More Ochoco Elk Questions

moman · 08-27-2002, 07:25 AM

After hunting the White River unit for years, I blew my preference points for Ochoco (#1) tags. 2 of my 3 partners completed their applications wrong and the other, recently assigned a H.S. football coaching job, isn't coming. So here I go, off to the Ochocos alone, with .338 and 4-wheeler. I got my unit map from RAM last night and WOW, it that place big. I have one weekend at the most to scout and at least need to order USGS maps soon. So, before I tack up the map and throw a dart into the public land, does anyone want to share even some general suggestions about where to head to find some decent grounds. I'm hoping to truck camp but I don't mind hunting a more back country area. Thanks in advance for any advice. S

MasterCaster · 08-28-2002, 01:01 PM

Is there any specific area you are looking at?

We hunt the cow hunt but not bulls. However we almost always see MONSTER bulls during our cow hunts. I will look up some info for you on the area we hunt, Its above William Springs. E-mail me if interested.

Jon :smile: :grin: :smile:

Bait O' Eggs · 08-28-2002, 01:12 PM

I have been meaning to email you, but havent had time. I will tell you what we saw last year in the first hunt there.

You should have applied as a party, so if somebody screws up the form, none of you hunt, or all of you hunt if successful.

[ 08-28-2002, 02:15 PM: Message edited by: Bait O' Eggs ]

Dan Christopher · 08-29-2002, 12:11 AM

i hunted the eastern end of the unit for years
elk try
wolf mtn
black canyon wilderness
spanish peak
battle creek mtn
rager road area

i saw the biggest deer of my life about 5 years ago in the gravel pit off putt road .archery hunting. this thing was huge i have seen alot of big deer before but when i saw this thing i just saw horns and i thought it was a big elk.spoting scoped it for 10 min.
well long story short .signs posted no hunting privete property.i walked the road to spook it and drove around the back side ( about 1/2 mile ) to usfs land hunted it for 3 days and never saw it again..stoped by prinville blm on my was home and guess what?? it was a blm rock pit.i could have hunted that oregon record deer with out spooking it but the land owner on the other side of the street posted it..@%&$$ so he could hunt that land.i told blm and they said .."ya he does that every year.#%@%

i hunted deer in the
hardscrabble ridge,sunflower flats,rager road areas.

have fun and leave a game plan with the wife if your going alone.not a bad idia to tell the camp next to you your flight plan and bad luck tag deal and you might get lucky and they let you join there party for the week.heck i would

moman · 08-29-2002, 07:19 AM

Thanks for all the responses, both here and in email, I have some spots to scout. I agree on filing the flight plan and making friends with the neighbors, as a father of 3, I'm a lot more careful than I was as a young man. I even ordered a blaze vest for this hunt. S

sliverpicker · 08-29-2002, 08:32 PM

Quite abit of the Black Canyon got gutted by a fire last month. It burned nearly to Wolf Mtn lookout, and jumped the South Fork of the John Day and went up ******* Cr aways.

There's probably still green patches of timber within the burned area. I imagine the area is closed to public entry this year, due to falling snags.

Good luck!

sliverpicker · 08-29-2002, 08:34 PM

Fill in the missing letters??? That should read Jack@$$ Creek! Geez

Bait O' Eggs · 09-02-2002, 07:48 PM

The entire black canyon wilderness area plus a little more is closed to entry. :depressed: :depressed: :depressed:

From road 38 to the road wolf mountain lookout is on is all closed. The western edge of the closure I think is the 5820 road.

I have always liked this area, as it has no roads in it. Now it has now entry signs everywhere :depressed: