Headed to Imnaha unit OR.

[Shazbutt-Steve]

They give you a week. I have 4 days. I have no expectations and will be happy if I see elk miles away on Private. It's been a lousy year. Never saw a buck during deer season. The only thing that makes me feel less than shitty is the fact that a lot the people I know from work that hunt didn't fill their tags either. And they usually do. But still, my success, or lack there-of, falls on me. I've got a cow tag. It's as easy as finding them and going after them. Unfortunately, my experience proves finding them only happens when I'm not hunting them. Got within 50 yards of a cow while deer hunting this year. Beautiful broadside. Even looked at her through my scope and she casually walked away. Found myself within 70 yds of a bedded bull. Saw lots of does. Saw grouse, fox, quail and even a pair of mallards flew right over my head and into a small pond in the middle of the woods. I'm sure i'll have a big buck stand broadside in front of me while I'm on this elk hunt. Will there be elk? Oh yes! Big trophy Bulls! And maybe it'll motivate me to throw my rifle off a cliff.
Found a woman that sells elk legally in Oregon for $9 a pound hanging weight. That's bone in in case you didn't know. If I would've never purchased a tag or hunting license in all of the states I applied for in the past 3 years, plus saved the money on all the gas I had to purchase, the rifle, bullets, range dues, clothes and accessaries I could've bought 2 of those pen raised elk. But, I'll hunt. I'll succeed or not. and won't admit defeat.... I should. ....But I won't. I'll just prepare for next season like the fool I am.

 

[ntodwild]

If I would've never purchased a tag or hunting license in all of the states I applied for in the past 3 years, plus saved the money on all the gas I had to purchase, the rifle, bullets, range dues, clothes and accessaries I could've bought 2 of those pen raised elk. But, I'll hunt. I'll succeed or not. and won't admit defeat.... I should. ....But I won't. I'll just prepare for next season like the fool I am.

You may already know this but why waist that money, just go straight for an OTC tag from Idaho or some other state where you are not throwing money at Points "hoping" to get a draw?

Upon retiring my greatest dilemma was how do I scrape the money together for out of state hunts/tags/draws. I have been on 5 OTC tag hunts now with my hunting partner and we have filled 3 tags. We purchase a single OTC tag and split the cost (super cost effective), alternate who's name goes on the tag from year to year, split the meat, split the cost of the trip, fuel and the like. Great way to hunt other states as long as you're not bent on that 1 sec. it takes to pull the trigger. I have posted this strategy on several other threads and its surprising that others have not thought of it, or maybe they have???? If there are 3 of you it splits the cost further into 3rds. We have had some amazing hunts doing this and both are on a fixed income (retirees).

Just a thought.

Those OTC out of state hunts are on top of our early season archery Elk, Deer and Bear hunts in our own state.

Good luck on your hunt.

 

[ida homer]

Good luck.

Forget Oregon, you’ll thank us later.

 

[Salmonchaser]

Good luck. I haven’t been in the Imnaha this fall, I live in the Walla Walla. Only been one snow storm so far, that was two days before first bull, so the old snow should be a non-issue. I love that country, good luck.

 

[johnrr65]

You may already know this but why waist that money, just go straight for an OTC tag from Idaho or some other state where you are not throwing money at Points "hoping" to get a draw?

Upon retiring my greatest dilemma was how do I scrape the money together for out of state hunts/tags/draws. I have been on 5 OTC tag hunts now with my hunting partner and we have filled 3 tags. We purchase a single OTC tag and split the cost (super cost effective), alternate who's name goes on the tag from year to year, split the meat, split the cost of the trip, fuel and the like. Great way to hunt other states as long as you're not bent on that 1 sec. it takes to pull the trigger. I have posted this strategy on several other threads and its surprising that others have not thought of it, or maybe they have???? If there are 3 of you it splits the cost further into 3rds. We have had some amazing hunts doing this and both are on a fixed income (retirees).

Just a thought.

Those OTC out of state hunts are on top of our early season archery Elk, Deer and Bear hunts in our own state.

Good luck on your hunt.

+1

 

[thatsjet]

I hunted deer there last year and it kicked my butt. Tough country.

 

[Little Big Man MT Chris]

OL’ Shazbutt never filled us in on the hunt .......

