Oregon draw results are in!

[thefishslayer]

Santiam youth elk.

Timber. PM and i will give you some good locations for silver lake unit.

Someday i will get real ambitious and get my landowner tag, grandpa seen a 5 by 7 somewhere in the fort rockk unit

[QuazyQuinton]

I was successful only for a Steens Mountain buck tag (169A), the one I had been waiting for. I did not draw an elk tag, so that means I'll probably hunt the first coast rifle season this year. Not my favorite hunt, but close to home.

My wife, on the other hand, decided to hunt for the first time this year. She drew the 247 Northside cow tag and the 475A2 East Interstate antelope doe tag. Hopefully these two will be good opportunities for a first-timer. And hopefully I won't get too much grief if she brings home more meat than me.

A kid that I've been taking every year also drew the 621A Dorena doe hunt, and I'm hoping my younger brother-in-law might get at least a general season deer tag. That's starting to look like a lot of time in the field this fall.

Anyway, if anyone has any advice for Steens deer or Northside elk (or any of the other hunts), I'd love to hear it. Hoping to get out and do some scouting soon.

Quinton
Willamina, Oregon

[oregon elk]

Hey Jeremy, Ken McGinnis here aka{oregon elk} I drew alsea unit spike /antler less deer, no draw on paulina unit. good hearing from ya, Im back on More reports on the way. As Always Hunt Safe and ethical

[Binford]

well drawing was not the best for myself this year. But on the other hand it will make me focus on the first year of bow which I am very excited for!!

[Landmine]

Maury pronghorn bow for me.

[Stumblebum]

Looks like I'm strictly a bow hunter this year.
Unsuccessful antelope, sheep, desolation bull, sumpter buck.

I did get a South Blue Mtn. spring bear tag this year. (first time I've hunted for spring bear). Hunted for several days during different periods of the open season. Too much snow the first time out. But did find fresh tracks in the snow both trips. Never did see a bear though. Lots of fun. Good to be out that time of year. Look forward to next year!

Gotta go practice (haven't shot my bow for two years!)
Later, ~scott

[Matt Thomsen]

Scott,

I wouldn't feel too badly about missing out on Sumpter buck. We hunt that area at least once annually for deer, elk, and/or bear. Having hit it hard for Spring Bear this year, I can't comment too highly regarding the outlook for deer populations in the area. We've consistently seen fewer and fewer does and fawns. I'm not sure how that translates to deer season numbers, but we've seen a pretty consistent decline in the number of bucks in the years we've hunted the area.

If you're familiar with the area, can you comment on my observations? It'd be nice to hear another opinion on the area.

[Stumblebum]

We've definitely seen fewer and fewer deer. But, we seem to always find some bucks. Last year we had some nice size bucks running in a group. All 4 points, all nice and wide. My brother shot out the biggest one.... while I watched them stand around.... then run over the ridge. Never fired my rifle. Don't know what I was looking for..... But I never touched one off. Ended up not harvesting a buck. But it will always be a good story! My brother's buck was the biggest he's ever taken. Second year in a row he's taken his "biggest". He keeps having to mount them because they're his biggest. Gonna run out of wall space pretty soon!
Anyway... Yes, the numbers are definitely not what they were.
We spring bear hunted this year in the North Sumpter unit. It was fun.... but we never saw one. Found fresh tracks in the snow twice.... Very fresh tracks! We were right in em.... just never saw them.
Will be back in the area this month. Hope to see one in our "hot" spot.

later,
~scott

[Matt Thomsen]

Scott,

Yeah. . .that sounds about right. We've never gotten skunked out there, but the overall deer numbers always seem lower than the previous year. My buddy Scotty killed a DANDY buck up there two years ago. It was an honest 6x7 with trash all over its rack. The rack was narrow and tall. Dee, the gas station owner in Sumpter (Stage Stop, which I highly recommend for good conversation, fuel, and goodies) said she'd seen other, younger bucks with the same type of rack genetics in the area, so hopefully there are a couple more old bucks up there like him!