Anyone hunt Eastern Oregon Mulies?

[SWWA_Ben]

I remember some nice 32"+ mulies my friend's dad use to bring home every year after hunting eastern Oregon a few years back. Don't know how hard of a draw it is or if the hunting is still as good. If anyone has any experience with this area let me know. I'm trying to gets my plans together for next year, and would definately consider this hunt as it's close to my home state.

 

[greatbasin]

There are still bucks in eastern Oregon but the quality has been down almost as long as I can remember. I don't know if things have hit bottom already or if the overall situtation is still in decline. I just know Mule Deer hunting in Oregon isn't what it could be. I did not hunt anything in Oregon this year...I'm still holding my points.

 

[Bio Bo]

I haven't hunted there since 1988, but I took a nice 26 in., 160 class, 4X4 in the "pummy" flats north of Klamath Lake. Not really eastern OR. but still a good area back in those days.The locals called him a "benchleg", a name for cross bred muley/blacktail.
I would think that anywhere around Bly, OR or Lakeview, OR would still be a good area. Lots of mahogany thickets in that area... excellent deer browse...

 

[SWWA_Ben]

I'm more or less looking for a spot and stalk desert style mulie hunt, hunting the thick brush of western Washington for blacktails really wears you out after a while.

 

[Bio Bo]

I'm more or less looking for a spot and stalk desert style mulie hunt, hunting the thick brush of western Washington for blacktails really wears you out after a while.

Just about everything east of the Cascades can be considered high desert. Those pumice flats I mentioned are certainly high desert. But there are pockets of higher and greener terrain throughout eastern OR.
And those mahogany thickets I mentioned are scattered throughout as well above 5K ft. They can be excellent places as muleys not only feed on them, but use them for cover and bedding. They might be hard to spot and stalk sometimes, but worth the effort. If you can get up above them and glass several of those thickets from above, it can be very productive.

 

[ashersdad]

I hunted the Ukiah unit in Eastern Oregon a few years ago. Pretty easy draw. I saw alot of deer but never could find a "decent" buck. All I saw were dinks but I'm sure there were some shooters around. I just couldn't find them.

 

[SWWA_Ben]

Sounds good guys, thanks for the info I guess I'll take a closer look at some of the units and put in...if I don't run out of money first...

 

[dan.kirkpatrick]

Ive hunted eastern oregon for over 20 years and yes deer numbers are nothing like they use to be,on public land id say anything 20" or wider or 4 pt plus would be a shooter,there are some bigger but there few and far between.

 

[wishiniwasfishin69]

If you are still interested, there are a lot of wheat farmers near The Dalles that if you ask nicely will usually let you hunt their fields... Thier crops are usually cut by the first week of August so you won't be interfering with the day to day work. I was there last August and saw some giants all over almost every night.

 

[dustyhunter]

Ben, There are some farmers south of Ontario Oregon near Vale Oregon that have some 170"+ mulies. Drawing is the hard part. You would have to go down and spend a few days before season to watch for patterns as they jump from field to field feeding on alfalfa,beans,corn,ect. You would need to set up in tree stands or find trails coming off the rolling hills into the fields. Note I have seen some big bucks in the middle on the field, mid day a few miles from the sagebrush hills. Most farmers are happy to have the deer thinned out since they seem to kill one or two in the combine anyway. I hope this helps. Good Luck!!