Mt. emily. whats all the hype

W

wahunter20

Guest
Ok everybody on here talks about how great this unit is. I've grown up around this area and yeah theres big bulls there. I've yet to see where big bulls are consistently killed in there in any great numbers. If a unit it takes 10 years to draw 350+ bulls should be getting taken like crazy. Any thoughts???
 
We hunted it this year and had fun, but not many big bulls to be found over 310" or so. Lots of bulls in the 260-300 range, but over that is a crapshoot. I was shocked at how many people were also running around, a cow rifle hunt going on, people shooting pistols, grouse hunters, deer hunters, ect........Just made for a lot of traffic for a hunt that is limited in numbers of tags for big bulls. Not sure if I'm going to burn my 10 points on it however. 5-6 would be more appropriate in general.

tc
 
People don't seem to understand that the reason there are such few tags for the big 3 North east units isn't to make them a quality hunt it is because of low calf recruitment...nothing more.
 
Whtelk is correct. It was changed due to no elk, the changes were not made to make trophy units like in other states. It is hyped because it is one of the only choices out there that is a good hunt.

Rich
 
I hunted it this year and exactly "what is all the hype" I saw 2 bull in the 310-320 range ended up killing a 250ish 6 point. I was not very impressed I could have had the same kind of hunt in any unit. I was not 9 times better imo. a 5-6 point hunt not a 9.
 
Hey guys,
Got to reply to this. Oregon is not even close to AZ, UT NV NM......BUT there are great bulls in NE Oregon. With that said, I was in Wenaha guiding for 2 weeks, filmed 2 bulls 380+. One of my guides filmed them, while client was with me. My client NEVER even saw a bull over 350 last 2 weeks of season! We filmed and passed on 13 bulls between 10 inches and 45 yards away, none of those bulls were over 330. Mt Emily just produced a 400" bull last week for a Gov tag holder. It was a bull I been hunting, as I also am guiding another Gov tag holder. We were up there this week, and glassed up a bull over 2 miles away, but we are guessing him 350-370 class.
You are right to say not many BIG bulls, but trust me, they are there. Get away from the roads. Hunt 3-4 days with camp on your back, you will at least see 350"+ bulls.
 
Bob is right...get off your lazy butts (those of you that dont take it seriously) and get out away from everyone else! Please say there are NO DEER in Oregon either...I beg to differ! Look at two of the three bucks I posted yesterday.

I spoke with 3 different huntin parties while archery deer hunting in NE Oregon and all were "upset" because they weren't seeing elk. None I think had even tried because I watched lots of elk and LOTS of decent bulls while out scouting for elk/huntin deer.

I've never hunted Mt. Emily so I have no input on the unit...

muleyman
 
I worked in the Mt. Emily unit all summer on a cougar predation study. All I can say is that 99.9% of the hunters were in the wrong area's to find those monster bulls. There is some really steep and deep country in that unit where those big bulls hang out and I never really saw any hunters around those spots. It seemed all the hunters I saw(which was not all of them) were in the easy or semi-easy places. This was a hard year in the unit with a long hot dry season. I would also recommend all hunters to play the situation and mood of the elk. Don't expect to call in elk in the Mt. Emily or even the Wenaha unit; even if you are the best caller in the world. Calling is great for locating elk in those units, but being quite and sneaking in is the key on some of those bulls. Everyone wants to call because they see it on TV, videos, is extremely exciting, and want to tell people about the exciting calling story. Sometimes you have to adjust and make a change of plans. It may not make for the most exciting story or situation, but you may end up with an elk on the ground instead of only a story to talk about.

Things are different year to year. This was a hot year for the Mt. Emily unit. Working a bull and getting a bull within archery range and two different things. 99% of archery hunters come back with great stories to tell each year. It sounds like you had those close encounters, but it also sounds like you went into the area's that no one else does. Hunting the area's your brain tells you not to go is exactly where those big bulls are. A hunter may have an easier time calling a bull in those spots, since they will less likely think it is a human. There was great days in the Wenaha this year as well, but it also pays to play it quite and just move in on the bulls/herd.

The spike elk and deer hunters should have no effect really on hunters with the branch bull tags. The spikes, bucks, and people hunting them; are not is the same places the branch bull hunters should be. Yes they will all see each other in the unit, but it should not end up with a messed up hunt.

A few reasons to keep spike hunts:
1. ODFW needs $ to manage wildlife.
2. Spike and branch bull hunters should not be bumping into each other. At least I know where I would hunt in that unit and no spike or buck hunter would be there.
3. Pressure on spikes may keep them from doing any breeding. That is if any spike was brave enough to be around a herd of cows and a cow let him breed her. Study has been done in Starkey Experimental Forest.
4. We don't need to add anymore pressure to our wildlife by moving the dates of the spike hunts.
5. It will be interesting to see with the mandatory reporting, but I would assume very few spikes are taken in Mt. Emily during archery season. These allows opportunity with little success.

