Countdown to first elk hunt

[outdoorsman35]

I saw a video on OR elk hunting and it seemed it was really overgrown with a lot of underbrush and thick stuff. I guess there are open meadows and clear forests?

thanks.

 

[hifi55]

Well, I just got back in last night.... Looks like tag soup for me!

We had a last minute change of plans that included access on a private ranch with around 250 head of elk. It was supposed to be a sure thing, all tags filled the first few days kind of thing, with several 4x4 and 5x5's with one 6x6 regularly spotted.

Well, as they say, if it sounds too good to be true....... We didn't get to hunt the private ranch, but a small stamp of BLM land bordering it. I actually had a chance late opening morning when I bumped a group of about 20 including a nice 5x6, managed to scoot back and get around them as they slowly worked their way sidehilling a ridge and they passed at 70 yards, at full draw... just a bit too far. Never got another opportunity here.

2 days into the hunt our camp was robbed, theives made off with over $1000 worth of our stuff including every single bit of food, beer, and a couple very expensive ice chests.

4 days into the hunt, after we relocated and secured all our stuff, we were hit again and they shot off the locks to our trailers with a 30-30. Again took all our ice chests, food and beer, but this time plenty of other expensive stuff. Police report made, I guess we were one of only about 20 making reports that morning.

Beware of some spots in Oregon... extremely high theft targetting campers and hunters. Should of known better when the sign said "Welcome to Crooked County". Lesson learned.

5 days into the hunt, 3 days remaining, we got the heck out of that hole and relocated to our original spot in MR unit. Beautiful area, friendly people, no theives, elk quarters hanging everywhere.

After buying groceries and setting up (for the 3rd time) we had only 2 days to hunt. I almost had a chance at the very last minute when a cow came down a trail into range of my ground blind setup. Only problem was it was about 5 minutes too dark. The cow came within 2 feet of the blind while I was busy packing up.

I sure did learn alot, but feel totally ripped off and cheated out of a great possible hunt. Can't wait to hunt CO next year...

 

[Arrowslinger]

WOW~!! Sorry to hear about your hunt......I'll give you credit for sticking with it as long as you did, gettin robbed twice, that's insane.

 

[elkguys]

sorry to hear about the meth heads that stole your trip!!better luck next time atleast you were in gods land

 

[bpnclark]

I’m always paranoid about the camp getting robed. Sorry to hear it.

On the bright side it looks like you found a good spot for next year.

 

[Speckmisser]

I'm afraid I'd have been hunting camp robbers (and not the bird kind) for the last few days of my hunt... or until I tagged out!

Damn I hate a thief!

Sucks that you had so many negatives on your first hunt! But if you learned stuff, that's a big bonus anyway.

 

[easymoney]

Sorry to hear the sad tale...
Have had a similar experience parking on public land over in that part of the state. I just thought we were targeted because we had CA tags on our trucks...

 

[JNDEER]

that sux.....i hate criminals.......glad to hear you were able to stick it out and hope you still were able to enjoy the great outdoors.

 

[snoopdogg]

Really sorry to hear about your hunt--glad you made the best of it. And twice to boot!

I had an "experience" my first time in Oregon. Apparently, they REALLY like Californians up there that they decided to present me with a knife. That was pretty cool, except that they decided to bury the blade in my Jeeps tire when I wasn't lookin'. The cool thing about it was that on the way home from Oregon, I had a juicy, fat 5x5 rolling home with me.

Going up to Oregon again next year or you bypassing solely for Colorado??

 

[Kurtish]

Wow what a bummer, it shows alot about you and your hunting partners determination to keep hunting after some extrememly souring experiences. I hope they catch the scumbags that stole your equipment.

 

[bkc]

Things have changed since I was in Oregon we never had to worry about that stuff. I also would have changed my hunting to people untill I found some of my gear and then the fun would start.
Sorry about your trip. What part of Oregon was that?????

