I'm over my mad

Califelkslayer · Feb 2, 2012

I sat on the sideline the last 2 years because of the price increases but ready to start applying again. So I'm asking for advice on my thought process.

Antelope, 12 NR PPs. My thought is just keep applying for a rifle Warner tag. Seems I'm real close to a second season tag. Is the 2nd season something I should stay away from?

Deer, 12 NR PPs. The choice here is stay in the hunt for a late season muzzy muley tag in another 10 years or so, or apply for the Applegate muzzy with my son who has 6-7PPs and just be done with Oregon deer. Or if the best option is Applegate muzzy, I could apply my son for that hunt this fall. If he draws, we go and I learn it. The next year I'll have 13 PPs and the wife will have 4 so we could probably pull a couple of tags in 2013 and have an idea of where, how to hunt it.

Elk, 10 NR PPs. Not sure here. Stay the course for Mt. Emily archery and hope to draw in the next 5 years, or share the PPs with my son (7) and wife (3) and draw something like the Snake unit?

The antelope and deer options are something I could do probably any year based on the season dates I'm looking at. Elk, I would have to pick a year when I don't have a conflict with other hunts. Most years I'm hunting during late September and late October/early Nov. So I would have to PP other states knowing I could draw Oregon elk.

Any suggestions?

oregonmuley · Feb 2, 2012

LAST EDITED ON Feb-02-12 AT 11:36AM (MST)[p]Not sure I can be of much help on the deer & elk, heck I live and hunt in Oregon and I'm at a loss at what units to put in for anymore as far as deer, couple good ones but thats about it.

For antelope, you might also consider Whitehorse #2 - might be a little better odds than Warner and has some nice antelopes - big unit to hunt in.

bonepicker · Feb 2, 2012

LAST EDITED ON Feb-02-12 AT 11:57AM (MST)[p]Well, it's all a matter of opinion but here's mine.
For antelope, stay the course. Second season tags are just as good in my opinion. I've never had a tag, but I'm out a lot (and I live on the high desert) and I've seen just as many good bucks during second season as first.

For deer, are you just wanting a muzzleloader hunt? Applegate I'm sure is fine but you're looking at blacktails there I would say (never hunted it but it's west of the cascades) I prefer to hunt Mule deer myself. If you want to stick with Muzzleloader, Applegate is probably your best option. Muzzleloader tags in Mule deer units are after rifle season (when many of the bucks are harvested) and are usually harder to draw on top of that. If you want to hunt rifle, most units are good, look for one where you won't waste points, North Warner might we worth looking into. Use the draw odds tool here on MM to give you an idea what is the best fit for your points.

For elk, it really depends on the hunt kind of hunt you are looking for. Do you want a possible trophy for yourself or are you looking for a hunt with your family with a good success rate? For a trophy, Mt. Emily should be great and 5 years left is not too bad. For a family hunt, share your points and hunt E. Northside. It is a "one elk" tag and there are plenty of elk in there. This gives you a chance at a bull (and there can be some big ones in there) or a cow as the season winds down and it will give your wife and your boy a very good chance at getting an elk, cow or bull.
Just my two cents, good luck!

Califelkslayer · Feb 2, 2012

Thanks guys.

Bonepicker, since Oregon deer will probably be a one and done for me, I was leaning towards a muzzy hunt because most of them are late. When I started applying for deer in Oregon, they had a North Warner muzzy hunt in November. That was my goal at the time. They did away with that hunt.

As far as elk go, my wife has taken a bull and my son has taken 4 elk, 2 bulls. But the hair tag still isn't a bad idea. Only reason I was looking at the Snake was because I have stock and we could pack in, get away from folks. I even had visions of archery hunting it OTC before burnng the points BUT I'm sure the Snake has been affected by wolves. I'll consider the E. Northside, thanks.

Hiker of the Woods · Feb 2, 2012

There were 24 people with just as many points or more points than you that applied for Mt. Emily archery elk in 2011. Only 2 tags are given to NR hunters for that hunt. You may have to wait 12+ years for that tag. There could be NR that have been applying for other hunts and will switch or PP every year. You may want to look at a different hunt. Walla Walla archery(8 more years for you alone to draw) or Snake River rifle(9 points) would be better choices for you. Your son and wife have no chance in drawing these hunts. Splitting your points with them will leave you out of some of the best units in Oregon.

Muzzy deer hunt in Metolius is another option you should look at.

Stick with Warner for lope hunt.

manny53 · Feb 2, 2012

whitehorse muzz deer......***

440sixpack · Feb 2, 2012

You need to decide what you are looking for in quality. if average by Oregon standards is ok I'd burn my points and stop getting screwed by ODFW.

