Advice on archery elk hunting in NE Oregon

[Niceandkozy8]

Hello guys I was hoping to get a little info on a couple units in Eastern Oregon I’ve been thinking about hunting this year. I’ve hunted Heppner Unit the last 4 years (first two were general rifle spike and last two with my bow). My party killed a spike the first year but we have been blanked since. We definitely made progress every year learning the area and learning how to hunt elk in general. We’ve been close the last two years but rookie mistakes or bad luck have caused us not to connect. The last two years we have scouted and I’ve had good bulls on trail camera pre season but during the season they have moved out of the area most likely due to hunting pressure. The Unit gets hammered pretty hard and with so much open road access people can get to most places in the Unit very easily. This past season we found a nice pocket of bulls but every time we cut the distance to within 200 yards we got stopped by private land. The trend in the Unit has been more people every year and the Unit only being 35% public land makes it’s difficult to get away.

So I’ve been looking at other units to possibly get away from some people (I know you won’t probably get away totally) and I want to look at units with a good % of public land so I don’t keep running into ground I can’t hunt. I was wondering if anyone has experience in the Murderers Creek, Sumpter, Pine Creek or the Eagle Caps. Have you been able to get away from roads? How has the elk population been (have you had opportunities or encounters)? I’m willing to back pack in for days at a time and is appealing but I also want to do what gives me the best opportunity to get encounters with elk so if that means truck camping and being mobile then I’m game. Any advice would be greatly appreciated I would like to narrow my options down and begin e-scouting so this summer I can make some trips out.

Sorry for the long post. Thanks in advance.


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[mvangaasbeck]

I hunted in the sumpter unit for elk most of my life. we have been pretty successful in that unit with a lot of public to hunt on. I hunt in the eagle caps now though just for the backcountry hunting aspect. all areas you mentioned should produce elk if you scout them and hit it hard.

 

[Swede]

I have over 25 years experience hunting the Silvies. It is heavily roaded and heavily hunted. There are elk there for sure. I believe a tree stand is by far your best option. My advise would be to stay with the area you know and go for another unit you can hunt every 2-4 years on a draw.
The only way to beat bad luck and rookie mistakes is to hang in there and keep after them.

 

[Niceandkozy8]

Thanks for the responses. I have found hunting the heppner Unit it is tough to get a away from roads. Any pockets seems to be surrounded in all directions by roads. For those of you that hunt heavily roared areas what kind of features do you look for? Knowing road access is abundant what kind of topo features do you gravitate towards to try to find even a little bit of seclusion?


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[Shadow14]

^ ^^

 

[sneaky]

Thanks for the responses. I have found hunting the heppner Unit it is tough to get a away from roads. Any pockets seems to be surrounded in all directions by roads. For those of you that hunt heavily roared areas what kind of features do you look for? Knowing road access is abundant what kind of topo features do you gravitate towards to try to find even a little bit of seclusion?


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Steep, without a road, look for benches. Go to the places all the road hunters just drive by and don't take a second glance at.

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[Niceandkozy8]

My thoughts as well. Try to find nasty places people don’t typically want to go into. Problem with unit I’ve been hunting is it’s very heavily roaded with a large % of private land. But I’ve seen a lot of elk, just need to figure out where they like to go when hunting pressure hits. I think that is probably how you need to approach a unit that is heavily pressured with lots of access, find the spots they like to go into when pressure pushes them. Unfortunately a lot of the spots I hunt bump up a giant private and I have a suspicion a lot of them seek sanctuary on that private ground.

I ended up doing a quick scout trip unit 51 in June. Crazy cool country; first time scouting in a big mountain range like that and got to experience Oregon’s version of high country. Started at 5k and climbed to 8200. Saw some great sign but only one elk on the hoof. To top it off saw a mountain goat and got to about 25-30 yards from it. I don’t know what the hunting pressure is like in that unit during season, it will make you work for it though that’s for sure.

If I can figure out how to post a video I’ll throw up the goat clip.

 

[wapitibob]

Bulls in NE Oregon, silvies specifically, will bed 200 yards from a road and let everybody drive right by.