Oregon- Malheur River Unit # 66 for mule deer.

[Augustus011]

Answer is easy for me... Metolius unit near Bend OR. w/ muzzleloader. Not that I really want to get in the habbit of making it harder for myself to hunt in the premium areas. Basically Oregon is terrible for deer hunting.

Oregon has been mismanaged for years

 

[winmag]

+1 on Oregon being HORRIBLY MIS-MANAGED for years. We used to be one of the go to places for hunting, but Salem has just continued to screw us as hunters, & everyone else that enjoys game, & the game itself. I'm pretty disgusted with ODFW. If I didn't have so many wasted years worth of points built up is tell them to get bent, & go somewhere else!
The only other reason I haven't completely given up on my state, is that Oregon is one of the few states who hasn't gone completely communist & require Orange. That's gonna be the very last straw for me.
-Horrible game management.
-Rising cost for no better odds of drawing, & less game to hunt, not to mention less Quality caliber game to hunt, & the whole no dogs for cats & bears issue combined with the wolf is about enough to make a hunter cry.
If they go thru with the requirement of Orange, on top of all this other ridiculous crap they call "management" ill never waste my money here again for Deer or Elk.

 

[HARPERC]

It's probably a mistake, but I hold onto my points (13 or 14) hoping a decent hunt opens in my lifetime. Or at some point throw my points in a group draw for a social outing. One of those places I should demand more for my money.

 

[300 ultra]

+1 on Oregon being HORRIBLY MIS-MANAGED for years. We used to be one of the go to places for hunting, but Salem has just continued to screw us as hunters, & everyone else that enjoys game, & the game itself. I'm pretty disgusted with ODFW. If I didn't have so many wasted years worth of points built up is tell them to get bent, & go somewhere else!
The only other reason I haven't completely given up on my state, is that Oregon is one of the few states who hasn't gone completely communist & require Orange. That's gonna be the very last straw for me.
-Horrible game management.
-Rising cost for no better odds of drawing, & less game to hunt, not to mention less Quality caliber game to hunt, & the whole no dogs for cats & bears issue combined with the wolf is about enough to make a hunter cry.
If they go thru with the requirement of Orange, on top of all this other ridiculous crap they call "management" ill never waste my money here again for Deer or Elk.

Yeah the cats have a lot to do with it but the #1 reason Hunting sucks is from the Cow and Doe tags. Friends don't let friends by Girl tags..

 

[winmag]

Yeah the cats have a lot to do with it but the #1 reason Hunting sucks is from the Cow and Doe tags. Friends don't let friends by Girl tags..

I respectfully disagree.
I've counted well over 300 deer in Desolation unit, & Summer units on multiple years, & have seen less than 5 bucks most years. The ratio is SO poorly controlled that the few bucks we do have get so bred down its a wonder they ever make it thru the winter.

I am of the opinion that you should have to cull at least 2 does before you ever get a buck tag untill the population has a better balance.
Elk, well, that's a lil different. Cats & Wolves need to be eraticated. There are so many tags, so many predators, & not enough Elk left to hardly make it worth a hunt. Human population has exploded, & as a direct result, the game gets coralled into smaller areas. easy picking for top predators. ODFW seems to have forgotten that they decided to "manage" game herds thru hunting. That doesn't leave room for "managing" game with predators in the mix as well. They're after $ bottom line. They're trying to make both sides happy, which doesn't work. If you "manage" game, you "manage" it. That makes greenies mad. Politics gets involved, & wherever politics & $ are involved, common sense leaves, & chaos ensues.
ODFW doesn't have a clue what thier roll is, nor how to accomplish it if they did. They just want more $ for less game, & to look good in the liberal papers.

 

[6.5Express]

I agree with winmag on the buck to doe and bull to cow ratios being so far gone that it will take a huge change in "management" (for lack of a better word) to bring populations back. In addition to that, elk over here in some units are hunted from the first of august through january - HALF OF THE YEAR! There are not enough mature bucks around to breed the does on time, so fawns are coming later in the year and having a harder time making it through a winter like last. Units like Malheur River are a prime example of a complete lack of management - instead of 2000+ tags ODFW needs to drop the quota to 200 or less for about a decade to allow the bucks a chance to grow up and breed does on time.

