Oregon Powers Unit

[buckhunter]

I know Oregon doesnt get much popularity these days but I had a quick question about the powers unit. I have enough points to draw the archery tag. I have heard off and on about that being the best tag to get for rosies in Oregon. is that true. If I drew I would definately put in the work and scout but just thought I would throw the question out there since i cant seem to find much info on that unit. If i dont do that I was planning on E. Murders, murders, or starkey #1. Let me know if you all have any information that you can throw my way. Thanks

 

[21Beandog]

With all the preference points you have to draw that tag, why don't you get a Western OR archery over the counter and use those hard earned points for a decent Rocky Mt bull tag. 10 pts is alot of points to burn for a rosy. Look at Tioga, Melrose, Sixes and Chetco. They surround the Powers unit and they are over the counter tags. JMO.

 

[Orygun]

With enough scouting and prep work you cold score a nice Roosevelt in the Powers unit. Generally elk in SW Oregon are fewer and harder to come by. The Powers Unit is more popular. Don't know the area personally but it gets a write-up in the regional hunting rags most years, though more for the Muzzy hunt.

Talk to long time hunters and they say X unit is not like it used to be. Blah blah blah, Yet they still put in. Murder's creek, Northside, Starkey. Any of the "one elk" hunts. My boss used to doi the Northside and they took filled 2 out of 3 tags each time. They shot fat and skinny cows, spikes, and some nice branched bulls. Usually in a foot of snow.

If you have 10 points you could keep chucking in toward the Walla Walla or Wenaha hunts. Like the Goodale hunt you'll be at it forever, but even in these predator infested, habitat degraded times, they still are still great choices.

There are better elk areas north of the Powers unit up and into the Santiam Unit and a general archery elk tag will get you over most of the east side still. With as long as you have waited, unless you have an in with a guide, property owner, or someone really experienced with the Powers Unit that might be a huge fire your burning with those points