At some point everyone will have to understand we will not all get our way or be happy as a whole. An example is some like ATV's; while others would like to see them banned. The same goes for people who can no longer hike into deep holes to hunt big bulls. At some point we all will have to face the fact that our bodies will not always take us into the best hunting areas. We should just enjoy being able to get outdoors to hunt and enjoy nature. The same goes for professional athletes who can not play at those levels till their 90 years old. At some point you just have to accept the fact it will not be like in your younger years.

I think people who believe in science and the Starkey Experimental Forest would be for spike hunts. It seems like most hunters claim they want science when it comes to removing predators, but not when it comes to anything else. So which is it going to be? Do we really think we can convince ODFW and the Commission to use science for one thing and not another? Do we really think with the cost of things nowdays that ODFW can throw out all the hunts that hunters what; while still being able to do what they do?

I'm sure everyone thinks I'm for any doe and spike hunt and don't care how many tags they give out. I actually would like to see high quality units managed as really trophy units. I'm just trying to show people soem reasons why the department may do the things they do. I'm no expert, but try to keep up with what I can. Sure there needs to be some changes, but the bio's are doing what they can. There are a lot of factors out there that throw up hurdles for bio's to do their jobs and I think they handle it very well. Just my
Here is what I know about Wenaha, Mt. Emily, Walla Walla hunts.

The big bulls are easy to spot during the summer. Once you get within 2 weeks of archery season the bulls go as far back and into the deepest and steepest areas they can find. It has amazed me how pressure from vehicles, backpackers, campers, hunters, and people scouting for next year; push the elk out. Try going to those units at the end of July and then go back 2 weeks before archery season, 1 week before archery season, and then the 1st week of archery season. BIG BIG difference. This can not be fixed by just ending spike and deer hunts during the archery season in those units. Some people will want to still go scout for their future hunt, photography, berry picking, camping, backpacking, and the list goes on and on. Most of those monster bulls will always head off the easy to semi easy areas for those deep/steep holes.

For anyone that has been waiting 10+ years to draw any of these tags; I will suggest some things:

1. 10+ years gives you plenty of time to make some trips over and get to know the terrain. Make sure you know what you are getting yourself into. Remember that most of those monster bulls will be in the biggest, deepest, steepest holes you can find. Take a day hike and go into some of those holes and decide if that is what you really want to do on your hunt. Yes there is that occasional monster bull that will poke his head up on the flatter and easier access areas, but that can happen anywhere in Oregon.

2. Use those 10+ years to change your eating habits, start exercising, save money to possibly hire a packer to get your elk out(if need be), and scout every inch of that unit. 10+ years gives you plenty of time to do all of that.

3. Make sure you have some good reliable friends.

4. Remember that are probably hunting on public land and not a High Fenced Ranch. Don?t be disappointed if you come home without an elk. It should be about the hunt and experience.

5. Weather, food quality, and several other factors can change several things. Antler growth, movement, calling responses, location of elk can change year to year. Don?t expect everything to be the same from what you have heard in years past.

6. Remember to just have fun.
 
what were the results of the cougar study and did you see any big bucks when you were up there and what kind of country did you see them in. pm me if you want thanks.

also i agree about the elk i spend a lot of time in the unit and you dont see the big bulls unless you are in one of a couple spots, i think the majority of the unit is a waste of time for hunting big bulls
 
Good info blacktail, thanks for taking the time to type that out. A lot of us have invested years putting in for points with this unit our only realistic draw for a trophy type unit in Oregon and all the talk on hear has been pretty negative but it sounds like if a guy puts in the time and is willing to go deep and nasty you can have a good hunt. nwhunter
 
Blacktail,

You are right about alot of what you were trying to say. However, you are sooooooo wrong about saying spike hunters dont affect the big bull hunters. Unless you have spent as much time up there as I have, you have no clue. There are 6 orange vests on EVERY ridge opening morning. All of them are spike hunters. Big bull hunters should put their bull to bed night before season, or you wont never see them again once spike hunters get in there. And you say they dont hunt hard? lol.....alot of them do! Crazy, but they do. However, if weather is bad, spike hunters stay in camp and drink and party, not hunt. If its blue bird weather, spike hunters everywhere! Every big hunting party applies for big bull tags first, then second draws spike tag. They dont apply as a party, apply as single, that way one or two ALWAYS get a big bull tag, and they party hunt.

