Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Oregon - how's the hunting?

Mike,

good to see you back around here...

The Sheriff's Dept is pretty good at handing out CCWs.. but for every one they hand out, they figure there are 6 or 7 that are being carried illegally....but don't care if it is a law abiding citizen doing so...

as far as the theft rate over here.. not that many months ago, I was sitting in my truck, in the UPS parking lot talking on the cell phone to a buddy.. meanwhile this 20 something head banger meth head comes up and is looking in the back and then the side window and finally tries to jimmy open the right front door...

2PM in the afternoon, broad day light.. me sitting in the truck.. and this idiot is trying to break into it...

I don't carry a firearm for the simple reason, there are too many reasons to use it... especially around here...

but I admit, I don't go for hikes around here outside of town, without being armed.. usually with a rifle....not so much for the danger of Yogi or SnagglePuss.. but running into Beavis and Butthead instead....

cops over here actually catch someone breaking into a home, all they can do thanks to budget restrictions... is to issue them a ticket and a date to show up into court... they don't even have the Juvie Jail open anymore... guy at the recycle place was out with a table and a petition the other day to get it reopened...

getting nuts over here....we have a rural version of Detroit or Oakland going on over here...

You asked about hunting but if you care to float fish wild rivers and catch a lot of feisty smallmouth bass, there are many rivers there to choose from.

I just cant get over the not being able to pump your own gas, very strange.

I would love to live in OR or ID....the high desert is beautiful.

If we don't get some rain, even the high desert jack rabbits will be carrying canteens this year.

Me either. It's weird.

I usually start pumping and just smile when some kid comes running out in a panic.

Trying to figure out Oregon's proclamation could drive a guy to drink. Did get put in for a controlled bear, but slim to no chance of drawing with only 3% of tags being allocated to non-residents. Hopefully there will still be some OTC Southwest tags available.

I guess I get doubly [bleep] this year because I'm too early to be considered a resident in Oregon, and too late to still be a resident in Utah. I thought Utah would go by the application date, but when I went to apply tonight, I found out they go by the draw date, not the application date, so I don't qualify as a resident in either state at this point.

You'd better like rain and damp air if moving to PDX

There's a decent variety of hunting here but most probably wouldn't consider it a top tier destination. Fishing, clamming, and crabbing too. Coast, mountains, dry desert and everything in between including rainforest. Pretty good land access but the liberal whack jobs always want to limit it.

Jason

I am a recent transplant to southern Oregon after living the last 10 years in Alaska. Southern Oregon is great, but Bend is awesome!! I work in L.E and as someone mentioned, Josephine county has some issues. The city of Grants Pass isn't that bad, but the county is. Medford and the surrounding area has no more crime/drugs then any other city. Take a look at Eagle Point--lots of retired people that like to golf. The squeaker shooting has become my favorite.....

I have a good buddy here in AK that is from Oregon, and I was asking him about it, he told me he was "from" OR for a reason. Other than his mom still living there and being an Oregon Ducks fan, that is as far as it goes. When I first met upon moving to AK, he was hell bent on staying here forever, now it looks like he and the family will be leaving come August. Of course the military likes to pick for you at times as well.

I've hunted Oregon a number of times for big game and yearly for waterfowl. Kinda funny to hear Natives bagging on the hunting when I consider it light years better than my crappy home state of CA.

Downplaying it so no more Californians will move here.

Exactly.

I don't blame either of you. lol.

I do know a really good place for Elk in your state. Considering I will probably never be able to draw a bull tag in this craplhole I may end up back in Oregon for deer/elk in a couple years. Hopefully you guys let me over the border.

We take turns manning the tower for illegal crossings.

Oregon is full of Yankees... jk

I think you meant to say "Oregon is full".

Lou:

Lifelong resident of Oregon. If you are willing to work a little, it is an outdoors mecca. Spring Chinook so bright and firm that they are difficult to cut with a knife. Crabs in the bays and estuaries. Two Blue Ribbon Rivers in the Deschutes and Umpqua. Razor Clams on the North Oregon beaches.

I will guarantee that there are B & C Blacktails currently living in and on the fringes of the Willamette Valley. You have to be willing to put in a real effort to get one of these guys, but they are there. As an aside, I have hunted throughout the West, Canada, Alaska and Africa and I consider the Columbia Blacktail to be one of the
great trophy animals.

Chukars in several of the big canyon systems in Eastern Oregon. Great Grouse hunting in much of the state.

Granted, for some years it has been difficult to draw some of the better Eastern Oregon elk and deer tags, but the beauty is that while you build up points for these hard to get hunts, you can hunt Blacktail and Roosevelt Elk within an hour of Portland.

And granted, Oregon passed one of the dumbest laws in not allowing the use of dogs in hunting cougars and this has had a negative effect on deer and elk numbers, but there are still animals out there.

However, like most places you have to work for them, i.e., do your research and be willing to walk a little bit off the road.

Finally, Portland---Portland is a beautiful city. Sure, Its got it share of whack jobs, but what large city doesn't anymore. Its not a high crime city and like any other place, I associate with who I want and leave the others. I think the biggest problem is the fast growth and the resultant traffic gridlock.

Is Oregon hell or do you guys just make it sound that way?

With the little time I've spent in OR and PA, I'd pick the former any day...