mountainstalker
Member
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- 91
Does eastern oregon produce any quality bulls? I drew a tag for the northside unit and went scouting last week. We saw one that was in the 340'' class and he was about the biggest.
eastern oregon elk
- Thread starter mountainstalker
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Oregonbowhunter
Guest
A 340 bull in oregon is a trophy for sure. If you see a 300 bull in Oregon you should pull the trigger first chance you get. Oregon just doesn't have quality, unless you're on a nice private ranch somewhere.
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AutumnPulse
Guest
OR bowhunter,
I am not saying your wrong, but I was surprised to see your post. I thought NE Oregon produced some absolute bruisers on public land, the only challenge was getting that tag. Am I wrong? Units like the Wenaha and such, I thought were famous for 350 + bulls. I have also heard that some of the wilderness hunts were absolutely top notch. When you said a 300 bull was as good as it gets, were you referring to general units that everyone and their brother could hunt?
Just curious and am not claiming to know what the hell I am talking about.
Autumn Pulse
"Be a straight-shooter in all that you do."
I am not saying your wrong, but I was surprised to see your post. I thought NE Oregon produced some absolute bruisers on public land, the only challenge was getting that tag. Am I wrong? Units like the Wenaha and such, I thought were famous for 350 + bulls. I have also heard that some of the wilderness hunts were absolutely top notch. When you said a 300 bull was as good as it gets, were you referring to general units that everyone and their brother could hunt?
Just curious and am not claiming to know what the hell I am talking about.
Autumn Pulse
"Be a straight-shooter in all that you do."
I also agree with oregonbowhunter. Oregon, no doubt about it, goes for quantity over quality. I would even go a step further and say if you see any legal bull you should take it! Wenaha and walla walla can produce big bulls, but the time of the year for the rifle hunt is not very good and the season is very short... thro in the hundred of new spike hunts at the same time and I don't think its even worth saving your points for those hunts! Just my opinion tho! Brian
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Oregonbowhunter
Guest
Well, first of all, do you live in Oregon? I have all my life and the hunting isn't that great. I would consider myself a good hunter and hunt hard on foot and consider a good season one where I at least see a 300+ inch bull. My area isn't the best but Oregon is not a premier hunt. Now Eastern Oregon is a draw for rifle elk, bowhunting only has a handful of draw hunts. I wouldn't consider really any of the rifle draw hunts top notch. Ya the Walla Walla and Wenaha are top notch but you will be lucky to draw the weneha in a lifetime and if you're a non-resident then you can pretty much forget it. If I drew Walla walla then I would take the first bull that came by that was 340 or better.
As far as a 300 bull being as good as it gets, I'm referring to most anywhere in Eastern Oregon. Ya there are big bulls but too far and few between to be passing up those 300 bulls. I am also reffering to general units because that's what Oregon is, even the draw hunts I would consider generall areas where everone and their brother can hunt because they issue so many darned tags. You can count on one hand the number of quality hunts in Oregon and they will take you forever to get and even longer if you're a non-res. Sorry to burst your bubble but Oregon sucks, plain and simple.
As far as a 300 bull being as good as it gets, I'm referring to most anywhere in Eastern Oregon. Ya there are big bulls but too far and few between to be passing up those 300 bulls. I am also reffering to general units because that's what Oregon is, even the draw hunts I would consider generall areas where everone and their brother can hunt because they issue so many darned tags. You can count on one hand the number of quality hunts in Oregon and they will take you forever to get and even longer if you're a non-res. Sorry to burst your bubble but Oregon sucks, plain and simple.
I have to agree with OREGONBOWHUNTER on this one. Oregon is not a good state for elk. I have shot three bulls in about 13 years of hunting many years a never saw an elk let alone a bull. The unit that I used to hunt has one of the highest populations of elk in oregon. Wenaha, walla walla, Mill Creek watershed have large bulls but I think that is all that is there because predators are killing the calf crop. This fall the first bull that I see is a dead bull. A 300 inch bull would be a trophy to me. Private land holds some huge bulls but it will cost you.
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Oregonbowhunter
Guest
If I even see a mature bull of any size, my adrenaline is going. A trophy in Oregon is any mature bull, in my opinion.
mountainstalker
Member
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- 91
Thanks for the feedback guys. I am from nevada and while i was up there scouting I was amazed at how much private land there was. Almost all of the blm or forest land was surrounded by private land making access extremely difficult. I definitly know what to expect now and will just try and get a decent bull.
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moonlight
Guest
I spent from 2001-2005 working as a school teacher in Monument Oregon which is on the northern border of the Northside Unit. In the four years that I worked and lived there, i would guess that the bigger bulls that I saw in and around the unit were in the 320 -335 range. Last fall, after I moved to roseburg, a former student of mine killed a bull that went 366. Now, I am not positive, but knowing the kid and his family, I would suspect that they got him right up against the public land on some private ground. He could have been a public land bull, but most people that live there hunt the private that butts up against the public land. Anyway, I am sure that bull didn't spend all his time on the private property, so there are some big bulls in the area. He was definately the biggest that most anyone had seen come out of the northside in a while though.
"success Is Reason Enough!"
"success Is Reason Enough!"
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rsearcy
Guest
Lived and hunted Oregon all my life and if you pass ANY mature bull in Oregon outside Wenaha, Walla Walla, Mill Crk. you are asking to go home empty. There are many old timers that have never taken a 300 bull in Oregon. We may have #'s, but if your looking for a trophy GOOD LUCK!
