Horse Packers Mt Emily Elk?

Hey MM hunters,

I drew the NR archery elk hunt on Mt. Emily this year and will most likely be hunting on my own solo. From the information I have so far, it looks like I will be needing to backpack down into some of those deep roadless drainages from off the top. If I am lucky enough to arrow a bull, with my luck it will be in the deepest nastiest hole. I am not so much worried about getting the bull out (as long as my mid-fifty year old knees and feet don't let me down!) even if it takes me six or seven loads over three or more days. However, I am concerned with getting all the meat out UNSPOILED due to the temperatures over that long a time frame.

With that in mind, I was wondering if anyone knows of any reputable horse packers that operate in the Mt. Emily unit? I am assuming they have to be an Oregon licensed outfitter and permitted by the Umatilla NF. If Oregon is like most states, I don't think it is legal just to pay someone cash with some pack horses unless they have the proper permit and licenses but I could be wrong...

Thanks, Horniac

Horniac,

No one is replying because Oregon is not as commercialized as other states when it comes to packing companies. John wick had the permit on Wenaha but got in some trouble. I have not heard of any packing services in Mt Emily. We have just quartered and packed. You have a great tag, are you going alone?

Rich

Have you talk with bob from blue mountain adventures? He offers service during rifle. Shoot him a pm.
Ryan

>Horniac,
>
>No one is replying because Oregon
>is not as commercialized as
>other states when it comes
>to packing companies. John wick
>had the permit on Wenaha
>but got in some trouble.
>I have not heard of
>any packing services in Mt
>Emily. We have just quartered
>and packed. You have a
>great tag, are you going
>alone?
>
>Rich

Rich,

Thanks for the reply and info.

At this point I am planning on going alone but have not completely ruled out getting some help. The hunt dates are problematic for my younger hunting partners to accompany me and being semi-retired I have lots of time on my hand that they cannot spare anyways. I have gotten some good intel from some other previous tag holders on this site and am still doing my due diligence as to the best way to approach this hunt to make the most of what for me will be a once-in-a lifetime tag...

Horniac

>Have you talk with bob from
>blue mountain adventures? He offers
>service during rifle. Shoot him
>a pm.
>Ryan

Ryan,

Thanks for the response and info. I plan on calling Bob to see what services he may be able to provide...

Horniac

I am permitted in Mt Emily, Walla Walla and Wenaha to pack out meat with horses and mules. As far as I know, I am the only legal packer available to pack meat out in these units. Feel free to call me if you have any questions.

Bob,

It was nice talking with you last night.

I don't know about the other units you mentioned, but I called Jeff as you recommended who handles the special use permits for the Umatilla NF for the Mt. Emily unit and he confirmed you were the only legally permitted packer in the unit.

As far as guides, as you know and confirmed by Jeff, the only permitted guide in Mt. Emily in the Umatilla NF for the archery elk hunt is the outfitter who drew the non-resident guide tag and his permit allows him to ONLY guide the one non-resident hunter he sold the tag to. As you indicated, you are only permitted to guide the Wallowa Whitman NF portion of Mt. Emily. Doesn't seem right to me either that one outfitter has the whole Umatilla NF of the Mt. Emily unit to himself to guide one client.

I'll be up there this weekend for the opener maybe I will run into you in La Grande or somewhere.

Horniac

Yes, I talked to USFS Law Enforcement today about other "guides" working the units illegal. There are a couple of them under investigation currently. Can't say any names, but suffice to say that the "guides" scene will be changing allot in near future. I don't agree with the USFS permit system that varies dramatically from Ranger District, to District, but I stay legal and don't fudge the lines and rules they set.
I apologize to the many clients that wanted to hire me this year to guide, but I had to tell them I am not permitted this year in the units they drew. It's a system that needs to be modified and fixed.

To all of you that would like to help, please feel free to call the USFS and voice your concerns. Special use coordinator is Jeff Bloom at Walla Walla RD
(509) 522-6277.

Thanks and Happy Hunting!

Bob Staples

LAST EDITED ON Aug-22-13 AT 01:15AM (MST)[p]What needs to change bob????? This ought to be interesting.

Why put this on Jeff???? he is a little fish in a big big pond. he is not a policy maker almost any person who understands the basics of governmental law would get that point. Policy is made in D.C.. not walla walla or pomeroy, wa. they just follow what is said. It is a bureaucracy the low mans hands are tied.

Jeff does what he can. In all honesty Jeff Bloom does an amazing job. He is not allowed to make long term permits in those units so instead of not having any permits . He makes it to where the guides and outfitters who draw the guide tags can outfit for those seasons on temporary permits. He does it the fairest way he can by being impartial.

Good luck this year Bob

LAST EDITED ON Aug-23-13 AT 10:37PM (MST)[p]Horniac, I am sure glad you're doing all this recon now so I don't have to do it when I draw in 2015 (Drawing AZ next year). Make sure to keep a good file cabinet with all your records.

I have mid-50's knees too, and sadly blew out my left one last month on a gross building code violation. Just one week after running my fastest 5K in 7 years. Possibly my last one. Doing rehab but the knee is now garbage. All because the government was too cheap to spend $1,000 fixing their architect's abortion. Instead they put a 49 cent bumper sticker on it and called it good.



Have a nice trip. Good odds it will be better than mine.

