Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting NE Oregon Elk Guides: Wake Up Please

Frustrating to say the least. Any NE Oregon guides here? I have sufficient preference points to score any of Oregon's trophy bull tags, and Cookie has okayed the costs of a guided opportunity. Been acquiring points for 20 years for just this reason. Our application deadline will be here mid-month, and I need to settle on one of two potential units. Of the two, I will for sure need help in one (Wenaha) and can probably do it my self in the second (Mt Emily). Some front end communications would go a long way toward directing my choice.

In the last 3 weeks, I've sent e-mails to 4 highly recommended guide/outfitters in the region with all advertising on the web. Not a single response! There are not that many outfits in the pool. Do those folks go into hibernation post season and not wake up until after next season's tag drawings, or are they already booked solid? If any are acquainted with those in the profession up there, please suggest they check their e-mail.

Did some Alaska inquiries a couple seasons back and it seemed every one of those folks really wanted some work. They were willing to talk shop a year or two in advance.

Check the advertisements in the back of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation Magazine.

I'd highly suggest a phone call...

Did you get ahold of Jon Wick? He kills some good bulls

Judman:
Wick's name pops up frequently, but with just cursory surfing the first links tie him to some less than scrupulous activities linked with high roller clients. Don't believe he's licensed for the Wenaha unit any more.

Copy, been several years since I've spoke with him. You need a few young guys in that wenaha country, I've packed several bulls out of the Washington side, Damon steep country. Good luck in the draws, I gotta apply for oregon too...

And good luck to you. In my case luck has nothing to do with it. No one that entered the draw for the last two seasons has as many preference point as I do. I need a point or two for my out of state efforts, so this was the year to use things up locally. Still no responses.

I know a few guys who guide the WA. Side of the Wenaha but nothing for ORE. I had the WA. tag a handful of years ago and it was an awesome hunt. Steep as all hell but tons of good animals.

Best of luck to you sir.

you try Ifish?
which of the big 3 you thinking?

Troops:

I am going to postpone to 2019, starting a renewed contact effort 17 months ahead. It takes near 20 years to be assured of this opportunity, so I want every aspect to be well thought out. I do not want to commit to a unit and then essentially have no choice when it comes to paying for some help.

Thanks for the suggestions and comments.

I have over 20 points for Oregon elk as NR. Built half of those as a resident then moved away. The NE units have low bull success as predators keep down herd recruitment and the 500 or more spike and/or cow hunters stir up the bulls. Have not looked at success rates for many years but were around 20% in the three units I was considering. Those units offer 1 NR tag in the draw and only on alternating years. The other alternating year has the 1 NR tag go to an outfitter to sell. So, in a decade are about 15 tags total in the draw for NR for those top bull elk units. Are more sheep tags awarded. I apply for sheep and goat in OR so grabbing another elk point is a cheap date in case OR would actually attempt to offer a primo hunt without 100s of spike/cow hunters in the woods at same time or just before.

LopeSticker:

Yes. The Wenaha and Mt Emily deals are near impossible for a non-resident as are our sheep and goat tags regardless of unit. The published ODF&W stats indicate success for those after the trophy elk (40 to 50 tags per unit) are in the 70 to 80% range. Mostly large bulls too, so the wolves have not put much of a dent in the trophy component. Also, the trophy opportunity now is significantly extended covering both seasons and the interval in between. Given the value of that tag it's nice to not be locked into a 5 or 9 day window.

Across the board success for bull runs about 15% in Oregon, and if I did not live here I'd most certainly not spend the money as an out of stater. Id, Wy, Co, Mt, and even Nv have some quality bull opportunities. Having to purchase a license just to apply for a chance is not all that fair either. Don't draw, and one is then carrying a worthless license around. Given your preference point accumulation though, the hunt might eventually come through for you. I've not studied up on the point status for the non-resident applicants.

I was not a supporter years back when the Commission got pressured to severely limit non resident tags. I think it's held to something like 5% of those available now. During that interval when the locals were pushing for limitations, I rode with our LEO's and went through their print outs of all the local unit tag holders. Our residents were complaining every camp north of here was from Ca or Nv. I agree one saw a fair number of out of state camps, but the majority of locals hunt from the house. The distant non-residents were more visible in the woods, because they were the ones having to camp and doing extended stays. Anyway, my review showed we had about a 7 or 8% non-resident component out there. Of that, well over half were known names from local families, so they were kids etc coming home to be around their roots. In essence, I don't think we were anywhere near having a significant non-resident problem.

That issue surfaced just a few years after we went to limited entry, and I think it had more to do with locals not getting to hunt both deer and elk every year. I did and still do think limited entry is a good thing. I put in a couple elk season prior to the limits north of John Day and subsequently gave up elk hunting for about 10 seasons. Every road was open as well, and one simply could not find isolation or even consider spot and stalk techniques. Bull ratios were in the toilet, and near every elk spotted was on the trot with its tongue out. With our limits now, one can go a day or so without bumping into competition and there are some quality animals to be found. .

Thanks for chiming in and good luck with your endeavors,