frustrated

[Willametteriveroutlaw]

When is oregon going to have some QUALITY opportunities to hunt elk and deer. More than just the very few that there are? This constant push for opportunity in this state has most bulls and bucks getting killed when they still have their milk mustaches. Has there been any talk of making any more quality units?

 

[silverlake176]

I completely understand your frustration. I would love to see ODFW quit managing for revenue, and start managing for big game. ODFW needs to take a page out of Nevada and other states management game plans.

 

[ORsouthpaw]

LAST EDITED ON Oct-26-07 AT 11:43AM (MST)[p]If every hunter in Oregon was only after a big bull or monster muley it would make sense to put antler restrictions in place. The fact remains that there are a lot of hunters that don't eat antlers and are just as happy with a nice forked horn as they would with a 5x5. I would love to see every buck and bull taken be a monster but I don't think that's going to happen anytime soon.

 

[silverlake176]

I agree that not everyone is out for a monster muley or monster elk. However how ODFW is managing the game is horrible. Down in the south centeral units like Fort Rock, Interstate, Silver Lake, I have seen these units go from a decent amount of deer to hardly a deer. I know other factors like cougar, weather, coyotes have an impact, but the amount of hunters out in the woods in these units are incredible. In the Interstate unit you can't hardly get away from the crowds, there's people everywhere. I would just like to see a better quality of a hunt with not nearly as many tags. For instance back in the late 1990's there was only 1,000 tags for the Interstate unity, and now there is between 100-1800 tags a year with not nearly the amount of deer that was available in the late ninty's. Does't it seem reasonalbe that when deer herd populations decline so should the tags? Amazing how fast the populations have declined in the last couple of year. I've only been hunting for then years now, and would have never imagined that I would consider the late ninty's the good ol' days.

 

[Willametteriveroutlaw]

>LAST EDITED ON Oct-26-07
>AT 11:43?AM (MST)
>
>If every hunter in Oregon was
>only after a big bull
>or monster muley it would
>make sense to put antler
>restrictions in place. The fact
>remains that there are a
>lot of hunters that don't
>eat antlers and are just
>as happy with a nice
>forked horn as they would
>with a 5x5. I would
>love to see every buck
>and bull taken be a
>monster but I don't think
>that's going to happen anytime
>soon.


I understand that completely, But there are very few quality opportunities. There needs to be some balance for the guys who are willing to wait.

 

[charlesebow]

I have lived and hunted in the south central units all my life and I know that the cougars are one big reason for the decline of the mule deer herds, but with that being said the elk population is thriving. It seems when we go hunting now we see more elk than we do deer. In the 80's and early 90's I rarely seen any elk or cougars in these units. I think there are way too many mule deer tags issued in these units. Plus there is tons of bow hunters that hunt these units as well.

 

[silverlake176]

Well I have heard that there is going to be a late season month long tag (Nov1-Nov30) in the Paulina unit for deer with a bow. Sounds like it should be a good tag. I have also heard rumors that they might put a few bow tags for mid Novemeber for Heart Mt.

 

[Willametteriveroutlaw]

There are going to be a total of 6 late mule deer hunts issued. 3 archery and 3 rifle. The units are on the ODFW web page. That will make 5 decent archery mule deer hunts in the state. From what I have heard from the guys i hunt with who hunt rifle, about 5 or 6 decent rifle hunts total. There are 3 good elk hunts availiable for draw for bow and 4 rifle hunts IMHO. Thats pretty pathetic for a state of this size if you ask me. the even worse thing is that after you wait all of these years to draw a good archery of rifle elk tag, you still have to deal with spike hunters on most of these hunts.

 

[silverlake176]

I agree with you Willamette. I've been waiting several years to draw Weneha bull tag. Now when I do draw the tag I'm going to be out there with a ton of guys with spike tags. It sure would be nice to have a real good elk tag with very few people.

 

[Wanted]

Where did you find the info and units on the new hunts available next year on the ODFW web page? I had to call them to find out.

