Slick
Member
Good luck to you. Solid tags to have in your pocket.
2020 oregon results
- Thread starter dan.kirkpatrick
- Start date
QuazyQuinton
Well-known member
Anyone know if @Big Fin drew his elk tag for Oregon? I thought I heard him say he had applied for one. As an Oregon native, I'm looking forward to some footage of rain, fog, devil's club, sword fern, and more rain and fog known as Roosevelt elk hunting.
QQ
Zim
Well-known member
I’d really like to see him do a show on Roosevelt. Was fumbling through a file from my 2006 NV elk hunt yesterday trying to help a guy who drew this year, and found a long email from Big Fin. I didn’t know who he was back then.
I’d really like to see him do a show on Roosevelt. Was fumbling through a file from my 2006 NV elk hunt yesterday trying to help a guy who drew this year, and found a long email from Big Fin. I didn’t know who he was back then.
Don't believe a thing I wrote in that email. I suspect I sent you bum info.
Yup, Matthew and I drew. My first Roosevelt hunt, ever. I'm trying to imagine it as the Sitka Blacktail hunts, but not hunting in the alpine, rather the nasty jungles one must crawl through to get to the alpine. We are hoping to just roll in, park his Honda Element at a trailhead and disappear into the forest. On the Sitka Blacktail hunts, I've found cussing helps a lot, so expect a censored episode if the weather doesn't ruin the cameras and footage before we can get it edited.
Zim
Well-known member
Big Fin, It sounded like you had a late rifle hunt and mine was early archery so they didn't jive too much, but I did end up arrowing my best ever a 350" so you can take credit! I'm really glad you & Matthew drew the Roosevelt. Very much looking forward to watching the episode. Everything I've read about those hunts sounded very challenging.
QuazyQuinton
Well-known member
Good! I'm looking forward to watching that hunt. People don't think of the Oregon Coast Range as rugged country because only a few peaks reach 3000 feet, but in November it tends to be steep, slippery, wet, foggy, and thick with ferns, devil's club, and vine maple. Your experience with Sitka blacktails is probably a good reference point.
Strategically, most people do one of two things. Some wade into the brush and hope to find an elk they can shoot before the elk takes two steps and disappears from sight. Elk get shot this way every year, but I can't imagine trying to get it on camera. These people tend to cuss the brush and the rain. The other group basically glasses the clearcuts and any other open areas. The elk come out to feed, so you'll see them, but so will every other hunter in the canyon. It can get pretty Dukes of Hazzard trying to be the first guy into the clearcut with the elk. This group tends to cuss the fog or the other hunter who beat them to the elk and blew them out.
In my experience, the ideal situation is logging roads that are gated and walk-in only, especially if they haven't been used for a few years. This gives you the freedom to cover ground more easily than fighting brush and may have access to clearcuts. Even the road opening itself will attract elk with the forage that grows on the roadside. Roosevelt elk in general are not so much bothered by roads, although I'm sure there are a few old wise bulls that have learned to avoid them. The biggest bull I ever saw was standing in the middle of the road when I came driving around a corner, but it only had to jump 20 feet to disappear from my life forever. When you say "park at a trailhead," I think logging gates are essentially the trailheads of the Coast Range. Just make sure you know which timber companies allow access and which don't (and which ones require a permit).
thatsjet
Well-known member
Congrats! I'll be looking forward to seeing that episode for sure!
thatsjet
Well-known member
Lewis & Clark Timber Co. own lost of the patches up and down the coast range and allow hunting with a free permit you can get online at: https://permits.greenwoodresources.com/PermitHome.aspx
Gotta love having OnX because their property is easy to pick out. The unit I drew for elk has a bunch of their land in it so I'm definitely going to be leveraging that permit a bit.
thatsjet
Well-known member
I might be about to ruin the unit I drew for deer but DAMN! Tons of great looking land, 3300 tags available but amount of people putting in for it has been dropping every year the last 10 years, last year only had 800 something apply, and at the same time success rates have been climbing. 2018 was 20%, no data for 2019 yet but I'm pretty optimistic now about my odds. Top it off it's only about 1.5 hours away. Can't wait to get out there and scout some of the luscious benches I've found on Google Earth. C'mon SEPTEMBER!!!
dan.kirkpatrick
Well-known member
I drew the high desert #2 elk hunt,,{fair tag}119 a high cascade deer as a 2nd choice{sucky tag},and a willamette 615 deer tag here where i live,{marginal tag},,struck out again on lope,bhs,and mtn goat,and all 3 premium tag trys again..
thatsjet
Well-known member
ha! I drew 119a also and thought it had potential. Why do you think it's sucky?
dan.kirkpatrick
Well-known member
deer numbers are not alot up in the high cascades,,kinda depends on where you go,but its certainly not a premier tag,,ive got a few ideas of some spots with potential,but may not even pick up the tag and just do general archery deer.havnt decided yet.unless youve got it scouted out,,its a decent potential 2nd choice tag as i drew it on 2nd choice,,santiam unit 16 portion of high cascades is close for me,,but its not my first pick.dont know about southern portion though? is it any better?
thatsjet
Well-known member
I've been e scouting a bunch but the northern area is closest for me and that was going to be my focus. I'm going to go put up some cameras next week. I'll let you know. Maybe we can team up.
dan.kirkpatrick
Well-known member
ive got a few areas i know in the north and central areas that have some potential,,but i wouldnt guarantee a "big boy" unless you just happen to bump one,,sounds good,maybe teamwork would help//p m me.
QuazyQuinton
Well-known member
I've had the tag a couple of times. I think it's true that deer numbers are pretty low in general. There is less logging than there used to be, so there is less open country to provide food for deer and glassing for hunters. In addition, a bunch of the high country has burned in recent years. While that may provide some good opportunity in a few succeeding years, this area has grown up into head high brush where you'll really struggle to see the deer that are there.
I think it's a fine tag if you take it as an opportunity hunt. Get up in the high country and spend a few days in September. You can still hunt the general rifle season in October if you don't shoot one in September. I also think that for the person willing to do a lot of work, you could turn it into a quality hunt, but it would be a long-term project with lots of time on the mountain.
My wife has the tag this year, and I have an archery tag. We're hoping to spend two or three days together kicking around the woods. Bringing a deer home would be a bonus.
QQ
I think it's a fine tag if you take it as an opportunity hunt. Get up in the high country and spend a few days in September. You can still hunt the general rifle season in October if you don't shoot one in September. I also think that for the person willing to do a lot of work, you could turn it into a quality hunt, but it would be a long-term project with lots of time on the mountain.
My wife has the tag this year, and I have an archery tag. We're hoping to spend two or three days together kicking around the woods. Bringing a deer home would be a bonus.
dan.kirkpatrick
Well-known member
im still on the fence whether to buy the 119a tag I drew as a second,,or get the general archery deer tag otc,,any voters out there to help me decide pretty quick.
Since this is the last year of hunting eastern Oregon with the OTC archery tag, I would opt to buy the archery tag. The 119a and western general deer tags will be there next year for you.
thatsjet
Well-known member
Great unit. I hunted it last year (unsuccessfully) but had a blast. It's beautiful up there but STEEP! I hope you're in shape or on horseback.
dan.kirkpatrick
Well-known member
im leaning towards the 119a tag as eastern oregon is burning about as much as downtown portland l o l,,,i was thinking of bowhunting metolius but green ridge is lit up,,im sure alot of the area is blocked off for fire
