from my experience oregon had a medium to poor year, as its been for the last several! the guys i hunt with are usually very successful in oregon even in poor years, but this year most of my buddies had a tough time finding game. we have all started hunting several other states and we are constantly shocked and amazed at how much better the game management is. i know i hear a lot of complaining on this site about how bad other states are, but i think oregon takes the cake in poor game management. im sure they are trying, but somehow every other state seems like its doing a lot better even though oregon has some great habitat, and herds that could be increasing.
i have lots of deer and elk around my house, in western oregon. last year i saw 20-22 different blacktail bucks, including 2 decenct bucks, 100-110 inches. this year i saw 6 different bucks, 5 forked horns and 1 little 3 point. i hunted the last 10 days of the rifle hunt on the west side, and saw 17 does and no bucks. saw 2 small forkies driving home after dark.
i got to glass a very nice roosie bull(non-typ 9x10) before the season. (i should have archery hunted!!!) i hunted 4 days, dark to dark, lotsa glassing and walking, and saw no elk, not even a cow. i love to hunt and had fun, but i would really have liked to at least see some elk, or even some small bucks to pass on.
i went on the rifle wenaha branched bull hunt, with a friend that drew the tag. he shot a nice bull, smaller then what he was after, but it was a great hunt. we should have been snowed out of the high country but the temp never got below 40 so we had a full week of hard rain instead. we saw tons of bulls, but didnt see an absolute toad, which was why we were there. this tag is hard to to wait for, and its headed for 15 years even with max points!
sorry this post was so long, im really hoping to hear how other hunters did in oregon!