murderers Creek is best known among hunters for its mixed-species opportunity, but the pronghorn draw here draws its own dedicated following, particularly from residents willing to build points and out-of-state applicants weighing the long odds that come with Oregon's nonresident antelope allocation system. This article focuses exclusively on the pronghorn hunting picture in this unit, using harvest, survey, and application data tracked by HuntPilot.

HuntPilot Analysis: Is Murderers Creek Worth Applying For?

The harvest numbers for Murderers Creek pronghorn are, on the whole, encouraging for hunters who do draw a tag. Over the ten most recent reporting years with usable data, success rates in the "normal" years (excluding two clear statistical anomalies discussed below) have ranged from 67% to 88%, with recent seasons posting 76% in 2024, 71% in 2023, 77% in 2022, 72% in 2021, and 74% in 2020. That's a consistently strong showing for a pronghorn unit — hunters who draw here and put in the effort are harvesting animals at a high rate.

Two data points in the historical record — 2019 (4 hunters, 43 harvested, reported at 1075% success) and 2018 (2 hunters, 13 harvested, reported at 650% success) — are clearly data anomalies, likely reflecting reporting or sample-size issues rather than actual unit performance, and should not be used to judge the unit's real success rate. Hunters should rely on the more consistent multi-year pattern from 2015 through 2024 instead, which paints a much more realistic and still favorable picture.

On the herd health side, the available survey data shows an average buck:doe ratio of 27:100 across four survey years (2021-2024). That ratio is on the lower end for pronghorn herds and suggests a buck-to-doe structure that isn't heavily skewed toward mature bucks. Hunters should treat this as a realistic expectation-setter — Murderers Creek is not putting up exceptional buck ratios, and the herd data supports a measured outlook rather than an inflated one.

Trophy production in the counties overlapping this unit has been limited historically. The available records point to a limited trophy history rather than a strong or exceptional one, so hunters chasing a wall-hanger buck should treat Murderers Creek as an opportunity-focused unit rather than a trophy destination. That's not a knock on the unit — high success rates and a large public land base make it a legitimate option for hunters who prioritize tag-filling odds and a quality outdoor experience over chasing a record-book buck.

Bottom line: Murderers Creek is worth applying for if the priority is a good chance at harvesting a pronghorn on primarily public ground, not if the goal is a top-end trophy. The application fees are also low relative to many Western pronghorn draws, which makes it a reasonable unit to include in an Oregon point-building strategy even in years when it's not the top choice.

Harvest Success Rates

Murderers Creek's pronghorn harvest data spans multiple years and shows a fairly stable pattern once the anomalous 2018 and 2019 seasons are set aside:

• 2024: 33 hunters, 25 harvested, 76% success
• 2023: 45 hunters, 32 harvested, 71% success
• 2022: 48 hunters, 37 harvested, 77% success
• 2021: 47 hunters, 34 harvested, 72% success
• 2020: 50 hunters, 37 harvested, 74% success
• 2017: 43 hunters, 38 harvested, 88% success
• 2016: 48 hunters, 38 harvested, 79% success
• 2015: 43 hunters, 29 harvested, 67% success

Across these eight normal years, success rates cluster tightly in the high 60s to high 80s, with an unusually strong 88% mark in 2017. This is a unit where hunters who draw a tag can reasonably expect to fill it, assuming typical effort and conditions. The 2018 and 2019 seasons, with only 2 and 4 hunters reported respectively, are too small a sample to draw meaningful conclusions from and are best excluded from any success-rate expectations.

Trophy Quality

Trophy records from the counties overlapping Murderers Creek show a limited history of entries. This points to limited trophy potential for pronghorn in this unit — hunters should not expect Murderers Creek to be a unit that regularly produces record-book bucks. As a reminder for anyone comparing units, record-book entries are logged at the county level and shared among all units overlapping those counties, so this limited history reflects the broader area rather than being unit-exclusive data.

Given the herd's below-average buck:doe ratio and the limited trophy record, hunters should approach Murderers Creek pronghorn hunting with realistic expectations: a solid chance to fill a tag on a representative buck, not a unit to bank on for a trophy-class animal.

