WA Peaches Ridge Tag

[DDarchery]

Any WA guys that have drawn this tag and have some advice. I waited 9 years for this tag and always assumed I would be hunting the Little Naches unit, but I heard that I should check out the other unit in that tag for big bulls. Which unit would you expect to find big bulls in?

 

[Jon Boy]

I would hunt Little Naches personally, because im more familiar with it. What season is it for?

 

[DDarchery]

Archery season and I'm going to miss the first week of the season. I will down in OR trying to fill my first ever antelope tag and I also drew a bull tag and mulie tag in the unit next to the antelope tag. I will be busy and then hurry up here for the second week of season.

 

[OR Archer]

What tags here in OR did you pull? Might be able to help with a little info there.

 

[TRIPLE]

The biggest bulls are on the I-90 side. Unfortunately, they mostly live amoungst the private and ubtaining permission is extremely difficult. If you want a better experience, stay the course. IMO, hunting around that private takes alot of the fun out of the experience. All that said, we've killed and picked sheds of some smasher bulls on that side. If your willing to potentially eat your tag waiting for one opportunity at a bigun pm me and I'll point you in the right direction.

 

[JPhelps]

Here is a bull that calls that place home

 

[DDarchery]

No way! Wow!...

 

[DDarchery]

What tags here in OR did you pull? Might be able to help with a little info there.

I drew the Ochoco bull tag and I also drew my first ever antelope tag for Maury unit, archery for both. I just started college last week and I will miss the first week of OR mule deer and elk with finals, then I will miss the second week for antelope tag. Then back to WA for my bull tag and then back to OR for mule deer and elk the last week of the season. Its gong to be crazy busy for the entire break I have frok school, hunting everyday till OR season ends and then I have school again the next day.

 

[fillthefreezer]

I drew the Ochoco bull tag and I also drew my first ever antelope tag for Maury unit, archery for both. I just started college last week and I will miss the first week of OR mule deer and elk with finals, then I will miss the second week for antelope tag. Then back to WA for my bull tag and then back to OR for mule deer and elk the last week of the season. Its gong to be crazy busy for the entire break I have frok school, hunting everyday till OR season ends and then I have school again the next day.

good thing you'll be at the top of your game physically and mentally heading into your dream season!

 

[Jon Boy]

If I were you I would backpack hunt the wilderness. Awesome country and 300+ bulls can be expected.

 

[DDarchery]

Jon Boy I've actually been torn thinking about that and I may just do it anyway. I was thinking I wanted to avoid a long packout of meat if I could help it but I think I would regret it more to not check out the wilderness areas and bivy by myself for a few days at least. I hope my other spot works out for me because its only about a mile hike but the camera will tell me.

 

[DDarchery]

good thing you'll be at the top of your game physically and mentally heading into your dream season!

I sure hope so, I've been training nostop, no off season, so I should be ready physically and mentally. I just need to make the most of my limited time to scout and locate some good bulls to target and try to pattern a little so I can get on them quick and not waste days of hunting trying to find them.

 

[OR Archer]

Wish I could provide some specific info for those units but I have never hunted either of them. If I were to hunt the Ochoco tag I would focus on the wilderness area near the private lands.

 

[HellsCanyon]

Have you looked into having an outfitter on standby to packout an elk for you allowing you to hunt the back country and carry a satellite phone?? Actually some ridges in the Peaches unit wilderness areas have pretty decent cell service, this much I know! I archery hunted it in 2007 as my first ever archery, and archery elk hunt. All I was armed with was a primos pack bugle with the blue reed and a hoochie mama... man if I knew now what I knew then I had a great shot at a 340+ bull one morning in the wilderness.

Mike

 

[Jon Boy]

man if I knew now what I knew then

Mike

Cant tell you how many times Ive said that about past elk encounters! Do yourself a favor DD and buy some of elknuts dvds. I kicked myself so many dam times while watching them, knowing I could of killed an elk if I would of said the right thing

Seriously Id hunt the wilderness though, you dont have to go too far in and will be getting into elk. It will be a great year to have that tag because spike/cow hunters wont be in there at the same time.

 

[DDarchery]

I know! That was another reason I was excited for Little Naches unit...closed to cow/spike archery! Should be a lot less people and if I get in the wilderness or along side it in a couple spots I'm hoping to be able to get a bull to answer back and locate him. I wouldn't mind checking out the other unit for my tag but its still open for cow/spike so I would really have to get away fro m people. I have to do a hike in there one day and see whats back there for bulls.

 

[DDarchery]

Have you looked into having an outfitter on standby to packout an elk for you allowing you to hunt the back country and carry a satellite phone?? Actually some ridges in the Peaches unit wilderness areas have pretty decent cell service, this much I know! I archery hunted it in 2007 as my first ever archery, and archery elk hunt. All I was armed with was a primos pack bugle with the blue reed and a hoochie mama... man if I knew now what I knew then I had a great shot at a 340+ bull one morning in the wilderness.

Unfortunately I won't be able to swing anything like that this year. I'm still on disability while I go to school so the budget is tight, real tight with OR out of state tags to buy for elk, deer, and antelope now! I will put that new Tenzing 5000 to the test because I'm hauling out on my back, everything I kill this year. I will see real quick if I trained right, or if I had weak areas. Hahaha.

 

[DDarchery]

If I were to hunt the Ochoco tag I would focus on the wilderness area near the private lands.[/QUOTE]

That is what I'm going to do for OR, I'm hiking back into the wilderness I had my close calls the first time I drew that tag! Hope the elk are still in the general area as back then and then I can make a plan. Now I kinda know the area, which way afternoon winds usually blow, where a couple water holes are. I just wish I had more time and gas money for more scouting trips before season to confirm where they are. I will just have to make the most of whatever trips I can squeeze in for antelope, elk, and then oh yan mule deer too! Lol.