 

[trophyfever]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (huntnfool13 @ Aug 6 2008, 09:20 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

That's awesome hifi55. I have had elk pass by me within three to four feet and they never knew I was there. They are huge. Your heart will be pumping like a jackhammer and your hands shaking like you just had twenty cups of coffee. It is an awesome feeling to be that close to big game animals. Let us know how you did. Good luck, I'll have my chance in Colorado on third season deer and elk. HUNTNFOOL13[/b]

Hey huntnfool13
Where are you headed for elk and deer in Colorado?? I'm going with some friends of mine but only elk forme near Grandby. Everything is weather dependent and we all know how the weather changes by the minute.
Hope yoiur successful
trophyfever

 

[Oregon Archer]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (hifi55 @ Sep 8 2008, 01:52 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

2 days into the hunt our camp was robbed, theives made off with over $1000 worth of our stuff including every single bit of food, beer, and a couple very expensive ice chests.

4 days into the hunt, after we relocated and secured all our stuff, we were hit again and they shot off the locks to our trailers with a 30-30. Again took all our ice chests, food and beer, but this time plenty of other expensive stuff. Police report made, I guess we were one of only about 20 making reports that morning.

Beware of some spots in Oregon... extremely high theft targetting campers and hunters. Should of known better when the sign said "Welcome to Crooked County". Lesson learned.[/b]

Now that right there makes me mad to hear. Im sure it wasnt other hunters who did it either. Probably some low life meth heads. Not once have I ever had my camps disturbed by anyone or anything and I hate to hear it happening to someone else.

 

[hank4elk]

I have to give you credit for perserverence a big factor in elk hunting. As for the tweekers or whatever I'd have blown my last days hunting and tracking them to join the dissappeared. Sorry I don't give a thing for thieves and liars. Don't give em an inch keep at it!

 

[MJB]

Hope you had a good time anyways.

 

[Railguner]

I'm really sorry about your trip. That's such BULLSHIT! You think if it's locals they'd be happy enough with us putting hundreds of thousands of $$$$$ into their economy, that they wouldn't have to steal from us too. If it were a fellow hunter....well....to bad it's not TEXAS, because we could shoot them there. Hopefully you left with some good memories to drowned out the bad.

I set up one of my Trail cams positioned on my camp. Hidden of course. Set it for pictures and video with sound. You should try it if you have one. RG

 

[SDHNTR]

Man that sucks! No sanctuary left anywhere anymore I guess. Sounds like you made the best of the hunting part of the trip.

 

[Orygun]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div>

sorry to hear about the meth heads that stole your t[/b]

It is an unfortunate reality anymore. I'm surprised there hasn't actually been a fatality or two over this kind of thing yet. As far as residents being overly sensitive to CA residents, that's about run it's course. More than half the people living here now were born somewhere else.

There have been some conflicts in the Blues and Ochocos because of the hordes of bowhunters that invade the woods there every year. Since bow is OTC and it takes 3-5 year to get a rifel tag, many have taken to the bow to hunt their favorite spots in the "off" years. Some of my friends are seeing what is less than cordial behavior but certainly not theft.

 

[hifi55]

Some good news out of all of this, finally..

They caught the scumbag! He was apparently arrested after red flags went up while he was trying to purchase a handgun. Truck/tires matched, shoes and footprints matched, 30-30 matched, and they found some stuff in his truck that belonged to us and (big surprised) he had meth and many guns. A couple ice chests were found a couple days after we left (thrown out off a side road from camp) so in the end we might recover about 1/2 our stuff. Apparently this theif came back the night after we left and robbed the next victims that stayed at our camp location, including a wallet and the gun purchase may have been attempted using a stolen credit card.

We were seriously considering hanging treestands around our camp and confronting this guy on our own as we were pretty sure he would come back, and he did. If we were there, however, no doubt it would have been ugly and probably a shootout. Glad it turned out the way it did.

Anyhow, here's some pics of the hunt, awesome country and good times...

First pic, Kiger Gorge in Steens unit, day before opening
Second pic, about 15 antelope hanging out on this hillside

 

[hifi55]

more pics, Kiger gorge area