Mt Emily Bow Hunt in Oregon

[rodngun]

Hi All,

So far the elk Gods have missed me with the Utah, Arizona and Montana with all draws unsuccessful. Montana is usually an easy draw so that one hurts! I have 12 preference points in Oregon and if I strike out in New Mexico I was thinking about the Mt Emily unit Bow in Oregon. I saw that it is only 37% public lands which doesn't sound like much. Anyone ever hunt up there or heard about the unit? There are only 50 bow tags so it sounds like it may be a quality tag.

Thanks,

Greg

 

[Oregon Archer]

if you have 12pts i wouldnt waste them on Mt Emily. apply for Weneha or even Walla Walla. your odds arent great but its a better hunt. 12pts will put you fairly high on the list also.

 

[wmidbrook]

The two units that Oregon Archer mention are better units from all I've heard from 1st hand reports of guys who've hunted up there....but, that said....Mt. Emily is a decent hunt.

If you consider that....a) NR's only get 5% of the tags and that b) Outfitters get first pick out of those 5%.....there are years when no non-guided residents get the two good units referred to by OA.....

Research...you could be another 10 years out to draw those tags mentioned but you could possibly draw Mt. Emily now....you'll need to call and Oregon wildlife officials are very, very *slow* to fess up to the fact that outfitters sometimes will get 100% of that 5% of the tags.....It's why I gave the bird to hunting Oregon. I won't play that game. I can drive a few hours longer & be in better general license archery hunts in ID or CO.

 

[oregoncritters]

I've personally hunted it. Great unit if your willing to get away from the roads. Some great bulls in there. More great bulls in the Walla Walla and Winaha, but you will be a ways out from drawing those.. Odds are in your favor to draw the Emily..I would do it forsure..

 

[wmidbrook]

Flip side of the coin is that an outfitted hunt in Oregon is usually less expensive than some of the other states. You could probably put in through the outfitter draw for under $3000 and get packed into one of the two prime units....I think one is even better than the other. I think drop camps do qualify as guided in OR but I'd have to look into it.

 

[Orygun]

If you were trying for the Mr Emily rifle I would have said that would be huge waste. I have friends who do the spike hunt each year and basically when the gun guys show up the elk run downhill to the private lands. Not an dissue for the bow hunt.

You'll need to get away from the treestands and ATV's on the roads. There is a huge shift gong on up here from roadhunting with pickups to roadhunting with ATV's. Not saying its good or bad to do, just what is happening. Well, there is a bad aspect, in that with a quad you can get around gates pretty easy and road closures do get ignored alot.

The Wenaha is the big one. You've waited this long, wait some more. Unless your really jonesing to go bowhunting there.

Still plenty of ground for general archery units. Though there is talk of gradually moving all of eastern Oregon into controlled hunts.

 

[rodngun]

Thanks for all the great information.....There is a lot to ponder...I received a phone call last year from the ODFW that a guide secured the only non-resident tag for the Wenaha and Walla Walla units, and would I like to change the zone I put in for. I was told that they are only allowed to do that every other year...

This is the year that some lucky person will get that tag....It does seem like the ODFW hides the fact that this can happen....but, I'm 12 points into it so I'm not giving up now.....

 

[wmidbrook]

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

It does seem like the ODFW hides the fact that this can happen[/b]

Yeah, don't want to shoot your revenue stream in the foot by "being honest"....I'd go so far as to call them being dishonest via Omission.

I had to dig hard before I found out that was the case (outfitters allocation comes out of the 5% pool and has no max. limit...can be 100% of that 5%). They should at a minimum be up front about it in the regs so that you know what you get for your hard-earned dollars spent on the points game. I couldn't find a word printed on it. Also, you'd be hard-pressed to find that 5% of the tags go to non-residents in high demand hunts....so, I think there's a "up to" 5% somewhere on the legal books.

 

[bkc]

I played football at Eastern Oregon State 81- 83 and hunted Mt Emily for total of seven years for deer and elk. At that time you still bought your tag over the counter. I shot my first bull there and harvested two bulls and a lot of big deer every year it was the best back then now I hear by John Day has some nice bulls. Mt Emily was the best hunting back in the day. I was lucky and draw Montana Combo tag gun hunt not bow will be hunting in north west just south of Libby private ranch 20k acres First time in Montana