Trout Creeks

[HighDesert]

I have been sitting on a very nice tag for the State of Oregon and have been just watching and listening to everyone talk about the good tags they got. Well this year I was successful in Drawing one of the top 3 tags in the State of Oregon as far as draw odds go i Drew the Trout Creek Mountains Hunt with a rifle. I have been over scouting and have seen several nice bucks and I have the one i am hoping to kill all mapped out for Saturday. So everyone have fun and talk to you all in a week or so
HD

 

[hornaddiction]

"Good Luck"
Horn

 

[Ras]

Must have report and pics! I have been traditional hunting down there the last several seasons, but missed-out this year due to an Idaho Elk hunt that kept me away......

Ras

 

[csutton7]

go get 'em and good luck--chris

 

[LoveBigRacks]

So, how'd it go? Did you find the one you were looking for? How was the hunting pressure?

LBR

 

[Hornseeker]

How was it HD?

 

[HighDesert]

Well after an exhausting season and seeing some things i thought i would never see and passing on over 15 different bucks i came home with an unfilled tag. Me and dad hunted hard for 9 days and looked over an awful lot of deer i passed on several 4 points. I was looking for a hog and was not going to shoot anything but a hog IE; 28" inside with at least 22" of height or there abouts i do not shoot small deer I am strictly a trophy hunting fool for mule deer. I saw probabally 6 or 7 22-25 inch 4 points and countless 4x3's but nothing i truly wanted to harvest. The last night i was going to settle on a 24" with about 20 inches of height 4x4 but i decided not to settle and let him grow up as i begin next year applying for the Non-Resident Guide tags in Oregon and i am authorized to guide in the Trout Creek Mountains and North East Whitehorse and a few other units in the state for Deer Elk and Antelope. The way i look at it is if i did not kill the Signature buck for my business then i was not gonna shoot a deer. I will wait and he will show.
Now to the hunt hehehe
Opening day we show up to go make the big sneak on a nice buck we had been watching for the past 2 weeks we show up to go and make the stalk on him and i look and say hmm there is a quad. Mind you he is on the other side of a fence in a WSA where there is no road. Wonderful and i see him come walking back from the rock point he was sitting on here he comes back He has no GUN WTF he was out bird dogging for his buddy who was hunting a complete different part of the unit. I said did you see that bigger buck there to him when i got up to him and he said "HUH?" was just classic and then as the buck was slipping away over the ridge i said see what ya did you busted him out of the country. Needless to say those 2 guys hunted that poor deer for 5 days non stop in that same Draw and never saw him again he just slipped away into the Desert.

I saw so many hunting violations it was not even funny i saw a Rancher who has more money then he knows what to do with hunting on Public lands with a private lands tag I asked Fish and Game WTF here is there exact reply we tried to set up a sting to catch them but it is like they know we are there and they obey the laws but when we are not there we get all kinds of reports they break all kinds of laws it is just amazing. I asked what could i do to help GPS and Video camera photographic evidence what could i do to help. They said that anything i got for evidence was not admissible in court. I just shake my head and wonder.

But other then that was a wonderful trip saw some real nice bucks through out the unit and if they survive the winter and the cats should be dandy bucks next year.

HD

 

[Ras]

HD;

I have been privileged to have that tag 3 times in the last 20 years (if you call that privileged....), and have done the traditional hunt down there 3 of the last 4 years. Throw in a couple of antelope hunts and my wife's sheep hunt 2 years ago; well let's just say I love that country.

I think I had the rifle tag down there 5 years ago now, and that year we ran in to 2 guys on quads - off-road. Both had rifles, and we talked with someone later that had met thes guys; one had the tag, the other was a local ranch hand apparently "helping" his buddy out....

Also, earlier in that hunt I hiked across a deep canyon to one of the most remote ridges in the area (one ROUGH road about 3 miles away, and nothing else for a LONG ways). Well, I get across this canyon and am getting close to topping out at a saddle that would drop me on the back side, where I wanted to be. (No, this particular season there were only 20 tags given out, my dad and I with 2 of those, and alot of empty country!!!) Well, 200 yds. around a basin from that saddle I look and see a guy standing in the middle of the saddle!?!?!? WTF!?!?!? My dad drove out that rough road I mentioned earlier, where we would hook-up that evening, and there were no rigs around (as is always the case!). Anyway, I am on a little rock point when I spot this guys skylined in the saddle, and I can't imagine this guy did not see me. He disappears out of that saddle, quick. I got over there in 5-10 minutes (it is really open, though rugged country) and see no one! This guy was gone!

