Plan B...........

Hammnit · Jun 19, 2011

LAST EDITED ON Jun-19-11 AT 06:57PM (MST)[p]Okay folks, here I sit with 12 NR points for all the species and feeling a little bummed about my prospects for a top tier tag in OR (at least by OR standards)anytime soon. So I'm considering lowering my sights for deer. I'm looking at Hood Unit or White River late rifle, Beulah late archery, SE Whitehorse late archery, or the early Hart Mtn archery.

I'm curious if anyone has opinions on any of these hunts. I appreciate any and all info.
Thanks,
Hammnit

silverlake176 · Jun 19, 2011

I was super excited when I saw they were going to have a late Beulah arhery tag. The first year the tag was available we both put in for the tag. He was lucky enough to draw (or really not so lucky). We scouted and hunted our asses off. Very very very few bucks. I believe a 2x3 that was around 20" was taken on the tird day, and was the biggest buck taken on the hunt. Everyone was so darn mad. I know of alot of hunters that quit hunting after three days and headed home. I talked the biologist in the area after the hunt and he said that a cold front came in the area two weeks prior to the hunt, got the bucks rutting early, and that almost every deer hand moved out of the area two weeks prior to the hunt beginning. I'm not sure what has happened on that hunt since, but I know I will NEVER put in for the late Beaulah tag. Been there and saw how bad it can be if the snow flies early in the year.

NWElkHunter · Jun 19, 2011

I'd take the late Mt. Hood area hunts and I'd love to have either the other two! The Mt. Hood forest holds a lot of acres and there can be some great bucks found if you know where they funnel out to.

desperatehills · Jun 19, 2011

I second the advise on the late beulah. My wife did kill a 20" 3 point but it was on private ground and we just got lucky. In 5 days of hunting we saw 3 bucks on public land. What made it worse was seeing herds of 10+ does with no buck on thanksgiving, what should be prime time. I drew the hart mountain archery tag this year. I should see a lot of average bucks on this hunt with a chance at a good one. I didn't apply thinking I would kill a giant, I just love the desert and a week on Hart Mt. sounds fun. Send me a message after august and I will let you know how it went.

Hammnit · Jun 20, 2011

Thanks for the heads up on the Beualah hunt guys. I've been there during the early archery once and we saw a couple of dandy bucks. I know the area gets pounded by the rifle hunters, but I figured that the big guys would come out of the wood work during the rut.

As for the Hood/White River stuff...does anyone know if these are mulies or are they benchleg bucks?

Desperatehills, I'll be hitting you up after August for a hunt report!
Hammnit

Brute · Jun 20, 2011

Benchlegs

Wanted · Jun 21, 2011

>Benchlegs

NOPE!

tmbr_hntr · Jun 24, 2011

I live in Hood River. Benchlegs in White River and mostly blacktail in Hood. Exception may be around the White River wildlife area where there may be more mule deer.

Wanted · Jun 24, 2011

>I live in Hood River. Benchlegs
>in White River and mostly
>blacktail in Hood. Exception may
>be around the White River
>wildlife area where there may
>be more mule deer.

My wife killed this buck on the late White River hunt and I've spent 30 days in there looking at bucks last Nov. I don't know what it is, maybe it gives people the warm /fuzzies to call these deer "benchlegs" because of there antler size but they are blacktails that simply migrate to the east. These deer live high up in the Mt Hood National forest.

Brute · Jun 24, 2011

LAST EDITED ON Jun-25-11 AT 02:38AM (MST)[p]LAST EDITED ON Jun-25-11 AT 02:02?AM (MST)

>>I live in Hood River. Benchlegs
>>in White River and mostly
>>blacktail in Hood. Exception may
>>be around the White River
>>wildlife area where there may
>>be more mule deer.
>
>My wife killed this buck on
>the late White River hunt
>and I've spent 30 days
>in there looking at bucks
>last Nov. I don't
>know what it is, maybe
>it gives people the warm
>/fuzzies to call these deer
>"benchlegs" because of there antler
>size but they are blacktails
>that simply migrate to the
>east. These deer live
>high up in the Mt
>Hood National forest.

OK
I can agree with that. I have killed a few bucks in the White River unit and they were all blacktails.
But from Multnomah Falls South they put the blacktail in a different category for the B & C book.

http://www.boone-crockett.org/bgrecords/records_boundaries.asp?area=bgrecords

Oregon ? Beginning at Multnomah Falls on the Columbia River, the boundary runs south along the western boundary of the National Forest to Tiller in Douglas County, then south along Highway 227 to Highway 62 at Trail, then south following Highway 62 to Medford, from which the boundary follows the range line between R1W and R2W, Willamette Meridian, to the California border.

Here a couple from the past.
I drew the tag again this year and hopefully fill the tag again.

2003

1997

2008

Wanted · Jun 25, 2011

LAST EDITED ON Jun-25-11 AT 08:44AM (MST)[p]I am aware of the boundaries, but it is just an imaginary line. Some of the bucks that ODFW biologists have colars on live clear up on Mt Hood near hwy 26 and migrate east.

Here is my wifes buck from 2010.

Brute · Jun 25, 2011

Nice Buck
Yeah
Deer don't know boundaries.
There was a mentored youth who shot one of the collard bucks up there last year.
Looked like a real dandy buck.