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Beef cattle is the leading industry in Southeast Oregon.  Most of the land in the area is fair game for cattle grazing.  Federal agencies hold about 73% of the land in the area, while private owners make up the rest.  Most of the private lands are used for beef cattle grazing, since only a small amount of lands in the valley can produce agriculture.  Much of the federal land is considered open for grazing in addition to the private lands.  So, most of the suitable grazing lands in the area are currently in use by the beef industry.  Visitors to the area are bound to run into some of these brilliant creatures.

SouthEast Oregon in home to more than 85 species of mammals.  Most of these 85 species are confined to the forested areas which provides diverse habitat.  The diverse habitat is associated with differences in terrain such as vegetation, moisture, elevation, soils and many other factors.  Viewing the mammals in the area with a narrow geographic distribution will take some preparation, but the richness of species is extremely diverse and well worth the time and effort.

Shrews and Moles:  The shrews in the area are limited due to the arid environment.  Four species of shrew are found in the are which include Sore preblei, sorex vagrans, sorex palustri, and sorex merriai.  Viewing Moles in the area is limited due to the fact that they spend most of their time feeding underground feeding on grubs, earthworms, and other invertebrates.  The population is limited to the broad footed mole, which lives in semi-arid areas of the basin. 

Bats:  Currently there are 13 species of bats living in the basin area.  The species include evening bats, little brown,Yuma brown bat, long eared brown bat, long legged brown bat, California brown bat, small footed brown bat, silver haired bat, Western pipistrel, big brown bat, hoary bat, spotted bat, Townssend big eared bat, and pallid bat.  Their habitat includes low elevation crevices, caves, and man made structures.  The bats in the area play a key role in keeping insect populations down.

Rabbits:  Five species of rabbits live in the Basin area.  The five species which include the pygmy rabbit, Nuttall's cottontail, snowshoe hare, white tailed jackrabbit, and the black tailed jackrabbit.  Habitat for the rabbits include much of the Basin and Range.  The rabbit population has decreased drastically in the last century.  At the beginning of the ninteenth century the population was estimated at twenty million, but with bounties offered, disease, and increasing coyotes, the population has increasingly become depleted.
 
 

Squirrels:  The diverse population of squirrels and their relatives are represented with at least one species occurring in every area of the Basin.  The squirrel population in the area is extremely diverse with more than twenty species.  Besides looking at cows, visitors to the area are sure to come in contact with one or more of the species.

Gophers:  Two species of gophers can be found in the area which include Townsend's pocket gopher and the Northern pocket gopher.  Known for their excavating, these mammals can be found all areas where plants are abundant.

Pocket Mice and kangaroo rats: Pocket mice are very well adapted to living in the basin area.  They rule the dry desert areas which provide perfect habitat for the small creatures.  They live in burrows that extend deep into the ground.  This is another mammal the visitors are sure to come in contact with.  Kangaroo rats with its large hind legs and long tail is neither rat or kangaroo.  The kangaroo rat feeds on insects and seeds.   Their homes consist of elaborate tunnels consisting of many entrances.

Beaver:  Beavers in the area have recovered with legal protection from the government.  The beaver can be found in upstream locations because food trees are limited at lower elevations.

Cricetid mice and rats:  Seven species in the Family Cricetidae are found in the area.  They include the Western harvest mouse, canyon mouse, common deer mouse, pinyon mouse, Northern grasshopper mouse, desert wood rat, and the bushy tailed wood rat.  At least one of these seven species can be found in every area of the basin. 

Porcupine:  Porcupines can be found in a large part of the basin.  Although porcupines usually live close to coniferous forests, they are know to venture far away from the forests and find shelter within sagebrush. 

Carnivores:  Carnivores in the area are represented by 19 different species.  Many of the large carnivores such as the grizzly bear were killed off due to economic gain.  However, since the implementation of laws, many of these large carnivores have made dramatic recoveries.

Dog Family:  The dog family includes the coyote, red fox, and kit fox.  Coyotes are omnivorous animals that search the area for any food that will meet their hunger needs.  The coyote is subject to hunting, poison, and traps because they are seen as pests or as a threat to livestock.  The number of foxes in the area have decreased do to trapping and poisoning aimed at coyotes.  However, their distribution is wide throughout the are.  Visitors to the area probably won't see any of the nocturnal foxes because their numbers are low, and they hunt at night.

Black Bear:  The black bear is limited to the forested areas.  They are the only bear found in the area.

Mustelids:  These flesh eaters have been subject to hunting over the years because of their valuable pelts.  Ten species live in the the area which include Marten, fisher, short tailed weasel, long tailed weasel, mink, wolverine, badger, spotted skunk, striped skunk, and the river otter.  The wolverine and river otter are considered extinct in the area.   The badger has a wide distribution in the area.  Badgers are well adapted for living in the desert environment.  Visitors could catch a glimpse of the animal but they should be very wary of the dangerous creature.

Cats:  Cats in the area include mountain lion, lynx, and the bobcat.  Many of these animals are scare do to hunting over the last century.

Big Game(even toed mammals):  Many of these animals have been subject to hunting do their valuable meat and trophy status.  They include elk, mule deer, pronghorn, and big horn sheep.  Visitors to the area could easily come into contact with any of these animals.  Hunting of these animals have been limited to a particular amount based on yearly projections.  These animals have a large geographic distribution but the big horn sheep's numbers are much fewer than the others.