I don't know if this guy had a horse (highly doubt you could get a quad in here; and I would have heard it) or how he got in here. There are a couple of ranches at the base of this area, and I am willing to bet this guy was a local on his "Annual" Trophy Deer Hunt! I know the people in this region have alot of lonely country to themselves for the vast majority of the year; and I am again willing to bet there are some very nice trophy rooms.....

Sorry to go on, but this treasured area is being impacted by more than the cats, and little can be done to offset this.

Souns like you had a great time regardless. Maybe we will cross paths down there some day.

Ras

 

[koyote]

WOW! I just read all these posts, so I had to sign up to reply.
I'm glad someone see's things in these areas like I do. Oregon needs to ban quads during hunting season, like Idaho has in many areas. I live in Burns Or and have hunted the s.e. oregon desert my whole life. And this year I had a steens tag, and hunted my tail off and saw around 30 bucks the largest a 25 incher. And it seems no matter how hard you work at it you still seem to see these nuckleheads on quads, in the WSA, wilderness ect. This is a real problem for the deer among the COYOTES, cats and the ODFW killing our herd. I still can't believe a 25" buck is all I could find while scouting every weekend starting in July till the opener. This area is just a fraction of what it was a short time ago!
Sounds like the Trout Creeks are similar, I have heard it was bad there but not from anyone with a tag recently, until now. Last year I had a Crawford Mtn. muzz tag in Utah. I bet there was 3 quads for every tag abusing that mountain.
Sorry but Mulies are my passion and They are being devastated.
Thank the deer gods I have a Nevada tag in two weeks.

Jeff

 

[Ras]

Hey Koyote;

Do you bow hunt at all?


Ras

 

[koyote]

Yes, I am a traditional bowhunter. But not apposed to modern archery. Kinda thinking about getting a compound for particular hunts.
Jeff

 

[cabuck]

Koyote,

How did you do in the Crawford Mtns. last year. I drew the tag this year and am really looking foward to it!! How far will I have to shoot? Seems like very open country. Some cedar trees and cliffs toward Randolph though. Pray for snow!!! Can be fantastic with the right weather. Good Luck in NV. Do you have the Late Ely tag or the Great Basin Muzz. tag?

Cabuck

 

[koyote]

Cabuck, I too was very excited to draw the tag last year. I spent alot of time preparing, but the hunt was a bit of a letdown. My standards were very high because I know two people who had the tag when the season ran until the end of dec. And it was unbelievable. Now with the earlier season you will need some early snows to get those wyoming deer across the highway and on to the Crawfords. Iwas there the whole season and only got about a foot of snow, and it was kinda warm. I would see about 40 bucks a day. Mostly 20-24 inchers, there everywhere and very stupid. A great hunt for medium bucks. On the last day the weather started getting bad and I finally saw a ok buck, 28 incher (small forks) but he got into the fog and never got a crack.
Looks like the weather is starting off good for you, mabye you'll see better bucks than I did. Be prepared for alot of traffic in a small area. All the pressure is at the north end of the mountain where the deer are. I think everyone with this tag has 3-5 buddys helping look on quads! They are everywhere, this really bothered me, kinda ruined the hunt for me. Still you could get dozens of easy shots at 3 1/2 year old deer.

Good Luck, Jeff

 

[koyote]

The weather is looking good for you Cabuck

 

[Hawkk33]

hey I recognize your name Koyote. saw your 3 point in the Oregon Big Game record book. I killed a buck finally and I think he will make that book.

Burns native huh ? you ever get tired of the slob hunters from other states ? I know I do.

Lets keep what is in Harney and Malheur counties a secret ok? don't need more people lol

 

[cabuck]

Koyote,


Thanks for the info!!! The snow has indeed started earlier this year, so far so good. Have been gone hunting with no luck, sorry it took so long to get back. Have talked to other hunters from last year and they all agree with your statements. Was hoping for some larger deer, hopefully the smow will continue. Did you here of any great bucks taken last year?? Good luck on your hunts this year!!
Cabuck

 

[koyote]

Cabuck,
Diddent see anything special last year. 26" bucks is the best I saw taken. I could have taken one of these, and was thinking about it on the last day but the one I had picked out I saw in the back of a pickup heading for Salt Lake.
Koyote