Steens Unit(169A) Rifle Mule Deer

I have a mule deer tag in Oregon for the Steens unit this year and just wanted to know if anyone has any places they think could produce some big bucks. I went scouting up there this last weekend around the loop road, both north and south ends and saw lots of deer (including little bucks) but only one decent buck that would maybe score 150. I am willing to pack in and camp for a couple of days to hunt as well.

Last year was a tough hunt for me and my son. It was great country and a lot of fun but from what I saw, I would say a 150 buck is worth taking. We saw several bucks (not as many as I was expecting) and I took a meat buck (literally the smallest buck I've ever shot and my son got a great little 3 point for his first buck and was thrilled that it was way bigger than mine but as far as big bucks go, we hunted hard and didn't see any truly big bucks. I have been in there many times in past years (chukar hunting, fishing, etc.) and there used to be some beasts in there but not sure if it was the bad winter or bad luck or an overall decline in the unit (like most in Oregon) but last year was more challenging than I was expecting. Still, an awesome hunt, not crowded, beautiful and unique country and a chance for a decent deer if you work hard.
Several on here know the unit really well, you might get some more specific info from them.

I chuckar hunt down there and while a big buck can pop up anywhere I wouldn't get my hopes up too much on seeing any booners.

I haven't hunted deer in there since the land exchange down south with Roaring Springs. so I'm not sure what's what there anymore or how you access it but that is where I'd look. everyone and their brother his Big Indian and that country.











Stay Thirsty My Friends

Thanks, and yeah from what I've been hearing it sounds like I need to shoot that buck if I can turn him back up.

Thanks Ochocokid I will have a look at that area.

Maybe, I'd burn my tag before I'd take a 150 on the Steens but that's just me. the Steens isn't nearly what it once was, but it's still one of the best deer units in eastern OR. for what that's worth.

I think a good hunter with some time has a chance at a 170 type buck there. better if you're lucky. but you have to be willing to eat tag soup and most guys aren't after busting their butt in some tough country for 5 or 6 days. been at that point myself a few times.

That said, it's been years since I've seen a buck over 180 in the Steens and I've been there from October till January hunting birds. but admittedly I'm not always in the best deer country while doing it.











Stay Thirsty My Friends

The steens is a total bust....way to many tags for that unit....Oregon F & G just don't care about the hunt...It really needs the tag numbers cut in half...IMHO

I burned 15 NR points in 2016...Scouted all summer and worked over the entire unit from top to bottom, at least 40 days of scouting.. I saw 2 bucks over 180..Both on private land. 1 in the north and 1 in the south. Both owners said NOPE...Lots of public to hunt, so I just kept on scouting...It's amazing how much country is void of deer...I worked hard to find something worth waiting 16 years....I even flew it 2 days with a buddy....NOTTA..

I managed to find myself on the Roaring springs ranch, totally by accident. (I never saw anybody or any signs, but after checking with the ranch itself, YUP I was trespassing) The amount of bucks I saw was impressive. I bet I saw 25 bucks in 2 hours of scouting. Nothing giant but several in the 170's...promising for the future. That ranch is fairly large and control all access to a lot of public land, {landlocked}. I was told from a ranchhand that they allow hunting, I didn't get that lucky...

I ended up shooting a nice little 160 4x4 on opening day...I had burned way to much gas and time, and quite frankly was bummed at the lack of bucks..

On another note, I found some elk in the 340's, some antelope in the mid 80's and Bighorn sheep that would score great...Funny how I couldn't turn up one buck on all that public ground.


By the way...I did kill, in the Steens, a 210 gross with my bow in 2006....So it has that potential..Maybe one day it will return to it's former glory, but until that day, there needs to be a lot of attention put to improving the herd and it's numbers.

Yea I agree about the amount of tags. They need to at least cut the amount in half if not more. Thanks for the info!

Of course it's not what it used to be, I remember when it was 4 point or better. it was unreal.

But if you weren't happy with what you saw you need to hunt the rest of eastern OR, it's worse. as Oregon goes anymore the Steen's ain't bad make the best of it.

I don't know if the mule deer in Oregon will ever return. so far we've tried nothing and it hasn't worked.