Secondly, big bulls are not easy to spot in summer! Spring and early summer, yes...but once that grass burns off in late June, you can spend days up there and only see a handfull of bulls feeding where you can glass them.

MOVE TO DAMN SPIKE HUNTERS TO SECOND WEEK, AND GIVE HUNTERS THAT HAVE WAITED 10-15 YEARS FOR A TAG TO HUNT UNDISTURBED ELK!!!!!!!!!

Also....Starkey Exp Forest...is a joke! The hunting conditions that they do the studies on is not EVEN CLOSE to real hunting conditions! Some of the study is AWESOME.......but not the part when they use hunting pressure to come to a scientific conclusion! 40-60 hunters, crammed into lil areas.....with 500 pair of angus cows, turned into half the hunting area....and they call that real hunting conditions!!!!?????

Just me venting.....
 
>Blacktail,
>
>You are right about alot of
>what you were trying to
>say. However, you are sooooooo
>wrong about saying spike hunters
>dont affect the big bull
>hunters. Unless you have spent
>as much time up there
>as I have, you have
>no clue. There are 6
>orange vests on EVERY ridge
>opening morning. All of them
>are spike hunters. Big bull
>hunters should put their bull
>to bed night before season,
>or you wont never see
>them again once spike hunters
>get in there. And you
>say they dont hunt hard?
>lol.....alot of them do! Crazy,
>but they do. However,
>if weather is bad, spike
>hunters stay in camp and
>drink and party, not hunt.
>If its blue bird weather,
>spike hunters everywhere! Every big
>hunting party applies for big
>bull tags first, then second
>draws spike tag. They dont
>apply as a party, apply
>as single, that way one
>or two ALWAYS get a
>big bull tag, and they
>party hunt.
>
>Secondly, big bulls are not easy
>to spot in summer! Spring
>and early summer, yes...but once
>that grass burns off in
>late June, you can spend
>days up there and only
>see a handfull of bulls
>feeding where you can glass
>them.
>
>MOVE TO DAMN SPIKE HUNTERS TO
>SECOND WEEK, AND GIVE HUNTERS
>THAT HAVE WAITED 10-15 YEARS
>FOR A TAG TO HUNT
>UNDISTURBED ELK!!!!!!!!!
>
>Also....Starkey Exp Forest...is a joke! The
>hunting conditions that they do
>the studies on is not
>EVEN CLOSE to real hunting
>conditions! Some of the study
>is AWESOME.......but not the part
>when they use hunting pressure
>to come to a scientific
>conclusion! 40-60 hunters, crammed
>into lil areas.....with 500 pair
>of angus cows, turned
>into half the hunting area....and
>they call that real hunting
>conditions!!!!?????
>
>Just me venting.....


whoa, whoa, whoa there BLUEMOUNTAIN, there are guys here who think that their starky exp hunt is as tough as hunting gets:) i mean really, isn't that thing like 1/2 mile long?? ya'll dont know what reeeel huntin is about until ya hunted behind that there fence, o.k. i'm done.

[sorry nacarr88 couldnt resist, wont happen again]
 
>Blacktail,
>
>You are right about alot of
>what you were trying to
>say. However, you are sooooooo
>wrong about saying spike hunters
>dont affect the big bull
>hunters. Unless you have spent
>as much time up there
>as I have, you have
>no clue. There are 6
>orange vests on EVERY ridge
>opening morning. All of them
>are spike hunters. Big bull
>hunters should put their bull
>to bed night before season,
>or you wont never see
>them again once spike hunters
>get in there. And you
>say they dont hunt hard?
>lol.....alot of them do! Crazy,
>but they do. However,
>if weather is bad, spike
>hunters stay in camp and
>drink and party, not hunt.
>If its blue bird weather,
>spike hunters everywhere! Every big
>hunting party applies for big
>bull tags first, then second
>draws spike tag. They dont
>apply as a party, apply
>as single, that way one
>or two ALWAYS get a
>big bull tag, and they
>party hunt.
>
>Secondly, big bulls are not easy
>to spot in summer! Spring
>and early summer, yes...but once
>that grass burns off in
>late June, you can spend
>days up there and only
>see a handfull of bulls
>feeding where you can glass
>them.
>
>MOVE TO DAMN SPIKE HUNTERS TO
>SECOND WEEK, AND GIVE HUNTERS
>THAT HAVE WAITED 10-15 YEARS
>FOR A TAG TO HUNT
>UNDISTURBED ELK!!!!!!!!!
>
>Also....Starkey Exp Forest...is a joke! The
>hunting conditions that they do
>the studies on is not
>EVEN CLOSE to real hunting
>conditions! Some of the study
>is AWESOME.......but not the part
>when they use hunting pressure
>to come to a scientific
>conclusion! 40-60 hunters, crammed
>into lil areas.....with 500 pair
>of angus cows, turned
>into half the hunting area....and
>they call that real hunting
>conditions!!!!?????
>
>Just me venting.....