A trophy is in the eye of the beholder. If you are looking for a B&C bull the chances are very slim but oregon does produce a few. It just comes down to logic if there are fewer monster bulls in a area you just got to put even more time into doing your home work in the preseason, and then you must work hard during the season. You only get what you put out. I just love people that say oregon sucks for deer and elk that just means that I will draw a tag more often and see fewer people while I pack out my deer or elk.
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huntindude
Guest
Oregon does suck for deer and elk that's a fact. out of the 8 states I hunt when I can draw a tag Oregon is by far the worst and I'm an eastern Oregon native. everyone is welcome to hunt here as far as I'm care, you're not going to hurt anything. if you want an elk you better shoot the first bull you see.
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manny15
Guest
not what i wanted to hear, though I would shoot a 320 bull in a heartbeat, I drew a W, Murderer Crk. tag
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huntindude
Guest
Murderer's creek is a better unit in my opinion, there's some 320+ bulls in there but not that many.
I agree with huntindude on this one! I also live in SE Oregon, I apply for 7 states every year and Oregon is the worst. Unless you are lucky to draw one of the tags most of us will never see. We do have great Antelope but your looking at 10-15yrs. to draw the good ones as a resident, thanks to the low cost to apply.
Koyote
Koyote
Manny15 The best bull at my taxidermist last year was a 340 bull from Murders Creek. I agree with most of the above. Oregon probably has the worst elk hunting of the Western State's due to herd management.Beside the big 4 units in NE the snake and minam hold some big old bulls.
Moonligt the 366 bull you mentioned from the Northside what season was it killed? I hunt right outside of Monument.
Moonligt the 366 bull you mentioned from the Northside what season was it killed? I hunt right outside of Monument.
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moonlight
Guest
The kid had a second season tag and killed it the first weekend.
"success Is Reason Enough!"
"success Is Reason Enough!"
I've hunted E. Oregon all my life and I think there are a few great public land places available to hunt BIG bulls. (archery) Now the area we hunt require us to packin with our mules and horses appox. 12 miles, but the rewards are great. NO HUNTING PRESSURE
Get off the beatin path and the rewards will be great!!!
muleyman
Get off the beatin path and the rewards will be great!!!
muleyman
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huntindude
Guest
That's true in some places but just getting off the path won't gain you that much many times. I have horses and the last time I went into the Strawberry wilderness I saw more hunters than there were outside of it, same thing in Black Canyon, just too many people with the same idea. pack in or not the quality isn't going to be great for the most part.
Your right about Black Canyon / Spanish Peak. I'm glad to see it went to a draw this year for archery. BUT from the Wolf MT. lookout on top to the 5810 (or 5830, can't remember) bottom road its only about 5 miles. It's not really much of a area to pack when there are four main trails to access the canyon. TOOO many hunters access this area by foot. You did a pack trip in there???
Which part of the Strawberrys are you talking about?
muleyman
Which part of the Strawberrys are you talking about?
muleyman
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huntindude
Guest
Black canyon is too small for a pack trip but there are camps at Big Ford most years, I just do day rides when I take the horses. I've been all over the Strawberries, the last time I was at Cougar Meadows it looked like a campground but again it's not a very big wilderness. my point is there aren't many places except far NE. Oregon where you can get far enough from the crowds to make a big difference, sure you can get a good one if you pack in but then I've seen road hunters take monsters before so who knows.
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pigbulls
Guest
The north side Unit has some good bulls, but dont get your hopes up for a 340 bull, Kill the first 6 point you see.......
Good luck...
Good luck...
skeet
personally I like the Mt. Emily unit. If you put your time in and work hard you have a good chance of coming out with a 340-360 gross bull. I like it a lot better than starkey because it is a lot more open. My buddy drew the emily tag last year and the night before the season I video taped five 300 class bulls and three of them were in that 340-360 range. also another friend of mine shot a 9X7 mid 350 bull on emily. They did not ad more tags to the unit for spikes they just made it a draw with 550 tags. I know some people that did not draw it for second choice.
personally I like the Mt. Emily unit. If you put your time in and work hard you have a good chance of coming out with a 340-360 gross bull. I like it a lot better than starkey because it is a lot more open. My buddy drew the emily tag last year and the night before the season I video taped five 300 class bulls and three of them were in that 340-360 range. also another friend of mine shot a 9X7 mid 350 bull on emily. They did not ad more tags to the unit for spikes they just made it a draw with 550 tags. I know some people that did not draw it for second choice.
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pigbulls
Guest
GOOD LUCK!!! try the ranch just outside sisters....
muleylover
Active Member
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I grew up in the Northside-Murderers Creek Units. If you saw a 340 bull you should take it. There is alot of private land in that unit and most bulls move into it somewhere. You can find a good bull but good luck. Like was said earlier if you see a 300 bull you should probably take it. If you want some advice on those units email me, but my sister has drawn a murderers creek bull so don't expect much info there.
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OregonBigGameHunter
Guest
I'd say oregon is the best state for roosevelt elk, good population and big antler size, lots of vegatation on the coast range. Every year in Oregon their are a few 350 rocky mountian and rooselvelt bulls taken, that big for any state and most are taken on public land in Oregon. The elk migrate from idaho so Best hunting is to go east as possible