Herd Health & Population Trends

The wildlife survey data available for Murderers Creek covers four survey years from 2021 to 2024, with an average buck:doe ratio of 27:100. This is a modest ratio compared to many Western pronghorn herds and suggests the buck segment of the population is not heavily represented relative to does. There isn't enough year-by-year granularity in the provided data to identify a clear upward or downward trend, but the multi-year average is the more reliable figure to use when setting expectations, rather than any single-year snapshot. Hunters should factor this ratio into their outlook — it supports a herd that's functional and capable of solid harvest success (as the harvest data confirms), but not one that is overloaded with mature bucks.

Access & Terrain

Murderers Creek spans 736,112 acres with 77% public land ownership, which gives hunters substantial room to roam without needing to negotiate private land access for the bulk of the unit. Elevations range dramatically, from 2,351 feet up to 9,042 feet, indicating a unit with both lower-elevation sage and grassland habitat typical of pronghorn range and higher-elevation terrain that likely serves other purposes within the broader unit boundary. Pronghorn hunters will generally be focused on the lower and mid-elevation open country where sightlines and habitat suit the species, rather than the unit's highest terrain.

The unit also carries a 9% wilderness designation. This is a modest percentage, and Oregon does not impose the nonresident guide requirements found in some other Western states, so wilderness acreage here does not functionally restrict DIY access for out-of-state hunters. With the majority of the unit in public hands, Murderers Creek is a viable option for hunters planning a self-guided pronghorn hunt, provided they do the scouting legwork to locate huntable pronghorn habitat within the unit's public land base. HuntPilot's mapping tools, including public land overlays, can help hunters narrow down where to focus that scouting effort before season.

How to Apply

Note that the license fee is a separate, mandatory cost on top of the application fee — hunters need to hold that qualifying license before the application will be valid. Nonresidents should budget for the full combined cost of license, application fee, and tag fee when planning to apply, since the tag fee alone is significantly higher than the resident rate.

For current draw odds specific to Murderers Creek pronghorn, hunters should check the HuntPilot Oregon unit page and the state's draw odds resources rather than relying on outdated year-specific percentages, since tag quotas and applicant pools shift annually.

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 harvest success like for pronghorn in Murderers Creek? Recent seasons have shown strong, consistent success rates: 76% in 2024, 71% in 2023, 77% in 2022, 72% in 2021, and 74% in 2020. Going back further, 2017 posted an especially strong 88% success rate. Two years in the data set (2018 and 2019) show unusually high reported percentages tied to very small hunter samples and should not be used as a benchmark — the multi-year pattern from 2015-2024 gives a much more reliable picture of what hunters can expect.

How big are the pronghorn in Murderers Creek? Trophy records for the counties overlapping this unit show a limited history of entries, pointing to limited trophy potential rather than a strong record of exceptional bucks. Combined with a modest average buck:doe ratio of 27:100 from recent surveys, hunters should plan on Murderers Creek as a solid opportunity unit rather than a trophy destination.

What is the terrain like in Murderers Creek? The unit covers 736,112 acres with elevations ranging from 2,351 to 9,042 feet, indicating a wide span of habitat types from lower-elevation sage and grassland country to higher terrain. With 77% public land and only 9% designated wilderness, most of the unit is readily accessible for DIY hunters without needing to navigate significant private land barriers.

Is Murderers Creek worth applying for pronghorn antelope? Yes, for hunters prioritizing a strong chance at filling a tag on mostly public land. The harvest data supports consistently good success rates in normal years, and the large public land base (77%) makes this a workable DIY unit. It is not, however, a unit to target if the primary goal is a trophy-class buck, given the limited trophy record and modest buck:doe ratio.

Do nonresidents need a guide to hunt pronghorn in Murderers Creek? No. Oregon does not impose a mandatory guide requirement for nonresident hunters in wilderness areas the way some other Western states do. With only 9% of the unit designated as wilderness and 77% public land overall, nonresident hunters can plan a self-guided pronghorn hunt in Murderers Creek.