Jimbo's Eastern OR ElkBow

[ORElkBow]

A couple more pix.

 

[Orygun]

There are more than a few ranch operations that have impromptu ATV rides the day or so the season starts. They go out into the woods and somehow the elk get nervous and walk onto the ranches. Other ranches have guys patrolling the fencelines for trespassers which incidentally tends to keep deer and elk from leaving the property. Where by chance there are a number of hunters who have paid to hunt there. Not as bad or as blatant as the owenr of Shilo Inns have some guy in a helicopter herd deer toward hunters. He was at least accused of that.

Putting all the eastide elk hunt n draw has boosted bowhunter numbers dramatically. Habitat changes and predator numbers increasing have dropped elk kerds. They have tightened down on what can be taken by bows and some units have gone to draw. Not as many elk and more hunters, sound familiar?

Guys set up waterholes, other guys drive up in them in quads, still others set up across the same waterhole as the first guys, getting fistfights over that stuff. LOTS more quads in the woods and guys driving wherever the hell ever they want. Elk don't like that.

All little things that come together for a big headache.

Fantastic bull he's got there.

 

[easymoney]

orygun,
Bout sizes up the effects we experienced. I spoke to several ranch owners who complained of ATVs running back and forth(driving game?) in the NF and wilderness where they had cattle and that made it hard for them to round them up. Local forest service office does nothing, I stopped in and reported several offences a few years back and the lady just shrugged her shoulders and went back to her book...
Plus, the DEA had a black copter flying up and down every canyon a few days before we got there, another ILLEGAL alien pot farm busted, but they also busted all the game off the mountain.

 

[ORElkBow]

I've met lots of new hunters this year. Most of them are without jobs and are just out giving bowhunting a try. Some of them are hunting with bow in hand but with the rifle mentality. Instead of calling these animals in, they're chasing them down with quads or just chasing them on foot from canyon to canyon thinking they'll get a 100 yrds shot or something. When bow hunting, they should back out when busted and come back later.

This has been a tough year for my group. Almost every setup, we've called in human instead of elk. The new hunters haven't been able to tell the difference between a real bugle from a tube bugle. Like I said earlier, I've met lots of new hunters this year and most of them came crashing in to our calls.

Public land is public land but sometimes, it's just too public.

 

[Orygun]

ORElkbow. Didn't mean to hijack the thread away from that bull.

 

[ORElkBow]

ORElkbow. Didn't mean to hijack the thread away from that bull.

No probs here.

 

[hunterdoug]

wow sorry to hear that stuff about the old sign and wanta be archers
got back sun eve after 5 good, hard, smokey days, thanks for the new photos ORElkbow, it still doesn't do justice to how much work goes into the hunt and the real work once the animal is down. where I hunted we talked to a few ranchers that said they hate the elk and if they were there we could hunt them but hadn't seen any in a week or two. saw only one other hunter, saw some driving from other areas and we had lots of sign.

 

[ORElkBow]

hunterdoug,

Been waiting for a story from ya. Nice to hear you got back safely and all. So you didn't connect either huh?

Well, Sunday morning was an okay experience for us. It was the last morning and we split into two groups of three. My group, we got a bull to come in about 45 yrds but then winded us and busted out. Then it just went quiet the rest of the morning.

The other group hunted 10 miles from where we were. They got into a bull also and had everything to their advantage. The wind was in their face, it was cloudy and foggy. The bull was 200 yrds away and they decided to setup as he was coming in fast. Well as they were fishing the bull into their setup, two other hunters came up from the bottom right into their lap and spooked the bull. Yea, so to say they didn't connect either.

All and all, the newbies had an eventful season and they're already talking bout next year, where to go and how to learn from their mistakes.

Well thanx for sharing your stories as well and hopefully next year you'll connect, if you come back. Take care.

 

[betelgeuse]

wow sorry to hear that stuff about the old sign and wanta be archers

Hey...I resemble that remark :bag-on-head:

ORElkBow... Glad to hear your fellas at least got into some action.

 

[ORElkBow]

Hey...I resemble that remark :bag-on-head:

ORElkBow... Glad to hear your fellas at least got into some action.

Thanks betelgeuse. I was hoping they have pics to show like you did but maybe next year, or the other year, or maybe even the other yearsss to come. Shhhh. I didn't say that. LOL!!! JK.....i have confidence in them for next year. They learned a lot this year and knew their mistakes. I myself learned a lot this year also and repeated many rookie mistakes myself, as I'm still a rookie.

 

[ORElkBow]

Hiked all over the mountains, maybe 60 miles total up and down at 7000 feet

EasyMoney,

I'll give you a magic number.