If top end quality is your target you're years away from a top elk tag and a few from a top goat tag. for deer you'll just have to build points and hope we have a top quality hunt someday.

I apply in 9 states and if I wasn't an Oregon resident I wouldn't apply here.

Stay thirsty my friends

tchoate3 · Feb 3, 2012

Metolius muzzy would be my choice for deer. You could combine your points with your son and have a good hunt with a possibility of a big buck. I dont think Oregon has a deer hunt worth wating 10 years for right now IMO. Elk and lope i'm not much help there.

Dave32g · Feb 3, 2012

so you being being at the price increase cost the odfw $48 in applications plus the non res license and it cost 5 years in the point pool, you would be way way better off if you had 2 more points for each series

Snuffy · Feb 3, 2012

LAST EDITED ON Feb-03-12 AT 07:49PM (MST)[p]http://sites.google.com/site/oregontags/I am in your shoes too with 13 NR points on everything.
This site is great to look at.
Rick

Califelkslayer · Feb 3, 2012

tchoate, I was even thinking Metoious archery some day.

Dave, the $48.00 is more like $600.00. If I apply, I would put my wife and son in too. And it's not really the money. I looked up how many NRs didn't apply after the price increase. It went down 30 percent. But the price went up far more than that. I was hoping they would feel the pain of 1000s not applying.

With an 0 for 36 last year in the draws between me and the wife, I'm thinking Oregon will be my fall back someday.

This year I'm in Wyoming with max elk points on a 50% draw, we have PPs for our every other year Colorado elk hunt, enough PPs for the deer/antelope combo hunt in Wyoming I've been planning and FINALLY 5PPs to draw the Colorado 2PPs deer hunt I started 5 years ago.

Gonna sit on the side lines in Wy and just buy PPs this year for deer/antelope because of last year's dieoff.

The only upside to oregon is their late application deadline.

Hiker of the Woods · Feb 5, 2012

>tchoate, I was even thinking
>Metoious archery some day.

There was 10 people last year that had just as many or more points than you that applied for the Metolius archery deer hunt. Now add in the number of people who may switch and apply for Metolius this year and people who applied for PP's last year that may apply for Metolius this year. Only 1 tag a year if given to a NR. You have 10+ years of waiting for a Metolius archery deer tag to be 100% successful as a NR.

elkliver · Feb 6, 2012

Metolius Unit late for Deer

On the elk, take the wife or son and pick a 5 or 6 point hunt.(northside, murderers creek, etc) you probably won't get a monster but there is good hunting and can be decent bulls

for antelope.... You've got enough points, you should be in the running for some good hunting. We offer so few antelope tags that you should be able to find a decent lope in any of the main units. (at least i always see some big ones whenever i am out in the desert)

tchoate3 · Feb 6, 2012

I agree Blacktail Slayer, thats why I suggested the Muzzy hunt. Who knows what the unit will have to offer in 2023??? It's good NOW, cash in !

Califelkslayer · Feb 8, 2012

Good advice. Thanks

Hiker of the Woods · Feb 8, 2012

>I agree Blacktail Slayer, thats why
>I suggested the Muzzy hunt.
>Who knows what the unit
>will have to offer in
>2023??? It's good NOW, cash
>in !

I just read your older post and agree Muzzy is the way to go for him.

bonepicker · Feb 9, 2012

Just to give you a little idea of the antelope herds, I went out last week and saw close to 400 antlelope in a 4 mile strip of lowland. They are in their winter range right now so they won't be there come summer but the antelope numbers are really good right now, and look to be getting better the next few years. I saw over 70 bucks, and 25ish were nice, mature bucks and 5 were probably around 75"-80". Seems like this is the story all over the desert.
Plenty of great bucks left even after all the seasons are done and the winter kill is mostly over (not really an issue this year) I wouldn't think twice about applying for a second season tag or even switching to an easier unit to draw (though it sounds like you're close). In my opinion, there are good bucks in every unit, getting a tag is the hardest part. Good luck!

missalot · Feb 9, 2012

Boy, all you guys sure showed them a thing or two by not applying. Do you think they already anticipated that the point chasers wouldn't have enough integrety to hold out?

Califelkslayer · Feb 10, 2012

Integrity??????????

Who did i lie too??????

Who did i cheat?????????

I'm not sure what your definition of integrity is.

Or maybe I misunderstood you.......or you misspelled the word???

I believe integrity is defined as, "Do the right thing when no one is looking." Am i wrong???