***********************************
Member RMEF, Pope & Young Club, NRA, UWC & DP Hate Club

Good luck to everyone bow hunting and rifle hunting this season!
We are permitted to pack meat in Mt Emily, Walla Walla, Wenaha AND Mill Creek Watershed. Contact us if you are in need of getting a bull elk out before it spoiles. Its VERY hot and dry this year, so keep that in mind when deciding how far you want to hunt from the roads. Good luck and enjoy our great State!

Or, you could try reading the sign and we could all save $1000. Guys like you drive insurance and workman's comp premiums through the roof. Quit whining for a moment and pay attention next time.

LAST EDITED ON Aug-26-13 AT 06:05PM (MST)[p]>Or, you could try reading the
>sign and we could all
>save $1000. Guys like you
>drive insurance and workman's comp
>premiums through the roof. Quit
>whining for a moment and
>pay attention next time.

Ya gotta be crappin me! The door was closed, sign was on the inside of the other room as I approached it, as if it matters! So any time someone F's up and creates a gross health hazard in violation of every code book ever written, and has crippled countless employees, it's all good to throw up a 49 cent sticker and call it good? Did you look at that photo? Do you want to know what the head room is on that door coming from the restroom side? Try 6'-2"......your solution to throw up a sign for that too?! Or hang one from the top door jamb? Ya that will work. What a numnut.

There's a reason no code book on earth allows this.

And I am 54 and never filed any WC claim in my life. Despite rough framing carpentry for 12 of those years!

***********************************
Member RMEF, Pope & Young Club, NRA, UWC & DP Hate Club

what is it with you Dave?!? It seems almost every post bob does, you backfire with some over the top backfire.

Small fish in a big pond??? To each his own but I'm sure Bob knows a bit more about what's going on than the average person...

Honestly Mr. Bloom could be doing more...a LOT more just as 99.9% of the other fed/state employees.

muleyman

Thanks for the reply pm muleyman glad you understand where I am coming from.

Dave

So how did the mt emily hunt go???

Well I guess I must be one of the worst bowhunting elk hunters on this site as I unfortunately didn't tag a bull on this awesome hunt. Had a great hunt nonetheless and hunted hard for 22 days. Five days opening weekend and then the last seventeen days of the hunt.

On the early hunt/scouting trip we stayed in a hotel in La Grande. I was able to get my non-hunting wife out for a hunt/hike or two and she got to see her first elk in the wild. I think she actually enjoyed it!



There were three bulls and two cows in the group.



Not much bugling in the first five days as the temps were near record highs. Got in a basin with some bugling on the morning of the fifth day but it was the day we were heading home.


Pulled my trailer up for the last 17 days of the season to hunt solo. Forecast was still hot near record high temps. Went back to the basin I had hunted with the bugling and the bulls were screaming. Got on a nice 6x6 with four or five cows and got within about 100 yards before they got into the black timber to bed. Backed out so as not to blow them out of the country...



Hunted the basin off and on the remainder of the hunt and could never find the 6x6 again though I found some smaller bulls, spikes, and a few cows. Also passed on shooting one of the spikes at 30 yards at an active wallow I found.



Put lots of miles on my boots trying to find some active bulls. My preferred method of travel was to target the many closed roads in the NF. Some were good to travel on and some not so good unless you carried a chainsaw!



I had heard some bugling around camp so one morning I decided to sleep in a little and try and get on this bull. Much to my surprise, it was a nice 7x7 with four cows. I stalked in to about 100 yards but the thick brush prevented me from getting any closer. Tried some light cow calling and the bull would bugle but would not come closer. Eventually the cows moved out and the bull followed them into the black timber to bed for the day. That evening I got up on a vantage point and tried to glass them up. Around 6 PM I heard a bull bugle on the slope below me and decided to close the gap on the bugling. I was able to get the wind right and managed to get within 10 yards of the cows who were feeding right to me. The bull was close and though I couldn't see him I could hear him off and on. Tried to get closer only to get busted by some cows.

Towards the end of the season the temps dropped considerably and we got some thunderstorms and light rain as the moon was waning to full. The bulls were bugling more from their timbered basin beds. Had some more close encounters but never got a bull in close enough to shoot. Hunted a nice canyon the closing weekend and had bulls bugling all around me. Spotted four bulls bugling on the slopes from one location.

There is a bull visible at the top of the opening in this photo...



I had a beautiful 320 class 6x6 300 hundred yards from me the last evening of the hunt for over three hours as the rain came in and the sun set on my Mt. Emily hunt but I couldn't get him to come any closer.



Met some interesting people on the hunt and had a great time in the beautiful Blue Mountains.





Saw lots of does and fawns and small bucks early and late on the sides of the roads so one had to be careful driving after dark. Saw four different bears on the hunt.

Thanks to everyone on this site that gave me input and advice and especially HighDesert who spent hours with me on the phone giving me some specific hunts I could do on my own with a manageable packout if I was lucky enough to put a tag on a bull!

Good luck everyone with your hunts this fall!



Horniac

Great pics and story! Sorry you didn't tag a bull on that hunt. It was one of the toughest years to archery hunt up here that I can remember in LONG time. I just got home from the mountains today, we rode the horses and bugled often. The rut just now seems to be BARELY starting. Last week, the big bulls were solo or bached up still. I am headed back out again tomorrow to scout and work. Rifle hunters should slam the big bulls this year.
Least you had a great time. We should have met for dinner, but I imagine we were both hunting to hard to take time off lol.

Stay in touch, and maybe see you at the Sacramento Sportsman show?

Appreciate you posting the pics and story of your hunt, I enjoyed the write up! 22 days chasing bulls in a unit like Mt. Emily is a WIN whether you punched your tag or not. Thx again.

LBR