I stold some knowledge from Rick Young whose an expert big game hunter and has been hunting elk in Oregon and Washington since before the first transplants of Roosevelt elk. He also helped with the original Roosevelt transplant through the west Cascades.

He said once, the magic number for these Roosevelt elk is 3,500 - 4,000 feet. It's what he calls, "The Magical Elevation. Elk just like it. There are few bugs and cool breezes." Also they don't move far from there unless hunters or weather drive them lower.

Since I heard this from Young, I've applied this to my elk hunts on the west and east side of Oregon and seems to be the ticket. If I don't find them up high in 6,000 - 7,000 feet, I'll drop down to the Magical Elevation and usually will find them there.

Just somn for food.

 

[betelgeuse]

Thanks betelgeuse. I was hoping they have pics to show like you did but maybe next year, or the other year, or maybe even the other yearsss to come. Shhhh. I didn't say that. LOL!!! JK.....i have confidence in them for next year. They learned a lot this year and knew their mistakes. I myself learned a lot this year also and repeated many rookie mistakes myself, as I'm still a rookie.

I learned a lot too. Seems like you always learn something new every year. There is no substitute for time in the field.

 

[hunterdoug]

hey ORElkbow yea we had a great week w/ close calls will write it soon trying to catch up on work, dogs, and getting ready for my A-25 lake sonoma deer hunt sat, can't wait, either sex archery and pig scouting

 

[easymoney]

orelkbow,
I have hunted the same ranch (4500 feet) and the same NF/wilderness (8000feet) for over 20 years and the major effect I see, on game is weather, humans and ATVs.
I have no regrets or would make any changes in where and how we hunt this zone, but I do know the amount of hunters and the hot weather did have a negative effect... The last year I hunted this area we saw more bulls on both private and public land than any other year previous. They are there or would be if left unmolested.
This weekend is supposed to have very cool weather and the gun opener should be fantastic... Good luck to all out there.

 

[easymoney]

Here's a painting I did of one of my spots... No secret but still a goodin.

 

[ORElkBow]

hey ORElkbow yea we had a great week w/ close calls will write it soon trying to catch up on work, dogs, and getting ready for my A-25 lake sonoma deer hunt sat, can't wait, either sex archery and pig scouting

Didn't know they had a LS deer hunt. I asked someone that question when I was down there last year and they told me there's no deer hunting season in LS at all. We saw lots of quality bucks and also named one of them "Superman Buck". Well, good luck to ya.

 

[ORElkBow]

orelkbow,
I have hunted the same ranch (4500 feet) and the same NF/wilderness (8000feet) for over 20 years and the major effect I see, on game is weather, humans and ATVs.
I have no regrets or would make any changes in where and how we hunt this zone, but I do know the amount of hunters and the hot weather did have a negative effect... The last year I hunted this area we saw more bulls on both private and public land than any other year previous. They are there or would be if left unmolested.
This weekend is supposed to have very cool weather and the gun opener should be fantastic... Good luck to all out there.

Very true easymoney. It goes the same with the areas I hunt also. Not trying to make you change the way you hunt the area, you know it best. Jimbo's bull was shot at 4,000 ft. We usually hunt around 6,000 ft. in that area but this year there was so many hunters in our honey holes that they decided to drop back down to 4,000 ft. which was 10 miles back towards town. They only got one bull to answer and come in up at 6,000 ft. when last year we left the area with 7 bulls still in there.

Thanks for that nice painting. That's just some nice country you got there.

 

[easymoney]

Orelkbow,
Yeah I thought I had it wired, because of having an 8500 acre ranch to fall back on.
But, the elk were on another ranch 2 miles away and would not leave. Go figure...
I may take you up on your invite next year.
I will still be going up to eastern OR for bird hunting later after the weather turns... I hear theres a good chukar and pheasant hatch this year.

 

[dglover]

Nice job congrats!

 

[ORElkBow]

Orelkbow,
Yeah I thought I had it wired, because of having an 8500 acre ranch to fall back on.
But, the elk were on another ranch 2 miles away and would not leave. Go figure...
I may take you up on your invite next year.
I will still be going up to eastern OR for bird hunting later after the weather turns... I hear theres a good chukar and pheasant hatch this year.

We saw quite a few birds while fishing along the Snake during late spring. I've been wanting to hunt for chukar just don't have the time anymore like I used to. They taste any good?

Yea, let me know. I'll be planning somn out. Another JHO'er from Cal might be coming up to join as well next year. Been talkin to him and he's pretty interested in breaking down his new bow on an elk.