Getting the most out of Public Land.

[gouch]

I did quite a bit work out of Glide, mostly up the Little River. During a high water event the Colliding Rivers is pretty cool.

 

[Duckdude10]

Hey all, I am pretty new to hunting in Oregon (and in general), and have some questions around how to best use and access public land to get the most out of a deer/elk hunt. I’m mostly asking about BLM and National Forest land west of the Cascades. Any information, wisdom, anecdotes, and/or constructive feedback are welcome.

Trail cams: I haven’t found any specific info on the legality of setting up trail cams on BLM & FS land. Online seems to be a mixed bag, some say it’s fine, some say it’s illegal, most say it may get stolen (which seems a risk no matter where it is). What’s been peoples experience in Western Oregon?

Hiking trails: What is the consensus on using hiking trails to access deeper parts of the forest? It seems that it’s ok, but I would expect to get some nasty looks by other trail users. Obviously you shouldn’t hunt from the trail…but I am also under the impression that the FS discourages people from going off the trail, in order to preserve the ecosystem around it. What’s your take on using hiking trails, and how do you use them if you do?
*OHV/ATV trails, what’s the take on using these? Same or different than hiking trails?

Dispersed camping: I understand it that camping along the roads is OK, and primitive camping is OK, but you have to hump your gear in. Obviously fire restrictions must be adhered to. What have peoples experiences been using either method? Does it improve your hunt?

“Off the roads”: I’ve heard from many hunters that you “need to get off the roads”. What does that mean, though? Using closed roads? Pick a direction into the woods and just go in? Going parallel along roads, but off the road a few yards into the timber? Don’t the deer and elk use the roads to get around, too? How do you know if you’ve picked a good spot to go into the timber?

Moving through the forest: Lastly, and related to all of the above, are there any tips and techniques you can share about moving through these dense forests? I know it may seem an odd question, but this was the biggest challenge for me during last years deer season. It seems everywhere I tried to go into the forest, and especially in clear cuts, I’d find myself facing impenetrable blackberry brambles, or over an understory covered in the loudest cracking branches known to man, often both simultaneously. I couldn’t get more than a few steps before needing to either turn back and reroute, or making so much noise that every critter in the forest must know that I’m there. I considered bringing hedge clippers even, to cut through the brush, but don’t know what the rules are around that either. I REALLY don’t understand how so many other hunters I saw weren’t wearing gloves, as I found those to be essential unless I wanted bloody hands real quick. Also, as most of the public land is in the mountains, I’d usually find myself walking along very steep inclines that seemed too dangerous to go down, as one wrong move and I’d be a mangled mess alone at the bottom of a mountain or ravine. The conventional wisdom I’ve heard is “get off the roads, go in deep and cover lots of ground” but this seems like an impossibility in this terrain. I would really appreciate any insight that you all can share on navigating it.

Last side note regarding private timberland open to public access: What is the etiquette regarding closed gates where there are other vehicles parked? I had an experience of getting some unpleasant words directed at me for parking at a gate with a car at it, and other times where I was the first car parked at a gate and proceeded to see a constant flow of hunters coming in all day. I understand that none of us own the land, so technically it’s all fair game, but there’s got to be some sort of established etiquette around this.

Thank you all in advance for your helpful input!!

Move through the thick forests slowly and methodically once you get into an area off the trail a ways. Walk 20 yards, stop and listen for 30 seconds - rinse and repeat. You will see more animals if you move slowly and attentively. I grew up hunting west of the cascades and this is all about you can do in some parts of the Forrest since glassing is impossible

 

[FairWeather]

Move through the thick forests slowly and methodically once you get into an area off the trail a ways. Walk 20 yards, stop and listen for 30 seconds - rinse and repeat. You will see more animals if you move slowly and attentively. I grew up hunting west of the cascades and this is all about you can do in some parts of the Forrest since glassing is impossible

Thanks for the reply! I’ve been putting in some work on a particular patch of BLM checkerboard. I set up a trail cam on a well worn game trail that adjoins the closest FS road, and have seen 4 bucks (2 spikes, 2 forks) so, I’m thinking that’s where I’ll focus my efforts. The terrain is like you say, very thick and overgrown. Nothing to really glass. Now I’m trying to figure out a plan for hunting that spot. Given the dense vegetation and fact that there’s buildings within a mile of the location, I’m almost thinking it’d be better to use my 12ga vs my 308. Either way, I’m imagining that getting the wind to work in my favor will be the greatest challenge.