 

[Wanted]

LAST EDITED ON Nov-04-07 AT 10:07AM (MST)[p]The new rifle hunts they are creating aren't really even true Mule deer hunts IMO. The White river(late rifle) and Hood unit(late rifle) are mostly blacktail and benchleg and the Mt Emily(late rifle) will probably have more Whitetails than mulies. Has anyone heard if they are going to turn the Paulina archery doe hunt into a buck hunt? I know Oregon Bow hunters were pushing for it last year. The late archery hunts they will add are Hart Mountain (which the bucks will be migrated off) the west Beulah and the Whitehorse.

 

[silverlake176]

Wanted-- Ya they are going to turn the paulina doe hunt into a buck hunt this year for bow. ODFW did have a link up to where the information was posted, but I can't find it now. Maybe they took it off the page for some reson.

 

[Willametteriveroutlaw]

There not going to turn the Paulina Hunt into a buck hunt. This is why oregon can be frustrating from a hunting aspect. We have opportunity up the Ying Yang and no quality. Its like Picking up women at a weight watchers kick off meeting.

 

[HighDesert]

Well lets see UMMM Mt. Emily there will be at least one or two studs taken out of that unit. The Hood and Mt. Emily do have some bruiser benchlegs in it. The Archery hunters made out. The Late Hart hunt will be good. I spend too much time on that mountain and I am telling you that there are some huge deer still on the refuge in the first part of November. The best hunt they added was the SE Whitehorse this hunt is gonna be great gonna take alot of work but there will be some toads killed. This hunt could produce a 200+net typical. The Beulah hunt I am not certain about have not hunted up there much.

But I am really looking forward to the Hart hunt.

Dave

 

[lostinOregon]

I am a lifelong Oregon resident, hunter for the last 42 years. I am completely frustrated at ODFW and their management or lack of management of wildlife. If you have not ventured out of the state of Oregon to hunt your eyes have not been opened. I hunt in Montana, Wyoming and Colorado almost every year and Nevada and New Mexico if I draw a tag. Oregon is by far the worst state, hands down, not even close. It is so obvious that Oregon manages for the almighty dollar,nothing else. When you look at buck to doe ratios, bull to cow ratios and then compare them with other states you will be shocked. I don't care if the cougars and bears are killing all the deer, it is the 5000 tags in one unit that is the problem. You can manage for opportunity if that is what you want to call it, but if there are very few mature animals in the herd you are not doing your job.

ODFW only manages antelope and sheep they way they should, everything else is horrible. How many big deer came from Oregon this year, I know of one out of the steens, that is it. I talk to tons of people about hunting and this year and it was awful.

You can defend ODFW all you want, but if opportunity is seeing one spike deer in seven days of hunting, you can have it.

The only thing new in every synopsis is more red hunts for private land, nothing new for the guy looking to hunt for a quality animal, I am not talking trophy just quality which to me means a mature animal, I'm not talking scores.

I can see over 20 mature mule deer on a daily basis on a colorado hunt on public land during season. I have not seen 20 mature bucks in Oregon in the last 10 years.

If ODFW is managing for opportunity the opportunity to kill a mature animal should be there and it is not. I couldn't look myself in the mirror and know that all of my decisions are based on tag money, not what is in the best interest of the animals that I am supposed to be managing.

 

[elkslam]

I agree 100 % with lostinOregon. Very well put Oregon flat out is terrible hunting. Good place to buy points until you draw a quality tag. Oh but then if it is a big bull tag you get to hunt with all the spike hunters also. Oregon has problems and if they don't started managing their wildlife it is only going to get worse. People will quit hunting.

 

[WapitiBob]

LAST EDITED ON Dec-05-07 AT 03:42PM (MST)[p]ODFW manages for hunter "opportunity" not quality. Ask them if you don't believe me.

We have no quality units. Weneha, WW, and Emily have good bulls by accident. The calf recruitment is so low they were forced to reduce the tags.
The spike tags are in there for more "opportunity". They know there are few spikes in there to actually hunt but the want hunters in the field.

I drive 27 hours to NM and hunt Elk each year rather than waste my time here.