I got about what I expected except for one which really throws a wrench into the works. But it is a gold plated wrench, not complaining. I burned 6 preference points on an elk tag that takes 0 to draw and now I'm probably not going to hunt it because it conflicts with ...
I drew the Keno Unit premium deer tag. For the non-Oregonians who don't know the nuances / meanings, the premium tags are 1 tag per unit per species per year, open draw, no points. This unit is 1047 square miles from the OR/CA state line north to the south end of Crater Lake National Park and from the Cascade crest / Pacific Crest Trail east to Highway 97. It goes from Aug 1 through Nov 30. There is a little competition for parts of the time .. archery season in September, a 10 day controlled buck hunt in early October, and a controlled archery season later in October, but during the rut, and during the period when winter settles in, snow starts, and pushes the big bucks down out of the high country into the winter area in the valley bottom, I have the only tag for 1047 square miles.
I've been backpacking the area for 10+ years, plus day hikes, looking for predators, sussing out the old abandoned trails from pre-Wilderness days. I know the area fairly well, not like someone who grew up in it, but fairly well. You c'n bet for the first time in memory I'll actually be doing some scouting. Talk to ODFW about what routes the critters take coming out ahead of snow. Etc.
There are probably better tags .. I should say units with maybe even bigger deer .. but there are no tags where quality of tag meets my personal feet on the ground experience.
So hearing via John that only democrats from Portland, Salem, and Eugene get good tags .. sorta ruffles my tailfeathers a bit. I like John but sometimes he gets his foot in his mouth. 27 years .. he's a noob. I've been here 59 years, born here, raised here, and God willing, when my time is up I will die here and be buried here. F**k the democrats, this is MY damned state. And f**k anyone that wants to talk it down. If someone wants to do something useful, move here, register, and vote republican. Help take it back.
Sorry .. got a little riled up there. Rant over. Sorry. Anyways, I got a pretty cool tag.