Stay Thirsty My Friends

>The steens is a total bust....way
>to many tags for that
>unit....Oregon F & G just
>don't care about the hunt...It
>really needs the tag numbers
>cut in half...IMHO
>
>I burned 15 NR points in
>2016...Scouted all summer and worked
>over the entire unit from
>top to bottom, at
>least 40 days of scouting..
>I saw 2 bucks over
>180..Both on private land. 1
>in the north and 1
>in the south. Both
>owners said NOPE...Lots of public
>to hunt, so I just
>kept on scouting...It's amazing how
>much country is void of
>deer...I worked hard to find
>something worth waiting 16 years....I
>even flew it 2 days
>with a buddy....NOTTA..
>
> I
>managed to find myself on
>the Roaring springs ranch, totally
>by accident. (I never saw
>anybody or any signs, but
>after checking with the ranch
>itself, YUP I was trespassing)
> The amount of bucks
>I saw was impressive.
>I bet I saw 25
>bucks in 2 hours of
>scouting. Nothing giant but several
>in the 170's...promising for the
>future. That ranch is
>fairly large and control all
>access to a lot of
>public land, {landlocked}. I was
>told from a ranchhand that
>they allow hunting, I
>didn't get that lucky...
>
>I ended up shooting a nice
>little 160 4x4 on opening
>day...I had burned way to
>much gas and time, and
>quite frankly was bummed at
>the lack of bucks..
>
>On another note, I found
>some elk in the 340's,
> some antelope in the
>mid 80's and Bighorn sheep
>that would score great...Funny how
>I couldn't turn up one
>buck on all that public
>ground.
>
>
>By the way...I did kill, in
>the Steens, a 210 gross
>with my bow in 2006....So
>it has that potential..Maybe one
>day it will return to
>it's former glory, but until
>that day, there needs to
>be a lot of attention
>put to improving the herd
>and it's numbers.


Scott,

That's the most ridiculous story I've ever heard! With that much scouting it is so SAD that you couldn't turn up several shooters on public land that would go 180 or more. ODFW says there are 3-4 thousand deer in the entire unit when the objective is 11 thousand. The Steens unit is in serious trouble, and the worst part of is it has awesome habitat but like you said is thousands of deer less acres.

They need to close the archery season or make a draw exclusively for the Steens because hunters shoot every twink buck standing along the road and it's OTC. Then guys who wait 6 years for a resident rifle tag shoot forks and tiny 3pts the first day. The unit can't spare one of those small bucks let alone any at this point. ODFW will say the bucks don't matter only the does do.

The thing is when guys wait 15-16 years like you did or even 6 for a resident, I would think they want to see or know they had a chance at a mature 160-180 buck. You are right unless something changes the unit is gone forever!!!!

Those deer are pressured year round now with all the activity up there from campers, youth running camps that run every trail bothering the deer, and the Steens rim run. It never ends for them! The deer seriously never catch a break in that unit!

I wish more could ne done to bring the deer numbers back!

Okay I'm done complaining!!!!!!!!!!

I could not agree with you more on the archery thing. I talk to guys every year who drive around twanging arrows at dinks standing by the road, they admit killing one for every two they hit.

Rifle hunters do it too of course and it pizzes me off, but rifle hunters are limited and even the dinks get a little more spooky by october.

I think limiting archery tags just like rifle tags would be the very first thing we need to do. no more clustershags of incompetent displaced rifle hunters buying a $50 bow and shooting at anything that moves. make your choice and draw a tag or go without.


Next would be a campaign for law enforcement to do stings on slob road hunters way way way more than what gets done today. rifle and bow hunters. I hate road hunters with a passion, and they kill mostly little dinks who never get the chance to wise up enough to survive. give them a chance.






Stay Thirsty My Friends

The issue has been talked about alot, but how do we help the Steens and others recover? Returning Steens to a 4 point or better might help, it would stop people from taking small bucks. How much does that help in population recovery? If it does help, I'm all about putting that in place. Maybe it's better to take the smaller bucks and leave the bigger mature bucks, maybe a 3 point or smaller restriction with half the tags? Should we implement a full moratorium on deer in the Steens for a few years? I've heard all solutions argued fervently, what does the science say is best? I am all for what the best science says is most effective and I would gladly buy a deer recovery voucher every year to finance whatever is needed if there is solid science that says X, Y and Z will help the mule deer recover.
It seems like we're stuck in a pragmatic paradox (odfw needs more money to help recovery, the only way to get more money is by selling more tags which further reduces populations) with no clear direction on what needs to be done. The longer we stick with the status quo, the less likely recovery seems to be. Pretty frustrating.

Until Oregon hunters demand something be done nothing is going to be done. ODFW doesn't do anything and why should they ? their customers are happy with crappy hunting so if it ain't broke don't fix it.

Double the tag price and cut the number in half then. fine by me. limit archery tags and do the same fee hike. whatever it takes it's not funny anymore.



Stay Thirsty My Friends

How did your hunt turn out?