Tips on How to Hunt Heavily Roaded Units

[Balderdash]

I don’t mind hard. I grew up with a work ethic so hard and even extra hard is fine by me. I stopped deer hunting with a rifle because it was too easy. Nothing wrong with working for it. It’s just that much more gratifying knowing you earned it in my tiny elk brain. There’s something to be said for killing on the last day after you’ve left it on the mountain in a tough unit vs killing opening day in AZ

Nothing like having success on heavily hunted public land.

 

[OregonSteeler]

Thanks everyone for your input!

The reason I picked this unit is multi-faceted.
1. It has good elk numbers and isn't one of the more, well known units. There's some sneaky good bulls taken out of the unit and it's not overly talked about.
2. It is a bit easier to draw than some surrounding units so I'd be able to draw it more often over the years
3. Looking back on my elk hunting years, the biggest mistake I've made is bouncing around from one unit to another and thinking there's always better hunting somewhere else than where I was at. For that reason, I never got to learn a unit intimately, which would've led to being a more successful hunter. I'm planning on learning this unit for both archery and rifle over the years. And also has some decent bucks too.
4. Most units in Oregon are heavily roaded, and the ones which have decent roadless areas get hammered by people looking "to get away from hunters" anyways.
5. I think it has some of the coolest country to hunt in the state and I love the environment.

I'd like to also rephrase my initial question a bit:

I'm going to be rifle hunting a heavily roaded unit, and what is the best way to break down the terrain to find most likely places bulls will be? Since there's no obvious roadless areas, should I just ignore all roads and hunting pressure points, and make a hunt plan by terrain/water/feed alone? Or will elk just be spread out in very random places throughout in little pockets, because they haven't been harassed in that spot for a couple days?

I like ElkNut's recommendation and may try some bugling to locate a bull. Thank you for that piece of advice!

FYI: I do have a game plan already laid out, but it's not set in stone and figured asking the masses for some ideas may give me that extra piece of info that will help me be successful (such as ElkNut's tip). Regardless, I'm excited for my hunt and will put in 110% effort.

 

[trophyhill]

Thanks everyone for your input!

The reason I picked this unit is multi-faceted.
1. It has good elk numbers and isn't one of the more, well known units. There's some sneaky good bulls taken out of the unit and it's not overly talked about.
2. It is a bit easier to draw than some surrounding units so I'd be able to draw it more often over the years
3. Looking back on my elk hunting years, the biggest mistake I've made is bouncing around from one unit to another and thinking there's always better hunting somewhere else than where I was at. For that reason, I never got to learn a unit intimately, which would've led to being a more successful hunter. I'm planning on learning this unit for both archery and rifle over the years. And also has some decent bucks too.
4. Most units in Oregon are heavily roaded, and the ones which have decent roadless areas get hammered by people looking "to get away from hunters" anyways.
5. I think it has some of the coolest country to hunt in the state and I love the environment.

I'd like to also rephrase my initial question a bit:

I'm going to be rifle hunting a heavily roaded unit, and what is the best way to break down the terrain to find most likely places bulls will be? Since there's no obvious roadless areas, should I just ignore all roads and hunting pressure points, and make a hunt plan by terrain/water/feed alone? Or will elk just be spread out in very random places throughout in little pockets, because they haven't been harassed in that spot for a couple days?

I like ElkNut's recommendation and may try some bugling to locate a bull. Thank you for that piece of advice!

FYI: I do have a game plan already laid out, but it's not set in stone and figured asking the masses for some ideas may give me that extra piece of info that will help me be successful (such as ElkNut's tip). Regardless, I'm excited for my hunt and will put in 110% effort.

I predict a gut pile in your future!