Central OR, CRP, and Elk?

Rusty · 10-13-2002, 07:30 AM

I am looking for some advise from some of you who may have had success hunting elk in Central Oregon.

Here is my question. I have a cow tag in the Maupin-Biggs Unit that is valid from Oct 12th to Nov. 30th. I have permission to hunt on 30,000 acres of private land in the Dufur-Deschutes Drainage area. However, what are the chances of finding elk in this type of country? (I have seen elk on occasion in this area, but not year after year.) Does anyone have any advise on strategy or tactics for finding elk in this very open CPR covered territory? Big canyons, no timber, and tons of deer.

Thanks in advance.

Rusty

mudsucker · 10-13-2002, 07:42 AM

Rusty, Well my elk tactics for that kind of country would be to find some high ground and set up with a spotting scope or high powered binocs. and do the spot and stalk thing. I hunt on the coast and this is what i do for deer and elk. Sometime you have to drive and hike along ways after spotting but the tactic. works and i would give it a try.

Rusty · 10-13-2002, 08:06 AM

Mudsucker,

I couldn't agree more with your assessment of this kind of terrain hunting. Spot and stalk would be the ticket. Now maybe someone would like to reveal when he or she hunts, after snow, etc., or some specifics on when it might be the most productive time to beak out the old spotting scope. I am assuming the later in the season the better. (?)

Rusty

tailchaser · 10-14-2002, 06:26 AM

I definitely would wait until later in the season. After hunting season's and snowfall the elk seem to come down to lower elevations a lot more, thus you probably will have a better chance at finding one. If there's a good snow up high I would be watching it a couple of days later.

tc

MuleyBuck · 10-14-2002, 09:37 AM

Rusty, I am from Dufur, I hunt Deer in West Biggs for the last 18 years. My buddies own a couple of ranches up there, and that Elk herd has just been there for only about 5 years now, but is growing rapidly. I have seen the elk quite a bit, but it's luck to find them, you can't pattern them, it's all open range. Just talk to local farmers and find out if they have been seeing them, and get your spotting scope ready, because it's lots of country to glass. Who do you have permission from, I probably know them, and I could tell you if the elk are around their. I know where the majority of them are, and I doubt if you will be able to get permission to hunt, but you could try.

Bubba · 10-14-2002, 02:44 PM

I have hutned that area as well up near Dufur. The Elk will mostlikely come down after a lot of snow has fallen so that will probably be your best chance, the later part of the season. I hunted the second season about five years ago and there was about 1'6" of snow on the ground in the Mt. Hood ntnl forest above Dufur in Nov. and a lot of the sign we saw was heading down to the fields to eat and then they seemed to move to cover during the day.

Good Luck!

gorge_fisherman · 10-14-2002, 02:54 PM

I know where there is a small herd with about 10 cows and 2 branched bulls that is pretty stationary. I am tempted to hunt them, but the catch is that they are going back and forth between a small ranch I can hunt and one which I can't. With only a few days of general season to hunt I don't know for sure I could catch them on the land I could hunt. So I think I will use my Ukiah spike tag. If you can get me access to deer hunt on that 30,000 acre ranch I will show you where they are. With 6 weeks of cow hunting I am almost positive you could get one out of them.