Oregon rifle buck season-It is time!

[Slim Pickens]

Out here on the left coast, the Oregon rifle buck season kicks off October 1st. I have hunted deer numerous times with not much effort and time put in and the lack of positive results to show for it. The past few years I have been trying to take my hunts more seriously and this year in particular I have put in many trips, 2+ hours each way, to the unit I have drawn to scout and create a game plan. As I sit here writing this a day before the season opens, I have this weird feeling that I have never had going into any hunting season....cautious optimism, or as some would call it, confidence.

For the first time I have what I consider to be a well thought out plan. I will not be trying to figure out who from our group I will be following out in the morning tonight around the campfire. My 12 year old and I will be set up in our ground blind that we made a few weeks ago well before daylight overlooking a spot that has had consistent morning buck activity. By 9am, we will move to more open country and glass down into a few good drainages and see if we can set up a stalk. Afternoon/evenings will bring us back into the timber for a still hunt overlooking a well used water source.

Of course I know that a plan can go south at any minute, but just having something as simple as this already drawn up has given me hope that this will be the year! If it doesn't turn out like I hope, I will still feel accomplished knowing that I have put my hours of scouting to some good use. And of course, time spent in the woods with good friends and family is never wasted.

I will update this post when I can. Here are a few old pictures from my morning spot cam. These guys, along with a few of their buddies have been regulars for months now.

 

[Little Big Man MT Chris]

good luck slim !!! my parents headed east for there mule hunt on wed the 28th, there retired and like the camping and fishing as much as the hunting they do, im gonna be in the coast range sunday hunting Blacktails, taking my 13 year old son out as well, looking for your hero shot to be posted soon

 

[Little Big Man MT Chris]

Had some friends take 3 bucks in 2 different units in Oregon today and sent me pics, thought I'd share the days activities

 

[Little Big Man MT Chris]

Received this pic this morning , this buck was taken Tuesday in eastern Oregon, got a text from mom as well yesterday informing me dad had hung his tag on a forky tuesday as well but she never sent a pic, there hunting in a different unit than my friends in theses pics

 

[MT_elk]

Great success. Congrats!

 

[Slim Pickens]

Wow Chris, your buddies are putting a hurtin' on em'! My group was not as productive unfortunately....so far. I had to come back home Sunday evening and as of then only 1 out of 9 tags were filled. That was this first light opening morning small 3. My son and I hiked through some seriously big country and down some nasty drainages but only managed to jump one big doe the whole weekend. My supposed honey hole, where my cams were catching big bucks like clockwork, was completely overrun with cattle so that was a huge disappointment. I am heading back out Friday and hitting some higher elevation spots in a more wooded part of my unit. The lower parts are more of a wintering area and the lack of cold weather has kept the deer high so far...so I am being told .

 

[Little Big Man MT Chris]

keep at it slim , my crew still has 4 out of 9 tags left , im out here in Banks hunting Blacktail this year in the coast range again, i bought another point have 2 now for mules, gonna save up for a few more years and do a group app with some of the guys, im off work tomorrow, gonna hit the woods for the day, i took oct 23rd thru nov 4th to really get after it hard looking for a large blacktail for 2 weeks to try and fill my tag, i do enjoy being out in the coast range on a rainy, cloudy day, tomorrows forecast 59 and rain :hump:

 

[Little Big Man MT Chris]

Just herd from the guys this evening , another buck down today

 

[Slim Pickens]

Enjoying rain is a prerequisite for blacktail hunters I only ever see coastal blacktails while elk hunting and elk while blacktail hunting. I wish you luck!

 

[Little Big Man MT Chris]

An absolute amazing day chasing blacktails today , didn't see a buck , but saw 10 does throughout the day and a small herd of Roosevelt elk , 10 cows in all , rain , wind , fog . 4 weeks of season left I'm enjoying the journey

There's a doe in this upper photo almost dead center of pic , took with my cell

 

[Little Big Man MT Chris]

was sent this last night , my buddy john had some friends hunting in the same area he was and had a beer tag with them, and were able to fill it , john went and helped them haul it out of the hills and back to there camp, the bear was estimated to be over 300 lb, john is headed home today, there is a few guys staying that still have tags

 

[Slim Pickens]

That is awesome! We found a bear cub carcass at the bottom of this canyon that had been almost completely eaten Sunday but I have yet to see Papa anywhere. Would love to have a chance at one of those big boys!

 

[Little Big Man MT Chris]

I had the day off today , went out looking for the elusive costal Blacktail buck , saw one hell of a sunrise , saw 9 does and caught a lizard , plus hiked in behind a gate to a new clear cut I've never been to



all in all a damn good day, eventually old mr bucky will show himself, until then the search continues

 

[Little Big Man MT Chris]

Folks got back from eastern Oregon today , mom got this forky yesterday

 

[Elkhunter24]

Thanks for sharing the pictures and congrats!!

 

[Slim Pickens]

Thanks for sharing all these pictures and stories Chris. Any luck with the blacktails yet?

 

[Little Big Man MT Chris]

Thanks for sharing all these pictures and stories Chris. Any luck with the blacktails yet?

I've been out 7 times , have seen 41 Blacktails , 39 does , the other 2 i didn't get to see but for a moment before they disappeared into the timber , i have also seen 14 elk , a coyote and a raccoon . I'm taking vacation starting oct 23 for 2 weeks to hunt the end of season, hoping the the does will get hot and start to draw the bucks out . Gonna hunt oct 23,24,25 and 26 then a short 70 min drive down to the coast on the 27th for a 3 day break , I rented a nice little cape cod cottage right on the Pacific Ocean to recharge the battieres , we can call this half time , then back home on the 30th , then hunt hard the last 5 days of season unless I tag out before hand . Been looking forward to this hunt since last November when I put in for this time off from work

 

[swordinstone]

My supposed honey hole, where my cams were catching big bucks like clockwork, was completely overrun with cattle

I attended a seminar put on by Gary Lewis recently, and this actually came up. He said he's taken most of his mule deer bucks with cattle in the area, they aren't disturbed by them apparently. Might be worth sticking around if this happens again.

 

[Little Big Man MT Chris]

My Girlfriend got her 1st buck today, the elusive Oregon Blacktail, we hunted 9 days together since season opend oct 1st , this was the first legal buck we have seen this year . Patience, persistence and some long days went in to this deer . I'm so happy for her and the journey we shared in harvesting this hard to find animal. We are gonna celebrate the rest this afternoon and relax , one or two adult beverages my be enjoyed , before getting back out there tomorrow, 11 days left till seasons end and I still have a tag in my pocket.

 

[Bomber]

Very cool, Chris. Congrats to you and your girlfriend!