 

[Shazbutt-Steve]

HA! I forgot I posted that!
I went. I had the best hunt yet! Day one was nothing but a nice 4x4 muley walked right up to me like I was going to feed him. Day 2, I moved to a different spot and saw a cow and calf on the drive in! It was dark. I drove up to a dead end and slept in my truck. I woke up the next day and hiked up above where I'd seen them. There they were like they didn't even move. I put my scope on the calf which was pretty much a yearling, but the cow was moving out of a thick spot so I followed her with the scope. They were on to me and moving away. I quickly realized the cow was not going to give me an opportunity but by then the damned calf was in the thick too. They moved up hill. I hiked way down wind of them an hour or two and hooked around the other side of the ridge they were on. I found an old 2 track and hiked in the direction I had originally seen them. There were tons of these 2 tracks but they were grown over and un-drivable even with quads. The wind was blowing down hill. Me walking side hill. By then it was near 10 am. Just behind a bushy hemlock growing out the road they were standing there. The cow behind it, the calf on the 2 track staring at me. I was 50 yards and put my rifle up to my shoulder. this whole little moment I could feel wind on my neck.. The cow alarm called and the calf took off before I could get a shot. I was right on the edge of wilderness and didn't want them to leave for good, so I went back to my truck to cool it for the day.
The next day I parked in a different area about 2 miles as the crow flies and hiked up to the top of a ridge about 1500 feet above were I had seen them, walking into the wind leaving just before daylight. I ended up getting into knee deep snow and partially melted and frozen snow making my hike difficult. I didn't get down there until noon but I had the wind in my face the whole time and got onto a different 2 track towards the last incident.
At some point I had my guard down and a young bull trotted off across the road about 20 yards in front of me. I raised my rifle ready for a cow and that calf followed him. I followed it with the scope and saw that cow in my peripheral. I swung towards her and in the woods a different cow elk alarm called. They all ran into the woods and I had no shot again. This time I was hating myself for being greedy and not taking that shot with that calf.
I was able to get a hold of my boss and and extend my time one more day. I waited until morning again to get in there. By then a good 6-8 inches of fresh snow came down. When I had spooked them before they had gone down hill so naturally I stayed up high and found a place to glass and watch for them. At about 8am I herd the squeak of a trailer coming up the road not too far below where those elk were. I herd what sounded like elk moving. Got ready. The squeak doubled. There was the sound of a quad with it.. Quickly I realized it wasn't a trailer but two or three beagles. Someone was running dogs. I never saw them but they were loud and right below those elk. I never saw any elk either. Later in the day I found their tracks and saw they flew the coup through a big chunk of reprod. I called it quits at that point but with a smile on my face feeling so damned successful seeing elk almost every day of my season! The moral of the story being take the 1st legal animal! You're too old to play "f"-around!

 

[Shazbutt-Steve]

+1

I go to Idaho with a general deer tag in my pocket. This gives me the reason to put in for hard to get hunts for elk and antelope. I don't draw them but I try. I did get a cow tag once, actually, but it was during the deer season and there was way too much chaos in the woods between loggers and hunters. I don't have friends that hunt so I don't share things like that. BUT, This year I landed a lovely woman that has family up in Idaho. Her brothers all hunt deer and invited me up, so we'll see how that goes. Thank you for the advice!

 

[JAB85]

They give you a week. I have 4 days. I have no expectations and will be happy if I see elk miles away on Private. It's been a lousy year. Never saw a buck during deer season. The only thing that makes me feel less than shitty is the fact that a lot the people I know from work that hunt didn't fill their tags either. And they usually do. But still, my success, or lack there-of, falls on me. I've got a cow tag. It's as easy as finding them and going after them. Unfortunately, my experience proves finding them only happens when I'm not hunting them. Got within 50 yards of a cow while deer hunting this year. Beautiful broadside. Even looked at her through my scope and she casually walked away. Found myself within 70 yds of a bedded bull. Saw lots of does. Saw grouse, fox, quail and even a pair of mallards flew right over my head and into a small pond in the middle of the woods. I'm sure i'll have a big buck stand broadside in front of me while I'm on this elk hunt. Will there be elk? Oh yes! Big trophy Bulls! And maybe it'll motivate me to throw my rifle off a cliff.
Found a woman that sells elk legally in Oregon for $9 a pound hanging weight. That's bone in in case you didn't know. If I would've never purchased a tag or hunting license in all of the states I applied for in the past 3 years, plus saved the money on all the gas I had to purchase, the rifle, bullets, range dues, clothes and accessaries I could've bought 2 of those pen raised elk. But, I'll hunt. I'll succeed or not. and won't admit defeat.... I should. ....But I won't. I'll just prepare for next season like the fool I am.

Oregon is terrible. Much better states out there