I didn't apply for Oregon for 2 years because I personally decided to protest the price increase. In my opinion, that is not an integrity issue.

The only integrity issue was applying myself and not applying my wife and son. And I took the high road and didn't apply any of us.

Dude, you hit a nerve because "INTEGRITY" is what I'm all about.

An apology would be accepted!!!!!!!!

Califelkslayer · Feb 10, 2012

PS: YOU MISSED AGAIN!!!!!!!!

missalot · Feb 14, 2012

I'm sorry that you got butthurt because I didn't welcome you back with open arms and give you all of my hard earned advice as to how to use your now worthless preference points!

All of you PP chasers are the reason all of these states have over-valuated the NR tags. Now, you get to spend ten times the amount that the animal is worth just to get something out of your points.

I hope no one gives you any good advice. Remember guys, a resident is going to have to sit on the sideline while all of these guys come back to burn their points and leave.

It's like the guy who's going back to the girlfriend he just dumped for one last party, just so he can brag that he got to use his last condom. These guys don't care about this state any more than the quality of the animal they can take from it.

Here's my advice on where to go.....Wenaha, Steens, Hart MT. That's why you came here in the first place, stick with the monster you created or move on. And don't bother crying about it here, we heard all that before when the fees went up and we don't care.

There now, do you feel better?

I do!

Murphy · Feb 15, 2012

Why would a non-res drawing a tag have any effect on a res drawing a tag? Two different pools to draw from. Last I knew this was still America and there were 50 states that we are all a part of.
I wish I could help but I just don't know where to burn that many points on deer and elk, especially with all your party having quite a few points.Even splitting points you all have to many or not enough. With your pack string there's hunts you could have a good time on that take 2-4 points and take some good animals but maybe not the trophy quality you're looking for. But there's always that chance. Tough call.

missalot · Feb 15, 2012

Better check again, same pool with a cap on the number of tags NR's can draw.

I don't deny his right to apply. I'm just tired of the point hoarders that have pushed the chance at an opportunity to hunt to unreachable limits.

The demand is what has caused the states to see the NR as cash cows.

To top it off, they all came here crying the blues when the fees went up, stating, "We're going on strike! S**** Oregon!"

Here it is only two years and they're coming back (hence the integrity comment). And looking for info, to boot!

Sure, they have the right to apply for tags in any state they want, just as we have the right to laugh when those points become virtually worthless as the amount they end up investing skyrockets, to get the same animal they could get over the counter in most any other state.

I don't habe anything against C.E.S., he just had the misfortune to be the first one back.

Califelkslayer · Feb 16, 2012

LAST EDITED ON Feb-16-12 AT 07:05PM (MST)[p]Butthurt.........maybe because you don't know me. No way was I "Butthurt" about your opinions, or lack of. I was put out by you questioning my integrity. That's EXACTLY what I spoke to, nothing else. Because you don't even know me.

But great news!!!!!! I can meet you in the parking lot at Big R in Klamath Falls any day but Sunday, after 4:30 PM. You can get to know me. After a little while you may change your thinking about my integrity.

Crying????? The very first post simply said "I sat out the last 2 years because of the price increase." That ain't crying, just a fact. I may have posted something in 2010 that could be construed as "crying." But with 2,500+ posts, I'm sure I vented a few times.

And your statement, "Remember guys, a resident is going to have to sit on the sideline while all of these guys come back to burn their points and leave" is assinine. We (non-residents) are guaranteed out 3% and 2.5% of tags, even if only one guy applies. So there is no way in heII it affects a resident.

Califelkslayer · Feb 16, 2012

Murph, I appreciate your ideas.

I was looking for ideas. Not BS. And you tried to answer the original question, not take off on a personal tirade.

Actually "trophy" IMO is based on the quality of the tag. Oregon antelope are top notch so I'll hold out for a good unit, hoping for a great buck. Since I'm only 2 hours from the border, the more southern the unit is, the more scouting I'll be able to do.

Elk, sharing the PPs with family will just be about them filling tags. So an ES tag would even work. I enjoy getting away from folks and with the family. To me using the stock is enjoyable and usually results in less competition. BUT if we have guaranteed decent hunts every year for the next 3-5 years elsewhere, I might get selfish and hold out for Mt. Emliy, or something along those lines since I'll be closer then.

Deer. I'm either gonna do the Blacktail rut muzzy hunt as soon as I'm sure all three will draw, or wait for some late hunt for myself, muzzy or archery. We can hunt as good or better bucks, with better success in Kali, with less PPs, than what you'd expect in any of the regular season hunts in Oregon. So it has to something unique like the couple I mentioned.