beulah 165
- Thread starter kicker
- Start date
I have hunted this area every year, for many years and the deer numbers have plummeted and the ATV/roadhunter numbers have soared.
I usually backpack hunt a wilderness area and I see people riding ATVs around up in the wilderness every year. This past year there were 10 trucks in the parking area on opening day, and there would be only 2 or 3 normally, and two ATVS riding around my annual camp spot... They run the deer off and chase the elk onto private property. I have had poachers confront me on private property where I had permission to be but they didn't. They cut fences, trespass, leave trash and the USFS does nothing to stop them. In fact the USFS is entertaining the idea of opening even more public land up to OHV use and making certain campgrounds the exclusive domain of ATVS. The worst problem if you see a trespasser or poacher on ATV, they have NO lic tags or ID numbers, so even if you wanted to call in and report there is no way to identify these vehicles. "Just saw a guy in camo riding in the wilderness area on a green ATV"... That will certainly get them up off their butts and out on the road looking...
Used to be very good but, this year I did not even put in though I had max points.
West Beulah has less tags, fewer elk and deer, but more public land and East Beulah has more tags, more elk and more private property. This area needs to go to a better management practice, like 3points or better for bucks, no spike hunts or cow hunts for elk. And better enforcement of OHV rules.
Save your points and put in for one of the more limited draw tags and you will have a lot less competition and a much better hunt...
Just my two cents.
Stop Global Whining
I usually backpack hunt a wilderness area and I see people riding ATVs around up in the wilderness every year. This past year there were 10 trucks in the parking area on opening day, and there would be only 2 or 3 normally, and two ATVS riding around my annual camp spot... They run the deer off and chase the elk onto private property. I have had poachers confront me on private property where I had permission to be but they didn't. They cut fences, trespass, leave trash and the USFS does nothing to stop them. In fact the USFS is entertaining the idea of opening even more public land up to OHV use and making certain campgrounds the exclusive domain of ATVS. The worst problem if you see a trespasser or poacher on ATV, they have NO lic tags or ID numbers, so even if you wanted to call in and report there is no way to identify these vehicles. "Just saw a guy in camo riding in the wilderness area on a green ATV"... That will certainly get them up off their butts and out on the road looking...
Used to be very good but, this year I did not even put in though I had max points.
West Beulah has less tags, fewer elk and deer, but more public land and East Beulah has more tags, more elk and more private property. This area needs to go to a better management practice, like 3points or better for bucks, no spike hunts or cow hunts for elk. And better enforcement of OHV rules.
Save your points and put in for one of the more limited draw tags and you will have a lot less competition and a much better hunt...
Just my two cents.
Stop Global Whining
H
huntindude
Guest
No your points are gone, I agree most of what's been said about this unit. if it makes you feel any better it's better than most Oregon deer hunts, without a ton of points you're not going to do any better.
F
flea_bitten
Guest
Sounds like everyone wants to bash the unit, but personally I think its one of the better units in the state, IMO. To many times I see all the portland and I-5 folks come roaring up the rds the nite before opener, hang out in the designated campgrounds and hunt less then 1/4 mile off the rd, that won't cut it. If your hunting and you see to much traffic, that means your not off the road yourself! When they went from general to draw hunts, I believe the first yr they issued 3500 tags in there, now its around 1800, thats still almost half when it went to draw. Theres lots of quality bucks in there but your going to have to beat the brush and scout, plain and simple.
Califelkslayer
Long Time Member
- Messages
- 4,078
Good luck and let us know how you did. Beat the odds.
My group hunted east beulah out of bullycreek 4 years ago just to go hunting. I agree with Kicker find a nasty hole and hunt it.
At the end of the seasons the bigger bucks were out with doe's.My friends son killed his first buck a 25" 3X3. My brother killed a heavy 4X$4. Two of us missed stuffer bucks. I missed about a 27" 4X4 with sticker on each side. We hunted hard until the end. If I had a beula tag I would hunt further west IMO. JB
At the end of the seasons the bigger bucks were out with doe's.My friends son killed his first buck a 25" 3X3. My brother killed a heavy 4X$4. Two of us missed stuffer bucks. I missed about a 27" 4X4 with sticker on each side. We hunted hard until the end. If I had a beula tag I would hunt further west IMO. JB
Kicker,
I did not mean to rain on your parade, it's just I have seen the area where I have hunted for over 20 years get slammed by abusers and lawbreakers. Even the private ranch where I stay sometimes gets poachers and trespassers.
I did take some very nice bucks out of there over the years and packing in is how we got those bucks. Look to where there have been fires and start looking in that nasty stuff far from the roads.
IMHO, The bow season is the best, unless the weather turns nasty later in the season, then the big boys are out again in the open chasing does...
Good luck.
Stop Global Whining
I did not mean to rain on your parade, it's just I have seen the area where I have hunted for over 20 years get slammed by abusers and lawbreakers. Even the private ranch where I stay sometimes gets poachers and trespassers.
I did take some very nice bucks out of there over the years and packing in is how we got those bucks. Look to where there have been fires and start looking in that nasty stuff far from the roads.
IMHO, The bow season is the best, unless the weather turns nasty later in the season, then the big boys are out again in the open chasing does...
Good luck.
Stop Global Whining
M
manny15
Guest
just use the pressure to your advantage get up high earley let eveyone run the deer to you...
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huntindude
Guest
One thing to keep in mind, living and hunting in eastern Oregon all my life I can tell you sometimes the rough remote mohogany holes you'ld expect to find big bucks in are deer free. we've decided it must be because the cats love areas like that as much as the big bucks do. when I was a kid places away from the roads that always held good deer are now a waste of time, many times here in Oregon the cats are more competition than other hunters, that's a fact. I see bigger bucks around my hay fields than we do during elk season in the wilderness area, the last Oregon B&C buck I measured was taken within 1/2 mile of a state HWY. point is if you go into a deep hole and don't see any deer or sign move on, just because it's a good spot doesn't mean there's anything in it.
lostinOregon
Very Active Member
- Messages
- 2,007
I watched this post to see what was going to be said. I have lived and hunted in Oregon all my life and have seen the biggest deer in Oregon in this unit during a late elk season. I hunted in a group of 4 in this unit 4 years ago and took 3 bucks, the biggest being in the 170's. I'd post the picture of the buck but is a 35mm and I don't have a scanner. I watched everyone and their brother drive quads around in the morning and evenings. That being said I also saw a cougar and we shot a bear earlier in the year where we hunt. Hunt hard, don't give up and as huntindude said continue to cover ground. The 170's buck was about a quarter mile from a camp of about 10 guys who never got off their quads and we didn't get him until the 6th day of hunting.
Rich
Rich
