west biggs

NASCAR88 · Oct 12, 2009

me and my old man took two three points on opening morning on the breaks of the desc. river. Nothing to write home about. the bodies on these two were real small and all the does had twins but they also were real small. Don't know if they had their fawns late this year or there is a new minature mule deer breed going on. They looked like sitka blacktails, not farmland mule deer.

tmbr_hntr · Oct 12, 2009

LAST EDITED ON Oct-12-09 AT 02:10PM (MST)[p]LAST EDITED ON Oct-12-09 AT 02:09?PM (MST)

They look like this? Lots of very small deer over there. I've shot lots of bucks over there and they are almost always spindly little bucks. Seemed about the same as it has always been to me.

NASCAR88 · Oct 12, 2009

yeah pretty close, I think yours is a little bigger. i took a 4x3 there a couple years ago that was a nice buck, decent antlers but at least his body had some size to it. we had to get it done fast this year because the little patch of wheat land we were allowed to hunt was going to be seeded the day after opening day. Oh well good pepperoni anyway. Later

manny15 · Oct 12, 2009

poor genetics?

Redside · Nov 30, 2009

Nice to see a post so close to home, I have hunted the West Biggs unit for deer my entire life, which includes most of my 41 one years of life. I grew up in Maupin and have lived there ever since. My family and I hunt the Tygh Valley portion of the West Biggs unit. I believe one problem why the deer don't grow to the extent the ones do further East is the influx of Blacktail deer and Mule deer hybrids that happen. Most of the biologists in the area will say this doesn't happen, as Blacktail deer stay on the west side of the Cascades. Just one look at some of these deer and you can tell right away from the size and coloring that there is some cross breeding going on. The closer you get towards the breaks of the Deschutes River Mule deer become more prevalent.
This year I took a mature buck that had reached his genetic potential at 8 years of age. My bucks horns measured 20 X 20 and had great mass all the way through, with 3 points on one side and 4 on the other. This buck took more of the Mule deer side, and I couldn't of been happier. The buck ended up weighing over 200 lbs after being field dressed, one of the biggest bodied deer we have seen for this area. Just for size reference I am 6' 4" and weigh in the 240's. Always lots of fun. Good luck in all your hunting adventures in the years to come and hope to hear from you all next year.

LoveBigRacks · Nov 30, 2009

Real nice buck Redside, awesome. I'd be stoked to put a tag on that buck in the West Biggs unit no doubt. I'm also envious of where you live, Maupin is a great spot and is centrally located for access to the mountain and Central OR...no to mention all the great fishing you've got right out your back door! I'm sure the summers drive you nuts when all the rafters swarm into town and at least a few of them cause a ruckus. Anyway, great buck and thanks for posting the pic.

LBR

Dave32g · Dec 1, 2009

redside.

how did you age your buck?

NASCAR88 · Dec 1, 2009

nice buck, the 4x3 I took a few years ago in the west biggs had turned up hooves like a elf. I guess being in the wheat fields there are not many rocks to keep them sharp. he was a old buck that was past his prime. Was pretty heavy but had crab claws for forks.

Redside · Dec 15, 2009

>redside.
>
>how did you age your buck?
>

I have a biologist friend that extracted the front incisor tooth and with a method of cross-sectioning the tooth can accurately tell the age an animal. Thanks for all the kind feedback on the buck, I'm really happy with him. We don't always shoot one's like this and it makes all the hard work mean that much more. Hopefully we can draw West Biggs again this year, we have pushed our luck in the last three years drawing it with 0 preference points. Wish it was that easy for a sheep tag!

muleyman · Dec 15, 2009

dressed at over 200lbs???

muleyman

Redside · Dec 15, 2009

Yes, dressed out over 200lbs, which means once you gut, skin, and cut the head off, live hanging weight. Shot a spike bull in Heppner one year and it was not much bigger than this years buck. Believe me it took my brother and I all we could take to drag him about 3/4 of a mile down the canyon.

Wanted · Dec 15, 2009

If your deer went over 200, how much do you think mine weighed. The body on mine looks a little bigger.....

NASCAR88 · Dec 16, 2009

>Yes, dressed out over 200lbs, which
>means once you gut, skin,
>and cut the head off,
>live hanging weight. Shot a
>spike bull in Heppner one
>year and it was not
>much bigger than this years
>buck. Believe me it took
>my brother and I all
>we could take to drag
>him about 3/4 of a
>mile down the canyon.

I'm not disrespecting you redside, that is a nice buck for biggs but that deer must of had alot of lead in his azz to go over 200 lbs. unless the picture is hiding something and you are 400 lbs. I think you better check your scale. If it is correct i want to borrow it when i sell beef. My dad killed a spike elk in the ukiah unit that was smaller than your deer. it won the biggest bull contest in camp that year because it was the only one taken. LOL Later

NASCAR88 · Dec 16, 2009

>If your deer went over 200,
>how much do you think
>mine weighed. The body
>on mine looks a little
>bigger.....
>

If redsides buck is 200 yours must be 350. LOL

bigunit11 · Jan 4, 2010

Hi all. New to site.

I too hunt West Biggs. Family ranch since the 1880's. We've seen lots of changes in my 44 years of life. Up and down in numbers. 10 years ago, tags were close to 1200....now 600 maybe.

Here is one from a few years back. We hardly ever get one fully hung, as we are deep into canyons and pack them out.

Here is my heavy one from 2006.

Brad