I agree 100% about the party hunting, ran into that during archery season last year. Nearly got into a confrontation because 1 fellow was drawing on a 6 point that I knew didn't have the tag but his partner did. I kicked him off of High ridge. Hope that idiot reads this.
 
ALOT of "party hunting" goes on in Eastern Oregon. Eliminate spike hunting running concurrent with big bull hunt, and this will HELP with this issue.

Killerbee.......that Starkey Exp hunt CAN be a very tough hunt!
Soooooo many variables that are out of the hunters hands in there. ODFW/USFS mess with sooo many things during huntnig season, its not EVEN close to real hunting conditions. Why take this "scientific" results and base ALL other elk and deer hunting on these??? IF ODFW Biologist got off their asses and actually strapped on backpacks, they would have a better idea of the REAL world.
 
YEAH, GO BOB! How do we get the governor to appoint you head of ODFW.....or do you want the headache:)

Where in Wenaha you going to have your mansion camp set up? Just seeing how close you will be to the Walla border. Gonna come visit if I get the chance. Maybe show you what they look like:)
 
LAST EDITED ON Oct-16-09 AT 11:46AM (MST)[p]I have driven by that starkey forest area a few times while on my way to REAL hunting! My bro-in-law can't wait to hunt that area someday...I say why?

Bob, come on...tell me all your "secret areas" LOL

muleyman
 
I thought about that after I posted it. I knew you wouldn't give up the area on here. Just text me when you get a chance:)

I had a buddy that burnt his points on the high fence hunt this year and has nothing but regrets!!!
 
Blacktail Slayer it's good to see you over here too. Blue Mountain can you post pix of any of those bulls to get us excited????
 
Which bulls? I have a hard time loading pics on here for some reason.....says file too big. But, I can try. Guys, I dont mind helping out with some areas of where I saw the big ones, but I want pictures! Saw 2 bulls in Walla Walla that are 380-400 class, and 2 bulls in Wenaha that go 380-410. Mt Emily we are seeing a few 360-390. But I am guiding Emily and Wenaha for rifle, so cant give these bulls away.
 
And I don't expect you too! I will be glassen the Mt Emily in a few weeks for big bulls and was hopin to see pix of B & C Oregon bulls just to keep the excitement going!
 
Bob, why was your hunter not with the guide that was filming the big bulls you refered to?
 
Fate....lol, cause he was with me chasing other bulls. (which were lesser bulls!)
If he had been with my guide, I would have been seeing the BIG bulls! Seems how it goes, right?
 
Dont even get me started on the Archery Spike hunters in Mt Emily this year... This year was a very hot and dry year. Tough hunting. I was in MT Emily 13 days, I saw 22 bulls and two that would go over 340 one was close to 360. I called in 9 bulls. There are some great bulls in there if you get off the roads. I never released an arrow but I was holding out for a 330+ bull and one never presented me with a good shot. Did see one real nice buck also. You want to complain about something how about the rifle cow tag they have that runs durring the archery season and right in the middle of the unit. Yep they are packing rifles around shooting at cows while us archers are sneaking around in Camo.... Come on Oregon get a clue. I would like to sit down at a table with the idiot that came up with that management plan....
 
3fletch,
You would be talking a commision that does not hunt. They have nooooo clue! Neither do the local biologists. Its sad how they "manage" wildlife in this state.

Any of you EVER run into a ODFW biologist out in the mountains, or EVEN out hiking, and not just driving around??? ANYONE?
 
I've never ran into anyone from ODFW while hunting or scouting and I hunt a lot. They do call me on the phone though :( Always makes me wonder where they get their numbers from cuz it sure isn't where I'm at.
 

Member Gallery Photos and Videos!

1.jpg
4FF6B074-F63F-47FF-BB01-963E1715E69A.jpeg
mag7.jpg
IMG_7729.jpeg
A5BD1265-25D0-4D1A-8268-B4260C9817C3.jpeg
2848D3CF-53CD-45A3-9441-77EF6FB8BE3E.jpeg
5FE24F21-936B-4CBF-9360-88169979BEF8.jpeg
20201118_175551.jpg
P1180364 - Copy.JPG
EK001236.jpg
98024023-075C-4B15-8F42-6BDB0F814153.jpeg
20230520_183541.jpg
Back
Top Bottom