Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Oregon Premium Deer MALHEUR RIVER (L66)

I drew this tag this year and I am pumped to be able to take my 300 RUM out during the rut. I have hunted this unit before, mostly above the town of Juntura and we have seen some great bucks there. I got a decent 4x3 last year. I was wondering if anyone has had some experience in that area during November? Thoughts on wintering grounds and what not. Any thoughts/advice are much appreciated!

I've only been through there once that I can think of. I don't know if the deer are down on the flats or still in mountainous areas.

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Tom

I've heard there's some sort of wildlife refuge around there... You might wanna hunt along the boarders.

Near Riverside?

Fireball-
I have no idea. I was TRYING to make a goof on the lunatics that took over the Malheur Refuge. Its probably not anywhere close to the unit the OP is asking about.

jmgraham1986,




Why are they "lunatics"?

That Rum ought to get the job done. What bullet will you be shooting? powdr

I only shoot 180 Nosler ABs through that gun. They are factory loaded with either RL 22 or IMR 4831SC.

We got this on the second day of rifle season, not sure if I would shoot this in Nov...

There's no refuge one can exploit within that unit. If we get some weather, the deer should come down into their winter ranges for the rut. Most likely low basins with greening up cheatgrass. We've had a good bit of rain lately. Simply be as mobile as possible and look for an abundance of does. Find the ladies during the rut, and the boys will be there. Lots of nice bucks, but one will have to probably pass on 20 or 30 good ones before he sees the giant. The rut should kick in around the 4th of November and be very intense up into the 18th or so. Thereafter, the big boys will wear out and bail, leaving the lesser bucks for clean up. I don't know how, but it's like the big one just disappear one day.

Like any other time, be out glassing at first and last light when the does are out feeding. Remaining green areas will be most attractive. Around 10:00 AM or so when the does bed down, so will the bucks. Once a hot doe is detected, a buck will stay with her until the deed is completed. About 03:30 PM things get active again. One will often see bucks traveling mid-day, but those are usually lesser animals covering country trying to find an untended doe. If we plunge into the minus temps, activities can move more toward mid day when the sun is out.

The big guys will typically limit themselves to as little as a couple square miles of ground. If you see a serious shooter, but can't immediately catch up, hang around for a day or two, and he'll usually show back up. Does as well don't like to leave familiar ground or their friends. So, if the big boy gets out of sight chasing a lady, hang in a bit, and she'll usually circle back with the buck in tow.

Does will respond (come to) to a fawn bleat type predator call, and when the rut is on, the bucks will be right behind them. The rabbit screams work too if one does not lean on them too hard. Such opportunities though are hurry up events with animals heading off quickly as soon as they figure out they've been had. Any real frequency to calls in a single locale, and they'll quickly quit responding.

Cookie works a lot of bucks with her cameras during the rut, and can typically shake out known animals in half a day or so simply by getting back into the same area.

Lastly, if one spots a monster on private land (meadows or pivots), just go ask.

Nice buck in 2014


Same locale (Within 100 yds) and I believe the same buck in 2015.

Hope he shows again in a couple weeks.

Good luck, and put up your results when it's over.

1minute provided some real good insight to that area from my experience. Along with Beulah, the Malheur unit is the dumping ground for the migration out of the Malheur, North Fork Malheur, and Little Malheur River drainages. My time in that area during the rut was strictly for chukar hunting but as mentioned, if the does were around the big boys were near by. Saw some great bucks while chasing the devil bird along the Malheur breaks.

Got a nice 28.5 inch 4 point, but how in the heck to I upload a photo that is smaller that 96kb?

Let's see if this works:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10209840083632457&l=98e294ab66

Congrats, great buck

You're lucky to get a hunt that late. Almost all of Idaho's deer seasons end Oct 31, just before the big boys start hitting on the ladies.

Indeed! This is a new tag in Oregon, they only issue one per unit that allows you to hunt from Sept 1 - Nov 30