Also, my plan is to burn my elk points this year before the wolves get them all, and from here on out will only hunt out of state for big game. It is simply not worth my time or money to pretend to hunt.

 

[HARPERC]

My 2 cents (maybe it should be $1, NR prices LOL) is it starts day 1, coyote control is a proven strategy for fawn survival. Given a chance to get their legs under them and Mule deer do better. How about to qualify for a tag you bring in ten coyote tails between January 1 and April 31. Aerial gunning is best these high dollar auction tags proceeds should all go to aerial gunning for 5 or 6 years, they don't just eat the deer, Antelope suffer badly as well. Of course if a few of the bigger "coyotes" with collars get "accidentally"thrown in the mix.....

 

[JMshooter]

WINMAG, ( Oregon- HORRIBLY MIS-MANAGED for years) this is why I started last year going to Utah to hunt. And you get to see Moose every day out hunting

 

[emmagator]

Ill be buck hunting the Malheur this year during rifle season. I have hunted chukkar in this unit for years, and over the years i have seen several mature bucks. I think it comes down to the basics of hunting mule deer, getting away from roads and glassing.

 

[BigDan]

Hey Everybody,

I am thinking of putting in for a mule deer tag in eastern Oregon unit 66. I have 10 preference points so should be no trouble drawing the unit.

Does anyone have any advice or information on whether this would be a good hunt?

Any information appreciated.

Thanks

be prepared for all weather. i have been going for many years now and have seen 8 degree as well as 95 degree weather. we go to the top of stockade ridge. best taken was an eight point but i always get one ( if i have a tag) we all go even if we all dont get a tag. bring the tools and stuff to fix anything...i once broke the main leaf spring and we actually built a wooden truss and i drove it home. have good tires with strong side walls. if your towing something bring chains, if its wet/rain the silt turns to grease and even 4x4 towing trailers cant get out. good luck. oh ya, bring more than one pair of good boots. 30 days untill i head up.

 

[BigDan]

Hey Everybody,

I am thinking of putting in for a mule deer tag in eastern Oregon unit 66. I have 10 preference points so should be no trouble drawing the unit.

Does anyone have any advice or information on whether this would be a good hunt?

Any information appreciated.

Thanks

be prepared for all weather. i have been going for many years now and have seen 8 degree as well as 95 degree weather. we go to the top of stockade ridge. best taken was an eight point but i always get one ( if i have a tag) we all go even if we all dont get a tag. bring the tools and stuff to fix anything...i once broke the main leaf spring and we actually built a wooden truss and i drove it home. have good tires with strong side walls. if your towing something bring chains, if its wet/rain the silt turns to grease and even 4x4 towing trailers cant get out. good luck. oh ya, bring more than one pair of good boots. 30 days untill i head up.

 

[emmagator]

be prepared for all weather. i have been going for many years now and have seen 8 degree as well as 95 degree weather. we go to the top of stockade ridge. best taken was an eight point but i always get one ( if i have a tag) we all go even if we all dont get a tag. bring the tools and stuff to fix anything...i once broke the main leaf spring and we actually built a wooden truss and i drove it home. have good tires with strong side walls. if your towing something bring chains, if its wet/rain the silt turns to grease and even 4x4 towing trailers cant get out. good luck. oh ya, bring more than one pair of good boots. 30 days untill i head up.

Is that in the northern part of unit? We're going to be hunting the sage, southeast of Juntura.

 

[BigDan]

Is that in the northern part of unit? We're going to be hunting the sage, southeast of Juntura.

we are further south, by crowley ranch

 

[Jimmur275]

There are some big bucks in the Malheur river area but not as many as the Trout Creeks. The genetics in the trout creeks has stayed real good but the tags are hard to get. All of the state has been screwed by the ODFW folks and the big game commission. My opinion is to put in for Trout Creeks as # 1 and Malheur #2.