Eastern Oregon Hunting?

[.204smokechaser]

Howdy folks!

I accepted a job offer in the vicinity of the John Day area and am starting to look over Oregon's hunting regulations to see what Oregon has to offer. I'll still hunt with Idaho resident tags through next fall but won't have much time to hunt until late November. I may switch residency and stick in Oregon for 4 years or so until moving to another place so hence why I'm researching Oregon for hunting options.

I hope to keep this thread in mind for any other questions that may pop up. Learning a new state can be difficult as most of you know.

The first few questions I have:

1.) Pros/Cons you see to being an Oregon Resident that hunts and wants to hunt in state every year.

2.) I see rifle deer hunting is draw only. How realistic is it to hunt deer every year in Oregon?

3.)how realistic is it to have quality elk hunting every year?

PMs are encouraged!

Thanks!

 

[bpurtz]

If you have the ability to maintain Idaho residency, do it! I love Oregon and have had great hunting success here, but hunting opportunities in Oregon compared to Idaho are not even in the same galaxy. Good luck.

 

[wapitibob]

Hunting here is not too good. Oregon manages for 10/100 bulls in all but two units and those two are 15/100.

The WY area I hunted in 2018 was over 40.

 

[Wrench]

My dad is in that area and there are GOBS of animals.....but public land is as scarce as a living Clinton witness.

 

[BluMtn]

Just buy the life time Idaho residency license. Then you can have residence in Oregon and buy residence tags in Oregon and Idaho.

 

[.204smokechaser]

Thanks for the suggestions/insight so far folks!

Just buy the life time Idaho residency license. Then you can have residence in Oregon and buy residence tags in Oregon and Idaho.

If I was to lose Idaho residency, I'd be still having to fork over non resident tag prices and permit fees even with a lifetime license. Already bought a lifetime license so I'm set as far as annual license fees go if I were to move out of state.

 

[.204smokechaser]

I should add that I was born and raised west of Yakima, Wa so the hunting can't be any worse than what it was in the Yakima area.

 

[Terrapin]

Thanks for the suggestions/insight so far folks!



If I was to lose Idaho residency, I'd be still having to fork over non resident tag prices and permit fees even with a lifetime license. Already bought a lifetime license so I'm set as far as annual license fees go if I were to move out of state.

Yes, but you come out of the resident pool. Much better for controlled hunts and prevents sold out OTC tags.


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[Oregon]

My dad is in that area and there are GOBS of animals.....but public land is as scarce as a living Clinton witness.

Public land around John Day?? Plum eat up with National Forest land. I’ve hunted all around John Day for deer and never found it hard to stay on public. Oregon has close to 33 million acres of public land.
I’d assume real close to John Day (murders creek and north side units) are 2-3 point draws for deer.
elk probably the same.
If you Robin Hood you can do both every year with an OTC.
Decent turkey hunting. Grouse. Good fishing close by. I quit deer hunting that area after the 92-93 winter kill. It has never recovered and never will.
Cool town in a good area. Idaho it’s not, but probably better than being relocated to California or New Jersey.

 

[mlgc20]

You will love the fishing. It is incredible.

 

[Wrench]

Public land around John Day?? Plum eat up with National Forest land. I’ve hunted all around John Day for deer and never found it hard to stay on public. Oregon has close to 33 million acres of public land.
I’d assume real close to John Day (murders creek and north side units) are 2-3 point draws for deer.
elk probably the same.
If you Robin Hood you can do both every year with an OTC.
Decent turkey hunting. Grouse. Good fishing close by. I quit deer hunting that area after the 92-93 winter kill. It has never recovered and never will.
Cool town in a good area. Idaho it’s not, but probably better than being relocated to California or New Jersey.

By "in that area" my dad is downstream and there is a lot of public land, but it's tricky to get on and when you are near the huge private ranches that are managed to hunt. ....it's not even close to the same.

This coming from a guy who can run out of gas before I run our of huntable land in my area.

Get in good with the neighbors and you can shoot sheep and buffalo for nothing.

 

[TC406]

Following along as I have a pending move to Oregon as well (from MT). Im moving late enough next year that I will be able to get MT tags and come back to hunt next fall, but will be stuck for the next few years hunting OR or getting out of state tags. I do bow hunt, so that should help with OR tags at least.

 

[TripleJ]

John Day is a beautiful area. There is decent hunting opportunity to be had around there, and good fishing too. It's definitely not on par with the opportunity to be had in some of the other western states though. I have a friend that grew up there and has hunted it all his life. He hunts elk and deer in a different western state now every year.

 

[Vargasm]

If you google "oregon hunting tag draw odds" you will find a website that a guy puts together every year with the draw odds for each tag. I've found it to be very accurate over the years and it's free. This link should also take you there:

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sou...Vaw1BDg9NjyvWn5dgcqRQOv_u&cshid=1573882689902

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[orelkaddict]

Rumor has it that all eastern units will be a draw for archery next year as well

 

[slick]

Sounds like just that. A rumor.

 

[elkliver]

deer hunting in Oregon is abominable but elk is pretty good. You just need to adjust your thoughts of what a trophy is.. and John day is about the center of some wonderful country. Not sure what the guys talking about with worrying about public land as its smack dab in the middle of national forests. yes there are ranches but plenty of public land in the area.. PM me and exchange phone numbers and i be would glad to visit. same goes for the additional person looking at moving.

all of that being said... most of us in Oregon are starting to think about moving to idaho.

 

[theleo91386]

It's not as bad as Washington but not as good as Idaho. If you're an archery hunter and define "quality elk hunting" as having a decent chance of filling the freezer each year, then yeah, there's some quality hunting if you put the time in learning areas. If you develop the skills to hunt mulies with a bow in sage brush, there's some good times to be had. If you're strictly a rifle hunter there's some units you can draw almost every year, but there's a reason you can draw them almost every year. lol

 

[wapitibob]

People don't take 3 minutes to educate themselves on how seasons and regulations are created in this state.

 

[.204smokechaser]

People don't take 3 minutes to educate themselves on how seasons and regulations are created in this state.

I actually looked at the hunting and trapping regs for about an hour and also have talked to a few locals that I know from there before posting anything on rokslide. Additionally, I have mapped out my plan for hunting and have talked to people about general bear in Oregon. I have looked roughly 4 hours at the regs the last few nights and actually am making a scouting trip down there Sunday and Monday on my way to WA for Turkey day more so for general familiarization purposes. I also am planning on calling the Bios down there as well.


Do yourself a favor and please keep your snarky comment to yourself next time. Ain't nothing good comes out of acting childish like you did in your reply on my thread.