Buckhunter1955
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Thoughts or comments would be helpful
Drew Oregon 248A1 Heppner Ekl Tag
- Thread starter Buckhunter1955
- Start date
Not a tag I'd suggest , but if you have it make the best of it.
Are you familiar with the unit at all? I'm not sure what you're looking for but I will summarize it .
Plenty of elk, plenty of public ground, all types of terrain and cover to choose from, LOTS of hunters, a 300 bull is only something to dream about.
Are you familiar with the unit at all? I'm not sure what you're looking for but I will summarize it .
Plenty of elk, plenty of public ground, all types of terrain and cover to choose from, LOTS of hunters, a 300 bull is only something to dream about.
Jgill19
Active Member
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Lots of elk, and there are a handful of big bulls killed every year. Not to be discouraging, but just so you know what your getting into and arent surprised, there will be a **** pile of people. Use it to your advantage when you can, then grin and bare it when you can't! Good luck, there's elk to be killed!
Jgill19
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I suppose big is relative. There's 290-310" bulls killed on public every single year in the Heppner unit. Maybe during rifle season they aren't on public, I've never hunted that tag so can't say that. I wouldn't recommend passing any decent to good bulls looking for that caliber, and the likelihood OP (or any tag holder) runs into one without scouting and no previous knowledge of the unit is slim. There are certainly some big bulls there though. Obviously not the same as it was 10 years ago but there's still some there.
I suppose a few bulls in that class are taken, I'm thinking 330+ for a big bull .
I started hunting that unit with my dad when I was 6. there were SO MANY big bucks back then most people would call BS on me that never had the chance to see it. my family's camp would have 20-25 bucks hanging by the 3rd day of season. some were monsters. but if you saw an elk that was a big deal, just seeing a track would make you stop and look. now deer numbers are horrible and elk numbers aren't what they were even 10 years ago. but it's still worth hunting it.
I started hunting that unit with my dad when I was 6. there were SO MANY big bucks back then most people would call BS on me that never had the chance to see it. my family's camp would have 20-25 bucks hanging by the 3rd day of season. some were monsters. but if you saw an elk that was a big deal, just seeing a track would make you stop and look. now deer numbers are horrible and elk numbers aren't what they were even 10 years ago. but it's still worth hunting it.
Jgill19
Active Member
- Messages
- 365
Agreed, 330+ is a diamond.
I hunted across the highway mostly when I was younger, families been hunting it since the 1800's. Same story though, used to be a lot of deer, not near as many elk. Used to see a lot of solid 4 points during archery season, just happened across them while targeting elk. I stopped buying the archery deer tag around mid 2000's because you just stopped seeing them almost all together. Elk have grown in numbers for sure. No where for them to go in the Heppner and Ukiah units, roads and people everywhere
I hunted across the highway mostly when I was younger, families been hunting it since the 1800's. Same story though, used to be a lot of deer, not near as many elk. Used to see a lot of solid 4 points during archery season, just happened across them while targeting elk. I stopped buying the archery deer tag around mid 2000's because you just stopped seeing them almost all together. Elk have grown in numbers for sure. No where for them to go in the Heppner and Ukiah units, roads and people everywhere
Willametteriveroutlaw
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I hope you like crowds..
