White River Elk info

[STINGRAY]

Well, I didn't take time to scout this year and I'm taking my two boys on their first elk hunt this weekend and was hoping someone had some info on elk sightings around Fifteen Mile Creek or High Prairie, any leads would help.

T.I.A.
stingray

[Two Fister]

Stingray,
Lots of the farms around Dufur/Friend have been sold to folks from the Metro area for hunting/recreation. They plant forage crops, build wallows and don't chase the elk out like the old timers did. Lots of the actual farmers in the area are complaining because the elk don't head up into the high country in the spring and they hammer their crops. One local kid that we spoke with said that he had seen big bachelor herds on several ranches during the summer and before the season started. We hunted second general season last year and found all of our elk down pretty low.

Years ago, I stream surveyed 5, 8, and 15 Mile Creeks and we always saw elk down low in the heavy cover near the ODFW Wildlife Management area. I'd check out Smock Prairie, the area around Rock Creek Res., and the lowest points you can access via the USFS roads on 8 Mile. If your boys are old enough there is a great push that you can do on the trail along 8 Mile starting from where the road crosses the creek up high and ends at the bottom of the road. I'll have to dig out some maps to get the road number.

If you are feeling very, very, very strong, the deep parts of Tygh Creek hold elk as well. The roads in the area are usually closed and it is one big, deep, dark hole to climb out of even without an elk. If we are hunting down there I usually don't have a shell chambered as I want to certain that I want to shoot an elk down there before I actually do. It would be a hard place to haul a grouse out of.

Good luck!
TF

[Ifishsum]

Deer hunting earlier in the year we saw several elk and lots of sign in the upper threemile/rocky butte area. Good luck!

[STINGRAY]

Posted by Two Fister (If you are feeling very, very, very strong, the deep parts of Tygh Creek hold elk as well. The roads in the area are usually closed and it is one big, deep, dark hole to climb out of even without an elk. If we are hunting down there I usually don't have a shell chambered as I want to certain that I want to shoot an elk down there before I actually do. It would be a hard place to haul a grouse out of.)

I agree on the Tygh Creek canyon...Even God don't go down there!!ha Not to offend anyone..it's just a metaphor.

[chromebright]

Stingray

Did you find any elk? Living in the White River unit I am always curios about how people do around here. I have never had any luck on elk in the unit and pretty much(except for some early archery season) given up on hunting elk in the unit. I have to admit though that I never hunt in the southern part of the unit only the Northern part closer to the river.

I have always thought that there should be so many more elk around here, but since most of the elk in the Hood River valley end up in the orchards there is a little talked about poaching problem. The orchardists don’t want the elk in the orchards(ever seen what a bull can do to a small fruit tree) and the migrant workers see them as free meat. Not hard to figure out what is going to happen. One of the orchardist that I grew up with came right out and told my father in law that he encourages his workers to “get rid of” as many deer and elk off his property as they can. Of course I am not trying to say all farmers encourage this, but if only a few do and the animals are coming on their land the herds will get thinned.It’s too bad because I know that the land could support so many more elk. Right across the river in Washington same type of land and terrain, I know guys that do very well archery and rifle. Lots more elk over there. You just don’t have the agriculture.

Anyway, hope you found some elk.

[Just Fish]

Chromebrite we have the same problem in the cherry orchards here in The Dalles the Deer and Elk take a big hit all year long