Owyhee country also provides some of the best big game and upland hunting in Oregon.

Its rugged topography provides outstanding wildlife habitat and the remote nature of its wild places, largely unchanged by the hand of man, create the perfect conditions for robust population health. Protecting the habitat of California bighorn sheep in the Lower and Upper Owyhee Canyon will be critical if the rare and unique opportunity to hunt them is to be sustained. This part of Oregon also provides quality hunting opportunities for mule deer, elk and pronghorn in the massive Owyhee and Whitehorse Wildlife Management Units. Opportunities for upland game bird hunting in this open country are also outstanding. Eastern Oregon leads the state in chukar production and harvest while pheasants, California quail, waterfowl and mourning doves are highly sought-after species. Core populations of greater sage grouse also call this terrain home and we are invested in working with our partners to continue the long history of stewardship from ranchers, sportsmen, tribes and wildlife managers implementing thoughtful conservation policies on the ground.

The Owyhees support important populations of genetically-pure redband trout. 

These hardy desert fish have evolved to survive warmer temperatures found in the clear alkaline waters of several important streams including the West Little Owyhee River and the North Fork of the Owyhee River south and east of Burns Junction, Oregon. Maintaining these critical streams is important for the survival of redband trout—a native Oregonian—and important to anglers from across the state and region.

The rugged Oregon Owyhee country and its wild waters represent one of the most significant opportunities for stewardship and conservation collaboration in the entire West. They are an integral part of the entire sagebrush steppe landscape that supports more than 350 species of wildlife including California bighorn sheep, mule deer, elk, chukar, greater sage grouse, and important fisheries like native redband trout. With such incredible fish and wildlife values, the Owyhees not only nourish some of Eastern Oregon’s most cherished landscapes; they also feed the traditions of hunters and anglers lucky and adventurous enough to make their way here.

Hunters and anglers have been working on the ground here for decades in both Oregon and Idaho to advance conservation solutions that keep these landscapes intact. By working together in Idaho, a diverse group of stakeholders was able to advance legislation to secure protection for 517,000 acres of the Owyhees’ vast upper highlands. While much of the river itself has been designated Wild and Scenic, the pristine backcountry lands in Oregon that flank her banks are still vulnerable to development interests such as uranium mining and energy exploration. We believe that by working with partners like ranchers, hunters, anglers, tribes, local governments, and state and federal land and wildlife management agencies, we can develop thoughtful ways to secure long-term landscape-level conservation policies that keep this place as it is—special. We must ensure that these measures elevate consideration for fish and wildlife habitat, protect or enhance access and promote land management policies that balance resource development, active habitat management needs and the interests of all stakeholders.