need some help

[matt]

I just moved to medford and I need help finding some good public land that holds some deer. Not looking for any honey holes or anything like that just some mountain names or road names anything is going to help at this point. Thanks in advance

 

[bonepicker]

I've never hunted near Medford so I have no ideas for you. But there are quite alot of people that come on MM and their first or second post is exactly the same as yours, "I don't want anyone's honey hole or anything but..." They usually don't get a lot of advice, hopefully you will. Here is some advice that you can take to the bank though, 1) get a map of the area that you want to hunt and study it, find some areas with ample public land (I love the waterproof maps that you can get from the forest service or BLM, the Rams maps are good too) 2) Go to some of the areas that you picked out and hike around and see if you can find deer sign, old or new stuff doesn't matter. Just see if there are deer in there at any time. 3) Once you find some areas where deer are sometime during the year, you can start to figure out pockets where they are during your season (Bow? Rifle? Muzzleloader?) Go to the area and drive it, hike it, camp in it and get familiar with it during every part of the year. As you move around in the area make a note of water holes, cover, openings, remote pockets with no roads and difficult access, etc. Also note when you jump out a deer or group of deer, where do the run? Where is their retreat from pressure because that is where they will hide when the hunting pressure is on.
The fact is it takes years to really find a place to hunt, and decades to find a good place to hunt. Put in the work and you will have success. Good luck! (or maybe I should say "Get to work" )

 

[silverlake176]

Bonepicker had some great advice. Lots of people hunt around Howards Prarie and Butte Falls. Very general areas but a starting point.

 

[baltz526]

If you like off the road hunting, setting up a deer camp then putting boots on the ground. Head east until you are around 70 air miles east of I-5. then hunt the high ridges.---------------------------------------------------------------------------------support your local guzzlers. OHA life member,lapine oregon

 

[robinsg61le]

Everyone starts out by saying they're "not looking for anyone's honeyhole." Fair enough.

I, however, am looking for your "honeyhole." I would like you to share with me the best hunting spot you know of. I am willing to hunt any state in the West with any weapon. If you have a "honeyhole" that you would like to give away, please feel free to PM.

I am hoping to find an easily accessible spot where I can kill 190" bucks or 350" bulls regularly. Thank you all for sharing.

 

[bonepicker]

Haha robinsg61le! This is true, no one is ever offering to give away honey holes, they just want them The idea of a "honey hole" is a little funny to me. Maybe its just me, but I don't have any one place that is guaranteed, I have alot of places that are good habitat and have deer/elk at times. But the fact is things change from year to year. There are places that were "honey holes" 10-15 years ago but are now marginal at best AND there are places that we would never find animals 10-15 years ago that are the new "honey holes", for now... not sure if that is related to weather, predators, pressure, disease, global warming, aliens, etc. but it seems that you have to be flexible when hunting and always be looking for new areas and not dismissing old areas because there weren't deer/elk in there the last few years.

 

[JB148]

Or you can also hunt west along the Oregon California border. If you get some weather and the rut starts up could be good up there. JB

 

[manny53]

> If you like off the
>road hunting, setting up a
>deer camp then putting boots
>on the ground. Head east
>until you are around 70
>air miles east of I-5.
>then hunt the high ridges.---------------------------------------------------------------------------------support
>your local guzzlers. OHA life
>member,lapine oregon


that sounds like the keno unit you sure bout that 70 miles east of I-5...?

 

[manny53]

been here in medford 8 years still sucks for deer, hunt the late bow down on the monument outside ashland there are big 24" plus bucks in there if you don't mind walking, its the only place i hunt that doesn't have a ton of timber...this buck was taken there in the 80's but same genetics..

 

[baltz526]

>> If you like off the
>>road hunting, setting up a
>>deer camp then putting boots
>>on the ground. Head east
>>until you are around 70
>>air miles east of I-5.
>>then hunt the high ridges.---------------------------------------------------------------------------------support
>>your local guzzlers. OHA life
>>member,lapine oregon
>
>
>that sounds like the keno unit
>you sure bout that 70
>miles east of I-5...? It might be a Hint on an area to hunt. Where is it, that is 70 miles east of I-5, Has high Ridges, Is West of the Pacific Crest Trail, also takes Boots on the ground to Access it?


---------------------------------------------------------------------------------support your local guzzlers. OHA life member,lapine oregon